According to Judicial Watch, Rep. Edolphous Towns (D-NY) has introduced the Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2011. That bill would do with Obama’s presidential records what Obama has already done to his personal and collegiate records: Seal them up.
In an obvious effort to protect President Barack Obama, a group of congressional Democrats has introduced legislation to create an official process that will allow the commander-in-chief to keep presidential records secret after he leaves office.
Ironically, Obama revoked a similar George W. Bush order in one of his first official acts as president. In 2001 Bush penned an executive order severely limiting public access to his presidential records. Shortly after swearing in, Obama killed it as part of his much-ballyhooed commitment to government transparency. At the time, the new president claimed that he was giving the American people greater access to “historic documents.”
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If the Democrats’ proposed measure (Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2011) becomes law, former presidents will be allowed to assert a new “constitutionally based privilege” against disclosing records of their liking. Here is how it would work; the Archivist of the United States would be required to notify the former president, as well as the incumbent, of intentions to make records public. Anything that either the former or current president claims should be kept private won’t be released.
The veteran Brooklyn congressman (Edolphus Towns) who recently introduced the law in the U.S. House has yet to explain why it’s necessary.
This looks like a sign of surrender to me. Why seal up Obama’s records now, if you think he’s strong to get re-elected next year?
And, how many Solyndras and executive directives to punish various enemies may be lurking in those records?
A republican should introduce a bill that is the mirror image of this: making any seal of Presidential records null and void, and making it a federal crime, punishable by a minimum required prison sentence, to attempt such a seal.
The usual exceptions for security issues would apply, but subject to a determination a Congressional committee.
While a sitting President may not be imprisoned, there is no such immunity for an ex-President.
“And, how many Solyndras and executive directives to punish various enemies may be lurking in those records?”
….and the smoking guns from the gunwalker operations.
Where’s the outrage? This man is a public servant. We pay his salary. We pay for his wife and his “senior assistants,” i.e., his daughters, to vacation in Africa. His was going to be the most transparent administration in history. What a scandal. What a scoundrel. PJM should get a Columbia student and a Harvard student to get summer jobs in the Academic Records office of both universities and then make public this “Constitutional scholar’s” grades. This has got to stop. He’s a fraud and the public has a right to know just how big a fraud he is.
There can only be outrage with this proposed legislation if one assumes a single set of laws applying to all individuals. In reality there isn’t one set, but thanks to the left, there are basically 4 tiers to the law. (A tier is defined as the law + social protocols.) Tier 1, is the most permissive and is applied to liberal/left groups within the ruling class. Law-breaking within tier 1 groups, if done intelligently, is basically ignored by the government and by the media (see Pelosi’s and Reid’s business dealings, “fast and furious” gun running, etc); tier 2 applies to favored groups (see New Black Panther Party voting intimidation; ACORN, etc). Tier 3 is essentially for “neutral” groups, i.e., the “sheeple”, average, apolitical citizens that are not members of the favored groups. Tier 4 is the most oppressive and is applied towards despised groups (conservatives, especially ethnic and female conservatives, self-made rich, politically incorrect businessmen, etc.) Individuals sorted into Tier 4 are dealt with ruthlessly. Any infraction, real or alleged, is pursued with rigor by both the media and the government. In fact, judicial “fishing expeditions” are the rule with tier 4 individuals. Tier 4 individuals are routinely not given any privacy or consideration. (See Sarah Palin and blogger Andrew Sullivan; see comments by the left concerning Mrs. Palin, her husband, her children, etc.)
So, write these 4 tiers down on a 3 by 5 card. The next time group A is in conflict with group B, identify which tier each group belongs to and the media/government reaction to the conflict will be easily predictable.
BTW, acknowledgment of the existence of the above tiers, or anything like it, is, of course, evidence of racism on your part.
good observation and absolutely true
Mark, From my own personal experience (43 years in the criminal “justice” field) I must agree with your observations. Even on a local level (municipal and county) one’s status and associations determine how one will be treated under the law.
Teddy Roosevelt was just blowing smoke when he said, “No man is above the law and no man is below the law.”
[W3]
“A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
What Teddy Roosevelt was articulating is the goal we strive for. Anyone not striving for it has no business in law enforcement or the courts.
We will fall short in this Fallen world; that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
Fascinating …….
Mark, wow. That’s some truism right there.
This is no doubt being copied into my “Why the left has ruined our society and needs to be run out of town on a rail” Google doc.
Somebody is running scared.
Time was when Presidents were proud of their accomplishments in office. That’s so 18th, 19th, 20th and early 21st century. Obama wants to run, he wants to hide.
We shouldn’t let him. We PAID for this administration, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan.
I believe we have just started paying for this administration. I’ll long be dead before payments stop.
As an east coast liberal, I can assure you that the most negative aspect of Obama’s legacy will be that he has reenforced the stereotype that ALL black democratic politicians are dumb, lazy, shiftless, crooked and mendacious. Little wonder that the other professional blacks want to hide the evidence.
wow! you’re liberal and a racist. way to go.
Shame on this egregious President. Keep up the good work, Bryan, on reporting on how this administration is the least transparent in American history. And there must be a reason for that. What are they hiding?
What is it with this dude? He wants to be president but he wants no accountability and no integrity. Does he think the United States is just Chicago writ large? It isn’t.
Well, he certainly bewitched a majority of the population last go-round, with his meaningless, empty rhetoric — and left us with TOTUS (1st T=teleprompter). However, the spell has worn off, leaving most of the country simply bewildered …
Oh, let’s seal up the records now. And Obama with them.
Vacuum seal please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hiding evidence.
If you are seeing this much stuff already, rest assured that a RICO investigation is surely in order. Remember, when you see termites, it’s already too late. After you call the exterminator, call a builder, ’cause you’re gonna need one.
Isn’t one of the Alinsky things to pile on so much bad that you flood the zone, making you chase so many things that you never quite really get to the bottom of it? It worked for the Clintons. Will it work for the O?
They think he has a chance to win in 2016 after being defeated in 2012.
Even if we never get to see all of the damning evidence in our lifetimes, history will not be kind to this president.
G*d knows I wish it were so, but…. No way.
There’s simply no way in hell that they’ll let King Hussein The First go down in history as the worst _resident since Jimmeh Cahtuh.
No way.
If he was white? No problem. Asian? Doubtful. Hispanic? Maybe – but half-black on the outside and ALL RED ON THE INSIDE?!
NO WAY IN HELL that he’ll he allowed to be seen as anything less than The Second Coming.
That is rich. If Rep. Towns thinks that
this is good policy he needs to be unelected quickly.
What did the American people do to deserve this nightmare?
What did they do to deserve it? They elected him, that’s what.
They didn’t pay attention, didn’t do their homework, and/or didn’t bother to vote. Those that did weren’t enough to overcome the apathy of those who didn’t adore BO; hence the outcome that’s about to explode our country.
Can anyone possibly imagine what early January, 2013, will look like in DC? So many disc drives being wiped clean that that the capital experiences an electromagnetic anomaly. The Potomac filled with discarded iPhones, iPads and Blackberries. The grid overloaded by shredders going full crank night and day. Incinerators burning away so ferociously that the city’s ambient temperature is raised by ten or so degrees. A three-story bonfire of archived banker’s boxes from Iron Mountain blazing away near the North Portico.
HA-HA-HAA. Funniest thing I’ve read in a while.
You freakin’ traitors! How dare you imply the president isn’t entitled to his secrets. He’s the main main. El numero uno. Top dog. He doesn’t answer to you commie-loving milquetoast sissies!
Eat hot blog posting, suckmongers! (http://www.amerikazam.com/?p=64)
@ General Purpose-you are being sarcastic right? God help us all if you and others believe like that. What happened to Obama’s “transparency”? and how dare you call us traitors. Obviously you are in need of a dictionary. Go look up the big words before you post em little man.
I think you should go read the blog post he linked to. That will clear up whether or not he’s being sarcastic.
Spoiler: He’s not just being sarcastic, he’s doing it fantastically so. The blog post is pure gold, man.
Most Transparent Presidency Evah!
Those who have absolutely no respect for the law are the first to try to use, or change, the law in order to protect themselves.
[W3]
Obama has plenty he wants sealed up! I certainly hope this is disallowed by the majority of the House and Congress!! He is under threat of impeachment and any attempt to cover up evidence, would be a criminal act. If indeed he has done nothing wrong, there should certainly be no hurry to cover it up.
Okay, if we’re going to play fast and loose with the Constitution and the law … shouldn’t this effort be reasonably construed as making all Democrats accomplices, accessories, and co-conspiritors to all the crimes of the current regime? And that would include the murders of Gunwalker. Some of these offenses may be capital offenses, and the others might involve long terms in Jail. I would think the Democrats would want to distance themselves, not draw closer.
A new administration ought, as it’s first act, to open and make public ALL records of the Obama regime, and also all his personal records. Then let the fun begin.
@Carol- Impeached? not likely. If they were going to impeach him they should have started the proceedings as soon as everyone was sworn into office after the 2010 elections.
Now that being said..am I surprised that the Dems would stoop so low? Not hardly. I am however just a bit stunned at their outright stupidity at doing so. Especially with both Congress and Obama’s numbers at such historic lows. I’ll give em credit for ONE thing..their fear is so total it’s giving them ENORMOUS big brass ones to try and pull this crap.
this is pathetic. most of you are pathetic. this is a personal attack on you.
Folks, what we’re witnessing is just the tip of the iceberg. This entire presidency is an American tragedy, and every day I pray that it will soon be coming to an unceremonious end.
This act is amazing.
There is one thing in this that I could support. The part that says “The Archivist shall not make available any original presidential records to any individual claiming access to any presidential record as a designated representative under section 2205(3) if that individual has been convicted of a crime relating to the review, retention, removal, or destruction of records of the Archives.”
That would keep people like Sandy Berger from stuffing even more documents in their underwear after they’ve been convictedd of removing or destroying records.
I also wonder how this works for former presidents who have died? The Archivist has to give notice. Lets’s say I ask for some records from Calvin Coolidge that have not been previously released? Is a simple note left at the grave site sufficient notice? Or does due diligence require consulting the official national Ouija board? Or is a séance required?
What’s up with the witch hunt? He’s clean and articulate, You bunch of racist! Now let’s go look under every painted over stone that Gov Perry has come in contact with in the past 30yrs. We may discover the “N word”!
So it’s obvious that this is a crap move on Obamas administration’s part. So how would you justify Bush having done the same?
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