A thing

Here's a thing that really fries my grits. I guess we can take small comfort in the fact that the Post is reporting on it. Still, you can bet your bottom dollar that nothing will ever come of it, and the White House will continue to do what it wants and ethics be damned, openness in government be damned, and accountability be damnedest of all.

Here's a key phrase, a quote from the GAO Comptroller:

In an interview yesterday, Walker said the administration's approach is both contrary to appropriations law and unethical. "This is more than a legal issue. It's also an ethical issue and involves important good government principles, namely the need for openness in connection with government activities and expenditures," Walker said. "We should not just be seeking to do what's arguably legal. We should be doing what's right."

Here's the White House mouthpiece:

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said yesterday that federal agencies have used video news releases for years. "As long as they are providing factual information, it's okay," he said.

Here's another:

"Congress has got to settle it -- either Congress or the courts," Walker said.

Well, someone is watching out for these things, but you can see the White House attitude. They simply will obfuscate, obstruct, or blow off any attempt to hold them accountable for anything.

The press doesn't generally help. As RFK, Jr. just said here at Berkeley, the press have become stenographers for the White House.