Friday, July 31, 2009

President of Haiti

'...AmeriCorps is one of Obama’s favorite federal programs. They know that AmeriCorps gave an $800,000-plus grant to Kevin Johnson, the mayor of Sacramento, Calif., who just happens to be an influential friend and supporter of the president. They know that Walpin investigated Johnson’s misuse of that federal money. They know that as a result of Walpin’s probe, Johnson was suspended from receiving any new federal grants, a fact that caused controversy in Sacramento when leaders realized it could prevent the city from receiving millions in federal stimulus money. They know that, amid the local uproar over the Johnson affair, the acting U.S. attorney in Sacramento, Lawrence Brown, made a deal to let Johnson off the hook, and then took the unusual step of denouncing Walpin. They know that Walpin vigorously objected to Johnson’s getting off easy. And they know that after Walpin protested, the president fired him.'
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Probe-finds-new-clues-in-AmeriCorps-IG-scandal--52109667.html

Amongst the many, many things Barack Obama promised during his campaign for President was an end to business-as-usual Washington politics. Most people interpreted that as a good thing. They believed it meant transparency would replace secrecy, that clean government would replace corruption and venality, and that representatives would listen to their constituents rather than lobbyists.

What is has meant in this case is that large organisations who recieve funds from the federal government now need not worry about misspending the money- as long as they are friends of Barack. Can you say Banana Republic? Can you say 'public policy as operated by all the third-world shitholes'? Can you say becoming more like Haiti and less like the United States every day?

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