Harry Reid honors another Republican hold

By Libby

This story seems to have slipped through the cracks. Last April the House cleared a bill that would restore President Reagan's former executive order requiring most presidential records to be released 12 years after a president left office. The companion bill has been languishing ever since in the Senate, due to a hold by a Republican Senator. It looked the Senate would finally address the issue last week but it snagged again when it hit the floor.

Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., recently lifted his hold on legislation that would overturn President Bush’s 2001 executive order giving presidents and former presidents the authority to indefinitely halt the release of their White House records.

But just as supporters sought a floor vote, the bill was derailed for a second time by another senator placing a hold, Democratic senate aides said.

Only this time, no one is sure who has invoked the parlimentary maneuver to stall the bill.

Laughably, Joe Lieberman has vowed to smoke the secret Senator out. Why should he have to?

One can't fail to remember Harry Reid had no trouble ignoring Dodd's hold on the FISA bill. Reid has already broken the tradition of honor on these holds, so I see no reason that he couldn't have brought the bill forward anyway. Surely, Mr. Reid believes the American people have a ownership interest in the records and as taxpayers should be able to access them within a reasonable interval of time.