Obama to air interest-group talks ( i.e., No secret closed door energy task force meetings) [View All]

[Robbien]

Source: Washington Times

President-elect Barack Obama's transition team will publicize any official meetings that staffers have with outside interest groups and will post online any policy documents the groups present during those meetings, according to rules put in place Friday.

"Every day, we meet with organizations who present ideas for the transition and the administration, both orally and in writing. We want to ensure that we give the American people a seat at the table and that we receive the benefit of their feedback," transition chief John Podesta wrote in a memo to his staff, obtained by The Washington Times.

The rules apply to "official meetings," which Mr. Podesta defined as those in which at least three of the participants are from outside organizations. Any written document those in attendance present to the transition team also will be posted on the Web site www.Change .gov.

Mr. Podesta said the transition staff should consider the rules "a floor, not a ceiling," and consider posting documents even from meetings that don't meet the standard of at least three outside participants.



Read more: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/06/obama-to-open-interest-group-talks/

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It would be interesting if the same openness rule applied to AFTER-transition official staffer meetings.