NYT - Let me get this straight

Over the last week we have heard several statements from the New York Times as they have attempted to provide an explanation for their treason. We first heard Bill Keller state:

"We remain convinced that the administration's extraordinary access to this vast repository of international financial data, however carefully targeted use it may be, is a matter of public interest"

So it was the public interest that drove them to publish the story. Around the same time the NYT made it clear that they saw no legality issues in what the administration was doing. With no legality issues, it was not clear why this was a "matter of public interest".

Later we heard some claim that the terrorists already knew about this and therefore it really did not aid and abet the terrorists as conservative groups were claiming. Now we are hearing from the New York Times Ombudsmen, Byron Calame(Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin):

There was a significant question as to how secret the [monitoring of the SWIFT banking program] was after five years."Hundreds, if not thousands, of people know about this," [executive editor Bill] Keller said he was told by an official who talked to him on condition of anonymity.

Ok, let's piece together all these claims:

- It was a matter of public interest, though for the life of me we can't quite say why
- There were no legality issues claimed by the NYT
- The terrorists already knew (so we were not aiding and abetting the enemy)
- A lot of people already knew about this, so it really was no secret

Let me get this straight. So if we put all of these pieces together my question is:

WHY WAS THIS CONSIDERED A STORY IN THE FIRST PLACE and
WHY DID THE NYT TAKE SUCH A LONG TIME DECIDING WHETHER TO PUBLISH IT

Basically, if you put all of this together that has come out since, they paing a picture of a NON-STORY. Yet this non-story somehow made the front page and has been on the front burner since. The New York Times is basically insulting our intelligence by making these claims. In actuality they are acting more like a worm wiggling on a hook trying to get off. Remember that bumper sticker "Have you hugged your kids today?" We need a bumper sticker that says:

"HAVE YOU SHORTED THE NYT STOCK TODAY?"