Bloomington man challenges Whistleblower to test the new White House transparency
Posted on March 31st, 2009 – 3:00 PMBy James Shiffer
Jay Lunde, “half retired” in Bloomington, called me this afternoon to ask whether I was planning to tell the public how many speechwriters, lobbyists, big airplanes etc. make up the entourage for President Obama’s big European tour. Lunde and his friends sometimes play golf together. Other times, like today, they’re “political analysts” bemoaning the lack of news reporting to hold government accountable.
At first, I directed him to the Washington media. Then, I realized my folly. Why not use Lunde’s question as a test of the White House’s promises to be a glass house, as “open and accessible” as can be? I wanted Lunde to make the request himself, as part of Whistleblower’s mission to empower citizens with information. But Lunde’s computer has gone on furlough. I agreed to ask the question myself, but as a private citizen, rather than going through the press office. I filled out my questions at the White House contact page. I will let you know when the White House gets back to regular citizens with burning questions.
6 Responses to “Bloomington man challenges Whistleblower to test the new White House transparency”
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March 31st, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Interesting. So does this fit under the style of “Gonzo” reporting?
Can you seperate yourself from ‘citizen’ and ‘journalist’ like this?
Technically, you are still a journalist, right? No bid deal, just a curious reader. I like that yourdoing this to be sure.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Hardly Gonzo reporting. Just using the regular citizen interface, without disguising my identity, but not announcing it either.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Complain here. Complaining in whatever city. Our president needs an entourage. He’s got a bigger plane than me. If it’s so bad, why do we live here (in this city, state, country, continent, planet, galaxy, universe?)?
March 31st, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I heard yesterday it was 500 people ( I belive that was not counting security)
if you break that down, its the g20, so you need people on all nations going, and are going to have secuirty minded, econ minded, and others..its alot of people, but not out of line.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Brian, Let’s get the answers, then decide whether it is justified…. I think the point is, will we get the answers.
JD, Given the content of your post, I would suggest avoiding this article in the future.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:11 am
[…] March 31, at the behest of Jay Lunde of Bloomington, I submitted a question to the White House about the cost of the president’s European trip. I wanted to test the administration’s […]