Letter to the Times Ombudsman

Mr. Calame,
I implore you to launch an investigation as to why such a bombshell about the NSA spying scandal has escaped publishing for approximately one year.

This story is of such significance that it has caused congressmen to actually say the word impeachment out loud and on television.

More importantly, this bombshell should it have been reported when the Times first learned about it, could have affected the election of 2004.

Newsweek is now reporting that Mr. Keller and Sulzberger Jr. met with the President on December 6th.

Finally, we have also learned that the reporters who wrote the story are not being allowed to discuss the story with the rest of the press.

All these are alarming ventures for the "Paper of Record" to be part and parcel to. Particularly since Judy Miller's controversial episode.

I implore you find the answers to the following questions:

When exactly did the New York Times discover that the President circumvented the 1978 FISA law?

Why exactly did the NYT keep silent on this story until last week? If sources needed to confirm the story, how many sources does the NYT require in confirming such stories? Is this an arbitrary number or is it based on the qualifications of the sources at hand? Why are the reporters who wrote the story being sequestered from speaking in public? It seems most New York Times reporters have free reign on many news programs.

Why is the New York Times hiding behind the cloak of "national security," particularly since wire taps and the knowledge thereof should hardly be of surprise to any potential terrorists. I thought people engaged in such dubious activities would already assume they would be wire tapped given the exhistence of FISA and of course the Patriot act.

What did Mr Keller, and Mr. Sulzberger Jr. discuss with the President on December 6th?

Why hasn't the paper reported on that meeting?

I look forward to your answers to these and I am sure many many more questions.
Thank you,
Jorge M

More questions here.

UPDATE: Uh, it was before the election.