Retro Garlic: Mirror, Mirror On The Wall ...

Who's The Prettiest Alphonso Jackson of Them All?

Maybe he wants to get his pictures out there, before someone else, perhaps, in the not-too-distant future, starts a gallery of his mugshot.

We speak of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson.

Al Karmen's 'In The Loop' has a nice little offering today, in his "HUD's Exhibitionist";

"Tour groups need not even go through the inviting metal detectors to admire 20 large, color photographs of the secretary, each about 2 feet by 3 feet. No fewer than five of them feature Jackson with President Bush-- in the Rose Garden, in the Oval Office, chatting together, coming down the steps at the Capitol.

The photographs cover an entire wall of the lobby as you enter, passing two other photos, the smaller official ones, of Bush and his old buddy from Texas days, side by side to greet you.

There's a lovely picture of Jackson testifying, another of him looking pensive, one neat one of him wearing headphones as he looks out a helicopter window flying over somewhere -- perhaps those FEMA trailers in New Orleans. (One minor quibble is that no brief explanations accompany the photos.)

The exhibit includes photos of an empathetic Jackson talking with a disabled child in a wheelchair, chatting with three women and giving a speech. And there is another of him at a construction site, the only one that might help visitors connect Jackson to his job here."

It could be a soft PR campaign.

You see, Jackson is currently under investigation, for handing out some sweetheart contracts to a buddy, down in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

And why do we initiate another Retro Garlic for his narcissistic display?

Top Ten Cloves: Signs HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson Is Getting Ready To Cancel Your Contract

Jackson, back in 2006, took umbrage to a potential contract-winner, after said potential contract-winner dissed Jackson's boss - The Commander Guy.

From The Dallas Business Journal;

"He had made every effort to get a contract with HUD for 10 years," Jackson said of the prospective contractor. "He made a heck of a proposal and was on the (General Services Administration) list, so we selected him. He came to see me and thank me for selecting him. Then he said something ... he said, 'I have a problem with your president.'

"I said, 'What do you mean?' He said, 'I don't like President Bush.' I thought to myself, 'Brother, you have a disconnect -- the president is elected, I was selected. You wouldn't be getting the contract unless I was sitting here. If you have a problem with the president, don't tell the secretary.'

"He didn't get the contract," Jackson continued. "Why should I reward someone who doesn't like the president, so they can use funds to try to campaign against the president? Logic says they don't get the contract. That's the way I believe."

Where do they find these people?


Bonus Action Jackson Links

Howard Kurtz: Loyalty Oath?

Probe Finds Jackson Urged Favoritism in HUD Contracts

The Carpetbagger Report: New HUD defense — Alphonso Jackson lied