Hide and Go-Seek

What to do when faced with releasing embarrassing information? Hand it over and take your lumps? Dump it on Friday and spin? Nah, that's for Boy Scots, when you the Bush White House you just make it all go away.

On 29 (and counting) occasions the Bush administration has removed embarrassing information, failed to produce reports required by Congress, or classified records. The latest involves the White House visitors logs, logs that would detail how ofter Jack Abramoff. Previously they were considered property of the Secret Service and open to FOIA requests. Now suddenly they are considered White House documents and are sealed. But that's not all:

* In March, the administration announced it would no longer produce the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation, which identifies which programs best assist low-income families, while also tracking health insurance coverage and child support.

* In 2005, after a government report showed an increase in terrorism around the world, the administration announced it would stop publishing its annual report on international terrorism.

* After the Bureau of Labor Statistics uncovered discouraging data about factory closings in the U.S., the administration announced it would stop publishing information about factory closings.

* When an annual report called “Budget Information for States” showed the federal government shortchanging states in the midst of fiscal crises, Bush’s Office of Management and Budget announced it was discontinuing the report, which some said was the only source for comprehensive data on state funding from the federal government.

* When Bush’s Department of Education found that charter schools were underperforming, the administration said it would sharply cut back on the information it collects about charter schools.