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None of us (at least I'm not) naive enough to think he will be able to keep every promise. Do you remember this: "read my lips, no new taxes!" Candidates always make promises that they ultimately cannot keep. It may or may not be in their control. More than that, we should judge a man on his accomplishments. It has been just over a week so its much to early to say he's good or bad. He will have to go back on some of his promises and that's nothing new. It's one similiarity that every President shares.
And by better candidates, I mean better Democratic candidates safe for John Kerry but he was probably better than Bush. Al Gore surely was a better candidate but his personality wasn't as endearing as W. Compare the results and state of the econonmy after the Clinton Administration and compare after the Bush II Administration.
The lobbying loophole was allowed, Administration officials explain, because Lynn is "uniquely qualified" for the job. Realists at the Pentagon and elsewhere put it slightly differently, saying the President was simply acknowledging that people who know how to run the Pentagon generally have been involved in the process.
The episode is a painful lesson for Obama. Even though his team asserts that it has put into place the toughest rules ever against lobbyists going to work for the Federal Government, the only thing most folks will remember is that Obama made an exception to that rule for one of his top officials.
As with most Federal Government arcana, there are arguments on both sides of Obama's leaky lobbyist ban.
Is a lobbyist a lobbyist if he or she no longer represents a company?
From my understanding, he has hired no lobbyists. He has hired former lobbyists.
Just saying.
Let's refer to Obama's own words on this...
Obama: "If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during theprevious two years."
Obama: "If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during theprevious two years."
Obama didnt "violate his own ethics rules," he used the loophole; but I agree, surely there are other equally or better qualified folks out there. The Pentagon has hundreds of budget analysts - none of them could do this job?
I wish them well with the whole lobbyist issue, but IMO it's just not realistic. You can cut back, maybe even cut way back--but lobbyists are like cockroaches, no matter how you try, you'll never completely get rid of them. If you demanded that everyone with a connection to a lobby had to leave town, it would be a ghost town.
Obama didnt "violate his own ethics rules," he used the loophole; but I agree, surely there are other equally or better qualified folks out there. The Pentagon has hundreds of budget analysts - none of them could do this job?
How quaint. A get tough on politics as usual rule that sounds good, but doesn't mean anything because Obama purposely built in a "loophole" so he wouldn't have to abide by the rule.
And, I'm really unhappy about tax cheat Treasury Secretary Geithner who then promptly appoints a Goldman Sachs lobbyist as his top aide.
Though, a good thing may come out of that after all...
Congressman John Carter has proposed the "Rangel Rule" since neither Rangel nor Geithner had to pay penalties or interest on the back taxes they owed. The Rangel Rule would allow ordinary citizens to be treated like our government officials when it comes to the payment of taxes - just pay the tax, no penalties - no interest, and all is forgiven.
U.S. Representative John Carter - Proudly Representing the 31st District of Texas (http://carter.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=109658 - broken link)
Under Carter's proposed legislation, if you are late in paying your taxes, all you have to do is write "Rangel Rule" on the tax return (with the back taxes), and you will be immune from interest and Penalties. YID With LID: Legalized Tax Cheating? The Proposed "Rangel Rule"
Just write "Rangel Rule" on your tax return - I love it!
How quaint. A get tough on politics as usual rule that sounds good, but doesn't mean anything because Obama purposely built in a "loophole" so he wouldn't have to abide by the rule.
Of all the appointees, this is the only one that really raises eyebrows. That's an excellent record. And dont forget he's Gates's nominee. You remember Gates.
You'd rather he be appointing old college friends' roommates like FEMA's Brownie? Nominating his own lawyer to the Supreme Court? Maybe that's what you've come to expect and you approve, but times have changed.
Give Obama some credit here. If he starts handing out no-bid contracts to Raytheon, then you can complain.
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Originally Posted by InformedConsent
And, I'm really unhappy about tax cheat Treasury Secretary Geithner who then promptly appoints a Goldman Sachs lobbyist as his top aide.
Though, a good thing may come out of that after all...
Congressman John Carter has proposed the "Rangel Rule" since neither Rangel nor Geithner had to pay penalties or interest on the back taxes they owed. The Rangel Rule would allow ordinary citizens to be treated like our government officials when it comes to the payment of taxes - just pay the tax, no penalties - no interest, and all is forgiven.
U.S. Representative John Carter - Proudly Representing the 31st District of Texas (http://carter.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=109658 - broken link)
Under Carter's proposed legislation, if you are late in paying your taxes, all you have to do is write "Rangel Rule" on the tax return (with the back taxes), and you will be immune from interest and Penalties. YID With LID: Legalized Tax Cheating? The Proposed "Rangel Rule"
Just write "Rangel Rule" on your tax return - I love it!
Of all the appointees, this is the only one that really raises eyebrows. That's an excellent record. And dont forget he's Gates's nominee. You remember Gates.
Everyone seems to be reporting that Lynn is an Obama nomination.
"Obama nominated William J. Lynn III as his Deputy Defense Secretary in a role that would require Lynn to essentially be the chief operations officer in that mammoth bureaucracy.
You'd rather he be appointing old college friends' roommates like FEMA's Brownie? Nominating his own lawyer to the Supreme Court? Maybe that's what you've come to expect and you approve, but times have changed.
Changed? No - just more of the same. Those who bought into Obama's promises of "change" were duped. Knowing what a non-starter Obama has always been in Illinois, I knew better than to believe anything he said during the campaign.
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Give Obama some credit here. If he starts handing out no-bid contracts to Raytheon, then you can complain.
Why should someone who lied his way into winning the election get credit?
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I think that was a joke proposal by Rep Carter
A joke? No. He wants Rangel and Geithner to pay interest and penalties just like all of the other tax cheats who've been caught.
Everyone seems to be reporting that Lynn is an Obama nomination.
"Obama nominated William J. Lynn III as his Deputy Defense Secretary in a role that would require Lynn to essentially be the chief operations officer in that mammoth bureaucracy.
Maybe I mean "suggested," "recommended." My bad, I apologize.
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Originally Posted by InformedConsent
Changed? No - just more of the same. Those who bought into Obama's promises of "change" were duped. Knowing what a non-starter Obama has always been in Illinois, I knew better than to believe anything he said during the campaign.
He said his admin would be the most transparent and above-board; he's doing very well with that - this is the only iffy lobbyist.
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Originally Posted by InformedConsent
Why should someone who lied his way into winning the election get credit?
Oy...I guess we pick and choose our liars then.
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Originally Posted by InformedConsent
A joke? No. He wants Rangel and Geithner to pay interest and penalties just like all of the other tax cheats who've been caught.
I know, but it's a time- and money-wasting way to go about expressing that (and kind of skeevy IMO).
Maybe I mean "suggested," "recommended." My bad, I apologize.
He said his admin would be the most transparent and above-board; he's doing very well with that - this is the only iffy lobbyist.
Many aren't too thrilled with Obama's Treasury Secretary (oops... I mean tax cheat) Geithner's pick of Goldman Sachs lobbyist Patterson to be his top aide, either.
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I know, but it's a time- and money-wasting way to go about expressing that (and kind of skeevy IMO).
Actually, the "Rangel Rule" is really catching on - has the potential to go viral in these current economic times. A LOT of people are fed up with business as usual in DC. Obama is just more of the same. No hope or change there - just more porked-out runaway spending.
Who wouldn't want to keep their tax money, invest it, etc., and then when they finally do get around to paying back taxes - if ever - pay only the tax amount and keep the rest of the money accrued through using that money more productively than the U.S. Government would have?
Congressman Carter has hit on exactly what we need to do to stimulate the economy - reduce government spending a la lower tax revenue, and let people put more of their own money to work for them.
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