Sealed records: Dean is setting the opposition up.

[sfecap]

From Hardball 12/1/03:

MATTHEWS: Great, lets go to the next question.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor Dean, you often criticize the Bush administration for its secrecy. How do you reconcile this with the steps you have taken to seal away documents from your time in Vermont?

DEAN: Well...

MATTHEWS: Are you working for any campaign? Seriously.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at this time.

MATTHEWS: Not tonight or...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would be a Bush supporter.

MATTHEWS: You’re a Bush supporter?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am a bush supporter.

MATTHEWS: OK, good nice to know that.

DEAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

MATTHEW: I say that because this guy just put his t-shirt on right behind the candidate.

DEAN: Actually, to be honest with you, I am actually glad there are this many Republicans at Harvard.

(LAUGHTER)

DEAN: At least 15 percent, that’s fine.

MATTHEWS: What’s-what’s in the water at Yale. You have Lieberman, you, John Kerry and the president, all from Yale. Is this skull and bones secret you have been keeping?

DEAN: I was never in skull and bones, nor was I asked.

MATTHEWS: Do you want to answer the question?

DEAN: Yes. Every governor in Vermont and most governors around the country, maybe every governor for all I know, has a process by which certain records are sealed and certain records are left open. The vast majority of my records are open. You are welcome to go, as ever opposing campaign has done, and rummage through them for the next six months. There are some that are left private, and I don’t exactly know all the things that are in those because those are attorney to secretary of state negotiated. But some of the kinds of things might be a letter from a constituent saying, dear governor, I am an HIV, AIDS victim, can you please help me?
Now, those kinds of letters do not belong in the public, and they’re not. That’s why some records are sealed, and governor’s offices throughout the country.

MATTHEWS: Next question.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/1000254.asp

Howard Dean is a very smart man. The records issue is a red herring that will make his opponents look foolish, and waste their time and money. Let's examine the set up: Judicial Watch files a suit. The court (may) appoint a Special Master, usually a Judge, to examine the 140 boxes of records, which will take a few months. Most probably, nothing of any substance will be found. Most likely, the records that are sealed are properly sealed due to the sensitivity or personal nature of the subject matter, as Dean has pointed out. The campaign points out that it was an independant examination, conducted by an impartial Judge appointed by the court, and the campaign had no say in what was looked at.

If the campaign has any say in unsealing records, they will be accused of selectivity, (probably at DU first.)

Dean gets lots of press, and the opposition looks foolish if they come up empty handed.

Judy Woodward grilled Dean about the sealed records yesterday. Dean didn't seem too bothered by it, and invited the plaintiffs (Judicial Watch), to have at it.

This is a set up, folks. Just wait and see...

[Catch22Dem]

1. That was a good answer

What I don't understand is why no one is harping on bush for doing the EXACT same thing as gov. of Texas! Also, I know Matthews takes A LOT of shit here, and I dish it out to him too, but kudos to Matthews for exposing the repuke in the crowd!

[jogi1969]

2. interesting

will this open up a return volly into why *'s
records have been shut up in poppy's library?

[DarkPhenyx]

3. And why Bush extended the seal on...

...both Poppy Bush's records and Regean's.