Time for Buffy to Bid the White House Adieu
As I have been reading the transcript of the conference call coordinated by the White House and the supposedly non-partisan National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), various bloggers’ reactions to this attempt to use art to promote the president’s agenda, I have scribbled a number of notes for a potential on the topic. But, the thing that strikes me more than anything else, particularly as I review that transcript is this: what is a person like Buffy Wicks doing working in the White House?
As we learn more about her background (which includes ties to ACORN), we help confirm Michael Barone’s point that “Most of Obama’s top White House staffers are politics operatives, not policy wonks.” She has activism and political agitation in her blood. No wonder they renamed the office where she works Office of Public Engagement (it had been the Office of Public Liaison). Her record suggests she’s all about using her government job to mobilize the masses.
As do her actual words in the conference call:
I’m honored to be on the call, and I just, you know, it’s been a long road I know for a lot of us, and we’re really just beginning. I, first of all, want to thank everyone for being on the call and really just a deep, deep appreciation for all the work that you all put into the campaign for the two plus years that we all worked together. . . .
And, you know, we won and that’s exciting, and now we have to take all that energy and make it really meaningful. I’m in the White House now and . . . I’m really realizing that, and I’m also appreciative of the way in which we did win and the strategy that the campaign shows, which is really to engage people at a local level and to engage them in the process, because we need them and we need you, and we’re going to need your help, and we’re going to come at you with some specific asks here. . . . .
So we focus on the four main areas: One is health care. Obviously, that’s a big issue. … Second was energy and environment. And so we worked a lot with the Department of Interior. I know I’m throwing a lot of government stuff at you guys, so bear with me. It’s the world we live in now. We’re actually running the government.
We need your guys’s help to promote this. We know that you all have channels and ability to get the message out far greater than we do here and the president’s put out the call. And that’s who we have to push this forward, and he speaks to a lot of people, so does our First Lady and so do our cabinet secretaries. But we know that you all are very powerful voices of change in your own right, and we’re looking to you for your help on that.
What does any of this have to do with “supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education“? You know, the mission of the federally funded NEA. Ms. Wicks wants to enlist artists in a type of political campaign to promote the president’s agenda.
This isn’t about crafting speeches to promote his policies, an entirely legitimate use of White House staff, but about coordinating a type of political campaign from the White House.
Perhaps, later, I’ll address the unfortunate polticization of the arts because, for Ms. Wicks, it seems the purpose of art is to serve politics. For now, the issue is of a political organizer operating out of the president’s office–and on the taxpayers’ dime.
That she could use her position in the White House to politicize an independent agency of the federal government indicates she has no business serving there. It’s time for her to go.
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Community organizers have no business being in the White House. Out with the lot of them.
Comment by thestraightaussie — September 22, 2009 @ 7:08 am - September 22, 2009
This item shows excellent reporting to illustrate the larger point: namely Pres. Obama has placed political operatives in jobs that should be to policy experts.. At least now we know what to expect.
Comment by R H Maas — September 22, 2009 @ 8:02 am - September 22, 2009
I always thought Buffy was a lime green and pink outfitted girl with a designer tennis racket and a guy named Biff.
Somehow, I can’t quite picture Buffy at the Barrack revolution. Maybe she is the color coordinator. Anyway, she needs to go. Perhaps she can go over to the swine flu task force and brighten things up there.
Comment by heliotrope — September 22, 2009 @ 8:48 am - September 22, 2009
Maybe he hired her to slay Michelle?
Comment by The_Livewire — September 22, 2009 @ 9:07 am - September 22, 2009
She appears to be illegally suborning the NEA’s “clientele” for partisan lobbying.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 22, 2009 @ 9:44 am - September 22, 2009
Imagine the legal investigations and charges if any GOP President tried it.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 22, 2009 @ 9:45 am - September 22, 2009
Buffy the art slayer?
Buffy the propoganda promoter?
Comment by The_Livewire — September 22, 2009 @ 10:22 am - September 22, 2009
Carefully read the transcript. She is an inarticulate boob.
Comment by Cowboy Logic — September 22, 2009 @ 11:10 am - September 22, 2009
Just discovered your website. Great work. Buffy and Biff, the movie. A political thriller. Can you imagine? My mind is just constipated with ideas.
Comment by Joe — September 22, 2009 @ 11:31 am - September 22, 2009
“what is a person like Buffy Wicks doing working in the White House?”
She’s exactly the person they want, and who would end up there: the well-heeled, gleaming-eyed, turbo-powered and morally vapid little zealot with her Ivy education and jargonized Newspeak “so honored” to be chosen as the new elite to remake society. I don’t want to see her fired. Too easy. I want to see her exposed and humiliated to the ends our usefulness, which is also to the benefit of America.
Comment by rrpjr — September 22, 2009 @ 11:44 am - September 22, 2009
Buffy “The WalMart Slayer” ACORN tool has now been caught in her own, arrogant web. She should be fired today and any reasonably investigation will charge her with tax and 501 C3 coordiantion violations.
Comment by Dave — September 22, 2009 @ 11:55 am - September 22, 2009
I think one of the things that troubles me most about the people Obama has picked to surround himself with as his team to govern is:
They seem to have similar focuses. They do not want to respect the boundaries of the game (law or legal limits) and seem to be bent on how to remove the obstacles to the game (how to subvert or break the law). Obama stinketh. A mixture of the worst elements of Nixon and Carter.
Comment by SjB — September 22, 2009 @ 12:52 pm - September 22, 2009
“And so we worked a lot with the Department of Interior. I know I’m throwing a lot of government stuff at you guys, so bear with me. It’s the world we live in now. We’re actually running the government.”
This sounds like someone trying to sell Windows 95 in 1994. “You know. It’s going to be really really cool. You know the beta version…well I know I’m throwing alot of technical stuff at you guys. It’s the world we live in. Jamming alot of crap down your throats even though it’s nowhere close for human consumption is just the start of it. God we can’t wait for Vista!”
Comment by Dirtt — September 22, 2009 @ 2:11 pm - September 22, 2009
i just found this blog and i LOVE IT.
Comment by bucky — September 22, 2009 @ 2:19 pm - September 22, 2009
I’ve said it before it is going to be interesting when Obama starts firing people. His iniatiatives are failing, his people are boobs. But folks this is his “A” team. These are his best and brightest that he could have chosen he feels. After the first raft of firings for incompetence and illegalities his next choices are going to be really second tier, second choices. Then get ready for the real boobery, and bungling. Ahh the Carter/Obama Democrats aren’t they fun?
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — September 22, 2009 @ 3:44 pm - September 22, 2009
Just completed a cursory web search on this young lady. Humm…sounds like the individuals that are chosen by Obama follow the following rule – do whatever you like but, dont get caught. The other thing that these individuals demonstrate is a lack of regard for the legality of their personal actions. Is this behavior criminal? If Joe Citizen was caught doing this, would he be prosecuted for his behavior. Unfortunately, with all the individuals that have had problems with tax evasion, etc. Buffy’s just making her resume more attractive to Obama.
Comment by Duffy - Native Intelligence — September 22, 2009 @ 3:46 pm - September 22, 2009
Our President is a community activist with little to no policy experience. His grasp of the issues is weak and inconsistent. Yet he thinks he is the greatest President ever, comparing himself often to FDR or Reagan. So it is no surprise that he hires similiar people into his administration- people who think they are great but have little backing it up. It’s bad for our nation.
Comment by A Conservative Teacher — September 22, 2009 @ 4:46 pm - September 22, 2009
[...] of “gotcha,” isn’t it time to say auf wiedersehen to Buffy Wicks at the White House for the NEA boo boo? [...]
Pingback by Serve.gov Embarrassingly Scrubs ACORN Listings « Mcnorman’s Weblog — September 22, 2009 @ 6:33 pm - September 22, 2009
[...] Time for Buffy to Bid the White House Adieu [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » Obama Needs a Health Care Plan Before he Engages the Public? — September 22, 2009 @ 7:34 pm - September 22, 2009
This is ridiculous–when will the press stop reporting on news these blogs are making and start making some news themselves by breaking stories?????
Comment by phil — September 22, 2009 @ 8:00 pm - September 22, 2009
but, dont get caught.
And so far, they suck at that.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — September 22, 2009 @ 8:11 pm - September 22, 2009
Call the White House and voice your displeasure…We need to stop these people! (does this comment make me a racist?)
Comment by Gary — September 22, 2009 @ 9:55 pm - September 22, 2009
Can’t fire her, (Buffy) or the NEA guy, that would mean a potential law suit, potential discovery, and testimony under oath, possibly exposing the boss. So, reassign then, keep their current salary, and keep them quiet.
If either does get fired, I’d love to see the severance payout and corresponding confidentially agreement.
Comment by J. E. Smith — September 22, 2009 @ 10:30 pm - September 22, 2009
Van Jones was forced to resign, the ACORN nut has at least been cracked, and Buffy . . .well, golly gee, I think little miss sunshine should canned. Maybe she can get a job on the ‘Love Boat.’
Comment by shigley — September 22, 2009 @ 11:16 pm - September 22, 2009
So…under Boehner’s “Defund ACORN Bill”, these are just a few of the “entities” that will lose their government funding as per the articles defined in the bill:
http://www.contractormisconduct.org/
Just a few.
Comment by Syntax — September 23, 2009 @ 2:52 am - September 23, 2009
I’ve never met anyone like these weirdo communist zealot types that Obama surrounds himself with in real life, but what they most remind me of is the freaks you see on zombietime.com where this dude posted pics of all the stupid protests in SF and Berkeley. Big on zeal, and very short on common sense. Laws, decency, and tradition mean nothing to these freaks. Can we give them New England and California from LA to SF and forcibly resettle them there? It would certainly be fun to watch them built their 3rd world, but “fair” nation.
Comment by kungfoochimp — September 23, 2009 @ 4:29 am - September 23, 2009
Might I suggest she and all of those enthusiastic “prop up Obama” artists she is in league with be moved to one of the road crews who are supposed to repairing our crumbling infrastructure – a goal of that $787 Billion Stimulus Bill farce BO rammed down our throats with the promise of reducing unemployment and creating Nirvana in America. That would give Buffy and her ilk something constructive (an not illegal) to do for Obama that we were told was necessary. I do not recall BO telling us he was going to recruit America’s artists to be his version of the Brown Shirts and pay them with my tax dollars for propoganda programs.
Each week seems to find BO’s crew caught doing something dastardly – and they go scurrying for cover to write and issue yet another press release saying how they are modifying their procedures and processes so such things (getting caught) will never happen again. They conduct themselves very much like cockroaches when the lights are turned on. The similarities are striking and quite apparent.
Comment by 4Deuce — September 23, 2009 @ 9:01 am - September 23, 2009
Maybe she can suck the chrome off a Buick bumper.
Comment by Paul A'Barge — September 23, 2009 @ 12:57 pm - September 23, 2009
BO and his crew are now so predictable: ignore laws, get around rules, get around the Constitution, push as much community organizing to muster America haters to act under his communist communication control flag and then call it ‘grass roots’ belief. More paid, blackmailed low life tactics… Wicks and the crew will just sit down with lawyers and be told how to KEEP doing what they plan to do any way they can – command the lowly paid to do his bidding and call it mainstream using NEA and all other taxpaid organizations against us, just like the ACORN tree organizations. Political Artists…I’m sure they already got their secret calls into the wildlife taxpayer groups too. BO: Slick-Attorney-in-Chief,
Comment by Milly — September 23, 2009 @ 3:10 pm - September 23, 2009
There needs to be a link of the “community organizers” vis a vis to the left as the link that is made for “lobbyists and special interests” to the the right. They both are poison to the governing process. They have their agenda in mind not the people’s.
Comment by BigShooter — September 23, 2009 @ 4:00 pm - September 23, 2009
No, let’s keep Buffy around because she “rilly” has the vibes for this administration.
I nominate her to replace the adorable Gibbsie as Press Secretary, as she is so well spoken.
Oh wait — I think Peggy Noonan has her eye on that post, Peggy having earned it this last year or so.
So then Peggy could be Buffy’s new boss and they could work on Public Engagement together.
Comment by Ariel — September 23, 2009 @ 9:15 pm - September 23, 2009
[...] for the Arts after leading that conference call, will his White House counterpart Buffy Wicks also step down? (Via Instapundit.) As Patrick Courrielche, who also participated, reminds us: And from the [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » With Yosi Gone, is Buffy Next? — September 24, 2009 @ 8:00 pm - September 24, 2009