White House challenges release of visitor logs

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WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court sought compromise yesterday between a liberal group demanding the names of White House visitors and the Bush administration, which says releasing the names would erode the president's power.

more stories like thisIf released, the documents would show how often prominent religious conservatives visited the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's residence, allowing a glimpse into how much influence they exerted on government policy.

White House calendars are not generally considered public records, but reporters and watchdog groups have used Secret Service documents, which normally are public, to report on White House visitors.

Rather than having those documents released on a case-by-case basis, the Bush administration wants them considered White House documents, which would keep them from public view for more than a decade.

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