President's activities kept secret

**miromi** · 03-29-2003, 12:22 PM

o well, I guess he's been reading his Nixon history books...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/...925008,00.html

President's activities kept secret

Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles
Saturday March 29, 2003
The Guardian

President George Bush has been accused of quietly extending secrecy restrictions while the country is preoccupied with Iraq. He has signed an executive order that will delay the release of millions of government documents and make it easier for presidents to keep secret the details of their activities when in power.
There is concern that for the first time the vice-president, Dick Cheney, has been given the power to classify information. Mr Cheney is not known for his commitment to open government and has sought to head off attempts to discover which energy corporations he has consulted with since he took office.

Mr Bush's new order postpones for three more years the declassification of documents which were due to become available to the public on April 17. The administration has given itself more discretion to keep information classified indefinitely under a broad definition of national security.

The New York Times criticised the moves and their timing in an editorial yesterday. "Taken together, they are reminders that this house is obsessed with secrecy."

The White House defended the decision. "It's important to understand that documents will continue to be released," said a spokesman. "It will just give agencies more time to complete their reviews."

**Inkthinker** · 03-29-2003, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by miromi

The White House defended the decision. "It's important to understand that documents will continue to be released," said a spokesman. "It will just give agencies more time to complete their reviews."

i.e., more time to censor everything worth reading.

**Justice41** · 03-29-2003, 06:09 PM

Another objective and unbiased Journalist from The UK. Yeah Right. This Policy doesn't protect this administration, it protects 8 years of the last one. You sure you want to know how much of a failure Clinton's Administration was? The next president will have the Option to do whatever it wants to do. Too Bad though, I was kinda hoping to find out who Hired Craig Livingston and who paid off Clinton to Pardon that Billionaire Fugitive Mark(Marc) Rich that's living in France.

**Inkthinker** · 03-29-2003, 06:15 PM

Agreed, it protects Clinton's screwups... it also keeps us from7 discovering all the screwups that this president and the next one and the one after that commit. THe COmmander in Chief should not be allowed to hide incompetent decisions and criminal negligence behind a wall of secrecy.

I'm not saying that he's actually commited those acts, but we're not going to find out when all they have to do is stamp "Top Secret" on whatever they please.

**Justice41** · 03-29-2003, 06:49 PM

Like I said that will be up to the Next Administration. Just like it was up to this one to continue Clinton's Policy of Regime Change In Iraq. As you get older and You pay more attention to Politics the More crap you'll end up getting all worked up over. Most Documents from one President to another usually doesn't get declassified until about twenty years after. It would have to be minor policy issues or Non National Security Issue documents to be able to be released before that. Here's the actual policy.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/relea...030325-11.html

**miromi** · 03-29-2003, 09:32 PM

well, the Guardian isn't exactly tabloid reading; and I find it gives more in-depth writing on America than most American newspapers, and its writing about american culture aren't necessarily negative.*

there's also a discussion of this issue on NPR online

http://www.wnyc.org/onthemedia/trans...0702_bush.html

and an article on the nation
http://www.thenation.com/thebeat/ind...?bid=1&pid=178

*consider also that the UK is also involved in this war and is one of our "allies",

**CWmax** · 03-29-2003, 11:08 PM

"Bush and Justice sittin in a tree....."

When are you gonna ask Bush to marry you?...You love him sooooo much!!!!

He is so dreamy!!! mmmmmmm...Bush!

Go Florida!....Is your real name Jeb?

**Justice41** · 03-30-2003, 02:35 AM

Liberals, You guys always resort to name calling. For the record I could really care less who is President, As long as he get's the right things done, he's alright in my book.I judge them On what they have done not what they say their gonna do. Talk is cheap ya know. Clinton was an abject failure. He got himself mired in so many stupid issues he was paralized. But then again like most Liberals they lie about who they are. He did. Centrist my aunt petunia. He was a socialist just like his wife. But he was wishy washy enough to give in eventually to the Rep. In the Senate and House on the important things. Bush say's what he means and mostly does what he say's. What's not to like. Your just jealous.

**banshee** · 03-30-2003, 05:27 AM

interesting views you have Justice. Politicians are politicians, none are squeeky clean. Do you really think Bush is such a great president? Just curious to see the views of ordinary Americans. Was clinton such a failure on an international stage or was Bush more so? Or does the international stage matter? Been hearing many viewpoints, just wondering what your take is.

Politicians the world over prob wld love to cover up any activities they are not as.. comfortable wt (ie to be made public) lol Who knows what machinations they get up to as CNN likes to say "in the corridors of power".

B.