President Obama to sign budget despite earmarks breaking campaign pledge
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will break a campaign pledge against congressional earmarks and sign a budget bill laden with millions in lawmakers’ pet projects, administration officials said.
Administration budget chief Peter Orszag and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel both downplayed the $410 billion spending bill and signaled Obama would hold his nose and sign it.
Orszag said: “We want to just move on. Let’s get this bill done, get it into law and move forward.”
Said Emanuel: “That’s last year’s business.”
The House last week passed the measure that would keep the government running through Sept. 30, when the federal budget year ends. Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group, identified almost 8,600 earmarks totaling $7.7 billion; Democrats say the number is $3.8 billion. (more…)
Yup. ‘nother one
(LA Times) Word today that yet another Barack Obama appointee has a little problem with taxes — a $10,000 problem.
Ron Kirk, the former mayor of Dallas who would be the White House chief trade representative if confirmed, didn’t pay taxes on some speaking fees he donated to his alma mater and he tried to write off the full $17,000 costs of his Dallas Mavericks season tickets. (more…)
But Duane, why should we hold him to a much higher standard. Give a brutha a chance.
I’m only holding him to the standard he set for himself and for the administration he promised. If I can’t even do that, then what’s the point?
