The Week

In Clintonspeak, hence, by trickle-down theory, in mediaspeak, those who question big government or even some feature of big government are “opposed to government.” This of course includes the Founding Fathers, not to mention NR and an electoral majority.

Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, one of the last clean Clinton appointees, is acquiring a few ethical spots. Early in the year he set up a “central oversight group” for Department of Labor offices, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to monitor the Contract with America. This immediately set off alarm bells for Joint Economic Committee Republicans concerned about civil servants being turned to political ends, especially at the politically independent BLS. Reich responded to inquiries by denying there was any “memorandum to anyone on this subject.” But the Washington Times then turned up Labor memos instructing the oversight group to write responses “to each of the recommendations from Heritage Foundation, Cato, or any other Republican group,” “to each of the Republican budget recommendations,” etc., etc. All of which prompted a House subcommittee to probe the oversight group (shut down in February) and investigate whether Reich withheld information from Congress. The Labor Department says the group just helped the secretary prepare testimony. The memos? They were just “working papers.” Is work in violation of the Hatch Act covered by the minimum wage?

Featured Tags

In Clintonspeak, hence, by trickle-down theory, in mediaspeak, those who question big government or even some feature of big government are “opposed to government.” This of course includes the Founding Fathers, not to mention NR and an electoral majority.

Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, one of the last clean Clinton appointees, is acquiring a few ethical spots. Early in the year he set up a “central oversight group” for Department of Labor offices, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to monitor the Contract with America. This immediately set off alarm bells for Joint Economic Committee Republicans concerned about civil servants being turned to political ends, especially at the politically independent BLS. Reich responded to inquiries by denying there was any “memorandum to anyone on this subject.” But the Washington Times then turned up Labor memos instructing the oversight group to write responses “to each of the recommendations from Heritage Foundation, Cato, or any other Republican group,” “to each of the Republican budget recommendations,” etc., etc. All of which prompted a House subcommittee to probe the oversight group (shut down in February) and investigate whether Reich withheld information from Congress. The Labor Department says the group just helped the secretary prepare testimony. The memos? They were just “working papers.” Is work in violation of the Hatch Act covered by the minimum wage?