THE TRANSPARENT CANDIDATE?

Obama Praises Transparency In Government, But Refuses To Let Others See His Own Records
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On The Campaign Trail, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Has Championed His Work To Create More Transparency In The Earmarking Process:

While Running For President, Obama Has Repeatedly Mentioned His Work On "Opening Up And Creating More Transparency In Government." "On the campaign trail, Obama has specifically mentioned his ability to work across the aisle 'on opening up and creating more transparency in government,' so that all government spending is 'posted on a searchable database.'" (Paul Kane, "Candidates' Earmarks Worth Millions," The Washington Post, 2/14/08)

"Obama's Criticism Of Washington's Insider Culture Is A Linchpin Of His Campaign..." (Paul Kane, "Candidates' Earmarks Worth Millions," The Washington Post, 2/14/08)

But Obama Refuses To Disclose The Earmarks He Sought Before He Was Running For President:

Obama Has Refused To Disclose His Earmark Requests For 2005 And 2006. "Since last year, he has publicly released the letters he submits to the Appropriations Committee seeking support for the spending items, but has not released those submitted to the committee in 2005 and 2006." (Paul Kane, "Candidates' Earmarks Worth Millions," The Washington Post, 2/14/08)

In 2007, Obama Secured Over $91 Million In Earmarked Funds. "He secured $3.3 million in earmarks through his own sponsorship, and collected $88 million in concert with other Illinois lawmakers." (Paul Kane, "Candidates' Earmarks Worth Millions," The Washington Post, 2/14/08)

And He Requested More Than $300 Million In Earmarks. "Obama's more than $300 million in earmark requests range from $33 million made along with other senators for a nationwide project to promote civics among students to $125,000 to add turn lanes and traffic lights at an intersection in rural Oregon, Ill." (Nedra Pickler, "Obama Details His Requests For Pet Projects, Says Other Candidates Should Do So," The Associated Press, 6/21/07)

Obama's Lack Of Disclosure May Be Due To His Poor Record On Pork Barrel Spending And Government Waste:

The Club For Growth Gave Obama A Score Of 33 Percent For His Votes Against Anti-Pork Amendments. "[T]he Club for Growth released its 2007 Senate RePORK Card, compiling a scorecard of all senators' votes on fifteen anti-pork amendments throughout 2007. ... Obama (D-IL) Score: 33% Ratio: 2/6." (Club For Growth, "The Club's 2007 Senate RePORK Card," http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/11/the_clubs_2007_senate_repork_c.php, 11/5/07)

Citizens Against Government Waste Gave Obama A Lifetime Rating Of 22 Out Of 100. (Citizens Against Government Waste, "CCAGW Challenges Presidential Candidates On Earmarks," Press Release, 12/27/07)

FLASHBACK: Obama Also Refused To Disclose Records Related To His "Obscure" Investments:

"[L]ast Year There Were Questions About The Blind Trust Obama Set Up And How Transparent He Was About How His Finances Were Handled." (Jake Tapper, "Mr. Transparency?" ABC News' "Political Punch" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 2/12/08)

Obama Has Not Disclosed The Name Of His Stock Broker Who Recommended Two "Obscure" Investments. "Obama has not disclosed the name of the UBS broker, and thus it hasn't been explained why the broker recommended these two investments in what some deem obscure companies...with ties to Obama donors." (Jake Tapper, "Mr. Transparency?" ABC News' "Political Punch" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 2/12/08)

Obama Also Failed To Produce A Shareholder Letter That Alerted Him To The Questionable Status Of His Blind Trust. "Moreover, it's unclear what shareholder notification letter Obama was talking about when he first told this story last year. ... So it's still quite unclear how he learned the trust wasn't truly blind." (Jake Tapper, "Mr. Transparency?" ABC News' "Political Punch" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 2/12/08)

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