A NEW DAY

Memo to: President-elect Obama.

Subject: Openness and Transparency in Government

Mr. President-elect:

Our purpose in writing is to request that you make a key element of your “change” agenda a reversal of the Bush administration’s disregard of the Freedom of Information Act and its general disrespect for the public’s right to know.

All indications are that you revere the importance to our democracy of openness and transparency in government. Your co-sponsorship of a federal shield law for reporters, which may reach your desk next year, is evidence that you understand that journalists need clear protection from being forced to identify confidential sources if the public is to learn about the most serious cases of corruption and abuse in government and industry.

We also like your apparent willingness to talk directly to the people and be questioned openly by the press. You do have a tendency, though, to want to manage the flow of information. That happened with your campaign, and it’s happening now with your transition team. We understand the desire to maintain a certain image of authority and decisiveness. That’s important in leadership. But the legitimate control of information, say, to avoid sending mixed signals and confusing the public, can quickly devolve into secrecy. And we know where that story usually ends.

The Sunshine in Government Initiative and the American Society of Newspaper Editors have made a strong statement in support of open government to your transition team and to members of Congress. We think the following SGI recommendations make sense, and we urge you to act on them:

1. Restore the presumption of disclosure across the executive branch. Federal agencies should exercise their discretion to withhold information under the Freedom of Information Act only when a foreseeable harm would result from disclosure.

2. Create an independent, online ombudsman to help citizens access their government.

3. Ban agencies from proposing or endorsing unnecessary statutory exemptions from disclosure.

4. Speak on the record, and urge your senior deputies and aides to do the same, in all statements about policy and current news about public matters.

Your successful campaign will likely go down in history as one of the most cleverly organized and brilliantly executed. Your Internet strategy, according to The New York Times, has “rewritten the rules on how to reach voters, raise money, organize supporters, manage the news media, track and mold public opinion, and wage – and withstand – political attacks.”

That powerful use of the free flow of information should be the foundation of your administration’s policies regarding the public’s right to know. Such a change would be truly historic.

This editorial recently appeared in the Winston-Salem Journal.

By MARSHA MERCER
Media General News Service

WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama’s picks for his Cabinet are reassuring because they have Washington experience – unless they’re disappointing for that very reason.

It depends on where you’re standing. Inside-the-Beltway types are relieved to see a familiar cast of characters returning to power, even if they disagree with some previous policies.

Many voters, in contrast, hold the romantic notion that Ordinary Joes should come to Washington, roll up their sleeves and clean house. The “experts” in Washington have messed things up royally. Besides, didn’t Obama promise change?

Whether you’re reassured or disappointed by Obama’s Cabinet choices, though, one thing is clear. Washington experience is “in” again. It never really was out. A president has to deal with Congress to get his policies enacted, and that takes skill and knowledge of the ways of Washington.

Obama is assembling a practiced team of congressional and federal government officials to help run the administration. He started with his running mate Joe Biden, a six-term Senate veteran. Biden was at Obama’s side Monday, when Obama said “Vice president-elect Biden and I are pleased to announce…our economic team…”

Obama used the word experience half a dozen times at the news conference. He said he’s bringing together “the best minds in America to guide us” through the global economic crisis. Catch that? “Guide us.”

That’s about as close anyone in power in Washington ever comes to admitting he doesn’t have all the answers and needs help finding them. It’s a surprising admission after a campaign in which for two years Obama finessed his short tenure on Capitol Hill and brilliantly made lemonade from the lemons of his inexperience.

The change reflects the gravity of the challenges ahead. He stresses constantly that the economic crisis is historical and global.

When he picked Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary, Obama said the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York “offers not just extensive experience shaping economic policy and managing financial markets; he also has an unparalleled understanding of our current economic crisis in all of its depth, complexity and urgency.”

It didn’t hurt that Geithner, 47, formerly at Treasury and the International Monetary Fund, has lived and worked internationally and has studied Japanese and Chinese.

Obama’s choice for White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, was deputy chief of staff under President Bill Clinton. In his role as No. 4 Democrat in the House, Emanuel was known as a fierce partisan fighter. But Obama said when he picked Emanuel, “No one I know is better at getting things done.”

In the wings are Sen. Hillary Clinton, former first lady and presidential rival, for secretary of State; former Senator and U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson for secretary of Commerce; and former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle to head Health and Human Services.

Last February, Hillary Clinton said in a Democratic presidential candidates’ debate in Cleveland, “We’ve seen the tragic result of having a president who had neither the experience nor the wisdom to manage our foreign policy and safeguard our national security. We cannot let that happen again.” Presumably, she’s feeling better about Obama at the helm now.

As if responding to those who worry that installing Clintonites in his Cabinet is a retread of the 1990s, Obama frequently reminds that change won’t come overnight, and he warns that there are no shortcuts to fix the economic crisis. He said he wants in his team a blend of “sound judgment and fresh thinking.”

Obama promises to hit the ground running to stave off predicted waves of layoffs. The first test will be whether he can get his economic stimulus package enacted right away. Without providing an estimate of its size or scope, he says it will address the foreclosure crisis, help the auto industry, create 2.5 million jobs by 2011, rebuild roads and bridges, modernize schools and create clean energy. Estimates start at $500 billion to $700 billion and up.

Obama’s vision of a can-do America may help quell people’s anxiety while the wonks come up with strategies to navigate these perilous storms. Wall Street liked what it heard about the new Cabinet. The market closed up more than 350 points Monday. Washington experience is good.

Republican L. Scott Lingamfelter, who represents the 31st District (Prince William and Fauquier) was elected to the House of Delegates in 2001.

WOODBRIDGE –  Sometimes politics can be parsed too much. Yet there is no end to the complex, pseudo-intellectual explanations by the liberal media for President-elect Barack H. Obama’s victory. They are besotted with joy and very satisfied with their role in boosting Obama’s electoral fortunes almost as much as their efforts to belittle and ridicule President George W. Bush, a man who has kept America safe from terror attacks for seven years. But I digress.

All of us — the liberal media in particular — should pause a moment and consider Occam’s Razor, a principle of logic developed by a 14th-century English Franciscan monk, William of Ockham. In short, Occam’s Razor asserts that all other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best. Put another way, the simplest explanation is the most likely one. So it is in this election.

We had a Republican president with one of the lowest approval ratings since Democrat Harry S. Truman left office in 1952. The economy tanked in October. Our Republican brand was devastated by congressional Republicans who spent like drunken sailors. And our chief opponent, Barack Obama, is the most gifted political preacher in recent memory. Simply put, Republicans abandoned conservative principles; Democrats started talking about them — and they won.

Consider the evidence.

First, under a Republican-controlled Congress, spending bourgeoned and government exploded. Programs like No Child Left Behind and the Prescription Medicare program added to the debt already strained by the war on terror (a war we did not begin, but must pursue and finish honorably).

Second, we nominated a presidential candidate who, while representing the highest traditions of patriotism, frequently sided with liberal Democrats. John McCain was the author of the McCain-Feingold bill that ties the hands of political parties engaging in free speech, a law that ironically contributed to McCain’s defeat by compelling him to rely on public financing while Obama, who pledged to take public money, went private in a big way and was awash in cash.

MCCAIN WAS at the center of the disastrous immigration reform bill that provoked a huge opposition by grassroots Republicans and conservative Democrats alike, a group once known as the “Reagan Coalition.” And his support for the infamous October bailout disappointed fiscal hawks. While an undisputed war hero, McCain was not distinguished as a conservative.

Third, recent polls suggest that up to 20 percent of the people who voted for Obama were self-identified “conservatives.” Other polling shows that despite all the empty platitudes about “change” and “hope,” America remains a center-right nation that lost confidence in national Republicans to govern conservatively.
In their place, Americans chose Obama, who spoke of tax cuts and spending reform, while avoiding any inflammatory rhetoric that would “scare” conservatives fed up with “Republicrats” and willing to take a chance with someone who  at least was talking about things important to them.

Obama’s almost fatal slip came following his comment to “Joe the Plumber” about “spreading the wealth around.” Even that gaffe wasn’t enough to make voters — frustrated with national Republican shortcomings — rethink their vote for a freshman senator with only four years of federal service.

IN SUM, when national Republicans walked away from the Reagan agenda and its underlying principles, the Reagan coalition walked away from them.

If there is a silver lining in all of this for Republicans, it’s that Obama vastly over-promised what he can deliver. He will find this out soon when his Democratic House and Senate “friends” take a moment to read the budget balance sheet and add to it the $800 billion bailout they just passed (not to mention one in the wings for the auto industry). Moreover, when Obama finishes reading the classified briefs, he will discover that pulling out of Iraq, working with the Pakistanis, and being harmonious with so-called European “allies” may be more difficult than previously advertised.

The result? Supporters who were mesmerized by Obama’s vacuous promises of hope, change, and “I’ll get you there!” will be very disappointed when they realize that the “there” Obama pointed to looks more like the “here and now,” which doesn’t comport to the “Otopia” he framed between well-situated teleprompters.

That said, we Republicans would be wise not to depend on Obama’s failures. People want leadership, not sideline sniping. They want a positive, can-do style of governance that looks for real solutions leading to lower taxes, more freedom, and greater opportunity. They are fed up, angry, and want a better place to raise a family, grow a business, and provide for a stable future. The nanny-state, big-government, high-tax solutions Democrats gravitate to will not answer their concerns. Reagan principles will. The question is will Republicans step up to answer the call?

Seems simple to me, but I wonder if William of Occam and the Gipper would agree.

Check out the Web site, which asks for input from the public.

WASHINGTON – In the waning days of the campaign, one presidential candidate promised to “bring America together” to tackle tough problems.

He vowed to fix the broken politics of Washington and “inspire and unite” the country. He warned that his opponent is “out of touch with our time and out of step with the American people.”

Sounds familiar, but that wasn’t Barack Obama or John McCain this week. It was George W. Bush in late October 2000.

Yes, we have been here before, these last, hopeful days before the election when what the candidates promise seems possible, even plausible. Maybe this time…

Surely, the 2008 election will turn out better than the 2000 debacle. But even if we get a winner Tuesday, brace yourself. Reality soon will set in.

If the polls are wrong and McCain pulls off an upset, many Obama voters and Democrats in Congress will be sorely disappointed. Even if Obama wins, as polls suggest, he won’t be able to cook up and deliver change in a box in 20 minutes.

The next president doesn’t get a clean slate and a budget surplus. He’ll inherit bloated debt exacerbated by a $700 billion bailout, wars in two places and an economy likely in recession. The rough and tumble of the campaign may look like a cakewalk compared with the thorny challenges ahead.

At the same time, the president will need to satisfy the people’s pent-up demand for change that he and his opponent stoked during the long campaign. Both candidates blithely promise tax cuts, for example, and Americans have been lulled into thinking there’s no pain with the gain. Calling for sacrifice is hardly a way to win votes, so the candidates have been vague about where they’ll cut the budget to make up lost revenue.

McCain has said he’ll eliminate congressional pet spending projects and freeze domestic spending, but not defense. He has also called for major increases in spending for education, health care and other worthy causes. Obama said in his infomercial that he pays for his spending, but analysts say that’s a stretch.

Obama also says he’ll go line by line through the budget looking for wasteful programs, which sounds like a good idea. Every president targets fraud, waste and abuse in federal programs. But as Ronald Reagan observed, “The closest thing to immortality on this earth is a federal government program.”

Besides, despite the rhetoric of the campaign trail, a president can do only so much, acting alone. He has to work with Congress, and even a friendly Congress may not accede to his every wish. The next president also inherits Washington’s surly mood, which poisons compromise, a necessary ingredient in the legislative process.

Eight years ago, Bush said, “Washington is obsessed with scoring points, not solving our problems. There is so much anger, so much division, so much important work left undone.” That was his way of saying he’d deal with Social Security and other tough issues. “I will act,” he declared. “I will lead.”

While Bush can claim success in passing No Child Left Behind, the uniter became a divider. The next president faces a capital polarized by anger and partisanship at a time when millions of Americans are losing their jobs and homes. Voters expect results on health care, immigration, climate change and energy security.

We also know from 9/11 that unexpected events can alter everything. As Joe Biden famously warned, the world is likely to test the next president, whoever it is.

Bill Clinton, campaigning with Obama Wednesday, said a presidential campaign is “the greatest job interview in the world.” On Tuesday, voters will hire their next chief executive.

McCain has been touting his experience and questioning Obama’s readiness.

Asked how Obama can step in when so many things are going wrong, Clinton told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” that Obama has “good advisers … a fine mind … a good grasp” of what needs to be done.

Obama or McCain will also need to level with people and explain that the change they’ve been promised so heartily and for so long won’t happen overnight. We can only hope it happens in the next four or eight years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Back in the surprise swing state of North Carolina, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said Wednesday his campaign is “six days away from changing America.”

The Illinois senator told thousands of supporters in downtown Raleigh that the campaign will soon turn the page on Republican policies, such as those held by rival candidate John McCain. He urged people to vote early and he said there was no time to rest in North Carolina given the close election.

“In six days you can give this country the change it needs,” he said.

A new Associated Press-GfK poll released Wednesday shows Obama and McCain about even in North Carolina with a week before Election Day.

Obama’s rally at Halifax Mall drew an estimated 25,000 supporters who crowded into the grassy gathering spot in the middle of North Carolina’s government complex.

Both candidates are pressing hard to win the state’s 15 electoral votes. Obama’s visit was his seventh to the state. His wife Michelle is campaigning in Rocky Mount and Fayetteville, where McCain held a rally Tuesday.

North Carolina hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1976. But changing demographics, a swath of new voters and a large bloc of blacks have helped push Obama to the brink of victory here.

Limous Brown, 78, said he came to the event early because he wanted to see the first black president of the United States. He said that in 1936, his grandfather told him there will one day be a black president, but he laughed at the idea.

“I’ve been waiting 78 years for this,” said Brown, a retired grocer. “I can’t hardly take it.”

Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg said Friday that his party is in position for “an earthquake election” come Nov. 4.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), members of the Republican Senate Caucus, and Republican Senate candidates from across North Carolina Wednesday endorsed a legislative agenda, A New Direction for North Carolina, at a press conference held in front of the State Legislative Building in Raleigh. 

Republicans offered the agenda as the outline of a legislative program a Republican majority in the North Carolina Senate will bring to the floor for up or down votes during the 2009 Legislative Session. 

All 50 seats in the North Carolina Senate are on the ballot in the Nov. 4 General Election.  Although some seats are not contested, there are enough competitive races for the partisan makeup of the 2009-10 Senate to be determined by the election results.   

According to the GOP’s press release:

The Republican Agenda emphasizes a new course and a new direction for state government including addressing North Carolina’s highest in the southeast income tax rates, eliminating budget earmarks, balancing the state budget without tax hikes, and increased transparency in state fiscal matters.  Several items reflect initiatives Republicans have introduced in past legislative sessions that Senate Democrats have refused to bring up for a vote; those include measures to resume enforcement of North Carolina’s death penalty for pre-meditated first degree murder, medical malpractice reform, and protection of private property from condemnation for economic development.  There are also new measures proposed to allow for natural gas and oil exploration on North Carolina’s Outer Continental Shelf, detailed disclosure of all state spending and contracts on the state’s internet website, Senate Rules requiring open committee meetings, and additional internal auditors in state departments to help control state spending.

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger made the following statement:

“With Election Day less than three weeks away, it is important for the people of North Carolina to know what a Republican majority in the North Carolina Senate will mean to them and to our state.  Every election season should include discussion and debate about public policy, consideration of competing ideas, clear and understandable statements of principles, and outlines of proposed legislation.  This agenda, once implemented, will provide a new direction for North Carolina and a change from current Democrat policies.  The people of North Carolina are frustrated with the scandals and corruption, which have been all too prevalent in North Carolina’s Democrat-dominated state government.  They have tired of Democrats’ oft-repeated election-year promises and assurances that spending more money will cure the serious deficiencies in North Carolina’s K-12 public education system. And they do not understand how a state with a proud history of ‘good roads’ finds itself with both the highest gas tax in the southeast and the worst road congestion in the cities making up its commercial core.  North Carolinians are ready for a change in leadership, they are ready for a slate of legislative candidates eager to address public policy issues with fresh, new ideas, and they are prepared to face the future with confidence that a new direction will return North Carolina to its rightful place of leadership in the southeast and the nation.”

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina leaders in the Democratic Party are uniting to support Senator Barack Obama for president.

The North Carolina Leaders for Change gathered Monday morning at the Farmers Market in Raleigh. Healthcare and farming were hot topics but the current state of the economy, and why Obama is the best man to handle it, dominated conversation.

An historic financial crisis is giving an historic election all the more gusto. Leaders like North Carolina Senator Tony Rand and U.S. Congressman G.K. Butterfield took the microphone and said it’s time for a change.

“It’s obvious our world is in turmoil and we need strong leadership,” Rand said.

“John McCain sadly, simply represents another four years of George W. Bush,” Butterfield said.

Former Governor Jim Hunt pledged his support to Obama, partly because he said he deeply cares about North Carolina.

“This situation is too serious, people are concerned, they know we need a change, and they sense the strength and the wisdom of Barack Obama,” Hunt said.

Congressman Brad Miller insisted Obama has called for financial reform and has a plan for the future.

“Barack Obama in the last two or three weeks in the middle of this crisis has been solid, stable, thoughtful, mature and John McCain has been like a moth caught in a lampshade, he has been bouncing around with no particular direction,” Miller said.

But Republican State Representative Paul Stam said Obama is the one who hasn’t had direction.

“Senator Obama has had like three different versions of his plan, to get the nomination for his party he wanted the capital gains tax to go back up so high that it would actually reduce the amount of money received,” Stam said.

Stam said McCain does have an economic plan.

“Reduce taxes and he’s well known for reduced spending,” McCain said.

And while the economy became a top election issue North Carolina has become an unexpected battleground state. The latest Public Policy Polling has Barack Obama leading John McCain 50 to 44 in North Carolina.