Bush Administration Political Hack of the Day
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megawill
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 Posted: 11/09/05 - 23:06 Post subject: Bush Administration Political Hack of the Day
Here is your Hack of the Day for Wednesday, November 9, 2005:
| Quote: | Hector Barreto
Administrator, Small Business Administration
No one can accuse Hector Barreto of being unfamiliar with small business. His Los Angeles firm, Barreto Insurance & Financial Services Company, had only ten employees. Alas, now that he is in charge of a bigger operation--the Small Business Administration (SBA) has over 3,000 employees, a budget of about $600 million, and a portfolio of loans totaling $45 billion--Barreto is struggling. Last year, the SBA failed to notify Congress that it needed additional funding for its largest and most popular loan program and was forced to temporarily shutter it because, as Barreto's spokesperson explained, it was "out of money." Meanwhile, the SBA was doing such a poor job managing the $5 billion in loans the government set aside to help small businesses recover from September 11 that, according to an Associated Press investigation, the vast majority of the money went to businesses not affected by the terrorist attacks--including a South Dakota country radio station, a Utah dog boutique, and more than 100 Dunkin' Donuts and Subway sandwich shops. Last month, the Senate Small Business Committee, prompted by complaints from Gulf Coast small-business owners, held hearings on the SBA's response to Hurricane Katrina. Barreto pledged that his agency would approve Katrina-related loans in days, not months, but a SBA deputy conceded in late September that, out of 12,000 loan applications from small businesses affected by the hurricane, the SBA had so far approved only 76. |
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megawill
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jrjo
Gone Fishin
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Location: Lake Wobegon, MN
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Posted: 11/09/05 - 23:09 Post subject:
Nice bait.
You taking up fishing?
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megawill
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Posted: 11/10/05 - 11:44 Post subject:
Here is your hack for Thursday, November 10, 2005:
| Quote: | Editorial: Another crony appointment?
Web Posted: 11/01/2005 12:00 AM CST
San Antonio Express-News
In the wake of the disaster of Michael Brown as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, another nominee to high-level government position is justifiably drawing fire as a potential "crony" appointment.
She is Ellen Sauerbrey, nominated to be undersecretary of state for population, refugees and migration, which manages a $700 million budget.
She was a two-time losing GOPcandidate for governor of Maryland and ran the president's campaign there in 2000. But she has no experience managing humanitarian crises or the plight of refugees, which is what the job requires. The post usually goes to an expert rather than a political appointee.
Surely, the president can do better. |
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wanttorun100
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Location: Just to the right of Atilla the Hun!
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Posted: 11/10/05 - 12:14 Post subject:
Dem of de day!
OCTOBER 27--A Florida man has been charged with attempting to run over controversial Republican congresswoman Katherine Harris with his Cadillac. According to the below Sarasota Police Department report, Barry Seltzer, 46, told cops that he was simply exercising his "political expression" when he drove his car at Harris and several supporters, who were campaigning last night at a Sarasota intersection. Seltzer--pictured at right in a booking photo--allegedly drove up on a sidewalk and headed directly for Harris before swerving "at the last minute." Harris told officers that "she was afraid for her life and could not move as the vehicle approached her," according to the report. For his part, Seltzer--who's a registered Democrat--told cops, "I intimidated them with the car. They were standing in the street." He added, "I did not run them down, I scared them a little!" That explanation did not stop investigators from arresting Seltzer for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony.
Nice touch, that: " controversial Republican congresswoman".
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jrjo
Gone Fishin
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Posted: 11/10/05 - 12:28 Post subject:
 ..didn't realize hit-n-run with a Caddy was "political expression".
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megawill
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Posted: 11/10/05 - 12:45 Post subject:
| wanttorun100 wrote: | Dem of de day!
OCTOBER 27--A Florida man has been charged with attempting to run over controversial Republican congresswoman Katherine Harris with his Cadillac. According to the below Sarasota Police Department report, Barry Seltzer, 46, told cops that he was simply exercising his "political expression" when he drove his car at Harris and several supporters, who were campaigning last night at a Sarasota intersection. Seltzer--pictured at right in a booking photo--allegedly drove up on a sidewalk and headed directly for Harris before swerving "at the last minute." Harris told officers that "she was afraid for her life and could not move as the vehicle approached her," according to the report. For his part, Seltzer--who's a registered Democrat--told cops, "I intimidated them with the car. They were standing in the street." He added, "I did not run them down, I scared them a little!" That explanation did not stop investigators from arresting Seltzer for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony.
Nice touch, that: " controversial Republican congresswoman". |
thank god nobody has nominated him to manage an organization with a mission he has no experience at or manage a 700 million dollar budget ...
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megawill
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jrjo
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Posted: 11/10/05 - 13:04 Post subject:
Why do we need a "hack of the day" thread?
It would be very naive to think that everyone right of center supports GWB 100% of every decision, nomination and utterance. DC is full of hacks no matter which party is in charge. There just aren't enough quality people willing to go there and do good. I've got to believe most people believe it's a waste of time to try and get much done in DC. Going there has got to be hugely trips in frustration dealing with the political machines on both sides of the aisle.
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megawill
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Posted: 11/10/05 - 14:31 Post subject:
| jrjo wrote: | Why do we need a "hack of the day" thread?
It would be very naive to think that everyone right of center supports GWB 100% of every decision, nomination and utterance. DC is full of hacks no matter which party is in charge. There just aren't enough quality people willing to go there and do good. I've got to believe most people believe it's a waste of time to try and get much done in DC. Going there has got to be hugely trips in frustration dealing with the political machines on both sides of the aisle. |
these types of posts, head-up the guts of the govenment...like it or not whatever your idelogical persuasion you should demand that whatever your government is, that it should be a competent government...GWB plain and simple doesn't know how or is unwilling to govern...
It is a cop out to say that 'qualified' candidates aren't available or are unwilling to serve....what about all that stuff about restoring honor, integrity, and responsibility to govenment??? just another campaign platitude, i suppose?...
| Quote: | Let's compare Bush's nominee with Phyllis E. Oakley, President Bill Clinton's appointee to head the State Department's refugee program:
Master's Degree from the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy at Tufts;
International Affairs Consultant to the National Board of the YWCA;
Career member of the Foreign Service Office since 1974;
Served with distinction under presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, and Clinton;
State Department's Afghanistan Desk Office from 1982 to 1985;
Seconded to the Agency for International Development (AID), working with the Afghanistan Cross-Border Humanitarian Assistance Program in Islamabad, Pakistan, 1989-1991;
First woman Deputy Spokesman for the State Department, 1986-1989;
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Analysis, Bureau of Intelligence Research, 1991-1993;
Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (then known as the Bureau for Refugee Programs);
Received two Departmental Superior Honor Awards, for her performance as Afghanistan Desk Officer and as Deputy Spokesman;
Received Intelligence Community's National Intelligence Medal of Achievement.
Contrast the qualifications of Ellen Sauerbrey, Bush's nominee to fill the same shoes:
Republican member, Maryland House of Delegates, 1978-1994; also Republican minority leader;
Failed Republican candidate for Governor of Maryland, 1994;
Failed Republican candidate for Governor of Maryland, 1998;
Maryland radio talk-show host on WEAL
Maryland for Bush 2000 Campaign Chairperson;
Delegate to seven Republican National Conventions. |
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jrjo
Gone Fishin
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Posted: 11/10/05 - 15:44 Post subject:
| megawill wrote: | | ...GWB plain and simple doesn't know how or is unwilling to govern... |
You forgot your two-cents smilie or is your intention purely to alienate everyone that might think otherwise?
| Quote: | | It is a cop out to say that 'qualified' candidates aren't available or are unwilling to serve....what about all that stuff about restoring honor, integrity, and responsibility to govenment??? just another campaign platitude, i suppose?... |
That wasn't my point and I sense you know that. Condescending, demeaning interpretations don't strengthen your arguments.
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megawill
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Posted: 11/10/05 - 16:04 Post subject:
| Quote: | | There just aren't enough quality people willing to go there and do good. I've got to believe most people believe it's a waste of time to try and get much done in DC. Going there has got to be hugely trips in frustration dealing with the political machines on both sides of the aisle. |
My intent was to express my opinion on what you wrote above, not to be demeaning or condescending...although I realize that strong opinions will often come off that way it certainly is not my intent to demean you for holding your view...my beef is towards the current administration for what 'I' believe is irresponible and incompetent governing not with you or those that feel my opinion is 'over the top'...if we can't separate the two then there is probably little use of discussing differing opinions in this forum...
If you felt I was being condescending or demeaning to you than I openly apologize....
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megawill
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runaroundsue
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Location: supporting GREENer pastures
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Posted: 11/10/05 - 17:23 Post subject:
so basically, jrjo, if you scour the news for government waste, you can post them. However, since at the federal level the republicans are in power, they are the target. Go ahead at the state level. I could have a field day with Governor Doyle here in Wisconsin. I don't even have to "scour", my liberal leaning newspaper can't give Jimbo and cronies a free pass to go. Of course, if they did, it'd be in a government vehicle after having a few.
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megawill
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Posted: 11/11/05 - 08:11 Post subject:
Here is your bush political hack of the day for Friday, November 11, 2005:
| Quote: | Andrew Maner
Chief Financial Officer, Department of Homeland Security
Andrew Maner comes to his job with unimpeachable credentials--not in finance or accounting, admittedly, but as a dues-payer in the Bush family empire. In the first Bush administration, Maner helped to plan presidential travel and served as a junior press aide. Later, he followed the defeated George H.W. Bush back to Texas to be a spokesman and political fixer for the ex-president. After several private sector years working in information technology and procurement, he took over the U.S. Customs Office of Trade Relations, whose mission is to foster "positive relationships with the international trade community." Billing himself as a trade expert, Maner called the Customs gig a "logical next step in [my] career." Less logical, however, was his leap (after a short stint as chief of staff to the Customs commissioner) to managing DHS's sprawling $40 billion budget. Given his slim management background, it's convenient that Maner landed the only Cabinet department CFO slot that doesn't require Senate confirmation. Perhaps it also explains why, when DHS officials recently unveiled a revamped organizational chart, Maner's office was accidentally omitted. (Hack bonus: "Of all the things we do in the Department, charts may not be our strength," said the Department's undersecretary for management, Janet Hale.) |
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camelia bedelia
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Posted: 11/22/05 - 19:23 Post subject:
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megawill
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Posted: 11/22/05 - 19:26 Post subject:
Your political hacks of the day for Tuesday, November 22, 2005.
(courtesy of Molly Ivins, 11/15/05 column)
| Quote: | Late last month, Bush appointed nine campaign contributors, including three longtime fund-raisers, to the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. According to Newsweek, this is a 16-member panel of folks from the private sector who "advise the president on the quality and effectiveness of U.S. intelligence efforts."
One of the appointees, William DeWitt, a top Bush fund-raiser, was also a partner of the president's in the Texas Rangers, so his knowledge of sign-stealing may be useful. Two Texas oilmen, Ray Hunt and Don Evans, also joined the panel, along with Netscape's founder, so we can all relax about the effectiveness of intelligence. |
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megawill
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wanttorun100
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Posted: 11/23/05 - 07:54 Post subject:
| Quote: | The president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory or their backbone. But we are not going to let them sit by and rewrite history.
-- Vice President Dick Cheney.
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