uscitizen
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White House challenges release of visitor logs
Apr 21, 9:32 PM (ET)
By MATT APUZZO
WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal appeals court sought compromise Monday between a liberal group demanding the names of White House visitors and the Bush administration, which says releasing the names would erode the president's power.
If released, the documents would show how often prominent religious conservatives visited the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's residence, allowing a glimpse into how much influence they exerted on government policy.
White House calendars are not generally considered public records, but reporters and watchdog groups have used Secret Service documents, which normally are public, to report on White House visitors.
Rather than having those documents released on a case-by-case basis, the Bush administration wants them considered White House documents, which would keep them from public view for more than a decade.
A federal judge rejected White House arguments in December and ordered the documents released. On appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, government attorneys said the president has a well-established right to seek advice privately.
Releasing lists of visitors would trample on that right, said Justice Department lawyer Jonathan F. Cohn, and the logs should be treated like other White House documents.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080422/D906K1JG0.html
LOL how the stomach turns. Remember all the hoopla over who /clowntoon rented the lincoln bedroom to ?
This has got to be at least a sparanoid of an administration as Nixon.
Apr 21, 9:32 PM (ET)
By MATT APUZZO
WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal appeals court sought compromise Monday between a liberal group demanding the names of White House visitors and the Bush administration, which says releasing the names would erode the president's power.
If released, the documents would show how often prominent religious conservatives visited the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's residence, allowing a glimpse into how much influence they exerted on government policy.
White House calendars are not generally considered public records, but reporters and watchdog groups have used Secret Service documents, which normally are public, to report on White House visitors.
Rather than having those documents released on a case-by-case basis, the Bush administration wants them considered White House documents, which would keep them from public view for more than a decade.
A federal judge rejected White House arguments in December and ordered the documents released. On appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, government attorneys said the president has a well-established right to seek advice privately.
Releasing lists of visitors would trample on that right, said Justice Department lawyer Jonathan F. Cohn, and the logs should be treated like other White House documents.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080422/D906K1JG0.html
LOL how the stomach turns. Remember all the hoopla over who /clowntoon rented the lincoln bedroom to ?
This has got to be at least a sparanoid of an administration as Nixon.