We're getting saturation news coverage of the event (along with Saddam's execution and Jame brown's funeral) an will see government services shut down on Tuesday, but the state funeral of former President Gerald Ford was not a big draw for government officials. Indeed, not even the current occupant of the Oval office could be troubled to attend.

The military band drilled. Wreaths with white roses hung outside the House and Senate chambers. In the Capitol Rotunda rested the black velvet catafalque that once bore the remains of Abraham Lincoln.

Everything was in place for former President Gerald Ford's state funeral Saturday night — everything, that is, but the statesmen.

•President Bush sent his regrets; he was cutting cedar and riding his bike on his ranch in Texas.
•Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his deputy, Richard Durbin, couldn't make it either; they were on a trip to visit Incan ruins.
•Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a pass, too — as did about 500 of the 535 members of Congress.
Only one Cabinet member — Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez — accepted the invitation, organizers said.

A 6-to-3 majority of the Supreme Court, including Ford's appointee, John Paul Stevens, ruled against attending.

Congressional staffers and Ford family representatives scrambled to find sufficient greeters and honorary pallbearers to join Vice President Dick Cheney and a score of former lawmakers and Ford administration officials.

I'm sorry, but I can only call this a shameful response. The President could and should have cut short the Crawford vacation. Reid and Durbin arguably could have rescheduled the trip south of the border -- they do get CNN in Latin America, so they know about Ford's death.More members of Congress could have made it back, Cabinet officials could have made an effort to return to Washington, and the Supreme Court justice (especially Stevens) could have put in an appearance. There should have been more than 77 official mourners at the Capitol on Saturday night.

After all, this is the state funeral for a former head of state -- shouldn't the current leaders of the United States be in attendance?

Or are we seeing that such funeral rituals are an anachronism in this country?

Posted by: Greg at 01:50 AM | Comments (165) | Add Comment
Post contains 380 words, total size 2 kb.

Lest we forget this poor man's situation -- one that transcends politics and cuts to the humanity of each and every individual in the public arena.

U.S. Senator Tim Johnson is spending Thursday, his 60th birthday, sedated in a Washington, D.C. hospital. Family members plan to be at his bedside.

Senator Johnson remains sedated after undergoing emergency surgery two weeks ago for bleeding in the brain. A Johnson spokesman says his family remains optimistic but could not say how long he'll remain under sedation.

The senator has been in critical condition since the surgery. He is sedated to help minimize the swelling of his brain.

Happy birthday, Senator Johnson. may the gift of health be conferred upon you by the good Lord this day -- and may you one day come to know that the prayers of the citizens of the United States are with you.

Posted by: Greg at 12:50 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 160 words, total size 1 kb.

One of the recent questions about Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts has swirled around the issue of gay rights. Romney once said that eh would be better on gay rights than Se. Ted Kennedy, but has stood strongly against gay marriage since the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court imposed it by judicial fiat in 2003.

Romney was recently interviewed by Human Events, and answers two questions on the issue in a way that I believe should clarify his position and reconcile his positions for most conservatives.

And also on the issue of gay marriage, the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts today gave you a symbolic victory in terms of scolding some of the lawmakers for their actions. Do you believe the same [skepticism among conservatives] will hold true on gay marriage or will people still critique that 1994 letter and some of the comments you made in that campaign?

No, actually, my view on marriage has been entirely consistent over my political career. And that is that I oppose same-sex marriage. I also oppose civil unions.

There are some people who feel that is inconsistent with also encouraging the elimination of discrimination against gay people as well as others of differences. IÂ’m very much opposed to discrimination. I also recognize that itÂ’s not wise to create a special class and establish new rights for any particular group. But IÂ’m opposed to discrimination.

At the same time, IÂ’m opposed to same-sex marriage. And ever since that feature has become a prominent one in my state, with the decision of the Supreme Judicial Court, I have taken every action that I could conceive of within the bounds of the law to defend traditional marriage and to stop same-sex marriage.

You mentioned the decision today of the Supreme Judicial Court. It’s more than symbolic. The Supreme Judicial Court—and this is a battle that my administration took to the court—they said, in fact, that the Legislature must take a vote on a citizens’ petition to have this go before the voters. They must take a vote, and failure to do so would represent a violation of a legislator’s oath of office. That is a very powerful statement, and I believe it gives me a pretty significant degree of confidence that we will see on the ballot in Massachusetts the right of citizens to define marriage. And that’s what I’ve been fighting for now for over two years.

On that same subject, would you accept another endorsement from the Log Cabin Republicans if it was offered to you?

Haven’t thought about that. I doubt it’s going to be forthcoming—and in part because for gay Americans of both Republican and Democratic stripe, the issue is now all about marriage. It is not about equality and hiring. Look, I would not discriminate against someone in a hiring position based on their sexual preference. But it’s now about marriage, and I am adamantly opposed to same-sex marriage.

IÂ’ve been to Washington to testify in favor of traditional marriage. IÂ’ve written a letter to every U.S. senator on the topic. IÂ’ve fought same-sex marriage in Massachusetts in every way I could within the bounds of the law. So thatÂ’s not going to make me popular with gay Republicans or gay Democrats. But there are some gay individuals who I know, who are friends of mine, who respect that fact that I believe that traditional marriage is right for the nurturing and development of children, but that I do not want to discriminate against gay people in employment or housing or other parts of their life.

In other words, Romney draws a distinction between marriage and issues of non-discrimination in housing, employment, etc.

IÂ’d argue that this is well within the conservative mainstream. Marriage is fundamentally an institution defined by our society as being between one man and one woman, and the American people have voted to retain that definition every time they have been given the opportunity to do so (with the exception of one poorly drafted proposal this year in Arizona). On the other hand, most Americans find discriminatory practices in employment and housing to be unacceptable and are supportive of efforts to eliminate it in cases of sexual orientation (although some, on libertarian principles, question the legitimacy of government-imposed non-discrimination requirements for any group).

Hopefully this interview and a close examination of RomneyÂ’s record will help to settle the gay issue (as well as the abortion issue) for conservatives and allow Romney to position himself as the best conservative option in 2008.

Posted by: Greg at 06:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 763 words, total size 5 kb.

IÂ’ve long thought that term limits are a bad idea, and have opposed them even when they were one of the staples of conservative ideology. I therefore find one of incoming House Majority Leader Steny HoyerÂ’s pet issues to be heartening.

With Democrats assuming majority power next month, Congress has a fresh opportunity to make things right. The new House majority leader, Steny Hoyer, has proposed a repeal of presidential term limits in every session since 1985. Now he may have the political muscle to get it passed.

In my American government classes, IÂ’ve always described the Twenty-Second Amendment as the GOP-controlled CongressÂ’ method of driving a stake through the heart of FDR and as close to the posthumous treatment of Pope Formosus as we are ever likely to see in American politics. More than Prohibition (a dumb idea that, having made it into the Constitution, was wisely repealed), the two-term limit placed upon presidents is a blot upon the Constitution.

Indeed, I agree with this great American.

"The United States ought to be able to choose for its president anybody it wants, regardless of the number of terms he has served," Dwight Eisenhower said on the eve of his 1956 reelection. "I have got the utmost faith in the long-term common sense of the American people."

Do I fear that the American people might engage in some monumentally stupid act and reelect Bill Clinton (currently one of only two Americans barred from election to the presidency by Amendment XXII)? Not really, for I believe that Senator Hillary Clinton would commit homicide before permitting that. Do I vainly hope for the reelection of George W. Bush for a third term? No, as I have become increasingly disappointed in the policies of the current occupant of the Oval Office since the 2004 election. And while I recognize that because of the Twenty-Second Amendment we were mercifully spared the reelection of Ronald Reagan as he descended into the fog of AlzheimerÂ’s disease, I also acknowledge that his situation is anomalous among recent American presidents, most of whom have remained healthy and active for at least a decade following their time in office.

Ignore the anti-Bush rant that constitutes the first half of Zimmerman’s column – focus on the big issue of restoring the Constitutional order to that established by the Founders.

Posted by: Greg at 06:11 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 403 words, total size 3 kb.

Welcome visitors from FARK.com! Take some time to browse around the rest of the site -- and come back any time.

What do you get when you take a senior congressman with the ability to steer money to favored companies, a former aide to that congressman running a non-profit group, multiple lobbyists for the industry over which the congressman has a big say serving on the board, and big donations from that industry going to the group?

Well, it depends.

If the congressman has an (R) after his name, you get a major scandal and claims of a improprieties and a "culture of corruption" trumpeted throughout the mainstream media. If the congressman has a (D) after his name, you get a story that is more-or-less ignored and published on Christmas Day, when almost no one is paying attention to the news.

Which explains why the story that follows was published on December 25, 2006 in the Washington Post, and accounted for only a couple of short paragraphs in the wire-service reports highlighting denials of wrong-doing rather than possible improprieties.

Oh, and the congressman in question? John Murtha, an unindicted co-conspirator from Abscam who has previously been linked to preferential treatment for clients of his brother's lobbying firm and other shady deals.

For a quarter of a century, Carmen Scialabba labored for Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), helping parcel out the billions of dollars that came through the House Appropriations Committee, so when the disabled aide needed a favor, Murtha was there.

In 2001, Murtha announced the creation of Scialabba's nonprofit agency for the disabled in Johnstown, Pa. The next year, with Scialabba still on his staff, Murtha secured a half-million dollars for the group, the Pennsylvania Association for Individuals With Disabilities (PAID), and put another $150,000 in the pipeline for 2003, according to appropriations committee records and former committee aides. Since then, the group has helped hundreds of disabled people find work.

But the group serves another function as well. PAID has become a gathering point for defense contractors and lobbyists with business before Murtha's defense appropriations subcommittee, and for Pennsylvania businesses and universities that have thrived on federal money obtained by Murtha.

Lobbyists and corporate officials serve as directors on the nonprofit group's board, where they help raise money and find jobs for Johnstown's disabled workers. Some of those lobbyists have served as intermediaries between the defense contractors and businessmen on the board, and Murtha and his aides.

That arrangement over the years has yielded millions of dollars in federal support for the contractors, businesses and universities, and hundreds of thousands in consulting and lobbying fees to Murtha's favored lobbying shops, according to Federal Election Commission records and lobbying disclosure forms. In turn, many of PAID's directors have kept Murtha's campaigns flush with cash.

What sort of stuff are we talking about? Well, take a look at some of the specific examples.

After PAID's founding, Scialabba approached Kuchera [Bill Kuchera, chief executive of Kuchera Industries of Windber, PA] to get involved. Kuchera jumped, not only joining the group's board but ramping up hiring of disabled workers, who now compose a third of the 200 employees in his company's defense business. The federal government picked up Kuchera's $7 million training bill. This year, Murtha earmarked $1.3 million for Kuchera's chemical and biological weapons detection research.

Kuchera employees donated more than $31,000 to Murtha in the past three election campaigns, according to federal election records. Between 1990 and 2000, contributions totaled $1,000. And congressional lobbying disclosure forms tally $140,000 in payments since 2001 from Kuchera to Ervin Technical Associates, whose chairman is former representative Joseph M. McDade (R-Pa.), a close Murtha ally.

The Kuchera experience is not unique. Ed Washington, another PAID director, hails from MTS Technologies, an Arlington defense contractor that recently secured $8.9 million in federal funds to expand its Johnstown facility. MTS's lobbyist, the PMA Group, has disclosed some $300,000 in fees from the company since 1998. And PMA has returned the favor: Since 1989, the firm's employees have given Murtha $107,500.

Daniel DeVos, an honorary PAID board member, represents Concurrent Technologies, whose employees have lavished Murtha with more than $53,000 in campaign contributions and PMA with $820,000 in fees. That may sound steep, but the rewards have been substantial: a $150 million contract to operate the Navy Metalworking Center; a $4 million contract from the Army to evaluate fuel-cell systems; and $1.7 million for a weapons of mass destruction response laboratory, among others.

Seems like a tidy little system in which the industries are buying access and favors using a charitable group. Isn't that something that the Democrats accused Tom DeLay of doing, claiming it was unethical, or at least had an "appeaance of impropriety"? What about Murtha?

This ought to be the first test case for the Democrats when it comes to dealing with lobbying and ethics reform as Nancy Pelosi seeks to "drain the ethical swamp" and undo the so-called "culture of corruption" that Democrats claim has existed in Congress. But Pelosi, of course, is one of Murtha's biggest supporters and she tried to put him in a senior leadership role. Will she play favorites,or will she keep her word?

Oh, and by the way -- Murtha isn't the only member of Congress who may have improper relations with a PAID director.

Another PAID director, Jim Estep, is a central figure in an investigation of Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.Va.), a Murtha ally and fellow member of the Appropriations Committee. Estep heads the West Virginia High-Technology Consortium Foundation and the Institute for Scientific Research, two nonprofit organizations that Mollohan helped set up and has plied with federal funds.

Yes, that is the same Alan Mollohan who is under FBI investigation for using non-profit groups to benefit himself and who lied on financial disclosure forms -- and who got thrown off the Ethics Committee as a result, but who still remains on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, the better to steer contacts to his supporters and his district.

And let me say one thing clearly -- I think efforts to aid disabled individuals are important. I've witnessed first-hand the difficulties that such folks face in finding employment, even when they have the skills to do the job. I believe that organizations that assist the disabled in finding employment and encouraging employers to see past the disabilities serve a truly noble goal. I'm therefore particularly incensed that Murtha and Scialabba chose such an organization to hide their illicit pork machine.

(By the way -- you should see the squealing posts from liberals in the comments over at end of the article -- this article is seen as a betrayal and an outrage)

MORE AT: Eugene David...The One-Minute Pundit, What Happened To My Country?, Common Sense & Wonder, Blog-o-Fascists, Gun Toting Liberal, Bitsblog, Newsbusters.org

Posted by: Greg at 06:00 PM | Comments (29) | Add Comment
Post contains 1140 words, total size 8 kb.

He may be of the wrong party and a carpet-bagger to boot, but I must wish my soon-to-be Congressman, Nick Lampson, a full and speedy recovery following his angioplasty at the hospital just down the road.

U.S. Rep.-elect Nick Lampson underwent an angioplasty procedure to open a blocked vessel in his heart this afternoon and is expected to be discharged from the hospital Saturday.

"He's doing great — laughing and joking about getting out of Christmas shopping," said Lampson family friend Dave Matthiesen, a Houston-based attorney who had just visited with Lampson and his wife in the Congressman's private room at St. John's Hospital. "He's looking forward to getting up to Washington Jan. 4 to begin his term in Congress."

Lampson, D-Stafford, first went to the hospital Thursday night after complaining of illness at a friend's party. Doctors at St. John's Hospital in Nassau Bay ran tests on Lampson that night and today. During a routine angiography test around 3 p.m., doctors confirmed earlier tests that had indicated a blockage in a one vessel and decided to go ahead with the angioplasty.

Cardiologist Ghyath Samman performed the procedure by inserting a wire-mesh stent, placed on a balloon, into Lampson's vessel and inflating it to remove the blockage. Lampson was awake and alert throughout the procedure and is expected to make a full recovery, Samman said.

Samman added that Lampson should follow a low-cholesterol diet, but otherwise the congressman's activities will not be restricted.

Lampson had an angiography test several years ago, but this is the first time he has had an angioplasty procedure, Matthiesen said. The congressman has no other history of heart problems, he said.

"I think he's healthy as a horse," Matthiesen said.

I hope that last statement is true, because I draw a sharp line between political opposition and personal animus. I hope and pray that Lampson will serve out the next two years in Congress in good health.

So get well, Nick -- but understand that I and my fellow Republicans are working to ensure that you will be job-hunting two years from now.

(A little geography FYI for those not from the Houston area -- Christus St. John's hospital is directly across the street from Johnson Space Center, and about half a mile from the hotel where Clara Harris parked an SUV on her cheating husband several years back.)

UPDATE: Does this article from the Houston Chronicle confuse you -- given it was posted at 8:37 PM on Saturday night?

U.S. Rep.-elect Nick Lampson was discharged from the hospital Sunday morning, two days after undergoing an angioplasty procedure to open a blocked vessel in his heart.

Is there information we are not being told? Was Lampson readmitted following his release? Did Chronicle reporter Alexis Grant "phone in" the story hours before it happened? Or is this just sloppy reporting/editting by the local paper,confusing Saturday with Sunday?

Posted by: Greg at 04:48 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 485 words, total size 3 kb.

1 more info

Posted by: march madness predictions at Tue Mar 3 06:10:00 2009 (BuiMi)

2 Hi!, adobe photoshop cs3 extended, > , SolidWorks 2009, wow, Adobe CS4 Master Collection, iwfvh, Conceptdraw Office, sktk, Autodesk AutoCAD, %), adobe creative suite 3 design, tam,

Posted by: BmarakakOkama at Fri May 22 01:42:57 2009 (rdOwg)

3 Gutentak!, microsoft windows vista business, tjyfd, parallels desktop 3 for Mac, siol, Conceptdraw Office, ybmlj, Autodesk AutoCAD, 210, microsoft office xp profession, tnfr, adobe creative suite 3 design, 636138,

Posted by: Chtosmotrish at Fri May 22 14:49:05 2009 (wW9wa)

4 Zdarova!, solidworks 2009 x64, > PP, microsoft windows server 2008, :-OO, Adobe CS4 Master Collection, =-P, Adobe Dreamweaver CS4, fdqlg, microsoft office xp profession, vkdbam,

Posted by: VBarakenOgama at Fri May 22 15:09:52 2009 (mUE89)

5 Hello!, adobe photoshop cs2, 7308, solidworks 2009 x64, 69647, Zoner PhotoStudio Enterprise, 8(, Conceptdraw Office, pqrw, Conceptdraw Office, :-]],

Posted by: VBarakenOgama at Fri May 22 17:18:27 2009 (ws0kS)

6 Hi!, adobe photoshop cs3 extended, :-(((, microsoft windows vista business, %D, solidworks 2009 x64, 8-PPP, adobe acrobat 8 professional, %-DDD, microsoft windows vista sp2 x64, 4744, adobe creative suite 3 design, lrbhyo,

Posted by: BrakaObama at Fri May 22 17:40:39 2009 (6Q6E8)

7 Gutentak!, adobe photoshop cs3 extended, 96187, SolidWorks 2009, >:-(((, adobe photoshop cs2, 434, Zoner PhotoStudio Enterprise, > P, adobe creative suite 3 master, 8-]], adobe creative suite 3 design, jxczp,

Posted by: Trasvestitka at Fri May 22 18:01:50 2009 (VpWq4)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Since when is it part of the American political tradition to treat the selection of a new Speaker of the House like it is a presidential inauguration -- or a royal coronation?

On a scale associated with presidential inaugurations, Nancy Pelosi is planning four days of celebration surrounding her Jan. 4 swearing-in as the first female speaker of the House. She will return to the blue-collar Baltimore neighborhood where she grew up, attend Mass at the women's college where she studied political science, and dine at the Italian Embassy as Tony Bennett sings "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

But the hoopla is more than just a party.

Pelosi is grabbing the moment to present herself as the new face of the Democratic Party and to restore the party's image as one hospitable to ethnic minorities, families, religion, the working class and women.

"This is important strategic repositioning," said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who teaches political communication and rhetoric at the University of Pennsylvania. "Essentially, she's trying to embody the Democratic Party that she would like to offer the nation in 2008."

In her meticulous selection of events and venues during a week when she expects to attract media attention from as far away as Australia, Pelosi is clearly trying to bury the label "San Francisco liberal" that Republicans tried to affix to her during the midterm elections.

" 'San Francisco liberal' is a construct used very effectively for a long time by Republicans," Jamieson said. "It's a little like 'Taxachusetts.' It's telegraphic and very powerful. They haven't been able to get her identified with it because, to this point, a lot of people didn't know who she was. She's trying to position a counterimage before she gets well known."

Brendan Daly, Pelosi's spokesman, said the four-day celebration befits a historic moment in American politics. "We've never had a woman speaker before," Daly said. "This is a big deal."

Now I'll concede that there were two days of Gingrich-oriented activities in 1995, but they were political events filled with speeches and were related to policy and governance, not celebration and revelry. It was a celebration of ideals and ideas, not of Gingrich. Pelosi, on the other hand, is creating NancyFest. maybe that is because the Democrats are bankrupt when it comes to idea.

Posted by: Greg at 04:40 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 395 words, total size 3 kb.

In recent years, career politicians like John McCain have decided that the First Amendment is inconvenient, irrelevant, and obsolete, and have been responsible for numerous laws designed to strangle political participation by anyone other than politicians by seeking to muzzle individuals and groups that might be critical of elected officials or encourage public participation in the political process.

Now one federal appellate court has loosened at least one of those restrictions.

A divided three-judge court ruled yesterday that ads advocating for an issue and mentioning candidates can run during an election, creating a loophole in the law that sought to control the power of big money in elections.

In a 2 to 1 ruling, the court found that the government had no compelling justification to regulate television ads such as the ones Wisconsin Right to Life Inc. broadcast in July 2004, which advocated stopping congressional filibusters against President Bush's judicial nominees.

The ads ran when Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) was running for reelection and had opposed some of Bush's nominees. The ads made no mention of Feingold's record, instead urging Wisconsin residents to call their senators to express their dissatisfaction.

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon, joined by U.S. Court of Appeals Judge David B. Sentelle, agreed with Wisconsin Right to Life that ads such as theirs merely advocate a position without trying to criticize the record of a particular candidate.

The ads are not targeted "electioneering communications" and should not be burdened by the reporting requirements of the federal campaign finance law, Leon wrote.

The ruling was a key victory for Wisconsin Right to Life, which had sued the Federal Election Commission on the grounds that it had infringed on the group's constitutional right to free speech.

Needless to say, i believe this decision to be a step in the right direction -- though one which is clearly only a baby-step towards restoring political speech to its proper level of constitutional protection. After all, the court in this case clearly failed to apply a relevant portion of the United States Constitution in making this decision.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Now I realize that some might find the phrase "no law" ambiguous, arguing that "no law" means "any damn law they please" abridging freedom of speech or the right of the people to petition the government for a redress of grievances. However, your average American, both now and at the time the First Amendment was ratified, has always understood that the First Amendment is intended to protect the right of the American people to be involved in the political process and to be free of government limitation and regulation when it comes to such political speech. I'm therefore pleased by this incremental restoration of a fundamental American liberty.

Posted by: Greg at 04:22 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 515 words, total size 4 kb.

I once believed that Jimmy Carter was the most decent -- and least competent -- president of my lifetime. Sadly, only the latter judgment now stands in light of the despicable book he has recently published, a work that can only be labeled as anti-Semitic.

Now we find out a possible motivation -- Jimmy Carter has been beholden to Arab and Muslim money for his personal financial prosperity, as well as the ongoing support of his Carter Center. And these connections date back to the earliest days of his failed presidency.

Between 1976-1977, the Carter family peanut business received a bailout in the form of a $4.6 million, "poorly managed" and highly irregular loan from the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). According to a July 29, 1980 Jack Anderson expose in The Washington Post, the bank's biggest borrower was Mr. Carter, and its chairman at that time was Mr. Carter's confidant, and later his director of the Office of Management and Budget, Bert Lance.

At that time, Mr. Lance's mismanagement of the NBG got him and the bank into trouble. Agha Hasan Abedi, the Pakistani founder of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), known as the bank "which would bribe God," came to Mr. Lance's rescue making him a $100,000-a-year consultant. Abedi then declared: "we would never talk about exploiting his relationship with the president." Next, he introduced Mr. Lance to Saudi billionaire Gaith Pharaon, who fronted for BCCI and the Saudi royal family. In January 1978, Abedi paid off Mr. Lance's $3.5 million debt to the NBG, and Pharaon secretly gained control over the bank.

Mr. Anderson wrote: "Of course, the Saudis remained discretely silent... kept quiet about Carter's irregularities... [and] renegotiated the loan to Carter's advantage."

There is no evidence that the former president received direct payment from the Saudis. But "according to... the bank files, [it] renegotiated the repayment terms... savings... $60,000 for the Carter family... The President owned 62% of the business and therefore was the largest beneficiary." Pharaon later contributed generously to the former president's library and center.

When Mr. Lance introduced Mr. Carter to Abedi, the latter gave $500,000 to help the former president establish his center at Emory University. Later, Abedi contributed more than $10 million to Mr. Carter's different projects. Even after BCCI was indicted — and convicted -— for drug money laundering, Mr. Carter accepted $1.5 million from Abedi, his "good friend."

Such a connection is clearly scandalous, carrying with it an appearance of impropriety if not an actual impropriety in the dealing of preferential treatment to Carter and his family.

And the financial connections continue with the founding and support of the Carter Center.

Carter is a major recipient of aid from the Saudis, for instance. Before his death in 2005, King Fahd was a longtime contributor to the Carter Center and gave Carter several million-dollar donations. In 1993 alone, King Fahd presented Carter with a gift of $7.6 million. And the king was definitely not alone in his largesse. As of 2005, the kingÂ’s high-living nephew, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, has donated at least $5 million to the Carter Center...that we know about.

The Saudi Fund for Development, the kingdomÂ’s leading loan organization and one of the sources of money for all those hardline mosques and madrassahs shows up repeatedly on the Carter centerÂ’s list of supporters. Carter has also taken money from the Bin Laden family - in 2000 he secured a pledge from the bin-Laden family for a $1 million contribution to his center.

Another big source of funds for Carter has been the United Arab Emirates. In 2001, Carter went to Dubai - a country where Jews are not permitted by law, incidentally - to accept the Zayed International Prize for the Environment, named for Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, the late UAE sheik and founder of the government funded Zayed Center, the source of some of the most virulently anti-American and anti-Semitic propaganda in the world. Among other things, the Zayed Center took a book written by a French author claiming that 9/11 was an inside job by the CIA and the Mossad, translated into Arabic and distributed it throughout the entire Middle East. And the Zayed Center is a prime benefactor and host to Holocaust deniers of all persuasions.

Carter got a $500,000 prize from these people, and when he spoke at the awards ceremony,he gushed that the "award has special significance for me because it is named for my personal friend, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan."

Carter still receives an annual personal stipend from the Zayed Center.

Carter's book has been panned by most reviewers -- indeed, the only positive reviews I have read have come to me from my former troll, KKKen Hoop (whose rampant anti-Semitism and general hate-mongering finally got him banned). Carter, of course, complains that this is due to the influence of Israel and Jews in American politics and publishing. Indeed, Carter claims that he is just seeking to promote debate on the issue of Israel and the Palestinians, and that no college or university with a large Jewish enrollment will invite him to speak.

The former complaint, of course, is an anti-Semitic canard of long-standing -- and the latter is a lie.

Which brings us to Alan Dershowitz's piece in today's Boston Globe, challenging Carter on his refusal to debate the issues he raises after being invited to do so by Brandeis University, a school founded by Jews with a high concentration of Jewish students.

When Larry King referred to my review several times to challenge Carter, Carter first said I hadn't read the book and then blustered, "You know, I think it's a waste of my time and yours to quote professor Dershowitz. He's so obviously biased, Larry, and it's not worth my time to waste it on commenting on him." (He never did answer King's questions.)

The next week Carter wrote a series of op-eds bemoaning the reception his book had received. He wrote that his "most troubling experience" had been "the rejection of [his] offers to speak" at "university campuses with high Jewish enrollment." The fact is that Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz had invited Carter to come to Brandeis to debate me, and Carter refused. The reason Carter gave was this: "There is no need to for me to debate somebody who, in my opinion, knows nothing about the situation in Palestine."

As Carter knows, I've been to Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, many times -- certainly more times than Carter has been there -- and I've written three books dealing with the subject of Middle Eastern history, politics, and the peace process. The real reason Carter won't debate me is that I would correct his factual errors. It's not that I know too little; it's that I know too much.

In other words, Carter finds it necessary to resort to lies and slander to discredit his opponents. What he really wants is a free platform to lecture Jews about the evils of the Jews, free from rebuttal by a Jew. I agree with the assessment Dershowitz makes of Carter's refusal of an offer that meets his earlier criteria -- he is a bully who is afraid of anyone who might stand up to him and his lies and distortions.

And I'll take it a step further -- he is afraid that his disgraceful sell-out of an American ally will be exposed, and that the world will see that there is really little difference between his views of Israel and Jews and those of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and David Duke.

Posted by: Greg at 01:58 PM | Comments (31) | Add Comment
Post contains 1278 words, total size 8 kb.

As a rule, I don't remove posts. Instead I update them and annotate them and admit to errors and changed opinions.

However, I've never gone quite so far beyond the pale in attacking another blogger -- especially given my later change of heart about the blogger in question as a writer and as a human being. My negative views of a year ago modified over the course of several months to an attitude of respect, and I had reached out to her -- but had never given a thought to taking down this post due to my longstanding policy of not deleting posts. That was a misjudgment on my part.

Debbie recently contacted me expressing her dismay at what I had written and a comment I had not realized had been left here and which should have been deleted due to its content. I deleted the comment, and further discussion has led me to recognize that the post in question should not remain on the blog. Not because it reflects poorly on me, but rather because it reflects poorly on her. Leaving a post of the former sort is appropriate and an exercise in humbling the soul; leaving one of the latter sort is to perpetuate an injustice.

Debbie, you have my apology -- and my respect for the way in which you approached me privately after I had wronged you publicly. I know that my words here are not much, but I offer them to you in a spirit of regret and contrition for the offense I have given.

Posted by: Greg at 08:32 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 272 words, total size 1 kb.

Newsweek offers this interesting insight on the Massachusetts governor.

As a founder of the venture firm Bain Capital, he grew extremely wealthy buying troubled companies and fixing them up for profit. By 1998, he'd concluded he "had enough money" and began looking for another challenge. He found it in Salt Lake City, where the planned 2002 Olympic Games were embroiled in allegations of financial mismanagement and malfeasance. Taking charge, Romney got the Games back on track and sold himself as a Mr. Fix-it when he ran for Massachusetts governor in 2002.

Romney's aides are hoping Republican primary voters will see a pattern: here's a turnaround specialist ready to fix the party, the country and the world. "The idea is to be the fresh perspective," says one adviser, who asked to remain anonymous describing strategy for a still-unannounced campaign. "McCain is yesterday, Giuliani is today, Romney is tomorrow."

But there is also this -- McCain is unpredictable, Giuliani is liberal, and Romney is a conservative. Everyone else is simply irrelevant -- including Newt Gingrich, who simply has too much baggage to possibly win an presidential election.

Posted by: Greg at 08:06 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 193 words, total size 1 kb.

I was surprised to receive my first piece of 2008 campaign literature this week.

I guess this makes him The Early Frontrunner.

Don Richardson, for those of you who don't remember, got a whopping 6% of the vote in the special election to fill the remainder of Tom DeLay's unexpired congressional term (Congresswoman Shelley Sekula Gibbs got 62%, Libertarian Bob Smither got 19% and Democrat Nick Lampson was too scared to run against a Republican who was on the ballot) and as a write-in in the general election received .28% (yeah -- that is twenty-eight one-hundredths of a percent, or 428 votes). But he's running again!

I hear that he is showing up at all the county GOP Executive Committee meetings in the district, and that he put in an appearance at Congresswoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs' recent open house in Fort Bend County.

Richardson, of course, has some problems -- including the fact that before this year it had been over a decade since he had voted Republican or participated in a GOP primary. He has yet to file his final FEC report and filed all of his earlier expenditure reports late. There is also the little issue of his having lied to the assembled precinct chairs of CD22 and his seeking a bribe from the RNC.

Needless to say, I won't be supporting Dishonorable Don Richardson.

Posted by: Greg at 02:52 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 240 words, total size 2 kb.

Nancy Pelosi is out to upend the Constitution again.

Freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances? Only if you register with the government first, and fill out all the burdensome forms!

House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) has pledged to take up a lobbying reform proposal that would impose new regulations on speech by grassroots organizations, while providing a loophole in the rules for large corporations and labor unions.

The legislation would make changes to the legal definition of “grassroots lobbying” and require any organization that encourages 500 or more members of the general public to contact their elected representatives to file a report with detailed information about their organization to the government on a quarterly basis.

The report would include identifying the organizationÂ’s expenditures, the issues focused on and the members of Congress and other federal officials who are the subject of the advocacy efforts. A separate report would be required for each policy issue the group is active on.

“Right now, grassroots groups don’t have to report at all if they are communicating with the public,” said Dick Dingman of the Free Speech Coalition, Inc. “This is an effort that would become a major attack on the 1st Amendment.”

Under the bill, communications aimed at an organization’s members, employees, officers or shareholders would be exempt from the reporting requirement. That would effectively exempt most corporations, trade associations and unions from the reporting requirements—but not most conservative grassroots groups, which frequently are less formally organized.

This bill is aimed directly at you and me, ladies and gentlemen. It is designed to quiet grassroots activists. No doubt the next move will be to apply these same measures to individual activists, including bloggers.

Posted by: Greg at 04:22 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 307 words, total size 2 kb.

From the lips of Michelle Obama, wife of Senator Barack Obama.

"My income is pretty low compared to my peers"

How little is this impoverished waif making?

According to a tax return released by the senator this week, the promotion nearly tripled her income from the hospitals to $316,962 in 2005 from $121,910 in 2004.

By my calculation, she has seen a 260% increase in her earnings in one year -- a year in which the major change in her life was the election of her husband to the Senate. I'll let you make the decision over whether or not that is suspicious.

Oh, by the way -- her earnings in 2004 would have paid the salaries of three teachers in my school district that year, and the 2005 earnings would have paid for nearly eight. So when I hear that she is underpaid, I have very little sympathy for her. -- especially when you consider that the family income in 2005 was $1.7 million, which would pay the salaries of 42 teachers in my district.

And these are the supposed champions of the little people.

H/T American Thinker

Posted by: Greg at 03:50 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 205 words, total size 1 kb.

I love this quote from President George H. W. Bush AKA Bush 41.

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush said in Japan he would try "to beat the hell out of" Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton if she were to run for president.

Bush may be friends with former President Bill Clinton, but if New York's junior senator campaigns for the White House in 2008, as many expect, "I'll be back on the other side (of politics), and I will be trying to beat the hell out of her, if I possibly can," a grinning Bush said in Tokyo, where he spoke at Waseda University's school of sports and science.

Here here!

Posted by: Greg at 11:32 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 131 words, total size 1 kb.

I hadn't planned on commenting on this story, because I don't like the political discussions revolving around Johnson's health issues. I think considering the implications of his death/incapacity are unseemly, and betray a certain ghoulishness on the part of some commentators.

The basic story is this.

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) was in surgery last night after falling ill at the Capitol, introducing a note of uncertainty over control of the Senate just weeks before Democrats are to take over with a one-vote margin.

Johnson, 59, was taken to George Washington University Hospital shortly after noon, where he underwent "a comprehensive evaluation by the stroke team," his office said. Aides later said he had not suffered a stroke or heart attack, but they offered no further comment or details of the surgery.

The NY Times says a bit more.

At 11 p.m., Mr. Johnson was undergoing surgery, and was expected to be in the operating room until the early morning hours.

That isn't good.

I agree with Captain Ed.

So skip the calculations and the political fallout from Johnson's ailment. Let's just pray he'll fully recover and continue his representation of his constituents in the Senate. If that's not the case, we can do the math when it becomes necessary.

Michelle Malkin makes a similar point.

The prayers and best wishes of both the Right and Left (my darling wife calls the speculation "disgusting") in my household are with Johnson and his family. Let's worry about the human side of this situation, and leave the politics for another day, if we have to be concerned with such things at all.

Posted by: Greg at 11:49 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 277 words, total size 2 kb.

Given the level of Democrat Corruption that has been exposed since November, this might be a positive development.

Senior party officials said Tuesday that Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the incoming speaker, had consulted with Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the minority leader, on forming a bipartisan group to examine outside enforcement. The goal would be to have the group report back in the spring.

An independent Congressional watchdog, if approved, would be a major break with tradition. Some lawmakers say House and Senate members have sole responsibility for policing themselves when it comes to internal rules.

Some lawmakers have said an independent entity could be unconstitutional.

The Democratic officials, who spoke only if they were not publicly identified because the proposal for the new panel was now being presented to lawmakers, said the prominence of corruption as a concern in the elections last month gave new impetus to such an idea.

“With ethics such a big issue coming out of the election, members see a need to think outside the box,” one senior official said.

Well, they could start by dumping Murtha, Hastings, Jefferson, Mollohan, Emanuel, McDermott, . . .

Posted by: Greg at 11:36 PM | Comments (24) | Add Comment
Post contains 198 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Please, give me contact address (email or msn) of this site administrator...
Thanks!

Posted by: ExLabordiner at Wed Apr 11 11:53:20 2007 (kGFQ0)

2 Íà ñàéòå âîò gsmzone.com.ua ìíîãî âñÿêîãî ìîáèëüíîãî êîíòåíòà è ïðè÷åì âñå êà÷àåòñÿ ïðÿìî ñ ñàéòà ÁÅÑÏËÀÒÍÎ! Òóò ðåàëüíî ìíîãî è java-èãð è ìåëîäèé äëÿ òåëåôîíîâ, è íîâîñòåé î ìîáèëüíûõ òåëåôîíàõ.  îáùåì ïðîñòî íîðìàëüíûé ñàéò äëÿ ëþäåé!

Posted by: gsmzone.com.ua at Fri May 16 04:08:40 2008 (1fjuR)

3 Borgata casino Atlantic City entertainment is serious business at Borgata. Find Atlantic City shows featuring comedy acts, music, nightlife and more.Borgata Hotel, Casino Atlantic City. Check out our rooms and suites.The Borgata Casino rivals any in Atlantic City. belterra casino The venue is the first in the state to link horse racing with a casino.from a similar job at the Belle Terra Casino along the Ohio River in Rising Sun Terra Rosso Italian Restaurant, Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas

Posted by: hygthyhujx at Fri May 16 08:06:23 2008 (kZhjL)

4 Mighty slots Current promotions and special offers at Mighty Slots Casino. appreciation to our loyal players, Mighty Slots offers a standard bonus you can Harrahs Vicksburg Offers All The Comforts You Expect Horizon Casino Vicksburg Offers All The Comforts You Expect You Demand. Mighty slots For Fun. Last edited April 24, 2008. More in a computer used internet slots gambling in software memory for a ddr2 dimm rbsinsurance slots News: Filmmaker eyes stand-up comic Johnny Watson's May 31 show at MONTICELLO GAMING

Posted by: hygthyhujd at Thu Jun 19 11:49:38 2008 (j44x7)

5 Free Porn movies categorized and easy to download, niches like porno stars, amateurs, big tits. The best place for free porn! Free porn videos and porn movies. ... We have all the Free porn you could want. Tons of Porn videos and movies updated every day for your viewing pleasure http://hqtms.com/in.cgi?default&account=0176 http://hqtms.com/in.cgi?default&account=0176

Posted by: KIrkovich at Mon Jun 23 05:25:16 2008 (9+hb+)

6 porno sex sex dvd paris hilton sex video http://1.sloit.com sex gallery etc. 105 gallery (sex story post) college sex is college http://1.sloit.com http://1.sloit.com

Posted by: rembo2245 at Mon Jul 14 04:25:29 2008 (tV8lc)

7 Buy Paxil, one of exellent Anti Depressants URL=http://www.neoseeker.com/members/profiles/Turdus/ Name=Buy Paxil, one of exellent Anti Depressants Text=Buy Paxil, one of exellent Anti Depressants">Buy Paxil, one of exellent Anti Depressants http://all.rxfeel.com/paxil.htm Buy Paxil One of exellent Anti Depressants Mail=arlene@mail2web.com Country=Croatia City=Rijeka Age=26 ICQ=31245664 Job=Engineer Phone=991847211123 Title=Buy Paxil, one of exellent Anti Depressants

Posted by: ternol2000 at Fri Aug 15 11:30:56 2008 (LSPyF)

8 Young Porn Movies Teen anal sex with a great creampie finish movie Teen newcomer uses toy on her pussy. 12 movies.

Posted by: ypmnet at Wed Sep 3 17:21:21 2008 (0Bnrg)

9 Teen masturbating movies Young looking teen gets cock Fresh daily Teen Porn movies. 16 movies.

Posted by: ypmnet at Wed Sep 10 12:57:05 2008 (0Bnrg)

10 www.babesfruits.com www.babesfruits.com Sexy Teens, Naked Pornstars, Beauty Models, Teenies, Naked Teens, Hot Teen, Sexy and Nude Babe, Hot Babes, ass, black, young, hot naked babes, chuby, horny, All Teenage Babes, Bikiny Babes, Younger Babes, Busty Babe, Beach, asian, free nude, famous, sex, porno, free porn, tits, partyhardcore, softcore, asses, bitch, latin, ebony, big tits, world, women, legs, anime, lady, feet, games, models, lesbian, boobs, video, pussy adult,asian,asses,babe,dreams,ebony,erotic,favorite,galleries,gals,girls,glamour,babes,beautiful,blonde,blowjob,categories,celebrities,cum,cumshot,hot,ideal,images,lesbians,tits,topless,webcams,young,girl,models,nudes,online,party hardcore,pics,porn,pornstars,sex,solo,teens Babes, Pornstars, Teens, Sexy Babes, Naked Babes, Hot Chicks, Sexy Girls, Hot Teeens, Teen Babes, Ideal Teens Sexy Teens, Naked Pornstars, Beauty Models, Teenies, Naked Teens, Hot Teen, Sexy and Nude Babe, Hot Babes, ass, black, young, hot naked babes, chuby, horny, All Teenage Babes, Bikiny Babes, Younger Babes, Busty Babe, Beach, asian, free nude, famous, sex, porno, free porn, tits, partyhardcore, softcore, asses, bitch, latin, ebony, big tits, world, women, legs, anime, lady, feet, games, models, lesbian, boobs, video, pussy adult,asian,asses,babe,dreams,ebony,erotic,favorite,galleries,gals,girls,glamour,babes,beautiful,blonde,blowjob,categories,celebrities,cum,cumshot,hot,ideal,images,lesbians,tits,topless,webcams,young,girl,models,nudes,online,party hardcore,pics,porn,pornstars,sex,solo,teens Babes, Pornstars, Teens, Sexy Babes, Naked Babes, Hot Chicks, Sexy Girls, Hot Teeens, Teen Babes, Ideal Teens babes hot babes babe sexy babes bikini babes hot babe babes in the shower babe of the day daily sport newspaper babes busty babes naked babes beautiful babes met art babes japanese babes younger babes babe ruth beach babes paradise babes arab babes babes pakistani biker babes weather babes asian babes tennis babes sexy babe paki babes car wash babes buxom babes office babes news babes babe ruth baseball cards blonde babes babes in high heels stockings young babes muscle babe babes young soccer babes lowrider babes black babes young babe babes in swimsuits mature babes qvc babes anime babes celebrity babes bike rally babes babes in short shorts daily babe busty babe star trek babes bikini babe fitness babes desi baba desi babes asian babe blonde babe weather channel babes brunette babes pretty hot babes latina babes in bed russian babes topless babes muscle babes twisty babes babes in boots lesbian babes college babes wild babes pink babes beach babe swedish babes indian babes latina babes spanish babes latin babes swedish babe superbike babes brazilian babes thong babes shredded babes virtual babes older babes beautiful babe of the day party babes fantasy babes psp babe themes nice babes true babes ebony babes cute babes naked babe muscular babes golf babes fhm babes babe envy lingerie babes babes boxing chinese babes california babes fishing babes motorcycle babes

Posted by: #babesfruits[JJLJJJXJJJJJ] at Fri Sep 12 20:20:54 2008 (9A/U4)

11 Hello. My name is Kate. I wish to become Striptease. I constantly train. I have removed video and I wish you to ask to look it and to tell to me about my errors, or to prompt, as I can improve the technics. http://cananecatah.blogspot.com Thank you.

Posted by: KattyS at Wed Oct 1 10:19:43 2008 (/ZTOW)

12 frdo dyfw oyfv hprscem qezvfwa dpvjcr ybql ywnvoe ecfux

Posted by: ertuq rsznw at Fri Oct 3 09:52:30 2008 (iY1YD)

13 Adult Voyeur - World Wide Wives has everything for the Voyeur enthusiast, free voyeur pictures, voyeur videos, and real life profiles of women and men from around the world

Posted by: Gorrdon at Sun Nov 16 20:24:11 2008 (ocBq0)

14 Hack again?!

Posted by: gorovoyy at Mon Jan 12 17:00:54 2009 (D5+Ft)

15 Ïîðòàë ïåðåâîä÷èêîâ www.MaxiWord.net - ïðîôåññèîíàëüíûå ïåðåâîäû è ïåðåâîä÷èêè Ïåðåâîä÷èêè è ðàáîòà äëÿ ïåðåâîä÷èêîâ. Ïðîôåññèîíàëüíûå ïåðåâîäû ñ/íà èíîñòðàííûå ÿçûêè: àíãëèéñêèé, íåìåöêèé, ôðàíöóçñêèé, èñïàíñêèé, ïîëüñêèé è äð. Ïåðåâîä÷èêîâ èùóò òîëüêî çäåñü! http://www.maxiword.net Translators’ Directory - Translators and jobs for translators. translators, translators, job, translation, translations, foreign languages, English, Russian, Ukrainian, services, translators directory

Posted by: maxiword at Tue Jan 13 14:41:58 2009 (fbP7r)

16 Download: http://uploading.com/files/XVTGQWIR/Gorgeous%20big%20titty%20babe%20fucked%20on%20home%20video.avi.html

Posted by: amaterasuclips at Wed Feb 4 09:01:09 2009 (/vVNX)

17 The best for work, rest and home you will find on our web-portal - www.ispolkom.com. A lot of stores, gifts, programs and thousands of name brands! We glad to offer you both own development and the best to opinion of our analysts that is presented by other companies. We all time work above yours desires and we shall try to give to you the best choice. Now you should not be engaged in search the Internet any more...we have everything... Best wishes, administration

Posted by: ispolkom at Wed Feb 4 19:52:51 2009 (DZQ+O)

18 Yes, it is Russian girls, on the right are online,http://www.datingsite.su/ you can make a search and see other girls who are online now. You can message them and receive replies back in a minute. We are not a "mail order brides" site, we do not sell addresses. We are not interested to have women who are not interested in service any more. Near each profile in the gallery you can see when this or that Russian lady was on the site the last time.http://www.datingsite.su/ We do not deliver mail to them. We gather womenon our dating site who have access to Internet, who are serious and who are ready to work to make the relationship work. Some of these girls are of model type, and you can imagine her walking on a podium, some of them are not models, but charm, attractive ladies. http://www.datingsite.su/

Posted by: Braddating at Tue Feb 10 22:36:29 2009 (fnp9J)

19 Good site. Thanks

Posted by: Max at Tue Mar 3 05:03:33 2009 (PcIRH)

20 www homevideo com - 2000www ideepthroat com 2000www ideepthroat com - sexyvedio com - sexhymen - www yungerbabes -

Posted by: ellaelax-lp at Tue May 19 09:56:53 2009 (Y/N67)

21 http://lock-code.dfg.c0m.at/ptheediv.html free love sermon

Posted by: Cron at Tue Jun 30 13:31:24 2009 (8L6lk)

22 Èíòèì äîñóã. Ñåêñ ðàçâëå÷åíèÿ. Ïðîñòèòóòêè http://nudosug.com/ Óñòàëè îò âèðòóàëüíîãî ñåêñà? Âàì ñþäà!

Posted by: nuorofenX at Thu Oct 8 12:31:04 2009 (DB743)

23 I've found fantastic homemade in-depth Deep Throat Cum Shots by Russian girls. Incredible video! You can see it over here though: http://www.watch-all-movies-online.com/watch17115 They make you do a little survey but after that it's good to go :-)

Posted by: LockerMannz at Sun Nov 1 07:54:21 2009 (uRvsn)

24 Not working and want money, Ok it's very easy just joind us in http://www.emoneyhunter.com Thank you .

Posted by: jichfounakouchi at Thu Nov 19 06:04:30 2009 (oirp4)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

After all, it is clear that he knew about the Foley emails BEFORE Dennis Hastert – and did nothing about his knowledge besides allow staffers to try to stir up interest in the press.

Democratic campaign operatives pushed newspapers to write about then-Rep. Mark Foley's e-mails to teenage pages in the hope that a scandal would emerge before the midterm elections, according to a House ethics report.

The findings were bolstered when an aide to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Democrat, said the congressman also knew about the e-mails, which were dubbed "inappropriate" by the ethics panel. Mr. Emanuel, who was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) when Mr. Foley's sex scandal broke in late September, had denied knowledge of the Florida Republican's e-mails.

The House ethics panel, which is formally called the Standards of Official Conduct Committee, Friday released its final probe into Mr. Foley's behavior, scolding Republicans for failing to act on years of troubling signs and naming Democrats who knew about the e-mails.

CNN first reported Saturday that Mr. Emanuel, the incoming chairman of the Democratic caucus, was "informed" but never saw the e-mails that Mr. Foley sent to a former page in the summer of 2005.

An Emanuel aide yesterday confirmed to The Washington Times that DCCC staffer Bill Burton told the congressman about the Foley e-mails in fall 2005. The aide said Mr. Emanuel took no action because the e-mails were mentioned in passing as a "rumor" about Mr. Foley.

On Oct. 8, Mr. Emanuel was put on the spot during his appearance on ABC's "This Week."

"Did you or your staff know anything about these e-mails or instant messages before they came out?" host George Stephanopoulos asked. Mr. Emanuel interrupted with "No."

"George -- Never saw 'em," he said twice.

Isn’t such failure to act the very thing the Dems called scandalous when it was Hastert and other GOP leaders accused? Why the silence now – especially given the clear attempt by Emanuel to parse language to make a misleading statement technically true (something I suspect he learned from his old boss)?

Oh, and by the way, the report shows what I repeatedly said this past summer.

The ethics report outlined several Republicans and staffers who were aware of Mr. Foley's drunken late-night visit to the page dormitory, but concluded no Republicans knew about the sexually explicit instant messages.

The ethics panel said the tone of the e-mails and instant messages were vastly different, but said Republicans failed to exercise due diligence about the e-mails back in 2005, when the former page told his friends on Capitol Hill the Foley e-mails were "sick."

Now, will those folks who accused me (and other Republicans) of “defending a pedophile” and “covering up the truth” please acknowledge that they were, at best, wrong – if not intentionally lying about what I said at the time?

Posted by: Greg at 01:39 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 491 words, total size 3 kb.

You have to love it when something like this happens to a PC weenie like Rosie O’Donnell. After all, she tried to gin up a controversy over so-called “homophobia” over an innocuous comment not too long ago – now she is facing the heat over a much more clearly racist caricature on The View.

A city councilman is demanding that Rosie O'Donnell be held accountable for comments she made on ABC's "The View" last week that he said offended Asian-Americans.

O'Donnell set off a firestorm when she mocked Chinese broadcasters commenting on Danny DeVito's drunken Nov. 29 performance on "The View."

"The fact is that it's news all over the world. You know, you can imagine in China it's like, 'Ching chong, ching chong, Danny DeVito, ching chong chong chong chong, drunk, 'The View,' ching chong.'"

O'Donnell's imitation was followed by laughter from her co-hosts and a loud "gong" that producers threw in.

City Councilman John Liu (D-Queens) has written a letter to Barbara Walters, co-executive producer and co-host of "The View," blasting O'Donnell.

"Her caricature of the Chinese language hits a raw nerve in our community," Liu wrote.

Liu admonished Walters for sitting by and not scolding O'Donnell for making the "derogatory remarks" that "have consequences beyond the stupidity of the person who made them."

"What will you do to hold yourself and those who host the program accountable for such offensive remarks?" Liu asked Walters.

By the standard she applied to Kelly Ripa, she clearly owes the Asian community an apology for her insult to them. After all, spokespeople for the aggrieved group have spoken -- and Rosie is therefore guilty as charged.

More at Michelle Malkin & Hot Air

Posted by: Greg at 01:16 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 302 words, total size 2 kb.

Who do you like for President in 2008?

Vote early -- but not often.

Posted by: Greg at 11:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 22 words, total size 1 kb.

This story is shocking -- not only do the government-mandated dairy cartels raise your prices for dairy products, they also prevent any competition outside that cartel structure.

In the summer of 2003, shoppers in Southern California began getting a break on the price of milk.

A maverick dairyman named Hein Hettinga started bottling his own milk and selling it for as much as 20 cents a gallon less than the competition, exercising his right to work outside the rigid system that has controlled U.S. milk production for almost 70 years. Soon the effects were rippling through the state, helping to hold down retail prices at supermarkets and warehouse stores.

That was when a coalition of giant milk companies and dairies, along with their congressional allies, decided to crush Hettinga's initiative. For three years, the milk lobby spent millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions and made deals with lawmakers, including incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).

Last March, Congress passed a law reshaping the Western milk market and essentially ending Hettinga's experiment -- all without a single congressional hearing.

"They wanted to make sure there would be no more Heins," said Mary Keough Ledman, a dairy economist who observed the battle.

As I said, the story shocks the conscience. And the arrogance of the anti-competition members of Congress involved in this travesty, both Republican and Democrat, is disgusting. We need to throw every one of them out -- especially those in leadership positions or who acted to prop up the profits of their own family businesses.

In most industries, this sort of activity would be illegal and an example of activity forbidden under anti-trust laws. But Big Ag is treated differently by the government, and so the consumer gets screwed .

Time to get cartels, agricultural subsidies, and price controls out of the supermarket, and allow the free market to set prices for us instead.

Posted by: Greg at 03:27 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 336 words, total size 2 kb.

I guess that Nancy Pelosi forgot to send her ethics memo to the voters of New Orleans.

Brushing past months of unflattering headlines about a federal corruption investigation, Representative William J. Jefferson was elected to a ninth term on Saturday, with a decisive runoff victory that again emphasized this cityÂ’s sharp racial divisions.

Mr. Jefferson, a Democrat, was heavily favored in black precincts, and SaturdayÂ’s result suggested that his loyal constituents ignored the accusations of an F.B.I. investigation and rallied around him, as they had in the past and as the congressman had pleaded with them to do. He has not been charged with anything, and vigorously maintains his innocence.

A dominant figure in Louisiana politics for more than 20 years, Mr. Jefferson, 59, is at the center of a political organization that is influential at several levels of elected office in this city.

With slightly more than a third of the precincts reporting, Mr. Jefferson led his Democratic challenger, Karen Carter, 37, a lawyer and Louisiana state representative, with just more than 60 percent of the vote late Saturday. Mr. Jefferson ran especially strong in suburban Jefferson Parish, about a third of the district, where the sheriff had come out against Ms. Carter. She conceded around 10:15 p.m. Central time.

The election did not affect the DemocratsÂ’ new majority in Congress but was nonetheless being followed in Washington, where there was concern about the potential pall a Jefferson victory could cast on the partyÂ’s new emphasis on ethics. Democratic leaders kicked Mr. Jefferson off the House Ways and Means Committee last summer in response to the Federal Bureau of Investigation inquiry into his financial dealings. The state party refused to endorse him.

Let's see -- Murtha, Hastings Mollohan, and now Jefferson -- what will Pelosi do about these unethical/criminal members of her own caucus?

And by the way, I think that Jefferson's reelection shows the need to get Baker and Hamilton working on a "New Orleans Study Group" that will set a path for US withdrawal from that cesspool of corruption where success is impossible for those who seek to impose honest government.

Update: A Quandry for Democrats

More at Michele Malkin

Update 2: Looks like another unethical Dem in high places. What will Nancy do? H/t Michelle Malkin.

Posted by: Greg at 02:13 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 396 words, total size 3 kb.

This sounds like the best possible plan -- one that establishes a paper trail for vote verification.

A federal panel voted yesterday to begin developing a national standard that could result in the gradual phasing out of the paperless electronic voting machines in use across the Washington region and in many parts of the country.

The "next generation" of voting systems should have an independent means of verifying election results, the Technical Guidelines Development Committee said. The standard would have to be adopted by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

"This seems to mark the end of an era" for paperless electronic voting, said Doug Chapin, director of electionline.org, a nonpartisan organization that tracks changes in the country's election systems.

The commission and its advisory panel have yet to determine when the new standard would go into effect and how it would apply. A report prepared by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology last week said the new standard would not be implemented until 2009 at the earliest.

Now I trust the system we have here in Harris County (the eSlate), but still believe that a system with a paper trail needs to be adopted. I encouraged our county election official to adopt such system several years ago, but that advice was not taken. The reality is that I like optical scanners, because they leave a verifiable, voter-marked system whereby we can manually count what the voter marked if necessary, while still quickly scanning and recording them.

On the other hand, this system still worries me. Do you really want your vote entrusted to the United States Postal Service?

Posted by: Greg at 12:18 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 294 words, total size 2 kb.

I despise the position of this group. I believe that their sign is one which engages in religiously-bigoted speech. However, consistent with my belief that there should not be viewpoint discrimination by public entities, I support the right of this group to be treated exactly like every other campus group when it comes to posting signs with political messages -- and to exercise constitutional liberties freely.

A women's group at Rhode Island College is suing the school, saying its free speech rights were violated when campus police took down signs bearing the message "Keep Your Rosaries Off Our Ovaries."

The Women's Studies Organization posted the signs near a campus entrance last December to coincide with a day of activism for women's rights. But police removed the signs within a few hours after a priest on his way to conduct a weekly Mass observed them and alerted the president of the public college, the students said.

The president, John Nazarian, then ordered the signs taken down, according to a federal lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of the students by the Rhode Island branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"The issue is this is a public university, and a public university can't abridge anyone's free speech rights — including the students," said Jennifer Azevedo, an ACLU volunteer attorney.

The group had been negotiating with the college over the signs in the past year, but had been unable to resolve the problem and decided to sue, said Nichole Aguiar, the organization's president and a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

The complaint seeks damages and asks a judge to declare the college's acts unconstitutional. It also challenges a recently enacted policy on campus signs that the group complains is selectively enforced.

The college said in a statement it could not comment because it had not seen the complaint but added that it respected and encouraged free speech by the entire campus community.

"It is this robust exchange of views and ideas that provides our students with the opportunity to grow and learn and take advantage of the full college experience," the statement said.

An anti-abortion student group at the college, RIC 4 Life, released a statement Monday calling the signs from the women's organization offensive and disrespectful. It said it would continue working "to educate the RIC community about the gift of life."

The sort of speech restrictions that Rhode Island College (found in the article) has enacted are offensive to American values. They must be struck down so that every group -- including wrong-wing anti-life religious bigots like the Womens Study organization -- have the ability to speak freely on the campus of a public college or university.

More at FIRE's The Torch.

Posted by: Greg at 11:52 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 462 words, total size 3 kb.

December 01, 2006