Obama's records: from narrow the request to not a whole bunch to none

[Karmadillo]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2007/11/obama_says_he_has_no_illinois.php

Barack Obama, who's been scolding Hillary Rodham Clinton for not hastening the release of records from her time as first lady, says he can't step up and produce his own records from his days in the Illinois state Senate. He says he hasn't got any.

<edit>

Obama's statement that he has no papers from his time in the Illinois statehouse — he left in 2004 — stands in stark contrast to the massive Clinton file stored at the National Archives: an estimated 78 million pages of documents, plus 20 million e-mail messages, packed into 36,000 boxes. While any file from Obama's time in the state Senate would be far smaller, the idea that no papers exist at all is questioned by one historian.

"Most of those guys do keep this stuff, especially the favorable stuff. They've all got egos," said Taylor Pensoneau, a historian who has written about Illinois legislators and governors and worked with them as a lobbyist for the coal industry. "It goes in scrapbooks or maybe boxes. I don't think it's normal practice to say it's all discarded."

<edit>

Obama hasn't always claimed there were no papers left from his time in the state Senate. Earlier this year, campaign spokesman LaBolt asked The Associated Press to narrow a request for records on whether Obama had ever urged clemency for a convicted criminal.

"You're asking us to do an extremely exhaustive search into every record we have from the U.S. Senate and state Senate offices," LaBolt said at the time. At the news conference in Iowa last week, Obama said he didn't "have a whole bunch of records from those years," but told reporters to "let us know" if there are "particular documents that you are interested in."

more...

[SaveElmer]

1. As the great Al Franken says...

flippity-floppity...

[journalist3072]

2. Wow...someone needs to bring this to Wolfie's attention so he can ask Obama about this tomorrow

One minute Obama claims to have records...the next he claims not to.

Which is the truth, Obama?

In trying to attack Hillary Clinton over the fact that her records as First Lady have not been released, Obama has said that we have witnessed one of the most secretive Administrations. And he mentions the need for a more transparent government. No argument from me there.

But Obama's obvious lie about his records, calls into question just how interested and committed he is, to having an open and transparent government, if he were to win the presidency.

[ripple]

3. Are records of State Senators meticulously archived?

I think not, as there isn't the staff support for that. The pertinent information is already public record.

And what kind of expert opinion is ""Most of those guys do keep this stuff, especially the favorable stuff. They've all got egos," said Taylor Pensoneau, a historian who has written about Illinois legislators and governors and worked with them as a lobbyist for the coal industry. "It goes in scrapbooks or maybe boxes. I don't think it's normal practice to say it's all discarded."

What in the hell does he mean by 'normal practice'? Is there a State Senate rule that Obama has somehow violated? When one truly parses the words of this particular 'expert', Pensoneau appears to be saying that Barack does not have an enormous ego. I'm cool with that.

Not to miss the larger point, though- that the 'expert' cited was never a public official and was in fact, a lobbyist for the coal industry. Perhaps his 'writings' about Illinois elected officials were limited to those with enormous egos who were willing to take his kickbacks in exchange for a vote.

[Karmadillo]

5. The question seems to be Obama's shift from having some records to having no records.

nt

[guruoo]

4. Sun-Times: Successor got key Obama files

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3066181