The New York Times reporting on the uproar over its bank records story:

The executive editor of The Times, Bill Keller, said in an e-mail statement on Monday evening that the decision to publish had been “a hard call.” But Mr. Keller noted that since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Bush administration has “embarked on a number of broad, secret programs aimed at combating terrorism, often without seeking new legal authority or submitting to the usual oversight.”

He added, “I think it would be arrogant for us to pre-empt the work of Congress and the courts by deciding these programs are perfectly legal and abuse-proof, based entirely on the word of the government.”

Or… it might be arrogant to pre-empt their work by undermining those actually responsible for overseeing such programs and protect secrets in the interest of national security. The American people chose leaders they trust to do these jobs, Mr. Keller. You are not one of them.