Target Rich Environment

I believe we’ve finally found a role for Hillary Clinton to play in the world. Pay close attention to the accusations here (link):

Hillary Clinton calls for Hamid Karzai to halt Afghan corruption

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of State, has urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai to “do better” if he wanted US support, and that included creating a major crimes tribunal and anti-corruption commission.

“We’re going to be doing what we can to create an atmosphere in which the blood and treasure that the United States has committed to Afghanistan can be justified and can produce the kind of results that we’re looking for,” Mrs Clinton said in an interview with ABC News from Singapore.

President Barack Obama is expected in the coming weeks to announce a new strategy for Afghanistan, including sending in up to 40,000 more troops to fight the eight-year-old war.

“Now, we believe that President Karzai and his government can do better. We’ve delivered that message,” Mrs Clinton told ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” show.

“Now that the election is finally over, we’re looking to see tangible evidence that the government, led by the president but going all the way down to the local level, will be more responsive to the needs of the people, will deliver the services that the people of Afghanistan want,” she added.

A central question as Mr Obama debates sending in more troops is whether Mr Karzai can be a credible partner in the war and tackle his government’s corruption and mismanagement, which is seen as fuelling the Taliban.

Mr Karzai, due to be inaugurated this week after August’s fraud-plagued election, has come under pressure from the Obama administration to do a better job if he wants to sustain US support in a war that is increasingly unpopular with the American public.

The United States expected there to be a major crimes tribunal and an anti-corruption commission established by Afghanistan’s government, Mrs Clinton said.

“There does have to be actions by the government of Afghanistan against those who have taken advantage of the money that has poured into Afghanistan in the last eight years so that we can better track it and we can have actions taken that demonstrate there’s no impunity for those who are corrupt,” she said.

Last week, it emerged that Mr Obama’s own ambassador to Kabul, former military Commander Karl Eikenberry, had expressed deep concerns in memos to the president about sending in more troops until Karzai’s government improved its performance.

Mr Clinton, who declined to comment on Eikenberry’s classified memos, said she had made it very clear, for example, that the United States would not provide civilian aid to Afghanistan’s government unless there was “certification” that it went through ministries that could be held accountable.

Now consider how much we’d all benefit if Mrs. Clinton said the same things on the domestic stage.  “Mr. Obama (if that is your real name), we’re tired of spending our blood and treasure on corrupt government.  You must investigate major crimes and corruption before we commit to more spending”.  Of course, if someone said it here, the response would be the same as what you get from Karzai. “Oh sure, we’ll get to the bottom of it.  Right after we spend some more money on corrupt stuff”.  This is why government aid sucks.  It’s money for nothing.  When you ask for nothing, that’s what you get.

But in reality, think about what’s going on at home.  Massive borrowing to support unnecessary projects, destructive political activities, and government-waste-profiteering.

How can a representative of the United States go overseas and claim to be in favor of ending government corruption there when our own house (White House and House of Representatives) is filled with slimey political dealings?

What of John Murtha’s wasteful earmarks for his district and his own benefit? Ever heard of your colleague from New York, Charlie Rangel? What about Labor Secretary Hilda Solis lobbying for herself?  What about Attorney General Holder’s old law firm getting the Gitmo detainees he’s transferring as clients (paid for by tax dollars)?  What about all the pork headed to Chicago?  What about ACORN?  What about federally-subsidized pork-bribery to the tune of $300M to buy Senator Landrieu’s vote on healthcare? What about all the fraud and fearmongering about climate change and the leading political proponent’s (Algore) massive gains via government spending on his hoax? Don’t even get me started about Hillary Clinton’s own corrupt skeletons.   These things are just the tip of the iceberg, and this administration has no right to tell anyone anything about corruption.

Hey, on a separate note, you know who could, if he was a legitimately mavericky good-government guy make a great name for himself post-Presidential defeat by following through anyway on his promise to “Make them (pork/waste) famous”?