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Octafish

(55,745 posts)
35. Wish the Inspector General was able to look into that except there was no IG to look...
Thu Mar 24, 2016, 09:40 PM
Mar 2016

The author helped put the S&L crooks behind bars in the 1990s as a regulator and forensic economist for the SEC. Black helped Iceland put its banksters behind bars, but for some reason, the Federal government failed to call on him for help in the great Bankster Bailout of 2008. He knows a bit about Inspector Generals and Control Fraud.


The Clintons Have Not Changed: The Clintonian War on the IGs

By William K. Black
February 23, 2016 Bloomington, MN

Secretary Hillary Clinton is asking Democratic voters to believe that she has experienced a “Road to Damascus” conversion from her roots as a leader of the “New Democrats” – the Wall Street wing of the Democratic Party. When exactly this conversion occurred is never stated, but an interesting fact has emerged that demonstrates it did not occur during her service as the Secretary of State. A Wall Street Journal story provides the key facts, but none of the analysis.

Newly released emails indicate that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her top staff were involved in the selection process for the State Department’s internal watchdog, a position that ultimately went unfilled throughout her four-year tenure.


The WSJ’s angle is that such involvement in the selection of the Inspector General (IG) is a threat to the IG’s vital independence. True, and also true as the story notes that Hillary was far from rare as an agency or department head in seeking to select behind the scenes the supposedly independent IGs.

The function of the IG is to “speak truth to power.” Naturally, “power” hates IGs with a purple passion. Government leaders are most likely to hate having its abuses made public by IG when the government leader is secretly acting in concert with immensely powerful private leaders for their mutual benefit at the expense of the public.

What the WSJ missed is that the Clinton’s, for decades, have sought to destroy the independence and effectiveness of the IGs precisely because of the threat that they pose of blowing the whistle on these abuses. The Obama administration, of course, is famous for its prosecutions of those who blow the whistle on such abuses. The real story is not that Hillary attempted to select a lap dog as IG – the real story is that for her entire tenure as Secretary, four years, she left unfilled the leadership position of the only institution in the State Department dedicated to maintaining integrity and preventing the abuse of public power to aid cronies. That aid, of course, comes with the clear expectation that the cronies will make the head of the State Department wealthy as soon as she or he steps down. There is no possible defense for that, and it does not happen accidentally. The primary blame goes to President Obama, who made no nomination for the position for the entire four years. It wasn’t Republican intransigence that explains this scandal.

CONTINUED...

http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2016/03/clintons-not-changed-clintonian-war-igs.html#more-10101


For those new to the subject: Bill Black is one of "those" economists who won't play ball with the money crowd. Why? He. Has. Integrity.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Holy shit! People better wake the fuck up to who HRC really is. berni_mccoy Mar 2016 #1
I'm sure that Trump has it all ready to go. grasswire Mar 2016 #3
How much did Prince donate to the Opelousas' Charity Ball - i.e., the Clinton Foundation yourpaljoey Mar 2016 #9
Another good point that counters the fallacy that Hillary's been vetted berni_mccoy Mar 2016 #12
Good question, how much? leveymg Mar 2016 #13
I'll bet Trump will let us know if they face in the General yourpaljoey Mar 2016 #14
watching her today, I think she probably does have health reasons. grasswire Mar 2016 #29
I thought so as well yourpaljoey Mar 2016 #33
It's tough, no doubt. anothergreenbus Mar 2016 #105
And will. anothergreenbus Mar 2016 #104
This is unbelievable UglyGreed Mar 2016 #4
I'm edging towards that thought. Fairgo Mar 2016 #11
that was poetic :-) grasswire Mar 2016 #30
I just call it Bushian senz Mar 2016 #84
"Out Damn'd Spot!" -- Lady Hillary anothergreenbus Mar 2016 #102
The fix is in with corporate media. There's not enough time to get the truth out to enough people. RiverLover Mar 2016 #10
The fix may indeed be in but there seems to be a continual drip, drip, drip of information on this Samantha Mar 2016 #43
Let us hope it's not too late!!!!! yourpaljoey Mar 2016 #15
This May Help... CorporatistNation Mar 2016 #27
Clinton supporters don't care. 840high Mar 2016 #77
This is one face of Hillary Clinton. PufPuf23 Mar 2016 #90
OMG grasswire Mar 2016 #2
Each day new corruption is discovered. 840high Mar 2016 #40
More wingerish sounding noise, this kind immunizes her against the rest of the RW noise machine caus uponit7771 Mar 2016 #5
Completely irresponsible response to a serious topic berni_mccoy Mar 2016 #19
I agree, its irresponsible to continue winger memes uponit7771 Mar 2016 #20
Calling out Blackwater is now RW? Nuclear Unicorn Mar 2016 #45
Now that we know that Erik Prince was one of Hillary's buddies, it is. BFFF. Get with the program! leveymg Mar 2016 #51
This is insane. I'm only old enough to be voting in my 3rd presidential election this year but Nuclear Unicorn Mar 2016 #52
You're being told to be a good German leveymg Mar 2016 #54
it was my 3rd prez election when i voted for Clinton in 92 nashville_brook Mar 2016 #79
+1 Marr Mar 2016 #94
+1 G_j Mar 2016 #97
This is all so unbelievably craven and disgusting. polly7 Mar 2016 #57
If you really want to be appalled, read '07 Salon article by Blumenthal about Blackwater in Iraq. leveymg Mar 2016 #61
Thanks for this, leveymg. polly7 Mar 2016 #62
Blackwater and Prince are even worse than you may think. Read this leveymg Mar 2016 #64
Thanks again, I will definitely read this. I'm pretty sure I know 'why' to your questions but polly7 Mar 2016 #72
She is blood thirsty and it was on display at AIPAC anothergreenbus Mar 2016 #106
FACTS? TRUTH? JUDGEMENT? Who Cares? CorporatistNation Mar 2016 #83
Wait till Trump starts. Now go away. 840high Mar 2016 #41
I'm so old Fumesucker Mar 2016 #44
ah yes. the good old days. nashville_brook Mar 2016 #80
So now long-respected journalists like Jeremy Scahill are wingers and Blackwater is good? Armstead Mar 2016 #55
It seems like your definition of 'right-wing' is Marr Mar 2016 #93
Most of this stuff was long before Hillary was SOS..Bush Cheney stuff. Carry over to Clinton SOS. Jitter65 Mar 2016 #6
No, these contracts with the State Dept continued under Hillary while BW was under new criminal leveymg Mar 2016 #7
"continued under..." so they did start before her right? tia uponit7771 Mar 2016 #21
Are you really defending this stuff? panader0 Mar 2016 #37
Prince's Libya ITAR problems started under Clinton, who created the opportunity for BW to play there leveymg Mar 2016 #53
Clinton was not obligated to continue employing BW and she certainly wasn't obligated to Nuclear Unicorn Mar 2016 #46
Since she is not responsible for anything, anothergreenbus Mar 2016 #103
And of course the founder of blackwater is under investigation for spying for the Chinese NWCorona Mar 2016 #8
More of HRC's foreign policy experience. EndElectoral Mar 2016 #16
This is the outfit that has been involved in child sex trafficking in Afghanistan Ash_F Mar 2016 #17
Good god .... I think I'm going to be sick. nt. polly7 Mar 2016 #24
A similar organization, Dyncorp, did the same. Leaked by Chelsea Manning Ash_F Mar 2016 #25
Thanks for that link Ash_F. I had read of Dyncorp's escapades, but always learn polly7 Mar 2016 #58
The Republicans are sitting on a mountain of Hillary oppo research riderinthestorm Mar 2016 #18
Damn. AzDar Mar 2016 #22
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Mar 2016 #23
Yep, yet ANOTHER reason I will NEVER vote for HRC. If younguys push her to be our nom, then peacebird Mar 2016 #26
Jumping Jeezus. k/r AtomicKitten Mar 2016 #28
Is anyone on our Democratic side keeping an index of the corruption? grasswire Mar 2016 #31
Me. nt VulgarPoet Mar 2016 #63
Hmm... think Mar 2016 #32
K&R and let's hope this gets wide exposure! amborin Mar 2016 #34
Wish the Inspector General was able to look into that except there was no IG to look... Octafish Mar 2016 #35
that deserves to be an OP, Octa. nt grasswire Mar 2016 #38
Yes. 840high Mar 2016 #42
IG Clouseau Octafish Mar 2016 #68
Thanks, grasswire! It was a few weeks back... Octafish Mar 2016 #67
this keeps getting worse by the minute amborin Mar 2016 #65
Thanks for the additional information /nt think Mar 2016 #66
yes, this should be an OP nashville_brook Mar 2016 #81
he has a long bad history: amborin Mar 2016 #36
Thank you for that specific data on Prince's contribution to Bill and Hillary's pay to play leveymg Mar 2016 #49
I wonder if she hadn't had those private servers and had to go through regular polly7 Mar 2016 #59
Eric Prince donates to the Clinton Foundation ... KoKo Mar 2016 #76
This reminds me of a little blip in the 'news' about Blackwater that I saw... Peace Patriot Mar 2016 #39
Thank you so much ....... what a lot of great information. nt. polly7 Mar 2016 #60
Conspiracy! DanTex Mar 2016 #47
No, just another day down at Foggy Bottom for Madam Secretary. leveymg Mar 2016 #50
That DUer's specialty seems to be posting that word as a warning. Octafish Mar 2016 #69
Actually, conspiracy is an included crime at 18 USC Sec. 793 (g). leveymg Mar 2016 #70
Thus, the Deferred Prosecution settlement. Octafish Mar 2016 #88
Frontier Services Group (FSG) kind of reminds me of this outfit, and its chief security contractor leveymg Mar 2016 #89
THREE G.I. Joe head scars!!! Octafish Mar 2016 #91
Can you imagine the trouble this guy would be getting into without things to keep him busy? leveymg Mar 2016 #92
Gott mit GOP Octafish Mar 2016 #96
I miss Mae. And, yes, Generalismo Francisco Franco is still dead. leveymg Mar 2016 #101
This is what it means to be a practical Democrat. aikoaiko Mar 2016 #48
wake up, people, wake up! kgnu_fan Mar 2016 #56
What won't this woman do? Anything? pdsimdars Mar 2016 #71
Quit beating this dead horse. Hillary has been investigated for ethics countless times. Scuba Mar 2016 #73
Dry, very dry. leveymg Mar 2016 #75
Good one. +1 Tierra_y_Libertad Mar 2016 #78
This bunch are just war profiteers. So sad. Neocons and Hillary. ViseGrip Mar 2016 #74
Prince was also major funder of RW causes unc70 Mar 2016 #82
The gift that keeps on giving. nt leveymg Mar 2016 #85
Blackwater is a pos right wing company. rockfordfile Mar 2016 #99
K&R SMC22307 Mar 2016 #86
BLACKWATER. John Poet Mar 2016 #87
Subs DemocraticSocialist8 Mar 2016 #95
Trump's foreign policy advisor is ex-Blackwater Octafish Mar 2016 #98
So was Romney's - Cofer Black leveymg Mar 2016 #100
Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»HRC's State Dept contract...»Reply #35