Posted on 04/15/2010 7:35:18 AM PDT by McGruff
Months after President Obama urged federal agencies last year to cut wasteful spending, the U.S. Department of State paid $3,814 to fill an order of Jack Daniel's whiskey for gratuities at one of its many overseas embassies.
The booze buy wasn't unusual.
Last year alone, the State Department sent taxpayers tabs totaling nearly $300,000 for alcoholic beverages about twice as much compared to the previous year, according to an analysis of spending records by The Washington Times.
The purchases, small and large, included $2,483 to pay for "assorted spirits for gratuities to vendors" at the U.S. mission to the United Nations in New York, and $9,501 in "Christmas gratuities" of whiskey and wine at the U.S. Embassy in South Korea.
Taxpayer watchdogs say while accounting for a small fraction of the State Department's overall budget, some of the liquor expenditures reflect larger concerns about stewardship of federal tax dollars at a time when many recession-weary Americans find themselves struggling to hold onto jobs and pay mortgages.
"It's indicative of the disconnect that bureaucrats have when they spend our money," said David Williams, vice president of policy at the nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste.
State Department spokesman Noel Clay said such expenditures are permitted under law.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
They probably need to stay blitzed because of obozo’s horrendous foreign policies!
Ah, life is good at the State Department.
Never been able to figure out what they do at the State Dept. What exactly is their purpose?
That’s exactly my thought - I would need to be plastered to be able to attempt to defend the foreign policy of The One’s administration.
You have to be incoherent to defend an incoherent foreign policy.
Umm. Attempt to overthrow Republican administrations?
I drank a lot of Jack when I was younger. My tastes have matured. Give me a good Kentucky Bourbon like Woodford or Bookers these days.
the purpose of the state department is to undermine the victory of the military.
Are those cigarettes on Hillary’s table?
if Hillary was your boss you’d want to be knocking back some of the good stuff whenever you could too.
State is the Bag Man for the President, bribing foreign officials so the WH can take credit for getting other countries do do what the President wants to take credit for.
Thanks.
But what of the leftists who were “shocked” to find bills for alcohol on the RNC expenses?
Like securing the Olympics in Chicago? < /snicker >
I don’t think these are outrageous.
Most of these liquor bills are subtle bribes of a case of whiskey to local officials. For example a US diplomat who needs to get 100 beds into Sudan for a hospital but can’t clear the shipment out of customs. You can’t hand the interior minister or the head of customs, $100 bucks, but you can give them a case. It’s the way the system works.
Give that woman some mor Mad Dog 20-20.
That’s funny, LOL!!!
A dollar here, a dollar there. Pretty soon you’re talking some serious money.
"Comrades!" he cried."You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig."
"We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples."
- Squealer in Animal Farm by George Orwell
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