Obama pledges to release visitor logs

[The Straight Story]

As part of his promise of openness, President Obama announced this morning that the White House will release logs of who visits the White House.

Each month, records of visitors from the previous 90 to 120 days will be made available online, the announcement said. The only exceptions will be visitors on national security business or "necessarily confidential" ones such a possible Supreme Court nominee. The disclosures will start on Sept. 15.

“For the first time in history, records of White House visitors will be made available to the public on an ongoing basis,” Obama said in a statement. “We will achieve our goal of making this administration the most open and transparent administration in history not only by opening the doors of the White House to more Americans, but by shining a light on the business conducted inside. Americans have a right to know whose voices are being heard in the policymaking process.”

The White House noted that previous administrations went to court to keep the visitor logs under wraps, and its announcement included a statement from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sued the Obama administration in its push for openness.

“Today the Obama administration has proven its pledge to usher in a new era of government transparency was more than just a campaign promise," the group's executive director Melanie Sloan said in the statement. "The Obama administration will have the most open White House in history. Providing public access to visitor records is an important step in restoring transparency and accountability to our government.”

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/09/obama_pledges_t.html

[Mari333]

1. wasnt this done after some arm twisting???

I thought the Obama admin was against it at first..now, they are for showing the records...and touting it as tho its their idea..who twisted their arms?

[The Straight Story]

2. I may well be mistaken but I think the Secret Service had some say so before

And changing policy always seems to take time.

Again, been a spell since I read much on it and I may be off.

[joeycola]

5. It is how the game is played.

[global1]

3. I Admire Them Doing This For Openess In Government But......

the RW crazies will be all over this list - scrutinizing each name and creating stories that will appeal to their loony followers.

Nobody expected that the President talking to school children would invoke such faux rage - but look at how that has taken off.

Just think what releasing these lists on a regular basis will do.

[aquart]

4. What on earth is his problem here?

They are pretending today that they are open when they absolutely have not been. It was ridiculous.