Note: You might want to start at the Barack
Obama Index Page, especially
if you arrived here by using a search engine.
This page is a byproduct of another nearby page
about President Obama's Intentions for America.
To put it mildly, I have been concerned about the destructive long-term effects of an Obama presidency since
he got the nomination as the Socialist Democrat candidate. If there is one positive outcome from the
Obama experience, I hope it will be greater participation on election day (by actual voters, not the dead and
fictitious people who vote for Democrats), and a much greater awareness of future candidates' beliefs.
The Americorps program was troublesome, even before the firing of Inspector General Walpin. The
two topics fall easily under the topics discussed
on the previous page, but these two subsections have
been placed on a page of their own to conserve bandwidth.
On this page:
Americorps
The firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin
Americorps
I don't know exactly what the people involved in the Americorps program will do to this country, but
I surmise that it won't be good.
Expanded
Americorps has stench of authoritarianism. With almost no public attention, both chambers of
Congress in the past week advanced an alarming expansion of the Americorps national service plan, with the
number of federally funded community-service jobs increasing from 75,000 to 250,000 at a cost of
$5.7 billion. Lurking behind the feel-good rhetoric spouted by the measure's advocates
is a bill that upon closer inspection reveals multiple provisions that together create a strong
odor of creepy authoritarianism.
Service.gov And Its Soviet Similarities.
"Progressives" control the government. Children in some public schools sing songs about the president
and study his directives. ... The mainstream media are aligned with the government. Those media outlets
critical of government policy are publicly criticized by government officials and are in danger of suffering
repercussions.
Ruling by a
Radical. I have written before ... about the way in which the First Community Organiser
was assembling a permanent force from among the American public to act as a potential means of subverting
the American Constitution. ... Straight after he was elected President Obama launched Organising for
America, a formal infrastructure of activism built upon his campaign's extensive database of
supporters. ... There was also his deeply troubling suggestion during his presidential
campaign — which received virtually no attention — of creating a civilian
national security force that would be as powerful, strong and well-funded as the half-trillion
dollar Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force, although he subsequently refused to elaborate upon this
distinctly chilling suggestion (and indeed, according to this report these remarks actually vanished
from the published transcript of Obama's speech).
Senate Rubber
Stamps National Enslavement Bill. The Senate last night rubber stamped a nightmare domestic
draft bill that legislates mandatory national service and creates an "army" of at least 7 million
civilian enforcers working at the the behest of the government, while also containing language that
threatens to ban free speech and the right to protest. Last week, we reported on the House passage of
the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, known as the GIVE Act, which was carried with
a 321-105 margin vote.
Every American a
'Volunteer'. "Arbeit macht frei" (Work makes {a person} free) the Nazis loved to say
to the "volunteers" entering the labor camps. America's version is called "Generations Invigorating
Volunteerism and Education Act" (GIVE act). HR 1388 has already passed the House and is on its way
to the Senate. ... There appears to be little volunteerism and almost no education in the bill. But
there are a lot of make-work government jobs... .
The Editor says...
Here's a tip: Read the full text of the
bill here and
look for the phrase, "Required National Service Corps."
Obama style community organizer immortalized
in HR 1388. There's no room for God in Obama's long promised Youth Brigade, no room to protest,
petition, to boycott or to support a strike, and and loopholes to give its mandatory membership a pass.
Everybody in GIVE, HR 1388 in legislation, will follow the rules and you can bet next year's crops that
the letter O will be somewhere on this Army's uniforms.
The Democrats' $6 Billion
National Service Boondoggle. Maybe it's just me, but I find federal legislation titled
"The GIVE Act" and "The SERVE Act" downright creepy. Even more troubling: the $6 billion
price tag on these bipartisan bills to expand government-funded national service efforts. Volunteerism
is a wonderful thing, which is why millions of Americans do it every day without a cent of taxpayer
money. But the volunteerism packages on the Hill are less about promoting effective charity than
about creating make-work, permanent bureaucracies and left-wing slush funds.
Democrats Kill Provision in
AmeriCorps Bill that Would Keep Funds from ACORN. Sen. David Vitter (R-Louisiana) tried to stand
up for civil society and taxpayers last week but his effort was shot down by liberal Democratic senators.
Vitter tried to prevent the radical direct-action group, ACORN, and its affiliates from benefitting under the
odious national service legislation known as the (proposed) GIVE Act. The bill itself, which received a
glowing review from John Podesta's pro-Obama propaganda factory, the Center for American Progress, would give
government money to volunteer programs and would dramatically expand the feel-good liberal program, AmeriCorps,
which ACORN and other groups have used to promote their own political objectives.
National
Service Corps Set to Become Law. The House voted overwhelmingly to approve a major expansion of
national community service programs, sending the measure to President Obama who has said that he will sign
it. The vote was 275 to 149, with 26 Republicans joining 249 Democrats in favor of it.
The bill will expand the number of volunteer slots to 250,000 from 75,000, increasing the ranks of the existing
AmeriCorps program, and establishing new cadres of volunteers focused on health care, education, renewable
energy and veterans. The legislation is also a major priority for First Lady Michelle Obama...
Congress
Sends Obama a Bill to Boost Community Service. In one of the most sweeping overhauls of the country's
national service programs since the 1960s, the House passed a bill that will dramatically increase the size and scope
of AmeriCorps, the government's largest volunteer organization and the domestic equivalent of the Peace Corps.
The $5.7 billion legislation, called the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act after one of its primary
sponsors, will triple the size of the service program, originally proposed by President John F. Kennedy.
AmeriCorps the
Beautiful. [Scroll down] So while the government is making it harder for the private
sector to employ recent high-school graduates by raising the minimum wage, it is expanding public sector
employment of that same demographic, at less than minimum wage. And checking off a few more items
on the CPUSA's platform as it does so.
Obama signs national service legislation.
President Obama signed into law Tuesday a measure designed to strengthen national community service efforts by
boosting federal funding for thousands of volunteers in fields ranging from clean energy to health care and
education. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, recently renamed to honor the Massachusetts
senator's sponsorship of the measure, will more than triple the number of positions in the AmeriCorps
program, from 75,000 to 250,000, by 2017.
Obama Signs National Service
Bill. Calling on Americans to volunteer, President Barack Obama signed a $5.7 billion
national service bill Tuesday [4/21/2009] that triples the size of the AmeriCorps service program over
the next eight years and expands ways for students to earn money for college.
Ask Not What Ted Kennedy Can Do For You...
Yesterday [4/21/2009], President Barack Obama delivered (finally!) on arguably his most hope-changiest of
all his campaign promises to use your tax dollars to support make-work jobs that will (finally!) allow
America's vast, all-ages reserve army of the unemployed to be paid volunteers with AmeriCorps.
AmeriCorps and ACORN Go Way Back.
ACORN took advantage of the federal agency a decade ago. As I wrote previously, ACORN, which is now notorious
for its commingling of funds within its network of affiliates, used government resources to promote legislation.
A congressional report noted that there was "apparent cross-over funding between ACORN, a political advocacy
group and ACORN Housing Corp. (AHC), a non profit, AmeriCorp [sic] grantee" that is a major affiliate of ACORN.
Did
someone mention ACORN?
Animal-Rights
Fanatic to Be Obama's Next "Czar"? Glenn Beck reports that an animal-rights fanatic is on track
to become President Obama's regulatory czar. That individual is the radical legal theorist Cass Sunstein
who has argued that:
• your money doesn't really belong to you because the government laid the foundations for your success;
• Internet censorship is a good idea;
• animals should be allowed to sue people;
• the names of carbon dioxide emitters should be compiled as part of a "greenhouse gas inventory" and publicized to shame those emitters into changing their behavior; and
• Americans' support for property rights and freedom of contract is an "incoherent" form "of so-called individualism."
The firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin
The law governing the Inspectors General requires the White House to provide reasonable cause and
a 30-day notice to Congress before taking any action.
The Walpin Story. If, like me, you
haven't had time over the last few days to keep up with the story of Barack Obama's firing of Gerald Walpin, the Inspector
General who has responsibility for the AmeriCorps program, Byron York will bring you up to speed. The story is an
interesting one that sheds light on the lawless, bullying nature of the Obama administration.
President
Obama Fires Controversial Inspector General. With little public notice, President Obama Thursday [6/11/2009]
fired the Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service, Gerald Walpin. Saying he was
"exercising my power as president," Mr. Obama suspended Walpin with pay, saying his termination would be "effective
30 days from now." The president wrote that "it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees
serving as Inspectors General. That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector general."
Obama
cronyism: Going after AmeriCorps IG on behalf of contributor. David Freddoso tried to explain that the only
change Barack Obama would bring to the Beltway would be an introduction of the Chicago Machine politics that made
him successful to the Beltway. The Inspector General of AmeriCorps, one of Obama's pet projects, has discovered this
the hard way.
Ousted
AmeriCorps watchdog defends waste probe. [Gerald] Walpin defended his work on Friday [6/12/2009].
"I know that I and my office acted with the highest integrity as an independent inspector general should act,"
he said. Obama's move follows an investigation by Walpin finding misuse of federal grants by a nonprofit
education group led by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who is an Obama supporter and former NBA basketball
star. Johnson and a nonprofit education academy he founded ultimately agree to repay half of $847,000 in
grants it had received from AmeriCorps.
More
Details Emerge In President Obama's Firing of Inspector General. It was Wednesday evening and
Gerald Walpin was pleading for his job. Just a few hours before, at around 5:20 pm, Walpin —
Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) — was driving on a
highway when he had received a phone call from Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and
government reform, informing him that President Obama no longer had confidence in him and wanted him to
resign. Walpin had an hour to make up his mind as to whether he was going to resign or have the
president seek his suspension and termination, as indicated in email from Walpin to Eisen obtained by ABC News.
Seeking
Answers on IG Firing, Sen. Grassley Asks About Possible Role of First Lady's Office. In an email
and fax sent late Friday, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, demanded that Alan D. Solomont, the chairman of the
Corporation for National and Community Service, provide "any and all records, email, memoranda, documents,
communications, or other information, whether in draft or final form" related to President Obama's firing of
CNCS Inspector General Gerald Walpin.
Gerald
Walpin speaks: The inside story of the AmeriCorps firing. The White House's decision to fire
AmeriCorps inspector general Gerald Walpin came amid politically-charged tensions inside the Corporation for
National and Community Service, the organization that runs AmeriCorps. Top executives at the Corporation,
Walpin explained in an hour-long interview Saturday [6/13/2009], were unhappy with his investigation into the
misuse of AmeriCorps funds by Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star who is now mayor of Sacramento, California
and a prominent supporter of President Obama.
This Makes Travelgate Look
Tame. There is no reason, none whatsoever, for CNN and MSNBC, along with CBS and The NY Times,
not to be putting this on the front page. An independent inspector general embarrassed some close allies
and/or fundraisers of the president, so the president fired him without stating a cause. This is, on its
face, a scandal. It is worse than Travelgate because it involves an official protecting the public fisc
against waste and corruption.
The White House Fires a Watchdog.
President Obama swept to office on the promise of a new kind of politics, but then how do you explain last week's
dismissal of federal Inspector General Gerald Walpin for the crime of trying to protect taxpayer dollars?
This is a case that smells of political favoritism and Chicago rules.
House
Republicans raise questions about Walpin firing. Rep. Darrell Issa, ranking Republican on the
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has sent a letter to White House counsel Gregory Craig
asking for information regarding the firing of AmeriCorps inspector general Gerald Walpin. Issa writes
that "the immediate effective termination of Mr. Walpin and the vague explanation offered by the President as
the reason for his decision" do not meet the standards required by the law covering inspectors general.
Gangster
government's grip on the AmeriCorps. One of President Obama's senior aides gave the AmeriCorps
inspector-general an offer he supposedly could not refuse — resign within an hour or be fired.
Fortunately, in the contemporary edition, the intended victim, IG Gerald Walpin, refused to go quietly despite
threats from the assailant, Norman Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform.
Eisen was last seen defending a proposed White House rule depriving the First Amendment rights of "anyone else
seeking to influence the process" of economic stimulus grant awards. The proposed rule would enable Obama
and company to dole out stimulus pork behind closed doors, away from prying eyes.
Walpin-gate.
Congress ought to open an investigation, New York Times editorialists should be in a state of apoplexy, and
MSNBC hosts ought to be frothing at the mouth. Without appropriate documentation or good reason,
President Obama has fired a federal investigator who was on the case against a political ally of the
president's. Mr. Obama's move has the stench of scandal.
Obama's Walpin-gate
problem. President Obama's unexpected firing last Thursday [6/11/2009] of an inspector general
looked suspicious. Now the story is getting worse. If allowed to stand, the firing of Gerald
Walpin, inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service, surely will chill other
efforts to rein in corruption within the Obama orbit. ... The law governing inspectors general mandates that a
president can remove them only after stating a cause for the dismissal. Mr. Obama has offered no
substantive reason for firing Mr. Walpin. That is unacceptable.
Will
Democrats cover up the AmeriCorps mess? Can Republicans in Congress get to the bottom of President
Obama's sudden — and suspicious — decision to fire AmeriCorps inspector general Gerald
Walpin? The answer is no — unless some Democrats show interest in what could possibly be the
first scandal, or at least mini-scandal, of the Obama administration.
IG
witness Blows Up White House Excuse. We have found an exclusive witness who directly contradicts
multiple aspects of the official White House explanation for firing AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin.
Separately, one part of the White House explanation treads on exceedingly shaky ground that raises the specter
of improper age discrimination. President Barack Obama's highly unusual move to fire an inspector general
has drawn bipartisan inquiries from Members of both the House and Senate who are worried about protecting the
independence of inspectors general.
Republicans
Not Satisfied With White House Explanation for Walpin Firing. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., calls
for a "fuller and more complete explanation" as well as more evidence of the "reasons and process" that led to
the firing of Gerald Walpin, former inspector general for the Corporation for National and Community Service.
White
House refuses to answer Senate questions on AmeriCorps IG firing. Norman Eisen, the White House
Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform, met with investigators on the staff of
Republican Sen. Charles Grassley at Grassley's offices Wednesday morning. The investigators wanted to
learn more about the circumstances surrounding the abrupt firing of AmeriCorps inspector general Gerald
Walpin. According to Grassley, Eisen revealed very, very little, refusing to answer many questions of
fact put to him. And now Grassley has written a letter to the White House counsel asking for answers.
White
House: Firing AmeriCorps IG an act of "political courage". Norman Eisen, who is the White House
Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform, met with staffers for Rep. Darrell Issa, the
ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Wednesday. Eisen, along
with another White House staffer who accompanied him, "wanted to talk broadly about inspectors general," says
a GOP aide familiar with what went on at the meeting. "When we pressed them on specific questions and
documents, they said they weren't prepared to give us information on that."
Conservatives
Launch Full Court Press On IG Firing. Conservatives are starting to smell blood on the IG firing
story. Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch — the conservative-leaning government watchdog that made
life miserable for President Clinton in the '90s — tells TPMmuckraker that his group is eager to
work with the canned IG, Gerald Walpin, to keep the pressure on the White House over the firing. "We
have let it be known that we'd like to talk to Mr. Walpin," said Fitton.
Grassley
Still Not Happy With White House Explanation For IG Firing. OK, it sounds like Chuck Grassley
isn't satisfied with the White House's explanation for why it fired the AmeriCorps inspector general.
White House ethics lawyer Norm Eisen met personally with the Iowa GOP senator and his staff yesterday morning,
to go over the reasons for the firing of the IG, Bush appointee Gerald Walpin. Eisen had first detailed
those reasons in a letter to Congress sent Tuesday night [6/16/2009].
Obama Violates His Own Law.
President Obama's suspicious firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin is sparking outrage, even in his own
party. Democratic senator and staunch Obama ally, Claire McCaskill said Tuesday, "The White House has
failed to follow the proper procedure in notifying Congress as to the removal of the inspector general.
Loss of confidence is not a sufficient reason."
Lawmakers
seek answers about Obama's firing of Walpin. A growing chorus of lawmakers are demanding
information from the White House and the Corporation for National and Community Service related to President
Obama's no-confidence dismissal last week of Inspector General Gerald Walpin.
Walpin firing continues to simmer.
Controversy continues to simmer around the firing of AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin, with the latest
development coming Thursday from House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa,
R-Calif.
Obama
Fires IG Who Exposed Supporter's Fraud. A government inspector general who has exposed widespread
waste in taxpayer-financed community service groups has been fired by Barack Obama after finding that one of the
president's political supporters, a California mayor, misused federal funds. In violation of a law established
to keep the watchdogs independent and free of political pressure or interference, Obama has refused to explain
why he got rid of the inspector general charged with investigating the government's so-called national service
programs.
What's
behind Obama's sudden attempt to fire the AmeriCorps inspector general? The 30 day requirement
is important because last year Congress passed the Inspectors General Reform Act, which was designed to
strengthen protections for IGs, who have the responsibility of investigating allegations of waste, fraud and
abuse within federal agencies, against interference by political appointees or the White House. Part of
the Act was a requirement that the president give Congress 30 days' notice before dismissing an IG.
One of the co-sponsors of the Act was then-Sen. Barack Obama. The Act also requires the president to
outline the cause for his decision to remove an IG. Beyond saying that he did not have the "fullest
confidence" in Walpin, Obama gave no reason for his action.
Obama's
AmeriCrooks and Cronies Scandal. President Obama promised he would end "Washington games." But
his abrupt firing of the AmeriCorps inspector general is more of the same. The brewing scandal smells like
the Beltway cronyism of the Bush years. And the apparent meddling of first lady Michelle Obama in the
matter smacks of the corruption of the Clinton years. If Obama keeps up with this "change," we'll be
back to the Watergate era by Christmas.
Obama Breaks Law In
Government Watchdog Firing. Barack Obama violated a law that safeguards the independence of
government agency watchdogs when he fired an inspector general who found that one of the president's political
supporters — a California mayor — misused federal funds. The Democratic senator who
authored the law (passed by Congress last year) relating to the termination of government agency watchdogs
blasted her good friend the commander-in-chief this week for abruptly removing an inspector general who has
exposed widespread waste in taxpayer-financed community service groups.
FBI Probes Charity
Exposed By Fired Inspector Gen.. A mayor's charity exposed for fraud by a fired inspector general
is being investigated by the FBI for obstructing an investigation into its suspicious spending of federal
funds. The charity's founder, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, illegally used nearly $1 million in
federal funds to pay volunteers for political activities, run personal errands and even wash his car.
After acknowledging that "there may have been administrative errors," the mayor reached a settlement with
federal prosecutors to repay more than $400,000 with no further penalties.
AmeriCorps and ACORN Go Way
Back. The cynical, politically motivated, and apparently illegal firing of AmeriCorps Inspector
General Gerald Walpin shocks the conscience. I'm not going to examine here the circumstances surrounding
the termination of Walpin but I do wish to remind readers that AmeriCorps has long been ripe for abuse.
ACORN took advantage of the federal agency a decade ago. As I wrote previously, ACORN, which is now
notorious for its commingling of funds within its network of affiliates, used government resources to promote
legislation.
Black is White and Up is Down
and Obama Isn't a Thug. I try really really hard to avoid the term "Orwellian," but I can't help
it here: This is Orwellian word use on steroids to the googleplex degree. Byron York reports that
the White House is calling the firing of AmeriCorps IG Gerald Walpin an act of "political courage." When
thuggery is called courage, when corruption is called integrity, when ignoring the spirit of the law is called
judiciousness.... well, then, that's when this firing becomes defensible. This is a sinister White House.
How
Republicans can crack the AmeriCorps scandal: Republicans are brainstorming things they can do
by themselves to shake loose information from an administration that has no obligation to cooperate with them.
And indeed, there are a few ways. The first is to enlarge the scope of the AmeriCorps investigation to
include the Justice Department. Walpin was fired in part because of his aggressive investigation of the
misuse of AmeriCorps funds by Sacramento mayor — and prominent Obama supporter — Kevin
Johnson. The acting U.S. attorney in Sacramento, Lawrence Brown, took a strongly pro-Johnson position in
the matter, even though there's no question that Johnson misused federal money. In the end, Brown played
a key role in helping Johnson get off easy and in setting in motion the chain of events that led to Walpin's
firing. Republicans intend to pursue the Justice Department for an explanation.
The Smearing Of Gerald Walpin.
The storm that erupted after the firing with one hour's notice of Gerald Walpin, the inspector general overseeing
AmeriCorps, has not died down. Pressed for an explanation as to the reasons for the firing and why the
law requiring Congress to be given notice and reasons 30 days in advance was not followed, the White
House has resorted to old-time Chicago-style political smears.
Walloping Walpin. House
Republican staffers on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform are mulling their next steps in
investigating last week's firing of Gerald Walpin as Inspector General for the Corporation for National and
Community Service and its AmeriCorps program. On Tuesday [6/16/2009], ranking member Darrell Issa
sent a letter to White House Counsel Gregory Craig, demanding the release of all e-mail and other communications
between the Department of Justice's Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District
of California regarding the dismissal of IG Walpin.
Walpin Speaks, Obama Administration Clams
Up. Fired Inspector General Gerald Walpin has responded aggressively to new claims by the Obama
administration that he was fired from his job because he was "confused," and, perhaps, senile. Byron York
records Walpin's response, which is, to say the least, coherent, much more than we can say for Obama's
ever-shifting stories about why he fired an Inspector General who caused trouble for a prominent supporter
of the administration.
A
witness to Walpin-gate. The belated White House explanation for firing the AmeriCorps inspector
general doesn't ring true. The White House claims Inspector General Gerald Walpin was effectively away
without leave from his Washington office and that he was so "disoriented" and "confused" at a May 20
meeting that it made officials "question his capacity to serve." An exclusive witness told The
Washington Times both charges are baseless.
What's behind Obama's sudden attempt to fire the AmeriCorps inspector
general? There are two big questions about the president's actions. One, why did he decide
to fire Walpin? And two, did he abide by the law that he himself co-sponsored? ... The bigger question
is why the president is doing this and why he is attempting to do it so quickly. Senate sources now
believe Obama is firing Walpin over Walpin's investigation of Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star and a
prominent supporter of the president.
Obama Fires AmeriCorps IG,
Republicans Wonder, Was It Political? Walpin, a New York attorney, was appointed by
then-President George W. Bush and sworn into office in January 2007 after being confirmed by the Senate,
according to a news release on AmeriCorps' Web site. Walpin graduated from College of the City of New
York in 1952 and received a law degree in 1955 from Yale Law School. He was a partner with the New York
City law firm Katten Muchin and Rosenman LLP for more than 40 years. Alan Solomont, a Democrat and
the board chairman of the government-run corporation, and Stephen Goldsmith, a Republican and the board's
vice chair, said they strongly endorsed Obama's decision.
FBI e-mail investigation fingers
White House? The Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun looking into a dispute that is linked
to an AmeriCorps money scandal that has fingers pointing all the way up to the White House because of President
Obama's dismissal of an inspector general who was on the case.
White House vs. Whistleblower.
A leading Democratic Senator who wrote the law shielding the government's inspectors general from political
pressure or retaliation says President Obama didn't abide by the law when he fired one of those watchdogs last
week. This despite the fact that Senator Obama was a co-sponsor of the legislation when it passed
Congress last year. Senator Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat and longtime Obama supporter, says
that in firing Gerald Walpin, Inspector General of the government's community service agency AmeriCorps,
proper procedures were flouted.
Fired
AmeriCorps IG responds: White House charges are false. Walpin described an atmosphere in which
his investigations into fraudulent and inefficient use of federal dollars were often the cause of conflict
with the board and top management of the Corporation [for National and Community Service]. "The fact
that the board doesn't like what I was doing in order to perform my duties as an IG is not a reason for
removing me," Walpin said. "In fact, the more diligent an IG is in reporting criticisms of the board
and the running of the corporation, the more the board doesn't want the IG there. But that's exactly
why the IG position was created."
Elected, Not Redeemed.
Kevin Johnson grossly misused federal funds. The standard penalty is a common sense one — he
shouldn't be entrusted with federal funds for at least some time. That he is now mayor of the capital of
California doesn't change that. Winning an election does not have some sort of sanctifying effect.
A man who misuses funds and is then elected mayor is now a mayor who has misused funds. And those who
voted him into office should expect to have to live with the consequences of their decision.
Stating the obvious:
I.G.'s firing
smells like political retribution. The firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin is raising some
disturbing questions about President Barack Obama and his willingness to use his power to help political friends
and punish perceived enemies.
AmeriCorps
feared bad press if IG investigation continued. One of the mysteries surrounding President Obama's
firing of AmeriCorps inspector general Gerald Walpin is what prompted the White House, supported by the board
of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps, to try to get
rid of Walpin so quickly and quietly?
Removal of an inspector.
In firing AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin last week, President Obama probably thought he and his
wife, Michelle, were the ones "sending the message." After all, dispensing petty political retribution on
behalf of one's crooked friends is the "Chicago way," is it not? And the firing of Mr. Walpin would no
doubt have lasting benefits for the Obamas, too, seeing as inspectors general throughout the federal government
would get the message that "FOBAMs" — or "Friends of Barack and Michelle" — were not to
be touched in the future.
What Is Obama
Trying to Cover Up? Two years ago, then-Senator Obama co-sponsored the Inspector General Reform
Act, which was eventually enacted last year as the Improving Government Accountability Act. Part of the
purpose of that law, as outlined in the Senate report, was to make sure that IGs operate with "sufficient
independence to do their jobs well," without fear of political repercussions. Thus, the law requires the
president to communicate "in writing the reasons for any" removal or transfer of an IG. The Senate report
says this provision is intended to "ensure that Inspectors General are not removed for political reasons."
Good luck with that.
Removal of two inspectors general prompts questions...
Senator asks
about firings of watchdogs. He was appointed with fanfare as the public watchdog over the government's
multi-billion dollar bailout of the nation's financial system. But now Neil Barofsky is embroiled in a dispute
with the Obama administration that delayed one recent inquiry and sparked questions about his ability to freely
investigate. The disagreement stems from a claim by the Treasury Department that Barofsky is not entirely independent
of the agency he is assigned to examine — a claim that has prompted a stern letter from a Republican senator
warning that agency officials are encroaching on the integrity of an office created to protect taxpayers.
Obama's political
play should shock no one. The use of political muscle may be prohibited in the mythic transcendental
fairyland where much of the Obama spin originates ... But our president is from Chicago. Obama's Media
Merlin David Axelrod and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel come right from Chicago Democratic machine boss Mayor
Richard Daley. They don't believe in fairies. Daley can't wait to be rid of his own inspector
general, David Hoffman, who had the audacity to question why Daley's nephew received $68 million in city
pension funds to invest. The mayor insists he didn't know anything about it. Nobody with a
functioning brain believes the mayor.
Lieberman
overlooks Walpingate. Say it aint so, Joe. Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent
Democrat, seems to be punting away his duty to protect the independence of federal inspectors general.
Mr. Lieberman is a man of integrity who takes pride in his independence. That's why it is disappointing
that he has been so quick to accept the weak White House excuses for firing AmeriCorps Inspector General
Gerald Walpin and to dismiss complaints about White House treatment of at least two other IGs who questioned
administration conduct.
Former Democratic White House
Counsel, GOP Attorney General Contest White House Claim. A letter signed by a former Republican
U.S. attorney general, a former Democratic White House Counsel, and 144 other prominent lawyers is
challenging the White House's claim that fired AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin was "confused"
and "disoriented."
Re: Mr.
Walpin is 'essentially the opposite of someone who is "confused, disoriented...". Jerry Walpin
is a superb lawyer, a terrific guy, a patriot, and a real public servant who performed with dedication and
skill as inspector general. I understand, and am not surprised at all to hear, that he was highly
regarded by his staff. I haven't yet heard a good explanation for why there was not a prosecution in
the case that caused him to cross swords with the Obama administration.
Treasury
Department Challenges Independence of TARP Inspector General. The Obama administration's
disputes with government watchdogs do not end with fired Inspector General Gerald Walpin. Behind the
scenes, the Treasury Department is embroiled in a disagreement with Neil Barofsky, the watchdog for
the $700 billion government bailout Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.
Silent Scandals:
In just the last month, an unusual number of what were formerly regarded as scandals went unnoticed and
largely unreported by the old media, to wit: Obama recently fired an Inspector General of Americorps,
giving him one hour to resign or be fired. This, in direct contradiction to legislation Obama co-sponsored
as Senator, requiring 30-day notice and an explanation.
Obama Plays Hardball With
Watchdogs. Gerald Walpin has quickly become the most famous of the three inspector generals
who've left their jobs in recent weeks, exposing what appears to be a pattern of pressure from the Obama
administration. In radio and television interviews, the silver-haired 77-year-old former AmeriCorps
IG has certainly contradicted insinuations of senility that administration officials made in defending
the quit-or-be-fired ultimatum that Walpin said he received on June 11.
Records Indicate
Tension Between Agency's Fired IG and Officials. Documents delivered to lawmakers this week
expose a frequently confrontational and petty relationship over the past several years between Gerald Walpin
and officials at the Corporation for National and Community Service. President Obama fired the Bush
appointee last month, citing a lack of confidence.
Who
Railroaded the Amtrak Inspector General? Watchdogs are an endangered species in the Age of
Obama. The latest government ombudsman to get the muzzle: Amtrak Inspector General Fred Weiderhold.
The longtime veteran employee was abruptly "retired" this month — just as the government-subsidized
rail service faces mounting complaints about its meddling in financial audits and probes. ... The transparent
sacking comes just as Amtrak is awash in more than $1.3 billion in new federal stimulus money. It
comes on the heels of the unceremonious dismissal of Gerald Walpin, the AmeriCorps inspector general who dared
to probe financial shenanigans by Obama cronies.
Battle
lines drawn in AmeriCorps IG scandal. Key Republicans in both the House and the Senate are accusing the
White House of giving "incomplete and misleading" information to investigators probing the president's abrupt firing of
AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin. In return, the White House is hinting that documents concerning its
actions in the Walpin affair may be protected by executive privilege.
Barack Milhous Obama. What prior
administration does the Obama administration most resemble? In its early days, there is a surprising contender:
that of Richard Nixon. ... The Nixonian note was sounded again in the Obama administration's response to Republicans who
are pressing for information on the firing of AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin. It appears that Obama's
firing of Walpin was both illegal and politically motivated, and his aides are circling the wagons, hoping the issue will
go away without their having to provide information to Congress.
AmeriCorps
stonewalls questions of White House involvement in IG firing. A top official of the Corporation
for National and Community Service, the government agency that oversees AmeriCorps, has refused to answer questions
from congressional investigators about the White House's role in events surrounding the abrupt firing of inspector
general Gerald Walpin. Frank Trinity, general counsel for the Corporation, met with a bipartisan group of
congressional investigators on Monday [7/6/2009]. When the investigators asked Trinity for details of
the role the White House played in the firing, Trinity refused to answer, according to two aides with
knowledge of the situation.
Stonewalling on
Walpin-gate. President Obama's dismissal of AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin becomes
more of a scandal with every White House action. AmeriCorps is a program of the Corporation for National
and Community Service, which is a federal agency. Both the White House and the general counsel at the
corporation have been stonewalling congressional investigators. If their actions in firing Mr. Walpin
were on the up and up, they wouldn't have anything to hide.
The Little Scandal That Could.
The fact that both Democrats and Republicans are involved in investigating the Walpin dismissal is, however, highly
significant. With Democrats controlling both houses of Congress, bipartisanship is absolutely necessary to getting the
truth about the AmeriCorps case, as with the other cases in the smoldering "IG Gate" scandal. Sensitive political
considerations are involved, given the potential fallout from investigations into whether the Obama
administration — which promised to be the most "transparent" in history — is trying to muzzle the
independent watchdogs tasked with preventing waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies.
Fired
inspector general files lawsuit. The inspector general President Obama fired last month filed a lawsuit
Friday [7/17/2009] to get his job back, claiming the firing was politically motivated and broke a 2008 law governing
how watchdogs can be dismissed. Gerald Walpin, inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community
Service, was removed June 10. ... Mr. Walpin says he was fired because he targeted an Obama supporter, Sacramento
Mayor Kevin Johnson, in a successful investigation that resulted in Mr. Johnson and an academy on which he formerly
served as executive director repaying half the $847,000 it received in government grants.
Inspector
General Fired by President Obama Files Lawsuit to Be Reinstated. Gerald Walpin, the former
Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service whom President Obama took the unusual
step of firing last month, filed a lawsuit against the CNCS on Friday in U.S. District Court for the District
of Columbia. The suit seeks to force "to reinstate Mr. Walpin as the Inspector General and to declare
unlawful and ineffective the efforts to date to terminate him from his office."
AmeriCorps
IG sues government over "unlawful" firing. Gerald Walpin, the AmeriCorps inspector general who
was summarily fired in June amid controversy over his investigation of a politically-connected supporter of
President Obama, has filed suit alleging that the firing was "unlawful," "politically driven," "procedurally
defective" and "a transparent and clumsily-conducted effort to circumvent the protections" given to inspectors
general under the Inspectors General Reform Act of 2008.
Age
discrimination in Walpin-gate. The Obama administration will have a hard time defending its
actions against a suit by fired AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin. In our June 24
editorial headlined "Lieberman overlooks Walpingate," we suggested that the White House "verged on improper
age discrimination by claiming the 77-year-old Mr. Walpin was 'disoriented' and 'confused' at a May 20
meeting." In a footnote to a lawsuit Mr. Walpin filed on Friday [7/17/2009] demanding his job back,
Mr. Walpin's lawyers have written that "the [White House] conduct at issue raises serious questions of
age discrimination, retaliation against whistleblowers and defamation."
Obama-fired
Inspector General Files Lawsuit, WaPo Shuffles Coverage to Blog. Just six months into his
presidency, President Barack Obama's administration is the target of a federal lawsuit, and that by a civil
servant who alleges he was dismissed from his post in violation of the requirements of a law that Barack Obama
himself once sponsored in the Senate.
IG-Gate: Connecting the
SIGTARP Dots. The Obama administration's promises of "transparency" are being revealed as lies
on the magnitude of "The check's in the mail" ... Avoiding public scrutiny of reckless misappropriation of
taxpayer dollars is at least one possible motive for the legislation sponsored by Rep. John Larson
(D-Conn.) ... that would give President Obama power to fire and replace five IGs at federal financial
oversight agencies.
Probe
finds new clues in AmeriCorps IG scandal. After seven weeks of trying, investigators looking into
President Barack Obama's abrupt firing of AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin are still unable to answer
the most basic question of the whole affair: Why did the president do it?
Fired
Inspector General Files Motion to Return to His Job. Gerald Walpin, who was the inspector
general for the Corporation for National and Community Service until President Obama pink-slipped him, filed
a lawsuit in July arguing that the dismissal was politically motivated and broke a 2008 law governing how
watchdogs can be removed.
Walpin scandal update: Republican Sen. Charles
Grassley has blocked the ambassadorial nomination of Alan Solomont, currently chairman of the board
of the government agency that oversees AmeriCorps, in retaliation for what Grassley says is the
administration's stonewalling of Congress over documents relating to the firing of AmeriCorps inspector
general Gerald Walpin. Specifically, Grassley has sought, and been denied, information relating
to the White House's role in the decision to fire Walpin. Solomont, a major Democratic donor,
is chairman of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which includes AmeriCorps.
Return of Walpin-gate.
When last we left Gerald Walpin, the unfairly fired inspector general for the Corporation for National and Community
Service, he had filed a lawsuit on July 17 protesting his dismissal. He submitted technical amendments to
his complaint on July 24, and the government was supposed to respond within 60 days. Seventy-five
days later, the government still is stonewalling.
Obama's Real
Enemies List. At mid-year, the White House ordered the firing of Gerald Walpin
as Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service after Walpin
discovered a key Obama supporter misused federal grant money. ... Walpin's firing was in
direct violation of a federal statute barring the removal of an IG without first filing
a 30-day notice with Congress.
WH v.
Grassley on Walpin clearing. The White House and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have profoundly
different takes on the news that a federal investigation cleared fired inspector general Gerald Walpin of
allegations of misconduct in connection with an investigation into misuse of federal funds.
Ex-official wants job back as FBI shuts St. HOPE
probe. The FBI probe into whether e-mails were deleted during a separate federal investigation of
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's St. HOPE Academy has been closed without charges being filed. Federal
officials said Tuesday there was not enough evidence to support allegations that the e-mails were
intentionally deleted while Johnson's nonprofit organization was being probed by federal Inspector General
Gerald Walpin.
Walpin-gate
opens wider. The case of Gerald Walpin, the controversially fired inspector general for the
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), continues to raise questions about what the Obama
administration is hiding. Two new items and one previously overlooked item are of interest in the case.
AmeriCorps Inspector General Shredded White House
Documents at Request of Agency's Spokeswoman. The acting inspector general of AmeriCorps
said he shredded White House documents at the request of an agency press spokeswoman that pertained to
the controversial firing of the previous inspector general, who was ousted after investigating a political
ally of President Obama.
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