Redefining ‘ethics,? but understanding ‘change?
Sorry Jottings readers, but I’m impelled to get into the presidential appointing process that’s nearing its 30th day.
We all know about Hillary’s background, which hardly qualifies her for what we’ve always thought is our negotiator to the world, but we’ve made excuses for her.
Then came President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of the U. S. Treasury.
Now here’s a post that rings of honesty. The money handler. A trustee of our trillions. A position in which public confidence is primary.
On a Sunday President Obama announced on talk shows his intention to bring integrity to his administration. ‘Ethics will be a priority.?
The next day he announced his choice for the Treasury leadership, Timothy Geitner.
Then came the accusations, then the admittance of his failure to pay income taxes starting in the year 2001.
I guess it was his ethics that got him to say, ‘These were careless mistakes. They were avoidable mistakes.? Obama said of Geitner, his skills were very important and he’s an ‘irreplacable? person.
Would these revelations come forth were he not been nominated by Obama? I would guess not. After all he got away without paying these taxes for seven years. The IRS didn’t catch him. Who then?
Then comes another nomination, this one for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle. He, too, had ‘unintentionally? not paid income taxes but pleaded, ‘My 30 years of public service should count.?
Last Tuesday he withdrew his candidacy.
Ethics? Christopher Dodd accepted a loan of about $150,000 from Countrywide Financial before voting for the infamous bailout.
Charlie Rangle is another DC politico who has been named for not paying his income tax.
There are also blemishes on the new Attorney General’s (Eric Holder) past.
Along the way few politicians have come out forcibly against the appointments. With a wink of an eye they mark ‘aye? on their ballot.
Obama also pledged to ‘stop the revolving door between lobbying and appointed positions.? It was a temporary ruling. Two nominees were named by Obama with such background.
Ethics in government? Hasn’t happened yet, ain’t gonna happen either — ever. There’s just too much money with an even more abundance of greed.
I will not be surprised if a nominee in the not too distant future will be Rod Blagojevich.
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Okay, I’m back. Last week I printed some of Liz Baldwin’s ‘tricks? on hosts. It was this same Ms. Baldwin who wrote Miss Manners asking, ‘Should toilet paper be installed for the lead to come off the bottom or top of the roll??
Miss Manners printed the answer in the Detroit Free Press: ‘I have contacted all the makers of toilet paper I’m aware of and they all agree it should come off the top.?
Hazel and I went to counseling to settle our difference on that one.
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A ‘senior living? supplement went past my eyes recently. I stopped after seeing suggested recipes for Zucchini Salad and Chickpea Masala.
The recipes were from Chef Gordon Bowman of Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. The zucchini salad has 15 ingredients. The masala, 14. They have such stuff as julienned tomatoes, cumin, coriander and turmeric. When there are that many ingredients, I believe they offset each other.
My daddy died at age 93 in Owosso Memorial Hospital, the same hospital I was born in. My daddy was a beef and beer survivor, and I assure you he never had a zucchini or chickpea salad.
And, I won’t either.