Obama Cans Potential Advisors With Closet Skeletons

November 26th, 2008 · No Comments · Politics & Politicans

November 26, 2008

The Facts

Barack Obama has developed a seven-page questionnaire that must be completed by candidates for a position in his administration before he will hire them. Evidently, the questionnaire asks questions that, if left unanswered, could come back to bite him. The questionnaire is in addition to the background checks the FBI usually runs on candidates.

Penny Pritzker

One such person asked to complete the questionnaire was Penny Pritzker who was being considered for commerce secretary. As heir to the Hyatt hotel chain, and other business interest, she is worth an estimated $2.8 billion. Last week, before filling out the questionnaire, she withdrew her name for consideration.

My View

Pritzker was Obama’s national finance campaign manager during his run for the presidency. A lot of people were asking questions about her even then, in that her bank, Superior Bank in Chicago, failed in 2001 due to subprime loans. Some 1400 customers lost money in the bank. Although no longer chairwoman of the bank at the time of failure, she still sat on the board and was pushing her agenda, which was to become a leader in subprime lending practices.

A lot of the so-called experts are saying that this questionnaire could chase away a lot of good, qualified candidates. Obviously, I don’t know what the questions are, but I have to asked myself two questions: knowing he must have the best minds in respective fields, would he ask questions that were unfair; and, that being the case, just what would a candidate have to hide that this questionnaire is chasing them away?

Although I may have the greatest hopes I have every had for a President (because of this terrible mess we are in), I am certainly taking the wait-and-see attitude toward “President” Obama. But if he has any hope of achieving his goals, he has to make absolutely sure that members of his administration have nothing to hide. The success of his “change” mentality greatly depends on this. If we have ever needed change in this country, this is certainly the time. In addition, being the first black President, he knows the entire future of black America, politically speaking, rest on his shoulders. And I don’t believe he’s willing to gamble either of these two things on not properly vetting potential officials. Therefore, if the questionnaire is chasing anyone away, neither he nor America needs them.