Presidential Responsibility, Personal Financial Disclosure, Rep. Culberson and the "Millionaire’s Amendment"
This weekend’s edition of the Transparency Recap focuses begins with the POGO blog’s coverage of a Washington Post piece by Professor Paul Light. According to POGO, Light tackles the challenges the next president will face upon entering office. From organizing the many titles and positions within the executive branch, to better managing contractors, the needs associated with reformation are plentiful. POGO ends the entry with the following words:
And over at All Things Reform, David Weller is encouraging synergy! Check out his new list of online collaboration projects. If your organization is currently involved in implementing a project, this might be the perfect place to have it listed.
On the Sunlight blogs, Ellen Miller covers research conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics. According to Miller, the research surrounds the Personal Financial Disclosure forms of Congressional members. According to the Center for Responsive Politics:
Over at ReadtheBill.org, praise is in abundance for Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) who has been voicing concern over Congress’ inability to read bills prior to voting on them. ReadtheBill.org is encouraging Culberson to sponsor H.Res.504. According to Open Congress, the resolution would do the following: “[Amend] the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that legislation and conference reports be available on the Internet for 72 hours before consideration by the House, and for other purposes.”
The always-useful Secrecy News blog highlights some intriguing and relevant CRS reports. From Iran’s economy to the costs associated with war on terror operations, these reports are essential to explore. CDT covers one CRS report, in particular, on the PolicyBeta blog: CRS No. RL34454 — an overview of U.S. technology and science policy.
In California, judicial corruption was just dealt an impressive blow. As per the Corruption Chronicles, a California judge has been removed for “manifestly unjudicial” misconduct. According to CC:
Over at All Things Whistleblower, talk is centered upon three Congressional senators who are calling on Congress to investigate the FBI’s alleged treatment of an agent whistleblower. The agent testified in front of Congress back in May; his testimony focused on internal issues that have hampered counterterrorism strategy and effectiveness. Two days after the statements were made, he was accused of violating FBI rules and regulations.
And over on the Common blog, Common Cause discusses the launch of its new campaign: Recapture the Flag!
To conclude the weekend edition of the recap, be sure to check out Democracy21’s response to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the so-called “Millionaire’s Amendment.” According to the Democracy21 blog:
Obama’s Hope, Change and Other Weasel Words: The Politics of Usual
“Hope.” “Change.” “A new kind of politics.” Barack Obama’s promise to implement these ideals has led him top of the Democratic pack, as millions of Americans have contributed to his highly successful campaign. And who can blame Americans for jumping on board? On the surface, a platform that promises the invoke hope and change is surely enticing — especially after eight years of political and social turbulence. But, what do “hope” and “change” actually mean? If actions count for anything, Obama’s promise to ignite a “new kind of politics” is laughable at best. So, why are the American people missing all of the cues?
From race relations to the federal tax system, Obama continues to prove that his policies and allegiances possess the characteristics of nothing more than typical, run-of-the-mill political fodder. He’s no different from a traditional politician, yet for some reason his charismatic nature has inebriated my generation, in particular, severely impairing rational exploration of his actions, inactions and incessant flip-flops. Judicial Watch reports the following:
When we talk about proposed tax systems, Obama fares not much better than McCain. According to the Brooking Institution and the Urban Instutite, McCain’s plans would cut receipts by $3.72 trillion from over a 10 year period, while Obama’s plans would cut revenues by $2.73 trillion during the same time frame.
And what about a more general sense of fiscal discipline? The sad reality is that neither of the candidates’ proposals would balance the U.S. budget:
Obama’s spending plans for health care, infrastructure, education and energy aren’t even included in TPC’s estimate. With Social Security and Medicare in grave danger, allowing our officials to manage a health care system in the current political climate is frightening at best.
But his hypocrisy transcends these issues and extends into nearly every facet of his campaign. Last week, he went back on his word and announced that he would be forgoing more the $85 million in public financing — a move that has McCain and many others (even Obama supporters) frustrated and disheartened. So much for bi-partisan negotiations. According to OpenSecrets:
And while I’m at it, allow me to mention his insane endorsement of ethanol as a viable fuel alternative. I can’t imagine that he has missed the media’s coverage of the destruction that has been caused by the utilization of ethanol. Damaging the world’s fuel supply and potentially worsening the alleged global warming phenomenon apparently doesn’t matter to Obama. Judicial Watch reports the following:
I suppose forgetting to mention Rev. Wright would be irresponsible of me. See, Obama attended the same church for years. He listened to anti-American and anti-white statements and seemed completely content with his pastor’s rants — that is, until his church membership hurt his campaign. It was not until pressures mounted that Obama formerly removed his allegiances to Wright and company.
Are we supposed to believe that Obama was never happy at his church — that he always differed ideologically from Rev. Wright? Believing such an idea would be nonsensical. No one stays at a church if they disagree with the leading pastor. And if by some chance Obama did stay despite some difference in opinion he surely wouldn’t have allowed his pastor to marry he and his wife or baptize his children. And wasn’t Wright an inspiration for one of his books? Obama agrees with Rev. Wright entirely — he just can’t admit that to the American people.
Perhaps Judicial Watch said it best: “Somehow, the charismatic young lawmaker that the mainstream media loves to portray as a sort of rock star doesn’t seem any different than most Washington heavy hitters.”
Obama Opts Out, Lobbyists Hold Back, and Nuke Components Missing, Among Other Transparency News
Welcome to the Friday edition of the Transparency Recap. Since we last published, the political arena has been bustling with news and happenings. Since it’s been a few days since the last recap, we’ll try to cover the most impactful events that occurred during the course of the week.
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest issues this week has been the privatization of Obama’s campaign finances. According to OpenSecrets’ Capital Eye blog, Obama has forgoed more than $80 in public financing “…making him the first major party nominee to reject the taxpayers’ grant since the program began in 1976.” While Obama insists that the system if broken, McCain (who plans to use the public financing system) is accusing Obama of going back on his word to stay within the public system.
On this same issue, Democracy 21 issued a pointed statement about Obama’s decision to privatize:
This morning, Capital Eye shifted gears and posted a piece that focuses on two of the nation’s biggest lobbying firms. These firms — Cassidy and Associates and Van Scoyoc Associates — will not “…attend either political party’s gathering, sponsor parties or donate to the host committees that organize the four-day fetes.” Sure, these big-wigs aren’t participating in the aforementioned terms, but the money flow is still coming through:
And if that’s not hair-raising enough, according to the Judicial Watch blog, the U.S. military has lost nuclear missile components. According to Judicial Watch,
Over on the Sunlight blogs, Ellen Miller coins her own phrase: “Tweetalogue.” Over the past few days, she and Rep. John Culberson have been twittering back and forth. The issue at hand? Ample time for government officials — and citizens — to read bills before they are voted on. According to Miller (and VoterWatch mirrors this sentiment),
Over at All Things Whistleblower, John McCain is taking heat for his energy proposal that calls for 45 nuclear energy plants over the next 22 years. From pricing to safety, some individuals have serious problems with the construction of more nuclear power plants. With this said, others see this plan as a step in the right direction — away from America’s current reliance on fossil fuels.
On the POGO blog, focus is centered upon the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008. Signed into law by President Bush on Tuesday, this law “requires foreign subsidiaries of federal contractors to be treated as American companies for tax purposes.” Due to the changes it is expected that $850 million in tax revenues will be generated over the next 10 years:
Countrywide Financial Scandal Boils Over, While Soft Money and Earmarks Come Back With a Vengeance
A few days have passed since our last Transparency Recap. If you’re a regular reader, you probably recall seeing Ellen Miller’s coverage of the soft money and its role in the 2008 campaign in our last edition. I was happy to learn that the issue hasn’t gone away. Today, the Capital Eye blog continues the coverage streak:
Clearly, this is an issue that screams public interest, so continued coverage is more than welcome. Explore the article further for some prime examples of companies who are contributing to the conventions this year.
Over on the Free Government Information blog, discussion is centered upon this past Wednesday’s hearing on H.R. 6193, The “Improving Public Access to Documents Act.” The FGI blog has reprinted Patrice McDermott’s testimony, which sheds some intriguing light on the current state of transparency:
And on the scandal-ridden front, it turns out that Barack Obama’s (former) advisor — Jim Johnson — isn’t the only politician who is connected to the Countrywide Financial Corp. scandal (following disclosure of his alleged ties to the company, Johnson resigned from an advisory post within the Obama campaign). Others who have allegedly used the V.I.P. loan program are Christopher Dodd, Kent Conrad, and Richard Holbrooke (Jimmy Carters assistant Secretary of State), among others.
As per Paul Blumenthal on the Sunlight blogs:
Over at Common Cause’s Common Blog allegations against the Bush Administration are raging. On Tuesday, Common Cause hosted a panel to discuss the alleged violations. While reporting on the panel’s topical coverage, blogger Mary Jo Cittadino penned the following:
And as usual, All Things Reform is making surfing the blogosphere more productive, more proactive — and much simpler! In addition to regularly reading the Transparency Recap, we recommend that you check out the ATR site for updated feeds from a plethora of government reform organizations.
Over on OMB Watch’s budget blog, be sure to check out today’s fiscal policy report for information on unemployment, earmarks and taxes. To recap: earmarks are making a (less than stylish) comeback, unemployment isn’t looking too good, and multi-million dollar increases to the national debt could potentially be on the horizon.
Presidential Public Financing, Jose Padilla, the Infamous Air Force Firings, Special Interest Dollars, FISA and Much More
Today’s Transparency Recap starts out with Democracy 21’s mention of a Washington Post editorial piece released this week entitled, “Stop Raising Cash.” According to Democracy 21, the article makes the case for why Obama and McCain should utilize the presidential public financing system for the 2008 presidential campaign; it also argues that the two candidates should reform the current system following its use in the general campaign.
In other news, remember Jose Padilla? He is the U.S. citizen who was accused of providing assistance to the Al-Qaeda back in 2002. Following his arrest, President Bush labeled him an “illegal enemy combatant.” Yesterday, Secrecy News reported the disappearance of Padilla’s interrogation tape:
Over at Intel Dump, Phillip Carter of The Washington Post suggests that Robert Gates may have had more in mind than nuclear security when he replaced the Air Force’s top leadership last week, while the POGO blog wonders what the future holds for the Air Force:
And over on the Sunlight blogs, among other things, Ellen Miller covers special interest dollars and their infusion into the bank accounts of both political parties. The donated monies will assist in funding the party conventions. Miller properly reacts to this absurdity with the following:
Also on Sunlight, Connor Kenny discusses the many issues surrounding copyright. While companies seek to protect their content from infringement, most public interest groups welcome vast distribution of their work. While this is the case, the absence of a Creative Commons license or other similar rights usage agreement often hampers the dissemination of public interest research, thus squelching distribution dreams. According to Kenny:
And last but not least, The American Constitution Society reports today on the renewed attempt to amend FISA. According to ACS, Senator Christipher Bond maintains that America will lose intelligence capabilities if the amendments are not made. With this said, a coalition of civil liberties groups believe that amending FISA would, “unreasonably and unnecessarily authorize broad surveillance of Americans’ international communications without meaningful Fourth Amendment protections. ACS provides additional corroboratory information on this debate.
Wall Street’s Alleged Support for Obama, the FDA, Terrorists Slipping Through the Cracks & Much More
This weekend’s Transparency Recap starts with an article about the securities industry and its decision to back Barack Obama. While Wall Street is typically cozy with Republicans, industry funding has been pouring in for Obama for months now — even though many Wall Streeters prefer McCain’s policies to Obama’s. Clearly, this shows their inclination that Obama might win come November, with their contributions serving as a peace gift (i.e. they want to be on his side if he is, indeed, elected):
OpenSecrets’ Capital Eye blog weighs in on the security industry’s apparent change of heart:
Over on All Things Whistleblower, the FDA is being questioned for allowing the re-admittance of Proheart 6 — a drug that was pulled in 2004 after being linked to more than 500 canine deaths — back into the marketplace.
And CREW reports on an issue that’s close to the hearts of all members of the government transparency community — revolving door syndrome. As per the CREW blog, a New York Times editorial focuses on Dennis Hassert’s new position at a D.C. lobbying firm:
And let’s not forget about gaps in reporting when it comes to supposed terrorism suspects. It turns out that, while local law enforcement offices are supposed to contact federal authorities if and when they run across potential terror suspects, they often fail to do so. Clearly, this is unacceptable, considering that the American people’s safety is at stake:
According to the Corruption Chronicles, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center was created after 9/11 as an oversight measure to catch potential security gaps.
And on a more victorious note, Secrecy News reports that the Department of Energy is “committed” to government declassification — or so it seems. The energy department responded favorably to a request from President Bush that asked for responses to recommendations from the Public Interest Declassification Board. According to The National Archives:
And over on All Things Reform, you’re being encouraged to let your representative and two senators know that you’d like to see enhanced whistleblower protections for government employees.
Lobbyists, the Revolving Door at the DoD, American Influence in Iraq & A Potential Flu Pandemic?
Today’s Transparency Recap starts out with an interesting piece from OpenSecrets’ Capital Eye newslog. Once again, Sen. John McCain is being questioned for his associations with lobbyists. Former Sen. Phil Gramm is the co-chair of McCain’s 2008 bid for the presidency. Gramm recently left K Street in an effort to adhere to McCain’s new campaign regulations — that campaign members choose between lobbying and working on the campaign. And although Gramm left K Street quite willingly, critics still cite issues with McCain’s allegiance to him:
OpenSecrets provides interesting information on Gramm’s close connections to banking and securities and investment industries and the potential fiscal issues that many attribute to a deregulation bill that he passed while in the Senate. While worries are surely warranted, it must also be noted that all three presidential candidates receive donations from the financial/insurance/real estate industries (with the two Democratic nominees topping the charts).
And Ellen Miller at the Sunlight Foundation covers a new report by the Government Accountability Office that claims that “… defense contractors employed over 86,000 former [Department of Defense] employees who had left the agency since 2001.” While not a newly recognized problem, Miller’s piece shows that conflicts of interest are still being overlooked. Perhaps the most worrisome facts were found when the GAO discovered that some individuals were working on projects that they once had jurisdiction over while at the DOD.
OMB Watch takes on regulatory policy and midnight regulations. What’s a midnight regulation, you ask? A White House memo that was recently sent around; it asked all agencies that intend to finalize new policies to propose them before June 1, 2008. According to OMB Watch, the White House Chief of Staff,
Moving onward, the CREW blog reports on another former Congressional aide who is being charged with conspiracy to fraud the House:
While Sen. Barack Obama claims he’ll withdraw troops within 16 months of assuming office, ABC News’ The Blotter reports that the U.S. government is currently making plans that might extend U.S. presence — and influence — in Iraq:
And last but not least comes an intriguing piece from POGO. According to POGO, the government needs to be more transparent when it comes to a potential flu pandemic reaching the U.S. According to POGO,
The Media Ignore Progress, Yet Again
In May, 19 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq. This marks the lowest monthly death toll of U.S. troops since the war began in 2003. While this by no means erases the meaning of the individuals’ lives lost, it does show that there have been improvements in the war-torn country. So, with death rates declining and with progress more than immanent, why have the U.S. media been so reluctant to cover Iraq? The Washington Post’s editorial board weighs in:
This lag in news coverage is intriguing, considering the overall progress that has been made. It’s ironic that the only time the media are harping on Iraq is when death and destruction have taken center stage. Why is it that when progress is made, the media decide to turn away? What in this world could possibly be more newsworthy than the war that liberals have continuously berated actually taking a turn for the better?
Now, don’t get me wrong. The war was mismanaged, which surely called for anger and responsiveness on behalf of the American people. But at a time when positive advances are being made, everyone should be standing behind the mission and recognizing the importance of completing it. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.
We’ve reached an odd crossroads in America. Today, the defeatists seem to have an upper hand, as their negativity has guided the nation into a mentality that continues to trick citizens into believing that this war is lost. Unfortunately for the defeatists, recent developments show that the U.S. is actually winning in Iraq.
So, while the media fail to properly report the positives, we’re forced to listen to Barack Obama and his enthusiasts devilishly try to appeal to a war-weary nation as they call for complete abandonment of a war that might actually be successful. What will Obama say once he realizes that the U.S. might actually win the mission? And wouldn’t it help if the media would do their job and actually report on the positive strides that have been made?
I’m not the first person to complain about this. Conservative angst has existed since the beginning of the surge, as commentators have relentlessly made the case that the media have ignored the positive results that emerged from the troop surge.
“Iraq passed a turning point last fall when the U.S. counterinsurgency campaign launched in early 2007 produced a dramatic drop in violence and quelled the incipient sectarian war between Sunnis and Shiites.” - The Washington Post
Perhaps Hot Air says it best:
Let’s hope that the defeatists don’t win. Their ideology is counterproductive and could lead the U.S. to prematurely pull out of a volatile region before getting the job done. We don’t need leaders making false promises; what we need is to complete our pledge to the Iraqi people, while remaining realistic about the challenges ahead. While the mission may not be easy, abandoning Iraq should be America’s last resort.