Think Progress

Now Issa cares about taking extra measures to preserve White House e-mails.

issa.jpgIn a letter to White House Counsel Gregory Craig today, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee, “called on President Obama to put in place a system that ensures all White House emails be preserved even if official business was done through private e- mail accounts.” This newfound interest in the use of outside e-mail accounts at the White House is ironic, considering his dismissal of such concerns when Democrats investigated the Bush administration’s use of RNC e-mail accounts:

Republicans accused the Democrats of pursuing the investigation simply to dig up dirt on Rove and waste hundreds of thousands of dollars of money that the RNC could be using to shore up its candidates’ campaigns.

“Are we simply going on a fishing expedition at $40,000 to $50,000 a month?” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) asked National Archives and White House officials at the hearing. “Do any of you know of a single document, because this committee doesn’t, that should’ve been in the archives but in fact was done at the RNC?”

In 2007, the House Oversight Committee discovered that at least 88 Bush White House officials, including former adviser Karl Rove and former chief of staff Andrew Card, had RNC e-mail accounts. Additionally, the RNC has preserved no e-mails for 51 officials and had major gaps in the e-mail records of the 37 White House officials for whom the RNC did preserve e-mails.



51 Responses to “Now Issa cares about taking extra measures to preserve White House e-mails.”

  1. singe_101 says:

    Well Issa had to keep a record of all those Nigerian princes he could cut deals with, maybe score some things.


  2. sectionop92 says:

    Darrell Issa is to transparency as to what Rush Limbaugh is to weight loss.


  3. Jim Wolf359 says:

    sectionop92says:

    And Ann Coulter is to Femimine


  4. Zooey says:

    Transparency — ur doin it rong.


  5. Zooey says:

    Caption Contest:

    Pull my finger….please!


  6. belac says:

    Well, he knows how easy it is to hide those e-mails, having participated in the Bush White House’s effort to do just that… it’s no wonder he’s concerned.
    And as a Repub. it’s no wonder he’s hypocritical…


  7. tombaker says:

    shameless is as R’s do.

    pa-thetic.


  8. spencers mom says:

    Hang onto your hats, Scouts and Campers, because the GOOP Hypocrisy Ride is going to be at whiplash speed!

    And I loathe Issa.

    PEACE


  9. ralph the wonder llama says:

    Has someone pointed out to Issa the apparent double standard?

    I’m sure he’d appreciate knowing.



  10. dbearton says:

    Issa belongs in prison for complicity to treason and war crimes.


  11. J 4 lD says:

    How pathetic. Suddenly all these Republicans care about the deficit, preserving e-mails, a coat in the Oval office. When Bush was in office, it was OK to double the national debt and add more to it than the previous 42 presidents combined. It was ok to have secretive meetings a communications with no records and then ignore subpoenas. It was ok for bush to go jacketless just 2 days after he was sworn in. This is all fake rethug outrage. By the way, check out by political news blog at http://plunditry.com . It has a different perspective on issues than most mainstream blogs.


  12. McWars says:

    I’m sure he would like to know, ralph. He’d take it as a compliment. It’s very much the nature of the modern republican to slide the switch on their governance style. If republicans are in the majority, defend secrecy on the back of “national security.” Now that dems are in the majority, all bets are off. It will be as if the patriot act no longer exists.

    They know they’re inconsistent, it’s out of habit, and they enjoy their simple tit-for-tat.


  13. katy says:

    “Do any of you know of a single document, because this committee doesn’t, that should’ve been in the archives but in fact was done at the RNC?”

    woo hoo! diagram THAT sentence!

    that’s almost a palin word salad…


  14. candide says:

    Hypocite? Yes. That doesn’t make him wrong in this matter, though. I am of the opinion that e-mails should not be used to circumvent laws made to ensure openness in government communications. We were for such openness when Bush was president. I am also for the same openness now.


  15. ralph the wonder llama says:

    candide Says:

    Hypocite? Yes. That doesn’t make him wrong in this matter, though. I am of the opinion that e-mails should not be used to circumvent laws made to ensure openness in government communications. We were for such openness when Bush was president. I am also for the same openness now.

    No one is arguing the reverse.

    The issue is that Issa has no credibility on this issue.

    When a Republican was in the White House, his position was much closer to, “so what’s the big deal? I don’t see a problem”.

    The issue, as it so often is with these people, is one of hypocrisy. Double standards. IOKIYAR.


  16. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    candide Says:

    We were for such openness when Bush was president. I am also for the same openness now.
    ______________

    You seem to be unclear on the concept.

    Do we really know if the Obama Admin is trying to circumvent this already? No.

    Perhaps they have every intention of complying w/ the EXISTING laws in place.

    Only time will tell.

    But we do know that MILLIONS of emails went mysteriously missing w/ BotchCo and the only reaction they ever showed… “Really? Go figure…”

    Yeaaaah… we wanted such openness w/ BotchCo, and boy, we didn’t get it.

    Two wrongs don’t make a right, but we don’t even know if Obama’s admin is complying or not. BUT, we do know BotchCo DIDN’T…


  17. ralph the wonder llama says:

    TRoS, you had the better response to candide, but MINE WAS FIRST!

    Hahahahahahahahahaha!


  18. Bobwurst says:

    I’m sure President Obama is doing everything he should be doing. After all, President Obama is a constitutional scholar and serious man. Unlike the previous occupant of our whitehouse.


  19. Another Joe says:

    yup….

    Lying liars lie and obfuscate – its really all the repugs/neocons have.

    They can do it because the MSM gives them a free pass on the hypocracy and lies.

    The lies are not the problem, the media is.


  20. tombaker says:

    Candide-

    “We were for such openness…”

    you got mice in your pockets, or MPD?


  21. Game of Life says:

    Well knock me down with a feather.


  22. Doc Rock says:

    Duplicitous hypocrite!


  23. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    ralph the wonder llama Says:

    TRoS, you had the better response to candide, but MINE WAS FIRST!

    Hahahahahahahahahaha!
    __________

    (TRoS muttering under his breath…)

    G-damned wise-arse talkin’ herbivore…


  24. jacambece says:

    #18
    rec. well said!


  25. Game of Life says:

    This is another reason why impeachments are in order. We can’t let stupidity be the US way.


  26. katy says:

    keith just reported -
    NYPOST has apologized in an editorial, “in it’s own fashion”…

    which is kinda sorta.


  27. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Game of Life Says:

    We can’t let stupidity be the US way.
    ____________

    And why not? Just what is so wrong w/ stupidity???


  28. MCMetal says:

    candide Says:
    ——————————————————————————–

    Hypocite? Yes. That doesn’t make him wrong in this matter, though. I am of the opinion that e-mails should not be used to circumvent laws made to ensure openness in government communications. We were for such openness when Bush was president. I am also for the same openness now.

    February 19th, 2009 at 8:30 pm

    Do you understand that the e-mails used by the garbage Chimpy administration were EXACTLY TO circumvent those very openess laws in government ?

    Have you been in a coma the last 8 years ?


  29. rimhotep says:

    Issa’s a pathetic old fool. Where was his concern when W and Rove were deleting all he WH emails? They had his silent (tacit) approval then but suddenly he’s concerned about preservation of WH email?

    There’s no fool like an old fool; Issa’s nothing more than a pathetic old fool and fraud.


  30. rimhotep says:

    What Issa and his Rethuglican buds have to worry about now is that Bush’s illegal wiretapping is still ongoing….and the goods will be all over the country on all of them.

    Can’t wait to see who’s been offshoring money and defrauding the government with tax fraud when UBS releases the names.

    I’m taking bets now that the majority of the criminal tax evaders will be members of the Opposition Scumbag Party (OSP).


  31. McWars says:

    The Republic of Stupidity Says:

    And why not? Just what is so wrong w/ stupidity???

    Nothing! Just keep it in the republic, ya hear?


  32. candide says:

    The point to be made is that so-called private e-mails have been used to evade the sunshine laws in government. I don’t care whether it is Issa who opposes this or Obama. This technology should not be a method of evading public scrutiny. As I said, I think his concern now is tardy and hypocritical. I think we should be able to go back and investigate the Bush administration about these things. What I oppose is the idea that because Bush did it (WRONG) that Obama shouls also be able to do it (WRONG).


  33. tombaker says:

    ok then candide.

    did you happen to raise any objections in ‘02? ‘03? ‘04? ‘05?

    ’cause the “we” who are the people who post here did.

    y’know what the folks from your side had to say about it when we did?

    they called us terrorist sympathizers and moonbats.

    so you’ll have to for give those who are suspicious of your interest in the matter now.


  34. joe cantwell says:

    i live in california.

    that guy wanted to be

    our governor. but he

    cried.

    *

    that’s right,

    he cried!

    ;(


  35. candide says:

    YES, I did object to it back then! I objected to it then. I object to it now. I will object to it tomorrow. What is so confusing about saying that there shouldn’t be a double standard? You act as though the sunshine laws whould only apply to Republicans! What an idiotic idea! We need to be concerned about adhering to openness in govenment for al politicians, not merely those we vote against. I don’t know what “side” you think I am on. I am a progressive Democrat and have been for decades.


  36. Keith says:

    dbearton Says:
    Issa belongs in prison for complicity to treason and war crimes.

    And the arson at his business to gain insurance money. And pulling a gun on his business partner and threatening him. He’s nothing but a villainous car alarm salesman. And he recalled Gray Davis because he didn’t balance the budget. We are currently in a $42 billion hole with the Austrian action-figure.


  37. MapleStreet says:

    Is it too obvious for me to say

    IOKIYAR


  38. joe cantwell says:

    candide Says:
    YES, I did object to it back then! I objected to it then. I object to it now. I will object to it tomorrow. What is so confusing about saying that there shouldn’t be a double standard? You act as though the sunshine laws whould only apply to Republicans! What an idiotic idea! We need to be concerned about adhering to openness in govenment for al politicians, not merely those we vote against. I don’t know what “side” you think I am on. I am a progressive Democrat and have been for decades.

    *

    well if you saved your comments

    you can paste them here and

    that will be that.

    simple.

    *


  39. Game of Life says:

    The Republic of Stupidity Says:

    Game of Life Says:

    We can’t let stupidity be the US way.
    ____________

    And why not? Just what is so wrong w/ stupidity???

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


  40. katy says:

    oh yea! also on keith tonight -

    HOWARD DEAN!

    talking about the hypocrite repugs who “don’t want” the money…

    he looks great! (something is different… thinner?)

    Thank you, Dr. Dean!


  41. ElBruce says:

    It’s generally agreed that a President need not, and should not, audiotape all of his conversations. It’s also generally agreed that a President should preserve all of the documents his administration produces. But I think in the long run we’re going to have to confront the issue of what counts as a “document” or a “conversation.” Should twitters be archived? How about IM chats? If those are documents, might that create a “chilling effect” on using such technologies, limiting executive officials to face-to-face conversations, or are they going to have to constantly edit themselves in discussions? Where does one draw the line on that?


  42. Game of Life says:

    Keith Says:

    dbearton Says:
    Issa belongs in prison for complicity to treason and war crimes.

    And the arson at his business to gain insurance money. And pulling a gun on his business partner and threatening him. He’s nothing but a villainous car alarm salesman. And he recalled Gray Davis because he didn’t balance the budget. We are currently in a $42 billion hole with the Austrian action-figure.

    repugs’ heads are exploding because of your logic.


  43. stateofthedivision says:

    I’m still waiting for Fran Townsend’s and Andy Card’s e-mail on Hurricane Katrina.


  44. winddancer says:

    ebruce – regarding twitters and IM’s, however it shakes out, it has to fit within the guidelines of the Presidential Records Act.

    The Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978, 44 U.S.C. § 2201–2207, governs the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents created or received after January 20, 1981 and mandates the preservation of all presidential records. The PRA changed the legal ownership of the official records of the President from private to public, and established a new statutory structure under which Presidents must manage their records.

    Specifically, the Presidential Records Act:

    * Defines and states public ownership of the records.
    * Places the responsibility for the custody and management of incumbent Presidential records with the President.
    * Allows the incumbent President to dispose of records that no longer have administrative, historical, informational, or evidentiary value, once he has obtained the views of the Archivist of the United States on the proposed disposal.
    * Requires that the President and his staff take all practical steps to file personal records separately from Presidential records.
    * Establishes a process for restriction and public access to these records. Specifically, the PRA allows for public access to Presidential records through the Freedom of Information Act (United States) (FOIA) beginning five years after the end of the Administration, but allows the President to invoke as many as six specific restrictions to public access for up to twelve years. The PRA also establishes procedures for Congress, courts, and subsequent administrations to obtain special access to records that remain closed to the public, following a thirty-day notice period to the former and current Presidents.
    * Requires that Vice-Presidential records are to be treated in the same way as Presidential records.

    As far as “missing emails,” any fifth grade kid knows that there is ultimately no such thing. The Bush administration missing emails will eventually show up.


  45. Keith says:

    Connell knew what happened to the e-mails, but an electro-magnetic pulse took out his plane.


  46. RUCerious says:

    After you’ve rounded up all Rove’s missing emails, then open yer trucking fap, Darrell.


  47. Robt says:

    Issa is connected at the hip with Blackwater.

    Since Blackwater change its name to “Xe”, Will Issa also change his name to “Xena”?

    Just do not know what to expect from the Republican party these days.

    Does it seem like they are reverting back to the Newt Gengrich theme? Can we expect another contract on America?


  48. JethroQWalrusTitty says:

    I want to put a coffin on top of the coffin of Darrell Issa.


  49. InOnTheFly says:

    Darrell Issa, one of the most hypocritical clowns in the US Congress — BAR NONE!! I would imagine that the activities and statements of folks of this group (Issa, Bachman, etc) are rarely if ever monitored by their constituents back home. Otherwise, how could they be re-elected? But then, dear ole Dumbya was given another term — go figure!!?? Just look at them putting down the contents of the Stimulus Package which they negotiated and ammended to their liking as much as they could, and since, returning to their home states to watch for any sign of positive impact of the package so that they can take credit for it — THIS WHILE NOT VOTING FOR IT! Sickening at best.


  50. Klem Kiddilehopper says:

    Darrell Issa looks like a “Gay Fluffer” I once knew in the early 70’s!



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