Copyright. "The Thought Spigot"
President Barack Obama has only three weeks in office. Upon taking the "highest office in the land," Obama began building his cabinet, talking about bi-partisan support (in both the Congress and Senate), immediately signing a handful of bills into law and working on the home economy. President Obama has said, "Every decision you make, as President, is big." There is not one inkling of hype, or that statement being one bit false. Whether it be foreign policy, the economic stimulus package, or a litany of other details (both classified and non-classified), the decisions made are viewed by the world, not just the United States. Whether to talk directly to Iran, pulling out of Iraq, closing GITMO, retooling the financial institutions; all of these macro-items are bigger and more complex than a sweep of the pen, cordial and non-cordial negotiations, and/or ideological decisions on what would work, for the American people.
However, President Obama's first three weeks have been filled with horrible and mismanaged micro-decisions, filled with failure. He has appointed seven people to his cabinet, who have either a checkered past (to put it mildly) and/or have failed to pay major dollars in taxes, employed illegal immigrants to work in homes/properties, are under grand jury investigation, or have just flat done things (broken the law), which would have landed regular Americans in trouble, huge financial debt, or jail. Of course, President Obama cannot know every skeleton in his appointments closets. However, a president should adequately vet and know his cabinet choices will have a lawful background and people who have not cheated the government, and/or are not making up for past mistakes to acquire a job.
Former President Bush was pulled thru a key hole, in the latter part of his Presidency, for saying he "could see the soul of Russia's Putin, and he was a good man." The same standards and overall outcries are not the same for President Obama, and he is not talking about a foreign leader, but he is choosing people to fix the American health care system, the economy, commerce secretary, chief performance officer, and Secretary of the State. Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, Tom Daschle, Nancy Killerfer, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. This list does not count the two lobbyists, Mr. Obama said he would not have, in his cabinet. There is no media outcry, except for the Rush Limbaughs and Sean Hannitys (etc...etc...) of the world, leaving people to do one of three things: (1) write their senators/congressmen (2) be disgruntled and do nothing (3) bury their heads in the sand and just assume President Obama and other politicians have it all under control.
Three of these people failed to pay their taxes, for years, and totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars (Daschle, Geithner, and Killerfer). Two of these people have resigned, Tom Daschle (Health Czar Designate) and Nancy Killerfer. Geithner was confirmed, as Treasury Secretary, though he just paid back the amount of taxes he cheated the American people out of, without any penalty, or interest. Bill Richardson is getting ready, sometime this year, for a grand jury testimony. The details are sketchy, but it was enough for Richardson to resign his post. Finally, Hillary Clinton is still in (Secretary of State), despite the "Clinton Library" donors (which are shady at best, some still are not public) and countless other "back issues" from her days at Wal-Mart, her becoming a New York Senator (though she was from Arkansas), all of the things she accused Obama of ("This is a man that has no experience, to become President."), and things yet to come to the fold.
Coming into his presidency, Barack Obama was to be the "non-partisan, squeaky clean, no lobbyists in his cabinet, and a man of complete transparency," but in the three weeks he has seven individuals who are criminals (by law, or are up for indictments). There is a HUGE double standard, in the Obama camp and in President Obama's cabinet, compared to "regular American people." Example: A regular person does not pay taxes, in the amount of $10,000, over three years, and the I. R. S. finds out, the principal goes from $10,000 to $21,000. The I. R. S. then begins to systematically dismantle that person's life (leans on homes, repossessing cars, boats and all "non-essentials" they deem "non-essential" and they are privileged to all bank accounts, so when any money is deposited, they come in and take that, too. Men and women become destitute, or worse during these times, causing divorce, homelessness, government dependent, or the kill theselves (sometimes). Tom Daschle owed over $100,000, over four years, which he did not claim. Yet, he paid the $100,000, no interest, no penalties and was offered a cabinet job in Washington? (He has since resigned, with Killerfer)
Where is the "change?" To date, President Obama has not filled major positions in his cabinet, because the people he wants for the job, to REPRESENT THE PEOPLE, have a lack of ethics and/or use loopholes, at the American people's expense. Transparency and complete vetting of all people, coming into the Obama Government has to start now. President Obama's selections may not be his fault, exclusively. However, when he let Timothy Geithner keep his nomination and become confirmed (by the Democratic controlled House and Senate), he showed a problem with his ethics and for the American people. Remember, Barack Obama (on the campaign trail) said we are all equal, whether on Main Street, or on Wall Street, there is only "One America."
President Obama is failing to show any difference, from the "old guard," with the exception he said, "I am embarrassed and it is partially my fault" (by the Daschle situation). Yet, it is not a problem to have lobbyists, Tim Geithner, Hillary Clinton, and it is hard to say who else (the way people keep coming out of the wood work, with unethical and illegal problems). Obama has stated he is losing sleep over the economy, but he should be losing sleep over the people around him, as perception will become he has no judgement, when it comes to the people he wishes to appoint and represent the American people.
