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Thursday, January 22, 2009

News Record Time

Posted by on Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 5:29 PM

Washington Post:

Former presidents would face limits in their ability to block the release of sensitive records of their time in the White House, under an executive order issued by President Barack Obama.

Former presidents may ask to have certain documents kept private, but they no longer may compel the National Archives to do so, Obama said. The executive order also makes clear that neither former vice presidents nor relatives of former presidents who have died have authority to keep records private.

Obama's action on Wednesday—his first full day in office—overturned an earlier order issued by George W. Bush that prompted a federal lawsuit....

Obama's order limits claims of executive privilege to records concerning national security, law enforcement or internal communications. It also specifies that only living former presidents may request that papers not be made public and gives them 30 days to say so once they get word of the archivist's intention to release records.

A request will be evaluated by the archivist, the White House counsel and the attorney general, under Obama's order. They can disregard the former president's wishes and allow for the release of the material, the order says.

This is the single best thing Obama's done so far—and there are likely to be smoking guns in them thar documents, says TPM.

 

Comments (22) RSS

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1
He's even stopped Bush's order that would have removed grey wolves' endangered species protections in some areas. It's like Obama is doing a command-Z on the goverment for us.
Posted by The CHZA on January 22, 2009 at 5:38 PM
2
I love it!
CNTRL+Z, CNTRL+Z!!
Posted by Non on January 22, 2009 at 5:49 PM
3
I love it!
CNTRL+Z, CNTRL+Z!!
Posted by Non on January 22, 2009 at 5:49 PM
4
Heh heh heh. Or in other words, "Fuck you, Bush and Cheney!"

Beautimous.
Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty on January 22, 2009 at 6:29 PM
5
Bush has already had lawsuits over records - he refused to turn over his governorship records to the TX State Archivist. I seem to recall he got spanked in that one, but I'd also be willing to bet that the papers are still in Daddys museum.
Posted by kathleenb on January 22, 2009 at 7:07 PM
6
One thing Obama really should do is roll back all copyright and patent licenses to their original 13 years.

He should also ban anyone but individuals from holding patents.

And patents should be very focused, not broadly classed technology and no technologies which have already common use with multiple vendors and well-understood means of building.

Return to the vision of the Founding Fathers of protecting the small inventor.
Posted by 7IO 773H5 on January 22, 2009 at 7:16 PM
7
Damn, every time I get online that man has done something to make himself even sexier.
Posted by this guy I know in Spokane on January 22, 2009 at 7:26 PM
8
I just had burritos filled with refried beans, lean ground beef, fred meyer salsa, and tapatio... layered on top of heated whole wheat tortillas.

im proud of myself for not using any sour cream or cheese.

im about to go run the outside track of greenlake, if im lucky, i'll be able to hold it all down. i'll be the guy with the go-go's kicking out my ipod cranked up to 11
Posted by derrickito on January 22, 2009 at 8:11 PM
9
The time has come time to fly.
Posted by The Smerle of Liege on January 22, 2009 at 8:15 PM
10
"Zzzzzzzzzzzz."

I remember when Bush signed the order that Obama just revoked. The Reagan White House documents were just about to be released due to the Presidential Records Act, and WHAM! Bush signs a paper and kept them private. The Wikipedia entry on Bush's order is pretty entertaining, with - and I didn't know this - Abu Fucking Gonzales playing mouse with the National Archivist, repeatedly telling him to wait a few weeks for the Reagan records to be released to him. Fucking lying son of a bitch.
Posted by trstr on January 22, 2009 at 8:24 PM
11
Yeah, but Cheney's guys have already taken a drill press to those hard drives, or at the very least have given them a full overkill DOD-level wipe.
Posted by Whoopsiedoodle! on January 22, 2009 at 8:25 PM
12
@6... That takes an act of the legislature. Obama is President, not king. He can change things put in place by executive order in the first place, rules about how the executive branch is run, rules for the military, etc... But a lot of things we have to get the Congress to pass before Obama gets to sign or veto.
Posted by dwight moody on January 22, 2009 at 8:39 PM
13
It's going to be interesting to find out what escaped Dick Cheney's wipe, and why. Will Cheney's Navy slaveys ever talk?
Posted by Amelia on January 22, 2009 at 8:59 PM
14
As my roommate and I watched 'Countdown' tonight, she turns to me and says, "Is our government actually telling us what's going on? Are they actually talking to us like adults? I don't know if I can handle being trusted with information again."
I cracked up.
I really am happy he's working hard to give the government back to the people. It feels nice to not flinch whenever I hear the word 'President'.
Posted by Enigma on January 22, 2009 at 9:18 PM
15
First order of business is to finally unearth Iran-Contra stuff from the Reagan years, if that hasn't already been shredded.
Posted by Trevor on January 23, 2009 at 1:05 AM
16
8 the go-gos are not the only thing you'll be kicking out, burrito boy
Posted by run on January 23, 2009 at 5:30 AM
17
@12

Stop it!

Don't say that the Obama is not King!!

He is our Precious!!!
Posted by happy, are we- yeees. on January 23, 2009 at 5:33 AM
18
15
because we are soooooo obsessed with the past,
and sooooo bitter about the past,
and sooooo unable to move on.
Posted by . . . don't forget Cheney on the grassy knoll on January 23, 2009 at 5:36 AM
19
This... this is genius.
Posted by Greg on January 23, 2009 at 9:30 AM
20
Time to dumpster dive into the private papers of King George!
Posted by Will in Seattle on January 23, 2009 at 11:18 AM
21
interesting...

BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!
Posted by mAlissa on January 23, 2009 at 12:41 PM
22
This is pretty darn good, but I think I'd put ending torture a notch or two above it.
Posted by kevinwparker on January 23, 2009 at 6:18 PM

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