Obama not keeping transparency pledge

When the President campaigned he promised that his administration would be totally transparent. This has not been the case. The recently passed health care bill was concocted on a partisan basis behind closed doors against the will of the American people.

Most recently, President Barack Obama stated his intention to use the Congressional recess to bypass the Senate and appoint Dr. Donald Berwick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid, programs that represent one sixth of our economy. The President had ample opportunity to allow Congress to review and vote on this appointment. Instead he chose to hide his intentions, bypass Congressional confirmation hearings and appoint a proponent of wealth distribution and health care rationing.

Sarah Palin was mocked when she said that the new health care bill provided for "death panels." Dr. Berwick has praised the UK government-run health care system, a system that has a board that rations health care based on age and other factors, namely, a "death panel." The President has decided to supersede and bypass the legislative and judicial branches of government to further his political agenda.

Is this administration a model of transparency? I think not.

Ray Cziczo

Antioch