You know, when I read this article, I instantly think of Nixon. And I wasn't even old enough to remember anything about him.
Now, just compare these two statements:
- Democracy is based on governmental policy developed by rational discourse among a well informed public.
- The net result of that [the request for information regarding how the Bush administration formed its energy policy] is to weaken the presidency and the vice presidency...
Now, is it just me, or do those two statements seem irreconcilable? And how do you weaken the vice presidency anyway? It doesn't even have any powers. It just seems completely arrogant and, well, stupid to take a position like this. Yes, it would mean that the content of those meetings would be disclosed. And normally I would respect the fact that people don't need to just pry out information for the hell of it. But you're talking about a massive economic cluster fuck that has cast a pall over the formulation of official government policy. Maybe the minutes and notes don't need to go public, but if the Congress wants to review them, I don't see a reasonable means to deny the request. And if Enron (or anyone else, for that matter), had an undue influence in our policy, the public needs to know.
