Truth, Lies and In Between

This is rich:

“The bar that we set is the highest that any administration in the country has ever set.” – White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Haha. That has got to be the quote of the century, thus far.

17, count them, 17 lobbyists appointed in this administration. Tax cheats coming out of the woodwork. What the fuck, over?

You can’t tell me The One didn’t know about it either. I don’t believe that for a second. His vetting team are morons, and he thinks his aura will cover up this nonsense. Not on your life O’Douche-Nozzle.

All the President’s Tax Cheats

You never get a second chance to make a first post-inaugural impression. Less than three weeks into his first 100 days, Barack Obama has left an indelible mark on his nascent presidency: the mark of incompetence and hubris. Despite the administration’s much-touted wealth of bright minds and high bars, the transition has been a complete disaster.

In a double whammy on Tuesday, tax troubles and ethical clouds forced the withdrawal of not one but two high-profile Obama nominees. These come on the heels of former Commerce Secretary-nominee Bill Richardson’s withdrawal due to a pay-for-play probe in New Mexico and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s “tax goofs” involving his failure to pay $43,000 in federal self-employment taxes for four separate years — until, that is, he was nominated for the Treasury post. Thorough vetting, it seems, is an inconvenient process — a pesky “distraction,” if you will — in the Land of Hope and Change.

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Tax Cheats Put White House on the Defensive

by Donald Lambro

WASHINGTON — It’s safe bet that President Barack Obama will not be getting any awards from H&R Block for his administration’s ability to sniff out tax dodgers among his Cabinet nominees.

Three nominees in a row, at last count, have run into trouble for nonpayment of taxes. One wiggled through his nomination, but two others have withdrawn, badly tarnishing the Obama presidency and shaking public confidence in his administration.

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The New Era of Irresponsibility

by Jacob Sullum

Last October, while campaigning in Toledo, Ohio, Barack Obama called for “a new ethic of responsibility.” The nation’s economic troubles, he said, occurred partly because “everyone was living beyond their means,” including politicians who “spent money they didn’t have.” In his inaugural address last month, Obama regretted “our collective failure to make hard choices” and heralded “a new era of responsibility.”

Now President Obama, as one of his first priorities, is pushing a gargantuan “stimulus” plan that will add around $1 trillion to the national debt and cannot possibly work as advertised. Welcome to the new era of responsibility.

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When Crimes Become Mistakes

by Michael Reagan

You can’t help but wonder if Democrats ever pay taxes. It seems from the headlines that the way it works is that Democrats levy taxes but only Republicans have to pay them.

For a president who said he was going to preside over the most ethical administration in history, Barack Obama has shown an astounding talent of being able to find appointees who mistakenly manage to forget to pay their taxes.

Just look at Timothy Geithner, for example. The new Treasury secretary — the man who oversees the IRS — forgot to pay $34,000 in taxes. Tom Daschle had to pay $128,203 in back taxes and $11,964 in interest after he learned he was going to be nominated as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Obama’s appointee Nancy Killefer withdrew her candidacy to be the first “chief performance officer” for the federal government because she messed up paying payroll taxes on her household help.

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