Change you can give your personal information for
posted at 6:50 pm on November 6, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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I decided to take a look at the website for the incoming Barack Obama administration, The Office of the President-Elect — and it looks an awful lot like a campaign site. It announces that “change has come to America”, even though Obama is still more than two months from taking the oath of office. It’s replete with campaign slogans on Iraq, the economy, and other issues. None of this is terribly new, and it all looks like it got transplanted from BarackObama.com.
However, this site has a .gov top-level domain (change.gov). That is reserved for “qualified government organizations and programs”. The incoming administration technically has no status as a government organization or program until January 20, 2009. The “Office of the President-Elect” doesn’t exist within the government. Furthermore, the use seen at the site is clearly promotional for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and should have been kept at their own campaign domain rather than set up as an official US government site.
And why are they using a .gov site to compile mailing lists?
Why does the government need to collect e-mails and addresses from citizens in order to share their stories with the President-Elect? What purpose does the OPE have for this information? Are they hoping to build a list to sell to political allies, or perhaps just to telemarketers to help pay off the deficit? Since this is hosted as a government site, I think they need to explain what official use they will make of this information.
If we’re going to have a perpetual campaign in the next administration, they could at least have the decency to use their private-sector domain name.
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The same place you found the money for the extra taxes he’ll impose on you.
spmat on November 6, 2008 at 9:04 PM
Lorien,
Atlas Shrugged is a truly great novel, both as story and philosophy. But I can’t agree there’s anything particularly eerie or prescient about it. Everything she wrote about as ‘possible in the future’ had actually already happened before she wrote a word. Remember she was born and raised in the USSR so she knew a thing or two about freedom vs socialism. Also, Britain in WWII was substantially socialist already. She also had the Hoover and FDR administrations to study.
She had a considerable talent for characterizing people and principles, but as early as The Fountainhead (begun in the late 1930s, finished in 1943), she wrote (in a line given to Roark): “I’m an architect. I know what is to come by the principle on which it is based,” and she really understood how principles move history and human events.
JDPerren on November 6, 2008 at 9:05 PM
One doesn’t have to use drugs to understand the complexities and disparities of the broken criminal justice system in regards to the racial injustice in sentencing and prosecution disparities. I urge you to read up on this important subject. It is a huge problem that has disenfranchised millions.
http://www.nacdl.org/public.nsf/legislation/CI_01_007?OpenDocument&Click=
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/FedCrimes/story?id=3979703&page=1
http://stopthedrugwar.org/in_the_trenches/2007/dec/11/crack_sentencing_changes_made_re
username on November 6, 2008 at 9:05 PM
I just read this to my libertarian 15-year-old son, and he went ballistic. He does plenty of community service through our church youth group and has done a student ambassador trip to Fiji and New Zealand. No F-ing way is he going to submit to this, nor will my 11-year-old daughter.
This will produce a 80-20 vote for the Republicans among married women in the next election.
rockmom on November 6, 2008 at 9:07 PM
The gravity of the situation should compel you to fight even harder.
midlander on November 6, 2008 at 9:07 PM
Flooding is the technique ACORN used in Iowa to overwhelm the causcus workers. This is an actual strategy that is taught as a way to effect non-violent, though often illegal, change….there’s that word again!
LEBA on November 6, 2008 at 9:09 PM
Though Rand would reject the view that she espoused principles of conservatism (rightly so), there is a smaller version of her philosophy than Atlas Shrugged, if someone wants non-fiction. For the New Intellectual contains the ideas boiled down to their essence. Capitalism, The Unknown Ideal explains many particulars. Also, Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson is simple, easy to ready, and accurate. Thomas Sowell’s Basic Economics is also good.
JDPerren on November 6, 2008 at 9:10 PM
This is just a bait and switch for Barock Hessian Oingo Boingo’s new data mining system. Can you imagine that little twirp Rahm getting his little paws on your personal info?
sladenyv on November 6, 2008 at 9:10 PM
But we already knew that.
locomotivebreath1901 on November 6, 2008 at 9:10 PM
By request, domain info on actblue, nothing dramatic…
amazingmets on November 6, 2008 at 9:13 PM
I am signing up to review internet blogs all day to ensure the Fairness Doctrine is properly enforced.
Oh yes, and porn. To protect the children, you know.
angelat0763 on November 6, 2008 at 9:14 PM
This is just God-awful scary.
Sugar Land on November 6, 2008 at 9:19 PM
gophergirl
‘The dude has never had to deal with real life a day in his life.’
I agree with this statement. Even last year when he came back to clean up all of his old parking tickets from Cambridge when he was in Law School. He was above even paying parking tickets. Rush was talking today about how in his speech he stood alone without his family on stage with him. They were not even worthy to be with him up there as this was “his” moment.
Sadly, I think that many of the people that voted for him have never worked a day in their life either. They are in for a rude awakening when the “one” expects him them to work.
If this all goes as badly as it seems it will, I will blame the sons of the “Greatest Generation”, cops, union men.
Joe the Plumber, without his college education, understood. Sarah Palin understood. John McCain did not.
I do not blame the poor, black, uneducated voter, or the
easily swayed young person. I will blame the ones who were greedy, who sold away their fathers’ sacrifice of fighting for the ideals of freedom, and sold the military down the river.
tessa on November 6, 2008 at 9:19 PM
Anyone who has read Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism should recognize that theme right off the bat. It’s not “new,” there’s no “change” involved, and it’s emblematic of the worst that government has historically offered.
JohnTant on November 6, 2008 at 9:20 PM
Speaking of scary, read this closely:
angelat0763 on November 6, 2008 at 9:22 PM
Great find ed. I would agree that the use of the TLD of .gov is wrong.. One law for me, another for thee.
This is a really dangerous thing. The list is one thing. However, the list of those NOT on the list is equally as dangerous. IOW, …. “COMRADE.. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED THE REGISTER AT CHANGE.GOV. EXPLAIN”.
Someone pointed out that the obamites were keeping records of the responses to their polling.. Ie .. who has been naughty and who has been nice..
bullseye on November 6, 2008 at 9:23 PM
Smoke? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
Drink? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
20 lbs over weight? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
19 not 25 mpg? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
Don’t make you Dr’s appointment? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
Community Service voucher not completed? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
Kids homeschooled? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
Gun owner? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
BTUs over Government specs? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
Three kids not two? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah! TAX! FINE! PENALTY+
it is a bottomless well of opportunity for Uncle Sugar.
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 9:27 PM
So ACORN and the MSM are both in deep sh!t, then. Tell me how we got full information about Barry after hearing Evan Thomas’ musings today.
By the way, how do you like the “will sign into law his legislation” bit? Weren’t the lefties worried about the separation of powers? But now President Obama promises to sign Senator Obama’s legislation into law.
saint kansas on November 6, 2008 at 9:29 PM
Expose facto. He’ll have all the smoke screen he needs to sign it.
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 9:31 PM
Hey, it’s fun. I just left a “story” about how I donated all I could to McCain / Palin and actually prayed that my children wouldn’t have to live with the consequences of a totally unprepared, arrogant, and messianic “leader.”
Fun stuff. I may leave more stories!
Sugar Land on November 6, 2008 at 9:32 PM
Hopefully when the bloom comes of BHO’s “rose” the other 62M that voted for him will see him for what he really is….hopefully no more harmful than the 2nd term of the failed Jimmy Carter presidency. 56M of us knew this b4 Nov 4th and voted accordingly.
Sweetness0726 on November 6, 2008 at 9:38 PM
God’s will. This is what I have to keep reminding myself over and over. He (not Obama) is in control.
carbon_footprint on November 6, 2008 at 9:41 PM
God is soveriegn. We can rest in that.
LEBA on November 6, 2008 at 9:43 PM
God bless you but I figure that God doesn’t want to handle everything by himself. He relies on us to figure out the nuts and bolts.
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 9:45 PM
I am so sorry for spamming this thread, but I just can’t leave it alone…
First, I would hope that some young people will be trained as soldiers. We call them the armed forces. Or used to.
And second, what do Ayers and all the other draft-card-burning ’60s leftovers think of this? Who’s in charge of maintaining the database of eligible 18-year-olds? Selective Service?
saint kansas on November 6, 2008 at 9:49 PM
The Cheka.
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 9:52 PM
The next election is 2 years off. Saxby Chambliss is going to be in a runoff election shortly. He should use this against his opponent as another reason we have to prevent a 60 vote majority.
Buy Danish on November 6, 2008 at 9:53 PM
I am so sorry for spamming this thread, but I just can’t leave it alone…
Young people will be trained not as soldiers, but simply as citizens who understand their responsibilities in the event of a natural disaster, an epidemic or a terrorist attack.
First, I would hope that some young people will be trained as soldiers. We call them the armed forces. Or used to.
And second, what do Ayers and all the other draft-card-burning ’60s leftovers think of this? Who’s in charge of maintaining the database of eligible 18-year-olds? Selective Service?
saint kansas on November 6, 2008 at 9:49 PM
Hypocrisy has never bothered liberals or socialists before and it won’t this time either. They have rules for the true believers and different rules for the sheep.
The Civilian National Security Force is not a military force and would not therefore be subject to the Posse Comitatus Act. They would have the same power of arrest that the police or Coast Guard currently has.
I suspect that disadvantaged urban youths would be selected along with Obama Youth volunteers for such a force.
sharrukin on November 6, 2008 at 9:59 PM
change.gov keeps on mentioning what to do in case of a terrorist attack… almost as if that were a possibility under an Obama administration… but we’re not going to have any more “saber rattling”; instead we’ll have a civilian defense force trained to clean up afterward. They won’t be trained as soldiers, though. Just… cleanup duty.
saint kansas on November 6, 2008 at 10:03 PM
They won’t be trained as soldiers, though. Just… cleanup duty.
saint kansas on November 6, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Why does that give me the creeps?
sharrukin on November 6, 2008 at 10:05 PM
But what about us satanists?
username on November 6, 2008 at 10:06 PM
I feel like this should have a GOP welcome section for Barack to greet us with words of healing:
The election is over and it’s time to relax and fall behind the chosen one. Everyone get on the list so you have hope and are accounted for under the covering of Obama and the new communal spirits he has summoned for us.
All hail, the great world citizen-leader has spoken from Chicago:
See, he’s just graciously extending an opportunity for personal accountability through his portal of change.
econavenger on November 6, 2008 at 10:08 PM
If it can’t happen without me then I guess the plan is doomed.
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 10:11 PM
wiki says:
.gov (pronounced “dot-gov”) is a sponsored top-level domain restricted for used by government entities in the United States of America. The .gov domain is administered by the General Services Administration (GSA), an independent agency of the federal government. The URL for registration services is http://www.dotgov.gov [1]
Buy Danish on November 6, 2008 at 10:13 PM
General Services Administration.
Purchasing arm of the US government. The $600 hammer folks.
techno_barbarian on November 6, 2008 at 10:23 PM
They won’t be trained as soldiers, though. Just… cleanup duty.
saint kansas on November 6, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Why does that give me the creeps?
sharrukin on November 6, 2008 at 10:05 PM
When that day comes, they come a knocking………. Bang bang………..People will start shooting them. It creeps me out too.
sheebe on November 6, 2008 at 10:29 PM
The Change.Gov website is part of the Obama-Biden transition Project, which is registered as a 501(C)(4).
501c4s are a type of non-profit organization that can engage in lobbying or political campaigning.
One does not have to be a Harvard Grad and aConstitutional lawyer to figure out that this is not a government entity and they have no right to use a dot. gov domain.
Buy Danish on November 6, 2008 at 10:30 PM
But it’s Obama so it’s cool.
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 10:36 PM
Why the hell should I care about any of this.
I’m an hourly employee.
I have meager stock holdings.
I drive a ten year old truck.
I have only a wee bit before I get my first SS check. I’ll be ‘grandfathered’ into the system while everyone else pays.
I’ll qualify for the redistribution cash.
So why the hell do I give a rats ass? Shouldn’t this be YOUR problem. You folks under 55? Especially you folks under 35?
I’ve got it made. I’ll get my government subsidy. I’ll get my food.
What the hell am I doing fighting this anyways?
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 10:41 PM
I don’t think the RNC (and others) is going to be too impressed with his coolness.
Buy Danish on November 6, 2008 at 10:43 PM
Sorry, had to fix that typo.
Tim Burton on November 6, 2008 at 10:44 PM
Um. You are kidding, right?
LEBA on November 6, 2008 at 10:50 PM
LEBA on November 6, 2008 at 10:50 PM
Garryowen
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 10:55 PM
Gee whiz … some of y’all can argue about the legitimacy of this domain all night long. It’s a silly argument … just like Republicans arguing about where the marketing pitch, packaging, presentation, whatever, went wrong … yer missing the point. this group doesn’t follow the rules … isn’t going to play fair … they will be making it up as they go along … and you will end up at the bottom of the pile … everytime.
you may disagree with his politics, but obama is not stupid. he is a effective and cunning ans so are the cretins supporting him … and while the idiot Republicans sit and argue over stupid kindergarten crap, this guy is about to clean your clocks.
This is basically a recruitment site. Don’t you want to work for the Chosen One? Be up to date on hope and change? Let us know about the apostates in your neighborhood … Just imagine the propaganda you could spread and the cult following to perpetuate. Himmler, Lenin, Marx … would have died for access to the masses we have today.
This group about to enter the White House are nothing like we have seen. Want to know what you are going to be up against … get up to speed on Clowder-Piven Strategy (might as well, your tax dollars paid for it), go read Prairie Fire by William Ayers, read Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky (recall: “Get in their faces”).
AZ_Redneck on November 6, 2008 at 11:04 PM
I’m sorry, I don’t speak “50’s movie with French subtitles”…but I am hip to sarcasm.
LEBA on November 6, 2008 at 11:07 PM
That’s OK. That hole in your hat proves I have lousy aim.
All is good. Well almost all. Well some of it. I guess.
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 11:08 PM
AZ_Redneck on November 6, 2008 at 11:04 PM
I hope you are wrong but I fear that you are right.
These ain’t the Democrats we thought we knew!
sharrukin on November 6, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Now if you’ll just give me 100 hours of community service, I’ll give you these 24 beads and a bison rug, k? Oh. And the check is in the mail.
LEBA on November 6, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Deal! Manhatten sucked anyways :)
Limerick on November 6, 2008 at 11:14 PM
I went there too and it was just a weird website.
roux on November 6, 2008 at 11:14 PM
:)
LEBA on November 6, 2008 at 11:14 PM
AZ_Redneck on November 6, 2008 at 11:04 PM
You are right. That is the only thing that it is for. People need to be on the guard. I won’t say what Ayers wanted to do to two hundred and 50 million people. He wanted them exterminated. Here in our Country. This is why I am scared. There is going to be some sh*t coming down. Why I wonder what the heck the Treasury is teaching Shariah for? Not sure if spelled that right. The sheep are asleep. They won’t face facts, or even look at possibilities. We on here are not sheep. (trolls are) Sometimes I wonder if I am jumping to conclusions. But I don’t think I am. In Four years a lot of damage can be done. You put it to the point.
sheebe on November 6, 2008 at 11:21 PM
I also thought this was some kind of joke and it is but it’s just not funny . It’s kinda freakin me out.
dave264 on November 6, 2008 at 11:25 PM
true story, good friend former Republican unemployed just out of law school. unemployment found me once, and I voted anything but Republican. If republicans can figure out how to get the non-working vote, we’ll be alright.
anti-boomer on November 7, 2008 at 12:00 AM
if anyone wants to know why I’m so filled with bloodlust… it’s because boomers are f@*king over my future. They want to suck the world dry while they walk the earth. I’d prefer to get some mass grave action going and cut them off before they cut me off. With them out of the way, X, Y and XY or whatever will be able to lick our wounds and refocus.
anti-boomer on November 7, 2008 at 12:06 AM
Geez, 100 h of service for college students. So now we’ll have a bunch of disgruntled students doing “service”. What is this “service” to be (I’ll put down money that any left-wing cause will be laudable, and anything with a hint of conservatism will be ignored.) This is going to slam volunteerism in this country, adn I can say that if I am told by the government that I must fulfill x hours of community service, I will probably have to pull back my current service of approx 1000 hrs/year by more than 100 hrs, causing more strain on the system in which I work.
aacid on November 7, 2008 at 12:07 AM
+1
We are not going to see any of our FICA taxes, or now possibly anything resembling the current retirement setup. We’re getting shafted hard.
aacid on November 7, 2008 at 12:09 AM
Voluntary data mining.
madmonkphotog on November 7, 2008 at 12:12 AM
And arrogance.
madmonkphotog on November 7, 2008 at 12:13 AM
I just looked at that ‘privacy’ policy for the site. Its their policy to not share your private information. At least not ‘generally’.
I do wonder what they will make of the referrer cookie they created for me showing I came from hotair.com.
OBQuiet on November 7, 2008 at 12:21 AM
Is this mandatory? Will we be punished if we don’t “click”?
bloggless on November 7, 2008 at 12:26 AM
When will we get the little black book and the little blue book and the little red book?
bloggless on November 7, 2008 at 12:29 AM
Excellent question. It is my opinion the whole Internet will change under an Obama administration.
apacalyps on November 7, 2008 at 12:29 AM
There will be no cap on Social security taxes. Nasty Pelosi is just itching to get her claws on our money. We need to let the bitter clingers get a full dose of Dear Leader and then they will be ready to become conservative.
bloggless on November 7, 2008 at 12:31 AM
Will the internet nerds be able to keep a few steps ahead?
bloggless on November 7, 2008 at 12:33 AM
I can think of a very good reason to do this. Considering that both campaign sites (Obama’s and McCain’s) were data-mined by what the FBI indicates was a foreign power, it’s probably better that Obama’s gathering place be under government administration.
The FBI indicates that a lot of sensitive campaign documents were uploaded by the infiltrators, and hinted that the information gathered could be used against the United States, since some of the documents outlined potential future policy.
So I’m actually rather happy that the transition is happening this way. It may be strange, but it’s good for our security.
unclesmrgol on November 7, 2008 at 12:41 AM
apacalyps on November 7, 2008 at 12:29 AM
LMAO Well, he was going to a Muslim school in Indonesia. That is a fact. He did go to Mosques also. Wow this man is a sick man. Talk about violating the People. Look what he did to Joe the Plumber. That was water in the cake. He did say that he wanted to tax the Internet. Tax tax tax…………Give me death or taxes!
sheebe on November 7, 2008 at 12:42 AM
Why would they want that kind of information?
Can we say ‘Flash Mobs’?
Joe Trippi, the Internet politics guru whose computer geeks made Howard Dean a contender in 2004 and who went on to design Obama’s socially networked campaign machine, offers a provocative and educated guess.
Trippi predicted that Obama would use his forces, first and foremost, to intimidate congressional foes of his agenda, rally his allies and forge “one of the most powerful presidencies in American history.”
The president-elect’s political operatives know, for example, the ZIP codes and hence the congressional districts of each of Obama’s million most active campaigners, those who volunteered via his Web site mybarackobama.com. It’s a social network that the campaign set up to communicate needs, events and assignments to volunteers.
Instead of e-mailing members of Congress, Gensemer continued, Obama’s most effective supporters will meet with them in their district offices and press them at local town hall meetings.
Trippi offered a more dramatic scenario: “Obama will be able to say these are the 10 members of Congress standing in our way on health care. Basically, it’ll be the president and the people united, with some members of Congress in between, which won’t be a very comfortable place to be.”
Can we see that conservative Democrats will be reluctant to stand in the way of ‘The One’ regardless of what he wants. The media will show up after being tipped off about the ‘angry protest’ and it will hit the MSM in full colour. The Democrat in question will likely buckle under and the others who might have been pondering standing in the way of ‘The One’ will wisely reconsider their position.
sharrukin on November 7, 2008 at 1:15 AM
Excellent (if frightening) analysis.
LegendHasIt on November 7, 2008 at 1:26 AM
sharrukin on November 7, 2008 at 1:15 AM
eegads! very realistic too………
sheebe on November 7, 2008 at 1:31 AM
I wish to God it wasn’t!
We saw this same sort of thing taking place in the ‘Orange Revolutions’ in Georgia (George Soros backed)and the Ukraine (Soros-financed),and George Soros was a backer of Obama, so it isn’t too surprising the same sort of tactics might be used in the United States.
sharrukin on November 7, 2008 at 1:42 AM
Probably for a while, but at the rate technology is steaming ahead, soon nobody will be anonymous. The Bible predicted long ago that everybody would need a mark INSIDE their right hand or forehead to buy and sell things. I’m sure it would be used to log in and out of your computer too. Check this out.
“And he (Antichrist) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a MARK in their RIGHT HAND, or in their FOREHEADS: And that NO MAN might BUY OR SELL, save (except) he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17
Mark of the Beast NBC News Clip
Revelation Prophecy Fulfilled: Mark of The Beast
apacalyps on November 7, 2008 at 1:50 AM
Why should there be a problem with Obama using government resources for his own use? We should all focus on Palin using private resources for government use.
Phoenician on November 7, 2008 at 1:58 AM
I went to CHANGE.GOV and I had one of those little eye/brain spasms and I thought it read CHANGEOLOGY.
I think we’ll probably soon see entire university departments devoted to the study the political magic of Barack Obama – The Department of Changeology.
eeyore on November 7, 2008 at 2:03 AM
sharrukin on November 7, 2008 at 1:42 AM
You are very intelligent. I admire that
There is no way I would ever let a chip be put in me. That is crazy stuff. I know that is what is suppose to happen. But, I will pretend for now it won’t. Knowing who is The Dictator is very upsetting to me still. I been getting these crazy emails. But they are just scare tactics though. Nothing realistic like is on here. They claim that in the Bible it says Muslim and Islamic. I don’t recall seeing those words. The Bible was written to long ago for those words to be in it. Unless I forgot a lot in the Bible.
sheebe on November 7, 2008 at 2:32 AM
Why should there be a problem with Obama using government resources for his own use? We should all focus on Palin using private resources for government use.
Phoenician on November 7, 2008 at 1:58 AM
Did you read ones post on other page? And what would matter if Palin uses it for private resources for government use? She has a right to do that. She does have a High Security Clearance.
sheebe on November 7, 2008 at 2:34 AM
I guess I better get to bed. Friday’s are a killer day at work. So much great stuff on here to read. Brilliant at that. You all have a great night!
sheebe on November 7, 2008 at 2:41 AM
I believe President-Elect Barack Obama has announced the formation of a Civilian Security Force. Anyone heard more? I was considering joining. I see a lot of unpatriotic talk on this website. I see racists who criticize the President-Elect. That is unpatriotic and racist and conservative, and I would like to report it to my neighborhood watch foreman. /sarc
indythinker on November 7, 2008 at 3:16 AM
It is ironic that, for all of the psychotic fear mongering the left engaged in 2004 over the draft, Barack Obama has just chosen a chief of staff who supports a plan to send 18-25 year olds into compulsory service.
Link to story
eaglescout1998 on November 7, 2008 at 3:22 AM
What’s even more interesting is a site like that is planned well in advance… like 2 to 3 months.
Though I would contend that I believe the Office of the President-Elect is a real office, maybe made so by Bush’s Executive Order making it so…
PresidenToor on November 7, 2008 at 4:09 AM
The Civilian National Security Force is not a military force and would not therefore be subject to the Posse Comitatus Act. They would have the same power of arrest that the police or Coast Guard currently has.
I suspect that disadvantaged urban youths would be selected along with Obama Youth volunteers for such a force.
sharrukin on November 6, 2008 at 9:59 PM
Can you imagine youth being given the power to arrest? And just what is the scope of their power? What is to keep this independent force from abusing it? It may be a completely honest effort, but the first image to enter my mind under the circumstances was the lovely Hitler Youth. Yep, that worked out well. Having been a DI, I’m pretty much aware of the process for creating the type of person you need for the task at hand. Scary what could be done with it.
N4646W on November 7, 2008 at 4:44 AM
As a further thought, why not a draft for the military. What better way to prepare a youth for life and as a civilian, they would already be trained for the task that That One is suggesting. After all, it is not as if they would ever have to go into armed conflict as he intends to bring the world together. Get out the spray can, the old peace symbol will be back in style.
N4646W on November 7, 2008 at 4:50 AM
I just want to yell here…This website of Obamas basically admits he lied all over the place. Here’s a gem from him on foreign policy:
Diplomacy: Obama supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions.
This is going to be a looooooooong 4 years, isn’t it?
JPG on November 7, 2008 at 4:54 AM
Stop whining, he hasn’t been inaugurated yet. Bring this propoganda site to the attention of authorities, PROTEST!
saint on November 7, 2008 at 5:00 AM
I actually don’t have a problem with the draft itself if needed. It is a good idea to have a large trained reserve if it ever comes to it with China, or whomever. After all the United States won World War Two with a largely draftee army. It is also a good idea for civilian culture and military culture to intermix, and not become too distant from each other.
The problem is that a civilian militia is not controlled the way the military is. It becomes too easy to use such a force domestically.
There is no reason for the existence of a Civilian National Security Force except to institute control or to indoctrinate.
sharrukin on November 7, 2008 at 5:31 AM
Stop whining, he hasn’t been inaugurated yet. Bring this propoganda site to the attention of authorities, PROTEST!
saint on November 7, 2008 at 5:00 AM
What authorities? He is the President Elect with a mandate and Democratically stacked Congress given to him by fools.
Who ya gonna call?
sharrukin on November 7, 2008 at 5:34 AM
http://change.gov/about/privacypolicy
tagryn on November 7, 2008 at 7:31 AM
I don’t know if there’s anything wrong with this. It’s not just a promotional for BO and Biden, but also a promotional for the incoming Administrations policy points. And what’s the difference between promoting policy points and taking your case directly to the American People, which is what Reagan did on a regular basis?
In any event, this phrase “qualified government organizations and programs” sounds incredibly malleable to me, and arguably a transition team headed by a sitting U.S. Senator preparing to take over the reins of government fits.
Way I see it, there are potentially bigger issues to go after Obama on. Making a fuss about this seems like quibling to me.
NorthernCross on November 7, 2008 at 7:42 AM
Step back a minute.
Obama is using a government resource to solicit people for their stories about experiences during the campaign. This goes far beyond a PR site trying to sell Obama’s policies (even if those policies are, in cases, lifted word-for-word from Obama’s campaign website). This is about the collection of information using government resources.
I think having issues with a GSA website soliciting fan mail for the sitting US President is more than a quibble.
JohnTant on November 7, 2008 at 8:15 AM
Look at the bottom of this Change.GOV website. It clearly states that it is a 501(C)(4) organization.
One story I read stated that they will be occupying offices in Washington (not specified – trying to find address) and Federal office space in Chicago.
Is this legal or is this permitted under IRS rules? How about campaign finance rules?
Buy Danish on November 7, 2008 at 8:26 AM
As another point, my congressperson has an option to sign up for email updates on his website, and that’s under a *.gov address as well, specifically house.gov. I see that as being the precedent.
Its a little iffy, and I don’t think their privacy policy would stop a FOIA request, but agree with NC that this probably isn’t the thing to pick the first fight over.
tagryn on November 7, 2008 at 8:26 AM
tagryn on November 7, 2008 at 8:26 AM
Your congressman uses a dot.gov address which is fine. However, he is not operating a 501 C 4 organization at that address/domain! If he used a dot.gov address for fund raising, it would be an improper use of the dot.gov domain.
For example, Saxby Chambliss’ Senate campaign website is http://www.saxby.org but his Senate office website is chambliss.senate.gov
As for picking fights, this is related to the fact they turned off Address Verification Systems for on line donations thus enabling anyone, anywhere to donate how much they wished.
Buy Danish on November 7, 2008 at 9:33 AM
It is permissable to use personal/corporate sites for government use…otherwise contractors wouldn’t be allowed to conduct any business on their email systems, for example.
However, it is a HUGE violation to use government sites, equipment, etc. for campaign activity. Personal is one thing, but to use this site to actively affect legislative persons in this manner is something I don’t think he can do either. Not with a DOT.GOV, and not in his role as President.
So this site, if not a definitive violation, is in a dark charcoal area. This ain’t light gray.
Miss_Anthrope on November 7, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Here’s more change for you: John F’ing Kerry for Sec State. That’s not change we can believe in. Kerry is the French Priss of Big Hair.
sladenyv on November 7, 2008 at 11:09 AM
I’m going to cross post a comment I just left at Michelle Malkin’s.
The bottom line is that Bush Cheney used a dot.org website for their transition in 2000, not dot.gov. They too set up a 501 C 4, but unlike Operation Obamascam, they did not pose as a government entity.
Buy Danish on November 7, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Thanks for your efforts, Mr Danish. I do think it’s important to keep in mind the global nature of the ‘nets. Regardless of what we say here, Government Bureaucrat X of China/Iran/wherever sees the .gov and assumes anything written there is Official United States Government Policy, right? And apparently this was all put together by a private campaigning firm.
saint kansas on November 7, 2008 at 11:38 AM
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