Visitor records, OBAMA "continues ... bad, anti-transparency, pro-secrecy approaches" of BUSH

[L. Coyote]

On visitor records, Obama "continues one of the bad, anti-transparency, pro-secrecy approaches" of Bush administration
Submitted by crew on 22 July 2009 - 9:47am.
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/41544


CREW wants to know who from the health industry has been visiting the White House. That doesn't sound like a heavy lift, since we were promised transparency. But, the Obama administration has denied our request using the same arguments proferred by the Bush administration. That doesn't seem to fit the definition of transparency. And, we'll go to court to get the visitor records, just like we did during the Bush years. From the LA Times:

............

[uponit7771]

1. Seeing that Obama is out in front on the HC issue I doubt he made a deal with the execs to increase

...their profits.

I can see both sides of the arguments when it comes to those visitor records

Have they always been open to the public in the past?

Thx

[katandmoon]

3. Is there some reason why they should NOT be open? Given Obama's transparency pledge?

What a load THAT promise was. Just like so many of his others.

[laconicsax]

2. He's only been president for 6 months! He's playing a master game of chess!

Would you rather McCain be in office?
Baby steps!
He can't fix everything at once!
You need to be patient!
He has a lot on his plate right now!
Healthcare is more important right now!
You're just upset because your primary choice didn't win!
You don't understand politics!
It's up to you to hold his feet to the fire!
He'll get to your pet issue in his second term!

Did I miss any? Oh, right...this shit is indefensible.

[brentspeak]

4. Here's a few you missed:

"Awww! Someone didn't get their pony."
"He never campaigned saying he would/wouldn't do such-and-such"
"Ok, we get it now - you just hate Obama."
"You need to have people who understand Wall St/K-street/whatever..."
"They're there to do Obama's will."

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Another:

Poutrage you can xerox.

[SIMPLYB1980]

6. Or copy and paste. nt

[ipaint]

7. Obama Cuts Private Deals On Health Care With Drugmakers, Hospitals

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In cutting deals with hospitals and drugmakers, President Barack Obama is giving a private inside track to special interests that's at odds with his promise to make policy in the open.

Obama promised Americans he would hold special interests at arm's length -- that it would no longer be business as usual in Washington. He pledged to open government and let the public and press hold his administration accountable.

And just over two months before the 2008 election, Obama promised before an audience in Chester, Va., to hash out a health care overhaul in public. "We'll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies," he said then.

That didn't happen.

Instead, the administration's multibillion-dollar deals with hospitals and pharmaceutical companies have been made in private, and the results were announced after the fact. Both industries promised Obama cost savings in return for an expanded base of insured patients; beyond that, the public is in the dark about details.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/21/obama-cuts-private-deals_n_242212.html

[Ioo]

8. Same crap as before.. if you expected more, suckers

[ProSense]

9. Crew:

Having promised transparency, the administration should be willing to disclose who it is consulting in shaping healthcare policy, said an attorney for the citizens' group. In its letter requesting the records, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics asked about visits from Billy Tauzin, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans; William Weldon, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson; and J. James Rohack, president of the American Medical Assn., among others.

From the event blog: Read the full attendee list.

list

Video: May 27

More on meetings here

[Cha]

10. Thanks for providing that

Pro Sense..that's all it takes some times..just a little Sense.

[seaglass]

11. Thanks for posting this - seems to be a trend. n/t

[L. Coyote]

12. CREW SUES SECRET SERVICE OVER REFUSAL TO RELEASE WHITE HOUSE HEALTH CARE EXEC VISITOR LOGS

CREW SUES SECRET SERVICE OVER REFUSAL TO RELEASE WHITE HOUSE HEALTH CARE EXEC VISITOR LOGS
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/41551


22 Jul 2009 // Washington, D.C. - Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is filing a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security based on the refusal of the Secret Service to provide CREW with White House visitor records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). CREW is seeking records of visits by top health care executives in an effort to learn the extent to which these industry players may have influenced the administration’s health care policy. Simultaneously, CREW is requesting emergency relief in the form of a preliminary injunction compelling the Secret Service to process the request on an expedited basis, in view of the great public interest and debate on health care policy and the pressure on Congress to pass legislation before the August recess.

In response to CREW’s FOIA request, the Obama administration has taken the same position as the Bush administration ...........