Interior Department official named in a scathing report gets a $2000 fine-
This is incredible. “The judge said he felt Dial [the defendent] . . . had been ‘selected out for prosecution’ on a conflict charge that ‘high executives in our government violate all the time.’ ”
Hence the small penalty. I’ll bet the Bush crooks pretty get away with everything. America’s double, or is it triple, standard of justice. 🙁
Former federal minerals official gets probation. By Ken Ritter. Associated Press Writer
Comments
Should somebody investigate the judge……?
A judge apologizing? I’ll be the local U.S.Attorney felt “great” about that kind of chastisement. What a joke. The rest of MMS will be slaps as well, and the message is with the Republican-dominated courts “No worries. We got your back”.
So, the message to the employees of feds is make sure your bosses are huge crooks, and it will make your corruption look mundane and acceptable?
I am still seeing what kind of optimistic but perhaps foolhardy person takes over this agency..I wonder if you re-organize it out of business, get rid of the crap, and start over….happens in private sector all the time.
“Bush Crooks”, interesting comment in the light of what I read in the paper this morning.
The headline on the article says that “Obama’s presidency hits early rough patches”. What does that mean for Saint Obama??
Three of his top nominees have been busted for tax troubles that would have a common man in jail!! But that’s OK, after all, it’s Saint Obama we’re talking about here.
Then, after his tax “problem” of about $140,000 in unpaid taxes, Daschle also fess’d up that he made approx. $5M working for a “lobbying firm” — but he says he’s not a lobbyist.
Oh yes, how about Bill Lynn a FORMER LOBBYIST for Raytheon being appointed the #2 man at the Pentagon and William Corr (maybe he just likes guys named Bill?) also a former lobbyist, as deputy secretary of health and human services?? But —- it’s Saint Obama, so it doesn’t count that he said he wouldn’t deal with lobbyists during his administration.
C’mon, fair’s fair and Saint Obama is showing up as —- guess what?? A crooked politician!! Surprise surprise!!
Layton, dont forget Bill Richardson for Dept of Commerce. investigations ongoing into corruption. At least he had the chops to pull out!!! Lots of positive change going on!!
I don’t think Obama has made a clean break with the past. There are too many insiders and retreads, but fortunately rather than taking office, Richardson and Dashle withdrew. On the other hand the tax troubled the new Secretary of the Treasury was confirmed.
The decision by this judge is a bad message for those incoming because it says future crimes will be excused.
If Obama wants to clear the air, he will stop nominating retreads, and work with the AG and congress to begin tribunals for the criminals in the outgoing Administration and Wall Street Bankers. The CEO’s who got the 18-billion dollars of bonus, must be forced to disgorge their ill-gotten gains from the huge bailout they got and their compensation strictly limited.
Let’s hope he has learned a lesson.
There are a lot of people who got us into this mess. As I said before, there needs to be punishment not let’s forgive and forget.
The American people too need to know that high level criminality is just a bad as the poor sucker who gets busted and put away for low level drug possession.
Layton, I agree with you wholeheartedly that Obama isn’t going to be all that everyone is making him. However, your defense of “all that was Bush’s” tenure makes the criticism ring hollow. Any intelligent person acknowledges mistakes when they are made (which Bush never did). Hardcore Republicans still believe everything Bush did was great despite the state of our country. They still look for ways to blame the other party! Pathetic!
“Hardcore Republicans still believe everything Bush did was great despite the state of our country. They still look for ways to blame the other party! Pathetic!”
B.S. Although I am not a Republican (or Dem) I know many “hardcore Republicans” who think Bush was a miserable failure.
Jimbob,
” However, your defense of “all that was Bush’s” tenure makes the criticism ring hollow.”
Scuse me??? Where did I say anything like that??
If I were a betting man I put it all on there will very limited investigations on the outgoing admin. There is this little saying people who live in glass houses, well almost all of Washington DC people are crooks and they dam sure arent going to upset there little apple cart. And yes I’m calling Saint Oboma a crook as well, he didn’t rise that far and fast in Illinios pollitics without getting a few dirty fingers. I think we should throw all the bums outs and start over.
on a side note, I think I’m finally starting to figure out why Dems love to raise taxes, “THEY DON”T PAY THEM” 😉
You guys all sound like the uber-patriot Rush Limbaugh: “I hope he [Obama] fails!”” Pathetic.
Sorry Layton if I got that wrong—-seemed like every post you did for the last 8 years was defending the Bush Republican stance. Believe me — I’m no democrat, so if I got that wrong, I apologize!
Timz —if that was true, why don’t those Republicans speak up, step forward, and take their party back and take it in a POSITIVE direction!
“Timz —if that was true, why don’t those Republicans speak up, step forward, and take their party back and take it in a POSITIVE direction!”
I’m talking about ordinary folks, not the sleazebags who belong to the good ole’ boys club in D.C. The system is to far gone, corrupt and out of control to “take the party back”, Rep or Dem.
“You guys all sound like the uber-patriot Rush Limbaugh: “I hope he [Obama] fails!”” Pathetic.”
I missed the post where anyone said they hope he fails. All I have read here is a few people wondering where all the promised “change” is?
Jimbob,
Just FWIW, I have only made a few comments that have anything to do with politics. I’m pretty much as apolitical as you can get.
However, when some of the more radical “the Bushies did it” folk get on here and repeat every rumor, wives tale, and out and out lie that they can get away with, I take a bit of delight in making a few waves.
With all the hoopla about Saint Obama this and Saint Obama that going on, I’m kind of duty bound to sing the discordant note to the choir once or twice in awhile. 8)
“I’m kind of duty bound to sing the discordant note to the choir once or twice in awhile.”
Indeed! In fact, you could say that Layton is the resident contrarian on Ralph’s blog. 😉
Sorry to go off topic, but, things are turning around, just announced on MSN, Obama is canceling 77 drilling lease’s by or around national parks in Utah! Yippie!!! Bush may have wounded our country for 8 years, but he has not defeated us! We the people have spoken, and looks like folks are listening for a change! OK, back to the topic, but this is such good news!
I don’t think that there has been much “Saint Obama” talk here. In fact I think some of the opposite has taken place here.
I have noticed a few differences between Bush supporters and Obama supporters (and I admit that this is a big, sweeping generalization) in that there are many Obama supporters who actually criticize him and want to hold him accountable and there were few Bush supporters who did the same. I think that Bush and many supporters did a fine job of questioning people’s patriotism if they were critical of his policies. I know I was fearful for a time and I can also say that many of my acquaintances felt the same. I got over it sooner than some others though. 😉
I’ll add that I feel that it is better to love your country like a parent loves their child rather than the way a child loves their parent. The government must be held accountable for its actions and faults must be pointed out. This country is not innocent of wrongdoing and to bring that up is the “patriotic” thing to do.
As usual, those who are looking to condemn Obama as a way of defending Bush and the 8 years of incompetence..except at the fine art of corruption…jump on things that Obama had no control over, like filing of tax returns in a timely fashion by other folks. I think it is a good thing the nominees who did pull out chose that course of action and should be commended for doing the right thing under the circumstances. I am hoping the vetting of the the rest of the nominees goes better for everyone’s sake.
It is more than can be said for dozens of the Bush administration folks who were caught in ethical or criminal missteps whose mantra is DENY DENY DENY..and refuse to answer subpoenas to be held accountable.
“I don’t think that there has been much “Saint Obama” talk here. In fact I think some of the opposite has taken place here.”
Yes, one need look no further than the recent posts on Obama’s picks to head Interior and Agriculture (short memories around here). FYI: I don’t think Obama is a “saint” but I do think it’ll take more than 2 weeks in office to make “change” possible. I think the quickness with which some people were willing to condemn Obama speaks more about them then it does him.
Put more succinctly, the phrase “sour grapes” seems to fit quite well.
“but I do think it’ll take more than 2 weeks in office to make “change” possible”
Agreed, especially when you appoint tax cheats, lobbists,thieves and Clinton retreads to important positions.
Yawn.
” I think it is a good thing the nominees who did pull out chose that course of action and should be commended for doing the right thing under the circumstances.”
I think it’s a good thing too. I’m just waiting for the cries of “I want a trial” and “set up the tribunals” for the tax cheats.
How about an ethics committee show for these folks?? Wouldn’t that be the normal MO if they were Republicans and got busted like this?? 8)
To much fun, sitting here in my “contrarian” chair sipping the wine from sour grapes!!
For crying out loud, recognize it for what it is, a change of the watch to the next bunch of crooks that will make the system even worse. Whoever said that the WHOLE system is broken is by far the closest to the truth.
I wish I really had any idea how to fix it. Somebody said, sometime ago, not on this blog, that we should repeal all the laws except the constitution and shoot all the lawyers — Maybe that would be a way out, at least the START of a way out.
Let’s argue about wolves!!
Layton, We could use the polititions and the lawyers for baiting the wolves. I guess most of the polititions are lawyers that should tell you quite a bit. I doubt a wolf would even eat a lawyer. Might make em sick.
one only needs to remember what the gaff machine Joe Biden said,, Its patriotic to pay taxes, remember that,, well it appears the at least 3 of husseins lackies are not only cheats but not patriotic, according to the vice presidents defintion.
another happy camper for change from a cnn article, exerpt
In a sampling of 12 Senate offices, half had so many messages that their voicemail boxes were full.
“It’s because of people like Betty Davidson.
“I’m very upset!” exclaimed the 63-year-old from Laguna Hills, California.
She called her senators Tuesday, frustrated with the almost $900 billion-dollar economic recovery proposal.
“What a joke!” she said.
But she is particularly incensed by news that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and former Obama appointees Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer didn’t pay their taxes properly in the past. Watch more of Obama’s plan for the economy »
“They can make the laws, but they don’t have to abide by the laws,” she complained. “It’s only we taxpayers.”
Does anyone know who appointed this judge??
I don’t believe that anyone (at least I didn’t) expects Obama to be a savior or messiah or perfect for that matter. I was only hoping for something different than we had for the last eight years, no matter who it would take to make that change. I have not been completely happy with some of the things that have occurred in the choices made, etc. However, could we please wait for more than three weeks to expect everything to turn around! It is not Obama’s fault these people didn’t pay their taxes. At least Obama is not sitting back and letting his vice president run everything (as in Dick Cheney who keeps resurfacing to scare us.)
I will just say, Everyone chastised McCain for not vetting his running mate enough, and now we find out that Obama and his people are not vetting his nominations enough, they should have never been nominated…and would not have been had they been doing their job correctly…
No, its not Obama’s fault they didn’t pay their taxes, but it is his and his staff fault they didn’t know about it..
At this level, it shows a strong lack of experience in the people advising him.
Virginia,
Obama has nominated no judges yet. This judge probably came from Bush I, Clinton, or Bush II.
Regarding the nominees who didn’t pay their taxes. It is entirely appropriate that they withdrew, or were made to withdraw. You can’t proclaim a new era and let this happen. Because Obama doesn’t seem ego-defensive like George W., he has probably learned a lesson and will try to make his staff learn.
Have other politicians learned anything from this?
The Judge was appointed by Bush in 2003
Thanks, SaveBears – I kind of thought he might have been appointed by Bush based on his behavior from the bench on this one! Ralph – I was pretty sure Obama had not had time to appoint anyone, but was wondering if he was a holdover from any other administration. These lifelong appointments by Bush will haunt us for a long time. Speaking of which, I wonder if Ruth Bader Ginsberg will retire as a Supreme Court Justice now that she has had cancer surgery. She has been good advocate for women’s issues and I hope she decides to stay. If not, I hope Obama recognizes that we need more women on the courts and appoints another woman.