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LIBRARY LOCKDOWN: HILLARY'S "OPEN" HOUSE?

On Thursday, Hillary Campaign To Open Campaign Headquarters In Arkansas:

Hillary Campaign Will Open An Arkansas Campaign Office In Little Rock On October 11. "Please join the campaign team October 11th as they open the campaign headquarters in Little Rock. Former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe will be here along with several of the Senator's key endorsers in Arkansas." (Hillary Clinton For President Website, www.hillaryclinton.com, Accessed 10/10/07)

FLASHBACK: In 2004, Hillary Said That All Of The Records At The Clinton Library Would Be Opened:

The Clinton Library Will Be A Place Where Everyone Can Study And Everything Will Be Available, According To Hillary: "That's one of the things the library really stands for. It physically stands for openness with all the glass and the light. But he wants it to be a place where people come and really study. And everything's going to be available." (CNN's "Larry King Live," 11/17/04)

However, Millions Of Pages Of Documents Detailing Hillary's Work In The White House Remain Closed:

Hillary Documents Locked Down In "Little Rock's Fort Knox." "To tourists, it's a place to ogle the 42nd president's golf clubs or the former first lady's department-store-bought wedding dress. But to the dozens of reporters, historians ... who have filed requests for documents from the library's archive, it is Little Rock's Fort Knox." (Glenn Thrush, "Clinton Archive A Tough Request," [New York] Newsday, 3/19/07)

"[N]early 2 Million Pages Of Documents Covering Her White House Years Are Locked Up In A Building Here, Obscuring A Large Swath Of Her Record As First Lady." (Peter Nicholas, "Clinton's First Lady Records Locked Up," Los Angeles Times, 8/14/07)

• "Clinton's Calendars, Appointment Logs And Memos Are Stored At Her Husband's Presidential Library, In The Custody Of Federal Archivists Who Do Not Expect Them To Be Released Until After The 2008 Presidential Election." (Peter Nicholas, "Clinton's First Lady Records Locked Up," Los Angeles Times, 8/14/07)

• It Could Be "Years" Before Hillary's Records Are Made Available To The Public. "Asked how long it might be before Hillary Clinton's records are released, the library's chief archivist said it could take years." (Peter Nicholas, "Clinton's First Lady Records Locked Up," Los Angeles Times, 8/14/07)

Millions Of Clinton Administration Emails Remain In Lockdown

Skip Rutherford, President Of The Clinton Library Foundation: "We have 40 million e-mail messages alone. ... The sheer volume of information from the Clinton Administration is partly due to technology advancements." (Mark Hall, "Presidential Librarians Prep for IT Challenges," Computerworld, 1/22/01)

• Clinton Library Chief Archivist, Melissa Walker: "We're processing as fast as we can." (Peter Nicholas, "Clinton's First Lady Records Locked Up," Los Angeles Times, 8/14/07)

Thomas Blanton, Director Of George Washington University's National Security Archive Claimed The Library Could Choose To Expedite The Release Of Information By Using Technology To Flag Classified Material. "But advocates for open records said that had it made savvier use of technology, the Clinton library could be moving more quickly. Computers can sort through e-mail to flag classified documents, as distinguished from material that can be speedily released, said Thomas S. Blanton, director of the National Security Archive, a research institute at George Washington University." (Peter Nicholas, "Clinton's First-Lady Records Locked Up," Los Angeles Times, 8/14/07)

Hillary Even Dodged A Question About Making Clinton Library Donors Open To The Public:

Hillary Dodged Question On Clinton Library Donors.  Russert: "[W]ould they voluntarily, the Clinton library and Clinton Foundation, make their donors public?" Hillary: "Well, you'll have to ask them." Russert: "What's your recommendation?" Hillary: "Well, I don't talk about my private conversations with my husband..." (Sen. Hillary Clinton, MSNBC Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Hanover, NH, 9/26/07)

• The Boston Globe's Joan Vennochi: "That answer is not good enough. Bill Clinton is a major force behind his wife's campaign, as well as a major presence in the campaign. Donors to the Clinton Library could have a big stake in another Clinton presidency." (Joan Vennochi, Op-Ed, "That Clinton Cackle," The Boston Globe, 9/30/07)

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