Can't get a read on this one.
Politico:
House Republicans are pressing for a change in federal law that could force Michelle Obama and future first ladies to do more of their policy work in public. But Democrats warn President Obama may take the attempt personally “as an attack on his wife.”
The GOP effort is being led by the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), whose initial salvo was rebuffed recently at a contentious committee markup session. Under Issa’s amendment, any government policy group that Mrs. Obama or another first spouse regularly participates in would be subject to a law requiring meetings to be announced in advance and, in most instances, public.
Openness? Yes, please.
But isn't it interesting that the mere fact that the measure is being proposed by Darrell Issa (R-CA-49) makes you suspect that he's got no serious interest in this other than being a dick?
You're not the only one, either:
Democrats were skeptical about why Republicans were pressing the issue in the first year of a new Democratic presidency. However, Issa said the GOP actually proposed changing the law early last year, when Republican President George W. Bush and his wife Laura were in the White House.
True. Republicans did propose this early last year. Though I think you could also safely describe that time period as "when Republican President George W. Bush and his wife Laura were already counting the days until they had to pack to leave the White House." I'm sure the honest and even-handed cry for transparency in her important federal policy work was weighing heavy on Laura's mind. What a fearless crusader that Darrell Issa is!
[For more discussion on this, visit jovie131's diary - BarbinMD]