Posted by
Saltwater on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 2:15:21 PM
During his campaign for the Presidency, Obama made special note of the growth and innovation in technology. He specifically identified as one related problem the dissemination of information.
We need to connect citizens with each other to engage them more fully and directly in solving the problems that face us. We must use all available technologies and methods to open up the federal government, creating a new level of transparency to change the way business is conducted in Washington and giving Americans the chance to participate in government deliberations and decision-making in ways that were not possible only a few years ago.
Obama slammed the Bush Administration as “one of the most secretive, closed administrations in American history,” pledging in contrast his Presidency would “... use cutting-edge technologies to reverse this dynamic, creating a new level of transparency, accountability and participation for America's citizens.”
I heard the White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, make a statement during the daily briefing yesterday, and decided it deserved some follow up. Before committing to a written response, I tried to verify that I could quote him accurately. As I have done on many occasions before, I went to the White House website to check the transcript. There was no transcript for Tuesday's briefing.
In fact, despite the heading promising “timely and accurate information about the President's latest events and public statements,” there was no full transcript of any kind to be found. Instead, the “transparent” Obama Administration had culled selected statements from earlier briefings – without even giving the actual questions posed to Gibbs.
This is a slap at Americans seeking unfiltered information. The Bush Administration regularly made full transcripts available for review by anyone interested in confirming the President's positions on issues. Apparently the Obama Administration has decided to withhold publishing full transcripts.
I did find an article by Mary Katharine Ham at The Weekly Standard about the sudden closure of this less than transparent veil by the very administration that promised transparency and openness.
So, what happened to this commitment to a “Full and Free Exchange of Ideas” promised throughout the campaign? The only supposition I can make is that unrestricted access to public statements may lead to further questions about Obama's positions and policies – questions he would rather not answer. It would seem those two words really are his trump cards, and he intends to play them early and often.
Dennis P. O'Neil