PrintDecember 11, 2008
Shutting the door on 'Open Government'
ABC News' White House Correspondent Jake Tapper noticed a new tool from the Office of the President-Elect's and Vice President- Elect's Transition Team's change.gov site.
Open Government Open for Questions The Obama-Biden Transition wants to hear from you. Use our 'Open for Questions' tool to ask a question about a policy or issue that's important to you.
One topic that dominates the questions is the Democrat's President-elect's relationship with his Democratic Illinois government colleague, Governor Rod Blagojevich. But it doesn't make the top three questions; indeed questions regarding his allegedly corrupt fellow Illini "are not readily visible -- one has to use the "search" function to find them. Why?"
"Because users of the Transition website are allowed to "flag as inappropriate" any question they don't like."
And the acolytes of President-elect Barack Hussein (I can use that name now and not be accused of bigotry because he has publicly stated his intention of being sworn in as president using his full, given name.) Obama
(one presumes that's who's voting this way) think that any question that might make the president-elect uncomfortable is "inappropriate."
So much for openness. And change. At least by the believers.
One question that had as of Wednesday night not -- yet -- been flagged as inappropriate: "Why does your website and/or fan base censor any mention of Blagojevich? Will you ever answer any questions regarding him?"
But he did. Obama said he hadn't been in contact with him. His trusted aide, David Axelrod, backed him up, ignoring his own earlier statement that they had been in contact. Perhaps like Obama sleeping through 20 years of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons and not really palling around with Bill Ayers except to attend kick off functions for his own campaign at the Ayers' home and sitting on the same boards with Ayers, Obama really and truly didn't talk to the governor about who he should pick to succeed him as senator. Change you can believe in? Why, yes we can.
But then again, maybe we can't.
