LOL... I'm Gettin Me One Of These... 'Obama Abolishes Transparency Position' - FDL

[WillyT]

Watercooler – Obama Abolishes Transparency Position
By: Jim Moss Friday August 13, 2010 7:00 pm

<snip>




Here’s something else for the "professional left" to complain about:

President Obama has abolished the position in his White House dedicated to transparency and shunted those duties into the portfolio of a partisan ex-lobbyist who is openly antagonistic to the notion of disclosure by government and politicians.

Obama transferred "ethics czar" Norm Eisen to the Czech Republic to serve as U.S. ambassador. Some of Eisen’s duties will be handed to Domestic Policy Council member Steven Croley, but most of them, it appears, will shift over to the already-full docket of White House Counsel Bob Bauer…

Bauer’s own words — gathered by the diligent folks at the Sunlight Foundation — show disdain for openness and far greater belief in the good intentions of those in power than of those trying to check the powerful. In December 2006, when the Federal Election Commission proposed more precise disclosure requirements for parties, Bauer took aim at the practice of muckraking enabled by such disclosure.

On his blog, Bauer derided the notion "that politicians and parties are pictured as forever trying to get away with something," saying this was an idea for which "there is a market, its product cheaply manufactured and cheaply sold." In other words — we keep too close an eye on our leaders.

Sigh…

What’s on your mind tonight?

<snip>

Link: http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/64986

:shrug:

[Odin2005]

1. I WANT THAT SHIRT!!!

"Terra Pax" = :rofl: :D

[WillyT]

3. Me Too !!!

:bounce::hi::bounce:

[Angry Dragon]

2. We will tell everyone what they are doing wrong but

no one better question us ............... I am getting real tired of this attitude

[EFerrari]

4. Everyone wants the other guy to be the first to be nicer.

It's like a long, slow episode of Friends when Monica and Rachel are fighting.

We all need to get a dog. :)

[sandnsea]

5. Eisen's mother is a Czech holocaust survivor

Maybe he just wants to try to do something good for her country.

[WillyT]

6. Eisen Isn't The Point...

The WH and Bauer are...

:shrug:

[sandnsea]

8. All we know is Eisen is leaving

The rest is speculation.

[laughingliberal]

10. I don't get why anyone wouldn't have seen that right away. You'd almost think it's deliberate.nt

[sandnsea]

13. See post #12

No, some people have become accustomed to getting the complete story if they just wait a few minutes. Try it some time.

[niyad]

17. did you try reading bauer's earlier comments? and you think it's okay because they SAY

it's okay?

[sandnsea]

18. I think the transparency team has not been abolished n/t

[laughingliberal]

19. I'll just bookmark it and we'll see. There are people here who tend to dismiss everything as

speculation and then, when the facts do come out, they deny they ever denied it.

I'll just have it tucked away for when the truth emerges. How's that?

[sandnsea]

23. Did you read post #12?

You might want to do that before you blather on any further.

[nightrain]

7. the abolition of the transparency position is not a good sign...

[Individualist]

9. After reading about Obama abolishing the transparency position, what's on my mind is Orwell.

[LooseWilly]

11. Well isn't that some shocking news?

Yeah, not so much...

(Shouldn't the shirt have a 1-800 number for drug testing listed prominently?)

[SoxFan]

12. The Outrage Du Jour

"The White House contends the new structure is actually an elevation of ethics and transparency issues, since Croley Bauer will be coordinating a six-lawyer team on transparency and ethics issues that will work closely with Croley. The White House declined to comment on Sunlight's criticisms Tuesday.

Bauer has said that the team's purpose would be "not only to hold administration officials to their ethics obligations, but to promote government openness, whistleblower protections, campaign finance reform and to ensure that government serves the American people, not the special interests."

Several good-government groups, including the Sunlight Foundation, wrote to President Obama on Friday to applaud Eisen's service. The letter also praised the administration's quick action in appointing Bauer and Croley to take over his responsibilities."

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/113609-sunlight-slams-departure-of-white-house-ethics-czar

Sunlight needed a bit of poutrage to keep the donor dollars flowing.

[sandnsea]

15. Thanks

I didn't think Eisen would stay with the administration if they were going to undo all the work he has done so far.

[Political Tiger]

14. Interesting that FDL insists on making Gibbs point for him.

"Professional crybabies" would be a better slogan for them and their adherents.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[laughingliberal]

20. Yes. Some of the unreasonable 'professional left' won't be satified until we have transparency.

That's not realistic.

[Marr]

22. Or sensible©.

[MannyGoldstein]

24. the same robert gibbs...

That ran commercials praising george bush while attacking howard dean?

[pnorman]

21. "Professional left"? Mr. Gibbs may have mis-spoken.

He no doubt meant to say: PRIMA DONNA LEFT"

[Kahuna]

25. LOL!

:rofl:

[pnorman]

26. LOL here too, but it's not really a laughing matter!

I've been of the "Unprofessional Left" ("Libertarian Left" rather than "Leninist Left") for many years, and have become quite accustomed/inured to some really nasty insults. What Mr. Gibbs said, probably in helpless frustration, irritated me, but did NOT send me out in the street howling in hysterical poutrage. I believe I'm on the left edge of the "DU base", but have no illusions of being symbolic of "Obama's base". But I'm part of the necessary "yeast" in any movement to transform this nation/world for the better.

NEVER since FDR has there been a President subjected to such fierce and VISCERAL attacks, and not just by "birther" & RKBA whackos, but by nearly the entire "establishment". At this point, Obama can do very little PERMANENT good by executive decree, signing statements, or recess`appointments. But if/when he gets "validation" by the upcoming mid-term elections this November, he WILL have the power to fulfill his promises. No, don't give him a`sheaf of blank checks; I don't believe he's asking for that. But consider holding your anti-Obama fire until AFTER the elections! Is that asking for too much?