I guess it depends on whether the leak helps or hurts US national security -- and whether or not the Democrats can use it to bash the Bush administration. Since the security of the United States is degraded by the leak about NSA surveilance of al-Qaeda operatives AND it plays into the standard leftist Bush=Hitler talking point, its a good leak in the eyes of some Democrats. Take this one.

The investigation into leaks about a domestic spying program should determine whether the motivation was damaging security or revealing a potentially illegal activity, a Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday.

"There are differences between felons and whistleblowers, and we ought to wait 'til the investigation occurs to decide what happened," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

On Friday, the Justice Department opened an investigation into who divulged the existence of President Bush's secret domestic spying program. The New York Times reported last month about warrantless surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican who appeared with Schumer on "Fox News Sunday," urged the Justice Department to "go after those who breached our national security and endangered Americans in the war on terror."

If this program was illegal, then I hope people are prosecuted -- but I don't think it was illegal. But regardless, those who leaked the information to the press for front page publication cannot be seen as acting in a legitimate fashion.The appropriate recipient of those suspicions would have been a prosecutor, a senior law enforcement official, or a member of Congres (which has oversight authority over the NSA). The New York Times has no legitimate role in making the determination of the legality of the program.

MORE AT: My Pet Jawa and Dread Pundit Bluto.

1/2/06 -- Welcome to everyone dropping by from Michelle Malkin's excellent blog. Thank's for the mention!