Change.gov Answers Little

Change.gov broke new ground by soliciting questions from ordinary Americans. Participation was respectable if not huge: more than 20,000 people cast nearly 1,000,000 votes.

My question to President-Elect Obama about appointing a Special Prosecutor for Bush's crimes came in 6th, but change.gov decided to answer only 5. I don't feel cheated - they had to draw the line somewhere.

Ari Melber liked the process:

This transition effort is far more transparent and interactive, however, because it lets people write and rank questions. Instead of having gatekeepers -- in the media or government -- handpick the questions without any public scrutiny, citizens are engaged in the agenda-setting process. Even if Obama's staff chooses to duck some of the top questions, (they didn't this time), the public will know instantly and the press will have an even stronger basis for pressing those issues.

It's true they didn't duck the top 5 questions, but their answers were so mediocre that I don't know why they bothered. If all we get is a text version of Dana Perino, how is our Democracy improved? Let me grade each answer: 

Q: "Will you lift the ban on Stem Cell research in your first 100 days in office?" James_M, Nashville, TN

A: President-elect Obama is a strong supporter of Federal funding for responsible stem cell research and he has pledged to reverse President Bush's restrictions.

Everyone knows Obama supports Stem Cell research - so did John McCain. The question was whether he'd act within 100 days. Grade: D.

Q: "What will you do to establish transparency and safeguards against waste with the rest of the Wall Street bailout money?" Diane, New Jersey

A: President-elect Barack Obama does not believe an economic crisis is an excuse for wasteful and unnecessary spending. As our economic teams works with congressional leadership to put together a plan, we will put in place reforms to ensure that your money in invested well. We will also bring Americans back into government by amending executive orders to ensure that communications about regulatory policymaking between persons outside government and all White House staff are disclosed to the public. In addition all appointees who lead the executive branch departments and rulemaking agencies will be required to conduct the significant business of the agency in public so that every citizen can see in person or watch on the Internet these debates.

"We will put in place reforms?" George Bush could have said that. What reforms? With what specific goals? With what urgency? The rest is bureaucratic gobbledygook. Grade: D.

Q: "What will you do to promote science and mathematics education to Elementary and Middle School students?" JasonWyatt, Raleigh, NC

A: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will put children first by investing in early childhood education, making sure our schools are adequately funded and led by high-quality teachers, and reforming No Child Left Behind. They will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. They will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels.

There's nothing radical here, but the answer is responsive to the question. Grade: B.

Q: "Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?" S. Man, Denton

A: President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.

Obama is entitled to oppose legalization, but the question includes important policy issues which are simply ignored. Grade: D.

Q: "What will you do as President to restore the Constitutional protections that have been subverted by the Bush Administration and how will you ensure that our system of checks and balances is renewed?" Kari, Seattle

A: President-elect Obama is deeply committed to restoring the rule of law and respecting constitutional checks and balances. That is why he has pledged to review Bush Administration executive orders. President-elect Obama will also end the abuse of signing statements, and put an end to the politicization that has taken place within the Department of Justice and return that agency to its historic and apolitical mission of fair and impartial administration of justice.

Bush subverted the Constitution in at least 35 important ways, but the most glaring are these:

1. lying to Congress to get support for the illegal invasion of Iraq
2. denying human rights to prisoners and torturing them
3. wiretapping millions of Americans without a warrant
4. subverting legislation with "signing statements"
5. corrupting the Justice Department for partisan purposes
6. defying Congressional subpoenas

The answer only addresses #4 and #5. Grade: C

Total: 1 B, 1 C, 3 D = 1.6 = C-