Transparency You Might Have Missed

With all the hoopla over the Shirley Sherrod case (no link because I am so beyond caring), you might have missed the most transparent administration evah hard at work in other areas.

Don't bother submitting a FOIA request if you're a Rethuglican.

Dean has the scoop on the Department of Homeland Security snooping on citizens who make Freedom of Information Act requests and making decisions on the release of information based on political affiliation. I defy KT to call that justicialism. As a federal employee who has responded to such requests, including those from groups with whom I had immense disagreement, I find this behavior amazingly unethical. I responded in every detail, carefully redacting paragraphs from classified documents, to allow release, because.... (drum roll please) it was my duty to uphold the law. Fat chance any of the political hacks at DHS will end up in jail.

Dear Larry and Sergey, here's a summary of our next technology policy proposal.

Meanwhile, White House emails show improper contact between White House deputy CTO Andrew McLaughlin and his former pals at Google. From the NLPC:

Administration rules expressly prohibit former lobbyist company officials like McLaughlin from involving themselves in federal policies that materially impact their former employer. But the new emails, which NLPC obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, show a continued pattern in which Mr. McLaughlin communicates with another apparent Google lobbyist, the leader of a Google-funded organization that lobbies in support of Google’s primary area of federal interest, and the head of a nonprofit that works closely with Google lobbyists.

Hey, there's that pesky Freedom of Information Act again. Dang if that isn't a pain in the side of would-be martinets in the federal bureaucracy.

I did not have sexual relations in that apartment, wait, maybe I did; which way would make it my residence?

And of course a little Schadenfreude for our old pal Charlie Rangle member of the most ethical Congress in history who will face an ethics trial in the House. A number of the alleged violations involve tax issues from the former Chairman of the tax-writing committee. From the NYP:

—Whether Rangel, as required, publicly reported information on the financing and rental of his ownership interest in a unit within the Punta Cana Yacht Club in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Rangel also had to pay back taxes on the rental income.

—Intentionally failed to report — when required — hundreds of thousands of dollars or more in assets. The amended disclosure reports added a credit union IRA, mutual fund accounts and stock.