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« Morning Wrap | Main | Joe Biden's Adventures With Mark Gitenstein »

October 23, 2009

Comments

Peter Andrew

With hundreds of broken promises, flip-flops, appointment scandals and lies, I question Mr. Eisen's sincerity in calling this one of the most "Scandal-free" starts ever!(http://conservativeamerican.org/obama-administration-scandals-list/page-16-751-800/)

I'd also like to know why he said only three waivers were issued. That is absolutely incorrect. ABC's Jake Tapper and others have reported on numerous waivers. Those receiving waivers include: William Corr, Bill Lynn, Mark Patterson, Jocelyn Frye, Cecelia Munoz, and Naomi Walker. Richard Verma is another lobbyist working for the administration but they decided he simply didn't need a waiver! Other lobbyists include Patrick Gaspard and Ash Carter. Let's see, how many are we up to so far?
(http://conservativeamerican.org/dems-libs-socialists/dems-libs-socialists-obama/obamas-scandal-free-start/)

He also was bold in declaring to the ABA "we did full transparency!" The Washington Post points out that is not true (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/30/AR2009083002426.html).

To me, the irony here is that in claiing they are "scandal-free," he adds yet another misrepresentation to the lengthy list!

Peter Andrew
http://ConservativeAmerican.org

Richard W. Painter

The President's ethics counsel is attacked for not consulting with lobbyists before drafting an executive order affecting lobbyists. Sounds like he was doing his job.

I was President Bush' ethics counsel and I did not consult with lobbyists before recommending how the White House should deal with lobbyists. I see no reason why Mr. Eisen should have to consult with the lobbyists, and every reason why he should not do so. Lobbyists get to write a lot of laws and regulations but they should not be permitted to write the rules regulating themselves.

I point out that lobbyists are a large part of the problem in my book Getting the Government America Deserves: How Ethics Reform Can Make a Different (Oxford U. Press 2009). Mr. Eisen and the President are at least trying to solve the problem and they do not need to go to the source of the problem for help.

Richard W. Painter

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