We Have Our Own Rules

If it didn't turn my stomach, I'd think it was funny.

Remember the hue and cry that went up when President Bush fired some U.S. attorneys in 2006? Oh, the left was beside itself about how eeeevil it was that Bush was to fire so many U.S. Attorneys… even though he had the authority to do so. Charges that the firings were made for “political reasons” were thrown about and Congressional Democrats clamored for new laws and the head of Bush’s Attorney General on a pike.

The hue and cry that went up about the President expecting lawyers of his administration to lean towards his view. What to do to make sure this doesn't happen again...Ah yes, Pass a law.

Inspectors General are part of every federal department. They are given the responsibility of independently investigating allegations of waste, fraud, and corruption in the government, without fear of interference by political appointees or the White House. Last year Congress passed the Inspectors General Reform Act, which added new protections for IGs, including a measure requiring the president to give Congress 30 days prior notice before dismissing an IG. The president must also give Congress an explanation of why the action is needed.

Who, pray tell, was one of the Senators to sign this bill?

Then-Sen. Barack Obama was one of the co-sponsors of the Act.

Once again we find what must be a then Senator and now President sponsoring bills where he doesn't know what's in them, but hey, he got his name on an important bill that would stop corruption of an independent agency.

Well, last night, clearly for political reasons, Barack Obama tried to fire AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin. Not only is it for strictly political reasons (Short take: “the AmeriCorps IG accuses prominent Obama supporter of misusing AmeriCorps grant money. Prominent Obama supporter has to pay back more than $400,000 of that grant money. Obama fires AmeriCorps IG.”) but Obama does not have the authority to summarily dismiss an IG as he tried to do last night.

Well, the IG has 30 days to plead his case to stay on, right?

Last night, Obama’s office sent a terse note to IG Walpin stating that he had one hour to resign or he’d be fired. Walpin alerted Congress and asked what he should do because he knew that his position wasn’t solely at the discretion of the president. He knew that he answered to both the president and Congress.

Let's sit back and watch this unfold. A socialist president with a socialist controlled congress, bet the interpretation of what 30 days really means comes into play. Perhaps 30 days before they appoint another IG to handle this...or not.