Obama’s promise of transparent govt was just another weak lie

AP reports

For the second consecutive year, the Obama administration more often than ever censored government files or outright denied access to them under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, according to a new analysis of federal data by The Associated Press.

The government took longer to turn over files when it provided any, said more regularly that it couldn’t find documents, and refused a record number of times to turn over files quickly that might be especially newsworthy.

It also acknowledged in nearly 1 in 3 cases that its initial decisions to withhold or censor records were improper under the law — but only when it was challenged.

Its backlog of unanswered requests at year’s end grew remarkably by 55 percent to more than 200,000.

A blast from the past, 2009. On his first day in office Obama made the following declarations as part of a speech delivered at a ceremony to swear in his staff-

Obama said the way to make government responsible is to hold it accountable. And the way to make government
accountable is to make it transparent so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made, how they’re being made, and whether their interests are being well served.

He also issued fresh directive on how to interpret the Freedom of Information Act as a result the officials and
agencies would have to lean toward making information public instead of coming up with legal justification for withholding it.

“The Freedom of Information Act is perhaps the most powerful instrument we have for making our government honest and transparent, and of holding it accountable,” he added.

“The old rules said that if there was a defensible argument for not disclosing something to the American people,
then it should not be disclosed. That era is now over. Starting today, every agency and department should know that
this administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information, but those who seek to make it known,” Obama asserted.

That this charlatan still enjoys around 50% approval rating is a combination of two factors- the mental dullness of Obama supporters and the failure of the lapdog mainstream media to scrutinise the President.