Most Tech-Advanced Administration In History To Use Telephone (to evade recordkeeping law!)

Atlantic Monthly ^ | Marc Ambinder

[MindBender26]

The tech savviest administration history is facing an existential crisis: their preferred mode of communication -- e-mail, IM and text messeges -- are subject to stringent government regulations.

Ben Smith reported last week that deputy counsel Cassandra Butts laid down the law in a staff meeting: no Instant Messaging; assume that every e-mail you write will be logged.

For a generation so used to communicating so easily with each other, with outsiders, with the press, it will be an enormous challenge.

One senior official told a colleague of mine that he would no longer rely on e-mail for casual conversations -- that he would pick up the phone instead of using e-mail for sensitive communications -- sensitive here, meaning anything other than communications with White House colleagues.

For political e-mail, the plan is to use an e-mail system that's being set up by the Democratic National Committee, although those e-mails will be subject to public disclosure, officials said.

Also pressuring the staff: Obama. "For a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city." The White House will err on the side of those who seek information, not on the side of those who seek to withhold it. He ordered revisions to the Freedom of Information Act guidelines used by government departments and tightened the exceptions to disclosure of presidential records.

[MindBender26]

There is no written record of the content of phone calls, so we can have another eight years of Hillary's "Pretty In Pink" news conference was dominated by "I don't recall....."

Notice last sentence "He ordered revisions to the Freedom of Information Act guidelines used by government departments and tightened the exceptions to disclosure of presidential records."

The new rule is, he will disclose everything, unless Eric Holder, the pay-for-play pardon promoter Obama appointed as AG, tells him not to.

"Hey, Eric. You don't want me to disclose that conversation I had with the Hamas financial guy and the briefcase with the you-know-what he gave to my banker in Buenos Aires, do you?"

"Oh, no sir, Mr. President. Don't disclose it. I will have thought up and written a memo about a constitutional excuse, I mean reason, by 3:00 today.

"That's what I thought you would say, Eric.... and if anyone asks, we both take the 5th."

"Yes, sir, Mr. President."

BOHICA!

[Red6]

Transparency!

[antiRepublicrat]

When you put a transparent cover over crap you get to see, well, crap.

[keepitreal]

“For a long time now, there’s been too much secrecy in this city.”

So now the Obamites will do everything by word of mouth, with nothing written down. That way they can say they are transparent while making everything secret.

[MindBender26]

..... and this is Day One..........

[Red Steel]

Juxtapose this what Obama says in a WaPo article

Obama Orders Could Open Records:

-Snip-

One of Obama's memos says: "The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails. The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears. Nondisclosure should never be based on an effort to protect the personal interests of Government officials at the expense of those they are supposed to serve. In responding to requests under the FOIA, executive branch agencies should act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation, recognizing that such agencies are servants of the public."

Notice last sentence "He ordered revisions to the Freedom of Information Act guidelines used by government departments and tightened the exceptions to disclosure of presidential records."

It figures Obama still hides his rear end. Hypocrite.

[Chewbacca]

Going back to the old African oral traditions I see.

[dfwgator]

Or like Paulie in Goodfellas:

“Paulie hated phones. He wouldn’t have one in his house. He used to get all his calls second hand, then you’d have to call the people back from an outside phone. There were guys, that’s all they did all day long was take care of Paulie’s phone call.”

[Secret Agent Man]

Well hell, if Stalin could run the USSR by phone and face to face meetings, Obama and his socialists can too.

[Squantos]

Sheeeeeeeeeet ! They lie like dogs !

Tech is a double edged sword. Hope they fall on it !

[hiredhand]

Two words...

1. VoIP

2. pcap



Given the nature of my current chosen profession I'm not going to say much here, but remind me and I'll e-mail you with details! :-)