It's not about privacy, Mr. Barnes

On the Beltway Boys this morning, Mort and Fred were discussing the refusal of the banks to reveal where the bailout money went. Mort opined that the banks had an obligation to the Congress and the American people to explain exactly what they spent the money on - whether it was used to fund more lending and free up credit as Congress intended or if it was hoarded and used to buy up smaller banks. (I have a feeling I know!)

Fred pronounced "privacy" like it was a human right. News to Fred... if you accept money from anyone privacy is jettisoned. Had a venture capital company bailed out these banks - which really is how the government is acting, only less effective - their books would so be open. Not to mention the company would probably expect an equity stake and a place on the board. Uncle Sam is acting more like, well, a rich uncle. Throwing a bunch of money on a profligate niece or nephew and only later whining, "where did it all go?" without much leverage to demand an answer.

And the Governor played on...

It really is a nightmare for the Democrats. Gov Blago is embarrassing them on a daily basis, dragging others down with him. He won't take a hit for the party and resign to minimize damage. My guess? He's holding out to see what kind of sinecure someone will offer to make him go away. From one auction to another.

And now, the prosecutor's made it worse.

According to the Fox News website, Fitzgerald is asking the impeachment committee not to dig too deeply into his case, and is refusing to give them some of the information he has, although he has "not ruled out" turning over copies of the tapes of the Governor. The article says:

In a letter released Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald says the panel could "significantly compromise" his investigation by interviewing Blagojevich aides about possible crimes.

Fitzgerald is also declining to provide information about his investigation, such as the identities of people mentioned in a criminal complaint.

So, does this mean the impeachment process will be stopped or stalled? It was already going to take months, anyway. How long are they going to be stuck with this guy? How much damage will he do before he goes? Who appoints that senator now, and how is the authority to do that to be assigned?

And the sound of crickets chirping...

Helen Jones-Kelley, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services director who authorized improper snooping into the records of Samuel Wurzelbacher (Joe the Plumber), has resigned. Fox News website reported it. I checked a little before two and didn't see it on the CNN.com webpage. A Google News search turned up reports in all the major and some minor Ohio newspapers, along with the original AP report. Of course, conservative sites like Hot Air and Michelle Malkin picked up on it.

Imagine if it had been a Republican agency director - who gave money to and campaigned for John McCain - and had committed a similar act. Close your eyes and visualize... I'll wait.

Right. The director's resignation would be more than a footnote, and the whistleblower, instead of drifting into obscurity, would probably have her own television show by now. I guess whistleblowing is only a good gig when you're a liberal.

An interesting side note.. CNN.com had on its homepage a link to a story about a young woman who fell from a suspended harness during a Christmas program at a church in Cincinnati last night, who has since passed away. Tragic, and my heart goes out to her family and friends, but national news? You have two news stories coming out of Ohio that, as a national news provider, you can report. Which is really the more newsworthy to a national audience: the director of a state agency resigning after violating the privacy of a citizen who dared to ask a candiate a hard question, or a young woman who had an unusual accident?

Ms. Jones-Kelley does not seem at all chastened, by the way. Fox News reported her reasons for resigning from her released statement, "she won't allow her reputation to be disparaged and that she is concerned for her family's safety."

I have two questions. What about Mr. Wurzelbacher's reputation? And the job safety of the woman who reported the invasion?