Integrity...and the Hope and Change we can believe in? Part Two

To pick up where I left off, we continue a look at the failed (and failing) candidates for Obama's Cabinet.

5. Hilda Solis: Labor Secretary - The Congresswoman from the 32nd district of California has proven to be another thorn in the side of Obama vetters. After relaxing in the beautiful honeymoon of media support, the administration is quickly coming unraveled, much like Obama's stimulus bill in the Senate.

Stemming all the way back to 1993, Solis and her husband have had as much as $11,000 in tax liens filed against Sam H. Sayyad's business. After the White House was questioned about the issue on Tuesday, Sayyad finally took the effort to pay of the remaining $6,000 on Wednesday. Luckily the USA Today took the effort to point out this error, even though Los Angeles County tax collector claims that all with tax liens filed against them are notified by mail.

This news caused the Senate Labor Committee to delay her confirmation hearings, with Senatorial aides stating that committee members are taking a "wait and see" approach.

Another hold-up facing her confirmation is her place on the Board of Directors of a unionization organization, American Rights at Work which might involve a bit of conflict of interest considering her nomination as LABOR SECRETARY.

As the Obama Secretary-designates continue to spiral farther and farther beyond the realm of integrity, the public must begin to question the authenticity of the B.H.O.

6. Leon Panetta: Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The former Chief of Staff in the Clinton Administration has already been dragged through the coals for his lack of experience or knowledge in the Intelligence Community. To pour more fuel on the fire is quite easy to do, and I'll do it gladly. $700,000 in speakers fees since the beginning of 2008. Speaker's fees are not really that big of deal. Toss in where some of the fees came from and that's where the trouble starts:

• $56,000 from Merrill Lynch & Co., who was later bought out by bailed out Bank of America.
• $28,000 from Wachovia Corporation, who agreed to being sold to Wells Fargo & Company.
• $28,000 from the Carlyle Group. Who is the Carlyle Group? A private firm that owns a variety of companies who do business with defense agencies, including the CIA. Conflict of interest, anyone?
• $60,000 from the Pacific Maritime Association for a "Governmental Advisor Fee." PMA lobbies members of Congress on legislation relating to terrorism laws and shipping. Another conflict of interest?
  

Wall Street Journal

7. Eric Holder: Attorney General - The former Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration, Holder is the first African-American U.S. Attorney General. That positive might be the only positive thing surrounding his appointment and confirmation. Holder helped orchestrate the final hour pardon of Marc Rich during the Clinton days.

In 1983, Marc Rich was indicted for tax evasion ($48 million) and engaging in trade with Iran (oil deals) while that nation held 52 U.S. diplomats hostage. He fled to Switzerland and never returned. On January 19, 2001, Rich's pardon came across the desk of the impeached President. How it got there involves shading dealings involving Rich's wife and donations to the Clinton Presidential Library and the Democratic Party. When asked about his stance on whether the pardon should be granted, Holder was "neutral leaning towards favorable."

This man is now our Attorney General. The Justice Department is against trying the enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay in military tribunals, but it's leader is on the record as being supportive of releasing dangerous and un-American criminals who engage in trade with the enemy.

8. David Ogden: Deputy Attorney General - This man is a total left-wing nut. As an attorney for the ACLU and the pornography industry, he argued cases against requirements for parental notification for teenagers getting abortions and against filtering programs of adult materials at public library computers.

With these two men at the top of the Justice Department, we can only wonder what type of Supreme Court justices Obama might one day pick, or the cases that he dictates they pursue.

In all, only eight names. However, these are only a handful. Many more are probably slipping through the cracks and will only come to light later. Our nation doesn't have the opportunity or time to sit back and wait for these faulty picks to fulfill their destiny. It it up to our Congress to prevent any further deterioration of the Federal government.