Kaus Names Jobs He'd Accept From Obama
... as a backroom bribe.
On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs defended the Obama Administration's apparent practice of clearing the field for anointed party candidates by dangling administration jobs in front those who might mount primary challenges.
""The president, as the leader of the party, has an interest in ensuring supporters don't run against each other in contested primaries," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Democratic Senate candidate Mickey Kaus, who is challenging anointed incumbent Barbara Boxer in the primary, issued this statement in response:
"I always thought primary challenges were part of the democratic process, allowing a full airing of competing viewpoints and offering voters a choice.
"I'm challenging a three-term incumbent in order to provoke a debate over the misguided Democratic party dogma she reflexively embraces. An ordinary job in the federal bureaucracy isn't going to induce me to abandon this effort.
"There are in fact only three jobs I would accept as a backroom bribe.
"First, the White House could put me in charge of ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of Homeland Security. Then I could push to build an actual, physical fence that might work instead of the fancy, ineffectual "virtual" fence promoted by pro-amnesty types who worry that efforts to secure the border might finally be successful.
"I could also point out that Senator Boxer's obsessive talk of amnesty ... sorry, a "path to citizenship," acts as a powerful lure for potential illegal immigrants to try to cross the border in order to qualify for this amnesty--or the next one.
"Second, President Obama offer me a seat on the National Labor Relations Board, where I could oppose Big Labor's attempt to add to their dwindling memberships by avoiding secret ballots in union organizing drives. Barbara Boxer--needless to say--salutes and says yes to this union plan. But it's a bad idea on process grounds and substance grounds. Secret ballots are important to democracy. And more UAW-style unions aren't what the economy needs.
"Third, the White House could give me a job in the Department of Education, where I could pressure the Obama administration into writing a scathing report explaining why opposition to reform from California teachers' unions cost the state $700 million in "Race to the Top" ... Oh wait. Sorry. They already wrote that report .
"On second thought, I'll stick with contested elections and democratic debate. It's the only thing they are scared of."
[Note to Rep. Issa: Joke!]
— Mickey Kaus ( Mickey_Kaus@msn.com )
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