Watchdog groups give Obama high marks on ethics and transparency

[jefferson_dem]

Watchdog groups give Obama high marks on ethics and transparency
By Michael O'Brien - 01/11/10 11:30 AM ET

A coalition of watchdog and reform groups gave President Barack Obama's administration high marks for its efforts to increase transparency in its first year.

The report, which measures the reforms undertaken by the administration on lobbying and ethics rules and disclosures, praises the Obama administration for historically strong rules in those areas.

"The cumulative effect of the Administration's actions has been to adopt the strongest and most comprehensive lobbying, ethics and transparency rules and policies ever established by an Administration to govern its own activities," concludes the group, which includes Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters and U.S. PIRG.

The group's report card gave the White House an "A" on its lobbying/revolving door rules, as well as in areas of "open government" and "reverse revolving door restrictions." The administration received a "B"for its lobbyist gift ban, preventions against lobbyists from serving on advisory boards, and restrictions on seeking stimulus funds. The White House received no grade in its restrictions against seeking financial bailouts.

"The new rules and policies have begun the difficult process of changing the way business is done in Washington," the groups said in their report. "President Obama deserves recognition and high praise for the ethics, lobbying and transparency rules put in place for the Executive Branch during his first year in office."

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/75209-watchdog-groups-give-obama-high-marks-on-ethics-and-transparency

[Hekate]

1. Imagine that. Kick and Rec.

[Go2Peace]

25. OK, so it is a "coalition" and includes some ethical orgs. But what is the name of the group or the

report?

This is a really odd and un-sourced article. Is there a name for the coalition and any other info about the report?
Anyone have more info of the actual nature of the "group" and the "report"? Or is the coalition made up of just these groups? If it is a "pronouncement" by just these orgs then it means a lot, as they are very reputable.

[Go2Peace]

27. My bad.. It rates "lobbying and ethics rules and disclosures"

"lobbying and ethics rules and disclosures, praises the Obama administration for historically strong rules in those areas"

Credit where credit is due. Good to get the feedback from these orgs.

[mkultra]

2. watchdog groups under the "liberal" bus in 5..4..3..2..

[Enrique]

4. is that likely, do you think?

I know that Paul Krugman, Glenn Greenwald, Cenk Uygur, Howard Dean, Russ Feingold, and others have been thrown under the bus by Obama defenders.

But I don't think that goes both ways. I don't find it likely anyone will trash these watchdog groups for praising him the way those Obama critics were trashed for criticizing him.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe someone will post that Common Cause "jumped the shark" or that the League of Women Voters "is dead to me."

We'll see... :shrug:

[mkultra]

5. krugman was thrown under just today for support current HCR

with excise.

[SpartanDem]

13. It doesn't go both ways?

Paul Krugman’s Health Care Sell-Out

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/29-6

[impik]

32. Since Obama himself was thrown under the bus even before his first day in office

It doesn't really matter. This report just show what a massive change this president brought, when no one paid attention - And still this thread is being unrec. Obama will never get credit by "progressives" for anything. Never.

[SkyDaddy7]

36. Thank-you!

I share your observations 110%...Obama will get credit from "progressives" after he is voted out of office and Sarah Palin is POTUS...Then the "change" Obama brought to DC will be crystal clear! Right now "change" is viewed as getting everything one wants or it is not change. There seems to be no middle ground. Change comes slowly in the US...It is exactly the way the founders intended. It has taken 40 years or so to get where we are so it will take time to move the country into more "progressive thinking". Some see this fact others do not.

[dionysus]

38. funny thing is, i never meet any of these raving lunatics outside of DU. some dems i know might be

dissappointed in some things, but this level of breathless outrage, day in and day out? no way.

[mkultra]

41. I meet them, But they admit they are conservatives in real life

here, there are paid to say they are dems.

[CTLawGuy]

35. "progressive" bus

NT

[BlancheSplanchnik]

3. reputable groups -- that's important

"...strongest and most comprehensive lobbying, ethics and transparency rules and policies ever established by an Administration to govern its own activities," concludes the group, which includes Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters and U.S. PIRG."

I think I'll take their word for it, rather than the ranting opinions of others.

[goclark]

6. Voice of reason nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

12. thanks. I try.

call me weird, but I just like reason, for some strange reason. :)

[tridim]

7. Another report for the Teabaggers to completely ignore..

While at the same time ramping up their rhetoric about the Admin's lack of ethics and transparency.

[mkultra]

9. the DU hater club must be dying to jump into this thread

but they got nothing.

[tridim]

10. I'm sure they're frantically searching for loopholes in the article.

No biggie, most of them are already on my ignore list.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

11. and for the goddamned media to ignore too

fucking Flying Monkeys Media. x(

[DevonRex]

8. Wonderful. K&R. nt

[SpartanDem]

14. K&R

[mkultra]

15. kick to piss of the haters

[NatBurner]

17. well since u put it that way...

[Number23]

23. okay?? Shoot, I'll do my part too...

[jenmito]

16. K&R for the Obama=Bush people. n/t

[ieoeja]

18. K&R

[uponit7771]

19. But but Obama Corporatist SELLOUT and PONY!!!

[SunsetDreams]

20. K&R

[freddie mertz]

21. I guess they missed Jon Stewart's "C-Span" montage.

YES it was a stupid promise to make.

But he made it, for whatever reason (I've given up asking why).

[SemiCharmedQuark]

22. I bombed a stats exam last semester but my transcript reads "A"

My prof didn't miss my bad exam. My other grades simply made up for it.

A failure on one front does not negate all other work when one is issuing a pronouncement on overall quality.

[Land Shark]

39. Not all political issues are of equal weight. Some trump others.

That being said, I'm not taking a position right now on Obama and transparency, just pointing out that your frame of balancing the good and the bad doesn't apply when and if a core value or principle is violated. (Invading a country, fidelity for those who've promised it, torture, etc).

One can't say, well I gave to charity, I mowed my neighbor's grass, loved my kids, but beat my wife, I guess I'm 3 out of 4, pretty darn good.

No...

[boppers]

31. The debate was public. And was on C-SPAN.

It's not longer a debate. Reconciliation isn't about continuing debate, as much as the pundits would like it to be.

That being said, I wouldn't mind if reconciliation was on C-SPAN, but am unsure how that would work. Do they televise emails between staffers as they work out the final language? Put microphones on everybody, to catch deals made in the bathroom?

[2 Much Tribulation]

24. Did they consider the new, secret intellectual property treaty being negotiated called ACTA?

I have no idea how the administration can justify secret treaty negotiations on a major new intellectual property treaty when IP is "the new currency."

on edit: Is anyone allowed to say things like this or is it supposed to be "all good" for the home team?

[Go2Peace]

26. self delete.

[Douglas Carpenter]

28. kick and recommend

[tomp]

29. I'm sorry, where's the report? I don't see the link. nt

[mkultra]

37. if you put in the least amount of mental effort

you could have found it. As a matter of fact, you still can as i will not be handing it to you.

[tomp]

42. drop dead! nt

[Hekate]

30. Kicking for more people to see this.

:kick:

[SunsetDreams]

33. kick

[CTLawGuy]

34. those groups must be controlled by

teh Korporashunz!!!111!

[Hekate]

40. ~*~

:kick: