NYT Scribe Defends White House Leaks

The public's right to know about the president and his policies outweigh secrecy and security issues, says David Sanger, the New York Times reporter behind one of two much-criticized articles on the White House's approach to national security, reports the LA Times. Sen. John McCain has repeatedly attacked the White House for leaking sensitive information to boost its profile, specifically via Sanger's story about the president's role in stepping up cyberattacks on Iran's nuclear program. But Sanger, who is coming out with a book about national security under President Obama, titled Confront and Conceal: Obama’s Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power, says those issues are fair game and important for the press—but, of course, he doesn't reveal his sources.

“Did I talk to a lot of people in the administration? Of course,” said Sanger, without naming names. “Can we debate" the issues "out in the open? Of course.” President Obama's senior campaign adviser, meanwhile, continued to defend the White House from leak accusations, telling ABC News that the administration would not compromise national security. “I can’t say that there weren’t leaks," said David Axelrod. "There were obvious leaks, but they weren’t from the White House." (More President Obama stories.)