Wait a minute. I sense some inconsistency here. What happened to “look forward, not back?”:

“The Obama administration is seeking to compel a writer to testify about his confidential sources for a 2006 book about the Central Intelligence Agency, a rare step that was authorized by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.

The author, James Risen, who is a reporter for The New York Times, received a subpoena on Monday requiring him to provide documents and to testify May 4 before a grand jury in Alexandria, Va., about his sources for a chapter of his book, “State of War: The Secret History of the C.I.A. and the Bush Administration.” The chapter largely focuses on problems with a covert C.I.A. effort to disrupt alleged Iranian nuclear weapons research.”

John Cole at Balloon Juice makes the call:

“It’s just a damned shame Risen didn’t torture anyone. I’m serious- can’t Risen just claim he tortured someone to get the information, but destroyed the tapes? Then mumble something about a few bad apples.

Doesn’t that get you a pass under the current rules?”