Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Words vs. Actions Again

The Bush Administration took action, considered rather shocking at the time, to deny access to the visitor's logs at the White House, claiming that a list of who visited that building was part of Presidential Privilege. A judge ruled more than two years ago that such a claim was nonsense, and the Bush Administration has an appeal of the ruling which is still pending.

Guess what, the Obama Administration is denying access to those logs for its visitors under the same claim, and is continuing to press the former administration's appeal of the court ruling. The President who promised a whole new level of "transparency in government" apparently is of the opinion that transparency doesn't including letting the public know who is visiting him; letting us know what lobbying groups have access to his office and what ones don't, which power brokers are getting his ear, which members of the corporatocracy are talking to him, etc. Mr. Obama has a different definition of "transparency" than I do.

More and more I am seeing a President who says one thing and does another on issues of principle. Certainly he is doing some good things, and certainly he is a better president than any of the alternatives would have been. But this pattern of talking idealistically and then acting in the same old political manner is becoming increasingly disturbing. How long can I believe anything he says?

As the head of the organization who filed for the logs, and is now having to sue for them, said, "It's great that President Obama made this commitment to transparency. But now you [sic] need to make good on it."

He said in the campaign that he would work to reverse the Defense of Marriage Act and to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell on military service for gays. He has done neither and when asked about them, he has dodged the question, claiming that he will get to them when he has time or some such thing. Reversing DADT doesn't even risk using any political capital since, as Dick Pohlman points out, it has become widely accepted that gays should serve openly in our military.

He admits that he does "not favor gay marriage" and, given his proclivity
for saying one thing and acting otherwise on matters of principle, I am beginning to think that offers a clue. He is a converted Christian and Reverend Wright was his mentor. I wonder if he is as supportive of gay rights as he claims he is.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous1:58 PM

    actually his brief on DOMA was corect, even though he may and probably will push to overturn it , legislation is required. DADT was a cruel joke IMHO, anyone who has been in the military knows that gays serve in the military most (probably darn near all) werent bothered because of it and honestly most didnt go around parading it. you do your job and move on , what you do in your spare time wasnt a reflection on your work.

    BTW , nice picture of the Diablo, shame what happened to her

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