I’m guessing Obama, et al are simply using an alternate definition of ‘transparency’. I’m sure that’s it.
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.
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.
[…]
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.
[…]
And administration officials recently asked some lobbyists and others who met with them to sign confidentiality agreements barring them from disclosing what was discussed at meetings with administration officials, in that case a rental policy working group.
I’m shocked, I really thought it was going to be different this time.
Waiting for bobbo, Dallas, and the other lefty defenders of PBO to say that GW Bush was so much worse….
I’ll wait until I see who gets water-boarded or what country gets invaded by us before making comment on this.
Can you say “co-opted“?
Sure…
I knew you could.
What did we expect? Change… It is to laugh…
You will always get the same kind of disappointment.
That’s like seeing the same result 43 times and expecting that the 44th time will be different.
Only mouth breathers and cretins could think that it would turn out ant different.
Its like this.
Your die has a one on all its faces.
Its may turn up a red one, or a blue one or even a green one, but you can be sure you will always roll a one.
Now roll the die and I can guarantee you what the number is going to be.
There are fewer that 100 families in the United States who matter, and yours doesn’t.
How do you spell hypocrisy? O. B. A. M. A. A. D. M. I. N. I. S. T. R. A. T. I. O. N. Not that the Republicans are any better but at least they are mostly upfront about it.
Until the majority of the American population (not just political parties and politicians) ceases worshipping Mammon, Lobbyists and their corporate masters will prosper.
It seems unlikely. Evolution, after all, can take millions of years.
Until then, it would be a great idea to tax the asses off all of these parasites, to provide at least some minor benefits to the American people.
this is what dear leader meant when he said he was going to keep lobbyists out of the White House (wink wink)
Dumbcrats give a whole new meaning to diversity. Let’s see, I’ll get some from Exxon, some from Pfizer, a load from the trial lawyers and unions.
Campaign promise lies should be met with impeachment. But then we’d never get anything constructive done..wait..never mind.
You simply misunderstood ‘transparency’ – they simply meant the government would be transparent in the sense of invisible or undetectable ie. stealthy cloaked lobbyists
#7 Do you actually know who Mammon was?
Anyway, as a non-US citizen, I find it amazing that the lobby culture in the US hasn’t created any kind of organized uproar from the public. To have so many government decisions dictated by and for lobbyists and those they represent is incredibly unhealthy for any kind of government.
I guess the fluoride is doing its job.
#14 Zybch
“Do you actually know who Mammon was?”
Yes, very well indeed. Do you? Just in case, the dictionary definition is included below.
So – what’s your point?
1. New Testament. riches or material wealth. Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:9,11,13.
2. (often initial capital letter) a personification of riches as an evil spirit or deity.
Listen. A whisper. An echo of a whisper”
“It all depends on what your definition of is is.”
aahhh the audacity of hope..
look all politicians cannot be trusted.
’nuff said
“One of the common denominators I have found is that expectations rise above that which is expected.”
–George W. Bush, Sept. 27, 2000
Open Government
It’s really quite simple. Obama meant what he said when he made his promise. Then he took the oath of office where he swore to uphold the Consitution. Obama then realized that under the Constitution, lobbying is a protected right of the people. Therefore he had to go back on his campaign promise to uphold his oath of office.
Obama is another Jimmy Carter and Jeb will be the name of the next traitor president.
It’s about time dvorak threw a bone in here and skipped the other news about an Indiana teabagger wanting to use live ammunition on protestors, woman and children alike. Let’s talk about the Whitehouse meeting rooms instead. Ok!
After reading this Internet find, I agree it’s disturbing that certain off whitehouse meeting rooms are not treated with the same level of accounting. That is the question I have – not whether the executive office has interaction with lobbyists that all of Congress and all the branches of government have.
In fact, in the Obama meeting with silicon valley execs, all of these companies have 10’s if not hundreds of lobbyists trying to get the governments ear.
Still, I agree with the sheeple here that consistency in meeting room protocol is required.
>wanting to use live ammunition on protestors, woman and children alike.
When protestors are taking over the capitol building and interfering with the government, visiting the houses of lawmakers and making threats, my issue is that it is the law enforcement that should be used against such treasonous activities.
You mean that law enforcement should become judge, jury and executioner? The strong arm of an authoritarian dictator, who silence all who oppose him? As opposed to their right to speech, assembly, and due process, as citizens?
What you advocate is the treasonous behavior.
#24 no surprise from you. Just wasted bits congesting the Internet. Routers should tag your bits as lower priority than spam.
#25 i get that you like Kent State type of government force but do you akdo agree that if the whitehouse gets a receptionist and sheet of name tags for all meeting rooms, this topic issue is settled?
Now is anyone up for a New Constitution and Republic yet? Or are you seriously going keep using the same broken tools?
Cursor_
#28 agree! It is progressives that affect change in this country, ie progress ..hence the name. The issue is the republicans have installed a Supreme Court that effectively has corporations run the country. Lobbyists are the messengers now. Eventually they will be replaced with email.
#29 you are using most of your village’s bandwidth on nonsense. Have some common courtesy
So you are OK with protestors occupying legislative offices and the Capitol building? Shutting down the government? Perhaps the Tea Party should have done that when Democrats were going to vote on health care last March. Would have saved a lot of trouble. I have on good authority that it is wrong for law enforcement to interfere with such actions.
31 comments already and nothing from Bobbo. Come ON dude, where’s your usual BS?
Forget the lobbyisdt promise. Is Obama going to keep his promise that if unions are denied the right to bargain he will put on his shoes and walk the picket line with them as president?
32, Bob73,
He’s picking his battles. 🙂
Well that’s different. He usually has a lot to say about EVERYTHING.