Full Disclosure
- Posted by: Andrew Price
- on November 14, 2008 at 3:58 pm
The New York Times reports that “a seven-page questionnaire being sent by the office of President-elect Barack Obama to those seeking cabinet and other high-ranking posts may be the most extensive — some say invasive — application ever.”
The questionnaire asks applicants to provide links to any online profiles they’ve had (like Facebook or MySpace pages), describe any potentially embarrassing emails they’ve sent, and even open their diaries to Obama (see above). NPR has a pdf of the full questionnaire here.
There’s a debate brewing in the media about whether the questionnaire is too invasive or will disqualify valuable candidates. We’re not worried. As Levi Johnson and Whole Foods CEO John Makey will tell you, MySpace pages and online comments aren’t private to begin with when you have a national profile.
Will the questionnaire disqualify able candidates? Unlikely. Many of the questions ask about associations that could be used “even unfairly” against an Obama administration. By that standard Obama would have plenty to list himself (Wright, Rezko, Ayers, et al).
They’re not trying to screen out everyone with a vulnerability; they’re trying to assess and preempt potential problems.
DISCUSSION: 2 Comments
Ladies and gentlemen. This is what vetting looks like!
Obama has a pretty tall order in front of him–both in terms of the crises he’s inheriting and the racial baton he must carry. This is historic and momentous. Jackie Robinson was the right man to break the color barrier in baseball because he was strong, talented, and, most importantly, patient. Barack Obama is in the position he is now because he’s intelligent, inspiring, and most importantly, he does his due dilligence.
agreed. i find it amusing that this kind of thing would surprise people. all but the most cynical cynic would even give the benefit of the doubt that such an important position would seek to protect itself from underqualified or potentially harmful associations, even if it was for shady reasons