Dr. Evil and Mini-Me -- George Bush/Stephen Harper edition.

December 14, 2006:

Kenneth Tomlinson's Ethical Problems Don't Prevent Reappointment

Bush crony re-nominated as chair of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
by Bill Berkowitz

On November 14, in a move indicative of President Bush's intention to continue to surround himself with political cronies with questionable ethics records, Kenneth L. Tomlinson was re-nominated by the president as chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors -- the agency that supervises the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, the Arab-language Alhurra, Radio Marti and other government radio and television operations that are heard by an estimated 100 million people worldwide.

Tomlinson, a close friend of Karl Rove, has a decidedly spotty record in government service, having been previously forced to resign from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over charges that he tried to politicize that agency.

January 28, 2007:

...
Who is Phil von Finckenstein? He’s a public relations consultant who in addition to working with the CFRA also works with the Fraser Institute; a well known rightwing astroturf organization. Oh, and he was also Conservative MP Stockwell Day’s Director of Communications during the Alliance phase of the party...

There is one other bit of information that has surfaced. If the name Phil von Finckenstein left you scratching your head wondering why the name sounds familiar, it’s because another von Finckenstein was in the news last week. Konrad von Finckenstein was appointed to the CRTC. I’m not sure if the two are related or what, if any connection there is between these events. But it’s a strange coincidence that two von Finckensteins were involved in news related to the telecommunications industry in the same week.

It's not that Stephen Harper is such an abominably dishonest sleazebag; it's that he's so depressingly unoriginal that's so upsetting.