michael January 5th, 2009
Apparently flushing out corruption at the Department of the Interior comes at about $235,000. From the Washington Post:
Seems Kempthorne spent about $235,000 in taxpayer funds renovating the bathroom a few months ago, which included installing a new shower, a refrigerator and a freezer and buying monogrammed towels.
– Mandy Smithberger
michael December 18th, 2008
POGO works tirelessly (mostly) to oversee the federal government. And after spending our time at work reading reports and articles about oversight, at night, we curl up with a cup of tea and read…BOOKS on oversight. Knowing that our readers and the people on their holiday shopping list do the same, we (of course) have a few book recommendations–in no particular order–for that very special watchdog on your list:
 For the friend that is either completely shocked about the state of our economy, or the friend that saw it coming all along: Fooling Some of the People All of the Time by David Einhorn (disclosure: the book release party for this one provided another example of POGO working, uh, less than tirelessly. And David is also giving some of the royalties to POGO). |
 For the person suspicious or fascinated by Vice President Dick Cheney: Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency by Barton Gellman. |
 For the friend that is still upset about security contractors in Iraq: Shadow Force: Private Security Contractors in Iraq by David Isenberg. |
 For the person crying for more oversight in the War On Terror: The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals by Jane Mayer. |
 For the friend who worries that contractors our putting American troops in jeopardy: Betraying Our Troops: The Destructive Results of Privatizing War written by POGO-founder and current Board member Dina Rasor and Robert Bauman. |
 For the person that can’t get enough of lobbying scandals: Turkmeniscam: How Washington Lobbyists Fought to Flack for a Stalinist Dictatorship by Ken Silverstein (blogger’s note: extra points for ‘tude in the title). |
 For the friend worried about the whole Department of Defense, from the weapons to the personnel: America’s Defense Meltdown, edited by Winslow Wheeler and prepared by the Center for Defense Information’s Straus Military Reform Project. |
– Mandy Smithberger
michael December 17th, 2008
Last Friday, POGO hosted its annual holiday party. Not sure how many people were here–some said definitely 200, some said no way–but after 4+ hours of partying, I think all would agree it was happily crowded. We even had to get the usuals to roll to the bars shortly after 9:00, well past the POGO closing time–another sign of a successful gathering.
Here are just a few pictures from the party:
(For the regulars: we tried something new this year and separated the food and drinks. We were hoping to get people to move around and not just congregate at one spot. Turns out most people hung out by the drinks. Oh, and thanks to Marty Lobel for the annual donation of chopped liver–this year almost all of it went!)
I overheard a few topics of conversation that our Watercooler readers might enjoy:
Special thanks to a major donor who has made this party possible over the years. And this year, thanks to Chris Pabon, we had a fun silent auction that will help defray the rest of the party costs. As several people commented that certain groups had to either scale back or completely cut their holiday party this year due to financial concerns, I’m especially thankful that we could provide what we did.
Thanks to those who made it, sorry to those who didn’t, and I encourage folks to post their own party highlights in the comments section.
– Keith Rutter
michael December 10th, 2008
Late yesterday afternoon I got an excited call from Jordan at Oberlin. It went a little something like this:
Jordan: “I just got a text from Brooke. [She's a U. of MD student and friend of the show.] She said that her class is having a guest speaker and he just mentioned you guys. The dude’s apparently a big POGO fan.”
Me: “What’s his name?”
Jordan: “I don’t think she was paying 100% attention until she heard POGO. I think his name is Colin something.”
Me: “Colin Mochrie? I love him! I didn’t think he even knew about POGO.”
Jordan: “Not Colin Mochrie. Some guy talking about physics or global warming or something. Brooke either didn’t spell it right, or he’s with a group called FAS?”
Me: “Oh, is it Steve Aftergood? I love Steve Aftergood! Definite friend of the show.”
Jordan: “No, she said his name is Colin. I’ll find out more when Brooke’s out of class and can text more.”
Well, it turns out it was Colin McCormack (I guess he knows Peter and Ingrid and our nuke work). Thanks Colin! And thanks Brooke for letting us know.
As Chuck Hamel always says, “You gotta get the kids involved.”
– Keith Rutter
michael December 10th, 2008
“On November 5, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Deputy Governor A regarding positions that ROD BLAGOJEVICH might be able to obtain in exchange for the soon-to-be-vacated seat. Among the potential positions discussed were Secretary of Health and Human Services and various ambassadorships. Deputy Governor A noted that the cabinet position of Secretary of Energy is ‘the one that makes the most money.’”
– Criminal complaint filed against Gov. Rod Blagojevich and chief of staff John Harris
“I look at percentage of GDP when I’m trying to determine affordability.”
– Lt. General (Ret.) Michael Dunn, Air Force Association President and CEO, overheard at the Center for American Progress
michael December 8th, 2008
Hey POGO and friends. Here are a couple of the pictures I took on my trip to Australia in October. I’ve gotta say, it’s the best trip I’ve ever taken! Everything was so different from anything I’d ever experienced before (other than that this was the first country I’d been to where English was the native language, and even then, they speak their own wonderful version of the language)–the culture, the land, the people, and the critters.
Almost without exception, the Australians were friendly, tolerant, and humble almost to a fault. One night around a campfire, the head stockman of the station we were staying at played the didgeridoo for us. It was amazing to listen to, and we were all enthralled. At the end, though, James apologized to us for not playing it better!
The distances are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, as well. Australia is comparable in size to the U.S., but is for the most part flat and sparsely populated. So when we drove somewhere, we drove for 200-400 kilometers to get there, and saw few if any other cars, houses, or people. And because the country was so wide open, you could look out the window or stand at the top of a hill and see forever.
The scenery across the country was spectacular, and each place I went to was so different from the place I’d been the day before. Arid or semi-arid desert in one place, rainforest in another, and ocean in yet another. One of my favorite places was Kings Canyon in Northern Territory. I was awed by the place, which was formed over millions of years by an inland sea, and then took its shape as over more millions of years the earth eroded.
And, of course, I got to see in the wild kangaroos, wallabies, a platapus, crocodiles, sea lions, penguins, wild camels, emu, brumbies, koalas, snakes, birds of so many colors and sizes, and so much more. All uniquely Australian (to one degree or another), and all so very fascinating.
If you’re interested in seeing some of what I experienced, you can see the pictures I took over there at www.danni.smugmug.com/travel. I saw so much, and yet, there was so much more that I wanted to see. I can’t wait to go back!
– Danni Downing
michael December 4th, 2008
I would never say this. But being on the phone call, I wouldn’t refute it, either.
– Mandy Smithberger
michael December 4th, 2008
“We need a czar. And we need czars on top of czars. Then you need a super czar. And a czarina.”
– Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, on the impulse in Washington to constantly expand bureacuracies
michael November 26th, 2008
To POGO’s friends, family, staffers, alumni, and lurkers: here’s wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Watercooler.
