The late Jesse Helms fought for FOI
An insightful blog item posted by Steven Aftergood on his "Secrecy News" blog points out that Sen. Jesse Helms, who died July 4, was an outspoken critic of government secrecy. That might surprise some people who assume FOI is a "liberal" issue, but the arch-conservative Helms got torqued at excessive secrecy in government, particularly in the executive branch. One quote of his: "This government is shot through with willy-nilly applications of secrecy." (1995 meeting of the Moynihan Commission).
Some politicians SAY they support transparency (e.g., "When information which properly belongs to the public is systematically withheld by those in power, the people soon become ignorant of their own affairs, distrustful of those who manage them, and -- eventually -- incapable of determining their own destinies," said by Richard Nixon in 1972), but others like Helms actually fought for legislation to promote access. It goes to show that people who paint access as a media issue, or liberal issue, are missing the boat. It's about holding government accountable. Read more quotes and links to Helms' work with pro-access legislation at Aftergood's blog.