The Administration

The Obama administration has quickly found itself the subject of criticism unparalleled in its tenure. While no one expected President Obama to be immune from the second-term curse, it is doubtful anyone only a few short weeks ago would have expected a spate of major controversies to either break or reach critical mass and with such ferocity as those involving Benghazi, IRS targeting and press wiretapping by the Justice Department.
 
While the White House talking heads played Whac-a-Mole, PR professionals watched from the sidelines and dredged up the most tired of crisis communication axioms – Get the bad news out quickly and get it behind you, they said. But the administration could do neither because the bad news simply hasn’t stopped coming. Each new day brings new allegations and intrigue.

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Being a military wife is hard enough. Add a special needs child and it can often seem impossible.

In recent days, the spigots of political scandal in Washington have opened yet again as the terror attack in Benghazi, the IRS’s blatant targeting of specific ideological organizations and the unprecedented seizure of The Associated Press’ records dominate the headlines.

These scandals are far more important than the stereotypical “gotcha” politics of Washington. In fact they have thrust into the spotlight the fundamental erosion in the traditional boundaries of government, and this administration’s flagrant and willful violation of the Constitution and stubborn determination to forever alter the relationship between the people and the government.

That the administration might have “revised” its facts about what happened in Benghazi, Libya, is frustrating and disappointing. It could be criminal if officials lied to Congress. But it will barely penetrate the minds of the American people. After all, scandals in politics have become all too commonplace and all too predictable. Nonetheless, the truth must be pursued no matter its outcome.

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Never a favorite of anyone, leaders of the beleaguered Internal Revenue Service find themselves under media scrutiny and the microscope of Congress’s top investigators for apparently singling out conservative organizations for increased scrutiny in their attempts to form social welfare organizations. Since the buck stops in the oval office, President Obama is being blamed for the sins that the IRS may have committed. He shouldn’t bear the responsibility of this unfortunate episode. The IRS brought it on itself.

With the revelation that the Department of Justice secretly obtained two months of The Associated Press’ telephone records and used security badge access records to track James Rosen’s visits to the State Department, along with a warrant to search Rosen’s personal emails, there has been a rush in the mainstream media to declare the DOJ’s actions to be part of what they claim to be President Obama’s aggressive pursuit of those who would leak secret information to the press.

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The May 14 audit report of the Treasury Inspector General (IG) for Tax Administration has created quite a stir. Within days of the initial news of the report’s findings, the Acting Commissioner of the IRS resigned, the Justice Department launched a criminal investigation and the House Ways and Means Committee held the first of what promises to be a lengthy series of hearings. Only the further disclosure of relevant facts will tell us where on the spectrum of governmental misconduct this episode belongs.

Unfortunately, many people, including politicians in both parties, are not prepared to wait for the orderly development of the facts. They want swift and dramatic action, and explanations as to why such actions against those responsible have not already been taken. Already, condemnation by politicians has extended beyond IRS personnel to include high-level officials in the Treasury Department and the White House for their failure to intervene more quickly, and take summary disciplinary action against the IRS personnel involved.    

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Mike Froman’s nomination to be U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is a good thing. The depth and breadth of his experience as well as his demonstrated ability to close deals all bode well for a successful tenure in a position that could use a few victories. It also suggests the president has become serious about trade – he would not have moved his top international economic adviser across the street if he didn’t want to accomplish anything. And a significant agenda awaits him:  two of the most significant trade negotiations in our history: the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). A USTR who can get both of those done will be one of the most successful in our history.

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Political pundits and other recent critical voices, even from supporters of President Obama, contend that this president’s inability to get even watered-down legislation passed that would expand background checks on gun purchases was clear evidence that he didn’t know how to use the power of the presidency.

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As someone who has spent much of his adult life in politics and journalism, I find the action by the Department of Justice in targeting The Associated Press and its reporters as utterly reprehensible and crying out for some dramatic response.

Let me set the scene.

It is one of the great myths of our political debate that we must choose between economic growth and environmental protection. Gina McCarthy, President Obama’s nominee to head up the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has spent her career proving this a false choice.
 
McCarthy has been an advocate for crafting solutions to environmental challenges, while simultaneously increasing market certainties and creating opportunities. For the business community, certainty translates into confidence, and confidence leads to more investment, more jobs and more robust growth.