Episode 77: What the Watchdog Sees over the Potomac

What is the role of organizations with mission statements that include phrases such as, "... investigat(e) ... corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest (to) achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government. "?

Where do they exist in the media ecosystem of traditional media, new media, think tanks, and advocacy organizations?  Why are they needed, and how do they shape the debate?

Join Sal from the blog "CDR Salamander" and EagleOne from "EagleSpeak" for the full hour with Mandy Smithberger, investigator with the Project on Government Oversight (POGO).

Mandy joined POGO as a Picker intern in 2006 and became a National Security Investigator in 2008.  She has worked on investigations into multiyear procurement of the troubled F-22A Raptor, federal contracting in response to Hurricane Katrina, inherently governmental functions, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and the Department of Interior's Royalty-In-Kind program.  She has also written about the federal government's collection of oil and natural gas drilling royalties for the Multinational Monitor,  been quoted on National Public Radio, and spoken at an international conference on the subject. 

Ms. Smithberger received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Smith College in 2008, where she also won the Dawes Prize for the best undergraduate work on political science.