Designed to stop Conyers? Fat Chance

John Conyers is nosing around again. He is one junkyard dog, I tell ya! You don't suppose there is any connection between his (and 51 other House members) filing a FOIA request about the Downing Street memos and Dear Leader's latest Executive Order?

Executive Order: Strengthening Processes Relating to Determining Eligibility for Access to Classified National Security Information

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to assist in determining eligibility for access to classified national security information, while taking appropriate account of title III of Public Law 108-458, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. To the extent consistent with safeguarding the security of the United States and protecting classified national security information from unauthorized disclosure, agency functions relating to determining eligibility for access to classified national security information shall be appropriately uniform, centralized, efficient, effective, timely, and reciprocal.

[...]

The Director and other heads of agencies shall ensure that all actions taken under this order are consistent with the President's constitutional authority to (i) conduct the foreign affairs of the United States, (ii) withhold information the dis-closure of which could impair the foreign relations, the national security, the deliberative processes of the Executive, or the performance of the Executive's constitutional duties, (iii) recommend for congressional con-sideration such measures as the President may judge necessary or expedient, and (iv) supervise the unitary executive branch.

The order expires July 2006, so I think this is just a way for them to stonewall people like John Conyers from obtaining embarrassing documents under the guise of working to make the process uniform across various executive agencies.

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