Setting the Bar and Breaking it
on February 2nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm“I am deeply embarrassed and disappointed by the errors that required me to amend my tax returns,” Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader who has been nominated to be secretary of Health and Human Services, says in a letter sent Sunday to the Senate Finance Committee. “I apologize for the errors and profoundly regret that you have had to devote time to them.” (source)
Daschle: $128,000
WASHINGTON – Timothy Geithner apologized to Congress Wednesday for what he called “careless mistakes” in failing to pay $34,000 in taxes and moved closer to confirmation as treasury secretary and the Obama administration’s point man in reviving the economy. (source)
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President Obama promised during his campaign that lobbyists “won’t find a job in my White House.”
So far, though, at least a dozen former lobbyists have found top jobs in his administration, according to an analysis done by Republican sources and corroborated by Politico.
[...]
Yet in the past few days, a number of exceptions have been granted, with the administration conceding at least two waivers and that a handful of other appointees will recuse themselves from dealing with matters on which they lobbied within the two-year window.
Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, was registered to lobby until 2004 on behalf of clients including Global Crossing, a bankrupt telecommunications firm.
Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year on behalf of the National Education Association.
William Lynn, deputy defense secretary nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for defense contractor Raytheon, where he was a top executive.
William Corr, deputy health and human services secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until last year for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit that pushes to limit tobacco use.
David Hayes, deputy interior secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until 2006 for clients, including the regional utility San Diego Gas & Electric.
Mark Patterson, chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for financial giant Goldman Sachs.
Ron Klain, chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, was registered to lobby until 2005 for clients, including the Coalition for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone.
Mona Sutphen, deputy White House chief of staff, was registered to lobby for clients, including Angliss International in 2003.
Melody Barnes, domestic policy council director, lobbied in 2003 and 2004 for liberal advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Constitution Society and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, was a lobbyist as recently as last year for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group.
Patrick Gaspard, White House political affairs director, was a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.
Michael Strautmanis, chief of staff to the president’s assistant for intergovernmental relations, lobbied for the American Association of Justice from 2001 until 2005.
(source)
There are a number of things I find just plain comical with this. One of which is the fact that Bush was hammered on the same mess. But apparently the rules have changed.
Some will read this and think that perhaps I am being a bit harsh and not giving a brutha a chance. Sorry, but this about the real world–the very place where Obama made a commitment to the American people that he was going to be above this hypocrisy. If this stuff was wrong in the Bush administration, then it should be treated with the same disdain and outrage in this current administration.
He set the bar for what the public should expect from his administration. Why are his fans lowering it for him?
