Guest essay by Eric Worrall
The new Paris Climate Agreement is opening some real questions on the constitutional boundaries of the power of the President of the United States.
Obama has pledged to contribute up to $3 billion in U.S. spending on the Green Climate Fund, including $500 million in fiscal year 2016.
The Green Climate Fund is pool of money where developed countries, with contributions from public and private sources, help developing nations confront climate change.
The climate change agreement does not legally bind countries to contribute money to the climate fund, but it sets the goal for rich countries to contribute together at least $100 billion per year.
A new spending bill appropriating money for this fiscal year — which is expected to be voted on by lawmakers this week – does not assign money for the Green Climate Fund.
But Republicans were unable to attach a proposed policy provision that would have explicitly blocked Obama from sending federal money to the Green Climate Fund.
In addition, the $1.1 trillion spending bill does not prohibit the administration from transferring money from other accounts for the climate fund.
I am not an American, but I suggest that if the President of the United States has the power to send billions of dollars to foreign countries, and majority votes in the Congress and Senate are powerless to prevent this enormous diversion of taxpayer’s money, then the US Congress and Senate are as irrelevant to the process of the governance of the United States, as the toothless Roman Senate was under the Caesars.
In 1788, President George Washington refused to be king, and created a Presidential office which was limited by the US Constitution.
The climate “emergency” has created a pretext, a convenient crisis, which in my opinion has undermined the constitutional balance of power established by the Founding Fathers, perhaps irrevocably.
If the Senate and the House of Representatives cannot restore the balance of power which was established by the original US Constitution, then the United States, for better or worse, is no longer the Republic which the founding fathers created in 1788.
If that is true then the republican candidates for the presidency (and the one selected) will just have to campaign on a platform that only they will preserve the Constitution.
If that position threatens to upset the status quo for the 47% of income earners not paying the income tax, don’t expect it to be widely hailed.
Heh, it’s not like it’s his own money.
sarc
But it is his stash
A big part of the problem is that many ‘republicans’ in congress aren’t really Republicans. Case in point is Paul Ryan.
Maybe your thinking of Rand Paul ??
Rand Paul is a libertarian, actually the only true capitalist in the group.
Mark
No, he’s thinking of Paul Ryan.
What is a “republican”?
Nowadays that is an excellent question. On the national level, the only difference I can see between the two parties is the speed at which the hand cart is headed to hell, not the direction.
Oh come on, I just had breakfast ! Did you really have to show that picture first thing in the morning ???
Reminds me of the Rolling Stones’ tongue logo minus the tongue.
Or this:
We see this often. Money that was destined to Third world country under other initiative (int’l development and/or cooperation) is relabeled as money for the Climate Fund. Same money, different label. The real question should be if a government assigns new money for the Fund. That’s when we have a real problem…
It’s one thing being concerned over the ‘controls’ of how money is contributed to this fund but who will police how it is to be spent? More Mercedes, arms and property abroad for the third world I bet!
None of it will get to a place that helps the poor …
The money is not intended for the poor, it’s intended to change the weather.
It was called the ‘Paris CLIMATE Summit’ after all, not the ‘Paris Help the Poor Summit’.
Klem, good point. The climate fund will be used for monitoring and evaluation of compliance and fund raising, meeting venue rental, airfares and salaries. Like any well-run ‘development NGO’ it will be applied to the development of the NGO, deepening its roots, grip and pockets.
What remains will head to the producers of windmills. How that will help the poor and various typhoon victims (of climate change) is not so clear or well-practised.
BUT,the liberals keep saying ” it will help the poor ” , which it will not !!
As if anything liberals do, actually helps the poor.
Klem makes a good point a propos the Bill Leak cartoon controversy in Oz.
http://m.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/bill-leak-cartoon-about-indians-in-the-australian-sparks-international-criticism-20151214-glnh1e.html
It will do neither, it will line the pockets of politicians and crony capitalists, that is why the establishment Globalist NEOCOS REPUBLICANS PUSHED FOR IT.
The poor and developing countries are helped best by allowing them to build coal fired power plants.
Climate change policies kill jobs as industry moves abroad.
Centuries ago, land was the only source of energy, so land ownership was power. With windfarms we are moving back to this feudal times.
Look. Whether he has a right to do it and whether CAGW is happening depends upon the facts. Namely, what’s in it for me? If I am going to get power and money out of it, then he has a right and there is CAGW.
Jim, Eric: The Republican majority in the House and Senate are in bed with Obama. They are bound by their own cowardice. Big high tech and the Chamber of Commerce want cheaper workers and the Republicans are eager to oblige. The Democrats are cooperating with the lousy Republicans because they know untold millions of illegal and legal emigrants are a vast source of Democrat voters. It may be too late to prevent a Democrat Party tyranny (looks like they are getting a bonanza of new voters).
In 2010 and 2012 the voters gave Republicans the greatest majorities in Congress in more than a century. They were elected because of their promises to repeal Obamacare, get the budget under control, stop illegal immigration and free entry to terrorists, stop the CAGW nonsense, and support Constitutional government among many other things. As soon as they were elected, in a manner reminiscent of Quislings and Vichy French, they jumped in bed with the “Rule by Fiat” president Obama.
Many long-time Republicans have had enough. They know now that they cannot get reform by voting for establishment Republicans. The voters have few options left. They can try one more time to vote for conservative Republicans or they can seek to abolish the Republican Party and start a new conservative, constitutional, and patriotic party. The first option might not work, and the second is very hard to do without giving the Democrats permanent one-party rule. I do believe we are on the brink.
The US is done “over the brink” …… and falling fast. The currently in-charge Democrat-Republican “establishment” knows this to be a fact, but are unconcerned, because they also know that they have accumulated what they need …… and will be long gone by the time of the “crash” when the US hits “rock bottom” and civil unrest explodes into great turmoil. That is unless Donald Trump gets elected POTUS, and if so, said Democrat-Republican “establishment” knows damn well that they will be held accountable for both their actions and inactions before they have time to “fly the coop” ….. and that is exactly why they are doing their damndest, by hook or by crook, to prevent Donald Trump from being elected POTUS.
And another thing that scares the bejesus out of said Democrat-Republican “establishment” is that they also know there is nigh onto 100 million registered voters that didn’t bother to cast their votes in the past two (2) General Elections simply because they seen no purpose in voting for “the lesser of two (2) evils”. And they are the “sleeping giant” that Trump has awakened and offered them a “good reason” to cast their votes in the upcoming elections.
Samuel,
It used to be when things got like this in other places, people would come here. There is no longer a “here” here so where do you think the “elites”, as they believe themselves to be, are going to go? The fact that our forefathers fought at Valley Forge barefoot, wearing rags and practically starving for us to get to the point where our choice for Leader of the Free World is between Hillary the Hideous Hypocritical Harridan and Donald Trump who was born on third base, believes he hit a triple and has used the government to enforce the law of Eminent Domain to attempt steal land from a poor widow (Vera Coking in Atlantic City) proves that our Founders, all of whom were bright, well read men, were naive and overly optimistic about human nature and created a system that was just too good for people. Chris Hedges, “Empire of Illusion: The Triumph of Spectacle over Literacy” as well as the movie, “Idiocracy” have come true in just over two centuries.
I’m 70 years old, plan on being around for another 23 and have no children. My wish for the American Left, their fellow travelers and all the other enablers of the culmination of a century of “Progressivism” is that they get exactly the form of government they want and live to see their children and grandchildren enslaved, robbed and murdered by that government. Hare Krishna and Arbeit Macht Frei!
Nealstar,
In the Vera Coking case, she was offered many times more than her property was worth and turned it down. Now that the gambling boom in Atlantic City is over, her property is worthless. Talk about people taking a stupid stand for ideological reasons …
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/nyregion/a-homeowner-who-refused-to-cash-out-in-a-gambling-town-may-have-missed-her-chance.html?_r=0
Trump is a businessman and does things to strengthen the financial position of his interests. Nearly every past administration I’ve observed has had the result (unintended or otherwise) of weakening the financial position of our country. The fact that he is a die hard capitalist and the opposite of PC is why he is feared and reviled by both the left and the mainstream right. Both sides want a politician they can manipulate and not someone who abhors politics as usual.
Nobody thought a actor playing second fiddle to a monkey could ever be a good POTUS, but Regan turned out to be the best President we’ve had in recent memory.
The one thing I think Trump will excel at is surrounding himself with smart people with extensive private sector experience, rather than surrounding himself with political lackeys. That can only be good.
co2,
The value of Vera Coking’s property has zero to do with the discussion as the operative term is, “her property”, not the government’s, not Donald Trump’s, not yours, mine, nor the Collective, but HERS. It was hers to do with as she pleased even if she wanted to raze the structure and salt and plow the earth. Period!
Donald Trump is a spoiled bully with a bad haircut, a punch me face, and NO proof of ability were he to have started with nothing like Ben Carson. Had Trump not been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, we probably wouldn’t even know who he was other than a classless, crude pitchman on TV for used cars.
He goes on and on reiterating what he’s going to do if elected, but has said NOTHING about how he would go about doing it. I don’t think he will do half the things he says he’ll do and the ones that he will do, I believe he’ll do poorly. All that being said, I agree with what he says, particularly about immigration, Muslims and defense, but I think he’s basically a dove in a hawk suit. Furthermore, if he turns out to be the GOP nominee, I’ll hold my nose and vote for him even though I think that Dr. Carson is smarter, tougher, more accomplished, more honest, more principled, more courageous and in possession of a true and accurate moral compass.
Over…
@ur momisugly Nealstar – December 18, 2015 at 8:55 am says:
Don’t be talking silliness. Trump had no power or influence whatsoever to compel or force the elected or appointed government officials in/of the State of New Jersey and/or Atlantic City into doing anything.
It was the “money hungry” elected officials of the State of New Jersey that ignored and violated the COTUS simply because they desperately wanted the horrendous “tax revenues” that they knew would be generated via Trump’s proposed development.
Did you also blame Trump for these ED actions or is there another person that you truly dislike and thus blamed them for this, to wit: http://dailysignal.com/2015/09/16/connecticut-homeowners-fight-to-prevent-city-from-taking-their-homes-for-redevelopment/
And I am 75 years old and it has always amazed me that people will brag about, praise and vote for their “favorite” politician(s) or Party …… and then they get all p-faced, pouty and irate, … and put the blame on another person or party, ….. whenever “s–t happens”, …. that was a direct result of the “actions” or ”inactions” of their “favorite” politician(s) that they were praising and voted for. And worse yet, they will vote for the same ones again and again ….. and select a different “whippingboy” to vent their anger on..
@ur momisugly Nealstar – December 18, 2015 at 7:06 pm says:
So, ya really think that you can send the really nice, polite, kind, courteous and softly spoken Dr. Carson into the middle of a big “bar room brawl” of no holds barred …. and he will survive as the unscathed winner?
Who is going to be your “whippingboys” once you realize that fiasco is unfolding?
Samuel,
One doesn’t start from where Dr. Carson started and get to his level of skill and achievement without being tough as hell. My experience in the SE Asian War Games in the mid-late ’60s proved that the super macho tough guy poseurs frequently end up quivering in a corner of a bunker while some weak looking bespectacled clerk is bringing an ungodly shitstorm down on the bad guys regardless of their number or armament. You want to see how tough Dr. Carson is? Let someone start getting on him like Axelrod got on Herman Cain implying that he was unfaithful to his wife.
As far as who’s going to be my whippingboy, it will be my perennial favorite; the stupid, apathetic, lazy, good for no more than food, American voter who was responsible, either through voting or demurring, who got Barack bin Barack Hussein Al-Sissy elected and then after four years of his “leadership”, reelected and who is responsible for our current non-choice. The choice between Trump and Clinton is equivalent to the choice of whether you want to get kicked in your Left nut (Clinton) or Right nut (Trump).
Gimme a break, Nealstar, … being tough as hell is NOT a prerequisite for getting a college education …. or for choosing a discipline (Medical) that one can earn million$$ for their professional performance.
HA, I was not tough as hell, was born “dirt poor”, earned my college Degree ….. and was highly noted for my expertise, high level of skill and achievements in the design, programming and manufacturing of computers and related products. One proof of said, to wit: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3449735.pdf
Nealstar,
Me thinks you have a serious lapse of memory about the above, be it intentional or biological. It appears to me that your hatred for Senator Barry Goldwater must have been the same “in the mid-late ’60s” …. as your hatred now is for Donald Trump. But whatever it is that “turns your crank” ….. you are the one that has to live with it. Cheers
The UN source of income is limited to contributions from member companies. UN IPCC is a revenue generating effort which is why it’s scientists are celebrated for the narrative and not the quality of their work.
Where do you think Obama wants to be employed after office?
The Climate Fund is a version of The bogus Clinton Foundation on steroids.
‘The Green Climate Fund is pool of money where developed countries, with contributions from public and private sources, help…’
Contributions?
The idea of a constitution bound representative republic has been dead for generations. Only the myth lives on. The president may do as he pleases so long as congress does not have the guts to impeach.
The constitution is only “a scrap of paper.”
A reporter went undercover with a petition to abolish the First Amendment to the Constitution. Where? At Yale University of course. Over 50 students signed it.
Prolly every one of the 50 an obamaton.
Over 50 students signed it in less than 1 hour… and most of them praised the petitioner’s efforts.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/16/yale-fail-ivy-leaguers-caught-on-video-clamoring-to-kill-first-amendment/
Out o how many?
Actually that’s not entirely correct. If the Presidentr spends money that Congress has not appropriated he can be charged with a felony and can go to prison for that. Where the confusion comes in is that Congress writes appropriation bills that gives the president discretion in certain cases to re-program certain funds depending on the circumstances.
“If the President spends money that Congress has not appropriated he can be charged with a felony and can go to prison for that.”
Ya, right. I expect to see a sitting president hauled off to jail any day now. /snark
The point is, that the federal government itself decides what the constitution means and the expansion of federal power has exceeded the power of the King we rebelled against. The USA is a police state with unlimited power at the center. An Empire.
Next you will tell me the US does not do “false flag” operations.
yeah especially if he doesn’t pardon himself
Eric, in the past, few US presidents tried to massively abuse the system & were generally ethical. So that’s a problem — when one like Obozo drops all pretense of ethical behavior & acts to seize far more personal power, there’s little procedure/precedent to deal w/it. We Americans should be able to “sack” administrations (vote of no confidence) at any time like other countries can.
. . + 10,000
In the end, Obama and his cohorts will get the legacy they deserve. We can only hope that people come to their senses before the next inevitable ice age arrives so we can avoid perpetual economic harm from this collective stupidity. Unfortunately, stupidity is an inherited trait, so the descendants of these same idiots will probably blame the next ice age on global warming.
The ‘Legacy’ obama is striving so hard for is the legacy, in the near, or far future, in mind of a socialist / communist / fascist government and population who will adore him and hail him as the first, visionary King of the United States. He is placing the hopes for his legacy on that kind of “change”.
The statement in the above article; “But Republicans were unable to attach a proposed policy provision that would have explicitly blocked Obama from sending federal money to the Green Climate Fund” is one of the many reasons that so many people in the U.S. are so angry with the Republican Senate and House of Reps. In my HO, if the Republicans really were serious about blocking obama from being able to send money to the Greens, they could do it. IMHO, shut the Fu**ing government down if you need to and quit being afraid that your constituents won’t like you anymore for doing it. Grow a pair and I will support anyone in Congress for standing up for what their constituents want. That’s what they were elected to do and It is why so many people are so angry with the republicans and government in general… Not listening to their constituents and taking action on what they were elected to do.
On another note. I keep hearing about ‘The MSM’. Main Stream Media does not exist. Whatever ‘IT’ is, is not mainstream any longer. If there was a mainstream media, that is where I would go to for reasonable, truthful, unbiased news. How many sources of news are in existence these days which have, and strive for the aforementioned traits, which would be called ‘Mainstream’? Most news media today is biased, slanted in reporting, self serving, politically active, etc., etc.. I say that using the title MSM no longer applies these days. Using “Mainstream” to identify sources of information / news, etc. gives what currently exists out there a title that it does not deserve and gives it credit and credibility where none is due.
Dahlquist, although I’m an American sometimes I watch the European news and I find it way more biased than the American news. It’s like something out of George Orwell’s novel 1984. I hope our European friends realize that most of their mainstream news coverage is actually just socialist propaganda.
We had a chance 3 years ago. A majority of the voters decided to stick with the crook.
More precisely, it was the MSM that chose Obama by promoting his lies, ignoring his faults, and emphasizing the faults of his opponent. One of the biggest lies was Benghazi, which had the truth been known THEN, Obama would not have been re-elected. As Clinton said, “What difference does it make, NOW?”.
“Does the President have Unconstrained Power to Send Billions to the UN for Climate?”
The answer to this question should be a resounding “NO!!”. But with this guy, all bets are off.
“In 1788, President George Washington refused to be king, and created a Presidential office which was limited by the US Constitution.”
George Washington set a precedent that he would serve no more than two terms as President not wanting to act as King or Dictator. That precedent held until the Communist Dictator Franklin Roosevelt decided to abandon that precedent even though every President before him followed Washington’s precedent. It was only after the Dictator Roosevelt was out of office after four terms as President that the Republicans passed legislation limiting the President to two terms in office.
Grant run for a third term, but was defeated.
Well it’s clear your Ph.D. is not in either political science or history.
Come on, folks. The President is not going to divert money from other appropriated projects
into a climate fund. He would have to do so publicly – as any receipts to the fund from the US
would be loudly trumpeted by the IPCC. The agency/organization which was supposed to get
the funding would scream bloody murder once the diversion became known. Likewise, he has
no authority and no mechanism to spend new money on the fund – it would have to be
budgeted, authorized, and appropriated. None of that will happen.
This president will, as he has done for seven years, try to bully Congress into appropriating
funds, and failing that, try to make a campaign issue out of the GOP-led Congress’ refusal
to play along. Just like increasing the minimum wage, he can only act in places where he has
clear authority (like wages for Federal workers). When it comes to paying ‘climate-change
blackmail’, he has no spending authority.
Sorry sir, unfortunately that’s not true. Recall ‘Fast and Furious’ the gun running program sponsored by some higher ups (other agents didn’t know about it) in the BATF. The money to fund that action came from?…ready?…The Stimulus Program which was supposed to jump start the economy from its recession doldrums back in 2009. The stimulus paid for a veritable Christmas (oops, wrong holiday term) shopping list of goodies for the Obama administration: all paid for under the radar.
The website http://www.whitehouse.gov is treasure trove of information regarding the president’s Way Forward into the Brave New World.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf (see Page 20)
Awaiting the update of the CAP on this site regarding the Climate Fund $$$$$…
MCR
I’m quite sure USAID would be more than happy to act as cover.
then the US Congress and Senate are as irrelevant to the process of the governance of the United States, as the toothless Roman Senate was under the Caesars.
Ball-less is more like it…. along with corrupt, They are not trying to govern. They are trying to milk all they can out of the citizens before the cupboard is bare~
Emperor Claudius allegedly considered executing the senate, but was dissuaded by an advisor, who explained that it would be phenomenally difficult to assemble another comparable group of such tractable yes men.
And Caligula made his horse a Senator. See how advanced we are today? We don’t even need the whole horse.
Congress just ceded the President the authority to spend whatever he wants, to secure his climate legacy. Here’s some additional insight on the topic of this thread:
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/263447-spending-bill-wont-stop-funds-for-obama-climate-deal
At this point, all but the most mundane spending by the Federal government is deficit spending, which just pushes us closer to the day when all revenues pay only the interest on the debt. The Feds currently maintain business as usual by operating the twin illusions of printing more money to mask the spending and then claiming there is no inflation.
We do not have a government of, by and for the people, we have a government for the government.
KLEPTOCRACY.
Why not send the money and focus on the inevitable waste, fraud, and abuse. Total federal spending will be over 3 trillion so 500M is a small amount. Apparently we spent that much to train a handful of Syrian rebels.
We know what happened in the carbon offsets markets even if it recives little press attention for now. We have documented proof of the grand promises made and the sordid mess it actually became.
Unfortunately the concept of letting it fail is often required to reach clarity.
Worst. President. Ever.
“Worst. President. Ever.”
I disagree – he is not a president, he is an autocrat.
#OBAMA-WPE
Consider this money as Obama’s down payment on becoming Head of the UN. King of the US has never been good enough for his ego. Obama aspires to be king of the world.
The way to do that is to first knock down the US a few pegs as the lone superpower, Then the need for a central global government has to be generated under a global crisis. What better crisis than Global warming.
As far as I see it, This plan is running right on schedule. Obama is far from alone in this plan. Just read about Agenda 21.
Obama’s own personal ” Agenda 21 ” !!
Anyway it looks as if the Administration does not have it all their way
“The battle between National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials and congressional investigators may be winding down as bureaucrats have finally handed over emails to lawmakers after months of refusing to do so.”
http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/16/noaa-officials-finally-surrender-staff-emails-to-lawmakers/
Time will show if all e-mails have been released and if they show influence from Obama & Co. on the Carl 2015 “pause breaker” study.
“Outcast” Tony Heller has another “rant” at NOAA here
http://realclimatescience.com/2015/12/noaa-is-getting-bolder-and-bolder-with-their-climate-fraud/
having a go at Rick Spinrad for suggesting that “Warming is happening more than twice as fast in the Arctic than anywhere else in the world. We know this is due to climate change, and its impacts are creating major challenges for Arctic communities,” said NOAA chief scientist Rick Spinrad at the annual American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San Francisco.” A. Watts may have something to say about this meeting.
Looks as if Tony Heller actually picked this up from The Telegraph here in UK
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/climatechange/12052808/Arctic-air-temperatures-highest-since-1900-global-report-shows.html
I wish somebody who is not an AGW promoter would do a rational and objective analysis of Tony Heller’s barrage of attacks on NOAA and GISS. Is there something in his comparisons and accusations of “fraud”?
Senator Cruz is now using his charts so is TH “off the beam” or is there something in what he is highlighting?
“I wish somebody who is not an AGW promoter would do a rational and objective analysis of Tony Heller’s barrage of attacks on NOAA and GISS. ”
Wouldn’t it make sense for you to do this? I know, you claim you don’t have time but seems it would be better than having to guess someone’s objectivity.
I don’t have the necessary expertise. Prefer to recognize my own limitations. Wish others would do the same.
The office of President has too much power of the pen in the form of the veto, and the extremely difficult 2/3 majority requirement of both houses to override the veto. It is that power that gives Obama, who is sometimes described as a “wannabe king” or some such, the ability to essentially thumb his nose at Congress. In addition, we have an out-of-control, unelected agency in the EPA, which has been granted extra-constitutional powers, which this particular president is using to his full advantage, once again completely bypassing Congress.
The problem is not the veto, it’s the Democrats in the Senate who will do whatever Obama tells them to do.
The problem is the REPUBLICANS in the Senate who will do whatever Obama tells them to do.
Many decades, indeed centuries ago the elected members of the British Parliament removed almost all of the Monarch’s powers and took them on itself.
Maybe it is time for your elected members of Congress to look at how they might do that regarding the powers of the President of the USA.
They won’t because they are all in it together. Get elected, don’t rock the boat, make millions, retire with lifetime income. It’s easy street all the way down.
From what I have seen, Congress is right up there with the pres, both being too self serving and incompetent to effectively govern this republic. Years ago there was talk of moving the Capitol to somewhere near the middle of the county (e.g., St.Louis). That suggestion is sounding better all the time, but only if we can leave the current population within the D.C. beltway, executives, legislators, bureaucrats and lobbyists, in place and start fresh.
Yes, this administration has pledged to throw away money on ill-advised climate issues. Three billion, or about what the actual Worst President Ever spent every five days in his insane destabilization of Iraq. Of course, the costs of that fiasco are still rolling in.
I’ll take a climate fool over a total fool.
Apples and rutabagas comparison there, Doug. Anything to score political points though, right?
One hopes, foolishly perhaps, that we might find the courage to not tolerate fools as leaders.
I love the way the idiots actually believe that Iraq was a paradise and would have remained so for ever, if only Bush hadn’t upset the apple cart.
Iraq was stable, until St. Obama decided to pull the rug out from under the regime so that he could keep his promise of bringing the troops home.
One thing you can guarantee – all of the activists who continue to moan so loudly about Iraq will never say a word about what we did in Libya – which was more destabilizing to the region in every possible way.
I saw someone refer to Libya currently as “”Mad Maxistan”. Good description.
Mark,
His impact was two fold.
In addition to pulling our troops, Obama subsequently washed his hands of Iraq and ignored it, effectively allowing the Shiite majority to marginalize everyone else.
Bush’s administration screwed up by not keeping Paul Bremer on a short lease. His decision to disband the army was perhaps the single biggest factor leading to the disintegration and splintering of Iraqi civil society. It took years of blood and dollars to win back control. Bush bashers can accurately bash him for allowing it to happen in the first lace, but they never want to credit him for recovering from the mistake and completely give Obama a pass for letting it all fall back apart. To me his is the greater sin because he did it out of a lac of care and attention.
Transferring money is one problem. The bigger problem is who will get it and what will they do with it? Will there be an audit? These are questions the media should be asking.
“The bigger problem is who will get”
They used to call bribing third world governments “foreign aid”. But even the limp wristed left have caught on to that, so they are remaining the scam to “global warming reparations”. As that has no pretense of helping the poor.
The House approved the climate “deal”, so no need to argue the point anymore.