CLINTON LIBRARY OFFICIALS CAN’T SEEM TO FIND RECORDINGS FROM THE CLINTON WHITE HOUSE, DESPITE THE RECENT RELEASE OF THEIR TRANSCRIPTS
Among The Newly Released Clinton Administration Documents Were Transcripts Of Bill Clinton’s Conversations With Aides That Appeared To Have Been Recorded. “Among the thousands of pages of documents released by the Clinton Library recently, two had this tantalizing notation at the top: ‘Tape One, Side One.’ That stamp appeared on transcripts of two conversations Bill Clinton had behind closed doors with aides inside the Oval Office.” (Steven Portnoy, “Are Secret Clinton White House Tapes Lost To History?” ABC News, 3/18/14)
When ABC News Asked For Copies Of The Tapes, Clinton Library Officials Said They Couldn’t Find Them. “That seems doubtful, as the newly-identified recordings appear to be lost to history. When ABC News asked for copies of the tapes, officials at the Clinton Library (part of the National Archives and Records Administration) said they couldn’t find them.” (Steven Portnoy, “Are Secret Clinton White House Tapes Lost To History?” ABC News, 3/18/14)
“There’s No Telling What Happened To The Tapes” That Could Offer “Incalculable Historic And Political Value.” “The casual Oval Office chatter offers readers a side of Clinton that Americans never saw while he was in office. The actual audio recordings, on cassettes referenced in the transcripts, could provide incalculable historic and political value today. But there’s no telling what happened to the tapes.” (Steven Portnoy, “Are Secret Clinton White House Tapes Lost To History?” ABC News, 3/18/14)
“Transcripts Of The Remarks Provided Some Of The More Tantalizing Tidbits From The Clinton Library’s Latest Batch Of Previously Withheld Documents Release Friday.” (Steven Portnoy, “Are Secret Clinton White House Tapes Lost To History?” ABC News, 3/18/14)
“They Included The President’s Ribald Remarks On Race, Frank Talk About Gays, And Even How To Prepare For Y2K. And They Were Captured On Cassette Tapes.” “They included the president’s ribald remarks on race, frank talk about gays, and even how to prepare for Y2K. And they were captured on cassette tapes. All of which raises the question: Could there be ‘Clinton Tapes’ — in the tradition of Nixon, Kennedy and LBJ? Might we hear Clinton in his famous Arkansas twang musing that Rep. Tom DeLay was ‘probably’ to blame for the notorious dragging death of a black man? Could we hear Clinton admit that talking about gays caused his poll numbers to drop? Or that he wishes he could advise Americans to buy shotgun shells before the millennium?” (Steven Portnoy, “Are Secret Clinton White House Tapes Lost To History?” ABC News, 3/18/14)
HILLARY CLINTON’S STATE DEPARTMENT CAN’T SEEM TO FIND ANY REPORTER EMAILS, DESPITE THEIR WIDESPREAD AVAILABILITY
When John Cook, Departing Editor At Gawker, Asked The State Department For Emails Between Journalists And Philippe Reines, Who Was Clinton’s Spokesman During Her Tenure As Secretary Of State, He Was Told They Couldn’t Find Any. “Likewise, Cook, departing as the editor at Gawker, was exasperated when the State Department told him it couldn’t find any emails between journalists and Philippe Reines, Hillary Clinton’s personal spokesman when Clinton was secretary of state. BuzzFeed published a lengthy and profane email exchange about the 2012 attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi between Reines and its correspondent, Michael Hastings.” (Ted Bridis and Jack Gillum, “U.S. Cites Security More To Censor, Deny Records,” The Associated Press, 3/17/14)
“‘They Said There Were No Records,’ Cook Said Of The State Department.” (Ted Bridis and Jack Gillum, “U.S. Cites Security More To Censor, Deny Records,” The Associated Press, 3/17/14)
Politico’s Dylan Byers: “Funny, Because I Alone Had At Least 20 Email Exchanges With Reines While He Was At The State Department, Using His Official State Email Address — And I Don’t Even Cover The State Department.” (Dylan Byers, “The Most Transparent Administration, Cont.,” Politico, 3/17/14)
“Buzzfeed Also Published Extensive Emails Between Reines And The Late Reporter Michael Hastings Regarding His Inquiries About The Sept. 11, 2011, Attack In Benghazi, Libya.” (Dylan Byers, “The Most Transparent Administration, Cont.,” Politico, 3/17/14)
The State Department’s Inability To Supply Records Of A Spokesperson’s Correspondence With Journalists Is A “Tragicomedy” In Contrast To The Obama Administration’s Promises Of Transparency. “‘The Obama administration has a way to go to fulfill its promises from Day 1 to become the most transparent administration in history,’ the AP notes. That is certainly a disappointment. But not having records of a spokesperson’s correspondence with journalists elevates it to the level of tragicomedy.” (Dylan Byers, “The Most Transparent Administration, Cont.,” Politico, 3/17/14)