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.
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.
“Our understanding going into the meeting was that it would have a pool photographer and a print reporter, and it turned out to be a private meeting,” Bass told POLITICO. “He was so on point, so on target in the conversation with us, it is baffling why he would not want that message to be more broadly heard by reporters and the public interest community and the public generally.” “This president has demonstrated a commitment to transparency and openness that is greater than any administration has shown in the past, and he’s been committed to that since he ran for President and he’s taken a significant number of measures to demonstrate that,” Carney said in a testy exchange with Fox News reporter Wendell Goler on March 16.
“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. But he said he understands the award to be “aspirational,” in recognition of Obama’s potential to do more on the transparency front.
“And in that sense, one could say it resembles the award at the Nobel Peace Prize,” Aftergood said. “It’s not because Obama brought peace to anyone but because people hoped he would be a force for good in the world, and maybe that’s the way to understand this award.”
And a well-deserved award it is.
More from Washington Post “Crazy Stupid”
It is a disappointment. Not really that much comfort taken from the fact he at least isn’t a total sell out, not transparent at all, working out right for our corporate masters as demonstrated on every single issue by the Pukes.
Makes you wonder if on the first day in the Oval Office a wall doesn’t slide back with some menacing group of corporate types, big computer with wires running everywhere, and nasty big syringes doesn’t implant a chip in his brain to be as two faced as all the rest, and in this case, the programming left over from BushtheRetard too much in evidence.
He can’t even “lead” on what has 75% approval. No more wars, tax the rich, protect unions, so forth.
Yes, a real puzzle.
Just wondering…what exactly would a transparency award look like?
His awards for closing Guantanamo and getting out of Iraq will likely soon follow.
Did he get the “You have MEDDLED with the primal forces of NATURE, Mr. Beale” speech? Nah, he’s just another politician, which is to say, lying scumbag.
I just love the idea of giving awards to people now with the hope that they will hopefully deserve it in the future. It suits our current society perfectly.
This is both ironic and hilarious on so many levels.
Award mediocrity when you expect nothing more.
Not inviting the press isn’t as bad as locking them in a closet, like was done at a Joe Biden fundraiser in Florida.
#2 McCullough said: what exactly would a transparency award look like?
How about a clear glass plaque and a bottle of Windex™?
No one has called Shenanigans yet?
For grins, I followed the link, expecting the Onion, but got Politicco. Don’t know them well enough but maybe they scooped themselves for tomorrows post?
On politicco, if you go to Obama’s calendar for monday, there is no such meeting described.
My attention was drawn to OpenTheGovernment.org and their website doesn’t mention this award/meeting either. I’d think they would?
Its a sad world when reality outstrips critical irony? Or doesn’t and you can’t prove it.
Obama who?
This is the perfect definition of irony.
[Rats, you beat me to it. KD]
# 1 bobbo, “Makes you wonder if on the first day in the Oval Office a wall doesn’t slide back with some menacing group of corporate types…”
You mean the Bilderbergers?
By the way, I wonder if they have any extra cigars behind that wall being kept fresh in their human humidors…
Happy April Fool’s Day!!!
#10. http://washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/obama-finally-accepts-his-transparency-award-behind-closed-doors/2011/03/31/AFRplO9B_blog.html
I dunno, maybe.
All in all, I wish I wasn’t always right.
Every time we have an election the same crap happens.
We’re going to lose because we keep on holding our noses and electing from the same bunch of crooked backstabbing bastards and useless cunts.
We’d do better by making holding office like Jury duty.
We put the names of every eligible person in a big list and pick at random.
You don’t want to be picked? Have a nice trip abroad?
Your name is picked, you’re in, and four years later you’re OUT. “Thanks Jack, now go back to wat you were doing before.”
No running or standing for election, no expensive BS. no media blitzing, no over-priced sacks of shit lying to our faces with their hands closed around OUR money.
Just good honestly representational appointed representative government.
I keep meaning to learn more about the Bilderbergers–same with the early Rothchilds, but I never can remember their name when the time comes.
When all kinds of different people go into a situation and act the same—there is a reason for it. Course, maybe there is a filter: wanting to be the President for instance that makes them all the same for the relevant issues==but there have been exceptions. Teddy Roosevelt for instance: Bust them Trusts.
Today we get ass raped by the Trusts, Big Money, Int’l Corps, and what not and the response is to spread em wider. Just LOOK at Alfie==out their blowing little kiddies behind the fence, exposing himself in public while urinating in the ocean! Thats the public face of our Masters.
It used to be: “I’ve got mine, screw you.” but it is fast becoming: “I’ve got everything. You are totally screwed.”
Yea, verily.
#14–McCullough===irony of the sort that burns all the way thru. Ouch.
Now that’s a perfect example of an oxymoron- hiding the fact that he was given a Transparency Award.
dramatic irony
–noun
irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play.
Sock Monkey.
wait..
Where is The Onion link?
-s
I’m Hope for a big Change in 2012.
Like I said, vote for the person who won’t lie to you. What we got was the biggest liar of the bunch. He lied to get into office and hasn’t stopped. Case in point, look at his last Presidential Address.
So, in other works who HASN’T Obama sold out to? Specifically. I’m having a hard time coming up with a specific example.
I’m so transparent you can see right through me.
The award was an empty picture frame.
Yes, but he did not reveal his secret identity.
It can be said that the more things change the more they stay the same and that bull .. baffles brains or in this case the vast majority of American citizens
Lord help us all
Seems like a bad joke.
He’s the most under-reported hypocrite around. Strange how that happens. 🙂
“And despite the snub, they stand by their decision to grant Obama the award, even if, as Bass put it, the president subsequently shot himself in the foot for keeping the meeting private. ”
He’s just one taco short of a Mexican dinner.
I go with #6.