I don't care what you think…

…about Jim McDermott (actually, I do care. Quite a bit, in fact. But that's another topic for another time), if you have any concern for the 1st Amendment or for what's left of whistle blower protections at what passes for a 'Justice' department these days, this is good news...

A federal appeals court has agreed to hear new arguments in a case involving an illegally taped telephone call leaked to reporters by Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash.

In an announcement late Monday, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said all nine judges will hear McDermott’s appeal of the taped call case, which dates back nearly a decade. Arguments will be heard in September, the court said.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court ruled in March that McDermott violated federal law by turning over the tape recording of a 1996 call involving then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.

Goldy gets right to the potential loss for all of us should McDermott lose this one…

Wanna put me out of business? Slip me an illegally obtained legal document and then sue away. Imagine the chilling effect if journalists, bloggers and private citizens risked financial ruin for passing on information of vital public interest.

Jim McDermott could have settled away his, and our, 1st Amendment rights for a pittance years ago. Instead, he's put himself at real financial risk and suffered a decade long roller coaster ride through the courts. He has been, quite literally, our hero in this entire matter, from his original disclosure of the unethical conduct of Republican leaders like Newt Gingrich and John Boehner through the entire costly, tedious distraction of Boehner's continued assault on the Bill of Rights via the civil courts.

You can find Jim on the Upper Left Act Blue page. Toss him a celebratory buck or two if you can.