Been there, done that.

It was called "the Alien and Sedition Acts," then later the "Espionage and Sedition Act." Both are now seen as lawless aberrations that we're happy to be rid of. Don't we ever fucking learn?

The Raw Story | Could U.S. consider Official Secrets Act, like Britain?

Controversies over press disclosures about NSA domestic spying and CIA antiterror operations have led to renewed talk about the need for an American version of Britain's Official Secrets Act, NEWSWEEK reports in Monday editions.

House intelligence committee chairman Pete Hoekstra has spoken publicly about the need for a "comprehensive law" to make it easier to prosecute leakers, and last week his Senate counterpart, Pat Roberts, said he, too, thinks new measures may be considered.

But Bush critics accuse administration officials of being some of the most prolific leakers. Among leaks promoted by Bushies, critics say, were the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, prewar intel leaks about Iraqi WMD to former New York Times reporter Judy Miller, pro-Bush leaks to author-reporter Bob Woodward and Bush's recent disclosure of details of a 2002 Qaeda plot to attack Los Angeles's tallest building-details which may have closely paralleled the contents of a 2004 CIA report which remains classified.

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