Bush regime wants to replace archivist before election!!

[ramblin_dave]

Concern is growing within the archival and historical communities regarding the Bush administration's hoped for "fast-track" process to replace Archivist of the United States John Carlin with one of its own choosing -- historian Allen Weinstein.... Their goal -- place Weinstein in the position prior to the November election.

According to Hill insiders, the effort to replace Carlin is coming from the highest levels of the White House. Reportedly, Karl Rove who is widely viewed as one of the president's chief political advisors, if not his political mastermind and, Alberto R. Gonzales, Counsel to the President, want their own archivist in place for two overarching reasons: first, because of the sensitive nature of certain presidential and executive department records likely to be opened in the near future, and second, because there is genuine concern in the White House that the president may not be re-elected.

<snip>

...Carlin stated that he was not resigning and he would not submit his resignation until a new archivist is appointed. There is no indication that the White House has any cause-related reason to replace Carlin and no reason was communicated to Congress when Weinstein's nomination was advanced formally last week. Some observers speculate that by refusing to resign until a new archivist is in place, Carlin is tacitly protesting what Hill insiders consider his "premature" removal.

<snip>

Allen Weinstein possesses both strong Republican political connections and scholarly qualifications. In the past he has served as a foreign policy adviser to Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

<snip>

nomination has been characterized by former National Security Archive founder and director Scott Armstrong as "the most cynical appointment of an Archivist possible. He has a very clouded, very complicated, self-promoting, neo-con, politically manipulative record....While he uses historical documentation in his work, he is very selective in his use."

<snip>

In addition to professional historians' concern about Weinstein's research methods and attitudes about access to records, Weinstein has yet to establish his credentials in the realm of archival management.

http://hnn.us/comments/33519.html

[tabasco]

1. The Dems need to stop this.

And all the other crap these bums will try to pull before they get the boot!

[ex_jew]

2. Re: genuine concern that re-election ain't gonna happen

Was this also behind the big endorsement of Sharon's settlements ? Come November Bush may not be in a position to do Sharon any good.

[scarletwoman]

3. Wow. The crap that flies under the radar.

The bushco gangsters are thorough, you've gotta grant them that.

Thanks for finding and posting this, I doubt I would have known about this otherwise. :thumbsup:

sw

[No Mandate Here.]

4. Great Find!!!

Let's make sure our Senators all know about this and work to slow it down. The JERKS want to be able to rewrite their history.

On edit: Who are the members of the Senate Governmental Affiars Committee? They are the ones who NEED to sit on this.

[Turbineguy]

5. Would a new archivist have the energy to spend

every night, all night shredding documents and incinerating the shreds to get Bush off the hook?

[DemoTex]

14. Might have to hire an assistant or two.

Fawn Hall and Ollie North have excellent CVs in this department.

[powergirl]

6. Thanks for the article and I'll bet you that Carlin

has a little "archive" of his own. I feel great when I learn that the Republicans think they are a bunch of LOSERS. I hate them so very very much.

[BabsSong]

7. ahhh, does that scream something loud and clear...........

Why would they care if the documents were just usual political crap, etc. In other words there's stuff in there that they are afraid could end in prison terms. Are they afraid that 9/11 and Bush could be linked in a way they don't want anyone to link???? Or the Bush's and the Saudi's or Bushs and illegal corporate money, or, or, or???

[calimary]

9. Okay, guys - those contact numbers again - to RAISE HELL about this

Please note, here, The World's Greatest Lists of Media Contacts – updated April 14, 2004 – in the following thread:

LINK:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1413842#

IF THEY THINK WE DON’T CARE, THEY WON’T, EITHER!

[No Mandate Here.]

12. Here's the Governemental Affairs Committee

The Rethugs here are mostly allies of *- even Specter, who is getting a $$ boost from * on Monday. We should talk loudly to all of them.

Susan M. Collins Chairman (R-ME)
Joseph I. Lieberman Ranking Member (D-CT)
Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
George V. Voinovich (R-OH)
Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Arlen Specter (R-PA) ----------- I'll call his offices Monday
Thomas R. Carper (D-DE)
Robert F. Bennett (R-UT)
Mark Dayton (D-MN)
Peter G. Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
John E. Sununu (R-NH)
Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Richard C. Shelby (R-AL)

[aquart]

8. So why don't they just use a shredder?

What are the regulations they're trying to pretend to uphold while really breaking them beyond repair?

[Generator]

10. Messing with history..more proof they ARE GOING DOWN

Sensitive nature heh? Oh man... this warms the cockels of my Bush hating heart.

[DBoon]

11. All the Bush bad mistakes will go down the memory hole

if this guy gets appointed.

Nothing like re-writing the past!

[MichaelHarris]

13. Will

he supply his own shredder or will Rove supply him one?

[riverwalker]

15. John Dean wrote about this

in his book. They are absolutely PARANOID about the archives. He did a whole chapter on the reams of stuff sealed on pallets in shrink wrap and whisked off to his daddy's library. These guys have to have more enemies than friends at this point. Don't be surprised to find a few of those embarrassing papers appearing in the next few months.

[Ruby Romaine]

16. from American Library Association webpage

President’s Nomination for U.S. Archivist Draws Fire

http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=news&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=62936

[gate of the sun]

17. 1984... oh the parralels...

18. more detail

http://www.cjonline.com/stories/041104/kan_carlin.shtml

Allen Weinstein would replace John Carlin, archivist for the past nine years. Carlin, governor of Kansas from 1979 to 1987, plans to stay on until his successor is confirmed by the Senate and sworn in.

*****

Democratic Governor, I would add

[ramblin_dave]

20. Seems like less detail

The linked article makes this look completely ordinary.

This link to Newsday is more to the point:

Unlike in the case of the two previous archivists since the post was officially established by Congress in 1984, the Bush administration on April 8, with scant public notice, sent to the Senate the nomination of historian Allen Weinstein.

That action surprised and raised concerns among archivists and historians because it came without notice and before current archivist John Carlin had announced his retirement or other plans, said Tim Ericson, president of the Society of American Archivists.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usarch173761980apr17,0,4270321.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines

[jean]

19. big kick

[suegeo]

21. KICK

I wrote to my senators. Both are on the committee that needs to approve this clown.

PS -- Norm Coleman is a tuna sandwich.

[efhmc]

22. Bush's gubernatorial papers raising questions about access.

http://texnews.com/1998/2002/texas/bush0114.html I wanted to add this here yesterday, but got too sleepy.

[Karenina]

23. Errraaaa...

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[cally]

24. The only good thing in this article

is * is messing with Librarians. They seem the only ones who win battles with this junta. I wouldn't want to make them angry at me.

[ramblin_dave]

25. Update: National archivist change affects Clinton Library

LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Officials in charge of the Clinton Presidential Library acted quickly in response to a Thursday announcement by the Bush administration that John W. Carlin would be replaced as national archivist.

http://www.baxterbulletin.com/news/stories/20040409/localnews/199836.html

[ramblin_dave]

26. The Nation: The Haunted Archives

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040503&s=editors

Who should control access to the archives of the 9/11 Commission after it closes up shop in August? The commission's records will go to the National Archives. On April 8 the Bush Administration quietly pushed the current archivist, John Carlin, a Clinton appointee, to step down. To replace him, Bush will nominate Allen Weinstein, a historian who has been criticized for failing to abide by accepted scholarly standards of openness (more details will appear in an upcoming Nation profile). Weinstein headed, until recently, the Center for Democracy, a think tank whose board is studded with GOP heavyweights, including Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and Richard Lugar, House Republican whip Roy Blunt and Henry Kissinger.

The surprise move to replace the archivist violates the spirit of a 1984 law that sought to depoliticize the office. The archivist, according to that bill, is not a political appointee who serves at the pleasure of the President, and his term is not tied to the term of the President, although the President can ask for his resignation. A House report in 1984 said Congress "expects" the nomination of a new archivist "will be achieved through consultation with recognized organizations of professional archivists and historians." There has been no such consultation.