> They can make an oxygen-sucking scandal out of nothing. This could devour the rest of Obama's second term if it gets out of hand
This is not 'journalism'. This is blackmail.
I know you're trolling me here, but fuck it there probably are some halfwits out there nodding along with these power-worshiping redefinitions of old, well-understood law. From 18 U.S.C. § 873, blackmail: "Whoever, under a threat of informing, or as a consideration for not informing, against any violation of any law of the United States, demands or receives any money or other valuable thing, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned..." There's no money here. What is the "other valuable thing"? The safety of journalists' innocent loved ones? That's monstrous, and that isn't a proper interpretation of law.
No, the 'other valuable thing' in this case is immunity from search or seizure.