White House: We’ll cut off criticism of Porkulus
posted at 9:55 am on May 30, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
Mark Tapscott notices an interesting blog post by Norman Eisen, who works for Barack Obama as Special Counsel to the President on Ethics and Government Reform. Anticipating a deluge of criticism over the thus-far ineffectual spending plan, Eisen has a straightforward plan to deal with criticism. He’ll simply use the power of the federal government to silence it. Problem solved!
“First, we will expand the restriction on oral communications to cover all persons, not just federally registered lobbyists. For the first time, we will reach contacts not only by registered lobbyists but also by unregistered ones, as well as anyone else exerting influence on the process. We concluded this was necessary under the unique circumstances of the stimulus program. [emphasis mine -- Ed]
“Second, we will focus the restriction on oral communications to target the scenario where concerns about merit-based decision-making are greatest –after competitive grant applications are submitted and before awards are made. Once such applications are on file, the competition should be strictly on the merits. To that end, comments (unless initiated by an agency official) must be in writing and will be posted on the Internet for every American to see.
“Third, we will continue to require immediate internet disclosure of all other communications with registered lobbyists. If registered lobbyists have conversations or meetings before an application is filed, a form must be completed and posted to each agency’s website documenting the contact.”
Silencing dissent and criticism is “necessary under the unique circumstances of the stimulus program”? Gee, what “unique circumstances” might those be? Perhaps the fact that it costs more than the Moon shot, and has yet to halt the economic skid. Maybe it’s the fact that most of the stimulus package doesn’t actually stimulate anything except doctrinaire liberal dreams and the pens that check off the items from the Democratic wish list.
Remember when the Left took to the streets to declare dissent “patriotic” during wartime? I didn’t have a problem with dissent then, but apparently the Left has a curious definition of “patriotism”. Now, suddenly, the federal government can silence their critics at will, not to protect critical national-security programs or keep from undermining a war effort, but to protect a Democratic president intent on seizing control of private industry across a wide swath of the nation. Suddenly, that kind of dissent threatens America.
Can the Obama administration get away with this? I doubt it; I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding. After all, if that were true, then I’ d be one of the first peo
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »
Test.
INC on May 30, 2009 at 8:44 PM
I see,, the people are now nothing but lobbyists.
This is truly dangerous.
Guess we really ain’t seen nothing yet.
JellyToast on May 30, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Finishing up Atlas Shrugged now, Animal Farm will be my next reread.
jimmy2shoes on May 30, 2009 at 9:13 PM
Great book Animal Farm. I found an old paperback copy of it in my grandmothers basement when I was about 8 or 9 years old. Started reading it and couldn’t put it down. Even at that age, I got it. I could understand the significance of anyone being “More equal” than others. Some of my friends in SoCal are over 50 and 60 years old. Still…..not a clue.
Bikerken on May 30, 2009 at 9:20 PM
One.
OldEnglish on May 30, 2009 at 9:23 PM
Let’s see:
1. Seizing businesses and running them.
2. Seizing the banks and running them.
3. Circumventing senate approval by appointing tons of Czars.
4. Spending us into bankruptcy.
5. Socialize everything, including universal health care.
6. Silence critics.
7. Create an unconstitutional “arrest and detain indefinitely people who MIGHT commit a crime” potentially including the aforementioned critics.
8. Sending the ACORN Gestapo after AIG execs in order to deflect blame.
Am I missing anything? Are we a Banana Republic under a dictatorship yet? Almost?
Daggett on May 30, 2009 at 9:27 PM
Oldernwiser:
45k for delivery? Where is this?
My wife had a c section in hospital 4 days and the total bill was 18k with a private room. Insurance paid 17k i paid 2k which was fair in my opinion.
angryed on May 30, 2009 at 9:33 PM
Ugh 19k not 18
angryed on May 30, 2009 at 9:34 PM
In all fairness, my reading of the blog indicates that the restriction is on those who wish to communicate with government officials to influence stimulus spending policy so that it will be decided solely on the merits. It isn’t a wholesale restriction on criticism of the monumentally stupid stimulus effort. It’s just a restriction on those who may benefit from the expenditures having a say in the process. But I suppose that if someone, say, a tax paying citizen, wants to write their congressman and suggest that they take a trillion or two and shove it up where the sun don’t shine, that could be considered as trying to influence how the money is spent. Or, at least it might by Nancy Pelosi who could applaud the person whose personal inventory of her carbon dioxide emissions-causing holes resulted in a proposal to shove a trillion dollar cork in the one that also spews methane.
NNtrancer on May 30, 2009 at 9:44 PM
Daggett,
You forgot pardon the Black Panthers for voter intimidation and appoint an antiwhite hispanic racist to the supreme court.
Star20 on May 30, 2009 at 9:46 PM
What I’m having a little trouble with here,, is how is he doing this??? He is getting away with this crap because no one is standing up to him and saying,, you can’t do this!
Even closing the dealerships,, God,, if I owned one of those dealerships Id make them take me out in chains or I’d burn it to the ground!! How can a President do this legally??? He can’t!!! He can do it only as long as everyone just lets him! Where in the world are the freaking Republicans!! This is getting so freaking old!!! We have a freaking President who is now just going to outlaw dissent!!
What in the world does it take for a Republican in congress or somewhere in leadership to stand up and at least attempt to legally challenge this madman!!??
Lawyers are out there everyday suing in court for all kinds of things,,, spilled coffee, the smell of popcorn in the workplace, animal rights,,,, are there no Republicans anywhere that will legally challenge a President who is taking our nation openly to a freaking dictatorship???? What are they waiting for???? The cattle cars to start rounding people up???? Will they speak up when the re-education camps are filled???? When our flag is changed????When elections are canceled due to some other crisis???
The freaking government confiscating peoples businesses!!
They are considering holding people indefinitely who “might commit crimes against the state!” Obama is bankrupting our nation! Attacking freedom of speech! And what are the Republicans doing???? They’re out attacking Rush Limbaugh!!!
Are there even 20 Republicans somewhere in congress who are willing to speak out and oppose this guy??? Are there even 15?? 10??? Is there no one???
JellyToast on May 30, 2009 at 9:50 PM
Sodom revisited.
OldEnglish on May 30, 2009 at 10:08 PM
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the Constitution guarantee the right to petition the government for redress of grievances? Wouldn’t this possibly run afoul of that? Heck, has the special counsel on ethics even read the Constitution?
morganfrost on May 30, 2009 at 10:16 PM
I hope the president and his wife enjoyed their ‘date night out’, flying up to New York for dinner and a show along with a lengthy motorcade past adoring crowds. Wonder how much that cost? Animal Farm is alive and well. Let the 6 million unemployed bask in the warmth of the night as they live vicariously thru El Presidente and his wife. Wonder if Barry “feels their pain”?
GarandFan on May 30, 2009 at 10:19 PM
Do you really expect a justice department who recently dropped charges against the new black panthers who were standing in front of polling places with weapons to intimidate voters to do anything about it? The same justice department who thinks that Veterans are our main terroist problem? The same justice department who is going after Sheriff Joe Arpaio?
Law means nothing to this people. This is political thugery at the highest levels.
Bikerken on May 30, 2009 at 10:20 PM
Bible and Sword
sven10077 on May 30, 2009 at 10:26 PM
He insults our intelligence this way pretty frequently, and I wish Mrs. Malkin would discuss that tendency with him. I’ve told him before that the news is already bad enough; he doesn’t need to tart up a news item as something even worse than it is.
Kralizec on May 30, 2009 at 10:26 PM
Petitioning the government for redress of grievances. How quaint. Haven’t you heard about Hope and Change ™?
Ted Torgerson on May 30, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Democrat neo-mouthpiece Charles Johnson over at LGF is having a schizoid embolism over Ed’s post and smearing him by name. This is Ed we are talking about. The animal with no natural enemies.
Valiant on May 30, 2009 at 10:38 PM
WTH is up with LGF?
d1carter on May 30, 2009 at 10:46 PM
He hates intelligent design theory and he’s afraid of the power brokers.
There’s probably more but he reminds me of McCain, which is about all that needs to be said.
platypus on May 30, 2009 at 10:54 PM
Ed, you really need to stop “hyperventilating” according to Charles Johnson.
4k78 on May 30, 2009 at 10:57 PM
For Charles Johnson to accuse Ed of hyperventilating is like Meghan McCain calling Carrie Prejean fat.
TheQuestion on May 30, 2009 at 11:02 PM
:)
4k78 on May 30, 2009 at 11:05 PM
LGF was once a great blog. Now it’s mindless lefty drivel. I think Charles is trying to stay relevent by picking another one of his blog fights with Hot Air.
Weasel Zipper on May 30, 2009 at 11:30 PM
“Good luck Chuck”….
sven10077 on May 30, 2009 at 11:32 PM
I agree. I was heavily involved in programming infrastructure projects on a regional level. My reading of this is if someone in the public, or an elected official calls up with a “great idea for a project” I’m essentially just supposed to tell them to shut up and wait for the formal process to begin.
Kind of silly rule in my opinion, overdramatic, and yes maybe a tiny bit Orwellian in a very narrow sense, but not the big deal people are making it out to be.
Oh, and have fun enforcing it by the way. This Eisen must be a touch naive, to say the least.
Actually, the more disturbing section of the “communique” is the part that states “comments (unless initiated by an agency official) must be in writing and will be posted on the Internet for every American to see.”
Which to my eyes means that reverse communications are okay. So if I have, oh, say a buddy who is a bicycling advocate/Indymedia type I could call him and say “Got any good ideas for projects?” And none of it would have to be on the record. Very self-serving, and considering the political leanings of much of the bureaucracy, I think you can see where it is heading, and how it would favor certain types of people who want certain types of projects (Hello, Acorn!!!).
By the way, if anybody cares, I’m on the record on this blog as to my total disgust with the Obama administration in general, and the wasteful “Recovery Act” stimulus in particular. And this is something to get excited about, but not in the way most people in this comments section are thinking.
If there is anything Orwellian about this “Memo from Eisen”, it’s the way it formalizes some of the favoritism that already exists in the contacts between interest groups/advocates on one hand, and the bureaucracy on the other. More power in the hands of unelected bureaucrats.
Of course I’m not a lawyer (thank God for that), and I could be totally wrong. But that’s the way I see it.
Dreadnought on May 30, 2009 at 11:34 PM
Obama is the bigest lobbyist evah.
He is still campaigning and lobbying. He want so silence voices other that his.
seven on May 30, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Slippery slope. They’re already trying to shut up opposition in many other ways. But, so far, it has been mostly by using attacks, diversion, and sending SEIC/ACORN brown shirts after their “enemies.”
This is the first instance where it has been enforced as a “rule.” If there’s no outcry, it will embolden them in the next case where they want people to shut up.
Daggett on May 30, 2009 at 11:51 PM
Yeah, but it’s the “access to government” issue, the “favoritism” issue, and the “more power to unelected bureaucrats” issue that is disturbing, not any infringement of free speech.
I’m a government official, you can call me if you want, and say anything you want, but I’m just not allowed to listen to you. But I can call anybody I want, and listen to them.
It allows me as a government official, to favor who I want. I would worry about it from that angle, rather than the free speech angle.
Dreadnought on May 31, 2009 at 12:08 AM
Charles is probably just pissed because Jihad Watch is on Hot Air’s blog roll.
Mike Honcho on May 31, 2009 at 12:10 AM
Why is LGF still on this blog roll?
Rebar on May 31, 2009 at 2:41 AM
Northeast
oldernwiser on May 31, 2009 at 6:55 AM
.
We remember and act on the real reason for the Second Amendment.
darktood on May 31, 2009 at 7:08 AM
If I’m not misreading this, what’s prohibited is oral communications; written ones are still fine but will go on the internet ASAP. That seems less like an attempt to squelch criticism than to provide better transparency about lobbying efforts.
I’m no fan of Obama’s, but fair’s fair.
PersonFromPorlock on May 31, 2009 at 7:11 AM
“restrict” “oral communication” ???
Gee, I’m sure glad I live in a country where individual freedom still means something: Vive la France! If there’s one thing I really like about the One, it’s that he’s single-handedly turned the tables around, so that Europeans can now snark at the US.
Aylios on May 31, 2009 at 7:17 AM
LOL. <>
I’m looking for the pony in that pile of horse dung of a statement. Prohibiting any type of communications, whether oral or written, is wrong. What’s next? Prohibition of thought?
The president is a coward and a bully. And as far as his knowledge of economics and finance is concerned, he’s demonstrably ignorant.
jdflorida on May 31, 2009 at 7:33 AM
Ditto.
I continue to be stunned at how Hot Air can try to make this into a story – but when an announcement in a weekly shopper mentions the birth of BHO suddenly that is irrefutable proof that aka Barack Hussein is a natural born citizen and we shouldn’t pressure him into releasing his birth certificate or unseal his college transcripts.
Hey, ignore that mountain over there – let’s climb this anthill!
WTF???
Mr Purple on May 31, 2009 at 7:40 AM
So,,, by this action,,, we can then expect many more Obamatrons at voting places standing outside with nightsticks.
Hey,, I heard a bunch of RINO’s on the news yesterday saying we need to stop all the inflammatory speech directed at the White House. So knock that kind of talk off. We want our President to succeed. A House divided against itself can’t stand,, ya know,, even Lincoln new that,, so we need to all come together in building this new dictatorship or it’s all going to fall apart. So,, Obama’s gotta take extreme measures,, see,, to stop this kind of extreme talk! He’s historical, don’t ya see! We want him to succeed! He’s making history! First black president and all that! Hey,, he’s also the first black President to take over GM! First black President to bankrupt the country! First black President to take over health care! He’ll also be the first black President to bow to the Saudi King! First black president to outlaw dissent!
So,, he’s historical! He’s got more history to make and we gotta see he does it!
JellyToast on May 31, 2009 at 8:01 AM
I’m not surprised at this. Obama is notoriously thin skinned.
He’s never had to abide criticism before and cannot tolerate it.
wildcat84 on May 31, 2009 at 8:13 AM
You’re missing the point…
does, camel… nose… tent…
baby steps…remember those?
slippery slope…
ring a bell?
jerrytbg on May 31, 2009 at 8:14 AM
There is still a restriction and yes that should bother you.
Now troll on.happy Sunday
CWforFreedom on May 31, 2009 at 8:51 AM
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson
old war horse on May 31, 2009 at 9:00 AM
More of Barry Soetoro’s threats against the populous???
Which smell is more closely associated with Obama’s economic plans ?:
* Rotten eggs in a car trunk.
* A formerly broken foot just liberated from a cast.
* Rosie O’Donnell’s underboob.
* A refrigerator produce drawer in a foreclosed house.
* Michael Moore’s tighty-whities. Lavender.
byteshredder on May 31, 2009 at 9:08 AM
You elect a Chicago Community Organizer (street thug) and you get what you got, a thug and his gang in the White House. Ever seen an elephant fly? No one or nothing can change what they are unless they want too. Hitler no, Hitler was nuts Obama has control of himself, he is NOT crazy he is just using what he learned with ACORN and the Chicago political machine.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson
old war horse on May 31, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Am I missing anything? Are we a Banana Republic under a dictatorship yet? Almost?
Daggett on May 30, 2009 at 9:27 PM
Yes, putting ACORN in charge of the Census and putting emphasis on the penalty for not complying.
MSGTAS on May 31, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Drudge has a couple good articles about Chavez and this sort of behavior if you havn’t read them yet. Let us hope that sites such as this and others can hold Obama back from his natural tendencies towards Chavez-like behavior. Also, if you bother to go to Drudge read the article from Pravda about our “rapid descent into Marxism”. All of these begin to have a certain distant ring of prophecy these days in my opinion.
jeanie on May 31, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Updated list
1. Seizing businesses and running them.
2. Seizing the banks and running them.
3. Circumventing senate approval by appointing tons of Czars.
4. Spending us into bankruptcy.
5. Socialize everything, including universal health care.
6. Silence critics.
7. Create an unconstitutional “arrest and detain indefinitely people who MIGHT commit a crime” potentially including the aforementioned critics.
8. Sending the ACORN Gestapo after AIG execs in order to deflect blame.
9. Dropped charges after the Black Panthers were determined to commit voter intimidation
10. Appointing a racist supreme court judge who does not respect the constitution
11. Selectively declassifying memos to embarrass republicans without regard for the consequences to our troops and nation
12. Abandoning and insulting our allies (UK, Israel) and sucking up to our enemies
13. Bankrupting the country
14. Undermining our sovereignty
15. Disarming and undermining our national defense
16. Putting ACORN brown shirts in charge of the Census and putting emphasis on the penalty for not complying.
17. Privacy questions in census
Daggett on May 31, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Sorry, duplicate on bankrupting
Daggett on May 31, 2009 at 9:40 AM
So,,, by this action,,, we can then expect many more Obamatrons at voting places standing outside with nightsticks.
Fine by me, I’ll bring my own nightstick.
“I’ll also bring my two boys with me, and if I bring my boys with me, someone’s gonna get their azz kicked.”
-Leroy Mercer
Bishop on May 31, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Read about Chavez’s ploy of having 4 day media marathons featuring himself propagandizing, ranting at those who criticize him and singing. Now, who amongst us really doubts that if Obama thought he could get away with it, would do the same thing? We have a President who realizes that he is a showman and fund raiser first and tucks some governing in when it’s quite un-avoidable or it is necessary to further his plans. In fact, he does get away with it–he just spaces it out. He is constantly media exposed and one wonders who is really running the store anyway since he has little time for it.
jeanie on May 31, 2009 at 9:49 AM
Updated list
1. Seizing businesses and running them.
2. Seizing the banks and running them.
3. Circumventing senate approval by appointing tons of Czars.
4. Spending us into bankruptcy.
5. Socialize everything, including universal health care.
6. Silence critics.
7. Create an unconstitutional “arrest and detain indefinitely people who MIGHT commit a crime” potentially including the aforementioned critics.
8. Sending the ACORN Gestapo after AIG execs in order to deflect blame.
9. Dropped charges after the Black Panthers were determined to commit voter intimidation
10. Appointing a racist supreme court judge who does not respect the constitution
11. Selectively declassifying memos to embarrass republicans without regard for the consequences to our troops and nation
12. Abandoning and insulting our allies (UK, Israel) and sucking up to our enemies
13. Bankrupting the country
14. Undermining our sovereignty
15. Disarming and undermining our national defense
16. Putting ACORN brown shirts in charge of the Census and putting emphasis on the penalty for not complying.
17. Privacy questions in census
Daggett on May 31, 2009 at 9:39 AM
looks like you nailed it. BHO must be reading that book Hugo gave him. Dictator in Chief
Maybe someone should remind him of the First Amendment
la.rt.wngr on May 31, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Republicans, LGF, clueless conservatives in general, still believe Obama is a regular Democrat (or a regular “liberal”) and that the American people want them to hedge their bets, be bipartisan, work with him, etc.
They simply don’t understand Obama is a hard-left old-fashioned marxist demagogue, who will say anything to hide what he’s really doing and use the most underhanded tactics to push his agenda through.
The clueless conservatives don’t know history or political philosophy. They don’t know about the brainwashing that has been going on for decades in the academic world – Charles Johnson for example as a musician probably never went to college. They don’t know what the atmosphere is like in northeastern cities like New York. Or in the media industry.
Sure, this blog post by Norman Eisen probably doesn’t mean a whole lot. You can explain away anything the Obama regime does. But all these little things add up. There’s a bigger picture here. Republicans, LGF, clueless conservatives don’t want to see it.
modifiedcontent on May 31, 2009 at 10:35 AM
LGF was never a conservative blog, and it’s not a lefty blog now–it always has been, in Charles’ words, “anti-idiotarian.” If you’re on the receiving end of criticism from LGF, guess what that makes you?
Charles isn’t “smearing” Ed; he’s 1) claiming that Ed made an error in judging the facts here (he did), and 2) claiming that the HotAir comment community is full of people who hyperventilate and freak out (it is).
hicsuget on May 31, 2009 at 10:40 AM
The reality is that O is trying to shut people up. That is a fact (it is)
and most here are smart people who care much about this country and when needed to become engaged. (yes true-it is)
troll on…happy Sunday
CWforFreedom on May 31, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Nice roundabout ad homenim attack.
Not surprised.
CWforFreedom on May 31, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Used to read LGF regularly though never posted. Not quite sure why I have grown away from that habit, but a quick analysis has me deciding that it’s more interesting and politically controversial on some of the other sites these days. LGF is still OK and I read it now and then, but that might not be good enough to compete?
jeanie on May 31, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Hey, nobody was allowed to read the damned bill before being bullied into voting on it, so this is just more of the same from Barrytown People.
As for Mr. Johnson, he’s officially transmogrified into “Don’t Be That Guy.”
Christien on May 31, 2009 at 11:14 AM
“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech …”
Filecchio on May 31, 2009 at 11:33 AM
I don’t go to LGF because it has become the Evolution blog. It just gets boring after a while. I do like the links though.
tomas on May 31, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Let me add that the new LGF effort to be fair to both parties (to be nice) Doesn’t mean…rip on republicans. THAT is the biggest problem with Scarlett M’s as they are defined today.
tomas on May 31, 2009 at 11:53 AM
I don’t read LGF too much anymore. It reminds me a lot of Kos and Huffpo in the way that they will get hundreds of posts on a topic, but a good 90% of that is silly adolescent sniping at conservatives and others chiming in agreeing. You can read over a hundred comments and not see one lucid intelligent argument for or against the topic if you see any reference to the topic at all. It’s boring. Any intelligent challenge is usually seen as a troll. Typical of lefty blogs.
Bikerken on May 31, 2009 at 12:44 PM
This is what the absolutely worthless, incompetent and corrupt Bed Crapper in Chief’s “administration” is going to have to do.
They have no idea what they’re doing, so the only possible way to get this idiot re-elected in 2012 is to 1) cut off debate 2) label all opposition as “racist” and to 3) keep the press in line.
It’s a good bet. He’s already our worst President ever, but I wouldn’t bet anything against him getting re-elected.
NoDonkey on May 31, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Well, after all, Ogabe won. And so now we all ha
Jaibones on May 31, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Oh no, they got Ed! Those b@stards…
kg598301 on May 31, 2009 at 1:07 PM
I have a postscript to you, Sam:
This was written by our very dear friend Michael Scott, who served.
It’s easy to give away something that has no value to you. Something that cost you nothing to get. If you have no concept of “cost” it becomes more difficult to value things.
I fought for a hill one day in Vietnam. We called it “Mutters Ridge” though I can’t find it on a map anywhere. It cost the lives of eight Marines to take it. Eight very young men gave up everything they valued forever, to gain the top of a hill. We kept it for three days.
Someone that didn’t have to pay for it gave it back to the enemy.
Three weeks later we were back. The enemy was sitting in the fighting holes we had dug at the top and we were standing at the bottom of the hill. We took it again, good Marines, fighting to the top. It cost three young Marines their tomorrows.
It was given back in less than a week by the same people that paid nothing for it.
We valued the hill because we had paid dearly for it. It was just a piece of dirt to most people, one more hill in a jungle of hills. We fought and died to take Mutters Ridge four times in six months, and gave it away each time.
Today I see our elected officials giving away all the hills. The hills that they personally paid nothing to get. It’s so easy to let freedom be taken away if you paid nothing for it. It’s easy to give away pieces of the pie, to anyone that shows up to eat it, if you didn’t do the baking.
My father was a fighter pilot, an Ace, was shot down and spent Christmas day to New Years day in three foot rubber raft fighting off a constant shark attack. My uncle Jack was a B-17 pilot, he spent three years digging a tunnel out of his prison camp in Germany. They made a movie about it. They didn’t show that Jack, who was a fullback at Purdue, now weighed 90 lbs. My uncle Bob fought in Korea. My brother fought in Vietnam. My grandfather fought in the trenches of WWI only to die in the flu epidemic the week of his return. We all saw our friends die as we faced death ourselves. We know the “cost” of what is given away today so lightly. How do we face them in light of what we are doing today? Can we tell them we are apologizing for their actions?
I remember the faces of the Marines and Corpsman I’ve carried to the chopper for the last long ride home. I know the cost.
It just seems like most of the people in this country don’t.
Scotty
I’d say all of us should keep what we value because we earned it. If we didn’t earn it, we shouldn’t be giving it away to someone who has done nothing to earn our trust or our respect.
Remember that the next time you vote……. For anyone.
Subsunk
Subsunk on May 31, 2009 at 1:32 PM
Silencing dissent and criticism is “necessary under the unique circumstances of the Obamanation Fascist program”!!!
FIFY.
Just remember that we Americans all share in the blame of allowing the TOTUS POTUS to take control of our once great nation. This is what America voted for!
DannoJyd on May 31, 2009 at 2:09 PM
Someone who Charles disagrees with.
However Charles always gets into hissy fits over his disagreements with conservatives, but rarely finds anything worth criticising when it comes to those on the left side of the political spectrum.
But he’s not liberal, because he said so, and only idiots disagree with him.
I used to be a regular over there, until his bizare rants and blatant attacks on conservatives got to be more than I could put up with.
MarkTheGreat on May 31, 2009 at 3:03 PM
test
SgtSVJones on May 31, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Too bad we can’t check the White House’s e-mail conversations with Lobbyists. Transparency, ya right…
luckybogey on May 31, 2009 at 4:17 PM
Porculus is nothing more than a seizure of power. The people who proposed, implement, and support it are idiots or traitors. In a word, it blows.
So, do I go to the police station or wait for the ATF to bring the armored vehicles? I’m fuzzy on the etiquette involved in this civil disobedience thing.
Venusian Visitor on May 31, 2009 at 4:27 PM
I’m with free-thinker on this. It just sounds to me like the ethics office is trying to limit ORAL communications during the core portion of the decision process on which projects get funded, in an obvious attempt to try to limit back-room deals and pressure that cannot be recorded.
They are not cutting off all communication, they are asking the communication to be in writing so it can be recorded and disseminated for anyone to see, which is the first solid example of the Obama administration moving toward transparency that I’ve seen.
Assuming they follow through with posting any written communications, this ought to be applauded. I think Ed missed the point here. Ed’s usually on the money, but he lost some credibility by posting this like he did.
willamettevalley on May 31, 2009 at 6:33 PM
And your argument makes it ok?
Don’t think so.
And of course there is that silly line in the Constitution that gets in the way.
CWforFreedom on May 31, 2009 at 7:40 PM
He didn’t really seize the banks, he simply propped them up with taxpayer money so that the Federal Reserve gets it’s money back.
The Fed is the issue.
True_King on May 31, 2009 at 7:41 PM
Whatever, RINO.
Surprisingly nobody is even mentioning Zero is now embracing lobbyists. I would think that would be the bigger issue, instead HA is focusing on parsing words and trying to sell it as some sort of quashing of free speech.
Mr Purple on May 31, 2009 at 8:11 PM
LGF is the ManCow of bloggery
tomas on May 31, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Good list, but how about the disappearance of the $1 Trillion Porkulus proceeds? And the other $2 Trillion being dispensed by the Treasury with no supervision to secret recipients for secret purposes.
Where did it go? Did it go only to FOO (Friends of Obama) like the Chrysler dealerships did and ownership of the nationalized auto industry did?
This administration is corruption on steroids.
landlines on May 31, 2009 at 10:11 PM
Basically you are correct-it’s not the free-speech issue that many commenters on this site are trying to say it is. They are clearly misinterpreting this memo or ruling.
However, to reiterate my point from an earlier post-the part of the part of this “ruling” I don’t like is the fact that communications initiated by government officials don’t have to be recorded-so that they are free to go out and solicit projects from whomever they choose, without their being any record of it. And having been heavily involved in the process of programming ARRA (stimulus)infratructure projects at the regional level, I can tell that is exactly what is going to happen-some people are going to play favorites, a process that favors the left, overall.
So I think that people who are saying this is “good government” are misguided as well.
Dreadnought on May 31, 2009 at 10:44 PM
Sure,, nothing wrong at all with what they want to do here. They just want to silence oral criticism and force people who write letters of criticism to be publicly exposed on the internet, their names, addresses and so forth, for the whole world to see. Nothing wrong with that at all. It’s not like verbal speech should be protected or anything. Actually,, the thinking may be that this could also help lesson green house gas emissions. Sort of a two for one thing. Silence all oral dissent while saving the earth from global warming. If only they would go one step further and also mandate appropriate enthusiasm be displayed by all citizens whenever Obama’s name is mention publicly, that would be a great way to encourage unity among the masses as well.
JellyToast on May 31, 2009 at 10:57 PM
No. No. No. Look, believe me, I’m no fan of Obama, this silly and wasteful “stimulus package”, and I’m particularly not a fan of the way the individual projects are being selected.
But this is not about “silencing criticism”-you can criticize all you want-this doesn’t stop you from doing that, and you can call or write a letter if you want and to anybody in the government you want and nothing is going to happen. THAT’S THE PROBLEM.
Believe me, you can call or write to any government office you want, sign your name, and tell them what a load of Bullshit this whole stimulus package is and they won’t be posting your letter on the internet.
It’s the last thing they’d want to do. Suppose a million people wrote and expressed the same opinion-do you think they WANT to post that on the internet???? Why would they want to give publicity to their opponents??? We should be so lucky.
Do you even have any idea who is selecting these projects, that you could write to and complain? I’ll bet you don’t and unfortunately, that is part of the problem. There are many on the left who do know, and that is an even bigger part of the problem.
This is about project selection, and soliciting bids, and as I’ve stated twice now in these comments I do have a problem with how it effects that process. The whole “squelching free speech” thing however, is a silly red herring and not true.
Dreadnought on June 1, 2009 at 12:17 AM
Gaining the agreement of Hot Air’s readers on the important, general point that the growth of the “federal” government’s spending power leads naturally to an increase in the “federal” government’s oppression of the Americans would have been easy, if this post had merely kept to what seems to be the plain meaning of Norman Eisen’s statement. Eisen doesn’t seem interested in going after critics of “Porkulus” as such. However, his wanting to increase the “federal” government’s regulation and policing of political speech in any way is bad enough. His apparent lack of understanding of the danger posed to what’s left of the American regime, by any scheme according to which the Executive will police communications with the Congress, increases my dread of the “federal” government’s ongoing deterioration. Thus, this story was already bad enough and didn’t need to be tarted up to make it seem even worse than it is.
Kralizec on June 1, 2009 at 12:24 AM
Being able to state one’s views to the Congress and the Executive as to how money is best spent is an important aspect of freedom of speech. By turning the story into a National Enquirer piece about the “federal” government’s going after critics of the Porkulus appropriation as such, Morrissey has obscured the real problem and embarrassed some of us who already agreed with him regarding the dangerous tendencies of the “federal” government and Obama’s administration.
Kralizec on June 1, 2009 at 12:45 AM
Yeah, but this rule doesn’t stop you from doing that. Not that it matters much by now anyway-because Congress and the President don’t have much to do with it now that the money’s been apportioned to the States.
And by now individual states have pretty much decided the general terms of how the money is going to be spent-it’s now down to individual local, state, and regional federal agencies to decide which actual specific projects will go forward.
And I don’t have a problem with making all those project proposals public. Do you? The problem is, that the rule doesn’t go far enough. Because contacts initiated by a government official DON’T have to be recorded.
That is the problem. I can’t find any good reason for that to be so, but I can think of several bad reasons. I talked about it in a previous post.
Dreadnought on June 1, 2009 at 1:43 AM
“WE Won”
right2bright on June 1, 2009 at 7:09 AM
The more power the government has,, the larger it gets and so forth,,, whose to say the written opinions posted on the internet will always display the correct opinions. Who will the editors be???? Who will decide what gets posted and what doesn’t?? Joe Shmo writes a letter saying he doesn’t like what’s being done with the stimulus,,,, Dem hack reads the letter,, makes a few editorial changes and now the letter reads as though Joe doesn’t like how people are criticizing Obama on the stimulus. Joe gets a nice letter saying thanks for the support and have you paid your taxes? The government internet site is full of support for Obama (thanks ACORN) and no one can protest about it orally if their negative letters are never displayed or they are rewritten to now show support,,, cause, to orally complain would be against the law. Can’t criticize orally. If you don’t like how your letter was displayed,, just shut up and write another letter. You open your mouth to anyone else,, you speak words of complaints to your congressman,, the papers or call in to talk radio we will get you! You will be a felon! Job done. Obama’s press will never say anything!! Obama’s historical,, see??? We gotta support him all the freakin way to hell!
JellyToast on June 1, 2009 at 7:46 AM
I wonder what they will do if they lose the congress next election?
I would have said that this would be impossible, given Hussein’s popularity and the general idiocy of the GOP, but I believe the Obama “cult popularity” bubble is going to burst and when it bursts, he’s going to see George W Bush polling numbers.
The longer this recession goes on and the more people lose their jobs the greater the pressure is on that bubble. The longer it goes the more of it he owns, and given the fact that we know that what he’s doing isn’t working and won’t work, this is inevitable.
That’s why he wants to shut off all criticism. False messiahs can’t stand independent scrutiny.
wildcat84 on June 1, 2009 at 8:09 AM
That’s just paranoia, Ed. I’ve relentlessly criticized The One from my undisclosed location using my trace-free dialup line, and they have yet to find
~NO CARRIER
Paul_in_NJ on June 1, 2009 at 8:34 AM
Wonder how long the MSM will take to pick up on this one. This guy is a Capital F Fraud.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2009/05/30/obama-lifts-ban-lobbyists-back-business-usual
Huckabye-Romney on June 1, 2009 at 8:35 AM
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »