---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Obama administration is fighting to…"
description: "\"The Obama administration is fighting to block access to names of visitors to the White House, taking up the Bush administration argument that a preside..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/bill-dedman-3519_access_the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to_2525983.jpg"
---

#  The Obama administration is fighting to block access to…

![“The Obama administration is fighting to block access to names of visitors to the White House, taking up the Bush administration argument that a president doesn't have to reveal who comes calling to influence policy decisions.” quote by Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/bill-dedman-3519_access_the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to_2525983.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/bill-dedman-3519_access_the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to_2525983.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/bill-dedman-3519_access_the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to_2525983.jpg)

> “The Obama administration is fighting to block access to names of visitors to the White House, taking up the Bush administration argument that a president doesn't have to reveal who comes calling to influence policy decisions.”

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The administration blocks visitor name disclosures, echoing past arguments that presidents need not reveal who influences policy.

**In simple terms:** Government hides visitor identities, citing precedent.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for transparency in political access.

Themes

transparency government accountability privacy

Mood

critical concerned

Type

analytical political

When to use this quote

- policy analysis
- journalism
- civic activism
- legislative reform

Key Concepts

public interest political influence

Questions to Reflect On

- Should elected officials disclose all visitors?
- What safeguards protect legitimate privacy?

A Different Perspective

Balancing privacy with public right to know is complex.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/administration/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Bush administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bush-administration/) [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Obama administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-administration/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/)

## Related quotes

> [“Relationships have decayed; trust has ebbed. This is not a new problem. George W Bush's administration made a bonfire of American soft power with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lucas/relationships-have-decayed-trust-has-ebbed-this-is-not-a-new-problem/)

[Edward Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lucas/)

> [ The usual practice is that the people in their jobs keep their jobs until their successors are named. Now, that's the way the \[George\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/the-usual-practice-is-that-the-people-in-their-jobs-keep-their-jobs/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [People don't realize that the Obama Administration has been, if anything, harder on whistleblowers than the Bush Administration. Part of the reason is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-turley/people-don-t-realize-that-the-obama-administration-has-been-if/)

[Jonathan Turley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-turley/)

> [The last six months of the Bush administration lost four million jobs and the first six months of the Obama administration lost another four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/the-last-six-months-of-the-bush-administration-lost-four-million-jobs/)

[Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/)

> [I had no difficulty as Secretary of Defense moving from the Bush administration to the Obama administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-had-no-difficulty-as-secretary-of-defense-moving-from-the-bush/)

[Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/)

> [ \[Barack\] Obama administration, the \[George W.\]Bush administration have done nothing. And as China has manipulated its currency, we've lost trillions of dollars of wealth… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/barack-obama-administration-the-george-w-bush-administration-have/)

[Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/)

> [The Obama administration has now taken exactly the same position as the Bush administration. I don't see how you can keep people from knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-weismann/the-obama-administration-has-now-taken-exactly-the-same-position-as/)

Anne Weismann

> [ There were between 46 and 52 drone strikes under the \[George W.\] Bush administration. And now there are over 400 - that's not counting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/there-were-between-46-and-52-drone-strikes-under-the-george-w-bush/)

[Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/)

> [Many visitors to Chicago know the Loop, the shops on the Magnificent Mile, and the Museum Campus. Meanwhile, much of the bustle is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/many-visitors-to-chicago-know-the-loop-the-shops-on-the-magnificent/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [Groups that advocate open government have argued that it's vital to know the names of White House visitors, who may have an outsized influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/groups-that-advocate-open-government-have-argued-that-it-s-vital-to/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [The Bush administration, they had two blue ribbon commissions about infrastructure finance that recommended a lot more money, and additionally the gas tax being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lahood/the-bush-administration-they-had-two-blue-ribbon-commissions-about/)

[Ray LaHood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-lahood/)

> [George W. Bush and his administration embarked on a full-scale assault on civil liberties, human rights and the rule of law, walking away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-jagger/george-w-bush-and-his-administration-embarked-on-a-full-scale-assault/)

[Bianca Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-jagger/)

> [Put simply, the Bush administration policy in the Middle East is continuing to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-corsi/put-simply-the-bush-administration-policy-in-the-middle-east-is/)

[Jerome Corsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-corsi/)

> [The Bush Administration's failure to be consistently involved in helping Israel achieve peace with the Palestinians has been both wrong for our friendship with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-bush-administration-s-failure-to-be-consistently-involved-in/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-we-criticize-in-iran-the-actions-of-the-government-the/)

[Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/)

## More by Bill Dedman

> [NBC News found that FEMA has redrawn maps even for properties that have repeatedly filed claims for flood losses from previous storms. At least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/nbc-news-found-that-fema-has-redrawn-maps-even-for-properties-that/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [Huguette Clark has had her own tax liens - four times, the IRS has filed to collect taxes from her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/huguette-clark-has-had-her-own-tax-liens-four-times-the-irs-has-filed/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [At one point, Sarah Palin sent her husband instructions to stock up on 'fresh fruit and veggies' for the kids, and 'as little processed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/at-one-point-sarah-palin-sent-her-husband-instructions-to-stock-up-on/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [In New York, FEMA granted the Mamaroneck Beach &amp; Yacht Club's request to be remapped from the high-risk flood zone in August 2012 -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/in-new-york-fema-granted-the-mamaroneck-beach-yacht-club-s-request-to/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [Wal-Mart has always paid low wages, or, as Sam Walton put it, 'as little as we could get by with at the time.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/wal-mart-has-always-paid-low-wages-or-as-sam-walton-put-it-as-little/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [Less than a year after the Sept. 11 attacks, al-Qaida attacks were continuing: the firebombing of a synagogue in Tunisia in April, a bomb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/less-than-a-year-after-the-sept-11-attacks-al-qaida-attacks-were/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [The Manhattan district attorney has closed the well-publicized investigation of the handling of the $300 million fortune of reclusive heiress Huguette Clark - without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/the-manhattan-district-attorney-has-closed-the-well-publicized/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [Mohammed al-Qahtani was not alleged to be a leader of the Sept. 11 plot. He was not trained as a pilot. If he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/mohammed-al-qahtani-was-not-alleged-to-be-a-leader-of-the-sept-11/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [If he is convicted, Dr. Kevorkian says he will die a martyr's death by going on a hunger strike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/if-he-is-convicted-dr-kevorkian-says-he-will-die-a-martyr-s-death-by/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [In votes cast, Latinos have increased to five million in the 1996 Presidential election, up from two million in the 1976 election. The number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/in-votes-cast-latinos-have-increased-to-five-million-in-the-1996/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [Lie detectors sometimes work because people believe they work, deterring the wrong people from applying for jobs in the first place, or prompting admissions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/lie-detectors-sometimes-work-because-people-believe-they-work/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [Each year, at the typical nuclear reactor in the U.S., there's a 1 in 74,176 chance of an earthquake strong enough to cause damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/each-year-at-the-typical-nuclear-reactor-in-the-u-s-there-s-a-1-in-74/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [It may be no surprise that Pittsburgh has direct flights to London, Paris and Frankfurt, but consider this: many of the tourists here have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/it-may-be-no-surprise-that-pittsburgh-has-direct-flights-to-london/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [More than 30 of America's 100 nuclear power reactors have the same brand of General Electric reactors or containment system used in Fukushima.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/more-than-30-of-america-s-100-nuclear-power-reactors-have-the-same/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [While the House of Blues slogan has been 'In blues we trust,' its stages are usually filled with more reliable moneymakers - Neil Diamond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/while-the-house-of-blues-slogan-has-been-in-blues-we-trust-its-stages/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

[Explore all 128 Bill Dedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

## More Access quotes

> [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/)

[Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/)

> [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/)

[Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/)

> [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/)

[Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/)

> [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/)

[Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/)

> [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/)

[John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/)

> [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/)

[King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/)

> [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/)

[Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/)

> [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/)

[Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/)

> [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/)

[Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/)

> [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. I do enjoy feminine frippery, feminine doo-da, stuff like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/now-that-i-m-more-middle-class-i-have-access-to-consumer-goods-i-do/)

[Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/)

> [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/)

Andrew Nikiforuk

> [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/)

[Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/)

> [Broadband Internet access shouldn't depend on who you are or where you're from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/broadband-internet-access-shouldn-t-depend-on-who-you-are-or-where/)

[Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/)

[Browse all 2,178 Access quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The Obama administration is fighting to block access to names of visitors to the White House, taking up the Bush administration argument that a president doesn't have to reveal who comes calling to influence policy decisions.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill Dedman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to-block-access-to-names-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Access"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to-block-access-to-names-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/bill-dedman-3519_access_the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to_2525983.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/bill-dedman-3519_access_the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to_2525983.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/bill-dedman-3519_access_the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to_2525983.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Obama administration is fighting to block access to names of visitors to the White House, taking up the…” — Bill Dedman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bill Dedman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The Obama administration is fighting to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to-block-access-to-names-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/the-obama-administration-is-fighting-to-block-access-to-names-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
