Posted on 05/05/2011 6:15:02 AM PDT by Dacula
House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee raised concerns at a Tuesday hearing that White House staffers hold meetings at a nearby Caribou Coffee to avoid disclosure requirements. "White House staff apparently purposely schedule meetings at the Caribou Coffee around the corner from the White House so that those meetings won’t show up on the White House logs," said Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Calif.), chairman of the Oversight subcommittee. Republicans portrayed the White House as failing to live up to campaign promises on transparency. Stearns pointed to President Obama, who as a candidate said healthcare negotiations would air on C-SPAN, an idea that never came to fruition. "This president has apparently gone out of his way to avoid transparency even though he said he would be transparent," Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said. Democrats defended the White House and said the GOP's allegations are suspect. "There is nothing wrong with someone going out for a cup of coffee," said Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), ranking member of the subcommittee. "There is something wrong with someone going out to avoid disclosure." She suggested the coffee-shop allegations are unproven and based on questionable sourcing, including news reports that granted anonymity to the speakers. GOP members criticized the White House for failing to appear at the hearing. Full committee ranking member Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said the White House got only a few days' notice and had a schedule conflict. Waxman said the hearing was "not about open government. It's about politics." He said the hearing was an attempt to "embarrass an administration" that wanted to make its case but simply had a schedule conflict. Witnesses were split on transparency in the Obama administration. Tom Fritton, the president of Judicial Watch, a conservative group, said the Caribou meetings are a major problem. "This ethics gamesmanship undermines the rule of law and makes one think that this administration has something to hide," he said. Anne Weismann, chief counsel for the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, was positive about Obama's transparency efforts. Weismann said her transparency concerns surround federal agencies rather than the White House. "I think [Obama] has put some of the key components in place," she said.
“Why not have some Republicans stationed at the coffee house tomonitor their meetings?”
That’s what I would do.
Caribou coffee? You mean the one owned by muslims?
GOP slams?
Nonsense. They are as comfortable with this
as they are with his treason, his support of al qaeda,
his support of sharia, his support of foreign bankers,
his lack of documentation, his failure to obey
Congress, etc. etc.
The GOP are traitors to America every day that they
hesitate to begin impeachment.
Obama has proven himself to put together the biggest lying bunch of non transparent socialists ever to occupy the White House.
The American public who voted this crook in should be ashamed of themselves on every level.
Disgusted is an even better word....This OBL fiasco is even more proof of how morons can filter through the cracks and earn a living in politics.
I bet there are more ‘bugs’ at Caribou Coffee than in a new Microsoft OS..............
"White House staff apparently purposely schedule meetings at the Caribou Coffee around the corner from the White House so that those meetings won’t show up on the White House logs," said Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Calif.), chairman of the Oversight subcommittee.
Republicans portrayed the White House as failing to live up to campaign promises on transparency. Stearns pointed to President Obama, who as a candidate said healthcare negotiations would air on C-SPAN, an idea that never came to fruition.
"This president has apparently gone out of his way to avoid transparency even though he said he would be transparent," Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said.
Democrats defended the White House and said the GOP's allegations are suspect. "There is nothing wrong with someone going out for a cup of coffee," said Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), ranking member of the subcommittee.
"There is something wrong with someone going out to avoid disclosure."
She suggested the coffee-shop allegations are unproven and based on questionable sourcing, including news reports that granted anonymity to the speakers. GOP members criticized the White House for failing to appear at the hearing.
Full committee ranking member Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said the White House got only a few days' notice and had a schedule conflict. Waxman said the hearing was "not about open government. It's about politics."
He said the hearing was an attempt to "embarrass an administration" that wanted to make its case but simply had a schedule conflict.
Witnesses were split on transparency in the Obama administration. Tom Fritton, the president of Judicial Watch, a conservative group, said the Caribou meetings are a major problem. "This ethics gamesmanship undermines the rule of law and makes one think that this administration has something to hide," he said.
Anne Weismann, chief counsel for the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, was positive about Obama's transparency efforts. Weismann said her transparency concerns surround federal agencies rather than the White House. "I think [Obama] has put some of the key components in place," she said.
So the correct response would have been to VIDEO TAPE THEM meeting there
THen show us proof...
Geez won’t these morons ever learn.
Call Andrew Brietbart first and let him figure out how to document it before you go public. Then when they deny one meeting took place, Show them the video.
Then when they say that one single meeting was an unusual event, show them VIDEO OF 10 MORE
That's in Article II isn't it? How does it go, The President shall obey the Congress?
Cliff Stearns is FL ... he is my congress critter.
“Transparency” my A$$!!!
Absolutely. This could be a big security breech in the age of video spy pens and cell phone cameras.
Much easier to read this at the link, with proper paragraphs.
How long did it take you to delete formatting? And why?
“purposely schedule meetings at the Caribou Coffee”
Ha ha!
“Would you like to try one our breakfast biscuits with that latte?”
sorry for the formatting. I wanted to remove the at&t ad that was in the middle of the article.
That I can understand; I’d have done the same. Annoying, aren’t they?
Yes, Caribou Coffee’s ownership group has strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. They did not start the company but acquired it later on.
Monitor, log and snap photos. Wait until about 20 or 30 of these meetings and then make a website listing names, times and photos.
If Obama won’t clean the glass windows and insists on actually spray painting them to block our view, the GOP should send in some window washers. Let us see what these snakes are doing in their secret rooms.
annoying and embarrassing. Not the quality I like to present.
I was hoping TEA party members had the place bugged too.
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