Wednesday, February 4, 2009

I Guess They Got Extra Credit for Answering “No” to Question 59

The questionnaire prepared by Obama’s transition team included several questions related to taxes:

# 34 – Have you and your spouse filed all required federal, state, local and foreign income tax returns?

#35 – Have you and your spouse ever filed a late tax return without a valid extension? If so describe the circumstances and resolution of the matter.

#37 – Has a tax lien or other collection procedure ever been instituted against you or your spouse by federal, state or local authorities? If so, describe the circumstances and the resolution of the matter.

#38 – Have you ever not paid U.S. and/or state income taxes because you were not resident in the United States, or for any other reason? [Emphasis mine]

#55 – Have you paid all taxes and social security obligations applicable to the employment of the individuals listed in Question 49? [this should read “Question 53”, to wit, “Do you presently have or have you in the past had occasional…or regular domestic help…If yes, please indicate name and years of service for each individual…”] Do you use an outside service to pay such individuals? Have all payments related to the employment of these individuals been made in a timely fashion? If not, please identify the length and reason for the delay(s).

So, how did Geithner, Daschle and Killefer get by those questions during the vetting process? I believe Geithner and Daschle are paid up now, but note that the questions refer to past as well as present status.

And it’s not just the tax cheats who are a problem. It’s the influx of lobbyists and - dare I say it? - incompetent scofflaws. Why is it that every time a Democratic president promises us “an ethical administration” we start to look like Mexico?


(For those readers who may not be able to access the PDF file linked, Question 59 mentioned in the title of this post is the one that asks whether the applicant or his/her spouse has ever owned a gun.)

Update: Well, now, another wacky coincidence.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Double standards seems to be all the rage these days, eh?

Paco said...

Ethics do seem to be honored more in the breach than in the observance, when it comes to this crowd.

RebeccaH said...

I think I'm going to start calling the White House Neverland from now on.

Anonymous said...

That's why those questions were not listed as:

86-A
86-B
ect.

Note to furrin' types who frequent this site. "86'd" is a yank expression for eliminated or in the trash.

Anonymous said...

I would like to quibble just a tad with the idea that there is an application of a double standard here. That would require that there are some moral precepts at play. They don't have any. The left has been at war with these concepts for decades now.

For them, it is all about the acquisition of power and their ability to wield it. There is nothing else.

Anonymous said...

"I would like to quibble just a tad with the idea that there is an application of a double standard here."

Within their ranks, that's true enough; for the Dhimmicrats, "morals" is an empty word.

But just imagine if a Republican nominee hadn't paid their taxes. That poor slob would be hounded to death.

"Do as I say, not as I do", and all that jazz, y'know?

Minicapt said...

RebeccaH
Nice "two for one"

Cheers