This can't be a good idea

[CatWoman]

or can it? I'm of the opinion that it's not.

Obama blocks list of visitors to White House
Taking Bush's position, administration denies msnbc.com request for logs

The Obama administration is fighting to block access to names of visitors to the White House, taking up the Bush administration argument that a president doesn't have to reveal who comes calling to influence policy decisions.

Despite President Barack Obama's pledge to introduce a new era of transparency to Washington, and despite two rulings by a federal judge that the records are public, the Secret Service has denied msnbc.com's request for the names of all White House visitors from Jan. 20 to the present. It also denied a narrower request by the nonpartisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sought logs of visits by executives of coal companies.

CREW says it will file a lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service. (Updated: Here's a copy of CREW's complaint.)

"We are deeply disappointed," said CREW attorney Anne L. Weismann, "that the Obama administration is following the same anti-transparency policy as the Bush administration when it comes to White House visitor records. Refusing to let the public know who visits the White House is not the action of a pro-transparency, pro-accountability administration."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31373407/

[Autumn]

1. I share your opinion

disappointing to say the least.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. Since the White is not a private establishment, it is funded by taxpayers money

Release Bush and Cheney's logs and keep this present government transparent.

[napi21]

3. I'd love to hear their reason why! There may well be one, but I

can't imagine what it is.

[FSogol]

4. A good reason?

Suppose Obama reverses Bush's decision and makes all the names available.
In 8-12 years say the Repugs take back over and they go back to hiding the names.
Then the court will need to look into the legality.

Suppose Obama continues Bush's decision and blocks all the names.
In 8-12 days CREW files a lawsuit and the Obama DOJ weakly fights it.
A court decision comes out and gee, Obama and future Presidents must make the names available.

Which is better?

[Autumn]

5. The courts have ruled twice on this

that they have to release the names under the bush administration.How many times can they fight it?