How can conservatives justify the continued looting of the national treasury by members of this administration? And how can conservatives -- true conservatives -- stand idly by while this administration appoints corrupt and incompetent "connected" cronies to key positions in government, only to watch these cronies enrich themselves and their crony firms at taxpayer expense?
Conservatives, who love to lecture others about morals and ethics and principles, have chosen to look the other way while Bush administration lackeys have systematically looted the treasury and stolen taxpayer dollars.
Today's Administration Corruption News includes these two sordid tales of special deals, incompetent leadership and the looting of the national treasury at the hands of corrupt administration appointees:
(Read on...)
Interior Official Assails Agency for Ethics Slide
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- The Interior Department's chief official responsible for investigating abuses and overseeing operations accused the top officials at the agency on Wednesday of tolerating widespread ethical failures, from cronyism to cover-ups of incompetence.
...
He expressed particular fury at the willingness to dismiss two dozen potential ethical lapses by J. Steven Griles, a former industry lobbyist who served as deputy secretary of the interior during President Bush's first term.
Mr. Griles resigned after allegations surfaced that he pushed policy decisions that favored some of his former oil and gas industry clients and that he tried to steer a $2 million contract to a technology firm that had also been one of his clients.
In a 145-page report in 2004, the inspector general described Mr. Griles as a "train wreck waiting to happen." But on Wednesday, Mr. Devaney said he was appalled that the Interior Department's office of ethics dismissed 23 out of 25 potential ethical breaches against Mr. Griles and that Gale A. Norton, then secretary of the interior, decided not to act on the two remaining allegations.
A wink and a nod.
The most corrupt administration since that of Warren G. Harding? Hell, Harding is rolling over in his grave, kicking himself in the ass for being such a piker (quite a trick for a long-dead guy).
The Bush crowd isn't stealing nickels and dimes; they're stealing billions and billions of dollars. And what kind of leadership does the administration and its allies in Congress display on this documented corruption?
"I have unfortunately watched a number of high-level Interior officials leave the department under the cloud of O.I.G. investigations," Mr. Devaney said, referring to the Office of Inspector General.
"Absent criminal charges, however, they are sent off in the usual fashion, with a party paying tribute to their good service and the secretary wishing them well, to spend more time with their family or seek new pportunities."
A wink and a nod.
Also in the news today was a report on an attempt to sanction the head of Voice of America, another crony incompetent (Mike Brown, anyone?) appointed by the administration.
What did this connected crony do?
Voice of America chief misused funds, report finds
Investigation is second to find fault with Republican ally.
WASHINGTON -- A year-long State Department investigation has found that the chairman of the agency that oversees Voice of America and other government broadcasting operations improperly used his office, putting a friend on the payroll and running a horse-racing operation with government resources.
Tuesday's report marks the second time in less than a year that an internal investigation has found evidence of rules violations by Kenneth Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
Running "a horse-racing operation with government resources?" Hey, all in good fun, right?
But when members of the board tried to sanction Tomlinson, guess what? Republicans looked the other way and blocked the action:
Head of Broadcasts Board Survives Effort to Oust Him
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the embattled chairman of the federal board that oversees most government broadcasts to foreign countries, narrowly survived an effort to oust him on Wednesday.
While Tomlinson claimed it was a "partisan attack," the investigation was run by the State Department. So one would think Republicans would do the right thing and get rid of this crook.
No such luck:
Republicans in the Senate said that in light of the continuing inquiry, they would not bring his nomination to the floor this year. Under federal law, board members may continue to serve past the expiration of their appointments until successors are named.
In other words, by choosing not to bring Tomlinson's nomination to the floor, Republicans are allowing him to continue to serve his term, unsanctioned.
A wink and a nod.
And who were the three Republican board members who blocked the sanctions against Tomlinson?
There was no statement from the three Republicans who supported Mr. Tomlinson. They are Karen P. Hughes, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, who serves as the representative for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Steven J. Simmons; and Blanquita Walsh Cullum.
A wink and a nod.
This administration and corrupt Republicans in Congress have rewarded their pals and crony firms with billions and billions of dollars in crooked deals (no-bid contracts for Halliburton in Iraq, for example), while consistently blocking any efforts to hold accountable those responsible for these thefts.
Is that what conservatism has become? A free pass to steal money from taxpayers?
Not quite. The crooks do get a wink and a nod.
ADDED NOTE:
Dems should be using Tomlinson's running of a horse-race business on taxpayer funds -- and Congressional Republicans decision to look the other way -- in every House and Senate race in the country.