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 The White House responded Monday to controversy over its “snitch line” and political e-mails being sent to private citizens that critics are calling “spam,” since the recipients never requested them or signed up for correspondence of any kind. The likely culprits: “outside groups of all political stripes,” according to Obama’s “new media” director Macon Phillips.
"An ironic development is that the launch of an online program meant to provide facts about health insurance reform has itself become the target of fear-mongering and online rumors that are the tactics of choice for the defenders of the status quo," Macon wrote on the official White House blog. "Despite reports by some bloggers and others in the media that have invoked a variety of sinister conspiracy theories, more people signed up for updates last week than during the entire month of July."
Macon also claims that Obama has no desire to send out unsolicited e-mails to people who do not want to receive them. "That's one reason why we have never -- and will never -- add names from a commercial or political list to the White House list," he explained. “We regret any inconvenience caused by receiving an unexpected message.”
The media director noted that new security measures were being implemented to prevent a reoccurrence, but that mass e-mails would continue. Additionally, Macon confirmed that the so-called “snitch line” for reporting “fishy” information about healthcare “reform” had been merged with the “Reality Check” Web site to consolidate the process.
The controversial unsolicited e-mails — the most recent one supposedly written by Obama advisor David Axelrod to counter “viral” e-mails by opponents of healthcare reform proposals — were pushed into the spotlight by Major Garrett, the White House correspondent for Fox News. "I have received e-mails from people who did not, in any way, shape or form, seek any communication from the White House," he explained to press secretary Robert Gibbs, who responded with hostility and a request to see who sent the e-mails.
Critics have blasted both programs, citing concerns about privacy and propaganda. Some have gone so far as to suggest that the e-mails and the tip line are illegal. "I think they might have somebody in the new media office with a background in Google ... who may know how to do some drift net mining of email addresses and tossing them into the White House email system," said Karl Rove, a Bush-era White House insider who has been accused of violating multiple laws. "And that is frankly a violation of federal law."
Another Bush official, deputy assistant Brad Blakeman, also blasted the e-mails in an interview with Fox News, saying the White House was “passing the buck to third parties” and that “they knew quite well where these e-mails were going and how many were sent out.” He encouraged “victims” to come forward and suggested there may have been a plot to get around the White House records act, which mandates that all correspondence be archived. “It is totally inappropriate,” he continued, saying the program was offensive and that people should keep the “pressure on,” since current explanations were “unacceptable.”
Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas suggested that Obama’s flag@whitehouse.gov address to collect the “fishy” information sounded suspiciously like a plan to create an “enemies list” much like former president Richard Nixon’s. "I am not aware of any precedent for a president asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed 'fishy' or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interests," he wrote in a letter calling for a halt to the “snitch” program.
The ranking member of the House oversight and government reform committee, Republican Representative Darrell Issa, also complained about both operations in a letter to White House counsel Greg Craig. "I am concerned about the possibility that political e-mail address lists are being used for official purposes,” he wrote. “This, again, raises questions about this administration blurring the lines between political and official business." He continued by asking how exactly Obama was using the tip line and noted that "the fear has been expressed that the White House was asking neighbors to inform on neighbors in a government-led data collection effort."
Whether Obama is compiling an enemies list or not, asking Americans to report each other for opposition to anything — let alone a bill as controversial and unconstitutional as the healthcare package — is outrageous. So is sending out propaganda e-mails using taxpayer money in support of it. It is time for the justice department to reign in these abuses and for an investigation into the programs to determine if any laws were broken. If violations were committed, those responsible should be held fully accountable.
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