Obama is fighting for a more transparent government

[Silence]

Obama's First Law Known As 'Google For Government' | U.S. Senator Barack Obama

The new law provides Americans with a new website, what Obama calls a "Google for government." Eventually, anyone will be able to type in a few key words and learn details of where federal tax dollars go, and perhaps whether those trillions are being spent wisely or foolishly.

It's a good-government measure designed to give journalists and average citizens access to budget secrets Washington insiders now try to hide, like that notorious "earmark" done late at night authorizing hundreds of millions of dollars for a bridge to a virtually uninhabited island up in Alaska, the so-called Bridge to Nowhere

Obama cited the new law as proof that, even though he is sometimes criticized by fellow Democrats for cooperating with Senate majority Reoublicans, the effort is worth it.

Fact check: Obama not bad in earmark category, disclosed requests - LiveDaily Community

Obama has not made any requests for the next fiscal year, and even when he was asking for earmarks, he was far from the worst offender, the group says.

"Just to put it into perspective, he got $98 million worth of earmarks in fiscal year 2008. Sen. [Hillary] Clinton got more than $300 million in earmarks, and Sen. [Thad] Cochran, Republican of the [Senate] Appropriations Committee, got $800 million in earmarks," Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense said.

FOXNews.com - Time to Shine Light on Government Spending - Opinion

Taxpayers usually have no way of finding out where their money actually goes or how it is truly spent. Government reform groups are trying to change that by pushing efforts at the federal, state and local level that would shine the light on government spending.

Enter Sen. Barack Obama, Rep. Ron Paul, Sen. Sam Brownback, Sen. Mike Gravel, Rep. Dennis Kucinch and Mr. John Cox. These presidential candidates have all embraced the concept of "Google government" by signing the Oath of Presidential Transparency— which is sponsored by a non-partisan coalition led by the Reason Foundation.

By signing the oath they are promising, should they win the presidency in 2008, that they will issue an executive order during their first month in office instructing the entire executive branch to put into practice the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, a Google-like search tool that will allow taxpayers to hop online and see exactly how their tax dollars are being spent on federal contracts, grants and earmarks.

Since these comments reflect such a basic principle of accountability, one is left wondering what Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have against providing taxpayers with details on how well their money is spent.

 

[WillowTree]

So why did Obama petition the DOJ to stop news about his involvement with Ayers??? Annenburg Papers?


transparency my aunt agnes. he is just more of the same old politics

 

[strollingbones]

google for government...cant we do that now? that stats are there....you just have to find them....why act like you need the freedom of information act or an act by obama to figure out what is already there?

 

[Silence]

So why did Obama petition the DOJ to stop news about his involvement with Ayers??? Annenburg Papers?


transparency my aunt agnes. he is just more of the same old politics

Obama Calls For Criminal Charges Against Ayers Ad Organization « In One Ear… Out the Other

5 days ago, August 21st, lawyers representing Barack Obama filed a request with the Department of Justice to investigate the American Issues Project, a non-profit 501(c)4 organization running an attack ad against Obama

That, however, is not the bone of contention between the American Issues Project and the Obama campaign; the American Issues Project is acting in blatant disregard for the rules which safeguard their non-profit status. A 501(c)4 is a social welfare organization, which can act in a political function if it advocates for a social welfare issue.

The Obama/Ayers ad is a clear violation against that rule and is part of the point the Obama camp is trying to make to the DOJ.

Obama Asks DOJ To Block Terrorist Ad, Investigate Donors

so if by stop "news" you mean the illegal ads run as smears? then yes I'd say Obama wanted those stopped. Not exactly an issue you have much ground on considering how whiny the GOP has become over Palin...



and ignoring the legislation he helped push through won't make it any less factual.

 

[WillowTree]

Obama Calls For Criminal Charges Against Ayers Ad Organization « In One Ear… Out the Other








Obama Asks DOJ To Block Terrorist Ad, Investigate Donors

so if by stop "news" you mean the illegal ads run as smears? then yes I'd say Obama wanted those stopped. Not exactly an issue you have much ground on considering how whiny the GOP has become over Palin...



and ignoring the legislation he helped push through won't make it any less factual.

Illegal ads? The DOJ declined to touch it! Illegal ads I don't think so.

 

[jillian]

Illegal ads? The DOJ declined to touch it! Illegal ads I don't think so.

you mean Baby Bush's DOJ??

 

[Silence]

google for government...cant we do that now? that stats are there....you just have to find them....why act like you need the freedom of information act or an act by obama to figure out what is already there?

strolling, no, I don't think you can access where exactly the money goes and what it gets used for...mainly because most Senators don't disclose what they request the money for.