Alphonso Jackson, We Hardly Knew Ye
Among the least surprising political developments this week is the looming resignation of Bush Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson.
That news comes in the wake of calls from Democratic Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) for Jackson to step down over charges of cronyism in public housing deals in Philadelphia. But as I first detailed back in May 2006, Jackson was already in hot water for past admissions that political loyalty was an essential (and, of course, illegal) litmus test in how Jackson awarded contracts.
"He didn't get the contract. Why should I reward someone who doesn't like the president, so they can use funds to try to campaign against the president? Logic says they don't get the contract. That's the way I believe."
Alas, we won't have Alphonso Jackson to kick around anymore. He simply will fade into history as perhaps the least effectual of the incompetent, scandal-plagued bunglers like Michael Brown and Harriet Miers who came to define the Bush administration. But like Rick and Ilsa always had Paris in Casablanca, the American people will always have this image of George W. Bush and Alphonso Jackson.
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Bush's predilection for bald heads borders on the disturbing.
Posted by James on March 31, 2008 6:50 PMWatching him put his hands on this man's head is embarassing. It's like watching him grab the shoulders of Merkel, the German Chancellor, as if to give her a backrub. Clearly, Mr. Bush has a problem with boundaries and appropriate touching behavior. He needs to keep his hands to himself and act like an adult. In any event, it's good for all of us that Jackson is gone.
Posted by williamf on April 2, 2008 8:51 AM