On Monday, the Associated Press protested the fact that the Justice Department seized phone records of some of its reporters and editors. The information was needed for a criminal investigation into a leak that jeopardized national security, the government said. Comments from Facebook:

Attorney General Eric Holder stated that the subpoenas were in response to leaks that were endangering lives.

— Robert Ramos

Those magic words, "put Americans at risk," have been used to justify many press crackdowns wanted by the White House.

President Obama speaks with a forked tongue: He wants a free press, but at the same time his administration wants to stop all leaks, including information of value getting to the press.

A free press cannot hold the government accountable without information about what is really happening in the country and abroad.

Valerie Plumb

"Who will want to talk to reporters if people fear the feds will learn about the calls? Certainly not whistle-blowers who want to remain unidentified," USA TODAY's editorial stated ("Quest to plug leaks yields torrent of abuse," Our view, Abuse of power debate, Wednesday).

That is the thinking. The Obama administration has to stop all this whistle-blower news, and intimidation is the key.

Dale Smith

This is an example of how we are losing our freedom. It's scary to think about what three more years of this administration will bring us in terms of invasion of privacy.

Jack Pro

Even if the president can legitimately deny knowledge about the AP records (and the IRS story and Benghazi), at some point the question needs to be asked, if President Obama is ignorant of so many major problems in his administration, why are we paying him to be president? Either he's complicit in these actions, or he has no control over his administration.

You can only deny knowledge so many times without looking like a fool or co-conspirator.

Michael Ulrich

Letter to the editor:

It's time for all sides of the political spectrum to get together and clean up the mess that has made the leaders of our country look like a bunch of idiots in charge.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers from both the House and the Senate need to look into each one of the scandals: Benghazi, the IRS and our government seizing Associated Press phone records.

If wrongdoing is found, the harshest punishments should be given, regardless of whom it affects. Americans should demand action now. If we let these scandals go, we will never be able to clean them up.

Garry Allyn DeManty; Stockton, Calif.