White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives

[Better Believe It]

White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives
Citing an argument used by the Bush administration, the Secret Service rejects a request from a watchdog group to list those who have visited the White House to discuss the healthcare overhaul.
July 22, 2009

Invoking an argument used by President George W. Bush, the Obama administration has turned down a request from a watchdog group for a list of health industry executives who have visited the White House to discuss the massive healthcare overhaul.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sent a letter to the Secret Service asking about visits from 18 executives representing health insurers, drug makers, doctors and other players in the debate. The group wants the material in order to gauge the influence of those executives in crafting a new healthcare policy.

The Secret Service sent a reply stating that documents revealing the frequency of such visits were considered presidential records exempt from public disclosure laws. The agency also said it was advised by the Justice Department that the Secret Service was within its rights to withhold the information because of the "presidential communications privilege."

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics said it would file suit against the Obama administration as early as today. The group already has sued the administration over its failure to release details about visits from coal industry executives.

"It's extremely disappointing," said Anne Weismann, the group's chief counsel. Obama is relying on a legal argument that "continues one of the bad, anti-transparency, pro-secrecy approaches that the Bush administration had taken. And it seems completely at odds with the president's commitment . . . to bring a new level of transparency to his government."

Please read the complete article at:

http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/41541

[corpseratemedia]

1. energy task force deja-vu

just dont lie like that when you run in 2012 please

[FiveGoodMen]

5. Absolutely!

Change you can be sure is just window dressing!

[stray cat]

2. if they pass a good plan I won't complain

[ProSense]

3. Why didn't Crew just consult the White House

website?

From the OP link:

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

[uponit7771]

7. Cause they have to complain about SOMETHING!!

[Better Believe It]

Because that's not the full list of all meetings. Pretending you didn't know that?

Now if you have the full list from all White House meetings why don't you post it here or send your list to CREW?

That would save them a lot of time, effort and money.

Well, do it!

What are you waiting for?

Ahhhh .... I understand.

You don't have the complete lists for all meetings .... because it's a big secret. The Secret Service in their response claims it's a secret!

So .... was your response nothing more than a cheap attack on CREW?

[ProSense]

12. BS. n/t

[uponit7771]

17. The OP title was they didn't reveal them at all now you're talking about "all"

[Qutzupalotl]

15. Time to unrec this thread, in light of the list being posted. nt

[Cant trust em]

4. This is lame.

They should disclose this.

[ProSense]

8. The attendees have already been disclosed, and it's not the

Secret Service's call. The last time this came up, that was established. The Secret Service do not release lists.

The list of attendees was released the day of the meeting.

[uponit7771]

9. Haven't they? Read post above

[ProSense]

10. deleted dupe. n/t

[Lord Helmet]

6. Too anxious to post something negative to check for dupes?

already posted

[uponit7771]

11. *****ANOTHER KNEE JERK POST******* List already disclosed

...and CREW is bored

[Better Believe It]

14. Really. Is that why the government refuses to release the attendance lists of all meetings?

If this information were public I don't think the Secret Service would "reply stating that documents revealing the frequency of such visits were considered presidential records exempt from public disclosure laws. The agency also said it was advised by the Justice Department that the Secret Service was within its rights to withhold the information because of the "presidential communications privilege."

So your claim is utter nonsense. The Obama Administration not only denies your false claim, they are defending their refusal to release that information in the federal courts!

If you have a problem with the civil liberties activity of the ACLU or CREW send them a protest letter.

Just hope that your letter doesn't get put in the circular file with all of the mail they use to get from George W. Bush supporters who defended his government secrecy.

[uponit7771]

16. You're pulling this from the M$M so already there's a caviate, also I'm thankful Obama has IMPROVED

...the transparency of government I did NOT expect perfection and did believe some of the calls of facists against Bush were hyperbole I don't expect different now that Obama is in the WH.

You're moving the bar to "Frequency" of visits kinda sets things off on wrong foot also, better to be slow and accurate than fast and misleading

[Better Believe It]

19. CREW is MSM? Is the ACLU also (MSM) mainstream news media?

Where have I written about the "frequency" of visits to the White House by the health care industry?

I haven't, but that shouldn't stop you from putting up a bogus quote!

ALL of the secret meetings held at the White House with healthcare and insurance industry representatives should be revealed along with the list of ALL those corporate crooks in attendance.

And you think that President Obama should keep White House visitor lists a big secret.

Did you also defend George W. Bush when he tried to keep his visitors list a big secret?

[DevonRex]

13. This was stupid the first time it was posted today. Even more so the second.

[dionysus]

18. and you'll see it posted a few more times no doubt

:hi:

[Redhead Irish]

20. If it's that stupid, why are top progressive bloggers criticizing the White House for it?

TPM's David Kurtz:

Cheney, I mean, Obama refuses to release visitor logs showing which energy health care company executives visited the White House.

Late Update: It's an especially painful continuation of Bush policies since candidate Obama promised to let CSPAN in to cover the creation of a health care bill and his campaign website still promises transparency in meetings between White House staff and outside interests.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/07/deja_vu_all_over_again.php?ref=fpblg

Glen Greenwald:

There are certain times when Obama betrays the spirit of his promises and other times when he betrays both the spirit and letter. This seems quite clearly to be an example of the latter.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/07/22/colbert/index.html

Greg Sargent:

But what makes this more dispiriting, as Josh Orton notes, is the fact that Obama’s vow to banish secretive government is still right here on his campaign Web site

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/white-house-wont-disclose-list-of-health-industry-visitors-but-promise-of-transparency-is-still-on-campaign-web-site/

[Cant trust em]

21. So if bloggers say it, then it's so?

We have people who post bullshit here all the time.

[mnhtnbb]

22. Obama responded to a question about this at the presser. Said all

the media had been present at visits for photo-ops, so he didn't know why they couldn't put a list together
of who had been seen.