U.S. President George W. Bush said he does not send e-mail, not even to his twin daughters, because he fears ‘my personal stuff‘ would be made public.
Bush volunteered his aversion to e-mail during a discussion on whether his administration is sufficiently responsive to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
“I believe in open government. I’ve always believed in open government. You know, I don’t email, however. And there’s a reason. I don’t want you reading my personal stuff. There has got to be a certain sense of privacy. You know, you’re entitled to how I make decisions. And you’re entitled to ask questions, which I answer. I don’t think you’re entitled to be able to read my mail between my daughters and me,” he told the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
Advocates of greater openness in government charge the Bush administration has used the need to guard homeland security as an excuse to keep more information secret.
Bush said the government receives about 3.5 million FOIA requests a year and that he is for open government but does not want information released that could endanger lives.
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