by TChris

When the Bush administration isn't responding to critics by attacking them, it tries to intimidate them. Defense attorney Michael Tigar made that point Friday as he argued that the government's attempt to subpoena reporters to testify in the trial of his client, Lynne Stewart, was another administration effort to intimidate the media. (TalkLeft background on the prosecution is collected here.)

"This administration has tried to intimidate, manipulate, harass, and if necessary punish any independent voice that questions its relentless pursuit of power," he said.

Prosecutors have subpoenaed staff reporters working for Reuters, the New York Times, Newsday and a freelance journalist who have written about Stewart. Tigar said the subpoenas were an "effort to use the media as an instrument of prosecutorial policy."