Myths & Facts about Hillary's Schedules
by alegre, Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:14:05 PM EDT
I've been hearing a lot of BS about what those recently released papers of Hillary's do or don't mean I'm tired tonight and have a lot of work to do on another project, so I'm going to let Hillary's press office do the talking for the most part on these documents. The campaign released a memo earlier today that sets the record straight so pay attention...
MYTHS AND FACTS: FIRST LADY SCHEDULES
3/20/2008 11:06:10 AMMyth: Hillary and Bill Clinton have control over which documents are released from the Clinton Library.
Fact: Under federal law, records at the Clinton Library are the property of the U.S. government--not Hillary or Bill Clinton. These records are in the custody and control of the National Archives.
As noted in the Washington Post, "Presidential papers can't be released at the snap of a finger"; so "[c]alling on the Clintons to release their papers makes for great campaign theater. But it's theater that has no bearing on reality." [Washington Post, 2/8/08; 3/1/08].
Myth: Hillary and Bill Clinton have control over when documents from the Clinton Library are made public.Fact: The Archives released these schedules in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The Archives processes those requests on a first come, first served basis, and is required by law to review every line of every page.
As the Archives itself has said: "`We're releasing them tomorrow because they're ready tomorrow . . . It was as soon as we could get them out.'" [Washington Post, 3/18/08].
Myth: Hillary and Bill Clinton have delayed the release of her White House records by preventing their release from the Clinton Library.
Fact: Hillary and Bill Clinton do not decide when records can be released from the Clinton Library--the Archives does and has said so publicly on the record.
By law, before releasing any documents, the Archives must conduct a page-by-page, line-by-line review of every record to ensure that confidential, security, and personal privacy information is not improperly released.
The Archives has repeatedly stated that that this painstaking process is cumbersome and responsible for the bulk of the time it takes to review and release material. In this case, the Archives took approximately 6 months to complete its review of more than 11,000 pages. For his part, President Clinton's representative completed his review in less than 30 days -- weeks ahead of the time allotted for his review.
Myth: Hillary and Bill Clinton are responsible for the redactions in the White House schedules.
Fact: The Archives made the redactions. According to the Archives, the majority of the redactions in the schedules pertain to the privacy interests of third parties, including their social security numbers, telephone numbers, and home addresses. This information is withheld under federal law.
In fact, President Clinton asked the Archives, to the extent it could under applicable law, to release extensive material in those records that otherwise would have been excluded.
Myth: Bill Clinton instructed the Archives to redact large portions of these documents in a 2002 letter.
Fact: President Clinton's 2002 letter has been misunderstood. In 2002, President Clinton issued an "easing" letter to the Archives that waived his right to restrict access to most of the confidential advice he received during his administration. The Archives has said this guidance is the least restrictive of any President covered by the Presidential Records Act.
Myth: The schedules undercut Hillary's claims to involvement in the policy efforts of the Clinton Administration, or to have gained valuable experience from it.
Fact: They do no such thing. The schedules can not and do not speak to the substance of her meetings with staff, advisers, Administration officials, citizens, activists, foreign leaders, and others with whom she worked on policy issues. That should be no surprise - it's not what they were created to do.
What the schedules do show is an incredibly active and involved First Lady, and add detail to the already voluminous public record about her work.
Those who claim the schedules undercut her efforts on such issues as the Family and Medical Leave Act, or her work for peace in Northern Ireland, or her efforts to support America's foreign policy around the world are flying in the face of the public statements of the principal individuals involved in each, and decades of reporting on these issues.
Myth: The schedules show that, while Hillary may have been engaged in the substantive policy work of the Clinton Administration in 1993 and 1994 during her work on Health Care, she retreated to a ceremonial First Lady role for the rest of her time in the White House.
Fact: The schedules show no such thing. They demonstrate that Hillary remained an active participant and contributor to the work of the Clinton Administration in addition to fulfilling her ceremonial duties as First Lady .
The schedules are just that: schedules. They can not and do not speak to the substance of her meetings with staff, advisers, Administration officials, citizens, activists, foreign leaders, and others with whom she worked on policy issues. That should be no surprise - it's not what they were created to do.
Myth: Contrary to her stated opposition to NAFTA, Hillary Clinton attended NAFTA meetings to work for its passage.
Fact: It is no secret that passing NAFTA was a priority of the Clinton Administration, but numerous contemporary accounts make clear that Hillary Clinton was personally opposed to NAFTA, and her position on NAFTA was and remains consistent.
For example, one of the NAFTA meetings she attended was run by David Gergen who has clearly stated that Hillary Clinton was opposed to NAFTA. According to Gergen, Hillary "was extremely unenthusiastic about NAFTA. And I think that's putting it mildly." He said: "If I could just add one other post script, Anderson, on NAFTA, I was actually there in the Clinton White House during the NAFTA fight and I must tell you Hillary Clinton was extremely unenthusiastic about NAFTA. And I think that's putting it mildly. I'm not sure she objected to all the provisions of it but she just didn't see why her husband and that White House had to go and do that fight. She was very unhappy about it and wanted to move on to health care. So I do think there's some justification for her camp saying, you know, she's never been a great backer for NAFTA." [David Gergen, Anderson Cooper 360, 2/25/08]
And speaking of NAFTA, there were a few snide remarks left in the comments of my post last night on Hillary's docs and the following puts all that to rest. This from the guy who organized that meeting everyone's nattering on about - David Gergen...
Fact Check: Organizer of NAFTA Meeting Said Hillary Was A NAFTA Critic
3/20/2008 1:10:02 PMOnce again the Obama campaign is demonstrating that Senator Obama's words can't be trusted. Last year, Senator Obama said that he would not engage in personal attacks. Now, after losses in Ohio and Texas, the Obama campaign is explicitly attacking Senator Clinton's character. Instead of attacking Senator Clinton, Senator Obama should explain to the American people why his top economic policy advisor was telling the Canadians that his promise to fix NAFTA shouldn't be taken seriously. The fact is that independent accounts make clear that Senator Clinton did not support NAFTA and that she is the candidate Americans can trust to fix it. --Campaign Spokesman Phil Singer
The Obama campaign is claiming that the fact that Hillary attended a meeting on the subject of NAFTA organized by David Gergen is proof that she was a champion of NAFTA.
Here's what David Gergen said about Hillary's views on NAFTA:
I was actually there in the Clinton White House during the NAFTA fight and I must tell you Hillary Clinton was extremely unenthusiastic about NAFTA. And I think that's putting it mildly. I'm not sure she objected to all the provisions of it but she just didn't see why her husband and that White House had to go and do that fight. She was very unhappy about it and wanted to move on to health care. So I do think there's some justification for her camp saying, you know, she's never been a great backer for NAFTA." [David Gergen, Anderson Cooper 360, 2/25/08]
Watch David Gergen here:
Tags: 2008 elections, Hillary Clinton, president (all tags)
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