Hypocrits

Have you all read this news article?

Foxnews:

WASHINGTON -- Invoking his own name-and-shame policy, President Barack Obama warned the nation's mayors Friday that he will "call them out" if they waste the money from his massive economic stimulus plan.

"We have asked for the unprecedented trust of the American people to deal boldly with the greatest economic crisis we have seen in decades -- and the privilege of investing unprecedented amounts of their hard-earned money to address this crisis," Obama told a gathering of mayors at the White House.

"With that comes an unprecedented obligation to do so wisely, free from politics and personal agendas," the president said. "On this I will not compromise or tolerate any shortcut."
The $787 billion economic plan passed by Congress and signed by Obama will inject a sudden boost of cash into infrastructure, education, energy and health care.

Now the political focus shifts to how all that taxpayer money will be spent on meaningful, job-creating projects.

Obama has staked his reputation on it.

He said Friday that legislation will allow the country "to watch the taxpayers' money with more rigor and transparency than ever."

The White House released excerpts of Obama's comments shortly before he spoke in the East Room.

"If a federal agency proposes a project that will waste that money, I will not hesitate to call them out on it, and put a stop to it," Obama said.

"But I want everyone here to be on notice that if a local government does the same -- I will call them out on it as well, and use the full power of my office and our administration to stop it," he said.

The president did not specify how, exactly, he would call out one of his administration's own agencies or a local government.

I don't often re-post an entire news article. However in this case I thought it was best to put it here instead of by link.

Looking strictly at what the President is trying to do this seems like a very good idea. On the sheer basis of it I would agree.

But when you look at all the spending on pet projects that the President allowed congress to add to the stimulus package it smells to high heaven to me.

Don't you think this is just a little hypocritical? Tell the state and local governments that he will be watching and call out those that propose spending that is wasteful all the while allowing those in the House and Senate a free pass.

I don't think so Mr. President. Is this what you call change? Is this what you call transparency? I guess that transparency only applies to state and local government not to those on Capital Hill.

You want to do this Mr. President I am okay with it, in fact, I am for it. But you need to start by going through the stimulus package and naming all those in the House and Senate who added waste full spending to the bill. Spending like neighborhood stabilization and all those other little pet congressional projects that are in that 1100 page piece of legislation.

Call out your old friends in the congress Mr. President, then you can call out those in state and local government that are wasting the taxpayers money.