Toward the end of last summer, President Obama did away with his “transparency” czar. And after two years in the White House, Americans can understand why. It turns out that this administration never had a real commitment to disclosure. Mr. “Transparency Will Be Touchstone” has actually presided over one of the most secretive White Houses in history. This week, the President plans to pull that curtain over the debt talks–a strategy that his Press Secretary openly admitted was in his party’s best interest. “We will continue to have conversations and meetings without much elaboration about the details of what’s being discussed there, simply because we believe that enhances the prospects of reaching an agreement.” In the President’s mind, what “enhances” the debate is keeping voters in the dark. It certainly helped his cause with ObamaCare, the Dodd/Frank finance bill, and this spring’s budget resolutions. Unfortunately for Democrats, the country has wised up since then. Americans don’t trust legislation that’s cooked up behind closed doors. Nothing could add more toxicity to this debate than concealing it.
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via The Opacity of Hope.