Michelle Malkin » Document drop: The story behind Change.gov

Document drop: The story behind Change.gov

By Michelle Malkin • December 20, 2008 09:52 AM

I’ve obtained documents sent to a reader in response to his FOIA request regarding the creation of Barack Obama’s Change.gov website. It gives you the rest of the story. You’ll recall last month that I blogged several questions about the propriety of allowing the perpetual Obama campaign to use a .gov domain name for what appeared to be a fund-raising front. Readers and industry observers noted that the decision appeared to violate General Services Administration rules governing government domains.

Guess what? They were right. The FOIA documents sent to Lance O., which he forwarded to me, reveal that the GSA initially rejected Obama’s application for “Change.gov.” On Oct. 21, Peter Alterman, Deputy Associate Administrator of Technology Strategy at the GSA, denied the Obama campaign’s request for a government domain because:

1) It would be a a violation of the government’s naming conventions (too generic); and

2) using ‘change’ in the domain name would be political, since it was the trademark slogan of the Obama campaign.

The day after the election, on Nov. 5, GSA Chief Information Officer Casey Coleman overruled Alterman after apparently receiving a waiver from Chris Lu, Executive Director of Obama’s Transition Project. As reader Lance discovered through his FOIA request, Ms. Coleman did not elaborate on the granting of this waiver except to say that she had “determined that it is in the best interest of the Federal Government to register the subject domain name.”

As another GSA official who facilitated the convenient change in policy regarding change.gov exulted to the Obama campaign after the domain was granted, “Rock and roll!”

Thanks to reader Lance for filing the FOIA request and giving us a peek into the GSA bureaucracy for change.

***

Here’s the initial denial:

***

Here’s Obama transition director Chris Lu’s waiver request:

***

Here’s GSA internal email discussing the decision to proceed with the domain main conferral. And yes, that does say “Rock and roll!:”

***
Here’s the notice of an official GSA point of contact being assigned to the domain on Nov. 5 and a determination that it’s in the “best interest of the federal government” to register change.gov:

***

And here are internal notes and public feedback records by GSA showing the change in policy and attitude:

From a concerned citizen, who wrote GSA:

Yes, apparently he was mistaken. The strict rules do not apply when you invoke CHANGE.

And now you know…the rest of the story.

Posted in: Barack Obama

Regular View

comments (112)

trackbacks (36)

See what others have said

Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.

Trackbacks

Trackback URL

Comments

« Older Comments

#575689

On December 21st, 2008 at 8:57 am, WaterBoyz said:

Can’t even win against a clown.

Al Franken’s campaign says it expects the reconciliation of withdrawn challenges next week to result in a 35-50 vote lead for Franken in the Minnesota Senate race.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2008/12/21/franken-campaign-predicts-sentate-win-votes/
#575690

On December 21st, 2008 at 9:03 am, TMoney said:

nObama hates kids! And parents who have them!

Change.gov…but don’t try to change a baby at the Chosen’s parade or inauguration!

I wonder if that’s good for Michelle’s kids.
#575698

On December 21st, 2008 at 10:28 am, Cogs said:

Just one of the many abuses we can expect from the Obama administration. Obama gets what he wants and the MSM worships him. Remember, don’t waste your questions…
#575702

On December 21st, 2008 at 11:03 am, happyscrapper said:

On December 20th, 2008 at 11:13 am, alamb said:
that’s exactly right WaterBoyz. Obama is going to campaign, as President, and use all tools available to galvanize, organize his troops to push his agenda. IS THIS LEGAL? For sure we need to counter this infamy big time!

So, if you are powerful and corrupt enough, you can by-pass any rule or law you want. So he will be by-passing the constitution. Oh, wait…
#575703

On December 21st, 2008 at 11:33 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

graysonret
Be prepared to see a movement to abolish the 22nd amendment.

I can well imagine a movement by some of his sycophants, include him, to make Barack Hussein-Allah be Praised-Obama President for Life. The FlyOvers have voted once, no need to bother them again with such decisions.
Barack Hussein-Allah be Praised-Obama would not be the first tyrant to feel that way.
There is SOME reason he and his goons will not open his birth certificate to the public. These SOBs are taking our Constitution apart-now we have a man elected president we have no reason to believe is a natural born citizen. The 22nd Amendment would be a trifling to these people.
Hence the reason the Founders insisted on the 2nd Amendment.
#575729

On December 21st, 2008 at 1:14 pm, dadinseattle said:

Special rules for a special guy!

Coming soon:

The_one.gov

Michelle_says.gov

White_house_basketball.gov

Re_elect_me.gov

Wright_on.gov

Ayers_on_education.gov

no_involvement_from_me.gov

stamp_out_dissent.com

The list is endless!
#575730

On December 21st, 2008 at 1:15 pm, RogerCfromSD said:

Barack and his posse are laughable.

He’s not effecting “change.” With all of his recycled Clinton appointments, it’s insulting that they even use that slogan any more.
#575748

On December 21st, 2008 at 3:02 pm, prendad said:

Gee, I wonder how our new fantastically marvelously wonderful president-elect cannot produce a birth certificate? Hey, Obama dude, after you get back from your 2 week Hawaii vacation, can you instruct some underling to publish proof that you are a United States citizen?
#575754

On December 21st, 2008 at 3:45 pm, WaterBoyz said:

On December 21st, 2008 at 3:02 pm, prendad said:

… some underling to publish proof that you are a United States citizen?

They’ve had plenty of time to create one. Maybe they are doing a focus group to see if it will pass.

You’ve heard the line … if you don’t have the truth, stall.
#575755

On December 21st, 2008 at 4:06 pm, TK-421 said:

Tsk TSK #91

Silly Detials don’t matter, two different superiour court cases aming to bring this up have been shot down by so called judges so the Feds will never see it.

Really not making it up, State Superiour Courts are refusing to take up that charge thus blocking the way for Federal action.
#575765

On December 21st, 2008 at 5:09 pm, akoypinoy said:

MM, you think we can use the FOIA on NoBama and force him to produce his original birth certificate and other documents that is being requested.
#575769

On December 21st, 2008 at 5:27 pm, On-my-soap-box said:

…wait for it…wait for it…wait for it…

Why I am not too upset over the big three.

$1.6B paid to failed bank exec’s

Now why is it people are upset with Soap?
#575783

On December 21st, 2008 at 8:05 pm, Jean said:

Hey yall

This is a bit off topic… but Im reading Michelle’s Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild… this book is great, amazing … I love it.

The topic I want to discuss is … has anyone thought of doing a movie based on the lunacy of the left?
#575788

On December 21st, 2008 at 9:20 pm, runningonfumes2 said:

On December 21st, 2008 at 10:28 am, Cogs said:

Just one of the many abuses we can expect from the Obama administration. Obama gets what he wants and the MSM worships him. Remember, don’t waste your questions…

Sad, but apparently all too true.
#575791

On December 21st, 2008 at 9:22 pm, runningonfumes2 said:

The topic I want to discuss is … has anyone thought of doing a movie based on the lunacy of the left?

Could have some real potential.
#575793

On December 21st, 2008 at 9:46 pm, chep said:

Revolution. The guy is not American and he is going into office. Cling to your guns. The economic meltdown is just getting ramped up. This is going to get ugly when he taxes the living daylights out of the citizens and big corporations as well as small businesses and “wealthy” people that make 200,000 dollars or more a year.

China is already starting in with protectionist tarrifs and it looks like Russia is too with their cars in Vladivostok. Obama better not give us a new version of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff or we’re all screwed!
#575809

On December 22nd, 2008 at 2:42 am, LC said:

I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
#575833

On December 22nd, 2008 at 9:05 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

At least for the first inauguration they will not use “So Help Me Allah“.
#575837

On December 22nd, 2008 at 9:34 am, Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul said:

Repeal of the 22nd Amendment may get the required supermajorities in Congress, but would not pass enough states. In a fair election, anyway. And there are still some decent states left like Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska, Utah, many of the Southern states, that moderate scale fraud may not be enough.

But if Obama does make the election system ACORN/Fraud friendly, easily done with natiownide same day registration and voting, preferably without picture ID, while he may not be legally able to serve a third term, his chosen successor, perhaps Michelle the Angry, could continue two more terms of a different President Obama.
#575838

On December 22nd, 2008 at 9:36 am, Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul said:

BTW, we are about to begin One Party rule by a party that pays more fealty to Karl Marx than the US Constitution.

The ‘Blue Dog’ Democrats include Loretta Sanchez, and aren’t really moderates, they only play them on TV because they don’t come from districts like Berkeley, Oakland, Austin, San Francisco, Madison or Brookline, MA and toeing the Marxist party line publically could lose them elections. The whip will let them know which ones can afford to “oppose” Obama’s budget busting and pr-abortion and gay rights measures while the legislation still passes.

And with the fillibuster margin down to 1 now that Weird Al Franken has stolen the Minnesota seat, and several Republican-Lites and outright RINOs like McCain, Specter, the two gals from Maine, don’t expect many, or maybe even any, successful filibusters.
#575889

On December 22nd, 2008 at 11:08 am, runningonfumes2 said:

And with the fillibuster margin down to 1 now that Weird Al Franken has stolen the Minnesota seat, and several Republican-Lites and outright RINOs like McCain, Specter, the two gals from Maine, don’t expect many, or maybe even any, successful filibusters.

Very good (dismal) analysis.
#575890

On December 22nd, 2008 at 11:08 am, tiredofit08 said:

If the status has changed from a political campaign to a federal program, what is the name of the new federal program?

CHANGE=

Come
Help
A
Nobody
Elitist
#575896

On December 22nd, 2008 at 11:12 am, Salt said:

On December 22nd, 2008 at 11:08 am, tiredofit08 said:

CHANGE=

Come
Help
A
Nobody
Elitist

What happened to “G”?
#575897

On December 22nd, 2008 at 11:13 am, runningonfumes2 said:

test post.
#575915

On December 22nd, 2008 at 11:36 am, Salt said:

On December 22nd, 2008 at 11:13 am, runningonfumes2 said:

test post.

I see your post now, but didn’t before… My post jumped from 103 to #107.

Weird
#576040

On December 22nd, 2008 at 1:36 pm, happyscrapper said:

And with the fillibuster margin down to 1 now that Weird Al Franken has stolen the Minnesota seat,

Since when has Franken won the MN seat? The recount isn’t over. He went temporarily ahead, but there are more to count. Why the assumption that he has won?
#576080

On December 22nd, 2008 at 3:00 pm, Mister P said:

“When you are looking at a Cabinet and you have such a small number of women in the room when the big decisions are being made, there need to be a lot more women’s voices in this administration,” said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women.

They had there change with Palin. Screw them.
#576123

On December 22nd, 2008 at 4:05 pm, MtsEdge said:

On December 22nd, 2008 at 3:00 pm, Mister P said:

“When you are looking at a Cabinet and you have such a small number of women in the room when the big decisions are being made, there need to be a lot more women’s voices in this administration,” said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women.

They had there change with Palin.

Don’tcha know, the only women who count are those that think like NOW???

/sarc