April 10, 2009
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel at the Inauguration.
TIME Jim Young / Reuters
Not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, any candidate, political party or organization
April 10, 2009
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel at the Inauguration.
TIME Jim Young / Reuters
Tim Geithner is sinking fast. One wonders if he wants to be forced out early. He looks adrift.
Rep Connie Mack (R-FL) makes an excellent point:
Well before Timothy Geithner became Secretary of the Treasury, he was working hand-in-hand with AIG and other financial institutions to provide them hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money as one of the key architects of the financial sector bailout.
I was outspoken against the bailouts then, and I’m even more outraged now.
I’ve had serious concerns about Secretary Geithner from the moment he was nominated. In the months since, he has shown us time and again why he was the wrong choice for this critical post. This week’s news on the AIG bonus scandal is but the latest fiasco under his watch and he has lost the confidence of the American people.
Quite simply, the Timothy Geithner experience has been a disaster.
I know nothing about business or the economy or whatever - but who in their right mind thought a man who had used TurboTax, been audited by the IRS and still didn’t pay up was the right man to straighten out the economy and head up the IRS?
Source: CNN
March 15, 2009
Does this man inspire confidence?
Treasury Secretary, Head of the IRS, tax cheat Timothy Geithner
Favorite excuse: I've only been on the job x weeks.
And why doesn't anyone want to work for him?
***
List of financial achievements
TurboTax made me do it
barry on Geithner
March 15, 2009
What are the odds these folks had their taxes checked? From barry's weekly address. (text, audio, video). He has video of his weekly radio addresses but for his second swearing in there is only scratchy audio and a few posed pix. Not sure why the White House has to include their nicknames.
Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration:
Dr Margaret "Peggy" Hamburg
Dr. Hamburg is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in public health and medicine, and an authority on global health, public health systems, infectious disease, bioterrorism and emergency preparedness. She served as the Nuclear Threat Initiative's founding Vice President for the Biological Program. Before joining NTI, she was the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to this, she served for six years as the Commissioner of Health for the City of New York and as the Assistant Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.
Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA:
Dr Joshua "Josh" Sharfstein
Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein is Commissioner of Health for the City of Baltimore. He also serves as chair of the board of four affiliated nonprofit agencies. He has been recognized as a national leader for his efforts to protect children from unsafe jewelry and over-the-counter medication, and ensuring Americans with disabilities have access to prescription drugs. He is a member of the Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice of the Institute of Medicine.
He also created the Food Safety Working Group, which will be chaired by the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture.
Will coordinate with other agencies and senior officials to advise the President on improving coordination throughout the government, examining and upgrading food safety laws, and enforcing laws that will keep the American people safe.
To help protect The American People:
The Department of Agriculture will close a loophole to prevent diseased cows from entering the food supply.
The government will invest in the FDA to substantially increase the number of food inspectors and modernize food safety labs.
Why was there a loophole for diseased cows?
And what about a law requiring produce to be labelled as to their origin? It would have saved tomato growers millions of dollars and the FDA a whole lot of time and resources by isolating just the source.
So how many nominees of barry’s have quit?
(1-4) Governor Bill Richardson for Commerce Secretary:
Under federal investigation for pay-to-play like blago - donors for state jobs routed through his own charities. Unable to be cleared by the FBI for confirmation.
How was he going to be president? Why was he allowed to run? The DNC knew - so why was he allowed to run? To dilute the field in Iowa to give barry a chance for his bused in Chicagoans to win the caucus for him. Same thing as adulterer John Edwards…who has finally admitted it is his baby.
(2-3) Tom Daschle for Secretary of Health and Human Services:
$128K unpaid taxes, reportedly made $5.2M off the industry he would be charged to clean up. His wife is also a serious lobbyist.
(2-3) Nancy Killefer for first ever Chief Performance Officer :
$946.69 in unemployment-compensation taxes for her household help. At least there no illegal immigration problems like Tim Geithner’s.
(2-13) Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) for Commerce Secretary #2
"I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the census, there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy."
(3-10) Charles Freeman for National Intelligence Council Chief:
CNN: The former Pentagon official and diplomat had faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee over his lack of intelligence experience, and some prior headline-grabbing remarks, particularly with regard to Israel. He also drew controversy over a statement that he believed the Chinese government did not crack down quickly enough on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananment [sic] Square in 1989.
And who sailed through no problem?
Yep. Madame Secretary Hillary Clinton
***
barry’s judgment on display:March 1, 2009
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, 60, accepted the appointment to Secretary of Health and Human Services. She steps into the vacancy left by Tom tax evader Daschle. I still feel bad for that guy sorta. All the appearances he made. All the nasty things he said about Hillary Clinton. All for naught.
Somehow I get the feeling Sebelius was fit in because she was probably already vetted somewhat, he owed her and she is a woman. Evidently her experience as Kansas state insurance commissioner qualified her for the job.
Well the only major woman left to get a payback is Sen Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Maybe she got some plum committee I'm not aware of.
Politico is making a big deal over the fact she didn't get "health care czar". It was a newly invented position anyway.
And what is the deal with Howard Dean? He was out sniffing the other day. He made barry's win possible by moving South Carolina and Nevada primaries up and his brother did a hit job on the McCain campaign. Why isn't he getting anything? He's a medical doctor. How bad is whatever he is hiding?
This is the picture Politico chose to put with their article. A high-ranking female cabinet position appointee gets a side profile.
Source: Politico
February 13, 2009
Sen Judd Gregg decides he can't work with barry anymore because he has "irresolvable conflicts" over the stimulus package.
barry's initial glowing words:
...And we know the only way to solve the great challenges of our time is to put aside stale ideology and petty partisanship and embrace what works.
As one of the Republican Party's most respected voices and skillful negotiators, Judd is a master of reaching across the aisle to get things done. He'll be an outstanding addition to the depth and experience of my economic team, a trusted voice in my Cabinet, and an able and persuasive ambassador for industry who makes it known to the world that America is open for business.
His team was caught off guard with Gregg's decision. From Politico:
In a statement, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Gregg had “reached out to the president and offered his name for secretary of commerce” — and that he’d promised that, “despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace and move forward with the president’s agenda.”
Obama himself told an Illinois newspaper that Gregg’s withdrawal was “something of a surprise” because the senator had “approached us with interest and seemed enthusiastic.”
Gregg was pulling a fast one and they finally figured it out.
GIBBS: Once it became clear after his nomination that Sen. Gregg was not going to be supporting some of President Obama’s key economic priorities, it became necessary for Sen. Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways.
EMANUEL: There is not hard feelings. It is better that it happened now than after the fact. if I said it wasn’t a disappointment, that would lack any credibility.
GREGG:
I’ve been my own person, and I began to wonder if I could be an effective team player. The president deserves someone who can block for his policies. As a practical matter, I can contribute to his agenda better — where we agree — as a senator, and I hope to do that. The fault lies with me. I may have embarrassed myself, but hopefully not him.
However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me, as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the census, there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.
January 22, 2009
Financial wizard and Secretary of the Treasury (IRS) nominee, Tm Geithner, tries to blame Turbo Tax for his "common mistakes". He is testifying as the present Head of the New York Federal Reserve Bank and pretends he doesn't know how to file taxes.The scary thought is what if it is true?
He has a strange accent.
February 3, 2009
Nancy Killefer barry's nominee for the first ever Chief Performance Officer (no confirmation) and Deputy Director for management at the Office of Management and Budget (requires confirmation) has withdrawn her name. She is third behind Tim Geithner and Tom Daschle as barry appointed tax evaders - though hers could actually be a simple mistake. Not so with the other two.
Killefer, 55, who works for consulting giant McKinsey & Co., was nominated on Jan 7th and was outed by the AP. In March 2005, she had a $946.69 tax lien placed on her home for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax on household help over a period of 18 months. She paid it in July. Nothing compared to $128K and $34K that went unpaid until after they accepted the nomination. One wonders if there was more to it because she waited so long to withdraw.
From Brietbart:
Killefer oversees McKinsey's management consulting for government clients. During 1997-2000 in the Clinton administration, Killefer was assistant Treasury secretary for management. As such she was the chief financial officer and chief operating officer for the Treasury and its 160,000 employees and led a modernization of its largest component, the Internal Revenue Service.
But for nearly a month, the administration had refused to answer how its choice to make government workers more efficient and more responsive had bungled her household payroll taxes.
And what about the Head of the IRS and former Head of the New York Federal Reserve bank being audited and still not rectifying his taxes?
Whatever - she did the honorable thing. The financial wizard can't even do his taxes and blames it on TurboTax. And he's going to save the economy? And Daschle made a reported $5.2 million off the industry he was supposed to clean up.
Where's this superior judgment?
Seems it expired in November 2002?
barry spokesman Tommy Vietor:
Nancy Killefer has decided to withdraw her nomination, and we accepted her withdrawal.
So how thorough was this 63-point questionnaire?
January 19, 2009
Everything barry does is the best ever! He is getting rave reviews for the smoothest transition in history:
Despite his two top aides Valerie Jarrett (talked with SEIU) and Rahm Emanuel (talked with blago multiple times) and barry himself having to be interviewed by the Feds because of their involvement with Blagojevich.
Despite his pick to head the National Economic Council, Larry Summers, who thinks women's minds are innately defective and not geared to mathematics and the sciences and that it's ok for pollution to be exported to undeveloped countries because it's cheaper to treat their potential health hazards.
Despite his pick for Commerce Secretary, Bill Richardson being involved in a federal investigation with more proof at present than blago's own alleged pay-to-play scheme.
Despite his appointee for National Intelligence Admiral Blair's questionable involvement in Indonesia.
Despite his Treasury Secretary (who will head the IRS) Tim Geitner - not paying his taxes ("an innocent mistake") even after he was audited and oh by the way didn't know that his housekeeper was an illegal alien.
Despite his pick for Attorney General, Eric Holder "forgot" to mention his involvement with blagojevich.
Despite his pick to head the CIA Leon Panetta has no intelligence experience .
Despite his first choice for CIA John Brennan had to bow out because of his - however nebulous - involvement with Bush's policy on harsh interrogation.
I'm sure there are more. And then there are the lobbyists barry was going to root out! How blind are folks? And barry's famed reaching across the aisle that he has no personal history of doing? He's laying the load on Sen McCain should something fall through and of course he needs McCain in the Senate, since McCain has a proven track record of acting and making a deciding vote.
Everything barry does is politically expedient. The only way the proobamedia is going to see that is when he actually has to act. So far he has been consistently "redefining" his view on almost everything. Does anyone know his views on illegal immigration? What's his latest on Iraq? Taxes? Guantanamo Bay? And many many more.
Yes, he has sought McCain's counsel - but has he publicly apologized for his comment in the debate--the last thing the electorate heard--that McCain's supporters were yelling "kill him"? It was a complete falsehood. But how are people to know that when the MSM is ignorant of the facts - still. And did barry ever make a stand on Rep Lewis' comments comparing McCain to George Wallace? No.
Uniter?
Transcender of Race?
Mr Transparency?
Right. Who still is buying that? And the release of his birth certificate? A list of his donors? His school and medical records?
How is that anything but a typical barry obamanation?
What is it going to take folks?
Barry's first unilateral decision with consequences will be as Commander in Chief and may very well be at 3am on 1/21.
You ok with that?
January 14, 2009
Well Senator Clinton did her usual. She was massively prepared - even without notes and she displayed an encyclopedic knowledge of the world. They couldn't break her. She has to be the smartest politician on the planet. Her comment on Israel.
CLINTON: On Israel you cannot negotiate with Hamas until it renounces violence, recognizes Israel, and agrees to abide by past agreements. That for me is an absolute. That is the United States government's position and the President elects position.
I'm putting together barama matthews comments. They are diametrically opposed to everything he spouted during the primaries. Don't they ever listen to themselves and what do they actually believe? I wish I knew how to splice videos. I would go back and clip his comments together before and after.
January 14, 2009
Quite a surprising procedure. I didn't know what entailed a confirmation hearing. I can see why Sen Clinton wanted to see a friendly face across from her. But it was a huge statement having Chelsea sitting behind her in camera range. Probably only women noticed.
Props to Sen Kerry. This was the funniest part - poignant even.
Sen Clinton addressed Mr Chairman, John Kerry as "Mr President".
He smiled. No hesitation: I'll take that.
She laughed: It was a Freudian slip.
He smiled: We're both subject to those.
Clinton: On this subject, especially
Immediate clearing of the air in public, in the Senate, in front of everyone watching and on you tube forever. And it was completely natural and spontaneous.
Think about it: Kerry could have been starting his second term with her (or Biden) as VP or SoS. She could just have likely been President and he (or Biden) the VP or SoS. Instead she's SoS and he took over the committee the now VP used to chair and the President used to be on.
They say politics is a business and that they can get over lost campaigns and move on. Hard to believe but their interaction gave testament to something. They said it would be hard for her to walk back into the senate after the campaign. How hard was it walking in there after they impeached her husband?
They may not all say it out loud but they are proud of her and her preparedness and thanked her for taking the job. Sen Whitehouse (D-RI) said she's "fiercely smart" and "astonishingly funny" and that they would miss her as a colleague and as a person.
Where were they when she was being attacked?
January 14, 2009
It's not a barry Rezko "boneheaded mistake" this time it's an "innocent mistake". This is absolutely insane. The man who is going to be head of the Treasury, which also means head of the IRS has been audited by them and still didn't come clean until after he was nominated. I can see the first time but after the audit? Yes. These are tough times. But if a guy can't pay his own taxes - or ok made a honest mistake over the last decade and didn't realize it - how is he going to head up the IRS? He didn't know he had to pay taxes? What in the hell type of financial wizard is he?
And what kind of innocent mistake was the lapsed legal immigration status of his housekeeper?
What good was barry's whatever page questionnaire?
What is it going to take folks?
REPORTER: Are you considered that Timothy Geithner's taxes mishap will affect his chance of confirmation?
BARRY: No, Tim Geithner, when I nominated him, was rightly lauded by people from both sides of the aisle, from the market, from labor, as somebody who is uniquely qualified to deal with - as what Lindsay described properly as - the biggest crisis that we've had since the Depression. Ya know, look, is this an embarrassment uh-uh for him - yes. He said so himself. But it was an innocent mistake. It is a mistake that is commonly made for people who are working internationally or for international institutions. It has been corrected. He paid the penalties. And, as I've said before, if my criteria whether it was for cabinet secretary, or vice presidents, or presidents, or reporters was that if you've never made a mistake in your life - none of us would be employed. So, my eh-eh-eh expectation is that he will be confirmed. And my expectation is that he is going to do an outstanding job on part-on part - on behalf of the American people.
January 12, 2009
Sen Clinton's confirmation hearing is tomorrow - expected to be only one day. Mr Bill's finances have passed major scrutiny though some "clarification" is needed. Kerry expects a "fair and expeditious" hearing. Has Sen Clinton ever been treated "fairly"?
Who do you have more faith in: Sen Clinton or Kerry?
All I got was the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And to think I was the one who brought barry on the scene. Well, I'm gonna take it out on Hillary just to get back at barry and my ex-bud Joe Biden. I could've at least been Secretary of Commerce. Now me and Dodd are stuck in the Senate and Edwards is in hiding...
CLINTON: On Israel you cannot negotiate with Hamas until it renounces violence, recognizes Israel, and agrees to abide by past agreements. That for me is an absolute. That is the United States government's position and the President elects position.I'm putting together barama matthews comments. They are diametrically opposed to everything he spouted during the primaries. Don't they ever listen to themselves and what do they actually believe? I wish I knew how to splice videos. I would go back and clip his comments together before and after.
January 12, 2009
Sen Clinton's confirmation hearing is tomorrow - expected to be only one day. Mr Bill's finances have passed major scrutiny though some "clarification" is needed. Kerry expects a "fair and expeditious" hearing. Has Sen Clinton ever been treated "fairly"?
Who do you have more faith in: Sen Clinton or Kerry?
All I got was the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And to think I was the one who brought barry on the scene. Well, I'm gonna take it out on Hillary just to get back at barry and my ex-bud Joe Biden. I could've at least been Secretary of Commerce. Now me and Dodd are stuck in the Senate and Edwards is in hiding...
January 7, 2009
Dr Sanjay Gupta is an excellent choice for Surgeon General. He was in the war zone and performed neurosurgeries on US soldiers and also Iraqi civilians, including on a toddler. He saved a Marine's life who was shot in the head and believe it or not is up walking and talking.
He is still a practicing neurosurgeon and has been on CNN as a regular contributor addressing a broad spectrum of topic to educate the public. He also is known to several generations including the original MTV generation and the present day 15 second attention span twits.
Perfect since the Surgeon General's main role is education and prevention but not necessarily a policy setter - although he was an advisor to First Lady Hillary Clinton. He is a TV celebrity, telegenic - People's most beautiful people, which seems a requirement nowadays, and of course checks off another one of barry's boxes. Years from now Dr Gupta will still be recognized by folks.
Really a simple straightforward pick.
What are the chances he can get barry to stop smoking? Addiction to Nicorette is still an addiction to nicotine and has medical consequences.
January 5, 2009
It seems there's only room for one corrupt governor in barry's no drama obama rolodex at a time. Blagojevich is doing so well there is no need for other distractions. Richardson lost everything but weight in this election. The funniest Judas moment was when Mika exclaimed: Did ya sleep in that suit!? He looked like a schoolboy with his shirttail untucked being ragged at by Mommy Superior. A must see but I can't find the video anywhere.
Anyway he lost his campaign, he lost his friendship with Clinton supporters, he lost respect for his non-notification of his non-endorsee, he lost his bid for Secretary of State to the non-endorsee and now he lost his appointment...and the governorship?
Why the sudden withdrawal? Could he be indicted before Blagojevich who is still not indicted on any charges? What else would provide the motivation? A little blackmail? Or just another thrown under the bus that was not the Bill Richardson I knew? Are the feds planning a morning wakeup call at his residence? Maybe he could hide out in Hawaii.
Beverly Hills based CDR Financial Products donated some serious cash ($200K) to Richardson's PACs and in a strange coincidence of the cosmos received a lucrative ($1.5M) state contract. So what's new? barry couldn't even pass his own whatever page questionnaire or be any type of federal agent because of his drug use and gee whiz Mrs Cleaver he's going to be POTUS. Only in America is his story possible is right.
CDR: The firm adamantly doesn't practice pay-for-play under any circumstance on any playing field. It is pay for performance, pay for expertise, pay for track record, and pay for merit.
Then there's the crude little pig who likes to giggle while he fondles a life-size cardboard cutout of his boss' opponent and soon to be top Cabinet member. And how was he rewarded for his stellar seriously vetted character? Imagine a Clintonite squeezing the tit of mrs barry and keeping his job.
Back to Richardson. I feel bad that he has been eating so much from the stress. He should have just swallowed his pride and disappointment and stayed in New Mexico. Of course the proobamedia will allow him to withdraw without scrutiny and barry's team of rivals and transition will carry on as smoothly propagandized as ever. Haven't heard "smooth transition" much since that bleeping Eddie bleeping Munster bleeping bleeped that bleeper bleeper barry.
I don't presume to know all that has gone down in this election but this the first time I've heard about Richardson. I know Rezko, the Daley Machine and Patrick Fitzgerald stretched all the way to Las Vegas but I didn't realize it took a detour to New Mexico.
More proof of the proobamedia bias from none other than Politico's MIKE ALLEN:
Everyone knew about this investigation. The President-elect took a chance. The question is why. Did (Obama's) vetters ask enough questions? Did (Richardson) give the right answers?
Did the proobamedia do their job? Nope. He just admitted to it. They knew about it and yet they still don't know about it. Barry did it out of political expedience like everything else. It was the quid pro quo for Richardson cutting short his vacation to sell his soul to save barry. Can't make him Secretary of State but he can give him his own press conference and a Cabinet position that can quickly be filled. The question is what does Richardson have on barry? Either way it's one more clear-cut example of barry's poor judgment, political expedience and proobama media bias.
What is it going to take? SCOTUS?
RICHARDSON: For nearly three decades, I have been honored to serve my state and our nation in Congress, at the U.N., as Secretary of Energy and as governor. So when the President-elect asked me to serve as Secretary of Commerce, I felt a duty to answer the call. I felt that duty particularly because America is facing such extraordinary economic challenges. The Department of Commerce must play an important role in solving them by helping to grow the new jobs and businesses America so badly needs.
It is also because of that sense of urgency about the work of the Commerce Department that I have asked the President-elect not to move forward with my nomination at this time. I do so with great sorrow. But a pending investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico state government promises to extend for several weeks or, perhaps, even months.
Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact.
Why does that matter if he's stepping down? Sounds like a last chance to say something before the one phone call. What is I'm-going-to-clean-up Washington going to pretend then? Do you see why he always qualified it with Washington?
Why isn't the proobamedia questioning why barry didn't do more in Illinois with his superior judgment and pledge to clean up corruption?
RICHARDSON. But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process. Given the gravity of the economic situation the nation is facing, I could not in good conscience ask the President-elect and his Administration to delay for one day the important work that needs to be done.
So, for now, I will remain in the job I love, Governor of New Mexico, and will continue to work every day, with Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, to make a positive difference in the lives of New Mexicans. I believe she will be a terrific governor in the future. I appreciate the confidence President-elect Obama has shown in me, and value our friendship and working partnership. I told him that I am eager to serve in the future in any way he deems useful. And like all Americans, I pray for his success and the success of our beloved country.
And then the Robert Gibbs everything was done right, the governor assured us, and I assure you barry didn't throw him under the bus because he can't throw blagojevich under one and sure the hell won't mess with Burris.
BARRY: It is with deep regret that I accept Governor Bill Richardson's decision to withdraw his name for nomination as the next Secretary of Commerce. Governor Richardson is an outstanding public servant and would have brought to the job of Commerce Secretary and our economic team great insights accumulated through an extraordinary career in federal and state office. It is a measure of his willingness to put the nation first that he has removed himself as a candidate for the Cabinet in order to avoid any delay in filling this important economic post at this critical time. Although we must move quickly to fill the void left by Governor Richardson's decision, I look forward to his future service to our country and in my administration.