Posted on 08/31/2014 12:39:57 PM PDT by Kaslin
resident Obama claims to be running “the most transparent administration in history.” But even those who knew he was exaggerating must have been surprised when dozens of his own inspectors general revealed what a laughably hollow claim this is.
Earlier this month, 47 of the federal government’s 73 watchdogs filed a formal complaint about the “serious limitations” the Obama administration places on their ability to uncover waste, fraud and abuse.
It’s an unprecedented charge. “I’ve never seen a letter like this,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said. “And my folks have checked. There has never been a letter even with a dozen IGs complaining.”
IGs from the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice -- among many others -- say the administration is imposing such “serious limitations on access to records” that it’s creating “potentially serious challenges to the authority of every Inspector General and our ability to conduct our work thoroughly, independently, and in a timely manner.”
Time after time, the IGs request information necessary for them to do their jobs. And time after time, they’re told the information is “privileged” and therefore can be legally shielded, even though prior administrations haven’t made such dubious claims.
Yes, this can be a legitimate claim in certain, very limited instances. Information that could jeopardize certain matters of national security, for example, is naturally very sensitive and must be handled carefully.
But when you’re concealing more information than you’re revealing, and doing so almost routinely, something is seriously wrong.
Take how the Peace Corps refused to provide records of reported sexual assaults to assist an investigation into how the agency handled such cases. And the difficulty the EPA’s inspector general had obtaining documents from the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. And many other cases that haven’t become public yet.
The IGs aren’t the only ones disturbed by the stonewalling attitude of “the most transparent administration in history.” In July, representatives of 38 journalism organizations sent a letter to President Obama, complaining about a lack of government openness.
The lead signer was David Cuillier, president of the Society of Professional Journalists. The letter accused the administration of “politically driven suppression of news and information about federal agencies.”
The administration is always quick to dismiss any focus on the IRS targeting conservatives, or the Benghazi attack, or the Justice Department investigating reporters, as “phony scandals.” They want us to believe they’re baseless distractions.
But we’re supposed to take this on faith. Why not provide the information necessary to prove their point? Why not open the files so we can see for ourselves?
“All of these stories linger because of unanswered questions and lack of meaningful information,” USA Today recently editorialized. “The administration could bring all of these matters to closure by simply releasing all available records.”
And if they refuse to do so, how can they blame anyone for assuming that the information they’re hiding must be damaging? That the evidence of wrongdoing is so strong that it’s better to weather charges of hypocrisy?
Even Ralph Nader isn’t happy with the White House. “Despite lofty initial campaign promises by the Obama administration, widespread government secrecy has only worsened in recent years,” he wrote earlier this year.
Ironically, the inspectors general wouldn’t even exist if not for a 1978 law that came in the wake of the Watergate scandal -- a law designed to prevent future cover-ups. As the IGs note in their letter, this law stipulates that they are entitled to “complete, unfiltered, and timely access to all information and materials ... without unreasonable administrative burdens.”
This isn’t a matter of politics. Government secrecy strikes at the very heart of how our system of government is designed. Transparency is essential to a free society.
Rep. Issa is planning to hold hearings about this in September. Surely an administration victimized by nothing more than “phony scandals” has nothing to fear.
More preaching to the choir.Everybody with a functioning brain knows what we’re dealing with.
>>Rep. Issa is planning to hold hearings about this in September.<<
To do what? The RATs will accuse the Whigs of racism. The GOPe will huff and puff. At the end of the day, nothing new is learned, the questions still linger, and Elmer Fudd keeps right on breaking the law.
Government secrecy strikes at the very heart of how our system of government is designed.
This is NOT the government that was designed.
They are going to need a bigger curtain ...
One of Obamas first scandals was the firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin for looking too closely at one of Obamas black supporters who was misusing federal grant money
Yes, indeed. "Resident" Obama.
Wow, that should be explosive and all over the news. Yet I haven't seen a single mention of it in the sycophant communist state-controlled media.
Can you imagine the incessant screaming and drumbeat for impeachment over this issue if this were a Republican President?
Frankly, almost everything dredged up of substance regarding Learner has come via Judicial Watch. The rest has been hot air, fist waving and some raving but no results.
In any sane world, one void of politics, Obola would have been whisked away to his retirement home by now. The only difference between the picture of his leaving and the one I have hanging on my way with the president waving his V sign would be Obola would be waiving the half a piece sign.
Yes. Big news...obama is lawless, but its okay, he’s half black, half hetero and really cares about “folks.”
Sounds like an obstruction of justice to me. A serious felony and also an impeachable offense. This joker has got to go, he and his sycophant media cohorts and officials.
I wonder how many of those who signed those letters will be in the next wave of unemployed claimants.
Issa? so much for that.
You are correct.
We are discovering that the people of tradition, faith and the Constitution are vastly out numbered, foreigners in our own land, and with only a handful of powerless, like-minded representatives to represent us, and who have themselves forces of money and power alligned against them, as do we.
We seem to be expecting the ballot to save us. It hasn’t, it isn’t, and probably will not be enough in this no-consequences and no-accountabilities political world.
So long ago, I forgot it. They said he was senile; must have got something on him to shut him up.
War on women?
Wow, that should be explosive and all over the news. Yet I haven’t seen a single mention of it in the sycophant communist state-controlled media.
Can you imagine the incessant screaming and drumbeat for impeachment over this issue if this were a Republican President?
Isn’t there any little boy in this country brave enough to ask our Media Emperor why they don’t even mention ESSENTIAL NEWS like this??????????
Yes DOJ had the guy investigating Kevin Johnson mayor of Sacramento, and OB supporter. One of the first things Holder did was fire the guy and squelch the investigation.
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