Candidates For Elected Federal Office, The Presidency And Congress, Should Not Be Allowed To Use Privacy Laws to Prevent Information Disclosure

Congress needs to pass an election law that removes all federal law and regulation privacy protection, and preempts equivalent state law privacy protection, of privacy protected records of presidential candidates, such as academic transcripts, military, birth, marriage, divorce or prison records and tax returns. Allowances can be made for redacting specific non-material information, such as social security numbers. If it has the authority, Congress should legislatively require all presidential and Congressional candidates for elected office to release performance related substantive relevant data.

Voters should have a chance to evaluate candidates on substantive measures and not just well honed public images. Voters should have access to relevant information about candidates for federal office and candidates should not be able to avoid releasing important data to the voting public.

From The Washington Times "Obama ducks calls to release his collegiate transcripts: Romney’s academic records also a mystery" Dave Boyer:

When President Obama gave the commencement address last week at the Air Force Academy, he congratulated the cadets for excelling at one of the most demanding schools in the country.

But decades after Mr. Obama completed his own college course work, his academic performance is still a mystery. Before and after his election as president, Mr. Obama has refused to release his college transcripts from his days as an undergraduate and a law school student.