Bush and his administration are becoming synonymous with hoarding documents under the guise of presidential privilege. Well, a commission organized by Congress to investigate the attacks of 9/11 has had enough of the administration's secret society politics. Thomas Kean, a moderate Republican and chairman of the commission, told reporters that if the documents that the commission has asked for are not forthcoming then he is prepared to subpoena them from the White House. In a New York Times article today, Kean said, "I've argued very strongly with the White House that we are unique, that we are not the Congress, that these arguments about presidential privilege do not apply in the case of our commission."
Former Georgia senator Max Cleland gave us a little taste of why the White House might be snowballing the commision. Cleland said, "As each day goes by, we learn that this government knew a whole lot more about these terrorists before Sept. 11 than it has ever admitted." Cleland also told the New York Times that he believed the administration was trying to cause the committee to reach its May deadline without the ability to turn over a full and conclusive report. Sen John McCain, who was an integral part of organizing the commitee, put that concern to rest, saying that he would fight for an extension "if the commission feels it can't get its work done."
So, the Bush boys will probably need to find a bunker to hide in with all their whispers and secret handshakes, and they better stay down there well beyond next November. That may be the only way for them to win next year's election.