Bill Clinton to Release Some Papers Early

[Khephra]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Former President Clinton will release thousands of domestic-policy records from his presidency nearly a year sooner than the law requires.

Clinton will make 100,000 such documents available to scholars and researchers Nov. 18, the day his presidential library opens, said Skip Rutherford, president of Clinton's nonprofit foundation.

Under the Presidential Records Act, former presidents can withhold the release of records for at least five years and up to 12 years under certain criteria -- sometimes even longer if the documents are a matter of national security.

Clinton announced in 2003 his intention to release most records of confidential advice he received as president. His lawyer, Bruce Lindsey, said at the time that the documents wouldn't include Clinton's legal defense in the Whitewater and the Monica Lewinsky-Paula Jones investigations, but would focus on domestic policy.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-clinton-library-archives,0,3562406.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[Cooley Hurd]

1. He's doing this to head off any criticism...

...the 9/11 panel will have of the Clinton admin's efforts on fighting terrorism (you just know Lehman & Thompson will try to mete out blame on both the Bush & Clinton admin equally, even though it's been proven the Clinton admin took terrorism seriously and the Bush admin didn't). Releasing docs that show Big Dog's commitment to the fight against terrorism can only bolster what Richard Clarke said about the contrast between the two admins...

[Jazzgirl]

2. What I wonder is...

can bush classify them? If *shrub can make Clinton look bad by classifying them on the premise of national security then he'll do it. Does *shrub have that power?

[Gman]

4. I believe he does.

[trotsky]

Yes, he does.

The same executive order he used to seal the criminal Reagan's papers applies here too. Basically he changed the law so that when it comes time to release a president's papers, either that president (if still living) or the current president can still choose to withhold them.

"(P)eople who have got something to hide make us nervous..." -- Dubya, 2/16/02

[1monster]

7. That's really kind of iffy... Bush's executive order runs counter to the

letter and the spirit of the law and is open to legal challenge. The question is whether or not Bush's executive order would be overturned in the Courts... But Dubya hasn't been getting everything his way even in the Supreme Court these days.

[trotsky]

8. No kidding!

The whole law was about accountability and openness - the right of the people to be informed. It totally defeats the purpose to have ANYONE with the power to suppress that info. But you're right, there's no doubt the Bush-friendly courts would fail to overturn it.

[beyurslf]

6. I think ANY former president can block the release. Isn't that right?

[UpInArms]

3. it will also show the difference between

transparency in government and the opacity that we currently have.

[susu369]

5. Exactly

I'm still enraged that bu$h* refused to release the 68,000 pages of Reagan's White House records (which included papers from #41)!

The media has failed miserably in this matter.

[young_at_heart]

9. Why isn't there outrage about this?

One would hope the media might care just a little bit?

[saracat]

10. WHY?

A stolen election didn't matter to them either!

[daleo]

11. Or an illegal war.

n/t

[saracat]

12. Touche'