Open and Shut

A recent collection of funny, fascinating, nonsensical or just notable newsworthy quotations.

From the Winter 2004 issue of The News Media & The Law, page 40.

“The highest office in the land requires the highest level of openness for the American people. We’ve all seen the damage this administration has done by hiding behind closed doors and refusing to answer to the people it serves.”

— U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.)

“The cardinal sin in this administration is to speak the truth in public.”

— Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.), on the suspension of U.S. Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers

“As terrible as 9/11 was, it didn’t repeal the Constitution.”

— Judge Rosemary Pooler of the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York City (2nd Cir.), in the terrorism case of Jose Padilla

“If ‘freedom’ is the word Bush and Cheney want as the hallmark of their administration, they should begin with freedom of information.”

— William Safire, columnist, on the Bush administration’s refusal to disclose who advised its national energy task force

“We’re looking at bringing a court case that we’re as legitimate a media outlet as Disney or Viacom or Time-Warner.”

— Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association

“Information is power. The Bush administration’s policy of making public information more difficult to get is taking power away from the people.”

— Ted Zukoski, project attorney for the conservation group Earthjustice

“Information is the enemy of corruption. Corruption cannot flourish in the light of day.”

— Attorney General John Ashcroft

“I expect anybody doing business with the United States government to be transparent, and to give the taxpayers a good return on their money. That’s what I expect.”

— President George W. Bush

“It’s important for the public to know we have equal justice under the law.”

— Attorney David Schulz, in arguing for media access to jury selection in the Martha Stewart trial

“Although today’s opinion does not expressly strip the press of First Amendment protection, there is no principle of law or logic that would prevent the application of the Court’s reasoning in that setting. The press now operates at the whim of Congress.”

— Justice Clarence Thomas, in dissenting in McConnell v. FEC

“Everybody ought to be open about what they’ve done in public office.”

— retired Gen. Wesley Clark