By Mark Memmott

The logs of visitors who come and go from the White House are in the news again.

MSNBC writes that "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."

And the Associated Press says "the Obama administration is declining to release documents that would identify visitors to the White House, embracing a legal position taken by the Bush administration, according to a watchdog group that filed a federal lawsuit over access to the records."

Asked about this today, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that "we want to be transparent," but that the White House is reviewing the policy on release of such records.

Update at 4:22 p.m. ET. Here is the White House transcript of Gibbs' exchange with reporters:

Question: What's the policy going to be on release of the names of White House visitors?
Gibbs: The policy -- as you know, I think many of you know, this has involved -- visitor logs have been involved in some litigation dating back to some time in 2006. The White House is reviewing that policy based on some of that litigation.
Question: So it's just you're not going either way on it now, and you're not refusing to --
Gibbs: We're reviewing what has been the policy of -- the previous policy.
Question: Who is doing that review?
Gibbs: The White House Counsel's Office and other people in the administration.
Question: What's the length of the review?
Gibbs: I don't know the exact timeline.
Question: Is there a mandate to be more transparent than the previous administration?
Gibbs: I think we ran on that --
Question: In this specific regard?
Gibbs: That's what's under review.
Question: Is that the goal?
Gibbs: What's the goal?
Question: Isn't that the goal, to be more transparent on these visitor logs than the previous administration?
Gibbs: The goal is -- and I think the President, who underscored his commitment to transparency on his first full day in office -- this is not a contest between this administration or that administration, or any administration; it's to uphold the principle of open government.
Question: Why would the president have any objection to the public knowing who is coming in here to visit?
Gibbs: I think we've taken actions to let people know who are. I think again, Peter, this dates back to litigation long before we ever showed up.
Question: Do you think you might have to uphold precedent here, possibly?
Gibbs: That's part of what's being reviewed by the counsel's office.

2:52 - June 16, 2009

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