John Dean on how Bush cleverly uses archivists to keep records secret. [View All]

[madfloridian]

Bush's records came to mind on the eve of the VT hearing on Howard Dean's records. I know there have been great difficulties and many restrictions on GWB's supposedly open records in the TX State Library. I was doing some research on this and ran across this article. The use of archivists to do this never crossed my mind.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0423-03.htm
A Controversial Choice for the Position of Archivist of the United States: Part of the Bush Administration's Secrecy Strategy?
by John W. Dean

SNIP..."When Bush became president-elect, however, he simply sent his papers and records with no consultation whatsoever to his father's presidential library at Texas A&M University -- known as the most secretive of all the existing presidential libraries.

The result was, in effect, to federalize the papers and records, placing them in a legal limbo where no one could have access. Bush Senior's presidential library is run by the Federal Government -- specifically, the National Archives And Records Administration (NARA).

But Peggy Rudd, Director and Librarian of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, refused to accept Bush's designation of his father's library as the repository for his papers. Eventually, she procured a ruling by the Texas attorney general, making Bush's gubernatorial papers subject to the Texas Public Information Act -- whereupon they were sent to Austin for processing.

Soon, however, Texas Governor Perry -- Bush's friend and hand-picked successor -- and the new attorney general found new exceptions in the state's information law that they claim give them the keys to the relevant filing cabinets. Good luck to those seeking access.

Now it appears Bush is doing what he did in Texas, on a national level....."

Here is the first part of the article about the national archivist:
SNIP.."On April 8, the U. S. Senate received the President's nomination for a new Archivist of the United States -- historian Allen Weinstein. For most Americans, this is an obscure post. But the Weinstein nomination has rightly been gathering increasing attention. Indeed, within the archival and historical communities, the nomination has sent sirens screaming and bells clanging. No fewer than nine professional organizations that deal with government records have expressed concern -- faulting Weinstein for his excessive secrecy....."END SNIP

More than one way to skin a cat, I say.