White House refuses to provide transparency on Cash for Clunkers

Remember when Barack Obama promised to provide the most transparent administration in history — the Hope and Change of the campaign?  Even as the White House demands billions of dollars to extend the Cash for Clunkers program, the administration has decided to stonewall on requests to see the data for an independent determination of the program’s success (via Michelle):

The Obama administration is refusing to release government records on its “cash-for-clunkers” rebate program that would substantiate—or undercut—White House claims of the program’s success, even as the president presses the Senate for a quick vote for $2 billion to boost car sales.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Sunday the government would release electronic records about the program, and President Barack Obama has pledged greater transparency for his administration. But the Transportation Department, which has collected details about 157,000 rebate requests, won’t release sales data that dealers provided showing how much U.S. car manufacturers are benefiting from the $1 billion initially pumped into the program.

The Associated Press has sought release of the data since last week. But the public and Senate Republicans demanding more information will have to wait for details because federal officials running the program don’t have time to turn over data delivered by car dealers, said Rae Tyson, spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If the program has been such a success, why stonewall the AP, not exactly known for its hostility to the Obama administration?  Perhaps because earlier administration claims about the program will be exposed as lies or exaggerations.  For instance, LaHood claimed that the program most benefited Ford and their Focus.  However, the AP has seen data that shows that the domestic automakers aren’t benefiting nearly as much as the White House claims — and that six of the top ten models sold in the program come from Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai.

Obama wants billions of dollars more in taxpayer subsidies for clunkers.  Taxpayers have a right to know how their money already got spent in this program.  Indeed, that data belongs to the public, and we certainly should review it before Obama spends billions of dollars more on it.  That’s what transparency is all about.

And if Obama stonewalls on how money gets spent on Cash for Clunkers, imagine how he’ll react to demands for the records on ObamaCare.