ALG Editor’s Note: In the following featured article from NewsMax, Americans for Limited Government recent mailer on “Ten Typical Obama Appointees” is featured.
Report Details 10 ‘Typical’ Obama Appointees
A conservative and libertarian organization has distributed a glossy brochure spotlighting “Ten Typical Obama Appointees” to show that the president has given key positions to “some of the most radical appointees ever to control the federal bureaucracy.”
The release from the Americans for Limited Government (ALG) Research Foundation (www.getliberty.org) was compiled under the direction of Don Todd, who served in the Department of Labor during the George Bush administration and administered an operation that led to the convictions of 904 corrupt union officials.
The aim of the release, according to Fairfax, Va.-based ALG, is to “present vital information every American has a right to know about those now shaping our nation’s destiny.”
The “typical Obama appointees” cited in the release are:
John Holdren: Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (Science Czar). In 1973, he advocated a “de-development” of the U.S. so the country may be “in line with the realities . . . of the world’s resource situation.” He has also favored government mandated family sizes.
Gil Kerlikowski: Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (Drug Czar). As police chief in Seattle, he permitted methadone vans, free needle exchanges and medical marijuana, and made marijuana possession the lowest priority of law enforcement.
Gary Locke: Secretary of Commerce. During his tenure as governor of Washington, questions were raised regarding conflicts of interest arising from the state’s dealings with a company run by his brother-in-law — who was living in the executive mansion at the time.
Kathleen Merrigan: Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. She urges the creation and expansion of expensive federal programs to support organic farming — while acknowledging that there is no proof organic food is any better than conventionally grown food.
Mercedes Marquez: Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, Department of Housing and Urban Development. As general manager of the Los Angeles Housing Department, Marquez crusaded for affordable housing — but “much more affordable housing was lost in L.A. on Marquez’s watch then was built,” the release noted.
Karen Mills: Administrator of the Small Business Administration. An heir to the Tootsie Roll fortune, Mills has spearheaded ventures that have for the most part either failed or brought mediocre results to her investors. She has voiced support for legislation diverting small business contracts to venture capitalists.
Ron Sims: Deputy Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development. While Sims was the King County Executive in Washington State, his office “lied and refused to provide documents that it was legally required to provide” to an investigator probing a county deal, according to ALG. The county was fined $120,000.
William Spriggs: Assistant Secretary for Policy, Department of Labor. In April 2008, while the U.S. was in the grips of the recession, Spriggs co-authored a report calling for a substantial increase in the minimum wage.
Cass Sunstein: Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, White House Office of Management and Budget (Regulatory Czar). Sunstein supports the “Fairness Doctrine,” which would rein in conservative talk radio, and has suggested that animals might be given standing to sue in civil court.
Cathy Zoi: Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. She ran a group started by former Vice President Al Gore that ran TV ads asking viewers to demand that we “repower” America with 100 percent clean energy within 10 years.
All 10 appointees were confirmed by the Democratic-controlled Senate, most of them by a voice vote.
