Obama’s transparency policy: Don’t let the sunshine in

My column today follows up on the taxpayer-subsidized photos of the Scare Force One flyover that the White House doesn’t want us to see. Look how the administration responded to press questions yesterday:
At the daily press briefing, a reporter asked Mr. Gibbs why the White House had not authorized release of the photographs.
“I’ve watched CNN. I didn’t notice a lack of archival material from that flight,” Mr. Gibbs said.
“No, from inside the plane,” a reporter replied. “The photos they took, we haven’t seen those.”
“I don’t know where those are,” Mr. Gibbs said.
Greatest Transparency Ever!
This story is not going away.
Update: Flip-flop. They’re not off the hook yet.
***
The selective transparency of Barack Obama
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2009
Sunlight is for suckers. The New York Post reported on Tuesday that the White House will not release the $328,835 snapshots taken of the president’s Boeing VC-25A that buzzed lower Manhattan. The entire world has seen news and amateur photos and videos of the incident. But if President Obama has his way, taxpayers won’t be able to see the flyover photos they paid for with their own money.
This will make for an interesting response to my Freedom of Information Act requests. After the bizarre mission caused distress and panic among countless New York City residents who were intentionally left in the dark about the photo-op stunt, I filed two public records requests with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Joint Staff FOIA Requester Service Center. The first one requests any and all communication — including e-mail and other public records and including any and all correspondence between the White House Military Office, Department of Defense, and other agencies — related to the planned federal aerial mission over New York City on April 27, 2009. Specifically, I requested all public records related to and including the flight manifests, and related to the origin of the request for the mission. The second filing requests any and all photos taken during the planned federal aerial mission approved by the White House Military Office.
What rationale could they possibly use to stifle public disclosure? National security? These were glamour shots to enhance the Air Force One photo portfolio. That’s no secret. The White House ‘fessed up on that. Withholding the photos serves only one purpose: protecting the backsides of those involved in this botched p.r. mission.
From Day One, President Obama has demonstrated a rather self-serving selectivity when it comes to transparency. The Obama White House rushed to reverse an 18-year ban photographing the flag-draped coffins of troops arriving back on American soil. And at the behest of the American Civil Liberties Union, his administration is set to release at least 21 classified photographs by May 28 showing detainee abuse in prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Openness in government is fine if it hurts America’s reputation, but not if it harms Obama’s.
Moreover, hostility to transparency is a running thread through Obama’s cabinet:
• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for years fought disclosure of massive donations from foreign governments and corporations who filled her husband’s library and foundation coffers.
• Top Obama advisor David Axelrod ran fear-mongering astro-turf campaigns in support of a huge utility rate hike – and failed to disclose that the ads were funded for Commonwealth Edison in Chicago.
• Labor Secretary Hilda Solis failed to disclose that she was director and treasurer of a union-promoting lobbying group pushing legislation that she was co-sponsoring.
• Attorney General Eric Holder overruled his own lawyers in the Justice Department over the issue of D.C. voting rights (which he and President Obama support) and refused to make public the staffers’ opinion that a House bill on the matter was unconstitutional.
• And as I reported last month, Obama’s nominee for the No. 2 official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, former King County, Wash. Executive Ron Sims, has the distinction of being the most fined government official in his state’s history for suppressing public records from taxpayers.
President Obama set the tone, breaking his transparency pledge with the very first bill he signed into law. On January 29, the White House announced that Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act had been posted online for review. One problem: Obama had already signed it – in violation of his “sunlight before signing” pledge to post legislation for public comment on the White House website five days before he sealed any deal.
Obama broke the pledge again with the mad rush to pass his trillion-dollar, pork-stuffed stimulus package full of earmarks he denied existed. Jim Harper of the Cato Institute reported in April 2009: “Of the eleven bills President Obama has signed, only six have been posted on Whitehouse.gov. None have been posted for a full five days after presentment from Congress…”
It’s this utter disregard for taxpayer accountability that prompted hundreds of thousands of citizens to take to the streets on Tax Day 2009 for Tea Party protests. The trampling of transparency inspired signs that read: “No legislation without deliberation” and “READ THE BILL FIRST.” Obama’s response was first to claim that he hadn’t even heard of the Tea Party movement and then, on his 100-day celebration, to deride all those Americans he is supposed to represent of “playing games.”
Projection, anyone? When it comes to toying with transparency, President Obama is a master at “playing games.”
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Trackbacks
- Transparency in Obama’s Government « Popgun’s World
- The Truth Is: Team Obama and The National Media Have To Grow Up Fast « Peace and Freedom Promises
- Obama Refuses to Release Photos from ‘Secret’ NYC Flyover That Terrified New Yorkers… ‘Era of Transparency’ Gets Murky « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Obama, Tell Me Lies… Tell Me Sweet Little Lies « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Terror in New York - Obama will not release photo op pictures « Jim Blazsik
- Let The Sun Shine, Let The Sun Shine In « Vets On The Watch
- Why “the recession is over.” | The Anchoress
- Finger in Scare Force One Photos Prompts Obama Middle Finger
- Enough of the Nonsense & Secrecy, Mr. President: Journalist Michelle Malkin Files ‘Freedom of Information Act’ Requests for Public Records on NYC Flyover « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Dangerously Incompetent « Urbin Report
- DSP: Obama’s transparency policy: Don’t let the sunshine in | Democrat Socialist Party
- Professor Athena: Ineffectual Rhymes with Intellectual « Temple of Mut
- God Bless, Obama! « Peace and Freedom Promises
- The so called Obama administration ‘transparency’ | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Mudville Gazette
- $328,835 Snapshots Not Released: Hey what’s money when you are printing it! « Dianej’s Weblog
- Michelle Malkin » Flip-flop: White House to release “a photo” of Scare Force One flyover
- White House to Release Photo From New York Flyover « Peace and Freedom Promises
- Steynian 352 « Free Canuckistan!
- Michelle Malkin: The Selective Transparency of Obama; Scare Force One Pics are Requested through FOIA by numerous sources « Just Americans Making Ethical Statements Weblog
- Obama Gang Freaks Out New York City With 9/11 Plane Stunt « BUUUUURRRRNING HOT
- Transparency. « Little Platoons
- FOIA Request Filed by <i>Unequal Time</i> for Photos from Air Force One NYC Fly-over | Unequal Time
- Michelle Malkin: The Selective Transparency of Obama; Scare Force One Pics are Requested through FOIA by numerous sources | New World News
- DSP: Obama’s transparency policy: Don’t let the sunshine in | Democrat Socialist Party : Democrat Socialist Party
- » LOC 12: I Took A Malkin Left Of Center: Internet Radio Where Nothing Is Sacred.
- Unexpected Criticism from Camille Paglia: ‘Simpering WH Press Sec. Robert Gibbs Should Be Fired for Dismissive Attitude of NYC Air Force One Flyover’ « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- The Greenroom » Forum Archive » Transparency Update
- Slublog
- Air Force One Flyover FOIA Update, Part Deux | Unequal Time
- Another Negative 2 — Obama’s Approval Rating Index Continues to Tank « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Michelle Malkin » Friday Photo Dump: Defense Dept. releases a pile of Manhattan fly-by pics, manifest
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We’ll eventually get those overpriced photos, but Gibbs will always be a clueless looking, arrogant White House tool.
Sic ‘em, Michelle!
Sunshine is only necessary when showing off his magnificent glistening pecs!
Why waste the light otherwise?
Ya, but we have to release MORE Abu Ghraib photos that might actually make soldiers look bad and help motivate more terrorists……but we can’t have the POTUS looking bad now can we……
Excellent!
You are liable to make someone mad.
Git er done!!!
Is there anything that isn’t skin deep on this guy? From his culture to his ethics to his so-called “open government,” top that off with a heavy overdose of arrogance, elitism and entitlement, and you’re left with the classic narcissist liberal who gives rights to himself that don’t even exist while denying the most basic rights to everyone else. He won’t release these pics for the sole reason he doesn’t want to…he feels himself unaccountable to anyone for anything, and he knows it’s just a tad unlikely congress or msm will hold him to account. Good luck to you MM in your efforts.
The American Dictator and his thugs are winning. The American people are losing.
It all depends on what your definition of “transparency” is. After all, as Humpty Dumpty said to Alice, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more or less.”
Good luck. The real fight here is the MSM. Docs received through FOIA don’t mean much if the corrupt MSM ignores their charge.
The pics probably show Obama gazing out the window at the Statue of Liberty as they buzzed it during this photo shoot that he knew nothing about.
Ya, what vsatt said!
I still can’t believe people voted for this dill weed.
the cockroach in the wh and its minions are simply put, morons. transparency, classified, yeah, right.
Maybe I missed something. I thought the photos were being taken of the outside of the plane from a fighter jet. Is there any evidence of a camera being used inside the plane?
You know someone on that plane will eventually sell cell phone pictures to National Enquirer or somewhere. I bet BHO and his cronies were on that plane laughing their heads off. Do we as taxpayers get our money back if they don’t release those photos? What a waste of taxpayer money! I wonder what TOTUS has to say about this today???
WTH? Is CNN the official medium of the State now? Mr. Gibbs needs to get out more…
Except that Obama was giving a public speech, on camera, at the time.
I thought he could do more than one thing at a time? I forgot about his public appearance(s). . .so many I can’t keep up!
Keep up the pressure Michelle. Good Job!
Last week there was a comment about the flight being similar to the ‘Lincoln bedroom’ ….and I can’t help from thinking of movies that are being made(?) about the glorious BHO’s life.
Can’t wait to find out the truth about this. And I still don’t know why a leak hasn’t occurred.
This clown has been in office for a little over a hunderd days, he’s already made over a hundred mistakes, but he is still running against Bush. What is good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander.
Not yet…but soon!
BTW. As Obama’s head art dude said…the White House loves MSNBC!
I would hope the pilot of an F-16 would be busy flying the jet, rather than taking candid photos…and, there’s not room for another person in that configured cockpit, but hey, I could be wrong…
Surely this was something more than a photo shoot…wasn’t it? That just makes no sense to me…
minitrue workreq 05/05/10/08:17.25
04/27/09 miniwar photfile nyc af1 specmis doubleplusungood refs nonevent.
rectify photfile update puppy and update hand-hold.
antesub presscorps standard coop
And America made one BIG one.
I don’t buy the BS for one minute either. Snipe hunt down a rabbit trail.
Maybe George of the Hut wanted a quick ride.
“I’ve watched CNN. I didn’t notice a lack of archival material from that flight,” Mr. Gibbs said.
He doesn’t watch Fox? I guess CNN really does stand for “Communist News network”.
I’m with Michelle on this one: just show me the flight manifest and the photos, please. We’ll work on the college transcripts, passports, and birth records later.
And both hands are required to fly the plane. If the pilot releases the joystick with his right hand, the plane automatically trims out to level flight.
On another note, if someone were to take those released photos of AbuGhraib and put them on a t-shirt and wear it around town, would that be a hate crime?
Spaceycakes,
Apparently one of the F-16 was equipped with a camera.
F-16s
I do not really care to see the photos of the aircraft over New York.
However, I am VERY VERY VERY interested in any photographs taken INSIDE the aircraft. I would also LOVE to see the passenger manifest of who was on board that aircraft.
That is what the story may be IMHO. We could find it was the Great Lincoln Bedroom in the sky joyride for high rolling Obama donors.
Great column! Eventually the MSM will get fed up with the Obama Administration and do their jobs, but it will take work like this to force the issue.
MM said:Openness in government is fine if it hurts America’s reputation, but not if it harms Obama’s.
Middle Eastern land surveyors?
Yes, leveled for horse racing.
I am so proud of you, Michelle. Thank you for doing this.
This story has stuck in my craw since it happened, in part because I was in mid-air on a New England-to-westerly flight precisely while the 9/11 passengers were saying their last prayers headed toward the towers. And because my wife, a UAL f/a, could easily have met the fate of the brave crews on those plans.
Heads should and better roll over this. Thanks for keeping up the pressure.
That ain’t all. Apparently Sheriff Joe who was going to track every dime of porkulushas had a change of assignment.
Add that to tomorrow’s the lack of disclosure on toxic assets from the “stress tests”, there sure isn’t much sunshine coming out of Washington these days.
I don’t remember, where was Mrs “O” on that day?
And isn’t it possible that there could have been some high-end Dem donors on board, a sort of Obama twist on the Clinton’s Lincoln Bedroom scandal?
Yeah, we get that.
Just what I was thinking flyoverman….This may have waste of money stamped all over it, right when the economy is in “shambles”. Who got the joy ride?
Yes.
I fully support MM’s FOIA request.
Excellent as always Michelle.
Still waiting on a response to why he’s racking up a million dollar plus legal bill protecting a ten cent piece of paper that shows where he was born…
Somebody look for Oprah…or Zetuni…or the gal in Florida…
I believe the manifest will show many high level donors that were being rewarded for their donations. I think, maybe, they are not so happy they were on that plane right about now.
The other amazing thing here the the utter stupidity of flying a jumbo jet on a low-level path over Manhattan. I dumb can you possibly be?
I wonder at times if this whole thing with withholding documents and pictures and such is not all simply a “because I can” thing with the Obamanation.
He is drunk on the luxuries provided by taxpayer money that he sees as his own bank account, to do whatever he wants and wherever he wants.
On top of that he has the media right there to protect him from the embarrassment of making a mistake, and to give him a tongue bath for every stupid little thing he does.
His ego is massive. His arrogance unbelievable. He thinks he deserves all this. That it’s owed to him, which sounds a lot like other people who share similar characteristics to him.
Maybe someday we can point and laugh as he is forced to live the life his brother lives right now.
I doubt that we’ll ever see that day though.
Just thought I’d mention this: Most F-16s are single seat, but the Air Force does have a small quantity of 2 seat F16s. They aren’t used much except for things like this. I’m rather certain I have actually seen them, though.
On Topic: I, too, am perplexed at why the pictures aren’t available. At a cost of over $300k, I am quite sure money for top-notch retouching was included and they should be processed and available by now. Hmmmmm.
Go Michelle! And be careful starting your car.
My guess is that they just want this to go away. If the purpose of the mission was for some other reason, the pictures don’t exist. If they then were to release old or photo shopped pictures, they would very likely get busted.
If the mission was for the frivolous purpose reported, why release the pictures? It just extends the shelf life of the story.
…since birth.
Thanks, MM, for doing the heavy lifting by going through the FOIA request process – asking for the photos will turn out to be a long, hard,dragged out process, especially if they need time to get their propaganda organized. I am wondering why there wasn’t an apology to not only those frightened New Yorkers, but to all Americans for this ridiculous fly-over. Ask me, “lucy, you got a lot of ’splaining to do!”
Yeesh!
Just to be safe, drive the same year Monte Carlo that Bobby Deniro had in the movie Casino.
Yeesh! Make sure you drive the same year Monte Carlo that Bobby Deniro drove in the movie Casino.
The planes buzzed lower Manhattan three times. The first pass wouldn’t get many pictures of scared people, but the second and third pass would. Those pics would add to The One’s agony. He only wants the ecstasy part of the leadership thing when in transparency mode.
Could it be that photos taken inside the plane show who was actually on the plane? My guess – absolutely.
Just like the transcript and birth certificate requests. If we ignore it long enough…
Michelle O, scoping out NYC shoe stores.
Their egos would require that they have photographs taken of them on The President’s aircraft.
Michelle,
May I suggest you also request transcripts or audio tapes of the Air Traffic Control Center that monitored and directed the flight?
If the ATC refers to the aircraft as “Air Force One” guess who was on board.
“Give me dat fillum! Give me dat fillum!”
- Gene Roth (DUNKED IN THE DEEP, 1949)
Oh,no…Attack of the Stooges…
LMAO
So far, she was unaccounted for. This was a half day deal for those on that plane.
Maybe they feel a need to ‘clasify’ M Obama’s ‘guest’ list?
I have been thinking the same thing. A flyabout on Airforce 1 at taxpayers expense as payback to Obama’s cronies and/or big campaign donors. Trumps the Clintons’ selling of one of our national treasures, the Lincoln Bedroom, to slime balls for favors. Clintons just weren’t thinking big enough. However, it may not be true. They are now trying to pass it off as a training mission for pilots, secret service, etc. They’ve had plenty of time to think this one up as a plausible explanation. I don’t buy it. Something stinks to high heaven on this, and I applaud MM and Fox News for going after it through the Freedom of Info Act.
I wonder what the in-flight movie was that day?
‘The Manchurian Candidate’?
Hmmmmm. I wonder what they are up to?
From recovery.gov:
Can’t see the spending on the Scare Force One stunt
“Airplane”
First Jive Dude: Shiiiiit, maaaaan. That honky muf’ be messin’ mah old lady… got to be runnin’ cold upside down his head, you know?
Second Jive Dude: Hey home’, I can dig it. Know ain’t gonna lay no mo’ big rap up on you, man!
First Jive Dude: I say hey, sky… subba say I wan’ see…
Second Jive Dude: Uh-huh.
First Jive Dude: …pray to J I did the same ol’ same ol’!
Second Jive Dude: Hey… knock a self a pro, Slick! That gray matter backlot perform us DOWN, I take TCB-in’, man!
First Jive Dude: Hey, you know what they say: see a broad to get dat booty yak ‘em…
First Jive Dude, Second Jive Dude: …leg ‘er down a smack ‘em yak ‘em!
First Jive Dude: COL’ got to be! Y’know? Shiiiiit.
——————————————————————————–
Randy: Can I get you something?
Second Jive Dude: ‘S’mofo butter layin’ me to da’ BONE! Jackin’ me up… tight me!
Randy: I’m sorry, I don’t understand.
First Jive Dude: Cutty say ‘e can’t HANG!
Jive Lady: Oh stewardess! I speak jive.
Randy: Oh, good.
Jive Lady: He said that he’s in great pain and he wants to know if you can help him.
Randy: All right. Would you tell him to just relax and I’ll be back as soon as I can with some medicine?
Jive Lady: Jus’ hang loose, blood. She gonna catch ya up on da’ rebound on da’ med side.
Second Jive Dude: What it is, big mama? My mama no raise no dummies. I dug her rap!
Jive Lady: Cut me some slack, Jack! Chump don’ want no help, chump don’t GET da’ help!
First Jive Dude: Say ‘e can’t hang, say seven up!
Jive Lady: Jive ass dude don’t got no brains anyhow! Hmmph!
Rogue‘…oh, and we’re out of coffee…AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!…’
Methinks someone has been spending too much time in the aura of the Clintons!
Regarding documentation:
“I don’t know where those are,” Mr. Gibbs said.
“I don’t know where those are,” Mrs. Clinton said.
Deja vu all over again?
——————————————————————————–
Rumack: I won’t deceive you, Mr. Striker. We’re running out of time.
Ted Striker: Surely there must be something you can do.
Rumack: I’m doing everything I can… and stop calling me Shirley.
Elaine: Would you gentlemen care to order your dinners?
First Jive Dude: Bet, babe. Slide a piece o’ da’ porter. Drinks, I run da’ java.
Second Jive Dude: Lookie here. I can dig grease ‘n chompin’ on some buns and draggin’ through the garden.
Jack Kirkpatrick: What’s going on here? We have a right to know the truth!
Rumack: [to Mr. Hammen and the rest of the passengers] All right, I’m going to level with you all. But what’s most important now is that you remain calm. There is no reason to panic.
[Rumack's nose grows an inch long]
Rumack: Now, it’s true that one of the crew members is ill… slightly ill.
[Rumack's nose continues to grow longer and longer; al la Pinocchio]
Rumack: But the other two pilots… they’re just fine. They’re at the controls flying the plane… free to peruse a life of religious fulfillment
These are not the photos I knew …
But it doesn’t matter what he or his people did, I would vote for him again and again and again. And besides, Booosh…
Hey T-Bone, I think your “sarc-lock” key is stuck on.
I agree, the list of those on the Air Farce One flight will be kept with Obambi’s birth certificate and college papers and other stuff that must be kept secret…..however, this stuff just might leak out from some of the fat cat doners and friends of Obama.
“Vanity is the natural weakness of an ambitious man, which exposes him to the secret scorn and derision of those he converses with, and ruins the character he is so industrious to advance by it.”
Joseph Addison
“The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride and arrogance.”
Samuel Butler
You forgot to mention the DOE sitting on that report on the effectiveness of charter schools until after the vote to dismantle them in DC
In Obama’s case it’s not vanity…it’s narcissism!
Oh. You mean the ones released 2 1/2 month earlier than any of the previous reports had been released?
F16s can take recon photos
automatically, The pilot just starts the camera and off they go. I would immagine they have cameras that can take picuctures down their gun sights.
reconnaissance?
See? I told you I could be wrong, but now I ask, what quality are these photos? Are they the ‘glossy-good-enough-for-coverofNewsweek’ kind?
the real reason for trying to keep this quiet is because everyone on the flight was drunk and having gay sex- including the flight crew.
Why wouldn’t they send up another plane with “good” cameras and angles etc? There must be many planes that can keep up with Air Force Zero and provide camara shoot angles etc.
Why only F-16’s. I suppose that the F16’s always follow or are around Air Force Zero but why have them do double duty. Of course they have cameras but are they the right cameras for photo ops.
Something is not right. Doesn’t sound very transparent. Of course, that is a given in my book. Obama is all about politics. By any means neccesary. What he says and what he does are not always the same but both are always done for political purposes.
The wife, the kids, the dog…
Somewhere an Air Force flight crew goes out for drinks and shoots the breeze…