The Feb. 16 editorial "A Shield for a Free Press" -- about a federal appeals court upholding the contempt-of-court findings against two reporters who refused to testify in the investigation into who leaked the identity of a covert CIA operative -- did not mention an important consideration in this perplexing drama: the apparent absence of any effort by President Bush to find the culprit.
This case is so important to freedom of the press and to national security that Mr. Bush should have sought to identify -- and then to fire -- whoever on his staff leaked the identity of that CIA officer.
The media and members of Congress should be pressuring the president to get personally involved in addressing what has been a neglected aspect of this distressing case.
DAVID J. STEINBERG
Alexandria
