Obama Web Strength Poses Ethical Dilemma

It's already clear that a President Obama plans to use the Web to further his goals, as well he should. But he should take care not to mix politics with governance--an ethical lapse which could undermine his considerable moral authority.

Obama has a network of over 10 million supports to tap into, and that could easily be turned into avalanches of emails to recalcitrant members of Congress unwilling to do the president's bidding.

The campaign-turned-administration is also likely to use search and display ads to influence public opinion on critical new initiatives. The Washington Post notes:

The White House could "geo-target" ads so they appear online in congressional districts where members remain undecided. Obama could use Internet ads to solicit signatures for petitions, or he could place display and video ads contextually -- so they would appear on the screen next to news coverage of his proposals.

The one thing the White House will have to take care of is the appearance of using government funds for something like an Obama re-election campaign. The transition team will have to clarify who owns the list, how it can be used, and under what conditions, in order to avoid charges that it is mixing governance with politics.

It's fine (and smart) for the administration to use this list to generate support for the president's policies, but not okay for the White House to use it to help elect allies in Congress in 2010 or to further the president's own re-election bid.

It might seem like hair-splitting, but the Obama campaign might want to consider selling its list to its own transition team, and then letting the two lists grow separately from January 20, 2009 onwards.