Obama may order contractors to reveal donations

[Demonaut]

Source: yahoo news

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama is weighing an order requiring firms seeking government contracts to disclose their political donations, the White House said Wednesday, drawing Republican outrage.

"And his goal is transparency and accountability. That's the responsible thing to do when you're handling taxpayer dollars," Carney told reporters aboard Obama's official Air Force One airplane on the way to California.


Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that, if those accounts are true, the White House would be guilty of "an outrageous and anti-Democratic abuse of executive branch authority."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/usvotepoliticsmoney;_ylt=AsFkNi81zfb1KUKhgETODo2s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNvN2kxZjR1BGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDExMDQyMC91c3ZvdGVwb2xpdGljc21vbmV5BGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDNwRwb3MDNARwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrA29

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I like it

[Tx4obama]

1. Here's a link from yesterday with more info regarding the executive order

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x924852

[Arctic Dave]

9. Drafting and executing are not the same thing.

Kind of like flowery speeches and following through with promises.

[EC]

2. It would only be an abuse of power if he refuses

to hire the contractors on the basis of who they donate too...I'm sure he could come up with other reasons to deny them. But it would show a tit for tat as far as certain Senators and introduction of bills benefiting certain contractors.

[No Elephants]

11. Pay no attention to Mitch McConnell. Among many other things, he had no worries when

Halliburton and Blakwater were practically running Iraq.

[Nancy Waterman]

3. The GOP will be furious over this one

They will caught with their pants down, in bed with their corporate donors.

[Arctic Dave]

4. Too bad he doesn't have the stones. Nt

[Tx4obama]

5. What are you talking about?

The Obama administration has drafted the EO.
See the link in comment #1 above.

[Hotler]

8. I'll believe it when he signs it. n/t

[plumbob]

6. Or may not.

Kudos if he does.

[AtheistCrusader]

7. Ruh-roh somebody's mad their little piggy bank is threatened.

[Uncle Joe]

10. I believe that would be a good policy,

however as it would only be an executive order, I don't believe a Republican President would follow suit but it's worth doing anyway.

Thanks for the thread, Demonaut.

[No Elephants]

12. Repealing a transparency provision is not easy politically for a President. Congress could repeal

by burying something in a budget or supplemental, and no one person would have to take the blame. Therefore, the potential political cost would be less.

[No Elephants]

13. Don't all political contributions get disclosed anyway, or did Citizens United change that?

“It was a ban and they are turning it into disclosure,” said Fred Wertheimer, the Founder and President of Democracy 21, a group that promotes greater donation disclosure. “It is becoming a condition of doing business with the government.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/19/obama-administration-drafts-order_n_851228.html

[Hawkowl]

14. "Obama considers a sternly worded letter"

Then folds like cheap suit, and goes back to his customary boot licking.

[Zorra]

15. If the Prez issues a PD or EO to this effect, I will immediately begin reassessing

my skeptical POV about him.

[Zorra]

16. kick