President Barack Obama has long touted that he would have the most transparent administration in history, swearing on his website (and it’s still there) that he is “committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history.”
Apparently that transparency doesn’t extend to the media.
Obama’s record on transparency certainly leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, one public records lawyer in Washington, D.C. rates his administration as the worst since the Freedom of Information Act became law.
But Obama’s lack of transparency hit a new low earlier this month when Vice President Joe Biden cut off reporters from asking questions, or as many would define it, doing their jobs.
While Joe Biden addressed supporters at a campaign stop in Ohio, his staff shooed away Columbus Dispatch reporter Joe Vardon who attempted to ask the vice-president about coal.
Vardon took to Twitter to describe the ordeal:
BuzzFeed’s Zeke Miller reported from an outside perspective: “Biden ignored the question, as a Secret Service agent tapped Vardon on the arm at the direction of a campaign staffer and asked him to return to the press pen.”
And, of course, no one reported on it, even as media outlets around the nation trashed Romney for dodging questions, as covered by the folks at Twitchy Team.
Now, we’re resigned to the fact that, generally speaking (and studies have shown), the vast majority of media outlets and reporters tend to be left leaning. That said, we have a lot of respect for the work that Mr. Vardon does for the Columbus Dispatch. He may not always give us the news we want to hear, but he’s been a balanced reporter who isn’t afraid to ask tough questions.
Unfortunately, he’s one of very few that still do.
So when Vardon was ushered away for having the audacity to ask a question about Ohio’s largest energy source and the President’s position, Obama’s true feelings on transparency were on full display.
Perhaps Biden didn’t want to answer the question because the answer wouldn’t please Ohio voters, since Obama and his faithful ally Sherrod Brown want to rid the nation of coal-fired power plants. His policies have already cost the Buckeye State four coal plants from FirstEnergy alone.
All of this while Ohio sits atop some of the richest coal beds in North America. But coal isn’t popular among the liberal left and Hollywood elite that fund the Obama and Brown campaigns.
So, while Obama and Brown continue to advance policies that will jeopardize over 80% of Ohio’s energy supply, don’t expect them to answer any questions about it. As Vardon learned, there’s no room for real journalism in the Obama administration.
