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Attytood

So how's that most open and transparent government in history coming?

20 comments

So how's that most open and transparent government in history coming?

POSTED: Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 5:07 PM

This piece was published a couple of months ago, but it's suddenly more relevant today:

A minute after he took office, the White House website declared his administration would become “the most open and transparent in history.” By the end of his first full day on the job, Obama had issued high-profile orders pledging “a new era” and “an unprecedented level of openness” across the massive federal government.

But three years into his presidency, critics say Obama’s administration has failed to deliver the refreshing blast of transparency that the president promised.

“Obama is the sixth administration that’s been in office since I’ve been doing Freedom of Information Act work. … It’s kind of shocking to me to say this, but of the six, this administration is the worst on FOIA issues. The worst. There’s just no question about it,” said Katherine Meyer, a Washington lawyer who’s been filing FOIA cases since 1978. “This administration is raising one barrier after another. … It’s gotten to the point where I’m stunned — I’m really stunned.”

David Sobel, senior counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said that “despite the positive rhetoric that has come from the White House and the attorney general, that guidance has not been translated into real world results in actual cases. … Basically, the reviews are terrible.”

Yes, I realize that today's bruhaha is the first time that the Obama administration has claimed executive privilege, and that other presidents dating back to Reagan have done so multiple times. But Obama promised he would not be like other administrations -- and yet in key areas like open government or campaign finance that has not at all been the case. So when you say "we're just doing what everyone else did" and you're Barack Obama, that means "you broke your promise."

Will Bunch @ 5:07 PM Permalink | 20 comments

20 comments

Comments (20)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:26 PM, 06/20/2012

Hope and change? What you got was an arrogant unprepared poser. Somebody mad at the world and looking to get even with "whitey". The whole group starting with Michele "first time I'm proud of my country" Obama, Rahm Emmanuel, Eric "Fast and Furious" holder, Valerie Jarrett etc. THe man and his whole administration is a disgrace and affront to the whole country. Am I surprised ? No! Why? Because I read what he said and understood what he wanted to do. Why didn't you Bunch? Why didn't you do your constitutioanally protected job?

— georgel

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:44 PM, 06/20/2012

What's the big deal? They're trying to undermine the Second Amendment, a guy gets killed because of their recklessness, and they cover it up. Why all the secrecy?

— Mr. Smith

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:56 PM, 06/20/2012

Holder is a criminal....Obama an incompetent...the press complicit.

— bannedrepublican

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:21 PM, 06/20/2012

@georgel--Are you seriously attempting to say that this administration is less competent than the previous one? Give me a break, "W" reeks of the arrogance and unpreparedness you describe. An "affront?" The last administration had the VP blast someone is the face with a shotgun while drinking and fail to call the police (talk about your fast and furious) had a horse breeder in charge of disaster relief, went to a sick and barely conscious man's hospital bed to get a signature on an NSA document. All this and we haven't touched the bungling of the Iraq War, failure to kill Bin Laden, Pharmaceutical Welfare for seniors and corporations, Terry Schiavo ...

— mick-of-the-moment

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:32 PM, 06/20/2012

And yet unemployment under Bush averaged 5% vs 9% under Obama.

— Mr. Smith

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:37 PM, 06/20/2012

"Why all the secrecy?" . . . . . . Considering all docs related to F&F were released, where's the cover-up? Issa wants internal communications made after Congress began its inquiry. Unless he has independent information suggesting there was an attempt to cover up criminal or civil wrongdoing after the fact, Executive Privilege would appear to be valid in this case. Internal deliberations require confidentiality to assure candid and fully informed communication so that the Executive can function. That's the point of EP - it's as simple to understand as attorney-client, husband-wife or priest-confessor privilege. That doesn't get Obama off the hook for fooling us with his transparency bull as outlined in the Politico piece, but then broken promises are par for the course when it comes to protecting the national security state.

— montani semper liberi

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:46 PM, 06/20/2012

Seems to me the Committee has plenty of work it could do to push reform and accountability over ATF, and plenty of documented evidence on which to act, but it's really interested in embarassing Obama. It's telling that out of thousands of F&F documents, they've yet to find the 'gotcha'. Issa could have had what he wanted had he agreed that this was it. Obviously he thinks he might not find what he wants, except a reason to keep fishing.

— montani semper liberi

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:09 PM, 06/20/2012

This rag will continue to support the President, big time, come November Will. Afe you going to resign in protest?

— Wilhelm Von Humboldt

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:12 PM, 06/20/2012

You ditto heads do know that under Reagan there was two straight years of 9% unemployment and it did not drop under 7% until the last two years of his second term.

— mick-of-the-moment

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:15 PM, 06/20/2012

Bunch, nice of you to FINALLY write (cut/paste) something about Fast and Furious! What took you so long only 3yrs too late? Looks like you belong to the Obama, Holder school of transparency and integrity!

— CobraKai

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:28 PM, 06/20/2012

"You ditto heads do know that under Reagan there was two straight years of 9% unemployment" . . . . He, like Bush, did lead us into a second recession, far more severe than the one he inherited, something they can't pin on Obama, yet. No wonder they need a F&F smoking gun.

— montani semper liberi

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:35 PM, 06/20/2012

"Issa knows this and wants Obama's regime to come clean." . . . . . LOL, come clean of what? The ATF was doing the same dopey gun-running under Bush. We already know Obama's hardly an improvement when it comes to managing the unmanageable bureaucracy of the American KGB (DHS is the literal translation thereof, you know).

— montani semper liberi

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:41 PM, 06/20/2012

"Somebody mad at the world and looking to get even with "whitey"." . . . . . .There's that racist paranoia the wanks get so upset of being accused of, lol. Must admit, I admire georgel's candor.

— montani semper liberi

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:25 PM, 06/20/2012

Just like mayor street when he won-"Now the brothers and sisters are in charge". Or that dope Nagin in New Orleans wanting to restore it as a "chocalte city", or Obama describing his grandmother as a "typical white person" and his description of "white man's greed". Yep, learned the racial references from the real racists. It's not racism on my part, just a recogmnition of the left's (particularly The One and his cohorts) view of the world. To them, EVERYTHING is always about race. Every criticism of Obama is met with cries of racism. The problem isn't that he is half black-it's that he is fully incompetent.

— georgel

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:45 PM, 06/20/2012

Must admit batty, if they conspired to kill Terry, they're far more brilliant than I could give ever give them credit for.

— montani semper liberi

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