White House Discloses 10 More Ethics Waivers for Administration Officials

[notesdev]

Source: ABC News

Calling President Obama's Executive Order on Ethics for Executive Branch personnel "the strongest ethics standards in U.S. government history," White House counsel Norm Eisen on Friday announced 10 more waivers for Obama administration officials.

The waivers will allow the officials to participate with persons with whom and entities with which "the appointees formerly had a professional relationship," Eisen wrote, "because there was a compelling public interest in allowing it."


The waivers are for:

* NASA administrator Charles Bolden; Bolden served as a consultant to the science, engineering, and technology corporation SAIC, which has billions in government contracts, and on the board of directors of aerospace and defense giant GenCorp.

The President's ethics rules would otherwise prohibit Bolden from participaring in any matter in which SAIC or GenCorp was a party in any way. That was waived because Bolden's "knowledge of and expertise in current NASA programs are essential to making informed and timely decision-making." He is still not allowed to engage in one-on-one meetings or communications with either organization or to participate in contracting matters involving either company.


....

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/white-house-discloses-10-more-ethics-waivers-for-administration-officials.html

---

I'm a bit confused here... should I file this under "hope", or "change"?

What's the point of having ethics standards if you simply waive them when they are not convenient?

[polichick]

1. I guess the point is politics - so they can say one thing and do another. nt

[JDPriestly]

2. Obama disappoints us once more. Par for the course by now.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

3. This has GOT to be one of the most nonesensical pieces of crap I have every read.

Is ABC BLOGS just making shit up,...or what?

:shrug:

[Ian David]

22. ABC gave Obama more negative coverage during the election than Fox did. n/t

[ut oh]

32. Quite frankly

He's really starting to deserve the grief...

[Ian David]

43. You lost. Get over it. n/t

[sandnsea]

4. CREW Visitor Access Cases Settled

"The Administration announced a new Visitor Access Record disclosure policy today, the most transparent in history. In addition, the White House settled four visitor access cases with Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW), including those dating from the Bush administration (read the transmittal letter here).

According to Melanie Sloan of CREW, “The Obama administration will have the most open White House in history. Providing public access to visitor records is an important step in restoring transparency and accountability to our government.”

http://www.obama-mamas.com/blog/?p=368

We've been trying to get these Bush era records released for years. Where was the excited posts over this?

Oh yeah. Nowhere.

Why?

Because DU is filled with as many haters as FR.

[polichick]

5. Weren't the Bush era records almost completely redacted??

There would have been much more excitement if they hadn't been blacked out.

[atreides1]

7. Listen

to the silence, you can almost hear the sea as it washes up on the sand.:D

[polichick]

9. I think I hear it! :)

[sandnsea]

10. No. These are different records.

Shows how "smart" some of you actually are, despite how highly you think of yourselves.

[polichick]

13. Link please. nt

[sandnsea]

14. It's in the link I already provided n/t

[polichick]

15. The Bush era records mentioned there were redacted - as I said before. nt

[sandnsea]

17. lol, oops, those links are broken

Here's the correct link, at least the first one. Not redacted, at least nothing more than unimportant info on visitors.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/blog/Bush_Admin_Part_1.pdf

[polichick]

19. It was Cheney's records people were most interested in...

Little excitement because they are redacted ~ see link marked "Former VP records"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6464964

[sandnsea]

20. Those are one Christmas party

I can't even figure out what kind of twisted mind ignores everything else that was released to get in a twist over a fucking Christmas Party.

Much of the Energy Task Force was already released.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cheney_Energy_Task_Force

[polichick]

24. I can't even imagine "what kind of twisted mind" insults posters over and over...

...because they don't agree with you.

[sandnsea]

26. Facts are facts

They have nothing to do with agreeing or disagreeing. They just are.

Fact.

"President Obama announced on Friday that he will open up White House visitor logs on a regular basis for the first time in modern history, providing the public an unusually extensive look at who gets the opportunity to help shape American policy at the highest levels."

Not my opinion. Fact.

Verified by CREW. Not me.

http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/42333

This is a very positive step, and I am perfectly fine with "insulting posters" if that means bringing them facts they would prefer to ignore.

[polichick]

27. None of this has anything to do with the OP - I responded to your silly complaint...

...that people aren't excited enough for you.

Your nastiness speaks for itself ~ in spite of your lame excuses.

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[katandmoon]

8. No, DU is filled with people who expect Obama to ABIDE BY HIS WORD

[sandnsea]

11. You don't pay attention when he does

any more than teabaggers pay attention.

[katandmoon]

28. Hiring Rahm Emmanuel showed exactly how much "change" Obama was interested in. N.O.N.E.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Donnachaidh]

45. yeah, 4 LAWSUITS later.

Crew had to SUE *4* times before this BOGUS *settlement*.

[Vidar]

6. What a fucking joke!

[here_is_to_hope]

12. Bolden's a reasonable waiver...

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/bolden-cf.html
I don't know about the rest.

[grantcart]

23. I agree and the rest look like low level technical people

It would seem that the prohibition against AFL-CIO is especially tight because it would eliminate the largest pool of labor leaders from ever working in administrations on labor policy.

The Peace Corp exemption seems particularly ludicrous. Does the National Peace Corp Association have a major contracting arm, and is it really at cross purposes with the Peace Corp it self?

[TankLV]

16. They all seem PERFECTLY REASONABLE to me...

trying to make a mountain out of a dust bunny...

give it a rest - there's NOTHING THERE - THERE...

Obama is STILL keeping his word on this one!!!

Go get a refreshing drink and chill out...

wish I could UNrecommend this post a THOUSAND times...

totally bullshit, misdirected anger...

[Amos Moses]

30. ...

:spray:

[MrsBrady]

18. so much of our economy is wrapped up in outsourcing or contracting....

So many people work for a government contractor now.
I don't see how it can always be avoided.

[Ian David]

21. Obama basically formulated ethics guidelines so strict, that they need loopholes.

Under his rules, someone from Amnesty International or The Human Rights Campaign is considered a lobbyist, for example.

[No Elephants]

46. How any did he hire from Amnesty International again?

[Edweird]

25. Hm. Cheney. Haliburton.

[earcandle]

29. Exceptions, distortions, reasonableness trading for rule of law, regulations. Dumb shit.

[Jim Sagle]

31. Who needs ethics when ya got hope and change, bay bee?

[Psephos]

36. File it under "Change? Nope." nt

[SpartanDem]

37. So you're opposed to someone with AFL-CIO ties working in the Labor Dept.

[Psephos]

44. No, I'm opposed to the idea of an "ethics waiver" - which needs no further explanation. nt

[Justitia]

38. Oh brother! What do you even know about Bolden? He's PERFECT for NASA Admin.! Do some reading!

Jesus Fucking Christ - people just blow stuff out of their ass around here lately.

This is a piss poor thing to get your knickers in a twist over.

[tomm2thumbs]

39. the term 'ethics waiver' is the thing that says it all - nt

[Jakes Progress]

40. Watch for this to get an new name.

"We are going to waiver ethics" doesn't sound so good. Look for something like "Affirmative Reapplication" or "Accomplishment Upgrades" .

[fasttense]

41. Man, they are giving out more waivers than Cheney had deferments. n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

42. There are not ethics in DC to waive in the first place

So why not just let whoever do whatever, as long as they are not Van Jones, or some liberal, right? Why not make a waiver for the fox to guard the henhouse, the hens are corrupt as well.

[No Elephants]

47. Ten MORE Waivers. How many waivers total have been given?

A lot of Clinton Administration people went into the industries that they had regulated under Clinton. Obama has hired them back from those industries, to regulate those industries. For instance, Mary Schapiro. And they don't seem to have much stomach for regulating them this time. E.g., http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30847785/

[Zavulon]

48. If this is true at all,

these "ethics waivers" are one of the quickest ways to ensure that I stay home the next time Election Day comes around. I wouldn't put up with shit like that from Repukes, and I won't put up with it from Democrats, either.

This is what I'd expect from McCain and Bush, not from Obama.

[Elmore Furth]

49. Forgive me Father for I have sinned it has been many days since my last confession.

After Karl Rove, K Street pirates and Alberto Gonzales' amnesia for the federal prosecutor firings, I thought the public was inoculated against palpitations from ethical issues.

In 2005 just 32 percent of the public give Bush’s handling of ethics in government a positive rating. I don't think Obama has a high bar to hurdle.

Is This the End of Bushism?


"Having George W. Gush giving a lecture on business ethics is like having a leper give you a facial, it just doesn't work!"
Robin Williams