President's open administration promise falls short

President Barack Obama promised during his first presidential campaign to be the most open president in the history of the United States.

During his campaign the president made a host of promises concerning making government the more transparent, but according to PolitiFact.com, many of those promises were either broken or compromised.

Now, to mark Sunshine Week, the Associated Press analysis of federal data shows that the Obama Administration censored government files or outright denied access more often than ever, and that the administration has made few lasting changes to the way the executive branch releases records.

As it is in many cases, the difference between Obama’s oratory and his actions is glaring. For instance, he promised that he would create a public contracts and influence database to keep tabs on lobbyists and contractors, that he would seek an independent watchdog agency to investigate congressional ethics violations, that he would expose special interest tax breaks to public scrutiny and allow five days of public comment before signing bills. All have been broken, according to PolitiFact.com.

Last year, the AP noted, was the worst in the administration’s history, by many measures.

In a story published Monday in the Daily News, the AP said the administration cited national security to withhold information 8,496 times, a 57 percent increase over a year earlier, most in response to requests for records relating to the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs.

And the AP stated, the government censored more materials than ever when it did comply with a request under the Freedom of Information Act or denied access altogether, in 36 percent of all cases.

“I’m concerned the growing trend toward relying upon FOIA exemptions to withhold large swaths of government information is hindering the public’s right to know,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “It becomes too much of a temptation. If you screw up in government, just mark it ‘top secret.’”

The exemptions concern us, too. The AP notes that the government’s responsiveness under the FOIA is viewed as one barometer of its transparency.

We agree, and during Sunshine Week, we along with other news organizations, call upon the federal government to follow the FOIA, which compels officials to turn over copies of federal records unless the disclosure would hurt national security, violate personal privacy or expose business trade secrets or confidential decision making in certain areas.