Bush Admin. Alters Clinton Documents - Big Big Forums

Jolie Rouge · 03-18-2005, 10:56 PM

White House Heavily Redacts Clinton Papers

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration blacked out almost all the information in hundreds of documents before releasing them to a conservative organization looking into President Clinton's controversial pardons four years ago on his last day in office.

The only items not deleted from the material are the names of the person who wrote the document and the person it was sent to.

The government accountability group Judicial Watch said Friday that it received the Justice Department documents following a court battle that featured a Republican administration fighting to keep secret documents generated by its Democratic predecessor.

The Bush White House has argued that releasing pardon-related documents would have a chilling effect on internal discussions leading up to presidential action on such requests.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton called it an instance of the Bush administration covering up a Clinton administration scandal. The group plans to return to court to challenge the deletions, which cover nearly everything that is written on a total of 915 pages.

A federal appeals court ruled a year ago in the case that the White House can't claim Justice Department records are covered by a special exemption from the law reserved for presidential communications.

Among the 140 people Clinton pardoned on Jan. 20, 2001 was fugitive financier Marc Rich. Rich's wife, a Democratic fund-raiser, contributed $450,000 to Clinton's presidential library foundation and more than $100,000 to Hillary Rodham Clinton's U.S. Senate campaign. Marc Rich has been implicated in the United Nations' "Oil for Food" scandal.

Rich's name does not appear on any of the 915 pages.

The department invoked exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act that allow deletions for reasons such as documents being part of internal deliberations or containing personal information.

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news...20050309HBS03D

On the Net:

Judicial Watch: http://www.judicialwatch.org/

03/18/05 15:17

mesue · 03-19-2005, 03:15 AM

Which proves to me that there is no longer a democratic party or a republican party, their all in it together and covering one anothers corruptions, I've heard many people say Kerry was a gracious loser for not fighting the outcome of the election, perhaps it was because he was supposed to lose and everyone knew it and the vote did not matter anyway.

janelle · 03-19-2005, 05:13 PM

You mean Clinton chose Bush to win this time? Maybe so. Then Hillary will have a chance next time. The Dems will have Hillary and not another Kerry term.

mesue · 03-19-2005, 06:32 PM

No, not specifically Clinton but I am beginning to wonder if there is just one real political party and the so called division between republicans and democrats is just for our benefit and nothing more. The arguing between us all over which team is the best or the worst is more a way to keep the people divided while they the two parties have come together and have their own agenda. One that it does not matter what we think because essentially we have lost the vote long ago. The election process is just a joke and for our benefit to keep us all fooled into believing we have some control when the truth is we do not and are just pawns who keep providing the defense (our children, soldiers) and the tax dollars for them to do as they please. An economy has to have workers (us) so therefore it is for their own benefit to keep us lulled into this idea that we have control. If Hilary is thrown into the mix in 2008 it will be for one reason to encourage voters to vote against her, nothing would ensure a republican victory more than to have her run for president and to make sure that no one questions the election process like they have in 2000 and 2004. Hilary would be there to do one thing and that is to lose overwhelmingly and in a fair election. Remember I said there is only one real party since they have merged to have a democrat lose so badly would only prove Bush won fairly in 2000 and 2004, they need a big loser to put forth the idea that the votes were counted fairly and to kill the idea that our political process is corrupt.

janelle · 03-19-2005, 07:08 PM

Well then do more than vote. Find out the addresses of your admimistrators an email them about things. Tell them what you want. Get involved in politics and see things from behind the scenes. Then see what you think.

If they were all together I think we would have a dictarorship. That us usually how thngs go when one is in charge.

mesue · 03-19-2005, 10:48 PM

It is a dictatorship but the fact is the boys in charge are not stupid they know no one would ever stand for that, nor fight and die for that, nor support it financially. They just fool us into believing it is a free society and that our opinion and votes counts but it is just a farce, a huge joke. Getting involved on some small levels might make a difference about a few samll things but the main things is all run from the inside by the real guys in charge and getting involved in politics is not going to make a difference.

Jolie Rouge · 03-19-2005, 11:51 PM

Only one solution, Mesue. You'll have to run for President. Good Luck.

mesue · 03-20-2005, 06:40 AM

LOL And I bet I can count on your vote, right!

Jolie Rouge · 03-20-2005, 09:35 PM

Axtually, you could.

Even when we disagree, I find your views compelling.

janelle · 03-21-2005, 02:29 PM

Well if we are a dictatorship we are the best one. Many people struggling to come here to work for their fortune and a better life for their families.

My hubby did some traveling to England and Europe. He said Americans do not know how good we have things. No room to live in those countries and they are all crowded in one little area. Not as much freedom as we have and benefits.

mesue · 03-22-2005, 12:29 AM

Thanks! Good I'll need a good Vice President Jolie, Janelle you can have Condi Rice's job! First thing we will do will be to declare Firday night , Girls Night Out, the men can stay home and babysit. LOL I might get elected for that idea alone!