Those who make a trip to the White House, whether they are lobbyists or a family on a tour, can no longer hide their visit. A new policy by the Obama administration publishes all White House visitor logs 90 days after the visit.

This is a welcome change from the secrecy of the Bush administration and a step toward a more open government.

President Barack Obama campaigned on a more transparent government and this new policy is one way he is keeping that promise. While it is just a small step, it allows the public to better keep tabs on the workings of our president and his government. There is no need to keep these logs secret because our president should have nothing to hide. Everyone who meets with him at the White House should be there to promote the interests of the American public, and the American public should know who is there.

Obama promised to keep lobbyists out of his administration. This is one way we can keep an eye on him.

If our government has nothing to hide from us, it won’t matter if the visitor logs are public. This just allows the public to make sure nothing stays hidden. The only problem is that it took so long.

Our View is the consensus of The Crimson White’s editorial board.