Not the People's White House

In a brief post, Atrios notes that the White House web site has a number of robot files designed to discourage search engines from locating or linking to various pages at the site. Why, aside from its well-known prediliction for making it difficult for the public and press to have access to information, the White House would seek to do this is unclear. It does seem antithetical, though, to our beloved notion that our government exists to serve and is responsible to us.