If Kerry wins, what will happen to the Bush records?

[jumptheshadow]

Is Bush obligated by law to archive his records?

Will we finally find out who outed Valerie Plame?

Will we get the names of the energy poobahs on Cheney's Energy Commission and read the advice they gave him?

How much will we learn about the skewing of intelligence reports to justify the war?

Will we finally get to the bottom of what the Bush administration did and didn't do to stave off 9/11?

What will happen to the people who have been arrested secretly and held without access to lawyers?

Or will the Bush presidential records go the way of his National Guard materials?

[mstrsplinter326]

1. No.

That would be revolutionary and progressive. The Dem's are regrowing their spine. It's not that strong yet.

[analogman]

2. We'll find out exactly squat...

Believe what you like but when Bush is out of office all of those incriminating records will be "lost", or "accidentally destroyed", or some other such nonsense, just like Nixon's missing tapes or Hillary's "missing" billing records. That's how politicians work.

[Andy_Stephenson]

3. Don't hold your breath...

Bush will be pardoned by Kerry. So they can "watch a ballgame together"...I hope I am wrong...but I don't think I am.

[Wickerman]

4. Didn't he pass a law that sealed presidential records?

seems that would impact his own.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

6. Yeah -- Kerry'd have to sign a new executive order

which reversed Bush's -- else Bush could put a block on his records being released until something like 2030. (IIRC under Bush's law both current & former President have to agree to release & he dated it back to Reagan -- nothing at all to do with Bush Sr & the Saudi's tho!)

[jumptheshadow]

8. Then Kerry should sign that order

Does the order supersede a criminal investigation?

How will we ever know that the Bush administration released all the records relating to Valerie Plame?

What if the records relate to other possible criminal investigations, possibly relating to Halliburton or Enron or whatever?

[ThomWV]

5. Put It All Under Lock and Key and Call the Special Prosecutor

That's what I think Kerry should make his first order of business. Preserve all the records that have not been destroyed during Bush's upcomming Lame Duck period and have a Special Prosecutor's team standing ready to open up everything the moment Kerry finishes with his Oath of Office.

[murielm99]

7. I wish. We all wish.

I think shrub will start shredding stuff on election night, as soon as he finds out he lost to Kerry.

[ROC]

10. Bush's records

Under the Presidential Records Act, Bush's records are public property and will come under the control of the National Archives and Records Administration. The PRA has provisions for opening the first group of records in 5 years and major opening in 12 years. Classified records are closed until declassified. The records will probably be placed in a Bush Presidential Library when he chooses a site. Same law applies to Clinton, Bush sr. and Reagan. NARA and Presidential Libraries have a pretty good record of getting records open.

[newyawker99]

12. Hi ROC!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[leesa]

9. Kerry will investigate nothing most likely. He is very much part of

this corrupt government and there is too much at stake for all of them.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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[ithacan]

13. it'll be like the communists in E.Germany when they lost the election

lots of smoke coming out of the offices where the dirt was kept.

Assuming the Bushies will even leave office if they lose, it will be very ugly. They will slash and burn, sabotage, and try to sabotage Kerry by setting up disastrous scenarios abroad, the way Bush I did in somalia for Clinton is one example.

Remember, these people are exactly of the same mindset as the people who ran the worst authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Exactly.