Barack Obama the candidate promised no earmarks. President Obama signed an earmark-filled trillion dollar stimulus bill last month. Today, in private, he signed an earmark-filled OmniPork spending bill. But he promises he’ll put an end to earmarks. Really.
President Barack Obama announced new steps Wednesday to rein in pork-barrel spending by Congress and force more advanced review of individual projects and competitive bidding in the case of for-profit recipients.
“The awarding of earmarks to private companies is the single most corrupting element of this practice, as witnessed by some of the indictments and convictions we have seen,” Obama said at the White House. “Private companies differ from the public entities that Americans rely on every day – schools, police stations, fire departments – and if they are seeking taxpayer dollars, then they should be evaluated with a higher level of scrutiny.”
Obama made his statement even as he was prepared to sign a $409.6 billion omnibus budget bill which carries with it thousands of the same sort of projects he wants to restrain. Republicans, led by former rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), have called on the president to veto the measure. But the White House argues that the giant bill—most of which was written before Obama took office—is too important to government operations and the better approach is to lay down clear lines going forward.
He could have vetoed the bill and Congress would have been forced to take the earmarks out. But no, he just says some words and all is supposed to be forgiven. The President’s hypocrisy doesn’t end with earmarks. No, that’s just the beginning.
Candidate Obama promised that no lobbyists would work in his White House. Ha! President Obama hires lobbyist after lobbyist as if nobody will really notice.
The White House Tuesday evening disclosed that almost three weeks ago the Obama administration granted ethics wavers for two additional officials who had previously worked as lobbyists. On February 20 the administration signed waivers for Jocelyn Frye, former general counsel at the National Partnership for Women & Families, and Cecilia Muñoz, the former senior vice president for the National Council of La Raza, allowing them to work on issues for which they lobbied.
These two are in addition to deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn, a former Raytheon lobbyist whose waiver was granted two days after President Obama announced on January 21 what he heralded as the most sweeping ethics rules in American history — ones that would “close the revolving door that lets lobbyists come into government freely.”
Okay, those are just the lobbyists who have been issued waivers. It doesn’t include lobbyists who don’t need waivers.
Not all of the former lobbyists entering the administration have required the formal waivers; the White House has also required incoming administration officials who worked as lobbyists to write letters of recusal, indicating issues that they will stay away from dealing with because of their previous jobs. But those letters of recusal have not yet been disclosed.
Hmm, not all of the recusal letter have been disclosed? Isn’t this supposed to be the most transparent administration evah? Oh well, so much for that promise!
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