The Bush administration on Thursday attacked a congressional bill that would help protect the First Amendment rights of news gathers, including bloggers and podcasters.

According to a U.S. Department of Justice official, the Free Flow of Information Act (pdf) would pose a grave threat to national security and federal criminal investigations by protecting the free speech rights of far too large a segment of the population.

The latest version of the Free Flow of Information Act would protect anyone engaged in journalism, which is defined as “gathering, preparing, collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting or publishing of news or information that concerns local, national or international events or other matters of public interest for dissemination to the public.”

“The definition is just so broad that it really includes anyone who wants to post something to the Web,” said the Justice Dept.’s Rachel Brand at a House Judiciary Committee hearing. She also argued it would protect “terrorist operatives”. Bush Administration to Bloggers: First Ammendment Doesn’t Apply to You

Told you so.

Damn!  Spoke too soon - Neocon “Scholars” Call for Dismemberment Of The Bill of Rights

Well, I did tell you so.  Several times in fact.