JON KYL -- IS THIS ONE MAN TRYING TO WRECK AMERICA?

You may be asking yourself, who the hell is Jon Kyl and why is he trying to single-handedly wreck America?

It was bad enough that this misguided Arizona Republican sought to sell-out American values when he switched from fighting illegal immigration to partnering with Ted Kennedy and the Administration in their attempt to grant amnesty to 12 - 20 million illegal aliens -- all while promising procedural safeguards that may never be implemented.

But now we find that he has used his senatorial powers to place a "secret hold" on some of the most meaningful legislation in years. Legislation which would reform the old Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) into providing greater governmental transparency and allowing citizens access to government records and requiring that the material be produced quickly.

The unwritten rule giving a Senator the power to sidetrack a bill without being named as the perpetrator is so secret that it does not appear in the Constitution, any Amendments to the Constitution, any statute law (including case law) and does not appear to be mentioned in the Senate Rules. Obvious something crafted by the back-room boys to cover their tracks from an inquiring press and public.

Senators, more than House Representatives, are generally more immune from public protestations because their terms are much longer than those of Representatives. In their minds there is always enough time for a sticky situation to fade in the minds of the public and that their primary job is to make sure that the state's special interests are served and that the pork is headed back home. Little Kings on the Hill if you will pardon the expression.

What caused Kyl to flip on immigration or place a secret hold on meaningful legislation that exposes government wrongdoing is something that must be investigated by his constituents as well as the general public in the coming months. Did he sell out to the Administration in a "secret" deal of some kind? Is he fashioning himself as a "power broker?"

While we must presumptively assume that he is a honorable man, acting honorably in the pursuit of a better future for America, we, as American citizens and taxpayers, have a duty to question him further. Even greater is our duty to question the legislation he sponsors or supports. For, in one case, we are diluting our precious citizenship for unknown returns which promise to be more negative than positive and in another case, we are witnessing an attempt to impede the right of any citizen to call their country to account by examining its records.

Personally, I am wondering what "they" are trying to hide or at least make more difficult to access. Could it be the working papers leading up to the disclosure of how much pork was given to select Senators to vote for the immigration bill?

Or might it be some type of punishment aimed at Senator Cornyn's opposition to certain provisions of the immigration amnesty and give-away of American Citizenship?

In the words of Senator John Cornyn, one of SB-849's proponents... 

"Open government is a prerequisite for a free society. As our Founding Fathers recognized, a truly democratic system depends on an informed citizenry. Accountability is only an empty promise without transparency. I believe our legislation will provide citizens and journalists with more information and make our great American democracy even stronger."

What can YOU do?

Show your support for Senator Cornyn and the Open Government Act of 2007.

Ask Senator Kyl to completely explain himself on both the issue of immigration and the issue of blocking the Open Government Act.

Become more aware of the issues and VOTE accordingly.

-- steve

S.B. 849, the OPEN Government Act of 2007 is a bi-partisan effort to enact the most meaningful reform of the old "Freedom of Information Act" in years. It has bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate and is supported by some of the largest journalism advocacy groups such as the Society of Professional Journalists.

Research:

In spite of the bill's obviously contrived name, "Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act of 2007," or its more popular name, the "OPEN Government Act of 2007," Senate Bill 849 is the most significant reform of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) today.

For those wishing to read the bill in context, you may find it here:  Open Government Act of 2007 - As Reported in the Senate. A section-by-section analysis of the bill can be found at: Bill Analysis

For those wishing more information on Kyl's secret hold, please visit Politico.com at Kyl secretly stops secrecy legislation - Politico.com.

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