Clinton's First Lady records at Presidential Library won't be released until after '08 vote

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: Clinton's first lady records locked up
Archivists say the former first lady's documents at her husband's presidential library won't be released until after the '08 vote.
By Peter Nicholas, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 14, 2007

LITTLE ROCK, ARK -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton cites her experience as a compelling reason voters should make her president, but nearly 2 million pages of documents covering her White House years are locked up in a building here, obscuring a large swath of her record as first lady. Clinton's calendars, appointment logs and memos are stored at her husband's presidential library, in the custody of federal archivists who do not expect them to be released until after the 2008 presidential election.

A trove of records has been made public detailing the Clinton White House's attempts to remake the nation's healthcare system, following a request from Bill Clinton that those materials be released first. Hillary Clinton led the healthcare effort in 1993 and 1994.

But even in the healthcare documents, at least 1,000 pages involving her work has been censored by archives staff because they include confidential advice and must be kept secret under a federal law called the Presidential Records Act. Political consultants said that if Hillary Clinton's records were made public, rivals would mine them for scraps of information that might rattle her campaign.

"Those files -- that's the mother lode of opposition research," said Ray McNally, a Republican political consultant in Sacramento. "Opposition researchers would be very hungry to see what's there." Robert Shrum, senior political strategist in Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, said: "In 2 million pieces of paper, would opposition researchers hope to find one where she wrote a memo saying, 'I wish I'd never gotten involved in healthcare?' Sure. That's what they'd love to find."

At the Clinton library overlooking the Arkansas River, federal archivists clad in protective smocks are sorting through 80 million pages of records and another 20 million e-mails from a Clinton presidency that ended in January 2001. About 2 million of those pages concern the first lady's office....

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-clintondocs14aug14,0,1390329.story?coll=la-home-center

[napi21]

1. Aren't these records being kept from the public because Shrub

wouldn't release ANY of his father's or President Clinton's? I remember a dustup when Shrub first took office and a lot of his father's records were due to be released, but he refused. I remember BC saying it was OK with him to relese everything from HIS terms in office, but Shrub continued to say NO.

The other point is, since Shrub insists on keeping EVERYTHING secret and refuses to let any of his staff even talk to Comgress, I don't think Hillary shold release ANYTHING just so her opposition can try to distort her past.

[wyldwolf]

2. There's been a precedent set for this

[MuseRider]

3. Bush** did it

so why shouldn't we. :eyes:

I don't know about you but I am looking for someone to open the government back up the way it is supposed to be. If you can't defend your record or are worried about what will be seen there then you are not a leader and not honest enough to admit your mistakes.

Really, there is no way they are not going to run a major smear campaign. So what if it comes from your records? In what way could that be any worse than what they make up? I would much rather consider someone who says that they did it and honestly explains it and tells how they came to know better. I don't think that will happen with 99% of either side anymore.

[napi21]

4. I understand your point, and in a way, I'd like to see Hillary say

SURE HERE THEY ARE! That way she could say SHE doesn't believe in all this damn secrecy like the current occupant. HOWEVER, I can also understand that the temptation to say NO DEAL because the Pubs won't give US ANYTHING, so here's a dose of your own medicine...How do YOU like it?

[AlGore-08.com]

8. Actually she's prevented from doing so by the law

From later in the article:

Before documents are released, archives staff must read them and, by law, must redact material that they determine contains classified information, invades a person's privacy, reveals trade secrets, reveals confidential advice from presidential advisors or raises other concerns specified in the records law.{/i]

I suspect that this law, and similar ones, may be the basis of the Smirk admin's claims about Executive Privilege.

[wyldwolf]

5. So did Howard Dean. He locked his records for 15 or 20 years.

[MuseRider]

11. One of the many, many reasons

I could never stand Howard Dean.

[MonkeyFunk]

7. Did you read the article?

they're sealed by law. Nowhere does it say Clinton is keeping them sealed.

[MuseRider]

10. I have to admit

I scanned it very quickly then had to go for a bit. :blush:

My bad. Sorry.

My feelings about that still stand when they are not sealed by law.

[MonkeyFunk]

6. Umm....

But even in the healthcare documents, at least 1,000 pages involving her work has been censored by archives staff because they include confidential advice and must be kept secret under a federal law called the Presidential Records Act.

[IndianaJones]

9. aww man...fellow Democrats will have to find dirt somewhere else. nt.

[zulchzulu]

12. Obama's records are also not allowed to be looked at until 2050

Kidding!

I could only imagine what the MSM and certain other people would say if that was true...