Most Transparent White House Ever Rewrote The FOIA To Supress Politically Sensitive Docs

As some of you may know...I have posted a number of threads recently, trying everything I can to show the utter and complete lawlessness of the US Gov and it's current leader...Barak Obama.

I must admit...there was once a time when I thought Cheney and his pet monkey...GW Bush were among the most lawless group ever to inhabit the White House...was I wrong about that.

For your consideration

It's Sunshine Week, so perhaps some enterprising White House reporter will ask press secretary Jay Carney why President Obama rewrote the Freedom of Information Act without telling the rest of America.

The rewrite came in an April 15, 2009, memo from then-White House Counsel Greg Craig instructing the executive branch to let White House officials review any documents sought by FOIA requestors that involved "White House equities."

That phrase is nowhere to be found in the FOIA, yet the Obama White House effectively amended the law to create a new exception to justify keeping public documents locked away from the public.

How serious an attack on the public's right to know is the Obama administration's invention of the "White House equities" exception?

"FOIA is designed to inform the public on government behavior; White House equities allow the government to withhold information from the media, and therefore the public, by having media requests forwarded for review. This not only politicizes federal agencies, it impairs fundamental First Amendment liberties," Cause of Action explains in its report.

Washingto n Examiner Article....here

I don't know about you....but I've had it with this criminal. He changes and ammends laws with NO CONSITUTIONAL AUTHORITY. The Congress has failed utterly in their responsibilites...they have just given up their obligation to the American people and violated their oath to the Constitution...a common practice in Washington these days.

Given that Obama is currently going AGAINST the Senate by blocking an oh so damning set of reports on the utter failure of the CIA's torture program, and he has done everything in his power to throw a blanket of secrecy over the entire government....why aren't the American people outraged?? They are spying on your POLITICIANS even!! If you can't see the inherent threat this poses...then you are just turning a blind eye at this point.

Now he is rewriting the FOIA laws to hide public documents....and who knows what else.

I just see these stories again and again...and think to myself....why is the 2nd ammendment the only one that Americans seem to be able to be passionate about?

You are in real danger of losing your republic and your democracy...if you haven't already.

I leave you with this...

The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.

Benjamin Franklin

What say you ATS....what do you think it's going to take...a strongly worded letter?....or outright mass civil disobedience?

I can only guess the original slogan should have been "Yes I can!"

reply to post by deadcalm


Absolute disgrace...It's simply my opinion but this current administration that includes the congress and the senate have single handedly ruined this country and the hope for progress...

deadcalm
I just see these stories again and again...and think to myself....why is the 2nd amendment the only one that Americans seem to be able to be passionate about?

I wouldn't be surprised if that's the mastercraft of the intelligence agencies shaping public opinion, to divert attention away from the real issues at hand (such as the news event you mentioned).

I wouldn't be surprised if that's the mastercraft of the intelligence agencies shaping public opinion, to divert attention away from the real issues at hand

reply to post by brazenalderpadrescorpio


Star for you and I wish i could give you more....this has been my thought as well. We already know, through leaks from Ed Snowdon (Thanks ED!)...that the NSA is planting operatives all over the net to do just what you suggest...that is to shape public opinion and steer debate...and therefore, the issues we are all discussing.

Thats part of the problem now....we have nobody we can trust...including ourselves. If our very opinions and thoughts are being manipulated through print, media and the net...can we even trust our own perceptions?

This has to stop....there has to be a way.

What good is the second ammendment if you've already lost all the others?

Excellent insight.

Yep. It was during Bush too. I have a thread around here somewhere that shows the tit for tat of the Bush v Obama "thing" (whatever this "thing" is).

Example: They made a fuss over Bush saying, "Now watch this drive..." so now we must make fun of Obama golfing.

And the list goes on and on and on. This is all like a really bad case of deja vu for those of us who actually remember things. Or maybe more like a bad rash. The just keep rewriting the headlines.

From 2009: Bush Signs FOIA Rewrite

For all of you who still believe it matters who's in the White House? it doesn't.

reply to post by ~Lucidity


So, are you saying just because you think Bush was a crap President...it's perfectly fine and acceptable that Obama is a crap President?

Just wondering on the logic in your argument...

Des

For all of you who still believe it matters who's in the White House? it doesn't.

reply to post by ~Lucidity


I was unaware of that...thanks for posting it.

The American people have very obviously, been sleeping at the wheel. It's time that they wake up....and quickly.

reply to post by deadcalm


You know what one of his first acts in office was don't you?

Among Obama’s first acts as President was the issuance on Jan. 21, 2009 of a memo to cabinet and other officials admonishing transparency. The same day he declared that “transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.”

That's right, he sent out a memo, Admonishing Transparency. Admonishing, is a verb means to warn or reprimand someone firmly.
synonyms: reprimand, rebuke, scold, reprove, reproach, upbraid, chastise, chide, berate, criticize, take to task, read the riot act to, rake/haul over the coals... am I right?

As it turns out, Obama has been the most aggressive President ever in going after leakers of classified information, charging six whistleblowers under the Espionage Act, more than all previous Presidents combined.

Times

reply to post by deadcalm


April 15th 2009 bs is just now getting attention? Really?

If people would focus on current events a bit more, we might just stop re-electing the same idiots time after time.

The people running our Country were elected....... You reap what you sow!

KawRider9
reply to post by deadcalm

 

April 15th 2009 bs is just now getting attention? Really?

If people would focus on current events a bit more, we might just stop re-electing the same idiots time after time.

The people running our Country were elected....... You reap what you sow!

And it will cycle around next election. Two peas from different pods will shine themselves up and tell you all how it's gonna change but they both come from the same plant. Whoever grew and watered that plant, runs the freaking farm!

ETA: Maybe I shouldn't have ever read "Being there"

Absolute disgrace.

reply to post by chrismarco


It is certainly that...but so much more. Look at the bigger picture here...Obama is inch by inch assuming a whole slew of executive powers he doesn't have...setting a dangerous precident.

dictatorship (dɪkˈteɪtəˌʃɪp)

— n
1. the rank, office, or period of rule of a dictator
2. government by a dictator or dictators
3. a country ruled by a dictator or dictators
4. absolute or supreme power or authority

He can...and has assumed the power to kill American citizens abroad...he's pulling laws out of his a$$, and is doing everything in his power...and out of it...to hide what the government is doing...arbitrarily deciding what laws to follow and to whom those laws are applied.....although the US is not a pure dictatorship yet...it's getting perilously close.

deadcalm
Now he is rewriting the FOIA laws to hide public documents....and who knows what else.

Funny how you did not whine about it when Bush did the same....

Associate Attorney General Webster L. Hubbell to the principal FOIA administrative and legal contacts at all federal agencies on November 3, 1993, regarding the FOIA consultation procedures required for any White House-originated record or information found in agency files:

www.justice.gov...

But as that was Bush you ignored it!

It was not a rewrite, if you actually read the memo you would have seen it was just a reminder....

reply to post by deadcalm


All any President needs to do is say, "It's a matter of national security" and *POOF* that's that!

When it comes to the current NWO government puppets, "Freedom" the word in itself, is nothing but a dream for those of us born into serfdom. "Freedom" at least in my eyes, is nothing more than a four letter word to give people a false hope that things will get better, despite the fact that everything that is being done, is to put us in our rightful place in a "Brave New World" of slavery.

Funny how you did not whine about it when Bush did the same....

reply to post by hellobruce


I was completely unaware of that until 5 mins ago....so thats spectacularily unfair.

But...trust me...there are plenty of other reasons that G Bush should be arrested and jailed...along with most of his administaration. I'll just add that to my list.

Thanks for your input.

deadcalm
But...trust me...there are plenty of other reasons that G Bush should be arrested and jailed.

No need for a trial, just arrest and jail anyone you do not like!

No need for a trial, just arrest and jail anyone you do not like!

reply to post by hellobruce


My personal like or dislike have nothing to do with it....I have no doubt in my mind, that in a fair trial....he would be found guilty of a number of crimes, war crimes...and crimes of agression....certainly enough to jail him for many years.

I'm not sure if you picked this up from my post, but I'm advocating a return to the rule of law and the Constitution.

He'd be tried in a court of law by a jury of his peers...just like the Constitution says....happy now?

reply to post by minkmouse


"Change you can believe in" is one of my personal favorites.

Cute cat BTW....

[

hellobruce

deadcalm


Funny how you did not whine about it when Bush did the same...

Funny how neither you nor deadcalm were members of ATS when Bush was President, yet you make such remarks. . . why?

edit on 19-3-2014 by azdaze because: (no reason given)