In a blog post headlined “What was James Rosen Thinking?” Shafer asserts that Rosen could have kept his sources in the federal government secret had he been more… secretive.

Shafer writes:

Rosen’s journalistic technique, if the Post story is accurate, leaves much to be desired. He would have been less conspicuous had he walked into the State Department wearing a sandwich board lettered with his intentions to obtain classified information and then blasted an air horn to further alert authorities to his business. For example, one data point investigators used to connect Rosen with his alleged source, Kim, was the visitor’s badge the reporter wore when calling on the State Department offices. According to security records, Rosen and his source left the building within one minute of each other and then returned only several minutes apart inside the half-hour. A few hours later that day (June 11, 2009), Rosen’s secret-busting story was published.

Even teenagers practice better tradecraft than this when deceiving parents.

Shafer goes on to offer tips on what “a smart reporter” would do. continued…

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Obama Left in the Dark — The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports that White House Press Sec. Jay Carney said today that though White House officials were notified of an inspector general report on the IRS by the Treasury Department, President Obama was not. Carney said he supports the decision of White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler’s decision not to disclose the report, saying it would have been inappropriate for the President to be involved in an ongoing investigation, as conclusions often change in the final stages of inspector general reports.

Prosecuting the Press — Politico’s Josh Gerstein examines Attorney General Eric Holder’s stance on prosecuting journalists. Though Holder rejected the idea in last week’s hearing, Gerstein explains that the Justice Department has used the possibility of prosecution to obtain warrants. Citing the case of Fox News’ James Rosen, reported in the WaPo article above, the piece looks at how the Privacy Protection Act of 1980 has been interpreted and which protocols were followed and which were overstepped.

DOJ Deja Vu — The DOJ subpoena is being labeled a major scandal for the Obama administration, but as WaPo’s Ann Marimow reports, it’s not the first time this happened. The piece tells the story of the eerily similar tracking a few years ago of Fox News reporter James Rosen by the Justice Department, which was investigating leaks about North Korea in 2009. In addition to phone records, the DOJ made use of security badge access records to track when Rosen came and went to the State Department as well as his personal emails.

IRS Not Alone in Conservative Targeting — Apparently, the IRS wasn’t the only government agency targeting conservative groups. According to the story by The Daily Caller’s Michael Bastasch, the EPA made acquisition of government records more difficult for conservative groups while giving preferential treatment to environmental groups. Republican lawmakers are now launching an investigation into the claims.

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Homoerotic or cute? You decide.

“Bret Baier, Hope Chunky Monkey feels better soon — and doesn’t get everyone else in your house sick in the process!” — FNC’s James Rosen. We can only hope that Rosen is referring to one of Baier’s children and not some other er, chunky monkey, in the house.

Speaking of erotic…

“It’s normal to find the words ‘woman,’ ‘her’ and ‘she’ to be erotic, right? Ok, good.” — WaPo‘s Gene Weingarten, a huge FBDC fan.

Perino reaches out to Price is Right contestant

“Will the gentleman who was on Price is Right this morning tweet me again? Loved the shout out. Need to know if you won. And watch The Five!” — FNC’s Dana Perino.

When New York Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson throws out a question, WaPo’s ever hip Weingarten steps up to the plate and introduces himself.

Curtis Granderson: “Headed to DC for the off day, besides White House, Memorials, and Gov’t Buildings, what are some good suggestions to eat and check out?” Gene Weingarten: “Hey, Curtis. I’m a columnist for the Wa Post. Eat in Adams Morgan, a hip, funky walk-around neighborhood.”

Touching.

A fan writes to The New Yorker writer and CNN Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin: “I fucking love your writing and analysis.” He replied: “Big fucking thanks!”

Sam Stein accuses TPM of being copycat

“TPM electoral scoreboard bit.ly/OBXRUp mighty similar to what we have at Huffpost huff.to/INFOLi” – HuffPost‘s Sam Stein.

Wendy puts the hump in hump day

“Wendy Wednesday’s really help me bust over the hump.” — FBDC reader Jason Kosakow, a quantitative analyst in Washington, D.C. (And yes, we’re bragging!)

Journo Squabble

“[Andrew Sullivan] today asked if I was living on the same planet as him. No-I’m living on the one with most people from Earth.” –  Salon‘s Glenn Greenwald on The Daily Beast‘s Andrew Sullivan. He links to this.

Eddie Scarry and Peter Ogburn contributed to this report.

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Roll Call

The pamphlet the school handed out said the discussion was being moderated by HuffPost Political Editor Tom Edsall and featured CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux, TIME‘s Jay Newton-Small, pollster Doug Schoen, McClatchy‘s James Rosen “and others.”

Beckwith was overheard saying he felt like Mary Ann, who was listed as “and the rest” in the original theme song.

See the program…

continued…

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Jerry Thompson (back to camera) embraces John Wallace, a cameraman for Fox News who organized the fundraiser.

FNC’s James Rosen donating cartoon sketches for the cause.

Ed Henry, CNN, guest bartender

This was one night when TV journos let go of ratings and any thought of fierce competition. Last night TV journalists from CNN and Fox News came together at Cuba Libre to raise 75k for ailing longtime former CNN cameraman Jerry Thompson. He has been diagnosed with a second brain tumor. “He’s now on a new medication and fighting as hard as he can,” says a Facebook page created for him by friends.

Celebrity bartenders included NBC’s Mike Viquira and Wendy Rieger as well as CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, John King and wife and CNNer Dana Bash (who tended bar together) and Ed Henry. The board of the White House Correspondents’ Association personally donated $1200 that came from their own pockets. Money will go to a trust for Thompson’s children. (See names of WHCA Boardmembers who made donations after the jump…)

A personal e-mail note of thanks from FNC’s John Wallace to attendees portrays the deeply felt sentiment behind the cause:

Thank you for what you did tonight. I’m sorry I did not have the time to thank each of you individually but with out you tonight may have happened but on a much smaller scale.
All of you stepping up to plate immediately opened many doors for me. It gave the night instant credibility. Bob Gallo, co-owner of the Cuba Libre restaurant group was really taken by Jerry’s story and moved by the response from all of you. That’s what did it.

We had a great night and wake up knowing that all of us did a good thing.
We raised over 75K for Jerry’s children last night and the even better news is that we haven’t even gotten the bar receipt numbers from all of your hard work and our colleagues penchant for enjoying an alcoholic beverage or two.
You are all great people.
Again, thank you.
John

See The Hill‘s write-up and pictures here.

Anyone wishing to learn more or to make a donation, go to the Facebook site here.

Check out Blitzer’s bartending after the jump…

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FNC Fanilows Brett Baier, Major Garrett, Megyn Kelly, Molly Henneberg and James Rosen “sang” Barry Manilow‘s hit “Copacabana.” Boot scootin’ to Shania Twain for CNN were Brianna Keilar, Dana Bash, Jessica Yellin and Elizabeth Manresa. Don’t quit your day jobs, guys…

Check out the vids below and get the full scoop from TWT’s G2 here.

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From Sammon’s email: “He poses tough questions to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but also finds time to chat her up on Beatles trivia.”

Check out that email announcement, in which Sammon also calls Rosen an “expert on Nixon, Watergate and pretty much everything from the Vietnam era,” after the jump…

continued…

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Good morning Washington.

Got a blind item, interesting link, funny note, comment, birthday, anniversary or anything of the sort for Morning Reading List? Drop us a line or let us know in the tips box below.

We’ve got your morning mix of media Muesli after the jump…

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Dear Colleagues: With curious swiftness following the good news bestowed on my officemate of the last eight years, Mr. Brian Wilson (a.k.a “The New Sheriff,” “Big Dog,” “El Jefe,” or “Da Man”), quite a number of you have expressed interest in claiming his old digs. I am inclined to attribute this not to an innate covetousness of office space lodged within the soul of every corporate apparatchik, but, rather, to my own widespread — nay, universal — popularity. It’s a burden I have always sought to bear with appropriate grace and humility. It has not been clarified to me how much choice I will have in the matter, but given the widespread interest, I thought I might take this opportunity to provide some guidance. To wit, qualified applicants shall: 1. Worship The Beatles like the revolutionary genius gods they were and are (including Ringo). 2. Provide me with snacks (the ones I like, you know, with the smooth chocolatey outside and rich peanut buttery inside?). 3. Cede full and unyielding control to me over all four TV monitors, the 320 box, overhead lights, and iPod speaker. 4. Endure, without complaint or interruption, my lengthy and fatiguing discourses on Watergate, the ’69 Mets, “Peanuts,” the Third Reich and other well-trod historical subjects. 5. Not taunt or provoke me with disparaging remarks about McCartney’s solo career. 6. Be discreet about certain unmentionable matters (like that thing in L.A. I took care of for you). The desirability of said digs cannot be in doubt. The office is spacious, airy, conveniently located at the nexus of the “Weekend Live,” “Special Report,” and dot-com sections — just steps away from the kitchen, Metro, and Union Station shopping! — and, perhaps best of all, actually boasts that rare and precious accessory known as “a window.” Of course, if the new bureau chief decides, in his wisdom, which is paramount and all-seeing, that no one is fit to occupy the real estate he so singularly made his own over the last nine years, that, too, would be cool. As long as I get to keep his mini-fridge. I know all of you join me in wishing my ex-roommate (cue “Odd Couple” theme music here) the very best of success in his new duties. No more noogies. Yours sincerely, James (a.k.a “Barney Fife,” “Small Dog,” “El Nino,” or “Da Punk”)

Don’t tell Rosen, but we hear that “B-dawg” took his refrigerator with him.

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