From the campaign that promises "transparency", where are the papers and why can't they be seen. This seems to be the first time in recent history where the 'papers' of the first lady have been ordered to be kept under wraps. It's been 3 years since 300 FOI requests have been submitted. This is certainly more important than Socks the Cat, particularly from a candidate who insists that she is prepared to be president and in reality, hasn't achieved much. She did vote to fund $1 million dollars for the Woodstock Museum however. That's a good use of taxpayer money.
How Much Information Can You Really Get From the Clinton Library?
Monday, October 22, 2007
By Brit Hume
Information Please
The author of a new book about the Clinton White House years says she was stonewalled during her attempts to get information at the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas. Sally Bedell Smith author of "For Love of Politics" says her requests for memos and records dealing with Hillary Clinton's role as First Lady were denied.
Newsweek reports the national archives says barely one-half of one percent of the 78 million pages of documents and 20 million e-mails stored at the library are open to the public. Nearly 300 Freedom of Information requests are pending for Clinton documents and an archives spokeswoman says it is hard to predict if any of the material will be released before next year's election.
In the past Bill Clinton has blamed the Bush administration for the backlog. But Newsweek says documents it uncovered indicate that Mr. Clinton gave the archives private instructions to tightly control the release of presidential documents. This comes despite promises of transparency by Hillary Clinton who once said about the library "Everything's going to be available."
How Much Information Can You Really Get From the Clinton Library?
Monday, October 22, 2007
By Brit Hume
Information Please
The author of a new book about the Clinton White House years says she was stonewalled during her attempts to get information at the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas. Sally Bedell Smith author of "For Love of Politics" says her requests for memos and records dealing with Hillary Clinton's role as First Lady were denied.
Newsweek reports the national archives says barely one-half of one percent of the 78 million pages of documents and 20 million e-mails stored at the library are open to the public. Nearly 300 Freedom of Information requests are pending for Clinton documents and an archives spokeswoman says it is hard to predict if any of the material will be released before next year's election.
In the past Bill Clinton has blamed the Bush administration for the backlog. But Newsweek says documents it uncovered indicate that Mr. Clinton gave the archives private instructions to tightly control the release of presidential documents. This comes despite promises of transparency by Hillary Clinton who once said about the library "Everything's going to be available."
