Obama: Corruption You Can Count On!
Well, not only a week into his presidency and Obama has already chosen two tax dodgers to join his administration, waived the ethics rules HE initiated to stop the hiring of lobbyists (so he could hire some himself!), and tasted his first blood in civilian deaths (dead women and children) due to his continuing the Bush administration's policy of an expanded use of drones in Pakistan's tribal areas.
Yep, change you can count on all right!
Ethics Rules For Everyone...Except Us!
Just two days after President Obama introduced the new ethics rules that would "close the revolving door that lets lobbyists come into government freely" - rules that he himself heralded as the most sweeping ethics rules in America - he
First, so he could nominate William Lynn (a lobbyist) for Deputy Secretary of Defense. And a second time, when Tim Geithner (the tax dodger Obama nominated for Secretary of the Treasury) named Mark Patterson, a former Goldman Sachs lobbyist, as his chief of staff. Patterson lobbied for Goldman Sachs up until April.
Hmm, interesting! Especially since this is the man who PROMISED during his presidential campaign that lobbyists "won’t find a job in my White House."
See for yourself. Here's a screenshot taken right from Barack Obama's website. It was important when he was running for president, but now it's just another broken promise. I guess some things in politics never change.
Now, I have no problem with bending the rules once in a while - if it's absolutely necessary. But in the case of Lynn, it's clearly not. This is typical Washington politics...the same old, same old.
But what's most upsetting is that this is a clear conflict of interests! You see, Lynn lobbied on behalf of major defense contractor Raytheon. And being the Deputy Secretary of Defense (the second-highest ranking official in the United States Department of Defense) paves the way for him to work very broadly on military issues.
Said Melanie Sloan, founder of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, "This is exactly the kind of thing that makes the American public suspicious of politicians. You say one thing and do another.”
Gee, it's as if nothing ever changes! Funny how once they "win" an election, their promises go right out the window. And yet, the American public - drowning in stupidity, brainwashed by the mass media and
Hey America, this is your brain calling. I can't breathe while you're sitting on me!
Tax Dodgers R Us: The Obama Administration
That's right. Tax dodgers. Obama has already nominated not one, but TWO (Update: FOUR) tax dodgers...so far. Tom Daschle (nominated for Health and Human Services Secretary) and Tim Geithner (nominated as Secretary of the Treasury) were his picks. Both of them quickly filed amended tax returns after they were nominated. Surprise, surprise.
Daschle reportedly paid $128,203 in back taxes and $11,964 in interest, while Geithner reportedly paid $34,023 in back taxes and $8,679 in interest.
Awesome. So now we'll have someone (Geithner) in charge of the United States Department of Treasury and overseeing the IRS who couldn't even figure out how to fucking use Turbo Tax correctly!
Update: Now there's another one! Hilda Solis. A Senate committee abruptly called off a session to consider Obama's choice of Hilda Solis (nominated to be labor secretary) after learning that her husband has just paid about $6,400 to settle tax liens - some that were on file for as long as 16 years.
Update #2: Now there's a fourth one! Holy crap. I didn't think it was possible...but is it. As of today (March 2, 2009), the fourth tax dodger to be nominated by Obama has surfaced. This time, it's Ron Kirk, Obama's choice to be U.S. trade representative. Ron Kirk owes an estimated $10,000 in back taxes. Yep, change you can count on!
At this point, I think it's safe to say that Obama has extremely poor judgment. I worried about this early on -- due to his total lack of experience and all -- but now it's confirmed. This guy simply doesn't have a clue about what he's doing. Four tax dodgers nominated thus far. Amazing. I sincerely fear for where this country is headed. Ron Paul, we need you now more than ever!
Obama: No Change So Far!
Now, I know the guy is new, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I want him to succeed, NOT fail. It's no secret that we're waaay up shit's crick without a paddle right now, and something has to change. Or else!
But sadly, all I've seen so far while he's been in office is quite simply more of the same. The same old Washington rhetoric, the same old Washington bullshit empty promises, and the same old rules that apply to everyone else but themselves.
The fact is, Obama has done nothing thus far but surround himself with Washington insiders, Washington elites, and people who are either too crooked to pay their taxes honestly, or too damn stupid to know how to do so in the first place. Heck of a job there,
Obama's Dirty Politics - "Hoping" For A Change
Honestly, I'm hoping for a change...but I'm not stupid enough to hold my breath and wait for one. Truth is, I don't expect one. I mean, we're talking about a guy who first made his way into politics by playing dirty. Yes, dirty. Obama played dirty.
In his 1996 run for the Illinois Senate, he challenged his opponents' petitions for office on "technicalities." Basically, if the names on the petitions were printed, instead of being signed "in cursive" writing, he (and his cadre of lawyers) had them declared invalid. And so, he ran unopposed...and won, of course.
Yep, the man who "claims" to believe in giving the people the power of choice simply took it away from them. He got his political start by registering thousands of voters, and by promising them a say in politics. But in the end, he made absolutely sure they had no say - that they only had ONE choice...him.
How sad, and how very pathetic. I definitely feel bad for all those thousands of people whose
Tastes Like Chicken!
So at this point, I'm not expecting anything different from the new Obama administration. Just more of the same...corruption, wasted spending (more than ever since they're Democrats) and of course, war mongering. Oh yeah, and plenty of socialism for the rich.
Which is why I'm just gonna put this here. There are millions of them available nationwide...so there will be plenty to go around when the time comes for all the mindless Obamabots to eat some. I fear it'll be soon, but I HOPE it'll be never.
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