WH Told to Reveal Visitor List

Who stops by the White House or Dick Cheney's place is a matter of public record, a district court judge ruled today, blocking the Bush administration's attempts to keep visitor logs sealed. Liberal watchdogs had argued the information is covered by the Freedom of Information Act, while President Bush had ordered the records turned over to the White House—which now has 20 days to open records.

The Bush administration had been hoping to avoid public knowledge of audiences with religious conservatives including Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and Gary Bauer, the AP reports. Administration lawyers are expected to appeal, but the judge stopped short of ruling the logs couldn’t be destroyed, but National Archives' permission would be needed first. (More Jerry Falwell stories.)