Two different writers. Two different styles. But the same message: Obama has fucked up in under two months in office.
Salon's Camille Paglia: "Yes, free the president from his flacks, fixers and goons -- his posse of smirky smart alecks and provincial rubes, who were shrewd enough to beat the slow, pompous Clintons in the mano-a-mano primaries but who seem like dazed lost lambs in the brave new world of federal legislation and global statesmanship. Heads should be rolling at the White House for the embarrassing series of flubs that have overshadowed President Obama's first seven weeks in office and given the scattered, demoralized Republicans a huge boost toward regrouping and resurrection. (Michelle, please use those fabulous toned arms to butt some heads!) First it was that chaotic pig rut of a stimulus package, which let House Democrats throw a thousand crazy kitchen sinks into what should have been a focused blueprint for economic recovery. Then it was the stunt of unnerving Wall Street by sending out a shrill duo of slick geeks (Timothy Geithner and Peter Orszag) as the administration's weirdly adolescent spokesmen on economics. Who could ever have confidence in that sorry pair?"
In today's Obama news conference on legislative earmarks, Obama remarked "... on occasion earmarks have been used as a vehicle for waste and fraud and abuse. Projects have been inserted at the 11th hour without review and sometimes without merit in order to satisfy the political or personal agendas of a given legislator, rather than the public interest." Obama's earemarks here.
On OCCASION? Obama blithely believes he can unilaterally abolish institutionalized congressional culture in one fell "earmark reform" swoop? AFTER his budget gets through laden with 8,500 choice pork products? The quid pro quo trough is as much a part of congressional politics as Robert's Rules of Order.
Without earmarks and bill amendments Congress might as well dissolve. Life is pretty much over on Capitol Hill. How will anyone get re-elected without funneling bucks to the home district for pet projects initiated by themselves at the behest of constituents? And lobbyists expect payoffs for dumping dough into political coffers.
An aside: Two more lobbyists get Obama's blessing for Administration gigs. This flies in the face of Obama's lobbying reform. Only one other lobbyist has accepted the same waiver.
Newsweek's prosaic Howard Fineman: "A Turning Tide? Obama still has the approval of the people, but the establishment is beginning to mumble that the president may not have what it takes."
Let me introduce you to FBI ABSCAM target (unindicted co-conspirator 1981) Dem Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha and his "Earmark Factory."
Unfortunate for us that Wisconsin Dem Senator William Proxmire and his legendary monthly Golden Fleece Awards fingering taxpayer-funded waste, fraud, and abuse, exited the planet in 2005. It may have been a media stunt but the senator who took Joe McCarthy's place had a point.
My plan for earmark reform:
ReplyDelete1. Every Representative gets $1 million per fiscal year.
2. Every Senator gets $5 million per fiscal year.
This (roughly) $1 billion effort requires a separate appropriations bill every year. The so-called "legislators" can choose to pocket the money, put it in their campaign coffers, or spend it on a project in their district/state. But, they must indicate the proposed expenditure in the bill. If the bill is defeated, no one gets the earmarks. If the bill is signed into law, it goes up on earmarks.gov. Further, the legislator is required to include a description of where the earmark money went on the front of every piece of mail that the franking privelege covers.
It's sickening.
ReplyDeleteHad this been a Republican (ok.. Bush comes to mind) people would have been calling for his head on a platter well before now. Yet people are still so blinded, or so drunk on the Kool Aid, that there is hardly the amount of anger, or at least serious questioning, that there should be. I'm not saying that there aren't people who are angry and some in the media aren't bringing this up, but mostly it seems to me that it's being brushed over. Like "Oh this is happening but, you know, no big deal."
It's all so frustrating. And I am so damn disgusted. I did not vote for him but I was actually hoping he'd come through. Yes, I know. I was hopelessly, stupidly optimistic.
I say we fire them all in 2010. Get the lifelong politicians out and get people in there who will actually work FOR the constituents, not against them.
have you ever been on a large shallow lake like Lake Erie or Lake St. Clair after a good blow and I am not talking a Lewinsky here. Obama is about as transparent as one of these lakes as described. After weeks of firing up Air Force One to fly weekly to some backwater town to sign a bill and get his weekly dose of adulation this snake oil salesman signs a 410 billion dollar ear mark laden bill BEHIND closed doors. I WOULD GIVE MY LEFT BALL TO BE THE TELEPROMPTER OPERATOR AT ONE OF HIS MAJOR SPEECHES AND EXPOSE THIS GUY FOR THE PHONY HE IS.
ReplyDeleteRest assured, whoever fucks with the Used Car Saleman-In-Chief's teleprompter will definitely lose a testicle.
ReplyDeleteThey already get a hefty office budget for staff etc.
ReplyDeleteRecall about a year ago when Obama blathered during the campaign that he's against earmarks?
I urge you all to rent "Bob Roberts." Tim Robbins directed and starred.
It is corrupt politicians personified. You'll see. It came out, I think, in 1994. It's a must-see movie.
I'd like to know who operates Obama's ubiquitous TelePrompTer. Let's slip the guy some Xanax...
As long as we have an electorate venal enough to reward bribes given to them, paid by their own tax dollars, we'll have this problem. We need to make non-germaine amendments to legislation illegal. We need a presidential line item veto. We need a serious balanced budget amendment. We've GOT to start prioritizing. We can't afford everything, with the bill passed along to our grandkids. Things which can't become law on their own merits shouldn't become law.
ReplyDeleteMarty
ReplyDeleteI am happy to see Camille getting more attention I really like Camille.
Camille isn't on the fringe like the majority of Americans.
People, people, what are you all concerned about? Don't you know that this was one of those nasty bills left over from that Damn Bush administration? This is last year's legislation.
ReplyDeleteNo problem. All legislation coming forth will be of a new design, assuming of course that BO grows a pair at least the size of the one's Michelle his wife has. Only at that point would Mr. Obama have the size balls to stand up to Pasty Face Pelosi and Harry the Hand job Reid.
have you ever been on a large shallow lake like Lake Erie or Lake St. Clair after a good blow and I am not talking a Lewinsky here. Obama is about as transparent as one of these lakes as described. After weeks of firing up Air Force One to fly weekly to some backwater town to sign a bill and get his weekly dose of adulation this snake oil salesman signs a 410 billion dollar ear mark laden bill BEHIND closed doors. I WOULD GIVE MY LEFT BALL TO BE THE TELEPROMPTER OPERATOR AT ONE OF HIS MAJOR SPEECHES AND EXPOSE THIS GUY FOR THE PHONY HE IS.
ReplyDeleteMy plan for earmark reform:
ReplyDelete1. Every Representative gets $1 million per fiscal year.
2. Every Senator gets $5 million per fiscal year.
This (roughly) $1 billion effort requires a separate appropriations bill every year. The so-called "legislators" can choose to pocket the money, put it in their campaign coffers, or spend it on a project in their district/state. But, they must indicate the proposed expenditure in the bill. If the bill is defeated, no one gets the earmarks. If the bill is signed into law, it goes up on earmarks.gov. Further, the legislator is required to include a description of where the earmark money went on the front of every piece of mail that the franking privelege covers.