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strategery blunder

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32. And I'm sure State would be more than happy to explain these "other things"

Tue Jun 7, 2016, 03:06 AM

Jun 2016

that cause it not to have time to "fulfill endless FOIA fishing expeditions that there is no budget for..." oh wait.

I'm sure DU was cheering when government agencies under the shrub said they lacked the capacity to fill FOIA requests...oh wait.

And to use a more recent example, I'm sure the Chicago Police Department had other things to do than digging out and disclosing the incriminating evidence against its officers in the Laquan case, until a judge ordered the department to do so. I'm sure the CPD thought that Laquan's family and their allies were merely on a "fishing expedition."

Government agencies don't get to unilaterally decide these things. Fishing expedition or not, either FOIA compels disclosure of responsive documents or it does not. If bureaucrats could cry "fishing expedition!" every time someone filed a FOIA request, FOIA would be utterly toothless, as if it did not already have plenty of exceptions already.

The term "fishing expedition" is in the eye of the beholder, and it usually means "my adversaries want to compel me to release information." It is little more than political tribalism.

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State Dept.: 75-year wait for Clinton aide emails [View all] newthinking Jun 2016 OP

Sour grapes, dear? sister_rosa_refried Jun 2016 #1

So, when a Republican uses this bullshit excuse, Kelvin Mace Jun 2016 #18

One can say "Brought to you by the people extending music/video copyrights to author+70 years!" TheBlackAdder Jun 2016 #38

Yeah, both sides do it is such a wonderful excuse Kelvin Mace Jun 2016 #41

HRC - normalizing corrupt behavior one brainwashed supporter at a time - n/t Locrian Jun 2016 #52

+1,000,000 Dont call me Shirley Jun 2016 #67

So if the IRS needs doccuments from me, can I just tell them, I'm a bit busy Travis_0004 Jun 2016 #2

Only way you can get away with it is if said documents need to be gone over to make sure cstanleytech Jun 2016 #4

I have Accountant�client privilege Travis_0004 Jun 2016 #6

Problem being there's little penalty for evading FOIA. HooptieWagon Jun 2016 #3

And this overreaching abuse of the system is proving there shouldn't be. n/t pnwmom Jun 2016 #7

Either you support the Freedom of Information Act or you don't MisterFred Jun 2016 #10

I used to. But when they start asking for 450,000 documents at a time, pnwmom Jun 2016 #11

Nah. MisterFred Jun 2016 #13

All those documents have to be reviewed. It's not just a matter of printing them out. n/t pnwmom Jun 2016 #16

Nevertheless the State Department's purported capacity is not reasonable. strategery blunder Jun 2016 #19

This is just one request among many. The State department staff has other things to pnwmom Jun 2016 #23

And I'm sure State would be more than happy to explain these "other things" strategery blunder Jun 2016 #32

Where were the Democratic party requests for 450,000 pages when Bush was President? pnwmom Jun 2016 #34

A good question, but irrelevant to the current discussion. blackspade Jun 2016 #43

No, not irrelevant. They're abusing the process, just like everything else. pnwmom Jun 2016 #46

So because it is being abused is the excuse for stonewalling? blackspade Jun 2016 #48

I don't see it as stone-walling. I see it as trying to fit those requests into pnwmom Jun 2016 #50

You do realize that answering FOIA does not have anything to do with the... blackspade Jun 2016 #59

And that public records office has a budget and a staff that is stretched pnwmom Jun 2016 #60

Still deliberately missing the point.... blackspade Jun 2016 #69

No budget for? former9thward Jun 2016 #35

Congress sets the State Department budget. nt pnwmom Jun 2016 #61

No the State Department requests a budget. former9thward Jun 2016 #62

Which the congress slashes -- and then passes the slashed version. For example, pnwmom Jun 2016 #63

A slashed version? former9thward Jun 2016 #64

I said there was no budget for ENDLESS requests. That would be impossible pnwmom Jun 2016 #65

State Dept uber alles reddread Jun 2016 #15

except for when it comes to Hillary apparently azurnoir Jun 2016 #17

Let history judge me, politicians are fond of saying. forest444 Jun 2016 #5

"...staff has been spread thin..." mia Jun 2016 #8

Rhetorical question? Or real? WhiteTara Jun 2016 #9

Because the State Department staff has much more important things pnwmom Jun 2016 #12

It's federal law. Complying with it is part of the the responsibility of every federal agency. merrily Jun 2016 #28

Because they don't want to hire anyone. MisterFred Jun 2016 #14

Why? Half our government does not want to fund government. Remember sequestration? eom Festivito Jun 2016 #33

if this is the way FOIA requests are going to be complied with Angel Martin Jun 2016 #20

I think the Corp Media would much rather a lot of the stuff remain hidden. Skwmom Jun 2016 #24

Exactly right. If FOIA requests are going to take decades, hughee99 Jun 2016 #40

to answer that question all you have to do Angel Martin Jun 2016 #49

translation: there's nothing there Skittles Jun 2016 #21

LOL! merrily Jun 2016 #27

We are a Banana Republic. n/t Skwmom Jun 2016 #22

Their excuse is not plausible. Major Hogwash Jun 2016 #25

if you want to validate every Repub Angel Martin Jun 2016 #31

This is unfortunate for Kerry. Sad at this stage of his career. merrily Jun 2016 #26

I think Kerry has handled this entire mess as well as could have done. karynnj Jun 2016 #45

rubbish ! Angel Martin Jun 2016 #51

They are following the FOIA procedures that are law karynnj Jun 2016 #54

printing them on paper rather than Angel Martin Jun 2016 #57

I agree that when you are looking for what fits a criteria - electronic is better karynnj Jun 2016 #66

I know what I am talking about because I have worked Angel Martin Jun 2016 #68

75 years? Really? nt merrily Jun 2016 #53

As I wrote - I do not think they should have said 75 years karynnj Jun 2016 #55

I'm truly sorry. I love how you love Kerry. However, I see this as a blot on his legacy and I merrily Jun 2016 #56

So the Republican Congress should provide funds for he State Department so they can handle Agnosticsherbet Jun 2016 #29

Many years ago, as in 1980, I was working for the Federal Government. SheilaT Jun 2016 #30

The State Dept couldn't hire more people unless Congress increased its budget. n/t pnwmom Jun 2016 #36

That's why government agencies christx30 Jun 2016 #47

It has never seemed as though people with government jobs SheilaT Jun 2016 #58

The "most transparent administration ever" will be transparent in 75 years. Maybe. Scuba Jun 2016 #37

This is so much bullshit, it's unbelieveable that it was said. zalinda Jun 2016 #39

I do not know why they said 75 years, when they could have said that it can't be done by the end of karynnj Jun 2016 #42

Then hire more staff CJCRANE Jun 2016 #44