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Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus demanded a "full-scale investigation" into the Obama administration's record-keeping, but punted on the question of whether Mitt Romney, as president, should maintain some of the same disclosure policies put into place by President Obama.
Priebus assailed the Obama White House for details included in a report authored by Republicans on Capitol Hill, which accused the administration of failing to live up to the standards of transparency set for itself, and accused Jim Messina -- the president's campaign manager -- of trying to avoid disclosure laws.
"It's time for a full-scale investigation ... The Obama White House is actively deceiving the American people, and they're doing it over a Caribou latte," Priebus said on a conference call with reporters, referencing an alleged informal policy of White House officials to meet at a nearby Caribou Coffee in order to avoid having those liaisons appear on White House visitor records.
Those visitor records are released voluntarily as part of the standards put in place by President Obama to increase transparency.
But Priebus declined to say whether Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, would abide by the same standards if he were elected.
"As far as whether or not the policies of transparency should continue ... I'm going to let Gov. Romney set the standards for his White House when he's there," the RNC chairman said.
The GOP has seized upon the new report, assembled by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as evidence that Obama hasn't lived up to its own standards of transparency. Republicans pointed to the report, along with administration stonewalling of inquiries into the administration's dealings with Solyndra or LightSquared, as evidence of administration hypocrisy.
Priebus even went so far as to suggest there might have been criminal activity, an allegation he acknowledged could not be substantiated absent the release of more details.
"Certainly there is smoke and a smoldering fire here, and my suspicion is that there would be a lot more uncovered once there is a full-scale investigation," he said.
As to how that investigation might proceed, Priebus was more vague. He seemed to indicate that a House committee could take charge on such an investigation, though their inquiry would inevitably be marked by partisanship since Republicans control the House.
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It's a wonder they even bring up up the transparency issue with Romney buying all of the hard drives from the governor's mansion, and now refusing to release his taxes, not to mention his overseas bank accounts and his selective memories from his bully prep school days. Again, why even bring it up?
Oh brother. Seems these stupid parties don't get what the people want. Not scandal hunting, that's for sure. The GOP needs to look within (and Dems) to their own problems and flaws before something like this. Stupid.
On another note, dear righties and lefties, I need to come up with a new hobby besides on line retail therapy. Thinking of photography. Any recommendations on cameras?
I think a good strategy for the GOP is to STFU about transparency while running Mitten's as their candidate, Mr. "Transparency" himself.
You want more transparency, show me some tax returns and, off shore accounts!
Mitten's background may be as clean and honest as the day is long. But until he shows us that, I can only believe there's something there that he's trying to hide....
Obama/Biden 2012
"punts on Romney's own standards?" That's because he HAS no standards! Duh!
Obama/Biden 2012
Where do Republicans find these people to chair their Party? From the car all the clowns came out of during the primary circus? This is the same low bar set by Teapublicans that allow dimwits like Bachmann to hold office.
SeekingSanity -- Agreed. The only standards the GOP/TP have are double-standards.
The Obama administration is not transparent, it is opaque black.
Nobody expects the Obama administration to live up to the transparency standard they set for themselves, or ever believed that promise was ever anything but a lie. By definition politicians are selfish and simply lie to suit the day.
Of course there is Watergate that Nixon admitted to and Iran/Contra that Ronald Reagan said "sure I did it"to and who could forget the openness of the Bush Administration with so many it's hard to choose but lets take ....oh say, Valerie Plame and how open Dick Cheney was about all that. Breach of security in the Plame case and the GOP wanted it swept under the rug but let Bill Clinton mess around with a bimbo or two and you'd have thought the world was about to end. My point is, why single out Obama for any so called secrecy in the White House when it is obviously more the norm than the exception?
This pretty much sums it up. The right is starting to lose it. You righties will say anything. LMAO.
Smitty - oh darlin - they lost it a LONG time ago. Please they're putting Romney up as their candidate! 'nuff said!
Obama/Biden 2012
Did any of you actually read the article? How is he punting by saying it is Mitt Romney's decision when he becomes President. True lemmings....
If Mitts tax returns were as transparent as his Jesus Jammies, it would be TMI. Sadly, 1.25 years worth of returns tells us nothing except fancy-prancy-horsie-dancing at the Olympics is somehow a business venture. Who would have guessed Olympic competition was a now owned by the corporations. Here, all this time I thought the Olympics were above corporate control - now we find out they are corporate owned, and we are all paying for them via the tax write-offs of their corporate sponsors.
Barack Obama : "Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this Presidency"
Since Obama made this statement, simpelton
Good question Wayne - they are bringing it up because they are guilty of much, much more - me thinks ole Prebius doeth protest too much!
so rather than bashing what romney does or might do why not comment on what obama does do? that was pretty much the point of this piece.
it has been no secret that there are regular meetings held outside the WH to avoid having to report what can only be called suspicious (why else are they hiding?) activities.
is this the transparency you expected from the hope and change guys?
it has been no secret that there are regular meetings held outside the WH to avoid having to report what can only be called suspicious (why else are they hiding?) activities.
is this the transparency you expected from the hope and change guys?
Billybob - There's a difference between a candidate showing us who he is, and the WH discussing issues that may be of a classified nature.....
good job. without knowing any facts you give the administration the benefit of the doubt but without knowing any of the facts you hammer on romney.
got it. hope that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy
billybob, taxes are not classified. Did you take George Bush's word when he said Iraq had WMDs and the info and sources were classified? I took his word they were classified, didn't mean I thought we needed to start a war. Why not start demanding from Mitt Romney what your side demands of President Obama. Mitt wants to be President, I would think that you and other conservatives would hold him to the same standard you hold President Obama. It's obvious that the one needing "warm and fuzzy" is you, billybob.
Jody, Are you attempting to compare a persons tax return to national security leaks??? Romney's taxes are none of our business! Leaks in national security are our business! I know you can't be this obtuse...
billybob How can they by secret if everyone know about them?
billybob - no the point of the piece is that Romney has no standards.
Daniel - tax returns have ALWAYS been our business when it comes to Presidential candidates until now when the GOP runs a less than honest person for their candidate.
Did you scream about national security leaks when Cheney outed Valerie Plame? Probably not since it was one of your guys!
Obama/Biden 2012
billy, where are these supposed meetings being held, local deli? Be realistic. How about cheney's meetings with the big oil guys, cheney refusing to say what the meetings were about, and who attended? Remember that one, oh and the old bloated elephant's refusal to reveal their bundlers. W's reign was the most secretive administration in history. So what are your really speaking of. I think the President has been as transparent as possible, other than the media sitting in the Oval Office.
Obama 2012
jody -- what do you plan to do with the information in the tax return? will anything change you opinion of romney? are you looking to see if he will be embarrassed? regardless of what is in the returns it will make no difference. i have mutual funds that invest overseas and return dividends that are taxed. that shows up on my returns -- does that make me less of an American? have i broken any laws?
this whole return thing is as silly as obama's refusal to share his college transcripts. but after all the documented lies in his books he probably really is hiding something. maybe he cheated and it shows in the records???
Willard Romney Olympics documents aren’t being released for the public to view. Why?
Willard Romney is not being honest about his time at Bain Capital. Why?
Willard Romney and staff spent nearly $100,000 in state funds to replace computers in his office at the end of his term as governor of Massachusetts in order to keep his records secret. Why?
Willard Romney refuses to release his tax returns. Why?
Why? Because this man Willard Romney is hiding many things, and don't we the people have the right to know what he is hiding.
With Willard Romney hiding so much about his life and dealings, many people are left to wonder if Willard is covering up sinister or criminal activity. Let's keep the investigation going on Willard Romney, and expose him for what he is.
and your opinion of the things that are being discussed by the administration in an offsite location so no official reports are needed? are you OK with things like this from Barry Obama (normally I would refer to the President with more respect but decided to mirror your derisive approach) and team?
More right wing lying points.
"Certainly there is smoke and a smoldering fire here, and my suspicion is that there would be a lot more uncovered once there is a
full-scale investigation," look at his tax returns.My premise is that Willard Mitts Romney received TARP money from the financial bailout. Don't believe me? Prove me wrong!
my guess the rnc is going to sicc the neo-talibaner in charge Issa on an "Investigation." rnc has nothing better to than go after the President for so called off-site secret meetings, desperation, fire up the loon base as to the "other" is doing something wrong. The President is the most watched man in the universe, the President can't sneeze without it being reported.
Obama 2012
Willard Romney Olympics documents aren’t being released for the public to view. Why?
________________________________________________________________________
You cannot release records once they have been shredded. Duh.
If politicians were transparent you would see that they are full of crap.
Good point, Detroit.
detroit, whoo hoo!
How much longer until Willard Mitt Romney becomes transparent and releases all his federal income tax returns so the voters can have a look-see?
Between this, the Fast and Furious witch hunt, and Michelle Bachmann's muslim McCarthyism, what we have here is nothing less than an abuse of power by House Republicans. They are abusing their authority, as elected officials.
God help them if there was ever a real problem to investigate - no one would believe them.
Amy, there's a certain desperation in their efforts and it shows. You are absolutely right in that last sentence.
Amy - You don't believe Fast and Furious and the Security Leaks are real problems? If there was nothing to hide, the Obama Administration would come clean, especially on the Security Leaks. Remember it was the Democrats that demanded and got an Independent Investigator for the so called "leaking of Valerie Phame's identify". The current security leaks are much more damaging to our security than Valerie Phame, which had nothing to do with national security.
Amy,
Witch hunt? Our nation's Attorney General lied to Your CONGRESS! First in writing and then in testimony... How is it that you are not concerned that our President is claiming executive privelage over somthing so obviously criminal but so overly concerned over Romney's tax returns when he has satisfied the disclosures required by law????
sfcret Wrong on two counts.
1. The Valerie Plane incident was a direct hit on US Intelligence capability. Once her status was leaked by Dick Cheney in retaliation for truthful intelligence on WMD's, hostile forces reverse engineered her contacts and travels to unmask her informant network. Some were killed because of this, all were degraded.
2. If there was nothing to hide,
the Obama AdministrationWillard's Campaignwould come cleanrelease his 2008 and 2009 tax returns which show him receiving TARP fundsLOYALTEXAN - honest people know your post is true. But, you won't find many honest Republicans on this site - or anywhere! The honest ones have left the party!
Obama/Biden 2012
LoyalTexan - You must have your head up SeekingSanity's rear end since she is echoing your stupidity. I guess you never heard of Richard Armitage who leaked Plame's name to Robert Novak. All of this was known and confirmed by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald during his investigation. All you have to do is google Richard Armitage and you will get the whole truth. But then you left wing Cheney haters don't care about the truth, just keep posting the same left wing garbage with any proof.
As far as your number 2 - I have no idea what you are talking about, but then you left wing nuts don't care about facts. I am sure if Romney got TARP funds it would be all over the internet and I am sure the Obama Administration would have released it since it is a matter of public record as to where the TARP money went.
I guess you don't think that the recent security leaks aren't important since you didn't comment on it, but then that's on Obama's watch so it's o.k.
The arrogant stupidity of Reince Priebus on display. While pointing his finger at the White House, which is far more transparent that Bush and Cheney ever were, Priebus gives Mitt Romney a free pass. Don't do as we do, do as we say. Romney is more secretive than Richard Nixon. We know how well that worked for the GOP.
Priebus sounds desperate in his efforts to change the subject to anything but Mitt Romney's taxes, his off-shore tax havens, his Bain record, why he destroyed the Salt Lake City Olympic records and his MA Governor records as well.
How secret can the meetings be if they are in public at a coffee house?
Yeah all the way up until he invoked executive privlage for Holder's and DOJ's criminal conspiricy to cover up its attempt to cover up Fast and Furious... All the way until Holder refused to appoint an independent counsel to investigate the national security leaks out of the Whitehouse... Transparent as lead...
Romney 2012!!!
Daniel, please, fas and furious was implemented by w. President Obama inherited it, Holder turned over 7,000 documents to Issa. check out that loon in Ariz. for the straw buyer's state law that states a person of legal age and record can buy as many guns as they want, take them anywhere in the state they want, meaning have a shill buy your guns and walk them over the boarder. Holder didn't lie he just had enough and the President cited executive privilege. Obama 1 executive privilege, Bush 6, so where is the transparency during w's reign? Security leaks are troubling and not a good thing, however, what would you have the White House do? I guarantee there is an investigation going on as we speak. Crawl out of that fox hole its bad for your health.
Obama 2012
This is about Harry Reid's Bain investor spilling the beans on Romney not paying taxes for over 10 years! But somehow Senator Reid is playing "dirty pol" FirstRead??? I don't seem to see Rubio speech breakdowns or the "dirty" politics the Republicans always play! Whenever Dems start giving the Republicans and the media a taste of their own medicine, it's the negative campaign is taking toll, the ad won't make on the airwaves, RNC chair comes out w/a cockamany story and you guys offer it right up? The problem with that is this...the GOP nominee needs to be vetted and since the $100 million "one citizen" is willing to contribute to his campaign is not enough to look under Willard toenails too then you folks once again are not doing your job...just playing the partisan game ala The Page!
Now, let's see. Romney is only releasing two tax returns (when we know he has something like 23 available). And he lied or misstated on a few federal disclosures already. And the other day, the press got mad in Poland and started yelling that Romney had only answered three questions of the reporters on the entire trip, and an aid told the reporters to go --CK themselves. So, I think the RNC chairman and Romney should go --CK themselves on this topic.
What does it matter if he released 23 years you would wont 25. If he released 25 you would want 30. If he did something illegal don't you think the IRS, or those that ran against him in Mass would have dug that up?
You liberal wackos like yourself are currently trying to find something. But they are all coming up empty handed. Because there is nothing to hide.
Romney 2012
Transparency?
Fast and Furious Executive privilege anyone?
NOBAMA 2012
Tax returns?
How about the details of the Obama-Rezko house deal or releasing his college transcripts?
Thick, fast and furious w's program, inherited by President Obama, Obama 1 executive privilege, Bush 6. What's with the college transcripts, please, you want to see if the President got a C in Public Speaking, what nonsense, Rezko already investigated to death. How about Haliburton no bid contracts and romney's $102,000,000 R I A. You need to crawl out of trump's rump.
Obama 2012
Wrong W had "Wide Receiver" where they actually keep the weapons in view and tracked the people who purchased them.
Obama and Holder changed that to " Fast and Furious" were they did not track them just sold them. In an effort to increase gun violence on the boarder, so they could then call for weapons bans.
Romney 2012
Hahaha! Priebus actually wants to talk about transparency? What a joke. Maybe his candidate can be real transparent and release his tax returns. These guys can't be for real.
Wont release Documents on Fast and Furious
Held back room deals behind closed doors to get Obamacare passed.
Wont show his Birth certificate
Wont release his College records
Wont release a statement on why he has a SSN from Connecticut.
Wont release details about his possible illegal real estate purchase from a known crook Rezco.
But will release top secret intelligence to the press if it makes him look good!
Romeny 2012
The funniest part.
The President can't even go to an informal meeting a a coffee house with out a "Full Scale Investigation"
Jeeze get a grip...you Republicans are loosing it.
GOP there is a time to just keep your mouth shut... and that time is when you can't claim the moral high ground... The old "they aren't transparent, but I can't say if we would be" argument won't cut it...