HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson [pictured here] has decided to adorn the lobby of the headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development with massive pictures of himself.
Forget that Jackson is a mere crony from Texas. Forget that he was supposed to get the memo about how all of the Texas cronies were supposed to hotfoot it out of DC last year. Forget that the man is being investigated. Forget that his tenure will be forgotten the minute the Bush Administration is rolled out of town, either in a paddy wagon or a moving van full of looted treasures and broken promises.
Who the hell puts up a "love me" wall in the lobby of a public building, at the cost of several thousand dollars? (If not more.) The "love me" wall goes in the office, dumbass.
Tour groups need not even go through the inviting metal detectors to admire 20 large, color photographs of the secretary, each about 2 feet by 3 feet. No fewer than five of them feature Jackson with President Bush-- in the Rose Garden, in the Oval Office, chatting together, coming down the steps at the Capitol.
And
Don't forget -- when you finish admiring this exhibit in HUD's southeast entrance, the one used by the public and folks on official business, there is another at the northeast-corner entrance just a few steps away.
This one is equally stunning but a bit smaller, with only 18 photos -- and only two with Bush. There are more photos of Jackson speaking, testifying and looking thoughtful, and one of him talking on a cellphone near a building, which again offers a clue as to his government job.
If that's not largesse, I don't know what is. If that's not a delusional display of pride, hubris and personal self-aggrandizement, I don't know what is. And I don't care what it cost--it's money wasted.
Here's what one commenter at ThinkProgress.org had to say about Jackson:
I was working the Kennedy Center Honors front door in 2004. It’s a major DC social event.
Long line of cars, taxis, limos, formed along the front plaza - everyone had to wait their chance to get out of their cars and into the building. Among those waiting were the trademark black Suburbans containing government officials.
I had been watching one Suburban and follow up vehicle inch forward toward the door over the course of about 5 minutes. When it finally reached the door, out bounded Don Rumsfeld. No lights. No sirens.
About 10 minutes later, two other Suburbans came into view, roared past the line of waiting cars, and with lights and sirens on, jumped the line and cut several cars off. While blocking the entire entrance, 3 security men in bad suits piled out of the chase car. About three minutes later, they popped the door open and out bounded Alphonso Jackson.
I mean, come on. No one cares who the fuck the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is. And he needs that kind of security? WTF???
Thanks again, Republicans. You've foisted another mental case on America, in the form of a crony picked to run an agency of the Federal Government.
Notice how we got through a whole post about HUD without mentioning the dismal job that agency has done over the past seven years? I mean, why get all wonky when you can't get past the reckless delusion of the political appointees?
Hey...wait a minute...delusional self-aggrandizement...putting up pictures of yourself everywhere...didn't we already see this show?
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