This email appears to be another bit of damning evidence that the Obama administration is attempting to inflict pain for political gain. Here's what the email says:
During the Management team conference call this morning, I asked if there was any latitude in how the sequestration cuts related to aquaculture could be managed (e.g. spread across the Region). The question was elevated to APHIS BPAS. The response back was, “We have gone on record with a notification to Congress and whoever else that “APHIS would eliminate assistance to producers in 24 States in managing wildlife damage to the aquaculture industry, unless they provide funding to cover the costs.“ So, it is our opinion that however you manage that reduction, you need to make sure you are not contradicting what we said the impact would be.”
I have been asked to provide a plan by Friday that will outline the implement of the $263,000 aquaculture reduction. I will use the information you have already provided. If I need additional information, I will let you know.
APHIS stands for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service within the US Department of Agriculture, aka the USDA.
Once again, the Obama administration is caught stretching the truth with their explanation:
An Agriculture Department spokesperson told Fox on Wednesday that the email "has been completely taken out of context. The spokesperson said it references "cuts and impacts communicated to Congress as part of the FY2013 budget, not as part of a sequester plan."
That doesn't fit with the text of the email, especially this part:
During the Management team conference call this morning, I asked if there was any latitude in how the sequestration cuts related to aquaculture could be managed.
Charles Brown, the Eastern Regional Director of the USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services in Raleigh, NC, clearly stated that this email was in reference to latitude the agency had in administering the sequestration cuts.
It's telling that the FY2013 budget isn't mentioned in the email. The USDA spokesperson who spoke to Fox clearly was attempting to put the best spin possible on the email.
Clearly, that attempt failed.
The longer the nation focuses on sequestration and the Obama administration's spin, the more the Obama administration loses credibility. If the administration doesn't put this all behind them ASAP, they'll be the biggest losers politically in this fight.
That's what sometimes happens when a president puts a higher priority on political gains than on doing what's right for the nation. President Obama's political gamesmanship might end the Democrats' hope of retaking the House in 2014.
It isn't likely that the American people will give back absolute power to Democrats if they don't trust this administration.
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