John Kerry goes to bat for bloggers re:FOIA

[Ian David]

by: Susan H
Fri Mar 16, 2007 at 19:49:36 PM EST

This morning on c-span's Washington Journal the topic was FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) and the length of time it takes to obtain public information once a request was put in - as of Feb.2007 the average wait is 78 months at least according to a chart shown in reference to Presidential information on the program today IIRC. That is difficult enough. It is good to know that Senator John Kerry has recognized the importance of FOIA - this was caught at mydd.com:

Senator John Kerry today announced his support for a legislative initiative designed to assist the freedom of the press. The bill would make the federal Freedom of Information Act more powerful, primarily by making it harder for the Administration to deny or delay the release of information. It does that by requiring that an agency respond to FOIA requests within 20 business days and establishes a publicly available tracking system for requests.

In addition, the legislation would help bloggers, because it would prevent agencies from denying them a waiver on fees just because they are independent or not affiliated with any institutional news organization. In the past, the need to pay fees for FOIA requests discouraged many bloggers or independent journalists from pursuing FOIA requests.

Kudos to Senator Kerry for realizing what citizen journalists- bloggers- bring to the public discourse.

More:
http://www.soapblox.net/belowboston/showDiary.do?diaryId=725

[karynnj]

1. Good for Kerry

I have been amazed that there has been fuller coverage of Senate and House hearings on many important topics than in the "paper of record". The very nature of the blogs leads to covering more.

An example is that the NYT coverage of the Senate debate leading to the vote on the Reid Iraq resolution quoted the Bush administration, John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Durbin (short minor comment - none of the stronger Durbin comments) and Lamar Alexander. It also spoke of a John Warner amendment in the works.

Compare to the much fuller coverage given on the various blogs and even on DU. (The link to the Democratic video alone was better than anything they had on what the amendment was)

It also recognizes that mass media is now owned by a very small number of companies and the number of independent view points is no longer the number of papers. The blogs have become the independent press with many allowing anyone to add their two cents as comments.

[Adelante]

2. Excellent, as usual nt

[BlueIris]

6. :-)

... :-)

[MH1]

3. Kerry has been good on open government initiatives.

This move continues that trend - good job!

:applause:

[The Doctor.]

4. Agreed. Transparency is good for Democracy.

People who argue against it cannot be considered American Patriots.

[Tigress DEM]

5. GO GO KERRY!!

[PresidentObama]

7. Another homerun for the Senator!! n/t

[luckyleftyme2]

9. what a dif. 4 years make

HOW much better off the country would be if he had won!

[PresidentObama]

10. What truth you speak. Sadly, we will never know.

President Kerry and President Gore sound REALLY good right now!!

:cry:

[blm]

8. This is why we need MORE open government Democrats elected and fewer coverup Dems in

office.

Can you imagine how quickly we could turn this country around with more anti-corruption, OPEN GOVERNMENT Democrats supported by open government citizens?

We could turn this country and the world around in 6-8 years.

[JI7]

11. so the whore media shouldn't have exclusive right to info

which they refuse to report on or distort in their informing if it hurts the administration ? and of course report on Michael Jackson , anna nicole instead.

[hootinholler]

12. 6 1/2 years! Um, wow. n/t

[blm]

13. I always find it odd that people say things like 'it's good JK has recognized

the importance of FOIA..."

What too many DON'T recognize is that the reason we HAVE some of the open government measures that have been used in the last 20 years is because Kerry kept taking Reagan and Bush administrations to court to gain access to documents they had been withholding in matters like IranContra, BCCI and illegal wars in Central America.

We were able to get Bush's Daily Briefing for 9-11 investigation because Kerry's efforts SET THAT PRECEDENT.

Kerry's entire career has been about anti-corruption and open government issues - he doesn't have to come around to realize the importance of the issue as he has been a longtime LEADER in DC on both issues.

It's more like some people new to watching government are the ones beginning to realize that their attention to government matters.

[Adelante]

14. It's true what you say, but nobody gives a shit

Look at Mike Gravel, a man who read 4100 pages of the Pentagon Papers into the Congressional Record just to get it out there to the public, a man who ran a FIVE-MONTH filibuster against the Nixon and the draft, a real Democratic hero. So CNN decides he's not a good enough Democratic candidate to be at the New Hampshire debates, like it's their decision, and nobody makes a peep. I don't get it at all. It's as if the past never happened around here and the future doesn't matter. I thank God Kerry's in the Senate to do this stuff, but I'm hoping whoever we end up with in 2008 makes him Attorney General so he can clean goddamned house.

[karynnj]

15. The question is whether anyone would be brave enough

to make Kerry AG AND give him the backing to follow the corruption and do the clean up. With BCCI, he had as many Democrats stopping him as he had Republicans. An attorney General serves at the pleasure of the President - I almost prefer Kerry in the Senate, with the senority and Chairs he has. Unless something drastic happens the Dem majority will grow - as there are more vulnerable Republicans than Democrats in 2008. Kerry with supoenas in the Senate might be better than as AG.

[Adelante]

17. Well, you have a point, karynnj

But I think anybody would know appointing Kerry to AG would mean he needs a strong mandate from that president. Without that, I agree, we're better off if he's in the Senate.

He's on Fox today - gear up :hi:

[karynnj]

19. I missed the Fox show and hope they put it up on Johnkerry.com as

they've done for past appearances Kerry has made on various networks. I just read the the live blogging on jthe johnkerry.com blog and it sounds like he did an incredible job - even getting Wallace to appologize for something he said wrong - which seems a major feat for ANY Democrat. I really want to see it as many of my fellow Kerrycrats discussed after it was over - that it did show that Kerry could more effectively lead on Iraq as a non candidate than as a candidate. Coming from people who wanted Kerry as President as much as I did, that means a lot.

I agree that Kerry would likely insist on a committment of support, but there will be intense pressure if important Democrats are threathened by a Kerry corruption investigation - as there was in BCCI, where Kerry was called by both Jackie Onassis, because Clark Clifford was implicated and Jimmy Carter because Bert Lance was implicated. Carter and Jackie are extremely good people and they were powerful, telling them "no" was an extremely brave profile in courage moment for Kerry. The amazing thing was that at that point Kerry had proven that a bank with drug and terrorist connections had tentacles into the American banking system and had bought off enough politicians on both sides to stall and end investigations. I wonder what % of Americans would even believe this really happened and is not even debatable. (Kerry's entire life against the RW would be rejected as a novel as unbelievable.)

[Adelante]

20. Post the video link if you get it

I don't get Fox - I never even get to see Wes. :cry:

[karynnj]

21. They have a transcript link, but not a video link

Here's the link to his blog that has the transcript link, http://blog.johnkerry.com/2007/03/live_blogging_jk_on_fox_news_s.html

I noticed the front page of johnkerry.com has Friday's Imus interview which was good - so I hope they get this Fox one (that I missed to - even with a Tivo like feature on the cable system.)

[Adelante]

22. Thank you

I will give it a read in the morning when my eyes are rested. :)

[blm]

16. Unless it's Clark or Gore, I just don't see it happening - I don't see many

of our so-called Dem 'leaders' running who represent the open government wing of our party, and some who are actively part of the secrecy and privilege wing.

It even took Gore some years away from DC to come over to the open government wing, but, at least he is there now and that is why I am so hopeful for him to run this time out.

[Cha]

18. YAY Kerry! Thank you, Senator

John Kerry! The mediawhores think we're getting too powerful cause they're scared of the truth but Kerry isn't.

[wisteria]

23. Senator Kerry certainly recognizes the importance of bloggers. n/t