What a week for government

Why avoid investigating the fact that our military allowed one of its own, who would eventually murder 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, to continue communicating with radical clerics who advocate terrorist acts? Why recommend women stop getting mammograms in their 40s and cause such a backlash that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelious has to come out and disavow the recommendations? And in a nation riven by unemployment, how did our government mess up the stimulus data so badly that not 10, not 20, not 50 but up to 700 congressional districts were mistakenly credited stimulus grants out of 130,000 grants given, according to ABC News?

The Washington Times reports that 440 'phantom districts' were listed on Recovery.gov as consuming $6.4 billion and creating or saving nearly 30,000 jobs. There are only 435 actual congressional districts.

Even Democrats are scandalized, and if they are thinking about passing more jobs (stimulus) legislation through Congress, they should be prepared to hear a lot more about these errors. "The inaccuracies ... are outrageous, and the administration owes itself, the Congress and every American a commitment to work day and night to correct the ludicrous mistakes," Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), chairman of the House Appropriations Commitee and a chief author of the stimulus bill, told The Washington Post.

Americans aren't warm to the stimulus already, which makes it a continued, prime target for the GOP. According to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, 23 percent of Americans think the stimulus hurt the economy and 39 percent of respondents said it has made no difference.

Tough numbers. Even the correct ones.

SHOULD DEMOCRATS TRY ANOTHER JOBS BILL? Ask A.B. returns Monday, Nov. 23. Please join my weekly video Q&A by sending your questions and comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thank you.