Does George know Jack? Stonewall starts to crack

[Robbien]

Sometime Wednesday, the Bush administration is scheduled to release Secret Service records detailing the number of times disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff visited the White House. The administration is not doing this voluntarily. It is under an order from a federal judge acting on a watchdog group's lawsuit.

If Abramoff and administration officials are to be believed, the records won't show that the one-time superlobbyist — who has pleaded guilty to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials — was particularly tight with President Bush or his top aides. Which would make the Bush administration's months-long stonewalling all the more inexplicable. Had it released details long ago about the president's relationship with Abramoff, it likely would have limited any political embarrassment.

As it is, the administration has helped fuel speculation about Abramoff's ties to both Bush and his senior aide, Karl Rove. Here's how Abramoff himself put it in a recent interview with Vanity Fair magazine: "My so-called relationship with Bush, Rove, and everyone else at the White House has only become important because, instead of just releasing details about the very few times I was there, they created a feeding frenzy by their deafening silence."

This episode is the latest example of the Bush administration's stubborn and counterproductive efforts to withhold information from the public. Sometimes it has done so in the name of national security. Sometimes in the name of executive privilege, as with Vice President Cheney's energy task force. And sometimes for the simple reason that it appears to enjoy saying no, particularly to reporters.

Administration officials seem to forget that White House staffers are taxpayer-paid officialsdoing the people's business on public property. In addition to the Secret Service records of Abramoff's comings and goings, the administration should put out documentation showing whom he spoke to and what topics were discussed.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-05-09-abramoff-records_x.htm

[struggle4progress]

1. Great headline! R campaign slogan for 06: "I don't know Jack!"

And thanks for the heads-up on tomorrow's news!

[genieroze]

2. Yup, * don't know jack.....shit