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BEN JOSEPHS

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Judge rules presidential records executive order goes too far

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Though delivered in a narrow decision based on procedural grounds, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., nonetheless dealt a blow to the ability of the White House and former presidents to control the release of presidential records.

The opinion issued Monday by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly invalidates a section of President George W. Bush's Nov. 1, 2001, Executive Order 13233, which sought to override the Presidential Records Act and strip the national archivist of the discretionary ability to release presidential records after a 30-day notice to a former president. Just nine months prior to the order's issuance, the National Archives had notified President Bush and former President Ronald Reagan that it intended to release nearly 68,000 records generated during Reagan's terms in office.

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{"commentId":1073375,"authorDomain":"ririaroo"}

"The Bush Order effectively eliminates the Archivist's discretion to release a former president's documents while such documents are pending a former president's review, which can be extended -- presumably indefinitely -- upon the former president's request," Kollar-Kotelly wrote.

{"commentId":1073375,"threadId":"157861","contentId":"1002912","authorDomain":"ririaroo"}
  • 5 votes
Reply#1 - Thu Oct 4, 2007 12:09 PM EDT
{"commentId":1073395,"authorDomain":"chum"}

A bit of sanity prevails.

{"commentId":1073395,"threadId":"157861","contentId":"1002912","authorDomain":"chum"}
  • 7 votes
Reply#2 - Thu Oct 4, 2007 12:17 PM EDT
{"commentId":1073821,"authorDomain":"SVForbes"}

A bit of sanity prevails.

Yes.

{"commentId":1073821,"threadId":"157861","contentId":"1002912","authorDomain":"SVForbes"}
  • 4 votes
#2.1 - Thu Oct 4, 2007 3:20 PM EDT
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{"commentId":1073494,"authorDomain":"b-shaughnessy"}

People in the Bush Administration don't want the public to know their shenanigans when many of them were part of Reagan's gang, I say. Secrecy is the essence of their governing philosophy; we know best.

{"commentId":1073494,"threadId":"157861","contentId":"1002912","authorDomain":"b-shaughnessy"}
  • 4 votes
Reply#3 - Thu Oct 4, 2007 1:06 PM EDT
{"commentId":1073601,"authorDomain":"JoulesBeef"}

well right before that he had the upcoming desealing of the reagan records indefinately postponed.
and then made this executive order. It is kinda of scarely foreboding, liek he knew he was going to do all kinds of contravercial things, and wanted to make sure he was long dead before anyone found out about them.

{"commentId":1073601,"threadId":"157861","contentId":"1002912","authorDomain":"JoulesBeef"}
  • 6 votes
#3.1 - Thu Oct 4, 2007 1:48 PM EDT
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{"commentId":1073756,"authorDomain":"baxter"}

Colleen Kollar-Kotelly finds herself making news quite a bit.

{"commentId":1073756,"threadId":"157861","contentId":"1002912","authorDomain":"baxter"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#4 - Thu Oct 4, 2007 2:54 PM EDT
{"commentId":1073838,"authorDomain":"partisanhack"}

I guess that Jenna doesn't get to keep them stashed under her bed until she dies after all...

{"commentId":1073838,"threadId":"157861","contentId":"1002912","authorDomain":"partisanhack"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#5 - Thu Oct 4, 2007 3:29 PM EDT
{"commentId":1074030,"authorDomain":"nimblesymbol"}

Democratic Transparency? Surely you must be joking!

{"commentId":1074030,"threadId":"157861","contentId":"1002912","authorDomain":"nimblesymbol"}
  • 1 vote
Reply#6 - Thu Oct 4, 2007 4:42 PM EDT
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