Obama to Bush: I Can Release Your Records. Don't Like It? Sue

[Pharaoh]

Obama to Bush: I Can Release Your Records. Don't Like It? Sue.






On his first day in office, President Obama put former president Bush on notice. His administration just released an executive order that will make it difficult for Bush to shield his White House records - and those of former Vice President Dick Cheney - from public scrutiny by invoking the doctrine of executive privilege. Shortly after taking office, Bush handed down his own executive order, amending the Presidential Records Act to give current and past presidents, along with their heirs, veto power over the release of presidential records, which are considered the property of the American people.


"'s putting former presidents on notice that if you want to continue a claim of executive privilege that doesn't think is well-placed, you're going to have to go to court," says Anne Weismann, the chief counsel for Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW).


During the campaign, Obama promised to "nullify attempts to make the timely release of presidential records more difficult." (A transition spokesperson promised Mother Jones essentially the same thing when we asked a few weeks ago.) That was a reference to former president Bush's infamous Executive Order 13233, which gave current and former presidents and vice presidents, along with their heirs, unprecedented authority to block the disclosure of White House records. But Obama's taken his campaign promise a step further.
While revoking 13233, Obama has also put forth a far stricter interpretation of executive privilege:

The Executive Order on Presidential Records brings those principles to presidential records by giving the American people greater access to these historic documents. This order ends the practice of having others besides the President assert executive privilege for records after an administration ends. Now, only the President will have that power, limiting its potential for abuse. And the order also requires the Attorney General and the White House Counsel to review claims of executive privilege about covered records to make sure those claims are fully warranted by the Constitution.


Weismann explains:

's basically saying, if there's a dispute, and a former president thinks something should be covered by executive privilege and Obama doesn't agree, then Obama would direct the Archivist to release it . The only option a former President would have at that point would be to go to court and sue. 's set up a process to review these claims which requires the Attorney General and White House Counsel to agree that these claims should be invoked, which indicates that it won't be either casually invoked or casually defended.


In Obama's remarks on Wednesday morning, he said that, "Going forward, anytime the American people want to know something that I or a former President wants to withhold, we will have to consult with the Attorney General and the White House Counsel, whose business it is to ensure compliance with the rule of law. Information will not be withheld just because I say so. It will be withheld because a separate authority believes my request is well grounded in the Constitution." The effect of that particular phrase is enormous, as emphasized by the response of a reader over at Talking Points Memo who works for the Justice Department. "That highlighted phrase has signaled a significant discussion around these parts." You can be certain that Obama's early moves to promote government transparency and accountability will be the subject of discussion and debate for a long time to come.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2009/01/11...

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I love it!!!! I hope President Obama makes BFEE heads explode...literally.

[Duer 157099]

2. Death by a thousand cuts?

Maybe enough people will request enough Bush era records to keep Bush, Cheney, Rove et all in court and eventually bankrupt due to attorney fees?

[ColbertWatcher]

7. LOL! They've earned it!

The GOP certainly love playing with the law.

Let's see how they like it now.

[MindMatter]

20. We'll do it the Republican way. We'll PRIVATIZE the war crime trials

There is a certain irony in that.

It may be more effective than an effort led by the Obama administration because the Republican Senators might be able to sabotage some of that. By saying, effectively, "We will have a highly transparent government -- and these transparency rules apply to PAST Presidents too", Obama is sending a huge signal for non-governmental groups to lead the way on these investigations. It is a very smart move. It keeps Obama out of the crossfire.

[Robb]

22. Exactly.

Our President is one smart cookie, I think.

[Hawkowl]

83. Offshore it to the Hague ......nt

[jillan]

3. I bet little bushy is poopin in his pants.

[bertman]

39. I doubt it, jillan. He's a Bush. He thinks he's immune to the laws that everyone else

has to follow.

[defendandprotect]

51. Well, the Bush-Nazis are never reluctant . . .

to play the final card ---

[aggiesal]

54. That card, no doubt will be to petition SCOTUS ...

And we all know how the Bush 5 will vote on this issue.

I'm sure some of these disclosed documents could implicate some if not all of the Bush 5 on possible personal or private issues.

Remember Justice Scalia going hunting with "THE DICK" just before the Supreme Court was about to hear Cheney's lawsuit on the
privacy of the energy commission? And Justice Scalia would not recuse himself.

[Lasher]

86. Thence the nickname, 'Quack Quack Scalia'

Old McCheney had a judge

February 17, 2004

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia mocked those who questioned his ethics by quacking like a duck. He should have oinked.

Quack, quack. So much for the constitutionally mandated separation of powers.

Quack, quack. Say goodbye to judicial integrity. Quack, quack. Forget about holding the nation's vice president accountable for his dealings. Quack, quack. Trash the right of citizens to transparent government. Quack, quack.

Bizarre as it sounds, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia quacked like a duck last week during his defensive denial that a duck-hunting trip with Vice President Dick Cheney was improper. According to Scalia, the visit of the two men to the private game reserve of a top oil executive was merely a pleasant social engagement.

But Scalia's glib response was disingenuous, coming shortly before the Supremes will rule on a White House appeal in a case involving private meetings of Cheney's energy task force. It's outrageous that he does not intend to recuse himself.

"It did not involve a lawsuit against Dick Cheney as a private individual," Scalia said of the appeal while speaking at Amherst College last Tuesday. "This was a government issue. It's acceptable practice to socialize with executive branch officials when there are not personal claims against them. That's all I'm going to say for now. Quack, quack."

http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/scheer/2004/02/17/qu...

I have been wondering if Obama is going to order release of the records of the secret energy task force meetings. Maybe they will now be locked up in the archives for 10 years.

[stubtoe]

127. Why would the energy records be locked in the archives for 10 years?

We need those to see the light of day asap.

[Lasher]

137. On reflection, I should have speculated it could take up to 12 years.

I had to refresh my memory a little on this.

The Presidential Records Act of 1978 (PTA) requires former presidents to release their records no later than 12 years after they leave office. Under the PRA, as amended, the U.S. government asserts complete "ownership, possession, and control" of all Presidential and Vice-Presidential records. Upon conclusion of the President's term in office, the National Archivist is required to assume custody of the records, and to make them available to the public when permissible under the PRA. Access to the records can be denied after the end of the 12-year embargo only if a former or incumbent president claims an exemption based on a "constitutionally based" executive privilege or continuing national security concern.

On February 8, 2001 Bush was notified of a scheduled release of Reagan presidential records (68,000 pages of records). His legal counsel requested two successive 90-day extensions of time to review the records prior to their release followed by a third request for an indefinite extension of time so that the White House could evaluate the legal framework and process that would govern release of the records. This was followed on November 1, 2001 with the issuance of Executive Order (EO) 13233 that gave the White House and former presidents, and even their heirs, uncontrolled discretion in deciding whether to deny the release of documents requested by journalists and scholars.

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20071001/index.htm

On his first full day as President, Obama revoked GWB EO 13223, restoring the original guidelines of the PRA, leaving associated Reagan EO 12667 intact.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Records_Act

And so, assuming that the energy task force records might be archived as part of Cheney's papers, it could take up to 12 years longer before they ever see the light of day. Poppy Bush's records are being discussed now because it's been over 12 years since he left office and Obama's action clears the way for them to be immediately released. The PRA does not require release of Clinton's records for another 4 years.

FWIW, I believe Junior exceeded his authority with EO 13233, and that Poppy's records have been illegally kept from the public for the last 4 years.

[stubtoe]

142. Thanks, Lasher. Well, at least we can get hold of Poppy's records for now.

Great info, as always.

[Lasher]

143. Thanks stubtoe, you're quite excellent yourself.

Remind me sometime to tell you about the time I was in Portland. One of the best times of my life.

Lasher

[stubtoe]

128. whoopsie, *hiccup*

edit: dupe

[Renew Deal]

110. Maybe, but right wingers like George Will and others never thought Obama would give back power

Guys like George Will and the Fox idiots kept saying that they didn't believe Obama would give back the power for the presidency that Bush amassed. They said over and over that they didn't believe it. Well guess what? Obama meant what he said and he's giving back the power. I love it. It's good for the country.

[Kber]

124. It looks like Obama would like his power to come from leadership, intelligence and reason

rather than dictatorial orders.

It's a sign of supreme self confidence, I think.

[man4allcats]

71. I wouldn't be surprised.

This video might sum up Georgie's mood right now. Remember, Georgie, you're not paranoid if they really are out to get you.

[Obamanaut]

99. They are not accustomed to dirtying their pretty minds with trivial

details like "the law."

[pleah]

4. K&R Woohoo!

[Enrique]

5. more great news

it keeps coming!

[av8rdave]

6. This is a great step

I hope Bush and his fellow criminals sleep well tonight!

[kenny blankenship]

8. Release everything.

this country is accumulating a huge toxic load of secrets and it may be killing us.

[aggiesal]

59. Here is something that not everyone knows ...

After King George signed Executive Order 13223, making it harder for us US citizens to retrieve
Presidential papers, King George immediately placed all his Texas Governor papers under
daddy's presidential papers. Thus making it just as hard for Texas citizens to retrieve King George's
papers as Texas Governor. Papers owned by the citizens of Texas.

So yes, I agree, RELEASE EVERYTHING !!!

[Left Coast2020]

62. I'M SURE THE PEOPLE AT C.R.E.W. AND OTHERS ARE.....

chomping at the bit to get some of thses documents. I can't wait. The more groups that get these doc's, the better. Especially, those with legal interests. Get this stuff out for the media too. Not sure though if NY Times is in any hurry to get ahold of this stuff. They've fallen down on the job in recent days.

[tomp]

117. exactly. release EVERYTHING! nt

[Traveling_Home]

9. Hey Hillary!!!!!!

Nothing will be kept out if she tries to undercut him in 2012. All of the records from Bill and Hillary's WH will bwee out in the open.

Maybe this is another way of insuring that it is really FINALLY OVER for Hillary and the Presidency.

[rvablue]

16. OH. MY. Hillary is SoS. How was she going to run a campaign in 2012

against Obama after forwarding Obama's international policies?

The Hillary haters need to find a new villian. Your irrational asides are SO TIRED!

[Botany]

28. Don't bother trying to answer that post

For Hillary to run in 2012 she would have to quit in 2010 and
then say the admin. she was part of was a failure.

[quickesst]

31. "Your irrational asides are SO TIRED!"

I'd say it shows little confidence in Obama's ability to make sound choices, but it's the Hillary fever talking. Wish they could find a cure. Thanks.
quickesst

[murielm99]

84. Thank you.

You said that much better than I could have.

[NBachers]

58. Is that anti-Hillary slam REAAALLY fucking necessary?

[MyNameGoesHere]

60. Hope, change and a big eff you.

I am still not convinced that the anti Clinton venom here is from within DU. I see a little fat pervert in FL directing this.

[Imagevision]

130. K&R...! best news this year!

[PeaceNikki]

111. ??

Obsess much?

[Phillycat]

156. OH FFS.

[Xipe Totec]

10. Let there be Light n/t

[kenny blankenship]

15. The govt listens to every word you say on yr phones & email, keeps record of every internet search

you make and knows if it cares to about every pageview you've ever loaded in your browser.

And we can't look at the records of our employee the President, even after they've left office?

Fuck that! People who'll put up with that are willing serfs, and don't deserve the name American.

[bertman]

40. ". . . our employee the President". I love that kb. Who would ever imagine that Bush 41

or 43 would ever consider their royalnesses to be OUR employees instead of the other way around.

Aristocracy does not serve the serfs. Quite the opposite. Divine Right, you know.

Edit to say Good point about the intrusion into every aspect of our lives.

[spag68]

70. They know if you've been bad or good

so be good for goodness sake.

[Control-Z]

11. Wow!!

I'm impressed. I wonder what else he has up his sleeve.

[w4rma]

12. Obama is doing so many great things that I don't have time to comment on them all. I love it. (nt)

[HughBeaumont]

13. I can hear the plane for Paraguay at the fuel bay now.

Oh, and to you Mafia Dons GHWB and Cheney . . .

Touch ONE hair . . . and it's gonna be a long fucking decade for you and your owners.

[smoogatz]

30. Yep.

I don't see President Obama taking any chances with these guys. I think he knows exactly who he's dealing with.

[Hekate]

14. Let The Sun Shine In. nt

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

17. K&R

[bluesmail]

18. Off to Dubai! n/t

[CLANG]

19. BIG CLANG!!

What a find, Pharaoh! Barack is rocking some peoples world!! Mine too!

[klook]

21. The mainstream media kept telling us

that the next president would use all the same "Executive Privilege" arguments that Cheney-Bush did to hide stuff. Looks like they were wrong again!

[47of74]

23. Ha ha George Bush, you tin plated jerk off with delusions of Godhood.

[chill_wind]

24. First day of office. Says something serious about his priorities.

A very welcome signal.

[mandyky]

25. Whew!! I was beginning to think I heard wrong...

I posted about this inmy journal the day it happened. Noone in the news media said anything that night - not even Keith or Rachel. I was beginning to think I had misunderstood what Obama said when he signed that order. God, I am so glad I am not going nuts! LOL

I am so glad we have this President - he's awesome!!

Now, 4th estate stop whining about the redo and start asking FOIA about Bush and Cheney. Let's get Patrick Fitgerald in on this!

[MindMatter]

47. The 4th Estate might actually have a future if they did ...

some real reporting instead of just parroting what politicians tell them to say. Here is their chance to create a future for themselves. Do real investigative reporting or else go out of business. The free market is a bitch.

[defendandprotect]

53. Wouldn't it be loverly . .. !!!

[Left Coast2020]

63. IT WILL GET BETTER WHEN THE FCC CHANGES RULES

and regulations pertaning to "news and information". At least that is my hope. We need more sources that actually do balance both sides of information. Thats when we will have made excellent progress in getting our democracy back. The "Fourth Estate" is like icing on the cake--sorta. And yes, we need to remind those involved in changing broadcasting laws to require "investigative journalism" is necessary to keep a broadcasting license. Abso-friggin-loutely!!

[book_worm]

26. My what a disappointment he has been so far!

[tom_paine]

88. Yeah.

Feels good, don't it?

[sarge43]

27. Wow!

The sucking sound we hear is Bush and Cheney reacting to this news.

Isn't it great to have a constitutional scholar in the WH?

[The Wizard]

92. That was a sucking sound?

I thought we were hearing Cheney's death rattle, or his atomic pacemaker.

[sarge43]

97. It'll take a wooden stake or silver bullet to take the Dickster down. n/t

[TheEuclideanOne]

105. Yes it is!

That is one of the things that got my vote.... A professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard replacing an asshole who shits on the constitution. How beautiful.

[sarge43]

125. GMTA

One of the reasons I voted for him. I'd bet he has The Federalist Papers memorized, too.

[Fire1]

29. Good lookin' out, Mr. President.

[Optical.Catalyst]

32. Let the light shine brightly on Bush's crimes

[LeftCoastNinja]

33. WOW!

I actually CAN'T believe this is happening! Awesome, someone is finally gonna hold the Bush gang accountable.

[Canuckistanian]

34. Wow. That's what I call taking charge.

If this is any indication, I think Obama is going to live up to his promise of positive change.

Big Time.

[GinaMaria]

35. Checks AND Balances?!

We can have both? I feel like Oliver Twist "Please sir may I have some more"


will not be withheld just because I say so. It will be withheld because a separate authority believes my request is well grounded in the Constitution."

[ProfessorGAC]

109. Your Screenname Is The Same As My Sister's Name!

Off point, but i had to mention it.
GAC

[BelgianMadCow]

36. Aaaaah the stern voice of the constitutional law professor

lovin' every bit.

I get a sense of accountability. Go figure.

[GinaMaria]

37. Wish I've been keeping a tally

of everything he's done so far. Don't know about you, but I'm losing track. This is beautiful.

[aggiesal]

61. Don't lose track! Here is a website that is keep track of all of Obama's ...

Campaign promises.

Very Cool.

http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises /

[GinaMaria]

80. That's a great resource

He's actually done quite a bit this week, not all of it was a promise made during the campaign. I feel like I'm losing track. Things happened fast this week.

repealed the global gag rule



Congress
worked on the equal pay legislation

And now I'm drawing a blank....

[kestrel91316]

38. VERY good, professor. Oh, how I love the sound of the Constitution in the morning!

[Hubert Flottz]

41. I like the new "Decider's" decisions alot better than the old...

"Decider's" decisions.

[Arugula Latte]

42. He's kicking ass and taking names

I LOVE it!

P.S.: FUCK YOU, BUSH! FUCK YOU, CHENEY!

[JerseygirlCT]

43. Excellent. nt

[nc4bo]

44. Oh Boy, this is getting good! If something is worth suing over,

then it must be made up of some mighty juicy goodies.

Thou doth protest too much if you're willing to go through the time, $$ and microscopic eyeballs just to take the issue to court.

Seems like our President is setting up a chessboard.

YAY!!!

[MindMatter]

48. Excellent point. This will force Bush and Cheney to reveal

where the skeletons lie. They can't defend every request, but you can bet they will fight like hell to block the ones that will get them into a war crime court. And by fighting those requests, they will effectively be confirming that valuable information lies behind their stone wall.

Next up: How do we get control over the Supreme Court? Obama seems to have a plan for everything else. I wonder what will be happening there. He needs to make 2 great appointments in the next 24 months because this may be the most favorable numbers he will have in the Senate during his term.

[Left Coast2020]

67. The Supreme Court is the most important--if not numero-uno

for electing this guy. Or should I say this Constitutional Thinker. But I have yet to find out who on the other side is most likely to resign--other than Kennedy who is moderate, but leans our way. Sure would be nice if Clernce Thomas was 80 or so and ready to retire--he needs to go--along with Sca-lito.

[MindMatter]

73. There are some interesting SCOTUS possibilities

There is nothing in the Constitution that says how many justices there shall be. Congress determines that, and it has changed many times before. If we can get a couple more Senate seats, maybe Obama the court could be expanded by 3 justices which Obama would name.

I can just hear the spineless wonders in the Dem Party whining if we were to go that direction. When you look at hos the SCOTUS size has changed in the past, that just shows how pathetic this bunch of DINOs really is.

Stevens is 88. Kennedy is 72. Souter is 69. Ginsberg is 75. Breyer is 70. You would think that in the course of 8 years, most of them could resign (or die), giving Obama a chance to appoint a progressive core that will be there for several decades. That wouldn't shift the court much, but replacing these justices with younger ones would give America some protection.

The problem, obviously is Roberts at 53, Scalia at 72, Thomas at 60, and Alito at 58. We can only hope that the actuarial tables have a wide standard deviation on this group. By the end of an 8-year term, some in this group will be on borrowed time.

My prediction is that 3 in that first group will be replaced during Obama's 8 years and 2 in the latter group will be replaced. Wouldn't it be lovely to end up 8 years from now with only Roberts and Alito in the radical conservative flank?

[The Wizard]

93. law suits open up

the discovery process. Does anyone think the Bush cartel wants hundreds of lawyers issuing subpoenas when executive privilege can't be invoked? Elections have consequences.

[stubtoe]

126. Oooooo, now THERE's a point.

Things could get interesting, and pronto.

Thanks, Wizard.

[bertman]

45. Great post, Pharaoh. I just hope the Secret Service likes our new Prez as much as we do.

The BFEE ain't gonna like this one bit.

43: "Poppy, did you hear about what that sumbitch did?"

41: "Damn right, Junior. That motherfucker's ALREADY strainin' my last nerve."

43: "What we gonna do Poppy?"

41: "Let's see, Junior. Why don't you see if you can arrange for Hussein to go huntin' with Cheney? That oughta do it."

43: "Great idea, Poppy. No wonder you're the Emperor."

[Phillycat]

157. The Secret Service is and always has been completely apolitical.

Thank god.

[stlsaxman]

46. you go, CREW!!!!

WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!

[lonestarnot]

49. Damn! Two ha cha cha chas in one day!

K & R

[defendandprotect]

50. I hope he's already replaced Bush's "archivist" . . . !!!

Go Obama . . .

I think every change has to be dumped really quickly ---

before the Bush Nazis get to the threatening stage ---

[DesertRat]

52. Awesome! n/t

[Harry Monroe]

55. There is real genius in this

By the records being released to the light of day, it is hoped that the media will get off its collective asses and start exposing the crimes and atrocities of the Bush Administration. And then when the public really finds out what has been going on these past 8 years, there will be such a public outcry for investigations that the Obama Administration will have to give into this outcry and appoint an independent prosecutor. The Republicans will look like idiots opposing this, given that the evidence will be out there in the glaring sunshine for all the public to view. Obama will not have to waste political capital going after this gang of criminals now and there can be no calls of "witchhunt" once the public sees the evidence and demands accountability for the past 8 years of crimes.

Ladies and gentlemen, we've finally got someone in the White House with intelligence. Genius, just pure genius!!!! But first, the media has to start doing its job. One would hope that after 8 years of being held at bay by Bush and Co., they'd be raring to go!!

[MindMatter]

76. I don't think it depends much on the MSM

They aren't going to investigate anything. It will be private law firms. As far as building a groundswell, that will happen the same way the Obama campaign happened -- by engaging the netroots. We all need to get past the myth that the MSM is driving this bus. The Netroots are firmly in charge now. They will bring these stories forward, and then the schmucks like Wolf Blitzer will have to carry it because the alternative is for the MSM to become even more irrelevant than it has already become.

[Harry Monroe]

120. I did not say the Main Stream Media

They are beyond useless. I'm talking about ALL media; they need to get the word out. Once that happens the old school media will fall in line. The print media brought down Nixon, the new media can do the same with Bush.

[MindMatter]

141. Agreed.

[whistle]

56. Put legal researchers to work

[Vanje]

57. Its not over yet, but so far.....

I am REALLY liking Obama's first week in office!

[Piewhacket]

64. At last, adult in charge....

[Javaman]

65. Obama is one guy you never want to piss off.

Obama may say he isn't going to prosecute moron* but damn if he's not going to allow others the tools to do it. Like a good prez, it's not his job to investigate and prosecute, his job is making it easy for others to do it!!

Like someone else said in this thread, "death by a thousand cuts".

fuck the bastard* I truly hope he's* shitting a cement brick right now.

Thanks, Mr. President!!! You just gave the power back to the people!!

[Faygo Kid]

69. He's not going to roll over for Rush. And the Reich Wing hasn't seen this before.

He's taking them on. And their spittle in response isn't going to beat him.

If the Republicans do not reject Rush in the next four years, they will be about as relevant as the Whig Party today. Their choice.

[DRoseDARs]

66. Hoo-boy some dirty laundry is going to be aired...

This won't end well for some.

[B Calm]

112. I think it's about time citizens had some transparency into how corrupt the

republicans are!

[santamargarita]

68. Gotta love our President

When it comes to right-wing assholes - take no prisoners!

[jeff30997]

72. That's fantastic !

It will give ammo for eventual prosecutions in the U.S as well as in other countries that want

their butts in jail.And of course The Hague.

[sagetea]

74. Yes!!!

n/t

[Skittles]

75. NAIL THOSE BASTARDS

[SoCalDem]

77. Just START by releasing Reagan & Poppy's papers..NOW...YESTERDAY

The first thing Junior did was to embargo the release of their papers...Of course they have been sitting in Texas being "sanitized" for 8 LONG years...

Let's let scholars pore over the Iran Contra stuff & Grenada & Somalia, and much much more..

We need to know why it was SOOOOOO important for *² to become president..

[leftstreet]

81. Wouldn't that be nice!

Yes, a great place to start.

[mantis49]

121. Yes!

I want to know just how far "in the loop" GHWB was regarding Iran/ Contra!

[Name removed]

78. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nc4bo]

115. I believe they will try.

The BFEE (among others) is powerful and dangerous yet Obama has also made it obvious that he is not easily intimidated nor is he afraid and, I think he wants us to feel the same way.

This, all of it, is so much bigger than 1 man and I believe that Obama is counting on that fact.

There's a wave, no - make that a tsunami of revolution building fast and strong.

[Name removed]

79. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JTFrog]

95. And you would post that twice..... Why?

Before a certain primary candidate spouted off last year, it was actually against DU rules to speculate about a possible assassination attempt on any of our politicians.


*edit forgot the word "rules"

[Enthusiast]

119. Because we all must be aware

of the threat so as to be on our toes. The opposition is criminal. We have been witness to their actions. They will stop at nothing. There are huge powerful interests trying to hold onto control.

I don't know why you would be so concerned about my words.

[Fireweed247]

82. I would like an explanation of this...

Obama Administration: Wiretapping Legal Challenge Must Die
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[FlaGranny]

100. Followed your link

and it seems you already did get an excellent explanation.

[Fireweed247]

134. that was a long lengthy legal EXCUSE- otherwise called damage control

Please go back and read the comments by JDPriestly who said it better than me.

This is the same case Bush tried to have thrown out in his last moments in office, now Obama's efforts might end the case as well.

We cannot blindly follow Obama. THIS case has Bush in fear because it is our chance to finally hold him accountable and he knows it. It was a miracle we got the evidence. I think the Obama Administration should get out of the way and let justice be served.

[TexasObserver]

85. The next time Bush is sober, which might be later this year ...

... this news will make him dive headfirst back into the bottle.

I'll bet he's so stinking drunk right now Barney won't even take a piss on him.

[Glenda]

133. lol!

[tom_paine]

87. BEAUTIFUL! K & R!

[myrna minx]

89. K&R. Wow. n/t

[Eurobabe]

90. Hey, what's that sound?

[AzDar]

91. This is just awesome!

[Lil Missy]

94. No WONDER both bush and cheney look like shit right now.

[B Calm]

96. A democrat with BACKBONE!

[Pike]

98. While I think that transparancy is a good thing,

I'm hoping that the President is spending his time taking care of the urgent issues of the nation.

[RayOfHope]

102. Don't worry, he can (and has been) doing both n/t

[dbmk]

107. All of this has been prepared by teams during the transition

They have just been spacing them out over the week to get publicity on it.

[Zhade]

147. This *is* one of those issues.

The criminality of the former regime must be made known.

[EstimatedProphet]

160. You don't think that making sure the government is accountable is urgent?

[meowomon]

101. This is sweet

In your face again Bush. No more secrecy and lies.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

103. Mmmm sunlight.

Thank you President Obama

[SpiralHawk]

104. "of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Why do Republicons HATE America?

[wial]

106. I think the term

"flight risk" comes to mind re Bush and Cheney. There has to be a reason they've each bought land outside the country, Bush in Paraguay, Cheney in Dubai. The question is, should we let them go, and further disgrace their party, or hold them and prosecute them? If we don't do it, certainly the international community will. What are the chances of having them extradited from those havens? Could we send in the Special Forces after they're finally allowed to pick in Bin Laden?

[Joe Chi Minh]

108. It's disappointing Obama isn't impeaching, prosecuting, etc, the criminals in

the previous regime, at the outset, but he "plays the long game" And very effectively, too, if I may say so. Nothing personal, you understand. Only the rule of law as insisted on by Congress and the people in unison. "My name's Barak Hussein Friday-Obama and I'm a cop. Just the facts, Ma'am, just the facts." (Theme from Peter Gunn starts up... or was that another cop show. Must have been).

[CLANG]

122. Too late for impeachment

And the pukes are holding up our AG. Patience, Grasshopper...

[Zhade]

149. No, it's not too late for impeachment. That can happen even after a president leaves office.

NT!

[CLANG]

154. O RLY?

How can you impeach a president that isn't president? Do you have any documentation to support your assertion?

[scytherius]

132. That's the genius of this

Let the information come out through various sources via FOIA, etc until the case against the last Administration is obvious to all. Then wait for the citizens to demand indictments and trials. And away we go!!

Can NOT wait.

[Joe Chi Minh]

140. Cunning as a rest-room rodent, as you might say. Truth to tell, I think Obam would

personally prefer to let bygones be bygones, but he knows that you can't have the lack of accountability spread right down throughout the administration, and expect the country to remain a member of the civilised world.

[GeorgeGist]

113. Hip, hip, hooray. Obama is united with Bush et al.

"Going forward, anytime the American people want to know something that I or a former President wants to withhold, we will have to consult with the Attorney General and the White House Counsel, whose business it is to ensure compliance with the rule of law."

[Zhade]

153. You're going to have to explain your reasoning. The rule must obviously apply to ALL presidents.

How does this HELP b*s*?

[Bandit]

114. I never have and probably never will understand how Bush* got away with this.

Congress makes the Laws. The President just signs them into being or vetos them. This "Presidential Papers Act" was an official Act of Congress and was signed into Law by a previous President. Bush* just rewrote Law and No One said a damn thing about it. This was long before Bush* assumed the mantle of "War President" so he had no extra authority he claimed after "Declaring" the USA was "at War". Congress is supposed to make any such Declaration, yet it allowed Bush* to ursurp it's authority on virtually all issues. There is no way any of the Reagan retreads that were in Bush* Administration would ever want records to come out about their time previous in government..

[NewJeffCT]

116. Nice, but until the courts become a bit more balanced

this is something that the Bush's will be able to block via the courts.

[Vickers]

118. "If the thread you recommended has five votes or more it will appear on the Greatest Page."

Current Recommendations: 150

[Imagevision]

123. This is the best news I've read since Bush/Cheney swiped the WH.

[liberal N proud]

129. I love this guy

Wooohooo!

[scytherius]

131. lol Fantastic. Like roaches, Republicans just hate the light of day. n/t

nt

[wryter2000]

135. I can hardly stand it!

This and also on the front page those generals and admirals saying they have Obama's flank if he's attacked for closing Gitmo and secret prisons and forbidding torture. I think we really have saved our country.

IMHO, this is the sort of thing Obama needs to be doing to enable investigations and prosecutions of the criminals of the last regime. I think Congress should be doing that with the help of DOJ and the President. Holder and Obama show ever evidence that they're in it for the fight.

Now, excuse me while I go flop on the fainting couch again. Swoon!

[davidwparker]

136. This alone makes the O presidency worth it if he can unlease the people on

all the presidents' records Let there records expose the scoundrels. If they have nothing to hide, then why not have a look.

Wasn't that the (R) talking point about us not objecting to being spyed upon.

[sarge43]

159. Just shine the light on these cockroaches and give them nowhere to hide.

Yeah, if they did nothing wrong, they shouldn't object.

I loves the sound of chickens coming home to roost.

[BartMang]

138. Hehe

Muahahaha, Owned.

Good Game Bush.

[Bolo Boffin]

139. President Obama takes on the Aegean stables.

And only a river of sunlight can disinfect the Bush years. Way to go, Obama!

[Happyhippychick]

144. I wish he had said "Don't like it? Bite me!" But this will do.

[Life Long Dem]

145. It's called transparency!

And freepers want it both ways.

[Pharaoh]

146. I just need 1 more rec to make 170, in the next few minutes!! Come on somebody!!

[Pharaoh]

148. I know I'm so pathetic!

[Harry Monroe]

150. Proud to be the 170th recommendation!!

[Pharaoh]

152. Thanks man :o)

Foolishness,I know, but I've never had a top post before

[byrok]

151. I'm very afraid for him.

I love what he is doing, I'm just terrified for him. Wish I was on his protection detail. I would gladly give my life to save his.

[csziggy]

155. Let's make a list of all the things that we want info about

And split up the Freedom of Information Act request forms!

If a lot of people on DU participated, we could find the most incriminating documents within a couple of months, release them to the news AND to Obama's people in the appropriate offices and get the crap from the last thirty years cleaned up.

Just an idea!

[Phillycat]

158. I'm not even the hugest Obama fan, and this made me literally clap my hands and WOO out loud.

Like someone said above, Obama just set up a giant chess board and said to Bush: YOUR MOVE, MOTHERFUCKER.

Also, you know, it's CONSTITUTIONALLY SOUND.