Activism Change » Lobbying

OT: HOW ROVE TWISTED FOLEY'S ARM

admin — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

HOW ROVE TWISTED FOLEY’S ARM Ryan Lizza (New Republic) It seems increasingly clear that the GOP congressional leadership, eager for every safe incumbent in the House to run for re-election, looked the other way as evidence accumulated that Mark Foley had a thing for pages. Holding onto his seat became more important than confronting him over his extracurricular activities. But there’s more to the story of why Foley stood for re-election this year. Yesterday, a source close to Foley explained to THE NEW REPUBLIC that in early 2006 the congressman had all but decided to retire from the House and set up shop on K Street. "Mark’s a friend of mine," says this source. "He told me, ‘I’m thinking about getting out of it and becoming a lobbyist.’" But when Foley’s friend saw the Congressman again this spring, something had changed. To the source’s surprise, Foley told him he would indeed be standing for re-election. What happened? Karl Rove intervened. According to the source, Foley said he was being pressured by "the White House and Rove gang," who insisted that Foley run. If he didn’t, Foley was told, it might impact his lobbying career. "He said, ‘The White House made it very clear I have to run,’" explains Foley’s friend, adding that Foley told him that the White House promised that if Foley served for two more years it would "enhance his success" as a lobbyist. "I said, ‘I thought you wanted out of this?’ And he said, ‘I do, but they’re scared of losing the House and the thought of two years of Congressional hearings, so I have two more years of duty.’"

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And there you have it folks, we have a Republican party, led by the Bush & Rove gang, so desperate to retain control, that they are willing to sacrifice just about anyone — including the young congressional pages — to remain in power and prevent Democrats from disturbing all those GOP skeletons that have piled up a mile high over the past six years.

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OT: If Dems win in Nov.

admin — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

While I agree with some of this post, After all this, all corporations will close down. Jobs will be "0". Tax base will disappear, the people will foot "all" of the bill. << which will be raised(history proves that when Dems are in) You live in a "corporate" controlled country. Texas Blue Fed up with both parties and their members.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is thinking 100 hours, time enough, she says, to begin to "drain the swamp" after more than a decade of Republican rule. As in the first 100 hours the House meets after Democrats — in her fondest wish — win control in the Nov. 7 midterm elections and Pelosi takes the gavel as the first Madam Speaker in history. Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation." Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients. Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds — "I hope with a veto-proof majority," she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday. All the days after that: "Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority. To do that, she said, Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level." She mentioned annual incomes of $250,000 or $300,000 a year and higher, and said tax rates for those individuals might revert to those of the Clinton era.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – While I agree with some of this post, After all this, all corporations will close down. Jobs will be "0". Tax base will disappear, the people will foot "all" of the bill. << which will be raised(history proves that when Dems are in) You live in a "corporate" controlled country. Texas Blue Fed up with both parties and their members. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is thinking 100 hours, time enough, she says, to begin to "drain the swamp" after more than a decade of Republican rule. As in the first 100 hours the House meets after Democrats — in her fondest wish — win control in the Nov. 7 midterm elections and Pelosi takes the gavel as the first Madam Speaker in history. Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation." Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients. Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds — "I hope with a veto-proof majority," she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday. All the days after that: "Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority. To do that, she said, Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level." She mentioned annual incomes of $250,000 or $300,000 a year and higher, and said tax rates for those individuals might revert to those of the Clinton era.

Hmmm, I am waiting looking from outside. No impeachment for Bush and Cheney?

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Hmmm, I am waiting looking from outside. No impeachment for Bush and Cheney?

Nancy Pelosi is the Dem who was so happy with the "We won’t tell on you if you won’t tell on us" deal in Congress whereby Dems and Republicans agreed not to file ethics complaints on each other that when a Dem. Congressman named Bell wanted to report Tom Delay she tried to stop him. Abramoff client money went to a lot of politicians, Pelosi was one of them. Talk is cheap, Pelosi will say what she knows the voters want to hear because she wants to see her party take over the House, once she’s in power the Dems will be subject to the same corruption as the Republicans. Please remember that as a result of their long stranglehold on Congress, Dems overwhelmingly dominated the list of members indicted for corruption, that’s in part how the Republicans were able to take away Congress. Dream on Tony, the Democrat and Republican leadership all belong to the same country club elite, if the Dems take over and put in *real* restrictions on lobbying and corruption I’ll buy you a beer, but don’t get too thirsty, ’cause that’s a slim chance at best.

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After all this, all corporations will close down. Jobs will be "0". Tax base will disappear

Bullshit.

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yes, but the tax base has already disappearred as the middle class shrank and as corporations are learning new ways to avoid paying taxes, as our infrastruction becomes more decrepit and our housing stock declines, as our net worth declines and so on. All corporations will not close down. They are global. They will attempt to control who ever wins the latest power struggle. They probably already control all the players merely by being donors in various campaigns. You know from reading campaign conribution reports that most corporations contribute to both sides of the fence during close races and to which ever side they anticipate will be the winner. It’s a business investment for which they expect and get a return. The people don’t have to foot the bill if they revolt or if they ALL declare bankruptcy. The people should exercise their power to revoke certain charters and use the assets of certain corporations to pay for the damage they have invoked on the people. The people should do this legally. But they probably don’t have enough spirit. Flipper jumped on me fo sayng I was wishing for a military coup claiming I was a law breaker. But even that can occur legally as the military has sworn to uphold our constitution and not elected officials who break or usurp our laws or attempt to consolidate power in themselves.

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This is true about many of the demos in office, the DNC and perhaps most of the Democratic Party. Yep, much of the Democrat institution has become Republican Lite and is sold out by bribery (or if you prefer the euphemism "lobbying) as the Republicans are by the same corporate interests. HOWEVER, there are "rogue" democrats running for Congressional offices and are refusing to take donations of over $100 per entity. There are also nearly 50 ex-military candidates included in this rogue bunch running as Democrats. People are encouraged to donate to them (again, no more than $100) even if they are in another state in order to bring back some balance of power and checks and balances and some oversight and perhaps the impeachment of the worst pathetic president this country has ever been cheated into twice. These "rogue" Demos just might be the salvation of our Bill of Rights and other institutions which made this country as great as it was before Team Chimpy. That is until they get corrupted with power as is usually the case. But at least they may be able to hold off Armageddon for awhile. We’ll just have to see. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -if the Dems take over and put in *real* restrictions on lobbying and corruption I’ll buy you a beer, but don’t get too thirsty, ’cause that’s a slim chance at best.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hmmm, I am waiting looking from outside. No impeachment for Bush and Cheney? Nancy Pelosi is the Dem who was so happy with the "We won’t tell on you if you won’t tell on us" deal in Congress whereby Dems and Republicans agreed not to file ethics complaints on each other that when a Dem. Congressman named Bell wanted to report Tom Delay she tried to stop him. Abramoff client money went to a lot of politicians, Pelosi was one of them. Talk is cheap, Pelosi will say what she knows the voters want to hear because she wants to see her party take over the House, once she’s in power the Dems will be subject to the same corruption as the Republicans. Please remember that as a result of their long stranglehold on Congress, Dems overwhelmingly dominated the list of members indicted for corruption, that’s in part how the Republicans were able to take away Congress. Dream on Tony, the Democrat and Republican leadership all belong to the same country club elite, This is true about many of the demos in office, the DNC and perhaps most of the Democratic Party. Yep, much of the Democrat institution has become Republican Lite and is sold out by bribery (or if you prefer the euphemism "lobbying) as the Republicans are by the same corporate interests. HOWEVER, there are "rogue" democrats running for Congressional offices and are refusing to take donations of over $100 per entity. There are also nearly 50 ex-military candidates included in this rogue bunch running as Democrats. People are encouraged to donate to them (again, no more than $100) even if they are in another state in order to bring back some balance of power and checks and balances and some oversight and perhaps the impeachment of the worst pathetic president this country has ever been cheated into twice. These "rogue" Demos just might be the salvation of our Bill of Rights and other institutions which made this country as great as it was before Team Chimpy. That is until they get corrupted with power as is usually the case. But at least they may be able to hold off Armageddon for awhile. We’ll just have to see. if the Dems take over and put in *real* restrictions on lobbying and corruption I’ll buy you a beer, but don’t get too thirsty, ’cause that’s a slim chance at best.

Our best bets are the fighting dems – the iraq vets that came back so angry they ran for office, they are not your usual political flak.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hmmm, I am waiting looking from outside. No impeachment for Bush and Cheney? Nancy Pelosi is the Dem That’s right… attack the messenger, as it’s SO much easier than actually talking about the issues she raised. who was so happy with the "We won’t tell on you if you won’t tell on us" deal in Congress whereby Dems and Republicans agreed not to file ethics complaints on each other that when a Dem. Congressman named Bell wanted to report Tom Delay she tried to stop him. Abramoff client money went to a lot of politicians, Pelosi was one of them. Talk is cheap, Republicans are always saying "Democrats don’t have a plan"… then when someone has a plan, it’s "talk is cheap…" blah blah. Pelosi will say what she knows the voters want to hear Damn right the voters want to hear that stuff. They sure as hell aren’t hearing from your side, are they? because she wants to see her party take over the House, once she’s in power the Dems will be subject to the same corruption as the Republicans. Please remember that as a result of their long stranglehold on Congress, Dems overwhelmingly dominated the list of members indicted for corruption, that’s in part how the Republicans were able to take away Congress. It took Democrats decades to become as corrupt as the Republicans became in just ten years.

Hmmm, They had to catch up, you know.

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Hmmm, Godspeed to them, outsiders without all the ties and debts and alliances are probably the best hope for real reform, but they’ll have an uphill battle.

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It took Democrats decades to become as corrupt as the Republicans became in just ten years. Hmmm, They had to catch up, you know.

"Fubar" is in the killfile where he belongs, I got tired of waiting for him to post something that didn’t sound like it was written by a seventeen-year-old. However, this latest effort which you quote at least appears to have had comic potential. Apparently he expects us to be impressed that Democrat politicians took longer to become corrupt than Republicans, that they became just as corrupt seems to have escaped his awesome political mind. I wonder if he’ll ever figure out that someone wanting to make fun of liberals couldn’t make up stuff this funny?

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HOWEVER, there are "rogue" democrats running for Congressional offices and are refusing to take donations of over $100 per entity. There are also nearly 50 ex-military candidates included in this rogue bunch running as Democrats. Hmmm, Godspeed to them, outsiders without all the ties and debts and alliances are probably the best hope for real reform, but they’ll have an uphill battle. Hmmm,

They say it takes 3 generations to right the wrong. That’s ~100 years.

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Hmmm, They say it takes 3 generations to right the wrong. That’s ~100 years.

"They" say a lot of things and "they" seem to be wrong at least as often as they’re right.

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Here, chickenshit, let me post it for you again:

Why, is it less childishly stupid than the first time you posted it? Now create another sock-puppet right away, jump to it punk.

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did courageously avow: Hmmm, They say it takes 3 generations to right the wrong. That’s ~100 years. "They" say a lot of things and "they" seem to be wrong at least as often as they’re right.

I used to be a they. Don’t know what happened. Woke up one morning to find out I had become one of them instead. — Ken Wilson

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Hmmm, They say it takes 3 generations to right the wrong. That’s ~100 years. "They" say a lot of things and "they" seem to be wrong at least as often as they’re right. I used to be a they. Don’t know what happened. Woke up one morning to find out I had become one of them instead.

That does tend to come with advancing age, there are days when I’m tempted to sit on the porch and wave my cane at kids who walk on the lawn.

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They win in November. So what…? Samey same. "Meet the new boss."

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courageously avow: They win in November. So what…? Samey same. "Meet the new boss."

Too sadly the truth. The more things change the more they stay the same. — Ken Wilson

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Don’t forget not to vote, and then go shoot yourself, since everything is totally hopeless. They win in November. So what…? Samey same. "Meet the new boss."

Democraps, Repugnic*nts…makes no never mind to me who’s "in charge." I pay bills and buy food regardless. And my income is *guaranteed* and comfy…;-) I love the government.

Response:

Sigh… last day trauma

admin — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Hey Jackie, I did love that job, and everyone there was so nice to me. Oh man. Such a nice work environment. I did go out of my way for him, and that "it’s not fair" feeling has raised it’s ugly head a few times — because he was in a position to reciprocate, and he didn’t. Well, not a lot I can do about that one. Not that I know, anyway. I will explain the situation to the rehab people, that’s all that I can do. I really ..well, I feel like I needed that letter of referral… especially since I’ve been out of the workforce for YEARS. It was important… at least, I am thinking that it is right now. We will see what happens in the future. It’s not under my control what he did, so.. I just play the cards I am dealt. Thanks for understanding Jackie. Now and always. Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Sally, By writing the resume it shows you have employable skills… And the boss has his own agenda to fulfill. "writing for me is kind of like a wrestling match with my brain.. trying to convey the right thoughts and using the correct words.. " – Sally, I do the same thing and I feel it’s taking pride in my work so the same for you… I think you did him an invaluable service by correcting what he had given you to type for him. Once again your skills come shining through! It does seem he took advantage of you knowing you had more expertise in this area than he. Let the guilt fall on his shoulders not yours because down the road he has to put writing into his on words. It will then show on his part. Have a great day. smiles, Elise

Hi Rita, I noticed the positives.. as in .. I have a skill that people could possibly want. LOL My luck it’s something that causes anxiety though. Let’s just say I won’t be applying for any positions where the job description includes the words "writing" and "deadline". I did him a big service. Yes I did. Several of them, too. Well. Karma or reaping what you sow — that stuff is real, and I don’t actually KNOW him well enough to know if he uses people, or if that was desperation (he is out of a job as well).. No comment. I don’t know the real truth, and it’s probably not in MY best interest to speculate.. but as the Magic 8 Ball would say, "The signs point to yes." I do think he used me. It won’t be me that comes back on, and I learned from it, so that’s worth something. Yes.. pride in my work. I don’t take pride in everything I do, just some things. Thank God, LOL. Seems that taking pride in your work can be a bit of an inconvenient PITA, at least, the type of "pride" I have – but I still think it’s important. It is to me about some matters. I’ll write you, I’ve had you on my mind. Love, Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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My son had a similar experience in Middle School. He used a word in a paper that he wrote, and the teacher confronted him and told him that she knew he had plagerized. He wouldn’t even know how to.. he’s really a good kid, and that thought wouldn’t even occur to him. It really shook him up to be falsely accused like that. Traumatic.

You know what? I’m still mad about cooking class. One of the answers on a test was "three times", so I wrote "thrice", and was marked off for it. I told the teacher, "Thrice means three times," and no one in the class knew what I was talking about, and the teacher didn’t know what I was talking about, so I got marked down for it. How about them apples? Of course, it’s a bit odd to still be angry about something

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My son had a similar experience in Middle School. He used a word in a paper that he wrote, and the teacher confronted him and told him that she knew he had plagerized. He wouldn’t even know how to.. he’s really a good kid, and that thought wouldn’t even occur to him. It really shook him up to be falsely accused like that. Traumatic. You know what? I’m still mad about cooking class. One of the answers on a test was "three times", so I wrote "thrice", and was marked off for it. I told the teacher, "Thrice means three times," and no one in the class knew what I was talking about, and the teacher didn’t know what I was talking about, so I got marked down for it. How about them apples? Of course, it’s a bit odd to still be angry about something

Ian, Maybe your mind is on her muffins, and that is the problem. That is so bad.. not knowing "thrice"?? Well, I’ve seen people on television that couldn’t answer the question "Who is the President?" so..yeah, I believe a non thrice knower exists. I’m sure those people know things I don’t even have a clue about. I mean, their minds are on something. Not thrice or who the President is..but they are using their brains in some way. Isn’t that like..a law of nature or something? That your brain has to learn something sometime? You don’t look bad knowing thrice.. don’t be mad. Just ignore ignorance.. I’m ignorant of so much.. the more I know, the less I know. Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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I’m still pissed at Mrs Johnson (5th grade), for many reasons — these two are pertinent to the subject at hand: 1. Assignment in class: write a simple sentence, using a proper noun, an adverb and a verb. I wrote "Jacqueline quietly waited." Later in the class, Mrs Johnson said, "A couple of you didn’t do this right," and she wrote on the board, "Jacqueline quietly wailed," and said, "Deirdre used an adverb that didn’t go with the verb." I protested that I must have forgotten to cross my T in "waited", but she told me not to make excuses when I’m wrong. In front of the whole class. 2. I chose "Jane Eyre" for a book report, and she said it was not 5th grade reading. I did it anyway. There were no errors in it, but she marked me down a grade point because I chose "the wrong book." I really hated Mrs Johnson. Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Hey you all, I guess I will post this. I’m not even sure what I’ll say, but I have some news. Good and bad. Today was my last day at work. Some good things happened over the past couple of weeks, and somethings bother me.. My boss asked me if I knew how to write a resume. I used to teach people how to write resumes. So the answer to that was "yes.".. I updated a client’s resume, and the next thing I knew, my boss was having me write stuff for him.. because he was about to be out of a job, and he was applying to a lot of different places, and I guess he liked my work. Don’t know how to say this without sounding.. egotistical. I write well. Not in here. I know that. I know what good writing is, and I don’t do it here, and I don’t in email, but if I bothered to write WELL in here, it would take too damn long, because writing for me is kind of like a wrestling match with my brain.. trying to convey the right thoughts and using the correct words.. too much work, actually. Yes. I can write. In college, I had literary journals on display in the library. My step dad won a Pullitzer Prize and he was a newspaper copyreader and columnist. My mother was a teacher, and I do not remember a time I could not read. English was a big DEAL in my home. whew. My boss had me type something for him the other day — he was applying to be an officer in the United States Army, and he brought me a paragraph. I do not know who wrote it. A woman that wrote, "love you" at the end of her email sent it to him. He did not write it, but he asked me if I would type it for him. Well, I couldn’t let him submit that thing – it was horribly written. It think there were only two sentences in that paragraph. There should have been more like..five. No punctuation. Run on, ON run on sentences, Awkward wording.. just.. so bad. You all, I write better in here than that woman wrote for my boss’ application to be an OFFICER in the ARMY – and he was going to turn that in. I freaked. I typed it for him, but I also fixed it.. I rewrote and reworked that thing, and gave mine to him along with the other one. I think I made an impression. Today, I uh.. had to rewrite his resume (He is the employment director, I’m supposed to "file" things LOL) anyway..I sort of fixed it. I wish I’d had a week, and not 4 hours. I told him I could continue to work on it for him, from home if he liked, no charge. I may or may not hear from him. He had asked me to generate a final report for the office. I did. I also generated one just for him on my own..I took the numbers, and kind of skewed the statistics (lied) .. I made him look pretty good, if I do say so myself. Damn good. Better than he is, LMAO. He asked me to include that in his resume, and I did. I also had to do something I’m not at all comfortable about. He was also applying for a position .. the best I could tell, it was a job with a union does a lot of political lobbying. Whew. Like I even know anything about that sort of thing!!!??? (I know nothing and want to know nothing about that kind of thing – willfull ignorance, you bet) Well. I just didn’t have the time to write anything very good.. I was VERY dissatisfied with what I gave him, and I told him that was a rough draft, to please not turn that in.. The first rule of writing is to know what the hell you are talking about, and I honestly didn’t, so I was doomed from the start. The part I don’t feel comfortable with is that the job he was applying for wanted a sample of HIS writing.. and it wasn’t his writing. It was mine, and a piss poor sample of mine, too.. I don’t feel right about the fact it was supposed to be his writing and not mine. Yes, I am one of those that do not lie on my taxes or on job applications.. I don’t do it, because I don’t like that kind of thing. I don’t care to help someone else do it either, but I did it the best that I could in the time I had to do it. Sometimes.. proper (not casual stuff, like in here) writing doesn’t flow and I have to wrestle with it.. and I’ve always had the luxury of walking away when that happens, and coming back later when my mind is fresh, and I am able to rework everything like it needs to be so that it flows and does what it is supposed to do. Anyway.. I feel bad he asked me to do that, and I feel bad that I didn’t like what I gave him. I’ve never had that experience in my life. No one but me has ever seen a rough draft of anything I’ve written.. it’s just personal. I don’t know if anybody even understands what I am talking about?? REAL writing to me is extremely personal, and it’s like.. don’t look at it until I feel that I am DONE with it.. does anyone, anywhere KNOW what I mean by that? Shit. I don’t know if I feel worse that I wrote something for someone who should have done it himself, or if I feel worse for writing such an ill written piece of utter crap. Do you see WHY I do not write very much? See what I do to me when I write..? I do this until I am finally satisfied. The pay off to that is.. if I am satisfied with something I have written, other people usually are impressed with the quality of it.. so there is a payoff, but it’s a bitch to get there. Well.. to top that off. I did all of that shit in FOUR hours..(and I did this at minimum wage.. not a cent more) I was driving home, still trying to word that writing sample (that I shouldn’t even have written) in my head so it didn’t sound like an idiot wrote it.. Y’all know what? Wanna know something? I asked my boss a few days ago for a letter of reference.. I got nothing. It’s not that I sucked. I obviously didn’t if he wanted me to fix his resume and write his "sample"… It’s that he didn’t bother to even do that.. and I don’t feel right about writing my own and sending it to him. I have to work every waking hour just to let any positive stuff IN my head, I think I’d die if I had to write a letter that I actually DO deserve to have. I would. And I still feel badly that I did such a poor job on that writing sample. I know I’m a perfectionist about that area of my life.. but I won’t settle for half assed writing out of myself when it matters. I think I’ll go to bed.. I know this isn’t even comparable to what a lot of you all are going through. I also know everyone’s pain is valid.. I am sooooo disappointed in me on several levels, and I want to let it go, but I’m struggling tonight. Thanks for listening Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Sally! I just don’t understand. You’re obviously such an intelligent person, it’s a shame that your boss made such boneheaded moves. I know it’s early, but I am so confused by this whole thing. I’m sorry you’re going through this, especially since you seemed so happy with the job. I am here if I can help at all – the inbox is always, always open! I hope you have a nice Sunday, Katie — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Thanks, Katie. It’s not pleasant, but it will be okay. I have a lot of thoughts I’m not really at liberty to discuss, but I think I may have an idea or two about my boss. No biggie.. the thing is.. if he was using me, he can’t anymore, so I’m better off. Too bad, though. The people I worked with were so nice I would just love to work in an atmosphere like that – doing anyhing is okay. It’s the atmosphere that I have to have .. nice, calm, friendly, safe.. Not some stressed out place where people fight all of the time. I can’t take that. None of us can. That’s the whole point. Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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Hi, Sally, I’d say he was a desperate man seeking employment for himself. He used the resources he knew of – you being one of them. Maybe he’ll find a good job and you can know that you were a part of that (though he shouldn’t have put you in that position to begin with). smiles, Elise

I don’t wish him ill. He’s got kids and a wife — and jobs are scarce. He was very respectful and went out of his way to make sure that I was comfortable and okay. It doesn’t change the last week or so, but all the info is valid, and not just the bad stuff. He’s capable of a lot. I’m beginning to think maybe I am too, if I can get a break. smiles back to you dear Elise Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Wow, Sally, your boss is kind of a dope. A nice dope, but a dope nonetheless. I think what you wrote for him is just fine. If it’s too good, it’ll be obvious when he gets the job that he lied, and he’ll be out a job. I once wrote the first para of an essay for an ex-gf (gf at the time) and when she turned it in, the prof told her, "I know this is out of a magazine, and when I find out which one, you’re expelled." Well, he never found it, and she’s got a PhD now, so, the moral of the story is … I have no idea. I’m just trying to get to sleep, and there are boats going through here *constantly*, even though it’s midnight. The bells are ringing on the drawbridge, and if it’s not them, it’s the bells on the railroad swing bridge, and if its not them, it’s a loud boat horn. I hate the world! *That’s* the moral of the story. Life is a real bummer, and in the whole scheme of things, getting that writing sample perfect is just small stuff, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Sweat sweat. That’s what it’s there for, to be sweated. But don’t sweat too much, or you’ll have to take a shower, and that’s an annoying process. Where am I going with all this? Back to bed, I suppose. Hope you’re well, Ian — http://sundry.ws/

Hey Ian, From what I wrote, I know my boss does sound like a dope, but he’s a

very intelligent guy. I am sure he is capable of writing anything that he wants to. I can’t speculate. I don’t understand why he’d want someone else to do it for him, because it’s not gray matter he lacks. My son had a similar experience in Middle School. He used a word in a paper that he wrote, and the teacher confronted him and told him that she knew he had plagerized. He wouldn’t even know how to.. he’s really a good kid, and that thought wouldn’t even occur to him. It really shook him up to be falsely accused like that. Traumatic. I was LOLing about you and I. You could have a PhD and I could be an army officer, since we write so impressively. You may want to be a PhD, but I’d go off and hide at Di’s in Canada if the Army came for me, even as an officer. Or worse, some union that does political lobbying. I’m sure there are other things I want to do with my life.. not either one of those. You are right.. that writing sample was small stuff. Not a biggie. I think I’ll survive it. Sorry about the noise levels. I deal with that too.. one of my neighbors is too young, and has too much fun, IMO. Getting cantakerous in my "old age." Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – And I still feel badly that I did such a poor job on that writing sample. I know I’m a perfectionist about that area of my life.. but I won’t settle for half assed writing out of myself when it matters. I think I’ll go to bed.. I know this isn’t even comparable to what a lot of you all are going through. I also know everyone’s pain is valid.. I am sooooo disappointed in me on several levels, and I want to let it go, but I’m struggling tonight. Thanks for listening Sally Hi Sally, I can certainly relate to much of your writing comments. Like you, I distinguish between my casual and serious (proper) writing. When I am serious about writing, the process does feel like a wrestling match is going on within my brain. Like you, I tend to get stressed and frustrated when time pressure is involved. Try not to be too hard on yourself. I usually can’t do any serious writing in hours, always a matter of days, weeks or months for me. Also, don’t forget that anxiety and stress tend to cause cognitive dysfunction which interferes with thinking straight and making good judgment calls. Sudden episodes of stress can knock us off balance and cause us to behave in atypical ways. Remember, a true perfectionist perfectly understands that they are not perfect.

A cover letter or writing sample.. maybe a day or maybe two for me. I mean a presentable one. A very good one, longer.. You are right.. The stress of the deadline played a part. so did the fact that I don’t know much about unions, and I sure don’t know anything about political lobbying.. trying to write from the perspective of a man I barely know, LOL it’s funny when I think of it now, actually. Uh.. no wonder I had such a time I didn’t know my subject, my audience, my personae – LOL. With the deadline looming over me. I get it now. may I say…DUH!? One of my favorite rules of writing is, "First write badly!" When writing first drafts, the most important thing is to simply put the ideas into text. Editorial skills just get in the way at this point and are best postponed for later drafts.

I do write badly.. have you never read my posts? LOL. I do understand what you are saying.. I jot down thoughts..create a rough outline, write horrible sentences in Sallyspeak, – only I know what I mean by them. –It gets more complex from that point. I was in the middle of working on the syntax and semantics when I had to turn that in that writing sample, about the worst possible time to be forced to let anyone see what I had written. One of a writer’s worst nightmares is not having time to properly finish a final draft. When we take pride in our writing and invest a good portion of our identity into it, final drafts can have a big impact on our mood. Nonetheless, try to temper you mood in this case with the knowledge that you did improve upon the bad drafts you were given. You may not have met your own critical standards, but you did exceed the standards of others.

I’ll say. Two sentence paragraphs give me a serious case of the icks. That’s it.. I’ve got my identity strongly tied to my writing.. I could go into it, but it’s too long. I know why I am like this. I’m not a big Steven King fan, but I did like his story "Misery." The story’s symbolism is healthy dark-humor for writers in my opinion.

Arthur, "Misery" is actually a good analogy. Yes it is. I felt like I was in that very position yesterday. My boss was the crazed fan, wanting me to create something I didn’t even WANT to – but I was the one doing the torture, LOL to myself. I need to reread that book again, but I’m going to wait awhile I think. BTW, "Misery" IS full of symbolism and such a good glimpse into the creative process.. I do think that in some (not all – read "The Stand") of his writing.. King’s pushed himself when maybe it wasn’t there to crank out. – Sort of like me, yesterday. Maybe he’s too prolific for his own good. For a time, I thought it was greed, but I don’t anymore. I think that Misery was his commentary about the place he finds himself.. a victim of the fact that he is in such demand – and what that would do to you psychologically if you thought that you HAD to produce and HAD to come up with the next best selling novel. Man, yesterday was enough for me, I don’t ever want to be popular or have fans.. come to think about it, it’s best if no one ever knows I can write at all. i kant reed or rite. My motto from now on with anyone who wants to use me like that again. He both complimented me and used me. Very weird. I’m not going too far into thinking on that one. It could go places I’d rather not go. My personal web site is a mixture of bad and good writing. When I look back at my earlier writing I find myself moaning with embarrassment. However, for reasons of documentary integrity I refuse to rewrite such material as that would distort who I was and how I expressed myself at the time. Writing can be very therapeutic and teach us much about ourselves. In this sense, I think our worst writing can be as valuable as our best writing. Best Wishes, Arthur

I understand. I have written things at critical times in my life that weren’t for anyone but me.. I’m in half mind to change and "fix" them, (because I could make them so much better! LOL – you DO have to know when and whether to edit at all – and when to STOP editing, too) and the other half of my mind says to never touch them.. they need to stay like they are for historical purposes. It wouldn’t be right to change a thing. I won’t touch them. Thanks Arthur, Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Sally, By writing the resume it shows you have employable skills… And the boss has his own agenda to fulfill. "writing for me is kind of like a wrestling match with my brain.. trying to convey the right thoughts and using the correct words.. " – Sally, I do the same thing and I feel it’s taking pride in my work so the same for you… I think you did him an invaluable service by correcting what he had given you to type for him. Once again your skills come shining through! It does seem he took advantage of you knowing you had more expertise in this area than he. Let the guilt fall on his shoulders not yours because down the road he has to put writing into his on words. It will then show on his part. Have a great day. smiles, Elise Hi Rita, I noticed the positives.. as in .. I have a skill that people could possibly want. LOL My luck it’s something that causes anxiety though. Let’s just say I won’t be applying for any positions where the job description includes the words "writing" and "deadline". I did him a big service. Yes I did. Several of them, too. Well. Karma or reaping what you sow — that stuff is real, and I don’t actually KNOW him well enough to know if he uses people, or if that was desperation (he is out of a job as well).. No comment. I don’t know the real truth, and it’s probably not in MY best interest to speculate.. but as the Magic 8 Ball would say, "The signs point to yes." I do think he used me. It won’t be me that comes back on, and I learned from it, so that’s worth something. Yes.. pride in my work. I don’t take pride in everything I do, just some things. Thank God, LOL. Seems that taking pride in your work can be a bit of an inconvenient PITA, at least, the type of "pride" I have – but I still think it’s important. It is to me about some matters. I’ll write you, I’ve had you on my mind. Love, Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I wish I had some words of wisdom. I just think your boss is an ass. Tony — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I really hated Mrs Johnson. She marked you down for reading a book above your grade level? What, is she trying to do "controlled teaching", whereby you learn at a certain rate, and if you exceed that rate, you get marked down?

I don’t think that was it. I think it was a personal thing with her — I chose something that was over HER head. Seriously. I was in the accelerated learning track, so one would think choosing a Bronte over, say, "Misty of Chincoteague" would be a positive thing. People are loons, Deirdre. The only difference between normies and people with some form of mental or emotional illness is … we know it, and they don’t. Ian

Plus I’m pretty sure she wasn’t entirely human. There was a rumor she had batwings. I’m just sayin’. Deirdre — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I still kind of cringe, when I think of it, even if I got another opinion that I valued highly that I wasn’t a horrible, terrible, awful person.

Well cringe no more, Sally, because the Stones were indeed blacker than the Beatles, except when Billy Preston was playing with them. "Don’t Let Me Down" is a pretty soulful song. That teacher was just on a trip, and if we let every tripping person affect our lives, we’d be full of anxiety and be panicking on occasion. (He says knowingly.) Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I really hated Mrs Johnson.

She marked you down for reading a book above your grade level? What, is she trying to do "controlled teaching", whereby you learn at a certain rate, and if you exceed that rate, you get marked down? People are loons, Deirdre. The only difference between normies and people with some form of mental or emotional illness is … we know it, and they don’t. Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I have just one thing to say: When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, it’s a wonder I can think at all. — Paul Simon Deirdre, the Derider — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I’ve seen people on television that couldn’t answer the question "Who is the President?"

Ooh. Might be denial.

Response:

I wrote a comparison/contrast essay on the Beatles and the Stones for a comp class IN COLLEGE once. I made the sore mistake of writing that the Stones’ music was "blacker" (this was BEFORE "African American" became the PC term) than the Beatles music.. meaning, the roots of the Stones music were basically founded in R&B and Blues – traditionally, uh.. there weren’t a lot of white guys doing that genre of music. And that also was one very good reason the Stones were controversial in the FIRST place – becuase they played music most the entire white world had never even HEARD.. it was a major point when I contrasted that with, "I Want to Hold your Hand".. My teacher made me feel like I’d said something that was very racist… Put a big red circle around the word "blacker" and asked indignantly just WHAT I meant by that (for anyone curious, this was a white teacher) I felt just horrible about it for several years until I mentioned it to my friend Sandra – who was not only a tenured Lit Prof in the same college, but she was also a huge Stones fan – met them even.. I showed her my essay, and she liked it. She told me that other teacher was a fucking idiot.. I’d thought I was soooo bad for writing something like that.. it wasn’t me. It was her. She didn’t know what I meant, had no idea where I was coming from. She was in the right age range to maybe?? have heard something?? about the Beatles and the Stones, but apparently.. not much. Her ignorance, not my "prejudice" – which I never meant in the first place. I still kind of cringe, when I think of it, even if I got another opinion that I valued highly that I wasn’t a horrible, terrible, awful person. It’s pretty bad to be falsely accused. Especially about something like that. You want to just curl up and die. Or as they say on South Park, "You go to hell and you die!" LOL. Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Wow, Sally, your boss is kind of a dope. A nice dope, but a dope nonetheless. I think what you wrote for him is just fine. If it’s too good, it’ll be obvious when he gets the job that he lied, and he’ll be out a job. I once wrote the first para of an essay for an ex-gf (gf at the time) and when she turned it in, the prof told her, "I know this is out of a magazine, and when I find out which one, you’re expelled." Well, he never found it, and she’s got a PhD now, so, the moral of the story is … I have no idea. I’m just trying to get to sleep, and there are boats going through here *constantly*, even though it’s midnight. The bells are ringing on the drawbridge, and if it’s not them, it’s the bells on the railroad swing bridge, and if its not them, it’s a loud boat horn. I hate the world! *That’s* the moral of the story. Life is a real bummer, and in the whole scheme of things, getting that writing sample perfect is just small stuff, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Sweat sweat. That’s what it’s there for, to be sweated. But don’t sweat too much, or you’ll have to take a shower, and that’s an annoying process. Where am I going with all this? Back to bed, I suppose. Hope you’re well, Ian — http://sundry.ws/ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I’m just trying to get to sleep, and there are boats going through here *constantly*, even though it’s midnight. The bells are ringing on the drawbridge, and if it’s not them, it’s the bells on the railroad swing bridge, and if its not them, it’s a loud boat horn.

I get plenty of noise distractions in the city. Kids playing just outside my door, sometimes singing. People having noisy parties nearby. The neighboring couple having screaming matches. Passing cars blasting booming music that rattles my windows. The dreaded jingle of the ice cream truck stopping on my street. A produce truck that loudly announces prices with a bad PA speaker. And the occasional block-party where the street noise becomes so loud I can’t hear myself think. (groan) Best Wishes, Arthur — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

And I still feel badly that I did such a poor job on that writing sample. I know I’m a perfectionist about that area of my life.. but I won’t settle for half assed writing out of myself when it matters. I think I’ll go to bed.. I know this isn’t even comparable to what a lot of you all are going through. I also know everyone’s pain is valid.. I am sooooo disappointed in me on several levels, and I want to let it go, but I’m struggling tonight. Thanks for listening Sally

Hi Sally, I can certainly relate to much of your writing comments. Like you, I distinguish between my casual and serious (proper) writing. When I am serious about writing, the process does feel like a wrestling match is going on within my brain. Like you, I tend to get stressed and frustrated when time pressure is involved. Try not to be too hard on yourself. I usually can’t do any serious writing in hours, always a matter of days, weeks or months for me. Also, don’t forget that anxiety and stress tend to cause cognitive dysfunction which interferes with thinking straight and making good judgment calls. Sudden episodes of stress can knock us off balance and cause us to behave in atypical ways. Remember, a true perfectionist perfectly understands that they are not perfect. One of my favorite rules of writing is, "First write badly!" When writing first drafts, the most important thing is to simply put the ideas into text. Editorial skills just get in the way at this point and are best postponed for later drafts. One of a writer’s worst nightmares is not having time to properly finish a final draft. When we take pride in our writing and invest a good portion of our identity into it, final drafts can have a big impact on our mood. Nonetheless, try to temper you mood in this case with the knowledge that you did improve upon the bad drafts you were given. You may not have met your own critical standards, but you did exceed the standards of others. I’m not a big Steven King fan, but I did like his story "Misery." The story’s symbolism is healthy dark-humor for writers in my opinion. My personal web site is a mixture of bad and good writing. When I look back at my earlier writing I find myself moaning with embarrassment. However, for reasons of documentary integrity I refuse to rewrite such material as that would distort who I was and how I expressed myself at the time. Writing can be very therapeutic and teach us much about ourselves. In this sense, I think our worst writing can be as valuable as our best writing. Best Wishes, Arthur — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Hi, Sally, By writing the resume it shows you have employable skills… And the boss has his own agenda to fulfill. "writing for me is kind of like a wrestling match with my brain.. trying to convey the right thoughts and using the correct words.. " – Sally, I do the same thing and I feel it’s taking pride in my work so the same for you… I think you did him an invaluable service by correcting what he had given you to type for him. Once again your skills come shining through! It does seem he took advantage of you knowing you had more expertise in this area than he. Let the guilt fall on his shoulders not yours because down the road he has to put writing into his on words. It will then show on his part. Have a great day. smiles, Elise – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I guess I will post this. I’m not even sure what I’ll say, but I have some news. Good and bad. Today was my last day at work. Some good things happened over the past couple of weeks, and somethings bother me.. My boss asked me if I knew how to write a resume. I used to teach people how to write resumes. So the answer to that was "yes.".. I updated a client’s resume, and the next thing I knew, my boss was having me write stuff for him.. because he was about to be out of a job, and he was applying to a lot of different places, and I guess he liked my work. Don’t know how to say this without sounding.. egotistical. I write well. Not in here. I know that. I know what good writing is, and I don’t do it here, and I don’t in email, but if I bothered to write WELL in here, it would take too damn long, because writing for me is kind of like a wrestling match with my brain.. trying to convey the right thoughts and using the correct words.. too much work, actually. Yes. I can write. In college, I had literary journals on display in the library. My step dad won a Pullitzer Prize and he was a newspaper copyreader and columnist. My mother was a teacher, and I do not remember a time I could not read. English was a big DEAL in my home. whew. My boss had me type something for him the other day — he was applying to be an officer in the United States Army, and he brought me a paragraph. I do not know who wrote it. A woman that wrote, "love you" at the end of her email sent it to him. He did not write it, but he asked me if I would type it for him. Well, I couldn’t let him submit that thing – it was horribly written. It think there were only two sentences in that paragraph. There should have been more like..five. No punctuation. Run on, ON run on sentences, Awkward wording.. just.. so bad. You all, I write better in here than that woman wrote for my boss’ application to be an OFFICER in the ARMY – and he was going to turn that in. I freaked. I typed it for him, but I also fixed it.. I rewrote and reworked that thing, and gave mine to him along with the other one. I think I made an impression. Today, I uh.. had to rewrite his resume (He is the employment director, I’m supposed to "file" things LOL) anyway..I sort of fixed it. I wish I’d had a week, and not 4 hours. I told him I could continue to work on it for him, from home if he liked, no charge. I may or may not hear from him. He had asked me to generate a final report for the office. I did. I also generated one just for him on my own..I took the numbers, and kind of skewed the statistics (lied) .. I made him look pretty good, if I do say so myself. Damn good. Better than he is, LMAO. He asked me to include that in his resume, and I did. I also had to do something I’m not at all comfortable about. He was also applying for a position .. the best I could tell, it was a job with a union does a lot of political lobbying. Whew. Like I even know anything about that sort of thing!!!??? (I know nothing and want to know nothing about that kind of thing – willfull ignorance, you bet) Well. I just didn’t have the time to write anything very good.. I was VERY dissatisfied with what I gave him, and I told him that was a rough draft, to please not turn that in.. The first rule of writing is to know what the hell you are talking about, and I honestly didn’t, so I was doomed from the start. The part I don’t feel comfortable with is that the job he was applying for wanted a sample of HIS writing.. and it wasn’t his writing. It was mine, and a piss poor sample of mine, too.. I don’t feel right about the fact it was supposed to be his writing and not mine. Yes, I am one of those that do not lie on my taxes or on job applications.. I don’t do it, because I don’t like that kind of thing. I don’t care to help someone else do it either, but I did it the best that I could in the time I had to do it. Sometimes.. proper (not casual stuff, like in here) writing doesn’t flow and I have to wrestle with it.. and I’ve always had the luxury of walking away when that happens, and coming back later when my mind is fresh, and I am able to rework everything like it needs to be so that it flows and does what it is supposed to do. Anyway.. I feel bad he asked me to do that, and I feel bad that I didn’t like what I gave him. I’ve never had that experience in my life. No one but me has ever seen a rough draft of anything I’ve written.. it’s just personal. I don’t know if anybody even understands what I am talking about?? REAL writing to me is extremely personal, and it’s like.. don’t look at it until I feel that I am DONE with it.. does anyone, anywhere KNOW what I mean by that? Shit. I don’t know if I feel worse that I wrote something for someone who should have done it himself, or if I feel worse for writing such an ill written piece of utter crap. Do you see WHY I do not write very much? See what I do to me when I write..? I do this until I am finally satisfied. The pay off to that is.. if I am satisfied with something I have written, other people usually are impressed with the quality of it.. so there is a payoff, but it’s a bitch to get there. Well.. to top that off. I did all of that shit in FOUR hours..(and I did this at minimum wage.. not a cent more) I was driving home, still trying to word that writing sample (that I shouldn’t even have written) in my head so it didn’t sound like an idiot wrote it.. Y’all know what? Wanna know something? I asked my boss a few days ago for a letter of reference.. I got nothing. It’s not that I sucked. I obviously didn’t if he wanted me to fix his resume and write his "sample"… It’s that he didn’t bother to even do that.. and I don’t feel right about writing my own and sending it to him. I have to work every waking hour just to let any positive stuff IN my head, I think I’d die if I had to write a letter that I actually DO deserve to have. I would. And I still feel badly that I did such a poor job on that writing sample. I know I’m a perfectionist about that area of my life.. but I won’t settle for half assed writing out of myself when it matters. I think I’ll go to bed.. I know this isn’t even comparable to what a lot of you all are going through. I also know everyone’s pain is valid.. I am sooooo disappointed in me on several levels, and I want to let it go, but I’m struggling tonight. Thanks for listening Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

OT: Bush 'planted fake news stories on American TV'

admin — Mon, 29 May 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Bush ‘planted fake news stories on American TV’ By Andrew Buncombe in Washington (The Independent) Federal authorities are actively investigating dozens of American television stations for broadcasting items produced by the Bush administration and major corporations, and passing them off as normal news. Some of the fake news segments talked up success in the war in Iraq, or promoted the companies’ products. Investigators from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are seeking information about stations across the country after a report produced by a campaign group detailed the extraordinary extent of the use of such items. The report, by the non-profit group Centre for Media and Democracy, found that over a 10-month period at least 77 television stations were making use of the faux news broadcasts, known as Video News Releases (VNRs). Not one told viewers who had produced the items. "We know we only had partial access to these VNRs and yet we found 77 stations using them," said Diana Farsetta, one of the group’s researchers. "I would say it’s pretty extraordinary. The picture we found was much worse than we expected going into the investigation in terms of just how widely these get played and how frequently these pre-packaged segments are put on the air." Ms Farsetta said the public relations companies commissioned to produce these segments by corporations had become increasingly sophisticated in their techniques in order to get the VNRs broadcast. "They have got very good at mimicking what a real, independently produced television report would look like," she said. The FCC has declined to comment on the investigation but investigators from the commission’s enforcement unit recently approached Ms Farsetta for a copy of her group’s report. The range of VNR is wide. Among items provided by the Bush administration to news stations was one in which an Iraqi-American in Kansas City was seen saying "Thank you Bush. Thank you USA" in response to the 2003 fall of Baghdad. The footage was actually produced by the State Department, one of 20 federal agencies that have produced and distributed such items. Many of the corporate reports, produced by drugs manufacturers such as Pfizer, focus on health issues and promote the manufacturer’s product. One example cited by the report was a Hallowe’en segment produced by the confectionery giant Mars, which featured Snickers, M&Ms and other company brands. While the original VNR disclosed that it was produced by Mars, such information was removed when it was broadcast by the television channel – in this case a Fox-owned station in St Louis, Missouri. Bloomberg news service said that other companies that sponsored the promotions included General Motors, the world’s largest car maker, and Intel, the biggest maker of semi-conductors. All of the companies said they included full disclosure of their involvement in the VNRs. "We in no way attempt to hide that we are providing the video," said Chuck Mulloy, a spokesman for Intel. "In fact, we bend over backward to make this disclosure." The FCC was urged to act by a lobbying campaign organised by Free Press, another non-profit group that focuses on media policy. Spokesman Craig Aaron said more than 25,000 people had written to the FCC about the VNRs. "Essentially it’s corporate advertising or propaganda masquerading as news," he said. "The public obviously expects their news reports are going to be based on real reporting and real information. If they are watching an advertisement for a company or a government policy, they need to be told." The controversy over the use of VNRs by television stations first erupted last spring. At the time the FCC issued a public notice warning broadcasters that they were obliged to inform viewers if items were sponsored. The maximum fine for each violation is $32,500 (

OT: Buckley Calls Clinton a Contender to Be President

admin — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Buckley Calls Clinton a Contender to Be President By Heidi Przybyla and Judy Woodruff (Bloomberg) William F. Buckley Jr., the longtime conservative writer and leader, said that while a strong Republican candidate for the 2008 presidential race has yet to emerge, the Democrats have in Senator Hillary Clinton a true contender to become the first woman elected U.S. president. “I don’t find a commanding presence sort of knocking on the door” for the next presidential campaign, Buckley said in an interview broadcast today on Bloomberg Television. Clinton, of New York, is “a very consequential woman with an extraordinary background,” he said. She is “a phenomenon, a woman candidate who might easily be president,” Buckley said.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Buckley Calls Clinton a Contender to Be President By Heidi Przybyla and Judy Woodruff (Bloomberg) William F. Buckley Jr., the longtime conservative writer and leader, said that while a strong Republican candidate for the 2008 presidential race has yet to emerge, the Democrats have in Senator Hillary Clinton a true contender to become the first woman elected U.S. president. “I don’t find a commanding presence sort of knocking on the door” for the next presidential campaign, Buckley said in an interview broadcast today on Bloomberg Television. Clinton, of New York, is “a very consequential woman with an extraordinary background,” he said. She is “a phenomenon, a woman candidate who might easily be president,” Buckley said.

I’ve met and talked to her on Capitol Hill. She ain’t no Bill Clinton…not by a long shot. The Dems should pick someone else if they want to win. Bill Buckley is showing his age… Regards, Doug

Response:

You want someone as president that said "I don’t know, I can’t remember, I don’t recall that, etc.etc.etc., 200 or more times while under oath? As much as you have bitched about bush, why in the hell would you want a lying traitor like hillary as president? She will not be able to use the secret service to stop questions like she did in her senate race. But then again, the dems don’t really want to win.

Response:

You want someone as president that said "I don’t know, I can’t remember, I don’t recall that, etc.etc.etc., 200 or more times while under oath?

It didn’t hurt Reagan. As much as you have bitched about bush, why in the hell would you want a lying traitor like hillary as president?

Again with the "traitor"? How is she any more of a traitor than W? She will not be able to use the secret service to stop questions like she did in her senate race. But then again, the dems don’t really want to win.

It sure seems like it, with some of the punk ass candidates that they run. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Buckley Calls Clinton a Contender to Be President By Heidi Przybyla and Judy Woodruff (Bloomberg) William F. Buckley Jr., the longtime conservative writer and leader, said that while a strong Republican candidate for the 2008 presidential race has yet to emerge, the Democrats have in Senator Hillary Clinton a true contender to become the first woman elected U.S. president. “I don’t find a commanding presence sort of knocking on the door” for the next presidential campaign, Buckley said in an interview broadcast today on Bloomberg Television. Clinton, of New York, is “a very consequential woman with an extraordinary background,” he said. She is “a phenomenon, a woman candidate who might easily be president,” Buckley said.

Response:

Buckley Calls Clinton a Contender to Be President

A week ago Sunday I was at a dinner for a very Liberal Labor Lawyer friend and I got to meet his best friend for college, who is now possibly the top Democratic operative in the State who has run many successful Dems campaigns. He doesn’t even want Hillary, and he is doubtful that she could win. It was an interesting conversation having him across the table from me for over an hour.

Response:

Reagan got it from old man fizgerald<

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You want someone as president that said "I don’t know, I can’t remember, I don’t recall that, etc.etc.etc., 200 or more times while under oath? It didn’t hurt Reagan. As much as you have bitched about bush, why in the hell would you want a lying traitor like hillary as president? Again with the "traitor"? How is she any more of a traitor than W? She will not be able to use the secret service to stop questions like she did in her senate race. But then again, the dems don’t really want to win. It sure seems like it, with some of the punk ass candidates that they run. Buckley Calls Clinton a Contender to Be President By Heidi Przybyla and Judy Woodruff (Bloomberg) William F. Buckley Jr., the longtime conservative writer and leader, said that while a strong Republican candidate for the 2008 presidential race has yet to emerge, the Democrats have in Senator Hillary Clinton a true contender to become the first woman elected U.S. president. “I don’t find a commanding presence sort of knocking on the door” for the next presidential campaign, Buckley said in an interview broadcast today on Bloomberg Television. Clinton, of New York, is “a very consequential woman with an extraordinary background,” he said. She is “a phenomenon, a woman candidate who might easily be president,” Buckley said.

Response:

Buckley Calls Clinton a Contender to Be President A week ago Sunday I was at a dinner for a very Liberal Labor Lawyer friend and I got to meet his best friend for college, who is now possibly the top Democratic operative in the State who has run many successful Dems campaigns. He doesn’t even want Hillary, and he is doubtful that she could win. It was an interesting conversation having him across the table from me for over an hour.

Buckley admires her and likes her prospects of winning better than any Dem or liberal I’ve read recently — the DLC ("Republican Lite") wing of the party isn’t strong enough to get her the nomination imo, but 2 1/2 years is a long time and that could change. Posted via TITANnews – Uncensored Newsgroups Access at http://www.TitanNews.com <<<< -=Every Newsgroup – Anonymous, UNCENSORED, BROADBAND Downloads=-

Response:

Buckley Calls Clinton a Contender to Be President A week ago Sunday I was at a dinner

So what? for a very Liberal Labor Lawyer friend and I got to meet his best friend for college, who is now possibly the top Democratic operative in the State

A name? who has run many successful Dems campaigns

Who? He doesn’t even want Hillary, and he is doubtful that she could win.

One person’s opinion. If you’re telling the truth.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Buckley Calls Clinton a Contender to Be President By Heidi Przybyla and Judy Woodruff (Bloomberg) William F. Buckley Jr., the longtime conservative writer and leader, said that while a strong Republican candidate for the 2008 presidential race has yet to emerge, the Democrats have in Senator Hillary Clinton a true contender to become the first woman elected U.S. president. “I don’t find a commanding presence sort of knocking on the door” for the next presidential campaign, Buckley said in an interview broadcast today on Bloomberg Television. Clinton, of New York, is “a very consequential woman with an extraordinary background,” he said. She is “a phenomenon, a woman candidate who might easily be president,” Buckley said. I’ve met and talked to her on Capitol Hill. She ain’t no Bill Clinton…not by a long shot. The Dems should pick someone else if they want to win. Bill Buckley is showing his age… Regards, Doug

Yeah, and in the political arena, I’ve had the good fortune to meet and talk with (and I don’t mean handshake behind a rope, or Devin for a signature)Al Haig, Caspar Weinberger (RIP), George Schultz, Henry Kissinger and Buckley (I sat next to him on a flight from SF to New York). That doesn’t mean that I really got to "know" these people any more than they, me. Trust and faith are a roll of the dice. It doesn’t take Karnak to see what the U.S. wound up with in ‘00 or ‘04. 944 days until the ‘homeland’ becomes electionland. mvm

Response:

A week ago Sunday I was at a dinner So what?

So you would know why I was spending time with such folks. for a very Liberal Labor Lawyer friend and I got to meet his best friend for college, who is now possibly the top Democratic operative in the State A name?

The Labor Lawyer I have mentioned many times is David Koppelman, but the Dem Operative I would NOT mention as his candor could bring him problems since I am not a new reporter, and he was NOT on the record. It was quite interesting getting behind the scenes tales. Kind of like talking to Josh or Toby from The West Wing. who has run many successful Dems campaigns Who?

A well known Liberal Mayor, numerous State Senators, and Assembly members, as well as LA City Council members. He doesn’t even want Hillary, and he is doubtful that she could win. One person’s opinion.

No his wife agreed and she also works campaigns. If you’re telling the truth.

Always.

Response:

A week ago Sunday I was at a dinner So what? So you would know why I was spending time with such folks.

So you say. Believeable? Maybe. Maybe not. for a very Liberal Labor Lawyer friend and I got to meet his best friend for college, who is now possibly the Democratic operative in the State A name? The Labor Lawyer I have mentioned many times is David Koppelman, but the Dem Operative I would NOT mention

So that’s an anonymous source. Likely (given your record) bullshit. who has run many successful Dems campaigns Who? A well known Liberal Mayor, numerous State Senators, and Assembly members, as well as LA City Council members.

More non-names. Most likely (given your record) bullshit. He doesn’t even want Hillary, and he is doubtful that she could win. One person’s opinion. No his wife agreed and she also works campaigns.

The un-named wife of an un-named "source". Most likely? Bullshit

Response:

I’m against family dynasties. Once elected to Presidency, no cousins, brother, sisters, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, in-laws or out-laws or clones can run. Should be a law. That said, my insurance guy said that he was shocked to hear school teachers out in the Texas hinterlands talk as if the Hill had already been elected. I can’t imagine her being electable even if teachers in the reddest county in the red state say she will be.

Response:

A week ago Sunday I was at a dinner So what? So you would know why I was spending time with such folks. So you say. Believeable? Maybe. Maybe not.

I have mentioned David, my Liberal Labor Lawyer friend a number of times, but again, you will never let facts impact any of your posts. for a very Liberal Labor Lawyer friend and I got to meet his best friend for college, who is now possibly the Democratic operative in the State A name? The Labor Lawyer I have mentioned many times is David Koppelman, but the Dem Operative I would NOT mention So that’s an anonymous source. Likely (given your record) bullshit.

It would never be fair for me to damage someone’s career, but honor or ethics are completely foreign concepts to you as we see on a daily basis. who has run many successful Dems campaigns Who? A well known Liberal Mayor, numerous State Senators, and Assembly members, as well as LA City Council members. More non-names. Most likely (given your record) bullshit.

Naming the Candidates who’s campaigns he ran would make it obvious to many exactly who I was speaking to, and it would never be fair for me to damage someone’s career, but honor or ethics are completely foreign concepts to you as we see on a daily basis. I have always been honorable, and ethical in all of my posts, and I will remain that way. I have always provided clips with links to verify my posts, and any time that I have EVER Oops’d, I have always quickly gotten that admission posted AND corrected the record.

Response:

Go to www.softwar.net Read the FOA documents. The clinton’s went far beyond "U.S."corporate interests. The chinese on the other hand got plenty. If you saw either clinton kill someone with your own eyes, you would spin it in their favor. Stop reading surface info & find the facts. Proven by several sources. hillary is just bad news. Always has been, always will be. If she by some miracle got pres. We would have at least 4 more years of the same thing that has gone on in this NG. All the dredging up would never go away. It would be a total mess. As Jenifer Flowers said; "these are wicked people".

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – There are volumes of info about hillary & bill’s dealings with the chinese They were doing the bidding of the corporate interests… just like pretty much every other president has done.

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I actually agree with John – Hillary is problematic; however, it may be possible for her to get elected if she does the right things and the time is right. Again – any Democrat running will have to deal with the South. I’m not sure what that strategy should be; however my gut is that we need to write the South completely off, unless we can find a Southern Democrat, who is well liked, to run. Mr Soul

Response:

I actually agree with John – Hillary is problematic; however, it may be possible for her to get elected if she does the right things and the time is right.

To be accurate, it really was what David’s friend had stated, but I would agree with you and he that Hillary would be too polarizing. Again – any Democrat running will have to deal with the South.

Bingo! I’m not sure what that strategy should be; however my gut is that we need to write the South completely off, unless we can find a Southern Democrat, who is well liked, to run.

Things have really been that way for some time. Go back and look at the Dems that made it all the way since LBJ, it’s been Carter, and Clinton. The only Southerner that I have seen who’s active at this point is Edwards. Has anybody seen any others worth noting?

Response:

I’m axing ya … Condi is going to take Ole’ Dicks place shortly as VP to get some exposure and she and Big Thighs are going to be some’ bitch’slapping, whore wacking, hands on the hips ‘hore’s beat’n each other bitchless by next summer…. ohh mummy. you heard it here in aga …

Response:

But you’ll vote against any Democrat regardless – you’ve proven that over & over again. Why didn’t you vote for Clinton in 1992? Where you old enough to vote for Carter the first time? I think Kerry should have chosen Gephardt as VP. He would have possibly won if he had. Why exactly didn’t you vote for Kerry again? Mr Soul

Response:

But you’ll vote against any Democrat regardless – you’ve proven that over & over again.

That is another in your long list of LIES as you well know. Why didn’t you vote for Clinton in 1992? The Clinton Health Care plan would have bankrupted many small businesses, and I was working for the US Chamber Of Commerce at the time and taht was the biggest issue of the day for small business. Where you old enough to vote for Carter the first time?

Yep. I think Kerry should have chosen Gephardt as VP. He would have possibly won if he had.

Possibly, but I doubt it. Why exactly didn’t you vote for Kerry again?

Because Bush was brighter and not the obvious liar that John Kerry was. Do keep in mind that we have hashed this many times, and YOU have admitted that Kerry LIED, you called it merely a "white lie".

Response:

That is another in your long list of LIES as you well know.

You’ve voted for ONE democrat in your entire life. You’re the liar. Why didn’t you vote for Clinton in 1992? The Clinton Health Care plan would have bankrupted many small businesses, and I was working for the US Chamber Of Commerce at the time and taht was the biggest issue of the day for small business.

Can you prove that? Who funds the US Chamber Of Commerce? Yep.

So – did you vote for Carter? I bet you didn’t. Why exactly didn’t you vote for Kerry again? Because Bush was brighter and not the obvious liar that John Kerry was.

That’s bullshit. Bush is NOT brighter & you know that. Anyone listening to Bush could tell he was lying just like any politician does. I like your use of the word "obvious". Does that mean it’s pretty obvious now? So you didn’t vote for Kerry because he lied about being in Cambodia? You know that a BS statment. Do keep in mind that we have hashed this many times, and YOU have admitted that Kerry LIED, you called it merely a "white lie".

I don’t know if Kerry lied or not. What I said that if he did, it was a white lie. I think he simply misspoke, because he had no reason to lie. Mr Soul

Response:

That is another in your long list of LIES as you well know. You’ve voted for ONE democrat in your entire life.

That is NOT true either, but we don’t ever expect anything honest or accurate in any of your posts any more. You’re the liar.

Too funny when we have many examples of your LIES and you can NOT post ONE from me. Why didn’t you vote for Clinton in 1992? The Clinton Health Care plan would have bankrupted many small businesses, and I was working for the US Chamber Of Commerce at the time and taht was the biggest issue of the day for small business. Can you prove that?

Your ignorance is too funny. It is not my job to be your tutor. Who funds the US Chamber Of Commerce?

At that time over 80% of the Member of the US Chamber Of Commerce was small business. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yep. So – did you vote for Carter? I bet you didn’t. Why exactly didn’t you vote for Kerry again? Because Bush was brighter and not the obvious liar that John Kerry was. That’s bullshit. Bush is NOT brighter & you know that. Anyone listening to Bush could tell he was lying just like any politician does. I like your use of the word "obvious". Does that mean it’s pretty obvious now? So you didn’t vote for Kerry because he lied about being in Cambodia? You know that a BS statment.

That was ONE of MANY reasons and WE have hashed this out MANY, many times, but with yor drug addled memory, you need to be re-educated on a monthly basis. Do keep in mind that we have hashed this many times, and YOU have admitted that Kerry LIED, you called it merely a "white lie". I don’t know if Kerry lied or not.

You posted that you did believe that it was a "white lie" or are you now LYING about having stated that. What I said that if he did, it was a white lie. I think he simply misspoke, because he had no reason to lie.

You did NOT say that when you admitted that it was a lie. It would be nice if you could get through ONE post without LYING.

Response:

That is another in your long list of LIES as you well know. You’ve voted for ONE democrat in your entire life. That is NOT true either, but we don’t ever expect anything honest or accurate in any of your posts any more.

Then tell us who they were you voted for? The Clinton Health Care plan would have bankrupted many small businesses, and I was working for the US Chamber Of Commerce at the time and taht was the biggest issue of the day for small business. Can you prove that? Your ignorance is too funny. It is not my job to be your tutor.

What’s the matter – are you afriad to answer my question? Yep. So – did you vote for Carter? I bet you didn’t.

So you did vote for Carter? That was ONE of MANY reasons and WE have hashed this out MANY, many times, but with yor drug addled memory, you need to be re-educated on a monthly basis.

But you keep bringing up the LIE about Bush being smarter. You know you can’t really prove that. So there are more reasons – what are they then? Afraid to tell us. Do keep in mind that we have hashed this many times, and YOU have admitted that Kerry LIED, you called it merely a "white lie". I don’t know if Kerry lied or not. You posted that you did believe that it was a "white lie" or are you now LYING about having stated that.

Fuck you. I’m clarifying my statement. You did NOT say that when you admitted that it was a lie.

I’m retracting my statement then – OK. It would be nice if you could get through ONE post without LYING.

I wish you could stop lying about Bush being smarter than Kerry. Mr Soul

Response:

I said when asked that there were more but I couldn’t remember off the top of my head. BTW Panetta was one of the very few times that I have voted FOR someone. The Clinton Health Care plan would have bankrupted many small businesses, and I was working for the US Chamber Of Commerce at the time and taht was the biggest issue of the day for small business. Can you prove that? Your ignorance is too funny. It is not my job to be your tutor. What’s the matter – are you afriad to answer my question?

Business would have been taxed to fund it, and guesses ran from as low as a 7% payroll tax to a 20% payroll tax and there was NO CAP built in. If you check back in history, here have been MANY temporary, and ’small" taxes that are now permanent, and very large. Yep. So – did you vote for Carter? I bet you didn’t. So you did vote for Carter?

NO. That was ONE of MANY reasons and WE have hashed this out MANY, many times, but with yor drug addled memory, you need to be re-educated on a monthly basis. But you keep bringing up the LIE about Bush being smarter.

Fuck you and you LYING. There have been many stories published about Bush’s higher test scores AND higher grades. You know you can’t really prove that.

Been there done that. So there are more reasons – what are they then? Afraid to tell us.

I could NEVER vote for a President who would ask the UN, or France for permission to protect this Country. Do keep in mind that we have hashed this many times, and YOU have admitted that Kerry LIED, you called it merely a "white lie". I don’t know if Kerry lied or not.

Why LIE? You admitted in earlier posts that he DID tell a "white lie". You posted that you did believe that it was a "white lie" or are you now LYING about having stated that. Fuck you. I’m clarifying my statement.

He LIED. He made multiple statements that he knew to be FALSE. You did NOT say that when you admitted that it was a lie. I’m retracting my statement then – OK.

No it is NOT. You admitted to Kerry LYING, and you get to live with your admission of Kerry LYING. You repeatedly TRY to pull dishonest bullshit that you would SCREAM about if anyone else did it! Besides, we enjoy the fact that YOU can’t even live with what YOU say. That is FUNNY…

Response:

The Clinton Health Care plan would have bankrupted many small businesses

That’s pure bullshit. It would have saved American industry money. They wouldn’t now be screaming about the cost of health insurance for their workers.

Response:

Who funds the US Chamber Of Commerce?

It claims to represent "small businesses" but it’s little more that a lobbying organization paid for by big business. If it’ll help a worker, they’re against it.

Response:

OT: Former DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty

admin — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Former DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty By MARK SHERMAN (Associated Press) A former top aide to Rep. Tom DeLay pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy and promised to cooperate with a federal investigation of bribery and lobbying fraud that has so far netted three convictions and prompted calls for ethics reform in Congress. Tony Rudy, DeLay’s former deputy chief of staff, admitted to conspiring with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff both while Rudy worked for DeLay and after he left the lawmaker’s staff to become a lobbyist himself. He faces up to five years in prison, but could receive much less based on the extent of his help with the investigation, U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle told Rudy at a court hearing in Washington. As a top aide to DeLay in his role as House majority leader, Rudy took payments from Abramoff in 2000, then helped stop an Internet gambling bill opposed by Abramoff’s clients, according to court papers. Later, while working as a lobbyist, Rudy also was extensively involved in arranging a golf trip to Scotland for Rep. Bob Ney, described as Representative 1, and congressional staffers, the court papers said. Rudy, who resigned as DeLay’s deputy chief of staff in 2001, is the first person to plead guilty in the case since Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges in January. Michael Scanlon, a former DeLay press secretary who later became a lobbying partner with Abramoff, pleaded guilty in November to conspiring to bribe public officials.

Response:

And I’ve got one better – http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10794099/from/RL.2/. Letter may link DeLay to Abramoff tribal client WASHINGTON – Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay tried to pressure the Bush administration into shutting down an Indian-owned casino that lobbyist Jack Abramoff wanted closed – shortly after a tribal client of Abramoff’s donated to a DeLay political action committee, The Associated Press has learned. The Texas Republican demanded closure of the casino, owned by the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Texas, in a Dec. 11, 2001 letter to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, a move that likely would have benefited Abramoff’s client, a tribe running a competing casino. "We feel that the Department of Justice needs to step in and investigate the inappropriate and illegal actions by the tribe, its financial backers, if any, and the casino equipment vendors," said the letter, which was also signed by Texas Republican Reps. Pete Sessions, John Culberson and Kevin Brady. … Ouuuhhh – this is getting really GOOD! Mr Soul

Response:

I like this… that scumbag Grover Norquist may finally be getting what he deserves:

Let’s hope! My wife knows Grover & the Norquist family. Apparently they are all right-wingers. He came to my wife’s school & gave a talk years ago & apparently made a fool of himself. Grover Norquist = Pure Evil. Mr Soul

Response:

I like this… that scumbag Grover Norquist may finally be getting what he deserves: Let’s hope! My wife knows Grover & the Norquist family. Apparently they are all right-wingers. He came to my wife’s school & gave a talk years ago & apparently made a fool of himself. Grover Norquist = Pure Evil. Mr Soul

I wonder what Delay’s "pucker factor" is now?

Response:

OT| White House Can't Sweep Aside Abramoff

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

White House Can’t Sweep Aside Abramoff Indicted Aide Safavian Heads to Court, And Questions Still Swirl About Griles and Rove By JEANNE CUMMINGS Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL February 8, 2006; Page A4 WASHINGTON — The scandal surrounding disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff has shaken up Capitol Hill. But it still poses significant problems for the Bush White House. A court hearing scheduled later this month may bring fresh attention to the case of former White House aide David Safavian, who is charged with lying in connection with a golf trip Mr. Abramoff arranged. Justice Department officials haven’t closed their review of actions by former Interior Department official J. Steven Griles, who disputes claims that he favored Abramoff clients, such as Native American tribes involved in casinos. Calls for the White House to release photos of Mr. Abramoff with the president — and details of his contacts with presidential aides including Karl Rove — haven’t abated. "Their refusal to release information is inexcusable," says Tom Fitton, president of conservative legal organization Judicial Watch. As a result, the scandal "is now in the White House." The president has said his connections to Mr. Abramoff didn’t amount to much. "Having my picture taken with someone doesn’t mean that I’m a friend with them or know them very well," Mr. Bush said at a recent news conference, calling Mr. Abramoff one of "thousands" of White House visitors with whom he might have been photographed. Mr. Rove has known Mr. Abramoff for about two decades, according to White House spokesman Scott McClellan. Both are former top officials of the College Republicans, many of whose alumni have gone on to national prominence within the party. Mr. Abramoff was an early backer of the president, having been listed as a co-chairman pledged to raise $25,000 for Mr. Bush at a 1999 Washington reception. He gave money to the president’s recount committee in 2000 and was in the elite tier of fund-raisers for the president’s 2004 re-election committee. An Abramoff aide, Susan Ralston, later went to work as Mr. Rove’s executive assistant at the White House. Mr. Abramoff bragged of his "contact" with Mr. Rove when Tyco International Ltd. sought action on tax legislation in 2002, according to Senate testimony by Tim Flanigan, a former Tyco official. "At some point after he joined the engagement team, Mr. Abramoff told me that he intended to contact Mr. Rove directly or indirectly to communicate Tyco’s position" on the tax issue, said Mr. Flanigan, who also once worked as Mr. Bush’s deputy White House counsel. A White House spokesman says Mr. Rove doesn’t remember talking to Mr. Abramoff about Tyco. A spokesman for Mr. Abramoff declined to comment on whether he lobbied Mr. Rove on the issue. A Tyco spokeswoman says the company doesn’t know what Mr. Abramoff did on its behalf. A tax provision Tyco opposed eventually was defeated. Messrs. Abramoff and Rove shared a connection to Mr. Safavian. Mr. Safavian lobbied alongside Mr. Abramoff before applying for a job with the General Services Administration. On his GSA job application, Mr. Safavian listed Mr. Rove as a reference who could confirm he brought a group of Arab-Americans to a Bush 2000 outreach program in Austin, Texas. Prosecutors have accused Mr. Safavian of giving Mr. Abramoff inside information from the GSA at a time when the lobbyist was seeking government leases for a client. They have also accused him of misleading ethics officers and investigators by saying Mr. Abramoff wasn’t doing business with the GSA when the two men went to Scotland on a 2002 golfing trip. Barbara Van Gelder, Mr. Safavian’s attorney, dismisses the inside information that prosecutors have seized upon as irrelevant. And she says that Mr. Safavian’s statement that Mr. Abramoff wasn’t doing business with the GSA at the time of the Scotland golfing trip was accurate, because the lobbyist’s clients hadn’t formally applied for leases or been awarded any. "Seeking" business with government is different, she explains, from having business with government. She says the charges against Mr. Safavian are an attempt to pressure him to testify against others. "This case is about the government squeezing David Safavian," Ms. Van Gelder says. What information Mr. Safavian might have to implicate others isn’t clear. But Mr. Abramoff has already sent tremors across Capitol Hill by agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. Lawmakers have scrambled to offer proposals for overhauling rules governing lawmakers’ dealing with lobbyists. "I support your efforts … to strengthen the ethical standards of Washington," Mr. Bush declared in last week’s State of the Union address. The White House has tried to move beyond ethics controversies after the indictment late last year of former vice-presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby in connection with the Central Intelligence Agency leak case. Mr. Rove hasn’t yet been cleared in the investigation by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. Mr. Griles is waging a vigorous effort to avoid being charged in the Abramoff investigation. He has offered to meet with prosecutors, though so far they have declined. In emails that surfaced in a Senate inquiry, Mr. Abramoff referred to Mr. Griles as his "man" in the department that oversees Native American issues. Another Interior Department official last year told the Indian Affairs Committee that Mr. Griles showed unusual interest in such issues while serving as the department’s chief of staff. Barry M. Hartman, Mr. Griles’s attorney, has written the Senate committee, dismissing the idea that Mr. Griles was close to Mr. Abramoff as a lobbyist’s boast to his clients. Mr. Hartman said his own review had uncovered only a handful of telephone calls and email contacts between the two men — none of which resulted in official Interior Department measures that would have benefited Mr. Abramoff’s clients. Mr. Hartman also cited a 2003 email by Mr. Abramoff in which he lamented that Mr. Griles "can’t (or at least won’t) discuss any of my clients with me." _____ Copyright

OT: Boehner (pronounced Boner) Opposes Sweeping Changes In Lobbyist Work

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Boehner Opposes Sweeping Changes In Lobbyist Work By Dana Milbank (Washington Post) Newly elected House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said he opposed efforts to ban privately funded travel for members of Congress and provisions in spending bills that fund lawmakers

OT: One Down…

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Okay, so Christmas came a little late this year. Still… DeLay relinquishes House majority leader post By Richard Cowan (Reuters) U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, now under indictment in Texas and tainted by a corruption scandal, told fellow House of Representatives Republicans on Saturday that he will not try to reclaim his job as majority leader. "Today I have asked Speaker (Dennis) Hastert to convene our conference for the purpose of electing a new majority leader," DeLay, a close ally of President George W. Bush and one of the most powerful conservatives in Congress, said in a letter to House Republican leaders. ====== DeLay won’t try to regain GOP leadership post (CNN) U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay announced Saturday he would not try to reclaim the House majority leader post he has held for three years. The embattled Republican, facing campaign finance charges in his home state of Texas, temporarily had to step aside from the post during the fall when he was indicted. ====== DeLay Says He Won’t Seek to Return as Majority Leader (Bloomberg) Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said he will abandon his drive to return to the post of No. 2 House Republican, bowing to the growing clamor in his party for formal elections to replace him and setting up a succession battle. In a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert and a separate letter to all House Republican colleagues, DeLay for the first time acknowledged that an ongoing legal battle in Texas is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, and said it is time for his party to move ahead without him. ====== DeLay Abandons His Effort to Remain House Majority Leader By CARL HULSE (New York Times) Representative Tom DeLay, under pressure from his colleagues and swept into an election-year lobbying scandal, on Saturday abandoned his effort to remain House majority leader, setting the stage for a battle over the House Republican leadership in a campaign season tinged by corruption. ====== DeLay Abandons Bid to Remain House Leader By DAVID ESPO (Associated Press) Embattled Rep. Tom DeLay on Saturday abandoned his bid to remain as House majority leader, clearing the way for leadership elections among Republicans eager to shed the taint of scandal. DeLay is battling campaign finance charges in Texas and was forced to step aside temporarily as majority leader last fall after he was charged in his home state.

Response:

Excellent. Unfortunately, it effects virtually no one. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – DeLay relinquishes House majority leader post By Richard Cowan (Reuters)

Response:

Unfortunately, it effects virtually no one.

Except for Tom DeLay and the entire Republican Party.

Response:

Unfortunately, it effects virtually no one. Except for Tom DeLay and the entire Republican Party.

Certainly *that* POS, but *all* of them? C’mon you’re talking an institution that has managed election victories by bringing all U.S. RELIGIOUS nuts into the fold! People whose VERY code *IS* denial of fact,in deference to children’s fantasies! The CIA popped "Slam Dunk" G. Tenent out like a malignant ass lump, Colin Powell _RUINED_ his reputation before THE WORLD and now some completely corrupt politician in their midst getting shit canned is going to make a difference? GOP?! Neocons? These people will ALL hit the morgue CONVINCED that selling "9/11/01 was an Iraqi plot" -and THAT’S wut kuntry Murkinz wanna HEER! You, Mr. Soul and that pole-dancing Mexican Truck Stop linoleum cutter, Wheaton ought to bring Queen DGDover,his Dok Freud act, paul the toy truck drooler of Mesa,AZ Rich "J. Wayne Honorable Man" Koerner, Doug "Up yer Ass #19" Brokenfarte, PMG (Playswith Man Goo), TD(Torched Dick) Madden and Claudel the pedophile of Big Sur… into the light.

Response:

Sadly odd that timepixdc and Soul engage in a never-ending witless jerk circle with Wheaton, yet niether has anything upstairs to respond to this- IS IT The essence of AGA-itus? re; deLay’s political death; – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Unfortunately, it effects virtually no one. -mvm Except for Tom DeLay and the entire Republican Party. -timepixdc mvm: Certainly *that* POS, but *all* of them? C’mon you’re talking an institution that has managed election victories by bringing all U.S. RELIGIOUS nuts into the fold! People whose VERY code *IS* denial of fact,in deference to children’s fantasies! The CIA popped "Slam Dunk" G. Tenent out like a malignant ass lump, Colin Powell _RUINED_ his reputation before THE WORLD and now some completely corrupt politician in their midst getting shit canned is going to make a difference? GOP?! Neocons? These people will ALL hit the morgue CONVINCED that selling "9/11/01 was an Iraqi plot" -and THAT’S wut kuntry Murkinz wanna HEER! You, Mr. Soul and that pole-dancing Mexican Truck Stop linoleum cutter, Wheaton ought to bring Queen DGDover,his Dok Freud act, paul the toy truck drooler of Mesa,AZ Rich "J. Wayne Honorable Man" Koerner, Doug "Up yer Ass #19" Brokenfarte, PMG (Playswith Man Goo), TD(Torched Dick) Madden and Claudel the pedophile of Big Sur… into the light.

Response:

Okay, so Christmas came a little late this year. Still…

Who gives a fuck HERE ? OT in alt.flame —-== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com – Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==—- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups —-= East and West-Coast Server Farms – Total Privacy via Encryption =—-

Response:

Who gives a fuck HERE

About you? No one.

Response:

Fitzmas not Christmas!!! Down but not out yet…..that cat’s got 7 or 8 lives yet. Let’s see him get beat in the next election. Flashback: Here’s what former House Majority Leader Tom Delay said back in 1998 when the House was debating whether to impeach President Clinton: I believe that this nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law. Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth. Shall we follow the rule of law and do our constitutional duty no matter unpleasant, or shall we follow the path of least resistance, close our eyes to the potential lawbreaking, forgive and forget, move on and tear an unfixable hole in our legal system? No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That’s the principle that we all hold very dear in this country. DeLay files for his 12th term: Rather than pay a filing fee, the Sugar Land Republican filed by petition to the state GOP, delivering nearly 1,000 signatures from registered voters in the district, twice the number required. "We wanted to show people the kind of support we have," DeLay said in an interview. "We had volunteers, people wanting to do something and fight back, we thought this would be a good exercise to increase our volunteer base." DeLay will face at least two challengers in the March Republican primary. Lawyer Michael Fjetland, who has run unsuccessfully against DeLay three times previously, filed for the GOP primary last week. http://www.mikefjetland.com/ Pat Baig, a former teacher and political novice, has started campaigning http://www.patbaig.com/ DeLay also has been gearing up for a battle in the November general election against former U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Beaumont. "They had to go all the way to Beaumont to find their handpicked boy and they are funding him from all over the nation, not the 22nd district," DeLay said of the national Democratic Party. "Voters will realize that and vote accordingly." Lampson served four terms in the U.S. House before his Southeast Texas district was redrawn to elect a Republican in a redistricting plan engineered by DeLay. http://www.lampson.com/ Lampson has since moved to Stafford in the 22nd District. The race between the two is attracting national attention and could be the toughest challenge DeLay has faced during his more than 20 years in Congress. The district votes solidly Republican, and DeLay won re-election last year with 55 percent of the vote, but polls this year by the Chronicle and other media have shown his support slipping. "We don’t just need new leaders, we need a course correction. This is deeper than just who stands at the head of the party. We have created a system here … that just breeds corruption. … We just cannot continue with this trend." _ Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who worked with Bass on pressing for a new election.

Response:

http://www.britishpressphoto.org/geraintlewis/GREATEST_SHOW88_G_Lewis…

Response:

Unfortunately, it effects virtually no one. Except for Tom DeLay and the entire Republican Party.

Wish in one hand, shit in the other… …then eat it.

Response:

OT| Bush

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Bush