What's in Howard Dean's Secret Files

MSNBC ^ | 11-30-03 | Michael Isakoff

[freedom4me]

As investigative reporters and “oppo” researchers flock to Vermont to dig into Howard Dean’s past, they have run into a roadblock. A large chunk of Dean’s records as governor are locked in a remote state warehouse—the result of an aggressive legal strategy designed in part to protect Dean from political attacks.

DEAN—WHO HAS BLASTED the Bush administration for excessive secrecy—candidly acknowledged that politics was a major reason for locking up his own files when he left office last January. He told Vermont Public Radio he was putting a 10-year seal on many of his official papers—four years longer than previous Vermont governors—because of “future political considerations... We didn’t want anything embarrassing appearing in the papers at a critical time.”

[freedom4me]

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[freedom4me]

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[freedom4me]

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[Reagan is King]

What's he hiding? Inquiring Conservatives want to know!

[freedom4me]

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[aruanan]

"We didn’t want anything embarrassing appearing in the papers at a critical time.”

Meaning: There's a lot of embarrassing stuff that could really screw things up.

[freedom4me]

Dean will appear on Hardball this coming week. Wonder if Chrissy will have the guts to ask him about this.

Do you think the Dems are behind this?

[Lord_Baltar]

Let's not forget, President Bush did the same thing with his Governor Papers and such, locking them up in the archives of his Father's Presidential Library.

Not to defend Dean, but if we push from one end, we should probably expect to be pushed back...

[Savage Beast]

Who cares what Dean or any of the other dwarves keep secret or disclose or anything else? It' like--who cares what Dukakis or McGovern or Muskie or...who was that man who ran with Geraldine Ferraro? Can't think of his name...has kept secret?

[Vermonter]

Mash here for earlier post and discusion

[Madame Dufarge]

Still, Dean’s efforts to keep official papers secret appear unusually extensive.

Late last year, NEWSWEEK has learned, Dean’s chief counsel sent a directive to all state agencies ordering them to cull their files and remove all correspondence that bore Dean’s name—and ship them to the governor’s office to be reviewed for “privilege” claims. This removed a “significant number of records” from state files, said Michael McShane, an assistant Vermont attorney general.

Dirty laundry bump.

[Madame Dufarge]

Still, Dean’s efforts to keep official papers secret appear unusually extensive.

Late last year, NEWSWEEK has learned, Dean’s chief counsel sent a directive to all state agencies ordering them to cull their files and remove all correspondence that bore Dean’s name—and ship them to the governor’s office to be reviewed for “privilege” claims. This removed a “significant number of records” from state files, said Michael McShane, an assistant Vermont attorney general.

Dirty laundry bump.

[Cicero]

Hillary doesn't want Dean to get too far ahead of the pack. Michael Isakoff generally does her will.

[Madame Dufarge]

Sorry for the double.

[JudyB1938]

As far as I am concerned, all political files belong to the People and should be available to the public - unless there is a national security concern. Protecting one's personal image or political party does not fall under that category.

[freedom4me]

"Hillary doesn't want Dean to get too far ahead of the pack. Michael Isakoff generally does her will."

That's what I've been reading. Perhaps this is PIAPS strategy to derail Dean before the big primaries in January.

If successful, what's your bet on her entering the race?

[rs79bm]

Or he could have taken Hillarys route and just shreaded everything.

[EGPWS]

DEAN—WHO HAS BLASTED the Bush administration for excessive secrecy—candidly acknowledged that politics was a major reason for locking up his own files when he left office last January.

Yea...Dubya' made him do it!

A true Liberal's explanation.

[freeangel]

Let's get this straight--Dean opposed Estrada as a justice because of what he said was a problem with "secret" records, but this s$7thead that has presidential aspirations doesn't want to release his records? Oh yea, doble standard for Dems again.