Monday, December 22, 2008

Team Obama discovers a loophole

The Audacity of Opacity:
Barack Obama is promising . . . he’ll disclose contacts between his staff and disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office, but he's stopped short of pledging to release e-mails or other records that could be key to understanding those contacts.
Whatever such records exist may never see the light of day, thanks to a gap in government records disclosure laws that allows presidential transition teams to keep their documents — even those prepared using taxpayer dollars — out of the public record.
The exemption from disclosure rules surprised some records law experts, and may prompt legislation from a leading Republican transparency advocate to apply the laws to presidential transition teams, which could compel Team Obama to preserve Blagojevich-related records for inspection, if only in the distant future.
But for now, a spokeswoman for President-elect Barack Obama said the transition team was not covered by a public information law that Politico cited in requesting copies of Obama staffers’ emails and notes about Blagojevich’s efforts to fill the Senate seat Obama vacated after winning the presidency.
Of course, attempting to hide information about the Blago case from a federal prosecutor would still be obstruction of justice. But unless Fitzpatrick brings such charges, those records will never see the light of day.

3 comments:

  1. Well hell, let's look into what Team Obama had for breakfast the last month leading into the investigation.
    This is all so cute, really. Luckily, this sad sad sad attempt on your part is terribly transparent.
    But leave it to the Cons to keep up the very charade that didn't work during the election. Operation "Suspicious Black Male" will work on the tiny base but won't work on the majority.You are the gift that keeps on giving.

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  2. @Y4E:
    The tragedy comes into play when conducting a thought experiment with reversed parties, and all else constant.
    Affiliation has everything to do with it; race, nothing.
    Stay amusing, sir.

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  3. @Y4E:
    Strange that when people scream to impeach Bush or try him for war crimes, you same folks come running out of the woodwork.

    Why does it not bother you that no matter WHAT is requested, record wise, from the Obama team he is always above it? From the release of his birth records, to his college records, to his involvement with the Chicago corruption?

    If he were McCain, you would be blogging and screaming the exact opposite. 'Republican Corruption Again' would be the cry. No need to argue against it, your comment serves to my point already. Hate Bush. Love Obama. Nothing more need be said, as your convictions are clear.

    I don't think Obama is guilty at all. But if he is to be my president, do I not have a right to know his involvement?

    Integrity matters.

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