" What Are You Hiding?"

Today, in Hollywood, pretty much anything goes; scandal seems to be an asset to an actor's career now. The axiom "...any press is good press..." holds true in our society for today's entertainers. Years ago, Hollywood was a much different place. Image was the rule of the day. Any hint of scandal was suppressed by the studio; squeaky clean was the perception the studios wanted the public to see. All studios employed press agents to make sure the "right news" was provided to columnists, projecting the agenda of an "All-American" sweetheart to the viewing public. Drug use, promiscuity, or homosexuality were death sentences for those actors of bygone days. When the studio had a "hot property", it launched a publicity campaign to sell the "property" to the public; anything unseemly was avoided and sanitized. Hollywood legend, Robert Mitchum, was nearly ruined when he was arrested for marijuana possession in the 1950's. He served a jail sentence and made a public apology in order to save his career.

Today, we know quite a bit about most public figures. We get the occasional revelation of scandal, yet by and large we see virtually everything public figures are up to. The web and the paparazzi keep us abreast of most celebrities' actions around the world. We are well informed.

Management of news, sanitizing of facts, censoring of information, are not welcome in American society. In a time when we face monumental Constitutional issues, we need to know all there is about possible considerations to the highest court in our land. Pointed questions, thorough investigation, and total honesty are imperative in selecting an appointee. Supreme Court Judges are there for life, we need to know it all!

Recently the White House has issued a video interview with Ms. Kagan. The interview was a collection of softball questions and nostalgia about her youth; nothing of substance, nothing about her political leanings, sanitized! She has yet to submit to an open interview to the general media. The interview we received was as if your Mom was interviewing you for a job, lite and easy. People who were previously interviewed by the press have been quieted about their knowledge of Ms. Kagan. Her cousin, Gail Katz-James, two days after answering casual question from the New York Times, said, "I'm sorry, I'm not able to talk to you." It certainly seems as if pressure has been brought about to suppress information. Kagan's brother is a teacher at Hunter College High School. The school tentatively agreed to allow the New York Times to monitor the class, but that agreement was later withdrawn because of White House pressure.

What is so terrible that the White House is censoring information about this possible appointee? Why is the White house managing the media access to this lady? Is there something we should know that Mr. Obama doesn't want us to know? This is an appointment for life! We are entitled to know it all! Is the "Studio Headman" putting his "press agents" to work on this issue? Well Mr. DeMille, we are ready for a close-up!