White House Blocks Request for Records on Contact With Anti-Kerry Vets

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_5128.shtml

The White House is stonewalling a Freedom of Information Act request for records detailing Bush Administraton contacts with Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the GOP-backed anti-Kerry organization that is challenging the Democratic Presidential nominee's actions in Vietnam.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed the FOIA request on August 24 and received a letter from the Executive Office of the President Friday, denying the grounds that it is "exempt from having to disclose the information" under the law.

CREW had asked the White House to release information regarding contacts between the Executive Office of the President and members of SBVT and others associated with the group, including public relations, advertising, detective and fundraising organizations.

CREW filed the FOIA after learning that President Bush's political advisor Karl Rove had claimed not to have spoken with his longtime friend and primary SVBT donor Bob J. Perry, in over a year.

[cthrumatrix]

1. transparency, honesty, integrity...... out the window and media are sleep

[Born Free]

20. democrats have th epower to force the media to do something

Demorcrats have the power but like so many other issues they would rather go quietly in the night, discusss it over coffee and walk away doing nothing. Everyone knows the bush coward is hiding behind this group of liars determined to smear John Kerry's character, yet many democrats will sit back and say, oh we don't need to discuss it, it's old news, lets discuss more important issues. On the other hand the GOP will take a stupid issue and even once proven wrong they will contiue to push it until they make people have doubts. Democrats will never get control over the media as long as they sit back and do nothing, sit back and repeat boring talk that no one ones to hear.

[Democat]

2. Kerry's supporters should file a fucking lawsuit - no more wimpy bullshit

Come on, let's kick Bush's ass instead of letting him kick ours!

[WyLoochka]

3. That would drive them crazy

a class action lawsuit by rank and file Kerry supporters/Dems. Legal beagles - can a class action lawsuit be pursued against an elected official and his aides?

[Judi Lynn]

12. No doubt about it. Looks like they've definitely got something to hide

from the taxpayers. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.

[skip fox]

4. Section V in Swift Boat resource file details what we know now . . .

A solid overview of the Swift Boat Story including

I. Introduction and History of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (hereafter SBVT)

II. Recent Accounts of Other Swift Boat Vets and Others
--a. Vets Who Were Actually with Kerry Contradicting the SBVT
--b. People with Special Information Contradicting SBVT
--c. New Vets Contradicting Kerry

III. New Charges against Kerry About his Service

IV. Changes or Qualifications in Stories of Individual SBVT

V. Points of Collusion Between Republicans and the SBVT

Broken into separate posts (for ease of jumping) and all with easy-to-use hot links:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x70318

Please inform me of new stories and links as they occur and I'll up-date this on Monday or Tuesday. (Sooner if some SBVT stories break over the weekend.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. If the WH and the Bush Campaign had no contact

with any of the SBV's then what's the problem? There shouldn't be any records to hide.

[redqueen]

6. Is this being reported anywhere else?

I'll be glad to see this picked up by a mainstream org.

[tishaLA]

9. My question exactly

I feel like CHB invades my dreams and posts stuff, but I want something to VERIFY their claims, not liberal wish fulfillment in print.

[RamboLiberal]

10. Here's CREW's Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2004
Contact:
Melanie Sloan, 202.588.5565



WHITE HOUSE DENIES CREW'S FOIA FOR CONTACTS WITH SWIFT BOAT VETERANS GROUP


Washington, DC, August 26, 2004 -- Earlier today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) received a letter from the Executive Office of the President denying CREW's August 24th request for records detailing White House contacts with individuals connected to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT). As grounds for the denial, the White House claimed that it was exempt from having to disclose the information.

CREW had asked the White House to release information regarding contacts between the Executive Office of the President and members of SBVT and others associated with the group, including public relations, advertising, detective and fundraising organizations.

CREW decided to file the FOIA after learning that President Bush's political advisor Karl Rove had claimed not to have spoken with his longtime friend and primary SVBT donor Bob J. Perry, in over a year. Yesterday, Rove had changed his tune, telling FOX news: I don't want to leave any misimpression. But he's not somebody that I've had, you know, any extended conversation with in years..." Rove denied, however, speaking with Perry about SBVT.

Rove's comments were made the same day CREW discovered that a Republican party Committee website in Collier County Florida was soliciting donations for SBVT and showing the group's ads, something clearly not allowed under the Federal Election Campaign Act.

http://www.citizensforethics.org/activities/20040824/FOIA_rejected.php

[oasis]

15. Not surprising. Thisis the most secretive administration in U.S. history.

[ixion]

7. then, according to their own neocon logic, they are guilty

this is a reverse rationale that they used to attack Iraq, in essence.

[tlcandie]

17. Excellent point, Ixion!!! eom

[ixion]

18. thanks, tlcandie...

:hi:

[ima_sinnic]

8. these effing scum always believe they are "exempt" from any law

Laws are for suckers and girly-men.

[zbdent]

11. I'm shocked, SHOCKED I tell you!

We still have a Freedom of Information Act?

[Joylaughter]

13. Its not the crime

ITS THE COVER UP.

[frylock]

14. they'll just claim it's in the interest of national security..

if Victor Charlie were to get his hands on this info, it could be used against us in the 'nam.

[Hotdiggitydog]

16. They must be pleading the 5th Amendment

...not to incriminate themselves...

[zanana]

19. It's all in the timing...

I think we can expect even more ridiculous and unprovable accusations from now until Nov.2. This is August 28; it's too late to disprove any of their alternate universe accusations. The Bush administration can easily stall releasing any info until after the election. Any lawsuits filed by us now wouldn't come close to daylight by Nov. 2. As in the Florida 2000 recount, the court granted that we had the right to do that, but that WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME. I'm sure all of this was planned long ago. The pity is that the scheming is, of course, too late to prove.

[NJmaverick]

21. Spread the word people!

THis cover up is big. Spread the word anyway you can. Email, forums, family gatherings and the water cooler.