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Sunshine Campaign Questions

Published: January 15, 2008
Last Updated: January 15, 2008

From David Westphal, and Pat Yack, co-chairs of ASNE's Freedom of Information Committee: Sunshine Week has begun compiling an unprecedented Web database that will chronicle the positions of candidates running for president and Congress on issues of government openness, access and secrecy. We're calling this the Sunshine Campaign. Our aim is a one-of-a-kind repository that will inform voters on where candidates stand, and will serve as a touchstone for measuring the winning candidates' performance in office.

We need your help in asking candidates their views on Freedom of Information issues. Many of you will have the chance, over the next 14 months, to grill candidates in editorial board meetings, debates, town-hall meetings and on-the-road reporting. We'd like to suggest that these are golden opportunities to ask what we think are among the most important questions of the campaign.

We've put together a list of questions we hope will get to as many candidates as possible, but we encourage you to formulate your own as well. We also hope you'll take this model and apply it to candidates at the state and local level.

We know there's never enough time to ask all the questions that need to be asked, but access to government information lies at the heart of our democracy. At a time when world events have prompted strong pleas from some to expand secrecy in government, it is fundamental to the public interest to know where the candidates stand — just as we need to know their views on war and peace, jobs and the economy.

Getting candidates to address openness issues is the big challenge. But we ask your help as well in getting their answers to Sunshine Week Coordinator Debra Gersh Hernandez, who will compile this searchable database. Simply e-mail transcripts or clips — from your reporting or from others' that you spot — to Deb at dghernandez@asne.org.

Top Tier Questions

What is your philosophy of government openness? How important is it to American democracy?

According to a recent survey, two thirds of the American people believe that the federal government is somewhat or very secretive. Do you agree or disagree. How would you try to change the equation?

Do you support a federal reporters-source privilege, of the type proposed in the Free Flow of Information Act. If not, what are your objections?

Additional Questions

What are your views about the classification of records? Do you think too much information is classified? Would you favor a faster process or declassifying records? Why or why not?

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) says the "culture" of the federal government needs to be changed in regard to public access to information. Do you agree, and would you as president make it clear to government agencies that there should be a presumption of openness? Similarly, would you direct your attorney general to write new Freedom of Information Act guidelines to agencies, making clear that the law calls for a presumption of openness?

In recent years, the annual backlog of unprocessed Freedom of Information Act requests has surged past 30 percent of annual filings. The percentage of requesters who get the information sought has declined. Does that concern you? If so, what would you do about it?

As president, how would you set a tone that protects the First Amendment rights of federal scientists and ensures public and congressional access to taxpayer-funded science?

Do you support the executive order issued by President Bush giving former presidents and their families a veto power over release of presidential records? Why or why not?

Do you favor making public the names of donors to presidential libraries and the amount of their contributions? Why or why not?