Rupert Murdoch's UK papers--hacking phones, smearing the left with hacked info. And here in the US?

[Snoutport]

If y'all haven't been following the Guardian newspaper in England there has been some fascinating stuff going on. Rupert Murdoch's newspapers have been found to be hacking the phones of the liberal politicians and smearing them with the information they could glean. They were doing the same with celebrities, and, in one case, of some girl who was raped. They hacked her phone and her friends so they could get every lurid detail possible.

They got caught after hacking phones of the royal family. Murdoch's paper had to buy off the reporter and investigator and they went to jail. When they were released they were given large sums of money for their silence. The policeman in charge of the investigation closed the case and swore there was nothing else to it. Just a rogue reporter who listened to a couple of emails and who, as punishment, had gone to jail. The policeman promptly retired and was hired by Murdoch's paper to write a column for them. I don't know what he makes but I'd bet it would be a pretty penny...it is not cheap to get Scotland Yard to close a case. The politicians did not follow up because they were told that Murdoch's papers would go after them.

The Editor of the paper also quit, only to be hired by the soon-to-be prime minister to be his media adviser. So, the Editor of a paper that had been hacking phones of the opposition and had great knowledge and details of their private lives is now the right hand man of the right wing prime minister, both of whom were very beholden to Rupert Murdoch.

Well, it ends up the handful of tapping was 4000 people or so and many of the leading left leaning politicians. Any enemy of the right was certainly a target. The police are investigating again and the left finally has knowledge of what has been happening.

Several lawsuits ranging in the million pounds area have been settled by Murdoch's company but they haven't been able to stop it. Now more editors have been implicated, all the way up to the top it most likely will turn out. And Murdoch's people at Newscorp have lied and hidden files and refused to even show up in court but all heck is breaking loose.

I highly recommend it. Quite full of drama and the financial implications of 4000 people suing Murdoch could bring down part of his empire. And, remember, this is just ONE investigator on the payroll. THey probably had tons of people hacking all over the world.

Which brings me to my point. Perhaps it is time, here in the US, we do a little checking into the phone records of our own elected officials and left wing leaders. It could be that Murdoch's dirty little tricks have been played on both sides of the pond.

So, who starts something like that?

[aquart]

1. I have no doubt.

[northoftheborder]

2. Should definitely be somebody extremely brave. Better,

hundreds should pursue this, safety in numbers.

[Snoutport]

3. there are 40 some-odd cops assigned now!