BernieHund: The Political Watchdog

I’m sure it wasn’t his idea, but today as rumored HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson resigned.  He has found himself under criticism by most and under investigation by Democrats in Congress.

How did he get in such a mess?  Easy, I suppose.  He was in Washington and a part of the administration.  But, even under the Bush umbrella, all men are not treated equal.  Of course, with the housing crisis under such scrutiny, Alphonso Jackson should have been toeing the line and expecting that eyes would be looking closely at him.  Yet, Jackson found himself dodging allegations of cronyism and favoritism for some HUD contractors.

The FBI has been examining the ties between Jackson and a friend who was paid $392,000 by Jackson’s department as a construction manager in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Jackson made no mention of the allegations of criminal activities or the investigations during his resignation speech.  He said only

“There comes a time when one must attend more diligently to personal and family matters. Now is such a time for me.”

During his time as Secretary of HUD, Jackson had repeatedly come under fire for such things as taking a contract back from a contractor who said he didn’t like President Bush and for blocking funds for some projects while picking friends as contractors for other projects.  According to many in Washington, Jackson’s actions had become a distraction, taking the focus away from the housing crisis.

While all that may be true, the umbrella of the administration didn’t have room underneath to cover his sins.

See Alphonso Jackson: