http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=003864436460684&rtmo=psUSIbpe&atmo=rrrrrrrq&
pg=/et/01/3/19/wemai19.html
ISSUE 2124 Monday 19 March 2001
Bush signs off from the internet
By Toby Harnden
PRESIDENT BUSH has been forced to withdraw from cyberspace after lawyers
warned him that any future emails could be made public.In a mournful farewell
computer message to 42 "dear friends" and relatives, Mr Bush said: "My
lawyers tell me all correspondence by email is subject to open record
requests. Since I do not want my private conversations looked at by those out
to embarrass, the only course of action is not to correspond in cyberspace.
This saddens me. I have enjoyed conversing with each of you."With that, Mr
Bush announced "sadly I sign off", adding: "I will miss your ideas and
encouragement. So perhaps we will talk by phone." The email message and its
addressees were obtained by the New York Times. Under government regulations,
White House emails form part of the federal presidential record and could be
subject to subpoena.Bill Clinton never sent emails during his presidency for
fear that they could be used against him. But emails from Monica Lewinsky
formed part of the evidence gathered by his prosecutor, Kenneth Starr.Mr
Bush's email address list included Don Evans, the Commerce Secretary, Andrew
Card, White House Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, chief strategist, and
Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser. Also among them were his mother,
Barbara, the golfer, Ben Crenshaw and Patrick Oxford, a Houston lawyer and
old friend.Mr Oxford said: "The President is a candid guy and I was candid
with him. Sometimes old friends aren't as discreet as they should be."
