1st Amendment? We don't need no stinkin' 1st Amendment!

[jmichna]

The Obama White House and Administration is more and more being run exactly like the Chicago/Cook County Democrat Machine... stifle the opposition, silence the dissenters, seize all power.

Chicago hasn't had a non-Democrat mayor since 1931. Obama's apparently taken good notes.

Chicago's current mayor, Richard M "Shortshanks" Daley, is the eldest son of Richard J "Boss" Daley. Daley the Elder's other children: John Daley (2nd youngest) is Chicago's 11th Ward Committeeman (implicated in the "Hired Truck Scandal") and leads the Cook County Board of Commissioners; William Daley (youngest of the Daley kids) was US Secretary of Commerce under Willie Clinton Jr. and is on the Advisory Board of the Obama-Biden Transition Team; Michael Daley is partner with a law firm loaded with Chicago and Cook County contracts.

Then there's "ACORN the Census Takers," and a Chicago-run, Chicago-style Administration, with the glad-handing and backdoor "handshake" wheeling and dealing: Michelle's BFF Valerie ("Find Michelle a U of C Hospitals job") Jarrett, Rahm ("Freddie Mac" director and board member) Emanuel's Chicago political connections, The "Tom Ayers-Richard J Daley-Richard M Daley-Bill Ayers-Obama" connection.

By the way, speaking of the 1st Amendment, turns out the Obama Administration (whoever that is) rejected a request under the Freedom of Information Act to review Freddie Mac board minutes and correspondence during Emanuel's time as a director... you know... that period of time where Freddie Mac was plagued with scandals involving campaign contributions and accounting irregularities.

Freedom of Speech, a "transparent" and "open" administration... "Change" and "Hope"...

Things are just ducky, Love.

White House pushing to gag stimulus critics
By Michelle Malkin • May 30, 2009 10:03 AM

Caution: Obama gangland tactics at work.

In keeping with his past campaign tactics to shut critics up through brute force, the White House appears to be taking steps to crack down on critics of the trillion-dollar porkulus law.

Is anyone surprised? Mark Tapscott at the Examiner reports:

A new White House policy on permissible lobbying on economic recovery and stimulus project has taken a decidedly anti-First Amendment turn. It’s a classic illustration of Big Government trying to control every aspect of a particular activity and in the process running up against civil liberty.

Check out this passage from a post on the White House blog by Norm Eisen, Special Counsel to the President on Ethics and Government Reform (emphasis added):

“First, we will expand the restriction on oral communications to cover all persons, not just federally registered lobbyists. For the first time, we will reach contacts not only by registered lobbyists but also by unregistered ones, as well as anyone else exerting influence on the process. We concluded this was necessary under the unique circumstances of the stimulus program.

Writes Tapscott:

The key passage is the reference to expanding regulation from registered lobbyists to “anyone else exerting influence on the process. We concluded this was necessary under the unique circumstances of the stimulus program.”
This is the Camel’s nose under the tent…

Posted in: fiscal stimulus

I look forward with great anticipation to hear the loyal apologists' defense - or at least the rationalization - of The Anointed one.