The Obama campaign has released Barack Obama’s plan to reform Washington — a plan they say he will enact on his first day in office. Some of it goes a good bit further than the measures Democrats in Congress have enacted, some of it is short on details. Regardless, he definitely has his heart in the right place. Highlights from a fact sheet sent out by the campaign:
– Closing the revolving door: No political appointee in an Obama Administration would be able to lobby the executive branch during the remainder of the Administration. Huge change from the current way of doing things.
– Ending the abuse of no-bid contracts: Admirable, but no details given.
– Stopping the influence of lobbyists: President Obama would issue an executive order banning lobbyists from giving gifts in any form to executive branch employees.
– Ending politicization of the federal government: Tougher enforcement measures in the Hatch Act.
– Cute/nutty stuff: Obama would not sign any bill without giving the public an opportunity to comment on the White House website for five days. Cabinet officials would be required to host national broadband town halls. And there’s this sort of Big-Brother-for-federal-employees thing: “Obama will require his appointees… to conduct the significant business of the agency in public, so that any citizen can see in person or watch on the Internet as the agencies debate and deliberate the issues that affect American society. Videos of meetings will be archived on the web, and the transcript will be available to the public.” American citizens can watch in person as bureaucrats do their jobs?? How incredibly boring and ripe for trouble.
– Disclosure on earmarks and tax breaks: President Obama would ensure that tax
breaks to special interests and all congressional earmarks are posted on the Office of Management and Budget’s website.
– No more political operatives with sweet jobs: “Obama will issue an Executive Order requiring that political appointees possess relevant professional qualifications and experience related to the core mission of the agency for which they are nominated.”
You can read more about Obama’s plans for corruption, oversight, etc. at this campaign web page.
