Big Red Car here. The Boss is off to church so I’ve been watching the Sunday morning talk shows. They are a blast to watch the hand wringing and accusations. Everybody is having fun. Some of it is just not very funny though.
Lots of scandals — the unending Benghazi debacle, the IRS kerfuffle and the seizure of the phone records of the reporters at the Associated Press.
The entire ecosystem of the White House smacks of White House corruption? Corruption as evidenced by wholesale lies and premeditated lying?
We’re not corrupt, we’re just incompetent. Yes, very incompetent.
What has emerged is the White House’s chosen defense: “We’re not corrupt, we’re just………………………………………………..incompetent!”
There are, of course, the close kindred spirited explanations: “Well, the President learned about this stuff at the same time as the public did through the news.” This is called the Sergeant Schultz Defense from Hogan’s Heroes. “I know nothing!”
Or how about: “This was the work of some low level dweebs in Cleveland who took this upon themselves because of, uuhhhh, uuhhh…………………….efficiency. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Efficiency!”
Or: “Well, sure I’m the Attorney General of the United States but I “recused” myself from it all.”
Or: “This is just the Republicans being rabidly partisan.”
And even: “George Bush’s fault? Please, just one more time? Please?”
Is this stuff important after all?
On a very serious note, we have a dead Ambassador and three dead brave Americans and we can’t get to the bottom of what lies were told, by whom and why?
We have the Internal Revenue Service being used like a rented mule to delay and investigate honest Americans, of a certain political ilk, about simple administrative procedures which were routinely concluded and even, in the instance of the President’s brother’s application, expedited.
Repeating — the President’s Kenyan brother’s application was reviewed and approved in less than a month — retroactive to 2009 by the way — while Tea Party related applicants were being badgered and denied over a two year period. Huh?
Worse still, information was inappropriately delivered to parties with a competitive political posture and used in the presidential campaign to the detriment of the President’s opponents. The IRS gave information to groups funded by George Soros.
But, hey, it was “never political”. The Big Red Car is understandably skeptical.
Both of the preceding issues were cloaked in the very real interests of what was good and advantageous for the President’s re-election campaign. Using the engine of government for the political aims of the President?
The Associated Press telephone record subpoenas are simply an assault on the First Amendment and luckily the Attorney General does not know anything about them at all because he “recused” himself.
Why did anyone ever think that the President was competent in the first place?
To state the painfully obvious: why did anyone think this particular President would be competent to lead the government or to run an operation the size of the US government?
He had no executive or management or leadership experience of any kind whatsoever when he took the oath of office.
Apparently he is held hostage — like the rest of America — to what he learns from the press. The President of the United States learns about the IRS scandal at the same time that it hits the newspapers? Really?
Even the IRS Treasury Department Inspector General says he informed Treasury officials in 2012 about a practice that has been ongoing since 2011. Big Red Car is not believing this, ya’ll. Big Red Car thinks someone is lying.
This is what Big Government looks like
One the themes of this President is the notion that government CAN be the source of solutions to what ails America and that Government can be on the side of the people.
Maybe so?
What I fear is that what you are seeing is how Big Government really works. The President does not know what is going on in his own huge bureaucracy. The Attorney General is not engaged and involved. Low level dweebs are calling the shots. Big Government is out of control.
And, yes, it is very, very, very expensive to be this incompetent.
Would you care for another helping of Big Government? Seconds for anyone?
Faux outrage
Perhaps the most troubling thing is the inability to get honest answers and the faux outrage that is disseminated far and wide.
The IRS Commissioner was fired in response to the misdeeds of the IRS. OK, so that”s a really tough reprimand, right?
Well, Acting Commissioner Miller was going to step down next month anyway and guess what? He was already going to retire anyway having worked at the IRS for over 25 years and was only still working because he was burning off his terminal vacation time. This “firing” was a complete head fake by the President.
Acting Commissioner Miller was retiring and will retire as planned. Huh? Big Red Car, that can’t be true, can it?
That would mean that the President was just “funning” us when he indicated that he was taking such firm and decisive action. And he looked so convincing and pissed off, Big Red Car. He was misleading us, Big Red Car? No, not really. Say it ain’t so, Big Red Car.
Well, Old Sport, you are going to have to puzzle that one through by yourself.
But, hey, what the Hell do I know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car.