If it wasn't for the memo leaked to the Huffington Post, and made public today (top story in TPM), we wouldn't know about the secret White House/Pharmaceutical industry deal whereby the former agreed to not import drugs from Canada.
Unless...the White House had complied with the request of the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sought every record possible of the meetings between the White House and the pharmaceutical industry (and coal industry).
The White House released the names, but not the records asked, in the form of audio, video, photos, etc.
Some hard-core White House loyalists in this and other progressive boards reacted with anger at the request, arguing that not everything should be made public. 

Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had it with the odious bickering that plagues our national debate:

Washington Post (8-12-09): White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel argued that the contrast between Obama -- whom he described as "reasoned, calm, looking like an adult in the room" -- and some of the more bombastic protesters would also work to the administration's advantage.

"I think the public looks at screaming, swastikas, attacks. . . . It's not a persuasive argument," he said Tuesday. "If anything, it is the opposite."

It's an irony to see Rahm playing the rhetorical peacenik, considering the way he handles debate with those who disagree with his own views.

I give you his response to Paul Krugman's criticism of the stimulus package as being inadequate earlier this year:

THE NEW YORKER (3-2-2009): ""No disrespect to Paul Krugman," Emanuel went on, "but has he figured out how to seat the Minnesota senator?" (Franken's victory is the subject of an ongoing court challenge by his opponent, Norm Coleman, which the national Republican Party has been happy to help finance.) "Write a fucking column on how to seat the son of a bitch. I would be fascinated with that column. O.K.?" Emanuel stood up theatrically and gestured toward his seat with open palms. "Anytime they want, they can have it," he said of those who are critical of his legislative strategies. "I give them my chair."

In addition to the above-mentioned rant, Former TPM blogger Greg Sargent reported less than a week ago:

"Sources at the meeting tell me that Emanuel really teed off on the Dem-versus-Dem attacks, calling them "f-king stupid." This was a direct attack on some of the attendees in the room, who are running ads against Dems right now."

Aww, isn't he just classy, civil and respectful? Granted, Emanuel is not seen or heard flashing swastikas, but his expletive-laden ad-hominem attacks are a far cry from the calm, reasoned "adult in the room" that he looks up to.

Allow me to borrow a page from Emanuel's book and conclude that he's a fucking hypocrite.

Racism might not be evident on first sight, but the following analysis uncovers the subliminal truth:

Consider the following evidence:

- First, the obvious: Purple is only a tick or two away from black on the color spectrum, so it's clearly no coincidence that Obama's likeness was imposed over Tinky Winky and not Dipsy, Laa-Laa, Noo-Noo, or Po. Tinky Winky is an unspeakably devious subliminal reminder of the pigmentation of our President's skin.

- Tinky Winky - and the rest of his Teletubby ilk - are meant to draw upon latent and subconscious racism and xenophobia. They're odd looking, they speak in incoherent phrases, they eat strange food and live in a futuristic dome. Clearly, they're not from around here - and they may not even be from this planet. To superimpose Obama's likeness over such a character is a truly despicable tactic designed to remind white people of his foreign heritage and to reinforce the notion that he is "of the other."

- Lastly, using Tinky Winky is a cretinously creative way to emasculate the President. Everyone knows Tinky Winky carries a red handbag, for crying out loud. White evangelicals are particularly attuned to subliminal associations with Tinky Winky since Jerry Falwell outed the cartoon character as a symbol of gay pride with his purple (but remember, also almost black) color and his triangular antenna.

This is ugly stuff. By superimposing Obama's face over the likeness of Tinky Winky this new poster creates a subtly coded, highly effective racial and political argument. Forget socialism, this poster is another attempt to undermine the President by drawing on deep seated stereotypes against blacks, foreigners, and gays.  It's disgusting.