People's Papers

Executive Order Shows Contempt for Law and What's Right

Since passage of the post-Watergate Presidential Records Act of 1978, the official documents produced by presidents and vice presidents have belonged to the American people. President Bush has no right to deprive Americans of the reasonable use of their property.

The law grants public access to some presidential papers five years after a president leaves office, and access to all but the most sensitive documents after 12 years. Demonstrating his contempt for that law, Bush recently issued an executive order giving himself and future sitting presidents the power to withhold the documents generated by previous presidents, even if the former leaders want them released.

Furthermore, Bush orders that any American must demonstrate a "specific need" when requesting the documents. Would a citizen's desire to know whether past leaders lied about their views or actions be specific enough? Will Americans henceforth have to demonstrate a specific need to visit their Capitol or the Washington Monument?

Bush's press secretary, Ari Fleischer, disgraced himself by suggesting that Americans shouldn't have free access to President Reagan's 12-year-old papers because of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Subsequently, Fleischer offered the absurdity that the order really was meant to speed public access to the papers of previous administrations. So why has the Bush administration delayed the release of the Reagan documents, including the vice presidential papers of President Bush's father?

The president's meritless executive order lends credence to suspicions that he wants to cover up evidence of wrongdoing or mistakes that might embarrass members of Bush's administration or family. His executive order would allow Bush to block access to his own papers long after he left the White House.

Several members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, asked the president to reconsider his outrageous, lawless order. Bush declined. The courts and Congress now have the duty to speedily set aside Bush's action that deprives Americans of their property and their right to know, after great delay, what their government was up to.