Watchdog Blog

Obama’s Swift Actions Will Hold Government Accountable

Today, Public Citizen president Joan Claybrook lauded President Obama for swift actions to hold the government accountable. The statement follows:

President Obama campaigned with the promise of change, a commitment to government openness and a pledge to uphold high ethical standards. On his first full day in office, the new president showed a willingness to turn rhetoric into action.

After eight years of government in the shadows and preferential treatment of corporate lobbyists under his predecessor, President Obama’s directives and executive orders on presidential records, the Freedom of Information Act, transparency and open government, and ethics are not only important in restoring public access to critical information and holding government accountable, but they serve to reaffirm the hope our nation has in his presidency. By issuing strict rules on the future lobbying activities of his administration, President Obama slowed the revolving door that has allowed so many high-ranking government officials to enrich themselves at the public’s expense. And by emphasizing the openness of government records, the orders help to ensure that abuses of power will not go unnoticed and uncorrected.

We Rallied and Took Action to Restore Habeas Corpus

Yesterday's sweltering heat in the nation's capital did not stop the approximately 4,000 activists from around the country from gathering for the Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice and demanding the restoration of habeas corpus, which was stripped away for some in a law passed last year. 

I was blown away by the size and passion of the crowd.  We met with many enthusiastic attendees at the Public Citizen table.

The masses cheered loudly for all of the speakers, but especially for Sen. Leahy (D-Vt.), a champion of constitutional rights and a leader on restoring the writ of habeas corpus. He spoke with authority about the importance of the Constitution, and how "it's hard to defend the higher ground by taking the lower road." Public Citizen and the coalition of organizations sponsoring the event, presented Sen. Leahy with the more than 250,000 petition signatures calling for the restoration of law and justice.  Our very own Linda Andros stood beside the senator as he held up and waved the Public Citizen petition to restore habeas corpus as evidence that Americans will not stand idly by while some non-citizens are denied protection from arbitrary arrest, disappearance and indefinite confinement without charge or trial.

Immediately following the rally, we stormed the Hill and took our petitions to all 535 members of Congress.  We delivered the message to Congress loud and clear: The writ of habeas corpus must be restored now!