Foot-dragging by O on revealing list of visitors

From Investors.com:

"Leadership: What are we to make of a White House visitors list that includes 22 swiftly scheduled appointments with a union boss at a time when Gen. Stanley McChrystal can't get face time with the commander in chief?

"Late Friday during the idle hours of the news cycle, the administration released the names of 100 White House visitors in 481 visits. It wasn't exactly the transparency the president promised. It was simply in compliance with two court rulings that ordered the names to be made public record. Unable to admit misconduct, the White House insisted its disclosure was voluntary.

"It didn't intend to make this easy. Instead of just releasing all the logs, the White House released only a partial list. It asked the media and public to play a guessing game of "name that visitor." If an inquiry was made and the White House had a record, it would be confirmed.

"Only about a quarter of all names have been disclosed, showing a lucky 42 meeting President Obama personally. But even the incomplete information says a lot about the White House's priorities — and they aren't good.

"The list reveals visits from activists, left-wing foundations, the feminist lobby, union bosses and noted anti-capitalists whose ideas would put the U.S. economy into the ground. The list also shows the White House had little exposure to policymakers on the frontlines of some of the most important decisions the president must make.

"In the former category, there's Service Employees International Union boss Andy Stern, who told the Wall Street Journal that if the power of persuasion didn't work, then the persuasion of power would have to do. The records show Stern had 22 meetings, many face-to-face with the president, more than anyone else known so far. Stern might as well borrow a White House bedroom.

"And that may be why the president has been so solicitous of union demands at the expense of the economy. As the jobless rate hits 9.8%, unions have managed to persuade the president to impose tire tariffs, violate the NAFTA treaty with Mexican truck restrictions, place protectionist "Buy American" limitations on federal contracts, and ice Colombian, Panamanian and Korean free trade treaties. Stern's union has also harassed banks that took bailouts, making one wonder if a sort of Cuban or Venezuelan revolutionary mob activity against business has the White House imprimatur.

"While Stern gets what he wants from the White House, the released visitors list shows no record of huddling with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, whose trade pacts could create 600,000 jobs if ratified, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. ..."

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http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=511113