Democrats Face Open Govt. Question in Iowa

A second day of Des Moines Register Presidential Debate, this time featuring Democrats, again saw Editor Carolyn Washburn asking about the importance of open government.

Washburn asked Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), about concerns that while she was First Lady, her health care reform task force was "too closed and secretive." Washburn questioned whether Clinton's "presidency would operate the same way.

"As president," she asked Clinton, "how would you ensure that your administration doesn't withhold information from the public even if it gave ammunition to your critics?"

Clinton responded that she "learned a lot from that experience, and clearly one of the principle lessons is that you have to have a very strong communication strategy. And we didn't do that.

"I have certainly learned from that, during the remaining years in the White House, when I helped to create the children's health insurance program and did a lot of other work with the Clinton administration and, of course, now in the Senate," Clinton added.

"I want to have an open and transparent government," the senator stated. "I have put forth very specific plans for how I would reform the government: Put as much as we can on the Internet. Now we've got this tool, let's use it. Let's have as much sunlight as we can possibly gather.

"Let's make sure we have an administration that works with the Congress instead of denying legitimate requests for information and witness testimony and all the rest that this administration, unfortunately, has done. I think it's also very important that we end the revolving door of lobbyists, [and] that we move toward public financing….

"I’m committed to open, transparent government, and I’ve learned a lot, and I think I can apply those lessons," Clinton said.

The question was not put to the others. Read more on the Des Moines Register Web site.