It must be an election year

In a dangerous bit of pre-election grandstanding, Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) is calling for the prosecution of the New York Times and other papers for publishing the shocking news that, yes, the US is trying to track terrorists' financial transactions.

"We're at war, and for the Times to release information about secret operations and methods is treasonous," King said.

Even the White House is rather more sanguine than Mr King:

In a letter printed yesterday on the Times Web site, [Times executive editor, Bill] Keller said the administration argued "in a half-hearted way."

He noted that after the report was published, the Treasury Department "trumpeted . . . that the U.S. makes every effort to track international financing of terror. Terror financiers know this, which is why they have already moved as much as they can to cruder methods. But they also continue to use the international banking system, because it is immeasurably more efficient than toting suitcases of cash."

Taken along with the astonishing stupidity of things like Rick Santorum's incredible WMD non-find, one might be tempted to just sit back and chuckle warmly at these desparate wingnut antics.

My fear, though, is that as the election draws nearer, and GOPers become increasingly panicked, they may become as dangerous as cornered beasts. This is after all, the party of power at all costs. And scarier still they are, at the moment, the party in power.

If ever a thought should give you a chill on a hot summer's night, that should.