Special Report
Obama Plays Hardball With Watchdogs
The independence of inspectors generals comes under fire.
(Page 2 of 2)
Given the controversial nature of the TARP -- including the public outcry over bonuses paid to top employees of insurance giant AIG, a bailout beneficiary -- Grassley is by no means the only member of Congress interested in preserving Barofsky's independence. In April, Geithner was grilled by Texas Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling and other members of Congress at a hearing after Barofsky reported a "staggering" amount of fraud in the bailout program.
Hensarling is one of the staunchest critics of TARP and, as ABC News reported last week, the Texan sent a letter to Elizabeth Warren, chairwoman of the congressional panel charged with overseeing the bailout, warning that Treasury's actions were a "threat to [Barofksy's] independence."
Several observers see the administration's push against the IGs as emblematic of the notorious Chicago style of political hardball that Obama learned to play early in his career. As investigators move forward in their effort to safeguard the independence of the inspectors general, it will be an important test of whether "the Chicago way" will prevail on the shores of the Potomac.
About the Author
Robert Stacy McCain is co-author (with Lynn Vincent) of Donkey Cons: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Democratic Party (Nelson Current). He blogs at The Other McCain.
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Robert Rosencrans| 6.25.09 @ 6:41AM
This is but another reason the economy won't recover. When you have corruption on this scale people lose faith in their government, and it's only a few short steps before they lose faith in themselves.
GonzaloCorrea| 1.19.11 @ 1:21AM
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Darin| 6.25.09 @ 7:05AM
"Appears to be a pattern"?
Once is an event. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern. Call it what it is. A Republican administration would NEVER get away with this.
smitty| 6.25.09 @ 7:08AM
@Robert
Faith in anything temporal is wasted.
However, I think it's high time to subscribe to AmSpec, so that they can keep Mr. McCain beavering away at this kind of reporting.
Marc Jeric| 6.25.09 @ 7:08AM
What did you expect? AG Holder pardoned those murderous PR terrorists and was Castro's lawyer in the Elian Gonzalez case. No lousy IG's will screw up the work of our soviets - I mean community organizations which now have several new names in addition to ACORN.
Bob Belvedere| 6.25.09 @ 7:37AM
Bravo RSM! I'm thinking of setting up a fund and asking for donations to purchase you shoes--the leather on the current pair must be kinda worn down by now.
Pete| 6.25.09 @ 9:32AM
Let's stop calling this "political hardball" and start calling it what it is: corrupt and illegal. This is not a "style" of governance, it is plain wrong and has no place in this country.
Bob Belvedere| 6.25.09 @ 10:08AM
Quoted from and linked to at:
http://www.thecampofthesaints.com/2009.06.21_arch.html#1245938702876
Linked to at:
http://www.thecampofthesaints.com/wwuam.html
Pingback| 6.25.09 @ 10:18AM
No Runny Eggs » Blog Archive » Open Thread Thursday – 6/25/2009 links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 6.25.09 @ 10:30AM
The Greenroom » Forum Archive » Now Multiple IG-Gate Investigations links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 6.25.09 @ 11:00AM
Instapundit » Blog Archive » MORE ON THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL SCANDALS: Obama Plays Hard links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Oldefarte| 6.25.09 @ 12:34PM
Yea, the 'Chicago Way' was examplified by Capone, Dillinger and Blogo also!!!!!!!!
grs| 6.25.09 @ 1:11PM
Good grief. It's "inspectors general." I expect better writing from TAS.
John Pennell| 6.25.09 @ 1:41PM
THUGOCRATIC STATISM, our country in the best of hands?
megapotamus| 6.25.09 @ 2:33PM
Among the many, many things this putrid crowd does not know we can add the fact that deleting an email is not like good old fashioned burning or shredding of correspondence. Unless they have either a specifically high-security deleting software or the attention of an IT security pro, those messages are still out there and recoverable. Sanford's footsie emails leaked out withing 24 hours. Only a complete halt to the investigation (or a sham) can stop these emails being revealed, if they exist. In any case, welcome to Obamamerica where NBA stars have personal car washers and YOU pay for it. I mean, unless you are a Democrat of course. Tax paying is obviously optional for Democrats.
JP| 6.25.09 @ 3:52PM
Megapotamus,
I will even go farther and state deleting government emails is a serious felony. Publicly held companies are required to save and archive emails. Only an IT administrator with the highest clearance has the ability to delete the emails; but auditing software usually is required on public networks -that is, if someone did delete them they would leave an obvious audit trail.
Pete| 6.25.09 @ 4:04PM
Obama: "I am the president and so I must take full responsibility. But I have only been here 6 months, so clearly we have Federal IT infrastructure problems that were handed to us by the previous administration. I will not rest until I have formed a new federal task force of czars, chosen by me, to look into the enactment of a federal IT infrastructure tax, so never again can justice be obscured so easily with a mere keystroke. The other side of the aisle is asking us to produce written documents on this issue or hand over the pertinent hard drives. This is a false choice, because remember, we won."
Jim| 6.25.09 @ 7:41PM
I am OBAMA, I won, how dare pieces of sub-human garbage investigate my actions? There are two kinds of people, those who support and obey me and those who wish they had!
Pingback| 6.25.09 @ 9:26PM
Well, yes, I suppose we should be paying more attention to these political firings th links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 6.25.09 @ 9:33PM
IG-Gate Continues to Unfold « Obi’s Sister links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Anonymouse| 6.26.09 @ 5:41AM
@ grs 6.25.09 @ 1:11PM
who railed at the author:
— Good grief. It's "inspectors general." I expect better writing from TAS. —
You nitpick over a grammatical slip while withholding appreciation for the author's investigative skills and contribution to the store of knowledge pertaining to this scandalous issue?
In so doing, do you know what you have revealed about yourself?
As an editor, I can assure you this piece is very well written throughout. With one exception, the syntax is excellent, the piece contains no verbal redundance (e.g., you won't find one instance of the word 'there'), the editor (or typographer) did not italicize the possessive letter 's' attached to "The American Spectator." Those are just a few of many positive grammatical and typographical attributes of Mr. McCain's report.
As for the minute bit of syntax that could have been more precise, I am surprised that the astute critic I'm addressing did not note it. Can you find it now that I've called attention to it?
Pingback| 6.26.09 @ 1:13PM
The American Spectator : Obama Plays Hardball With Watchdogs | Youth Political Blog links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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Pingback| 6.27.09 @ 3:15PM
Curiosity Blog » PLEASE, Don’t Piss off the President links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Richard Baker| 6.28.09 @ 10:25AM
The Kenyan is going to make the Grant, Harding, Nixon, Carter, and Clinton administrations seem models of probity when this is all said and done.
Pingback| 7.20.09 @ 8:06AM
Behind Closed Doors | America Watches Obama links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 9.15.09 @ 11:35AM
The Greenroom » Forum Archive » IG-Gate Update: Questions on Capitol Hill links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
chaussures pas cher| 3.28.10 @ 10:51PM
Acheson? June 19:chaussures pas cher IG-Gate: Domino Theory June 18: AmeriCorps Scandal Won’t Go Away Soon Blowback Note from Hot Air management: This section…
chaussures pas cher| 3.28.10 @ 10:51PM
Acheson? June 19:chaussures pas cher IG-Gate: Domino Theory June 18: AmeriCorps Scandal Won’t Go Away Soon Blowback Note from Hot Air management: This section…
chaussures pas cher| 3.28.10 @ 10:51PM
Acheson? June 19:chaussures pas cher IG-Gate: Domino Theory June 18: AmeriCorps Scandal Won’t Go Away Soon Blowback Note from Hot Air management: This section…
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