An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Stupidty Reigns Supreme
Advocates for whistleblowers have been trying for almost a decade to pass legislation to enhance protections for federal employees that they legitimately note have been eroded by adverse court decisions or agency action. Many aspects of the bill have been chewed over and agreed on in the course of numerous congressional hearings
But attaching the bill to the stimulus package under the pretext that stronger whistleblower protections will enhance fiscal accountability is disingenuous. Trying to ram through the intelligence provisions is just plain wrong.
The executive branch is constitutionally charged with protecting and controlling classified information. A legislative attempt to override the executive could very well be unconstitutional. It is, in any event, irresponsible to condone and essentially immunize an employee’s unilateral breach.
How on earth would such an amendment stimulate the economy? I don’t believe there is as much as 3% in this bill that would do diddly, as some are claiming. Even if there is 3%, or even 10%, of this bill meant to bring about an economic turn around, what about the other 90% to 97%? Tacking on things that would expose national security to the general public (read that any Dhimmi in the Capital, where by it is “leaked” to the New York Slimes), is just plain ridiculous, and extremely counter productive.
Do I think that those who expose wrong doing, at any level should have some protections? Sure. Although, I see some vindictive yahoo exposing national secrets finding such protection a bit hard to swallow.
IF lawmakers see a need for such a bill, then make it a totally separate issue. This has NOTHING to do with the economy at all. Typical politicians…..ram through dangerous amendments under the guise of something totally unrelated. ENOUGH!
