Fixing Legacies by Killing Historians (or the Facts)

New White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was on CNN yesterday defending Obama administration coverups.  He was asked about a letter from the Society of Professional Journalists and other organizations which scolded the White House for “politically driven suppression of news and information about federal agencies.”

Earnest proclaimed that he is “definitely committed” to helping “the president live up to his commitment to be the most transparent president in history.”  And Earnest said that Obama had “absolutely” lived up to that pledge thus far.

No word yet on whether this means Obama is on the verge of “coming clean” on his spying and killing.  But maybe Josh will explain at tomorrow’s press briefing what happened to all those IRS emails. And it would be real treat for Americans to finally hear what the hell is motivating Obama’s policies in the Middle East and other battlegrounds.

Four years ago, I wrote about how the George W. Administration left a legacy of far greater secrecy that subverts democracy and self-government: “The less people learn about government policies, the less control they will have over government action. By preventing people from knowing what government is doing, secrecy unleashes government.

Last month, I tallied some of Obama’s secret government claptrap and harumphed: “No president is entitled to blindfold the American public.”

The great Sipress cartoon from the new issue of the New Yorker captures kings’ and presidents’ attitude towards bothersome facts.  Presidents don’t have the prerogative to kill the historians, but suppressing the facts can often achieve the same goal.

On Twitter @jimbovard  & www.jimbovard.com