The Enemy Of the Good

The Enemy Of the Good

www.newsweek.com

President Obama has an ambitious agenda and an economy to fix. Yet hundreds of top government posts stand empty. One reason: over-the-top ethics rules are disqualifying or driving away some of the best and the brightest.

Staffing Treasury...has been a particular problem. According to a source...the Senate Finance Committee has quietly rejected candidates for top Treasury jobs because of tax issues.

(visit the link for the full news article)

It's the old law of unintended consequences: in order to satisfy a public desire for squeaky-clean government, elected officials have put at risk a more critical goal: dealing expeditiously with the financial crisis.

The tone of this article seems to be slamming the Obama administration for trying to find people who aren't corrupt to fill top government jobs. It's turning out to be difficult as most politicians and businessmen do cheat on their taxes and in other ways, I'm sure. At least the successful ones do.

So, it seems to me the authors feel the administration should look the other way on the tax infractions, in order to get qualified men into those positions. They cite the example of Joe Kennedy, known bootlegger and mob associate. I would say ok, as long as they look the other way when Joe Blow on the street cheats on his taxes. But we know this doesn't happen.

...Joseph Kennedy, hired by FDR as the first chairman of the newly created Securities and Exchange Commission because he knew, from personal experience, just how the stock market could be manipulated.

So, is this a strike against the Obama administration, or do you feel he is doing the right thing by trying to find honest, capable men and women for these jobs?



www.newsweek.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

He isn't finding honest people for the job. Hell, his Treasury Secretary, the head of the IRS, is a tax cheat. Several of his appointments have dropped out due to tax problems. Then, there are the lobbyists, but they are a whole other story. :shk:

What this goes to show is that once again, the people in power can get away with things us normal folks never could. They are corrupt and they are buddies.

If Obama goes the squeaky clean route, he'll never fill appointed positions. But, he's shown no real desire to go that route so far.

reply to post by skeptic1


I totally agree with you. It's hard to find a totally honest politician, or person in general I think. I mean, I cheat on tax whenever I can get a service or product 'under the table'. But, that's different than the people who hire accountants and lawyers to actively hide their assets and avoid all kinds of taxes. That's a concerted effort.

Does someone like that deserve a top government post?

Newsweek is affiliated with MSNBC

MSNBC is Obama's marketing team

i'm pretty sure newsweek isn't out against Obama

I think if this was to catch on then every parliment and senate would be empty, no one would be in a position of absolute power and we would need to internet vote on every major political decision. What a world that would be

Growing up a country boy there was a saying I remember, "If you run around with the dogs you're going to get fleas."

If you translate that to the political area I think it still holds true and is the crux of the problem filling these spots.

Most anyone at a high enough level to run in the business or politcal circles that allow understanding and action on these problems has "run around with the dogs" for so long they have picked up some "fleas".

So that makes it tough to find someone "clean" to fill the spots. It also brings up an intresting question. If you toss someone "clean" into the dog kennel of Washington politics and big business - could they be effective and how long before they start to pick up a few "fleas"?

So, we should just accept that our politicians will have some dirt on them. And if they can keep it quiet then it's all good. But, if they get found out then we can show our outrage.

And there are stiff penalties if any middle class worker schmo thinks he's gonna try to cheat on his taxes.

Oh - I never said for a second that I agreed with it or thought that it was "right".

Just that it seems to be the way most of government and big business has been run for..well..generations now.

Short of a good housecleaning of most govenerment and business leaders I'm not sure if it will ever change to be honest..

I think that Obamas policies on such matters are first rate, and should be echoed in all the political theatres of the world. I for one would like to be able to trust my nations Members of Parliment, to be upstanding bastions of morality , decency , and model citizens. Elsewise,what business have they deciding what happens to whom?
I believe america would not benifit one iota from an accelerated version of events here. To clean a mess as filthy as the collapses in the worlds economy ,and the failiures which originated in the states more precisely, Obama needs an undoubtable team, and thats worth more than ten stimulus packages, because that will give him, and his administration a true moral highground from which to operate, which in turn will increase the rate at which new laws are accepted and obeyed by the people and companies of the US. This is significantly preferable , I would have thought, to the old way, which went something like " Im a bastard, Im gonna do what I want cos I got me a lawyer with almost as much cash as I have!! And you all gota do what the law says cos you are all just average folks hahahahaha ya boo!!!! What are you gonna do about it?" which basicaly had the affect of some ordinary folk ending up with a "Who cares what I do ? The president is a mass murderer !" attitude.