(CNN) -- Just a couple of nights ago, we heaped praise on the new president for announcing what he called a new era of openness, where in his administration, transparency would rule the day.

And the lobbyists that he was so critical of during the campaign? Well, he told us they will now face even tougher new restrictions.

President Obama: "The executive order on ethics I will sign shortly represents a clean break from business as usual. As of today, lobbyists will be subject to stricter limits than under any other administration in history. If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years. When you leave government, you will not be able to lobby my administration for as long as I am president."

That's what he said two days ago. But as we first told you Thursday, and sadly we are learning more about this Friday, President Obama already wants an exception to his own rule.

You see, what happened is, there is this former lobbyist for a big defense contractor called Raytheon. His name is William Lynn.

President Obama wants him to be deputy defense secretary. So, the Obama administration wants a waiver to its own rule.

That basically means they are saying, we will mostly put tough new restrictions on lobbyists, except when we won't.

Really? Is this how it is going to be?

Please, please don't make us all any more cynical than we already are, Mr. President.

If you have no intention of abiding by your new rules, then don't make new rules. That would be "actual" transparency.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/23/campbell.brown.lobbyists/#cnnSTCText

And Obama's choice for the number 2 spot in the Interior Department barely escapes the "new rules" on lobbyist appointments. Hayes was a registered lobbyist from 2001 through 2006.

Yes...OBAMA will be open about all his corruption. It was all there BEFORE he was elected & it will be there now as well. so tell us something we don't already know ????

It's really scarey...that people vote for democrats knowing how corrupt they are. Like they will actually get anything good from that. I guess it's true...ignorance IS bliss & we have the voters to prove it.

After years of unethical behavior from politicians in Washington it is hard to find anyone, let alone any qualified people to accept many jobs.
This is one, but there are to be strict ethic rules required for him to follow while doing his job.
It is not wide open "conflict of interest" business as usual like in previous Administrations...
==========================================

The Obama administration has waived its ethics rules to allow William Lynn to serve as the deputy secretary of Defense.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said he supports Lynn's nomination and looks “forward to prompt consideration by the Senate.”

However, Levin cautioned that his panel will insist and ensure that Lynn, a Raytheon executive and former lobbyist, will comply with a strict set of ethics rules. He said this would include a requirement to recuse himself for a year from any decisions involving Raytheon, a large defense contractor.

He can participate in decisions regarding Raytheon only if "specifically authorized to participate by an appropriate ethics official," Levin said in a statement on Friday.

"The decision of the Administration to impose an additional set of requirements, and then waive them for this nominee, does not change the standards to which we hold all nominees," Levin said.

More.....

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/groups-urge-senate-to-reject-lynn-2009-01-23.html

Whoa, wait a minute. President Obama wants to hire someone who worked with Raytheon?? I thought they were one of the big, evil, morally corrupt defense contractors that so many (who are oddly silent now) like to bi##h about on a regular basis??

Oh, and Mr. President, if you create a rule; follow it. If a waiver is needed after less than a week in office, for a rule you set up yourself, then perhaps you should have left the rule alone?

Talk about politics as usual.

Ahhh, this is going to be fun.

-Drew

However, Levin cautioned that his panel will insist and ensure that Lynn, a Raytheon executive and former lobbyist, will comply with a strict set of ethics rules. He said this would include a requirement to recuse himself for a year from any decisions involving Raytheon, a large defense contractor.

He can participate in decisions regarding Raytheon only if "specifically authorized to participate by an appropriate ethics official," Levin said in a statement on Friday.



It is not wide open "conflict of interest" business as usual like in previous Administrations...

If people can not understand that this is different, it is easy to see why they were so easily led astray by the Bush Administration.

Yeah right, like Geitner's not paying his IRS bill that he would have never paid unless Obama nominated him for an appointment. If your own financial house is not in order you don't deserve to be Treasury Secretary. And if you make new rules for lobbying don't ask for an exception on day two......And don't promise:

"I am running to tell the lobbyists in Washington that their days of setting the agenda are over. They have not funded my campaign. They won't work in my White House."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/17/campbell.brown.lobbyists/index.html#cnnSTCText

Yes President Obama you lied they are going to work in your White House.

There are not a lot of people qualified to run the DOD...so I imagine finding someone who is qualified and not connected to the defense industry in some way is tough.

I am watching this one but I don't like it much at this point.