The Obamanation

[classicman]

And no one on the left ever said anything disrespectful of anyone on the right. Puhlease. Just stop.

[classicman]

Obama Closes Doors on Openness

As a senator, Barack Obama denounced the Bush administration for holding "secret energy meetings" with oil executives at the White House. But last week public-interest groups were dismayed when his own administration rejected a Freedom of Information Act request for Secret Service logs showing the identities of coal executives who had visited the White House to discuss Obama's "clean coal" policies. One reason: the disclosure of such records might impinge on privileged "presidential communications." The refusal, approved by White House counsel Greg Craig's office, is the latest in a series of cases in which Obama officials have opted against public disclosure. Since Obama pledged on his first day in office to usher in a "new era" of openness, "nothing has changed," says David -Sobel, a lawyer who litigates FOIA cases. "For a president who said he was going to bring unprecedented transparency to government, you would certainly expect more than the recycling of old Bush secrecy policies."

The hard line appears to be no accident. After Obama's much-publicized Jan. 21 "transparency" memo, administration lawyers crafted a key directive implementing the new policy that contained a major loophole, according to FOIA experts. The directive, signed by Attorney General Eric Holder, instructed federal agencies to adopt a "presumption" of disclosure for FOIA requests. This reversal of Bush policy was intended to restore a standard set by President Clinton's attorney general, Janet Reno. But in a little-noticed passage, the Holder memo also said the new standard applies "if practicable" for cases involving "pending litigation." Dan Metcalfe, the former longtime chief of FOIA policy at Justice, says the passage and other "lawyerly hedges" means the Holder memo is now "astonishingly weaker" than the Reno policy. (The visitor-log request falls in this category because of a pending Bush-era lawsuit for such records.)

Administration officials say the Holder memo was drafted by senior Justice lawyers in consultation with Craig's office. The separate standard for "pending" lawsuits was inserted because of the "burden" it would impose on officials to go "backward" and reprocess hundreds of old cases, says Melanie Ann Pustay, who now heads the FOIA office. White House spokesman Ben LaBolt says Obama "has backed up his promise" with actions including the broadcast of White House meetings on the Web. (Others cite the release of the so-called torture memos.) As for the visitor logs, LaBolt says the policy is now "under review."

He missed the meetings that Obama had with the Insurance company heads also.

[classicman]

Ahhh Transparency

In what appeared to be a coordinated exchange, President Obama called on the Huffington Post's Nico Pitney near the start of his press conference and requested a question directly about Iran.

“Nico, I know you and all across the Internet, we've been seeing a lot of reports coming out of Iran,” Obama said, addressing Pitney. “I know there may actually be questions from people in Iran who are communicating through the Internet. Do you have a question?”

Pitney, as if ignoring what Obama had just said, said: “I wanted to use this opportunity to ask you a question directly from an Iranian.”

He then noted that the site had solicited questions from people in the country “who were still courageous enough to be communicating online.”

“Under which conditions would you accept the election of Ahmadinejad, and if you do accept it without any significant changes in the conditions there, isn't that a betrayal of the — of what the demonstrators there are working towards?”

Reporters typically don’t coordinate their questions for the president before press conferences, so it seemed odd that Obama might have an idea what the question would be. Also, it was a departure from White House protocol by calling on The Huffington Post second, in between the AP and Reuters.

CBS Radio's Mark Knoller, a veteran White House correspondent, said over Twitter it was "very unusual that Obama called on Huffington Post second, appearing to know the issue the reporter would ask about."

According to POLITICO's Carol Lee, The Huffington Post reporter was brought out of lower press by deputy press secretary Josh Earnest and placed just inside the barricade for reporters a few minutes before the start of the press conference.

Pathetic. I expected a lot more from him. Still he can actually craft a complete sentence and all which is a refreshing change, but still.

[glatt]

Obama has answered more questions from the press so far in his first 4 months than Bush did in two entire terms. What's the problem with him calling on Huffington? That he's trying to get his desired message out first before moving on to other off-topic questions later?

[classicman]

Originally Posted by glatt

Obama has answered more questions from the press so far in his first 4 months than Bush did in two entire terms.

Haggis! very cute.

Originally Posted by glatt

What's the problem with him calling on Huffington? That he's trying to get his desired message out first before moving on to other off-topic questions later?

No problem - just don't act like its something it isn't. It was a setup intended to deceive people. Something I hoped and thought he was above.
If "he's trying to get his desired message out first" as you said - then he can, rather should, make a statement, or read it off the prompter. There was no reason to do what was done.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by classicman

No problem - just don't act like its something it isn't. It was a setup intended to deceive people.

Where was the deceit?

Somehow, from

Originally Posted by Obama

“Nico, I know you and all across the Internet, we've been seeing a lot of reports coming out of Iran, I know there may actually be questions from people in Iran who are communicating through the Internet. Do you have a question?”

you managed to deduce that Obama knew Nico had been soliciting questions for Obama from Iranians! Impressive; you're a veritable Sherlock Holmes.

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by classicman

Ahhh Transparency


Pathetic. I expected a lot more from him. Still he can actually craft a complete sentence and all which is a refreshing change, but still.

I don't see what's pathetic about that even if he did know what the question was going to be. Obviously you know that on one to one interviews people generally have a list of questions prior to the interview so they can be prepared. Working on the assumption that Obama knew he had a question and what the contents would be doesn't seem pathetic or even underhanded in my opinion.

This is a world issue at the moment. It would certainly pay to be informed.

I'm just not sure if this is even newsworthy to be honest. Who gives a rats backside if it was set up or not? Most of the press are little more than one eyed mules anyway.

[spudcon]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Most of the press are little more than one eyed mules anyway.

You are so right on that, Ali.

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by classicman

Ahhh Transparency


Pathetic. I expected a lot more from him. Still he can actually craft a complete sentence and all which is a refreshing change, but still.

I thought that was a pretty lame answer as well. Didn't answer the question in any way, shape or form. Niko should have insisted upon a follow up.

*EDIT*
After reading the rest of thread, I'm confused as to what you thought was lame, the fact that he asked Niko the question, or the answer he gave. Personally, I think the Huffington Post is just as relevant as any other news organization. I just thought his answer was a non-answer, because it didn't really address the question that was asked.

[Shawnee123]

Classic, you're a broken record: Obama! Transparency! TW! Obama! Transparency! TW!

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Classic, you're a broken record: Obama! Transparency! TW! Obama! Transparency! TW!

They were just picking up on the shtick by Redux.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

They were just picking up on the shtick by Redux.

Ah...the Cellar and its folksy little closed community mannerisms.

The political forum? What a fucking joke.

The schtick?

Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Merc and Classic) hiding behind a shield of invisibility when they “contribute to a discussion” by, more often than not, posting purely partisan editorials that misrepresents the facts...and the not even having the balls to offer more than a one line snarky remark.

To challenge such pillars of the community by citing factual information? Beware and prepare for the inevitable “you're just an Obama mouthpiece” retort rather than addresses the facts.

Damn the facts, full speed ahead, Merc!!!!

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

Ah...the Cellar and its folksy little closed community mannerisms.

The political forum? What a fucking joke.

The schtick?

Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Merc and Classic) hiding behind a shield of invisibility when they “contribute to a discussion” by, more often than not, posting purely partisan editorials that misrepresents the facts...and the not even having the balls to offer more than a one line snarky remark.

To challenge such pillars of the community by citing factual information? Beware and prepare for the inevitable “you're just an Obama mouthpiece” retort rather than addresses the facts.

Damn the facts, full speed ahead, Merc!!!!

[Shawnee123]

I wish classic had nit-picked the Bush presidency as he does the Obama presidency. Then again, Bush presented so many larger issues to be concerned about, but Obama...well, Obama told a reporter to ask a question. EGAD. I demand impeachment NOW.

Classic/Tweedle:

Here's a fact for you.....Nico Pitney, the national editor of Huffington Post, has been blogging and tweeting with, and posting videos from, Iranian protesters, as much or more than any other reporter.

So, wtf is wrong with recognizing that fact by calling on him to ask a question about the current chaos in Iran.