Barack Obama did say, "I screwed up," with regards to his original nominee for secretary of health and human services. He gets props for his honesty, but there appears to be a trend forming.This will be the second (known) choice of Obama's who turned out to be shifty with their tax preparations. It's certainly odd that America's political elite can't seem to get their taxes paid properly. The middle class desperately struggles while the government attempts to formulate a plan to stimulate the economy for the middle class. Quite the conundrum.
Perhaps it would be of great service to America's economy if Obama's pals would do their part in abiding by laws that the middle and lower classes are expected to follow.
The wealthy have nothing to apologize for, in most cases. They've inherited, won, married into or actually earned their wealth. Either way, they shouldn't be denied, punished or balked at because they are more fortunate than others. What they should be is obligated to follow the tax laws, specifically when the economy and government is depending on their contribution.
While Obama's complete admission of fault for this blunder is commendable, it does bring up concerns about his credibility and judgement. More important than the person we choose as president are the experts he surrounds himself with.
The irony of a country in economic peril being run by Americans who cut corners, cheat and lie in order to evade properly contributing to this very country is disconcerting to say the least.
8 comments:
You are right and the sad thing is that it's not just Obama's people. it is everywhere.
True wealth is rarely earned honestly, especially these days. I can see in years gone past when someone built up a railroad or some other major infrastructure. These days there aren't the same opportunities for a Bill Gates to make it big. That leaves dishonesty, riding the backs of others or playing the system to the very edge of the envelope as in the mortgage crisis. And many of those who inherit wealth often don't understand the value of what they have.
Power corupts. That is a known fact. It takes a great deal of integrity to manage wealth, earned or otherwise. Gates and Warren Buffett are examples of people with incredible wealth that also have integrity. If it didn't take a great deal of integrity you'd see a lot more lottery winners with their money 10 years later.
Brutal honesty - not sure you ever saw that from Brush and 100% damn positive, bet the paycheck on it that you never saw it from Chaney.
In an unusual arrangement, Republican Sen. Judd Gregg agreed Tuesday to join the Obama administration as Commerce secretary. Even though hee previously voted to do away with the department. One more republican in a bipartisan cabinet.
Let's hope this one works.
Refreshing news:
Call it the maximum wage. President Obama wants to impose a $500,000 pay limit on executives whose firms receive government financial rescue funds.
This should have been done last fall when the funds first began to be distributed!
"The irony of a country in economic peril being run by Americans who cut corners, cheat and lie in order to evade properly contributing to this very country is disconcerting to say the least."
A slightly different twist from but very similar to the way Bush & Cheney did things to justify tortur which is against all laws as well.
President Obama begins his day at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. He'll also be announcing today that he's creating an Advisory Council on Faith. And, he plans to sign an executive order to create the White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (described as an expansion of President Bush's Office of Faith-based initiatives).
So what happened to seperation of church and state?
If Pres. Obama were to point out the pork in the stimulus bill and ask that "pork" be limited to 50% of the bill would be refreshing.
Thanks Tiberius III
Here's a major crack for you:
"The political debate is now so skewed, so limited, so distorted... What if a politician were to see his job as that of an organizer, as part teacher and part advocate, one who does not sell voters short but who educates them about the real choices before them? As an elected public official, for instance, I could bring church and community leaders together easier than I could as a community organizer or lawyer. We would come together to form concrete economic development strategies, take advantage of existing laws and structures, and create bridges and bonds within all sectors of the community. We must form grass-root structures that would hold me and other elected officials more accountable for their actions," - Barack Obama, 1995.
Yes: 1995. His manner of politics is not a matter of expediency, but of conviction. It really helps to understand him better, it seems to me, if you see him in this context.
This from today's USA TODAY:
There's also Obama's willingness to acknowledge mistakes.
That's striking in a town where officials in trouble typically try to deflect blame by saying something like, "Mistakes were made."
Three years into his presidency, George W. Bush was stumped when asked whether he'd made any mistakes.
Two weeks into his presidency, Obama was direct about his shortcomings when he was asked about the administration's failure to recognize the seriousness of the issue of unpaid taxes by Daschle and some other high-level appointees.
"I screwed up," Obama said in a series of interviews with TV anchors on the day Daschle withdrew his nomination.
Now that's presidential! It would sure work in the business world as well.
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