Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bush Keeps a Grip on Presidential Papers
New York Times ^ | Friday, November 2, 2001 | By ELISABETH BUMILLER

Posted on 11/01/2001 8:38:48 PM PST by JohnHuang2

Bush Keeps a Grip on Presidential Papers

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 — President Bush signed an executive order today to allow a sitting president to keep secret the papers of a previous president, even if a previous president wants his papers made public.

Administration officials said the order would provide an "orderly process" to help archivists handle requests for presidential papers. Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary, said today that "more information will be forthcoming" because of the order.

Some historians and public interest lawyers disagreed.

"Those claims are absurd," said Hugh Davis Graham, a presidential historian at Vanderbilt University who has seen the order. Mr. Graham said he viewed the executive order as the latest effort by the Bush White House to clamp down on the flow of information to the public.

The five-page executive order, drafted by the White House counsel Alberto R. Gonzales, would give either an incumbent president or a former president the right to withhold the former president's papers from the public.

"We thought it would be more appropriate to really give the primary responsibility regarding presidential records to the former president whose records they belong to," Mr. Gonzales said in a briefing for reporters, "and to have the incumbent president sort of be the backstop in making decisions about whether or not those documents should in fact be released."

At issue are 68,000 pages of records from the Reagan administration, which by law were due to be made public in January of this year. But the current White House blocked the release of those documents, which contain confidential communications between President Reagan and his advisers, including Mr. Bush's father, George Bush, who was Mr. Reagan's vice president.

Critics have accused the current administration of trying to withhold documents that might be embarrassing not only to the president's father, but to other administration officials who served Mr. Reagan. Among them are Secretary of State Colin L. Powell; Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., the budget director; and Lawrence B. Lindsey, the chief White House economist.

Historians say the documents most likely include memorandums of policy decisions, briefing papers and correspondence among White House advisers.

Until 1977, American presidents controlled the release of their own papers. But after Watergate and President Richard M. Nixon's attempt to retain his records and tape recordings, Congress passed the 1978 Presidential Records Act, which called for the release of presidential papers 12 years after an administration.

That law took effect in 1981. The Reagan documents would be the first presidential papers released under the act.

The White House delayed that release three times, saying it needed time to review the papers.

Mr. Graham, the presidential historian, said the current administration was also concerned about protecting its own secrets during the war with Afghanistan.

For Education And Discussion Only. Not For Commercial Use.



TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 11/01/2001 8:38:48 PM PST by JohnHuang2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
Good. They can release the Reagan papers when they release the Clinton papers.
2 posted on 11/01/2001 8:41:11 PM PST by Miss Marple
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
The NYT never misses a chance to Bush bash. The newspaper of record? Ha!
3 posted on 11/01/2001 8:44:56 PM PST by afuturegovernor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: afuturegovernor
"No matter who they vote for.... they vote for us."
4 posted on 11/01/2001 8:53:02 PM PST by majic12
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Miss Marple
Good. They can release the Reagan papers when they release the Clinton papers.

Bump!

5 posted on 11/01/2001 8:55:44 PM PST by JohnHuang2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: afuturegovernor
The newspaper of record?

This bird cage-lining rag isn't fit to be called a newspaper.

6 posted on 11/01/2001 8:56:34 PM PST by JohnHuang2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
This will help keep the Rapist from selling military secrets among his papers to the Red Chinese, or Al Quaeda.
7 posted on 11/01/2001 9:06:52 PM PST by Arthur McGowan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: Miss Marple
...Good. They can release the Reagan papers when they release the Clinton papers.

Dear Miss Marple, in a delicate sense, my wife and I are not sure how the Federal Gov't can release the "Clinton Papers."

There is probably too much DNA on the Clinton papers that would match white stains on Monica Lewinski's dress.

the Hillary wouldn't have a problem though.

BTW, does anyone know where Slick and the Hillary are bunking out these days? Just had to ask... Sorry for the interrupt on this issue?

9 posted on 11/01/2001 11:14:19 PM PST by Cobra64
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
President Bush signed an executive order today to allow a sitting president to keep secret the papers of a previous president, even if a previous president wants his papers made public.

Administration officials said the order would provide an "orderly process" to help archivists handle requests for presidential papers. Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary, said today that "more information will be forthcoming" because of the order.

Wow...what a perfect example of "doublespeak".

Way to cover-you-a$$es guys!

10 posted on 11/01/2001 11:23:02 PM PST by Aerial
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Aerial
I keep telling people "he's just a politician" and all politicians are suspect at all times. This incident is a good example of why politicians, all of them, are completely capable of self-serving sleaze when it suits them.

Bush Jr. is no exception.

11 posted on 11/01/2001 11:47:16 PM PST by Hank Rearden
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
bump
12 posted on 11/17/2001 10:55:36 AM PST by Red Jones
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson