ObamaOdrama

I reported on the House passing the controversial G.I.V.E. Act yesterday. Here is an update from the Washington Examiner.

Between being first officially “reported” to the House and being voted on by the full House, bill managers stripped one whole section of the measure that created a Congressional Commission on Civil Service, thus removing the section that contained the language cited above concerning “a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people” and a possible requirement for “all individuals in the United States” to perform such service. The section could be restored during the Senate-House conference committee meeting. A new, separate bill containing that language has since been introduced in the House.

Why does this bring me little comfort when H.Res 1444 is still out there. Btw, Senate version of the G.I.V.E. Act passed 79-19.

ROLL CALL Here are the Republicans who voted “aye”
Lamar Alexander [R, TN]
Sen. Robert Bennett [R, UT]
Sen. Christopher Bond [R, MO]
Sen. Richard Burr [R, NC]
Sen. Saxby Chambliss [R, GA]
Sen. Thad Cochran [R, MS]
Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME]
Sen. Michael Enzi [R, WY]
Sen. Charles Grassley [R, IA]
Sen. Judd Gregg [R, NH]
Sen. Orrin Hatch [R, UT]
Sen. Kay Hutchison [R, TX]
Sen. John Isakson [R, GA]
Sen. Mike Johanns [R, NE]
Sen. Richard Lugar [R, IN]
Sen. Mel Martinez [R, FL]
Sen. John McCain [R, AZ]
Sen. Lisa Murkowski [R, AK]
Sen. Olympia Snowe [R, ME]
Sen. Arlen Specter [R, PA]
Sen. George Voinovich [R, OH]
Sen. Roger Wicker [R, MS]

According to Rahm’s hometown paper, the Chicago Tribune:

He was named to the Freddie Mac board in February 2000 by Clinton, whom Emanuel had served as White House political director and vocal defender during the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals.

The board met no more than six times a year. Unlike most fellow directors, Emanuel was not assigned to any of the board’s working committees, according to company proxy statements. Immediately upon joining the board, Emanuel and other new directors qualified for $380,000 in stock and options plus a $20,000 annual fee, records indicate.

On Emanuel’s watch, the board was told by executives of a plan to use accounting tricks to mislead shareholders about outsize profits the government-chartered firm was then reaping from risky investments. The goal was to push earnings onto the books in future years, ensuring that Freddie Mac would appear profitable on paper for years to come and helping maximize annual bonuses for company brass.

The accounting scandal wasn’t the only one that brewed during Emanuel’s tenure.

During his brief time on the board, the company hatched a plan to enhance its political muscle. That scheme, also reviewed by the board, led to a record $3.8 million fine from the Federal Election Commission for illegally using corporate resources to host fundraisers for politicians. Emanuel was the beneficiary of one of those parties after he left the board and ran in 2002 for a seat in Congress from the North Side of Chicago.

The article further states that a request under the Freedom of Information Act to review Freddie Mac board minutes and correspondence during Emanuel’s stint as a director was rejected by the Obama administration. Hmmm… I guess Rahm doesn’t want the Trib saying much more about it. That’s pretty transparent.