Republican Party Head Calls on Dean to Open Records

[Khephra]

The head of the Republican Party in Vermont called on Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean (search) to open all his gubernatorial records, including those he had sealed for a decade.

A little more than half of the thousands of records Dean accumulated during his nearly 12 years as Vermont governor are available to the public; the rest are sealed and will not be opened until 2013, 10 years after Dean's tenure ended.

"If Howard Dean plans to run on his record in Vermont, he needs to share that record with the public," Vermont Republican Chairman Jim Barnett (search) said. "The American people should not just have to take his word for it."

Dean spokeswoman Tricia Enright said Barnett's call was politically motivated and Dean had followed the practice of previous governors, including Republicans.

"The vast majority of his records have been made public, including all official correspondence, proclamations, declarations, pardons, extraditions and appointments," Enright said.

MORE...............

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,94621,00.html

It's from the Fox site, but it's an AP story. I couldn't find it anywhere else.

Well, it seems as if Dean is a real contender now. The Right is directly attacking him in public now. I'm interested in seeing how this all plays out myself. If Dean can't beat back this wimpy attack then he's not the canidate I think he is.

My money is on Dean.

[w13rd0]

1. You show me yours...

...and I'll show you mine. Dean and Bush sealed around the same time. Dean should open his when Bush agrees to open his own...

[caledesi]

8. Yes! n/t

[dfong63]

21. i love it!!!

i bet Bush has a lot more to hide. :)

[JHB]

2. Time for a comeback from Dean : "I'll open mine when...

...Bush opens his."

[underpants]

5. And FOIA requests too

All of them. Hey W if you have to hide then you have nothing to worry about.

[Rose Siding]

13. That comeback needs to come from the VT Dem chair

With no reference to Dean's records, the Dem chair should call for Bush to release all his records. Keep the candidates above the fray, but this is where party support should come in. This is an attack by the repub party and should be answered by the Dem party.

[sangha]

14. Bad move

It implicitely condones Bush*'s burying of info.

[Larkspur]

3. OK, open Bush's records

Dean has hit big time now.

[realFedUp]

4. Cheney and Rummy can open theirs also..

More secrets in this current administration than
Bush's recipe for beans.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. Then Open Bush's Records from Texas!!!

:dem:

[gratuitous]

7. You can have them tomorrow

When George W. Bush unseals the White House records of Ronald Reagan, his own records of his days as governor of Texas, which he secreted in his father's presidential library, and Dick Cheney's secret Energy Task Force records from 2001.

Dean will produce his records the day after those records come out. How's about it, Mr. Barnett? Full disclosure and conducting the public's business in the public eye, whaddya say?

[joycep]

10. Man! Those bastards do have a lot of gall!

n/t

[walkon]

17. Boy, do they!

Nothing but secrecy from the Bush administration - and then the RNC calls and a local Repug criticises Dean on this. Where are Bush's Service records?, why did he change his DL number after he was elected gov of Texas?, what are all those records doing down at Tex A&M?, Who met with Cheney on "energy policy"?, what is contained in the SEC investigation of insider trading at Harken?, what was told to Bush at his briefing on August 6, 2001?, what is in those redacted pages of the 9-11 report? It goes on and on.

Geez!

[colorado_ufo]

29. A lot of gall and a lot

apparently, of stupid! Dean should be on this in a heartbeat, demanding that the Bush/Cheney records be opened.

[goobergunch]

23. AND when they repeal the Executive Order...

which allows a sitting pResident to seal records whether or not the president in question wants them released or not.

[phatkatt]

9. Let him open them a week before he debates Bush ...

... (assuming he wins the nomination), publicly challenge Bush to open his records on live television, and sit back and enjoy the squirming.

[gristy]

16. hmmmm, that might work....

[DeathvadeR]

11. It's bullshit any records are ever sealed......

We still can't see documents of JFK??? Bush recentley blocked records of reagans???? And god knows what else. It's Bullshit....

In a case of national security I can see, but these mother fuqers try and hide information on everything and anything they feel like.

I just don't get it??? And for Dean to use the same tactic is just as bad.

Open the Records now!!!! All information should be available, otherwise we can never learn from our mistakes.

[piece sine]

15. it matters not...

whether it's Dean, Reagan, Bush or none-of-the-above, what right does any elected representative have to seal of his or her records? For even a minute, let along 10 years! What's public is public and certainly their activities as a public servant should be (literally) an open book. I'm still an agnostic on Gov. Dean, and I don't mean to single him out, but playing peek-a-boo with the public is bad policy.

How would the IRS like it if I told them that my private records were sealed until 25 minutes after my death?! They would not be amused. Well, either am I!

[samsingh]

12. open your own records first

Repug moron

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

18. This is one of those...

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't" sort of things, rating right up there with "You don't beat your wife/children/dog, do you, Dr. Dean?"

If he does, they will tear the papers apart and parse them for anything that can be spun to a negative. If he doesn't, he is concealing something and just MUST be dishonest.

Only way to handle that is invite the VRP, Chimpy, Cheney, Poppy, Jeb, Laura, The Twins and the dog to open their records as well.

[Oreegone]

19. I agree let them go first

It is only fair that they show their own first.

The Ok you open yours and then I'll open mine...is excellent.
they should be made to look like the hypocrites they truly are. Lets have some fair play instead of intimidation If you are playing poker you want them to show their hand first. This goes to show they are becoming SERIOUSLY worried about Dean.....

[sangha]

20. That's a very bad idea

Doing that is an implicit approval of Bush*'s hiding records. The Repukes argument will be "If Dean can close his records, so can we"

[CBHagman]

22. Considering that Bush II UNDID the disclosure rules for presidents..

...by executive order, it's pretty rich that some party chairman is demanding that Dean reveal the whole record now. What about Bush's blocking of Reagan-era records? There was also that transfer of documents out of Austin, if I recall correctly.

Considering Bush despises facing scrutiny, I think the Vermont GOP head should consider the little glass house he's living in before throwing stones.

[Demobrat]

24. I can't believe they threw Dean that much ammo.

They have given Dean an opening big enough to drive a truck through to blast them on secrecy. I wonder how long it will take Dean and his campaigners to figure that out? My guess is a long time. Maybe even until tomorrow.

[IndianaGreen]

25. Is Cheney going to open the records of his energy taskforce?

Not in your life!

Typical repuke hypocricy.

[DoYouEverWonder]

26. This should only be an issue for Dean

if and when he wins the nomination.

In the meantime, since the repugs want to make an issue of it, then W should release his records since he is already the president, especially his personal military records.

[stevedeshazer]

27. Fat pitch

Dean could smash a hard one up the middle by simply releasing said records without comment.

[Robin Hood]

28. Show me yours and i'll show you mine.

Show me them energy papers and unseal the presidential records and we'll show you Howard Deans records. Is it a deal?

[AP]

30. Well, it looks like Dean is conceding another potential weapon

OK, he can't hit Bush on being a Yalie, having a rich father, not working after college, being a carpetbagger, jumping from one profession to another, evading service in Vietnam in a manner which raises eyebrows, and now he can't hit him for hiding his record. Remind me of what's left?

[schultzee]

31. Republicans are devils.

Lol but I really believe it.