Where is the Transparent Obama We Elected?

February 11, 2009

by Anna Lafferre

President Obama spent his first press conference making a case for his economic stimulus plan, informing citizens just how serious of a situation we’re in and explaining why his opponents are wrong. All these things are understandable, but Dan Froomkin of the Washington Post’s “White House Watch” put it best when he said “Obama filibustered.” In the entire hour, Obama took only 13 questions, and his answers were little more than mini-speeches. It would have been refreshing to hear Obama say, “You know what – this is a tough and frustrating situation we’re in. While I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like to lose my job and the ability to support my family, I am going to do everything I can to get this problem solved as quickly as possible. Here’s what I think is best.” However, his responses were lengthy and boring, and he took no follow-up questions.

While the conference was drawn out and somewhat painful at times, the most disappointing part was that his actions Monday night were in direct contrast to his position on transparency in government. Back when he was campaigning, Obama promised that if he was elected he would shine a light on government spending, open the executive branch to the public and end the practice of writing legislation behind closed doors – all in the name of transparency. Government transparency was Obama’s route to regaining the American people’s trust in the federal system.

After he was elected, but before he took office, he created the extremely popular Change.gov, where citizens could get updated on the transition. Most importantly, Change.gov allowed visitors to leave comments and ideas because “President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history.” After the inauguration, Obama continued to keep open communication with the public by accepting comments on WhiteHouse.gov and by establishing The White House Blog for the “President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world.” In fact, the first post on the blog, dated January 20, 2009, outlined the changes Obama would bring to the White House, centered on three priorities: Communication, Transparency and Participation.

The blog post states that communication is important because “Americans are eager for information about the state of the economy, national security and a host of other issues. This site will feature timely and in-depth content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated.” The blog post also affirms that Obama is committed to making this administration the most transparent in history and will “provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government.” Finally, Obama promised that citizen participation will be a priority for the administration, and that the internet will play an important role in that.

Obama’s first press conference did not fulfill his promise of transparency. He could have taken more questions from the media or even responded to comments or questions left by citizens on WhiteHouse.gov. We can only hope that this was an aberration and he’ll work harder to become the example of transparency he’s demanding of all federal employees and agencies.

by Anna Lafferre
February 11, 2009