OBAMA’S YEAR IN REVIEW…A Look Back At Obama’s Rocky Third Year Where Obama’s LACK OF TRANSPARENCY CONTINUES Come To Light

LESS TRANSPARENCY

White House Visitor Logs Evaded For Lobbyists

The Obama Administration Meets With Lobbyists At "A Complex Just Off The White House Grounds." "Caught between their boss's anti-lobbyist rhetoric and the reality of governing, President Barack Obama's aides often steer meetings with lobbyists to a complex just off the White House grounds - and several of the lobbyists involved say they believe the choice of venue is no accident." (Chris Frates, "Lobbyists: W.H. Hides Meetings Off-Site," Politico, 2/24/11)

These Lobbyists Do Not Make It Into The Visitors Log Which Is Released To The Public. "It allows the Obama administration to keep these lobbyist meetings shielded from public view -- and out of Secret Service logs collected on visitors to the White House and later released to the public." (Chris Frates, "Lobbyists: W.H. Hides Meetings Off-Site," Politico, 2/24/11)

Attendees Say The Meetings Are Being Kept "Off The Books - So Their Visits Wouldn't Later Be Made Public." "The White House scoffs at the notion of an ulterior motive for scheduling meetings in what are, after all, meeting rooms. But at least four lobbyists who've been to the conference rooms just off Lafayette Square tell POLITICO they had the distinct impression they were being shunted off to Jackson Place - and off the books - so their visits wouldn't later be made public." (Chris Frates, "Lobbyists: W.H. Hides Meetings Off-Site," Politico, 2/24/11)

FOIAs Ignored Or Politicized (Freedom of Information Act)

The Obama Administration Responded To Fewer FOIA Requests, Despite More Inquiries. "Two years into its pledge to improve government transparency, the Obama administration took action on fewer requests for federal records from citizens, journalists, companies and others last year even as significantly more people asked for information." ("Promises, Promises: Little Transparency Progress," The Associated Press, 3/14/11)

Freedom Of Information Act Requests Are Subjected To “Secretive Reviews” By The Obama Administration’s Political Advisors. “The Homeland Security Department official in charge of submitting sensitive government files to political advisers for secretive reviews before they could be released to citizens, journalists and watchdog groups complained in emails that the unusual scrutiny was ‘crazy’ and hoped someone outside the Obama administration would discover the practice, The Associated Press has learned.” (“Gov’t Emails: Political Reviews Over Requests For US Records ‘Meddling,’ ‘Crazy’ And ‘Bananas,’” The Associated Press, 3/28/11)

The “Unusual Political Vetting” Process Was Described As “Meddling” And “Nuts.” “The newly obtained versions of the same internal emails are not censored. They show that insiders described the unusual political vetting as ‘meddling,’ ‘nuts’ and ‘bananas!’” (“Gov’t Emails: Political Reviews Over Requests For US Records ‘Meddling,’ ‘Crazy’ And ‘Bananas,’” The Associated Press, 3/28/11)

Obama Even Censored Emails About His Open Government Directive. "The Obama administration censored 194 pages of internal e-mails about its Open Government Directive that the AP requested more than one year ago. The December 2009 directive requires every agency to take immediate, specific steps to open their operations up to the public. But the White House Office of Management and Budget blacked-out entire pages of some e-mails between federal employees discussing how to apply the new openness rules, and it blacked-out one e-mail discussing how to respond to AP's request for information ab out the transparency directive." ("Promises, Promises: Little Transparency Progress," The Associated Press, 3/14/11)

Whistleblowers Attacked

Obama Pursues "An Unexpectedly Aggressive Legal Offense" Against Leaks. "The Obama administration, which famously pledged to be the most transparent in American history, is pursuing an unexpectedly aggressive legal offensive against federal workers who leak secret information to expose wrongdoing, highlight national security threats or pursue a personal agenda." (Josh Gerstein, "Despite Openness Pledge, President Obama Pursues Leakers," Politico , 3/7/11)

Obama's Prosecutions May Be Having "A Chilling Effect" On Government Whistleblowers. "But legal experts and good-government advocates say the hard-line approach to leaks has a chilling effect on whistleblowers, who fear harsh legal reprisals if they dare to speak up." (Josh Gerstein, "Despite Openness Pledge, President Obama Pursues Leakers," Politico, 3/7/11)

Good-Government Activists Say Obama's Leak Policy Does Not Follow Obama's Pledges Of Openness And Transparency. "Not only that, these advocates say, it runs counter to Obama's pledges of openness by making it a crime to shine a light on the inner workings of government - especially when there are measures that could protect the nation's interests without hauling journalists into court and government officials off to jail." (Josh Gerstein, "Despite Openness Pledge, President Obama Pursues Leakers," Politico, 3/7/11)

Awards, That We Were Not Supposed To Know About, Received

“President Obama Finally And Quietly Accepted His ‘Transparency’ Award From The Open Government Community This Week — In A Closed, Undisclosed Meeting At The White House On Monday.” (Abby Phillip, “Shh!Obama Wins Anti-Secrecy Award,”Politico, 3/30/11)

Obama Was Supposed To Accept The Award In Front Of The Press Pool 2 Weeks Earlier, But The Actual Acceptance Ceremony Wasn’t Disclosed On The Public Schedule And No Reporters Were Present. “The secret presentation happened almost two weeks after the White House inexplicably postponed the ceremony, which was expected to be open to the press pool. This time, Obama met quietly in the Oval Office with Gary Bass of OMB Watch, Tom Blanton of the National Security Archive, Danielle Brian of the Project on Government Oversight, Lucy Dalglish of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and Patrice McDermott of OpenTheGovernment.org, without disclosing the meeting on his public schedule or letting photographers or print reporters into the room.” (Abby Phillip, “Shh!Obama Wins Anti-Secrecy Award,”Politico, 3/30/11)

“‘I Don’t Feel Moved Today To Say ‘Thank You, Mr. President,’’ Said Steve Aftergood, The Director Of The Project On Government Secrecy At The Federation Of American Scientists.” (Abby Phillip, “Shh!Obama Wins Anti-Secrecy Award,”Politico, 3/30/11)

Fundraisers With A Complete Lack Of Transparency

Reporters Are “Ushered Out” Before Obama Has “Intimate Moments” With The Wealthy Contributors. “Intimate moments with contributors are rarely captured on camera, and while reporters get to hear the president's opening remarks at fundraising events, the interaction with donors occurs after reporters have been ushered out.” (Jim Kuhnhenn, “Obama’s Crossover Message, From Kitchen To Mansion,” The Associated Press, 12/14/11)

“Pres. Obama's Re-Election Campaign Won't Be Disclosing How Much Money Is Taken In At The Individual Fundraising Events Attended By Pres. Obama. Neither Will The Democratic National Committee.” (Mark Knoller, “Obama Campaign Won't Reveal Fundraising Numbers,”CBS News, 4/19/11)

“A Blow To Transparency.” “Further, the WH/Obama campaign is not disclosing the amount of money raised at each fundraising event. A blow to transparency.” (Mark Knoller, Twitter Feed, 4/22/11)

Biden’s Staff Put Reporters In Closets

Biden’s Staff Put A Pool Reporter In A Storage Room “To Keep Him From Talking To The Many High-Profile Guests” During A Fundraiser For Senator Ben Nelson. “Scott Powers, a writer for the Orlando Sentinel, was serving as the pool reporter for a fundraiser in Florida, where Biden was appearing to raise money on behalf of Sen. Bill Nelson on Wednesday. But to keep him from talking to the many high-profile guests at the event, a member of Biden's staff stuffed Powers in a storage closet and stood guard outside the door until she deemed it ‘safe’ for Powers to emerge.” (Jack Mirkinson, “Biden Team Apologizes To Reporter Scott Powers For Keeping Him In Closet During Fundraiser,” The Huffington Post, 3/28/11)

·       “‘The Protocol Is They Didn't Want Me To Talk To Anybody,’ Powers Told ‘Good Morning America’ Reporter Matt Gutman In An Interview On Monday.” (Lucy Madison, “Biden Team Apologizes To Reporter For Making Him Wait In A Closet,” CBS News, 3/28/11)

Biden’s Staff Apologized For The Choice Of Hold Room. “‘Scott - You have our sincere apologies for the lack of a better hold room today,’ wrote Vice President Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander last Wednesday to Orlando Sentinel reporter Scott Powers." (Jake Tapper, “Biden Team Apologizes To Report For Sticking Him In Closet,” ABC News’ “Political Punch” Blog, 3/27/11) Source