Obama's Promise of Transparency

[Commentary] Hopes for an effective law that would protect the public's access to essential news from inside government have been dealt a severe setback by the Obama administration. As a senator, President Obama co-sponsored a robust proposal to protect journalists and their sources who rely on confidentiality to reveal abuses, scandals and other inner workings of government agencies. But, White House officials are now proposing deep revisions to a Senate Judiciary Committee bill that weaken protections against forcing reporters to reveal their sources. At the heart of the disagreement is the balance between national security and the public's right to know.