McCaskill shifts on Obama IG firing
Claire McCaskill
UPDATED WASHINGTON — The firing of Gerald Walpin, who was a government inspector general for AmeriCorps and other programs in the Corporation for National and Community Service, has generated a great deal of interest in recent days.
Critics have argued that Walpin was doing his job as internal auditor when he investigated Kevin Johnson, a former professional basketball player and a prominent Barack Obama supporter who runs a nonprofit education group.
Was that the reason Walpin is out of work? The Obama administration had said nothing to deflect the criticism since a letter last week saying that he no longer had the “fullest confidence” in Walpin.
On Tuesday, Sen. Claire McCaskill, a former Missouri state auditor who works closely with IGs in the federal government, issued a statement critical of the termination. Her statement didn’t mention the controversy surrounding the former NBA star but noted that she had authored a law requiring that IGs be given 30 days advance notice of dismissal along with the casue for termination.
“The White House has failed to follow the proper procedure in notifying Congress as to the removal” of Walpin, wrote McCaskill, a Democrat.
“Loss of confidence is not a sufficient reason. I’m hopeful the White House will provide a more substantive rationale, in writing, as quickly as possible,” she concluded.
The White House did just that.
Yesterday, McCaskill reversed herself after saying that the White House had provided new information in a letter to ranking members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
The letter alleged that Walpin had been “confused, disoriented and unable to answer questions” at a board meeeting and had demanded to work at home and engaged in other inappropriate behavior.
“The reasons given in the most recent White House letter are substantial and the decision to remove Walpin appears well-founded,” McCaskill said in a follow-up statement, suggesting that Congress might review what happened.
“She still does want more information,” added McCaskill’s press secretary Maria Speiser.
Yet not one call from the left for a hearing… including our gal Claire.
— tsquare
1:24 pm June 17th, 2009
Maybe they’re waiting on these hearings? Something the Republican congress would never do and we just might see in the near future. Hearings on:
-warrantless wiretapping
-someone in the administration ordering the destruction of CIA tapes of the interrogations of two high-level al-Qaida suspects
-John Yoo says that an interrogation tactic is torture only if it causes pain on the level of organ failure
- the criminal liability on torture, as defined by American and international law, for Bush-administration officials in the questioning of al-Qaida suspect Abu Zubaydah . Gen. Antonio Taguba would give interesting testimony at this one.
-the firing of the U.S. attorneys in 2006 in the Justice Department (as well as their politicized hirings there).
-Alberto Gonzales lied to Congress
- David Addington or Gonzales or Dick Cheney or President Bush for their roles in administration improprieties.
Now THOSE hearings would be interesting.
“Maybe they’re waiting on these hearings? Something the Republican congress would never do and we just might see in the near future. Hearings on:…”
Look, a pony!
We HAD hearings on all that Debbie… you just didn’t like the outcome, now did you?
Years and years from now on your death bed… surrounded by those you love with your last breath… you’ll blame BUSH!
Maybe Sen. Ensign will be there.
Or Craig…or Vitter…or Foley…or Gnewt…or anyone from the hypocritical Republican party of family values.
Claire is correct. No nonsense no politics just the facts. I’m generally very pleased with the Obama Administration; but they can’t get it right 100% of the time though they’re pretty darn close. There is nothing wrong with our senator pointing this out. This is how she and our Missouri Party activists remain creditable. This is why she was elected…to help us know the truth and do the right thing. We have to be able to see ourselves & our leaders truthfully and correct problems or bad decisions. And perhaps there is an explanation that once we know it explains all. But I never voted for Senator McCaskill so that she could be anyone’s “YES MAN.”
The only one confused is Obama. He thinks he’s in Cuba, North Korea, the old Soviet Union and Iran.