How Our Study of Gov. Bush’s Office Schedules Was Conducted
The Times obtained 3,125 pages of George W. Bush’s gubernatorial calendars under the Texas Open Records Act for 1995 through 1998, his one full term in office.
The project cataloged 3,100 entries and identified the professions or backgrounds of more than 95% of the 1,800 visitors to Bush’s office.
A second set of calendars detailing public events around Texas and the nation also was analyzed.
The calendars only reflect scheduled meetings, not spontaneous visits or last-minute sessions. They also list some planned events that were canceled.
Such detailed appointment records are not available for Vice President Al Gore--the presumed Democratic presidential nominee--because the White House is not covered by the federal Freedom of Information Act. A Gore spokesman declined a request to provide the vice president’s calendar beyond the limited records that are publicly disclosed.
Such records are also not public for governors of most states, including California.
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