The Bush team continues its war on leaks — and has moved west. Federal prosecutors are trying to force two San Francisco Chronicle reporters to identify their sources about secret grand jury testimony about steroid use in the major leagues. The newspaper’s 2004 stories led to congressional hearings and an overhaul of drug testing in baseball. Reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada also co-authored the recent book Game of Shadows, which looks at baseball slugger Barry Bonds and his alleged steroid use.

In a weekend editorial, the Chronicle spells out what’s at stake here: “You should be concerned even if you have full faith in President Bush to decide what you need to know. The precedents being set today will determine the news media’s ability to investigate what the government is doing in future administrations… Indeed, this case is not just about the federal government vs. The Chronicle. It’s about whether government has a right to determine what the public can know about its inner workings.”