President Obama is a "strong defender" of the First Amendment and a "firm believer" that the press should not be blocked in its reporting, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday, but the Justice Department must also be able to investigate criminal activity.
"On the issue of what is a Department of Justice investigation, as I understand it, the president is a strong defender of the First Amendment," Carney said at his daily briefing, commenting on the news that the Justice Department conducted surveillance of some Associated Press communications. The president is also "firm believer in the need for the press to be unfettered in its ability to conduct investigative reporting and to facilitate a free flow of information."
But Obama also "recognizes the need for the justice department to investigate alleged criminal activity without undue influence," Carney said.
http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013 ... 63947.html
