10. Democracy? Not on Bush's watch.

President Bush's Executive Order 13233 sought to undermine the Presidential Records Act of 1978, a prudent and responsible legislation that puts non-crucial Presidential communications into the public's hands twelve years after a President leaves office. Evidently a couple of months after 9/11 Mr. Bush decided he didn't want honest and honorable citizens finding out details of some of his own dealings, hence E. O. 13233.

What are you afraid we'll learn, Mr. Bush? What do you NOT want us to know? 1 2 3

Such surreptitious conniving and paranoia certainly seems plausible; Consider Bush's initial obstinate resistance to allowing the very formation of the security committee, though eventually he did flip-flop and allow Condi Rice to testify, and he agreed that he and Cheney would co-testify. Perhaps it also has something to do with keeping records of Cheney's Energy Committee under wraps. Perhaps it has something to do with his daddy, whose own records should come into play in January 2005.

Do his supporters endorse this extreme secrecy? Whether for himself, his daddy, Dick Cheney, or all of the above and more, his deliberate efforts to hide from the electorate give me substantial cause for doubting his patina of even basic integrity. Especially on this matter, I fail to understand how any of Mr. Bush's supporters may defend, make excuses, or in any way overlook Mr. Bush's dishonorable lack of honesty, and evident goal of duplicity, in this regard. And I can comprehend only one reason why this did not evoke blatant outrage among the electorate: everyone was too distracted, still in shock over 9/11.

Evidently Mr. Bush, or some of his advisors, realized: what a perfect opportunity to cover my tracks, while everyone's distracted in the chaos. President Bush crawled past the wreckage of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the Pennsylvania field, through the smoke of still-smoldering fires, to try to sneak this knowledge-suppressing trick past decent Americans who actually do believe in truth and honesty.

Justice? Honor? Integrity? Democracy? Screw 'em all.

George W. Bush evidently does not want American voters learning something about the underbelly of his politics or those of persons close to him. This effort reflects perhaps the most insidious and unethical display of this administration's typical m.o.: subterfuge.

"I am not a crook."
Richard Nixon

"I did not have sex with that woman."
Bill Clinton

"I have nothing to hide."
George W. Bush

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” Theodore Roosevelt “History, we don’t know. We’ll all be dead.” George W. Bush   Intro   Election 2004 Introduction 1   I Yam What I Yam 2a People Die for Mr. Bush's Mistakes. He Laughs It Off 2b Supplement: Mr. Bush Laughs It Off 3a   Mr. Bush's Religious Rhetoric: The Uncaped Crusader 3b   Mr. Bush's Religious Rhetoric: Ripping Off Jesus 4   WMDWMDWMDWMDWMD—Oh, Never Mind, Forget I Ever Said WMD 5   President Bush: Saddam Tried to Kill My Dad 6   President Bush's Real World Patriot Games 7   In Mr. Bush's Own Words: "Major League Asshole" 8a   Responsibilty? Accountability? The Buck Stops Somewhere Else 8b Supplement: Responsibilty and Dodge Ball 9a   Forgive Osama? Love Saddam? You CRAZY, Jesus? 9b   Supplement: Christian Nonresistance 10   Democracy? Not on This Watch. Undo the Presidential Records Act 11   The Arsonist Owns the Fire Truck 12   Environment 13   Mr. Bush's Taunt: "Bring It On!" 14   Conclusions 15   Update 5/5/04     Please sign my Election Site Dreambook (and visit my other sites as well). And read others' comments.