Rush to judgment

After keeping mum Wednesday on President Bush’s Supreme Court nominee, the Wall Street Journal plays catch-up today by issuing a ringing endorsement of Judge John G. Roberts Jr. and preemptively attacking any Democrat that may have objections. Although other newspapers -- including this one -- reserved their final verdicts on Roberts, the Journal concludes even before the first Senate hearing that “he deserves to be confirmed easily and soon.”

The New York Times today calls for Congress to pass a federal shield law that would allow journalists to keep their anonymous sources secret in most circumstances. The editorial points to Time journalists having to grapple with “valuable sources” that no longer trust the magazine, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s decision not to print two investigative reports that are based on leaked documents.

The Financial Times of London writes that “Beijing protests too much” over a Pentagon assessment of China’s massive military buildup. Still, the FT concedes “there is a grain of truth in the Chinese complaint. The U.S. establishment ... seems to assume that there is something inherently abnormal” about Beijing’s efforts to modernize its military. The FT could have also noted that growing anti-Chinese sentiment over the country’s burgeoning economy exacerbates Beijing’s frustration.

Paul Thornton