T: Is for Transparency

Day 1 of a presidency and President Obama used his first day to send messages that echoed themes from his campaign: intent on keeping his promises to run a clean and open government; and, next, that he understands the pain Americans are feeling as a result of the economic crisis. “Let me say it as simply as I can. Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency,” Mr. Obama declared, as he announced new rules that will limit his ability to assert executive privilege, at a meeting in which he told his senior staff that he is freezing their salaries. “Information will not be withheld just because I say so,” he said. “It will be withheld because a separate authority believes my request is well grounded in the Constitution.” As a member of the press his memorandums and executive orders, directing Washington's bureaucracy to be more open to requests for information from the press and the public sent waves of relief. “The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails.” In keeping with is words the President did not exempt himself. Any information that the President does not want to release will be referred to the attorney-general and to the White House counsel, who will rule on whether the President is entitled to withhold the information. Ex-President Bush routinely invoked executive privilege and other instruments to frustrate congressional investigations and other queries into everything from techniques used in interrogating terrorism suspects to the administration's decision to fire a raft of U.S. attorneys. In the Bush administration he didn't need judicial authority to establish wiretaps without search warrants and many Americans were "Legally" taped because of a whim.

There are things that are troubling. First, Timothy Geithner, who insists that he made an honest mistake in failing to pay more than $34,000 in overdue taxes until it became clear that he was being nominated. This is the man who will be overseeing the IRS. His behavior is beyond disconcerting. As the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Geithner could have kept a much closer eye on many of these financial institutions that have and still continue to crash. All I want to know is how he's going to do a better job as Treasury secretary? Second, will someone please explain to me why we are bailing out those who did not do there jobs? The $700 billion TARP program, will be implemented by Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy Geithner.

As most of the country celebrated I have my doubts that there are red flags that are F.A.C.T.S.