ACLU Applauds Presidential Candidates for Supporting Federal Shield Law

Democrats Obama, Clinton Join Republican McCain in Supporting Bill

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/15/2008 4:18:00 PM

The American Civil Liberties Union was feeling good Tuesday about the growing support for a federal shield law, which would grant qualified protection of journalists and their sources from investigations by federal prosecutors.

In the wake of Republican Sen. and presidential candidate John McCain's (Ariz.) support for the bill, Democratic candidates Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) both singed on as co-sponsors, the ACLU said.

"The support of all three major presidential candidates for this bill should not only be applauded, it should also be a call to action,” ACLU Washington legislative office director Caroline Frederickson said. “This legislation has languished too long in the bureaucratic backchannels of the Senate. Though the Senate version of the Free Flow of Information Act is a step in the right direction, the version passed by the House provides much stronger protections. We’re urging the Senate to take up the House bill to ensure that the American public and the press have the most uncompromised protections possible."