Keeping secrets

Paul Thacker argues that Democrat-oriented watchdogs are not doing their job with respect to government secrecy because Obama is a Democrat and he pledged that “We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration.”  Yet we have a situation where the Obama administration is as secretive - if not more so - than W's.  For example, the AP found that 17 major agencies were 50 percent more likely to deny FOIA requests than under Bush.  Journalism societies contend that Obama for muzzles scientists in much the same way President Bush had.  Obama has prosecuted more whistleblowers under the Espionage Act than all prior administrations combined.  The AP also found that the administration censored more FOIA requests on national security grounds last year than in any other year since President Obama took office.

Land of the free.  Home of the brave.