A Controversial Choice for the Position of Archivist of the United States

[Quetzal]

A Controversial Choice for the Position of Archivist of the United States

On April 8, the U. S. Senate received the President's nomination for a new Archivist of the United States -- historian Allen Weinstein. For most Americans, this is an obscure post. But the Weinstein nomination has rightly been gathering increasing attention.

Indeed, within the archival and historical communities, the nomination has sent sirens screaming and bells clanging. No fewer than nine professional organizations that deal with government records have expressed concern -- faulting Weinstein for his excessive secrecy.

As I have argued in my latest book, President Bush has had a problem with excessive secrecy for quite awhile. As Governor of Texas, he made sure to block any later access to his gubernatorial records. As President, he has tried to seal off the government from scrutiny in numerous ways.

Such secrecy is not a partisan matter. Rather, it is an issue of good government versus bad government -- and secrecy smells of bad government.

more...

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20040423.html

[enough]

1. Secrecy, AGAIN

This sounds like a small matter, but it's really important. Thanks for finding this, Quetzal.

[OldCurmudgeon]

2. there may be other reasons for worry

Okay, perhaps I'm being a bit paranoid here. But when it comes to ShrubCo's operations, think about the MOST corrupt possible actions, and they'll always manage to exceed your estimates.

The other big job that the US archivist has is to certify state ratification of constitutional amendments.

[NuttyFluffers]

3. oh dear god... i didn't know that.

i know where this is going... oh dear god...

might as well light the constitution on fire right now at this rate. these guys gotta go - on a small dinghy sent off into the middle of the south pacific, near antarctica.