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10.05.2011 0

The Chicago Way: Part II

The Chicago WayReport compiled by Brad Tidwell — From the Solyndra scandal to the ongoing investigations into Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker, this current administration finds its way into the heart of situations it should avoid.

Americans for Limited Government (ALG) continues its list highlighting examples of the president and his team’s most egregious actions.

Operation Fast and Furious

Early in the Obama Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) hatched a plan to allow straw buyers to buy guns from border gun shops. The ATF planned to then follow the guns to the Mexican drug cartels. Unfortunately, the ATF lost track of about 2,000 guns. The guns have been used in the commission of many crimes in Mexico and were found at the murder scene of an American border patrol agent.

At least one White House official was aware of the operation. The acting director of the ATF has been reassigned, and the local U.S. attorney who had been working on Fast and Furious has resigned. Yet, the Obama Administration refuses to cooperate with the Congressional investigation of the operation. The Obama Administration is also stonewalling the Mexican government which is understandably outraged.

Wisconsin

The Obama Administration vehemently opposed Scott Walker’s efforts to rein in government employee unions. At the time Obama said, “It does no one any good when public employees are denigrated or vilified or their rights are infringed upon.” He also said that Walker’s effort “seems like more of an assault on unions.”

He even deployed his Organizing for America brigades to try to stop the union reforms. Now, the FBI is investigating some of Walker’s staffers—ostensibly because they may have posted pro-Walker comments on websites during work hours. One would think that the federal government would have much larger concerns. Will they be timing state bureaucrats’ bathroom breaks next?

Disaster Declarations

Last year, when Tropical Storm Hermine hit Texas, killing several people and destroying hundreds of homes, Obama refused to declare a federal disaster. This year, when wildfires struck Texas, Obama drug his feet for two months before finally declaring a federal disaster. Over the course of about a month, 9,000 fires burned millions of acres and hundreds of homes. The Texas governor requested a disaster declaration in mid-April but Obama refused. Finally, Obama caved and issued the declaration in July. However, the disaster declaration Obama issued was for less than one-fifth of the counties that the governor had requested be included.

In contrast, Obama declared Oklahoma a federal disaster area in 2009 several days after it was hit by wildfires. Similarly, Obama declared North Carolina a federal disaster area several days after it was hit by tornadoes. What was the difference? Oklahoma and North Carolina had Democrat governors at the time, but Texas had Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

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To read Part I, click here.

Brad Tidwell is a web editor for Americans for Limited Government Foundation.

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