Stories on current events that shake-up America. Published articles and essays from other sources, and by Marc Chamot on current events and the American political scene. Immigration and Economic issues and so forth that affects us all… Welcome!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Republican Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is John McCain VP Pick! Was it a Brilliant Move Against Democrats?

Republican Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is John McCain VP Pick! Was it a Brilliant Move Against Democrats?
Marc Chamot

I am proud of John McCain's choice, and I am very happy for all the women of America!

The thunder just got ripped under Barack Obama’s show. Sarah Palin is an awesome pick for the Republicans and John McCain. What a great strategy! Let me rephrase it, what an ingenious strategy to burst the bubble off the Democrat’s Barack Obama’s an agent of change theme.

She’s feisty, tough and single handedly changed Alaskan politics from the usual “good old boys network;” she took on a male dominated corrupt system in Alaska and brought them all down. “She’s one hockey playing pistol-packing mama” said Karl Rove when asked about the pick!

It’s a shake up that Republicans had no choice but to do. After the Democratic gender biased fiasco between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It only reinvigorated life into a so ran and lackluster Republican presidential campaign.

It’s a pick that will attract evangelicals, pro-gunners, Catholics, your average Democrat Joe six packs (blue collar workers), rural Americans, Reagan Democrats and above all embittered Hillary Clinton female supporters that will not vote for Barack Obama under any circumstances.

It’s a strategic move to hit the swing states that were overwhelmingly supporters for Hillary Clinton, states like Pennsylvania, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Colorado and New Mexico.

Be ready for the upcoming polls. And wait until the Republican convention next week and compare the difference from the Democrats.

Now Barack Obama calls Palin an inexperienced candidate, look who’s calling the kettle black eh?

I am just curious if Barack Obama will use the gender crap with Sarah Palin like he did with Hillary Clinton.
Sarah Palin Seen as GOP Rising Star

by FOXNews.com
Friday, August 29, 2008

Sarah Palin, John McCain’s vice presidential pick and the first female governor of Alaska, is seen as a rising star within the Republican Party.

She became the youngest person to assume the top office of the 49th State in 2006. Her anti-abortion stance is certain to appeal to evangelicals, while her views on the threats of climate change mirror those of Senator McCain.

“Palin is becoming a star in the conservative movement, a fiscal conservative in a state that is looking like a boondoggle for pork barrel spending,” Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway has said. “She’s young, vibrant, fresh and now, and a new mother of five. She should be in the top tier. If the Republican Party wants to wrestle itself free from the perception that it is royalist and not open to putting new talent on the bench, this would be the real opportunity.”

Palin’s presence adds youth to a McCain ticket, but it is her gender that could help sway women, especially the “security moms” who helped President Bush win re-election in 2004, to vote GOP.
Born in Sandpoint, Idaho, on Feb. 11, 1964, Palin moved with her family at the age of three months to Wasilla, Alaska, though she returned to her birth state to attend the University of Idaho, where she studied journalism and graduated in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree.
Palin is the mother of five children — Bristol, Willow, Piper, Track and Trig, who was born in April with Down syndrome.

She grew up in Wasilla, just outside of Anchorage, played on Wasilla’s state champion girls’ basketball team in 1982, wore the crown of Miss Wasilla in 1984 and competed in the Miss Alaska contest.

She began her professional career as a television sports reporter, but after she married her husband, Todd, she helped run his family’s commercial fishing business. Other professional endeavors included the ownership of a snow machine, watercraft and all-terrain-vehicle business.

She ran for Wasilla City Council in 1992, winning her seat by opposing tax increases. Four years later, she was elected mayor of Wasilla at age 32 by knocking off a three-term incumbent.
At the end of her second term, party leaders encouraged her to enter the 2002 race for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. Against veteran legislators with far more experience, Palin finished second by fewer than 2,000 votes, making a name for herself in statewide politics.

Palin had exceptionally high approval ratings through mid-2007 and received high marks for her accessibility, a change from Frank Murkowski’s administration. http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/29/sarah-palin-seen-as-gop-rising-star/

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Is Democratic Convention a Bust? Party Over? Is the American Democratic Party & DNC Shattered & Beyond Repair?

Is Democratic Convention a Bust? Party Over? Is the American Democratic Party & DNC Shattered & Beyond Repair?
By Marc Chamot

These 2008 presidential elections have shown a part of the Democratic Party, a shameful part that will leave many unfortunate Democrats with bitter tastes in their mouths for years to come.

Ever since the Democratic convention began two days ago, polls show that John McCain has risen four points and surpassed Barack Obama for the first time. This convention has become more of a Barack Obama vs. Hillary Clinton rather than Barack Obama vs. John McCain.

The hijacking of the party by the media, sexist, race carders and far left-wing nuts ruined the most opportune time for the party to take power when the Republicans and the president are at their lowest.

A Series of Bad Management and Missteps has doomed this Party for this Election Cycle:

I have never seen such a shameful display of bickering/crybabies from Democrat little dictators emanating out of any American party before.

Talking about your Putin’s, Hugo Chavez’s and Fidel Castro’s. You got the Nancy Pelosi’s, Harry Reed’s, Bill Clinton’s and DNC Chairman Howard Dean’s who think that they are the absolute rulers of that party. And then you got a racially mixed party that bickers most of the time, and there are these crybabies when things don’t go their way.

The stripping of Florida and Michigan delegates for moving up their primaries is a prime example of a party run amuck. And now we’ve got the Emil Jones Illl Senate president “Uncle Tom” comment to another African American Hillary Clinton supporter Delmarie Cobb. It’s getting worse for Democrats rather than getting better.

And their worst actions to date was the removal of former Clinton delegate Debra Bartoshevich over her “I’ll Vote for John McCain” remark. They only proved that the Democratic Party is a party racially, and sexist divided, and that does not tolerate freedom of speech, freedom of voting for whomever you want, and that they are bold, crude and nasty.

Dems Oust Clinton-Backing Delegate Who Would Vote McCain
AP July 25, 2008 02:39 PM

Wisconsin Democrats have ousted a delegate to their national convention for saying she would vote for Republican Sen. John McCain.

The Wisconsin Democratic Party's administrative committee voted today to strip Debra Bartoshevich of her status as a delegate to the Denver convention.

Bartoshevich was elected as a pledged delegate for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. But after Clinton dropped out of the race, Bartoshevich told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel she would support McCain.

Bartoshevich says she made the comments during an emotional time and she hasn't made up her mind.

But the party says she violated rules requiring delegates to support its nominee.
Read the whole story here.

Media in the Tank for Barack Obama and Race was Always the Issue that Ignited the Racial Divide:

Balentine Baisden Parr Smiley Then you have these African Americans of the party elites, who are the nationally voting minority acting like they are the majority rulers of that party. And act like that party belongs to them as a right and entitlement.

You got the biased media, mainly by CNN and MSNBC laden with pro-Obama African Americans media personalities and contributors for both networks in the tank for Barack Obama. Such as Donna Brazile, Roland Martin, radio hosts, Michael Baisden, and Russ Parr. Warren Balentine, and Travis Smiley. Both, CNN and MSNBC did not have one single black pro-Hillary Clinton contributors in their news casts during the 2008 Democratic nomination campaigns. Martin & Brazile

Then you also got the left-wing media, in the tank for Barack Obama; panderers like ABC, NBC and CBS, including MSNBC’s loony morning Joe, Joe Scarborough and the foul mouthed Keith Olbermann. Olbermann & Scarborough

Far Left Wing Control of the Democratic Party by MoveOn.org Did Not Help Either:

And then you got the left wing arm of the party being run, dominated and hijacked by the George (sorry) Soros’ MoveOn.org. What is now happening with the Democrats was what happened around 2000 with the Republican Party, when the right wingers, evangelicals, and Christian religious zealots, hijacked that party which brought about a disastrous George Bush presidential administration. Americans are not dumb, not in this time of age of blogs and flood of mass media at our disposal on the Net.

Americans are seeing what’s happening with the Democratic Party and their government, especially by the left. And Americans are saying, “wait a minute, something’s wrong here!” they are doing a double take about having a small minority group controlling the reins of our presidential elections.

Thanks to a biased media, moveon.org’s George (sorry) Soros, a white woman in Hillary Clinton and an African American in Barack Obama and the Democratic nomination race.

These personalities turned the Democratic nomination campaign into a race baited and sexism campaign that has angered, and embittered most white Americans, mainly white women for any kind of support for Barack Obama. Even Hillary and Bill Clinton can’t fix this mess. It was for Barack Obama to do it, but he was filled with his own arrogance and stupidity, and missed the boat of opportunity to do it. Dissing the Clintons and their supporters was Barack Obama’s fatal flaw and worst nightmare.

It proved that there are major cracks or serious fault lines within that party and its supporters mainly the media. I don’t think it can be resolved in time, within the two months left before the general elections. And it also proves that Barack Obama is very inexperienced and has no leadership qualities.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

A Bill Clinton Tragic Legacy NAFTA & WTO: Then Why are Presidential Candidates Barack Obama and John McCain so Oblivious in Solving Our Economic Ills?

A Bill Clinton Tragic Legacy NAFTA & WTO: Then Why are Presidential Candidates Barack Obama and John McCain so Oblivious in Solving Our Economic Ills?
By Marc Chamot

Did President George Bush really ruin our economy? It may seem that way, but he was only the benefactor, recipient, and abuser of that failed 1994/1995 Bill Clinton, and the Republicans under Newt Gingrich’s, NAFTA and WTO trade deals that they created.

Can anyone stop this monster that’s eating away our jobs, wages, industry, wealth, and killing our economy? Yes they can, but the system will not allow them. Better yet, our politicians are in hock, or sold out hacks to foreign interests mainly China.

Barack Obama’s message in helping solve our economic ills isn’t resonating with most people. He talks about it, but gives no solutions. John McCain talks about it also, but has no solutions for it either.

In truth, they both do have solutions, and they know what to do about it, but have no backbone and are gutless to take on the system that created this disaster years ago, under former president Bill Clinton and the Republicans of 1994.

We’re importing more foreign workers, more than ever through H-1B and H-2B Visas.

We’re selling out our nation, predominantly sacrificing American workers in favor of foreigners.

While American jobs are scarce we’re still importing foreign workers in droves through H-1b and H-2B visas to pay these foreign imports less money than they would Americans. We’re not just talking about illegal aliens here; we’re talking about legalized foreigners coming here to work at our expense.

Those Visas brokering deals were made since the creation of the WTO (World Trade Organizations). By former President Bill Clinton and the Republican controlled congress of 1994, is largely to blame for this monster.

According to Wikipedia.com:

The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the Republican Party of the United States dubbed their success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate. The day after the election, Democratic Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama changed parties, becoming a Republican.

The gains in seats in the mid-term election resulted in the Republicans gaining control of both the House and the Senate in January 1995.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international organization designed to supervise and liberalize international trade. The WTO came into being on January 1, 1995, and is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was created in 1947, and continued to operate for almost five decades as a de facto international organization.

The World Trade Organization deals with the rules of trade between nations at a near-global level; it is responsible for negotiating and implementing new trade agreements, and is in charge of policing member countries' adherence to all the WTO agreements, signed by the majority of the world's trading nations and ratified in their parliaments.[4][5] Most of the issues that the WTO focuses on derive from previous trade negotiations, especially from the Uruguay Round. The organization is currently working with its members on a new trade negotiation called the Doha Development Agenda (Doha round), launched in 2001.[4][3]

The WTO has 153 members, which represents more then 95% of total world trade.[6] The WTO is governed by a Ministerial Conference, which meets every two years; a General Council, which implements the conference's policy decisions and is responsible for day-to-day administration; and a director-general, who is appointed by the Ministerial Conference. The WTO's headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland END of source Wikipedia.com

Most Visas brokering deals are being made with poorer nations of the WTO such as India, Brazil, and other less industrialized nations. Both Barack Obama and John McCain, because of their party affiliations are deathly afraid to intrude and fix this deadly monster of our economy.
Most of these H-1B and H-2B visas recipients have overstayed their Visa tenures and have become illegal aliens.

From source: When it comes to illegal immigrants in the United States, many people believe that Hispanics are growing the fastest percentage-wise. In terms of actual numbers Hispanic illegal immigrants do outnumber other illegal immigrants. The estimated number of illegal immigrants in the United States is about 12 million. Mexicans make up nearly 7 million and the next largest groups are Salvadorans and Guatemalans all of which are considered Hispanic. Hispanics illegal immigrants receive media coverage often when raids occur throughout the nation or a border death occurs. In addition, Hispanic illegal immigrants are usually made the focus of immigration debates.

Many take minimum wage jobs and sometimes even work two jobs. While there is no denying that Hispanics come to the United States in large numbers they do not hold the title of the fastest growing in terms of percentages. Since the year 2000 people from India make up the group with the largest percentage increase in illegal immigration. In 2000 there was about 120,000 illegal immigrant Indians. That number grew to about 270,000 in 2006 that represents an increase of 125%.

Indian illegal immigrants compared to other immigrants are less obvious to spot. Many Indians get into the U.S. with an H-1B Visa so they do not have cross the border illegally. Indian illegal immigrants tend to have higher education and many can speak English fluently. They end up working for high-tech companies doing highly skilled jobs like engineering and computer programming http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/indian_immigration.html

Secondly, thanks to former president Bill Clinton and the 1994 Democrats and Republicans under the Speakership of Newt Gingrich NAFTA came about.

Source Wikipedia.com:

The North American Free Trade Agreement (Spanish: Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte [TLCAN], French: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain [ALENA]) is a trilateral trade bloc in North America created by the governments of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has two supplements, the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) and The North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC). The agreements came into effect on January 1, 1994. In terms of combined purchasing power parity GDP of its members, as of 2007 the trade bloc is the largest in the world and second largest by nominal GDP END of source Wikipedia.com

It was all created for American corporate, globalization, greed, and American wealth distribution to other nations at the expense of Americans in massive jobs and industries loses. Subsequently these WTO and NAFTA deals brought down import tariffs from foreign products being imported into the United States. It made their products cheaper and American products higher. Thereby killing American industries and jobs, forcing them abroad mainly to China. Meanwhile foreign industries from China and Mexico are flourishing and so are their economies, while ours have been on a steady decline. These Clinton/Republican trade deals have finally backfired big time for Americans especially under President George Bush and the past Republican controlled congress.

We’re now paying for these 1994/1995 political blunders. And with the high cost of gas it’s becoming a knock out punch for most Americans. Barack Obama and most Democrats don’t seem to be on board with the offshore drilling. But the high cost of gas is only a smoke screen to hide the real danger about NAFTA and the WTO. If Barack Obama and the Democrats really cared for Americans, they would resolve the drilling issue immediately. Were draining our wealth for OIL to countries that dislike Americans, such as the Middle East and Venezuela.

To solve our economic ills, it will take reversing all of these drakonian NAFTA and WTO BAD deals, and both presidential candidates have not the guts nor the desire to do it, and go against the 1994/1995 Bill Clinton and Republican system that created this mess.

Our economic ills wont be solved by tax breaks for individuals alone, stimulus packages wont either. These cost billions of dollars and are only temporary solutions.

It will take tough love with our foreign partners, long term solutions like looking deep into China and cutting back our wealth distribution going to that country. It will take drilling where OIL can be found. It will take ammending H-1B and H-2B Visas. It will also take redrafting NAFTA and the WTO to benefit Americans rather than benefiting foreigners. It will also take giving corporate tax breaks to keep them here and employ Americans. Unlike Barack Obama, who wants to increase their taxes and expedite their exodus from our country even more. Barack Obama's corporate tax plan may even escalate our economic demise further.

And John McCain wants to keep these failed Clinton/Gingrich policies alive and even expand “free trade” to Colombia and other countries it's just asinine.

ABOVE ALL, IT WILL TAKE AN INCREASE ON ALL IMPORT TARIFFS COMING TO AMERICA.

Slowing down the flood of products mainly from China coming into America and developing more of our own. By increasing our tariffs will force industries back to America and providing needed good paying jobs for Americans!

Edited by Marc Chamot Sunday August 24 11:33 PM

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Obamination Falling: Times/Bloomberg Polls Confirms Past Fox News Polls; Barack Obama’s Favorable Ratings Dropping

Obamination Falling: Times/Bloomberg Polls Confirms Past Fox News Polls; Barack Obama’s Favorable Ratings Dropping & New poll shows John McCain taking a five-point lead Over the Economy:
By Marc Chamot

Is it an Incoming Doom for Barack Obama and Democrats?

A Times/Bloomberg poll finds that Obama shows few signs of winning new voters.

Barack Obama’s favorable ratings keeps dropping. Barack Obama’s negative ratings dropped even further down than what Fox News previously reported. New poll shows John McCain taking a five point lead over Barack Obama as better manager over the economy. This is the first time that Republican John McCain has gone ahead over Barack Obama on anything overall.

What Fox News reported back on April 30th has finally been pretty much confirmed for the first time by the left-wing media. Barack Obama’s Democratic presidential campaign is in deep doo-doo.

Even though the Times and Bloomberg are trying to spin this bad boy favorably for their preffered candidate. It’s obvious that Barack Obama’s campaign gaffes compounded one after another has taken a serious toll on Barack Obama and his presidential campaign, including his latest abortion scandals in the killing of a new born in Chicago. Where he voted against protecting these kids lives through failed abortions proceedings. Could this be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back on the 2008 Barack Obama presidential run?

In my opinion I think that Sean Hannity is totally wrong on his assertion that John McCain must pick a pro-lifer VP. After Barack Obama’s abortion gaffes recently came to light, it actually increased former governor/Republican Pro-Coice Tom Ridge’s, and my super-favorite Independent VP pick in Joe Lieberman.

AMERICANS ARE SICK AND TIRED OF SAME OLD PARTISAN POLITICS!

We Americans have more pressing problems than to be bickering about pro-life and pro-choice issues, we’ve got an economic disaster in waiting to be resolved. We got high oil prices to overcome and we need more bi-partisan politics to make this country move forward again. I can’t think of any more bi-partisan than having a John McCain and Joe Lieberman ticket!

We need to get rid off these Partisan political artists from both parties! The George Bush’s, Dick Cheney’s, Barack Obama’s, Nancy Pelosi’s, and the Harry Reed’s who are obstructionists to the quality of American lives!

Barack Obama has no RECORD of ever VOTING or being bi-partisan in his political career! As senator he’s NEVER voted or reached across the isles to work with Republicans in Illinois and in Washington on anything.

John McCain and Joe Lieberman have an outstanding voting record working with both sides of the isles in Washington. This is what America needs to stop this political gridlock we’re getting out of Washington.

After the Barack Obama fiasco the right-wing Republican conservatives and evangelicals have no choice but to support John McCain with his choices. Otherwise they can have a Barack Obama as president!

I think it’s time that we boot out the left-wing and the right-wing out of American politics! A McCain, Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge presidential ticket could do that!

WE INDEPENDENTS HAVE THE POWER TO DO IT!

On my earlier postings in this blog, I told you folks that the Independents were going to be the swing voters for this 2008 presidential elections and it looks like we may be able to pull the COUP!

New poll shows McCain taking a five-point lead
DENIS STAUNTON in Washington

US: JOHN McCAIN has taken a five-point lead over Barack Obama in a new poll as voters say for the first time that the Republican would be a better manager of the economy.

The Reuters/Zogby poll comes as other surveys show Mr Obama's negative ratings are climbing after weeks of Republican attacks.

Campaigning in Virginia yesterday, Mr Obama said Republicans were following a traditional pattern by trying to scare voters about his background.

"They'll say, 'He's young, he's got a funny name, he's not patriotic'," he said. "We've seen this movie before," he added.

The latest poll shows Mr McCain ahead of Mr Obama among likely voters by 46 per cent to 41 per cent, overturning a seven-point advantage for the Democrat in July. Forty-nine per cent said Mr McCain would be a better manager of the economy, compared to 40 per cent who favoured Mr Obama on the issue.

Mr Obama's support has fallen among Catholics, born-again Christians, women, independents and younger voters, with his backing among liberals dropping by 12 per cent.

The poll was conducted late last week when Mr Obama was on holiday in Hawaii, while the conflict between Russia and Georgia gave Mr McCain a chance to highlight his foreign policy experience.

Most other polls still show Mr Obama in the lead, although his advantage in an average of national polls has shrivelled to just above 1 per cent, well within the margin of error.
An LA Times/Bloomberg poll this week found that voters believe by a margin of two to one that Mr McCain would better protect the US from terrorism and is viewed as more patriotic than Mr Obama. More than eight out of 10 voters say Mr McCain's patriotism is strong, compared with just 55 per cent for Mr Obama.

Mr McCain yesterday responded to Mr Obama's complaint that the Republican was unfairly questioning his patriotism.

"Yesterday, Senator Obama got a little testy on this issue," Mr McCain told supporters in New Mexico.

"He said that I am questioning his patriotism. Let me be clear: I am not questioning his patriotism; I am questioning his judgment."

The Republican returned to his attack on Mr Obama's opposition to the military surge in Iraq, a position the Republican claimed would put victory at risk.

"Over and over again, he has advocated unconditional withdrawal - regardless of the facts on the ground. And he voted against funding for troops in combat, after saying it would be wrong to do so," Mr McCain said.

"He has made these decisions not because he doesn't love America, but because he doesn't seem to understand the consequences of an American defeat in Iraq, how it would risk a wider war and threaten the security of American families."

Mr Obama hopes to receive a boost from the announcement this week of his vice-presidential running mate and from next week's Democratic convention in Denver.

Mr Obama's campaign has remained tight-lipped about the vice-presidential pick but most speculation is centred on Delaware senator Joe Biden, Indiana senator Evan Bayh and Virginia governor Tim Kaine, with Hillary Clinton seen as a possible surprise choice.


Mr Obama plans to appear with his running mate at an event in Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, although the announcement could come as early as today.

The Republicans yesterday announced the speakers for their convention, starting on September 1st, which features former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani as the keynote speaker.

Other speakers will include president George Bush, vice-president Dick Cheney, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Independent Democratic senator Joe Lieberman.
© 2008 The Irish Times Full Story: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/0821/1219243766954.html

A Times/Bloomberg poll finds that Obama shows few signs of winning new voters. The issue of experience goes McCain's way.
By Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 20, 2008

John McCain has begun rallying dispirited Republicans behind him, while Democratic rival Barack Obama has made scant progress building new support, leaving the presidential race statistically tied, according to a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll.The survey highlights Obama's vulnerability on the question of his readiness to lead the nation. Less than half of the registered voters polled think the first-term Illinois senator has the "right" experience to be president, while 80% believe McCain, a four-term senator, does.

More striking, however, is the drop in Obama's favorable rating. It has slid from 59% to 48% since the June poll. At the same time, his negative rating has risen from 27% to 35%.

With that backdrop, the poll found that 35% of voters have questions about how patriotic Obama is. Just 9% wonder how patriotic McCain is.

As Obama's public image has eroded, McCain's ratings have remained steady: 46% of voters have a positive feeling about him; 38% give him negative ratings.Long unpopular with conservatives, McCain has had more success than Obama in uniting his party's base. Nine out of 10 Republicans now plan to vote for McCain, while roughly 8 in 10 Democrats support Obama.The survey found a slight shift of Democrats from Obama toward McCain or the undecided column since June. Among Democrats, 11% are undecided, while just 3% of Republicans are.

FOX News Poll: Obama’s Favorable Rating Drops
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
By Dana Blanton

Nearly half of Democrats (48 percent) think Hillary Clinton has a better chance of beating John McCain in November — 10 percentage points higher than the 38 percent who think Barack Obama can win, according to a FOX News poll released Wednesday. This represents a significant shift from March, when Democrats said Obama was the candidate more likely to beat McCain.

Democrats continue to favor Clinton as their party’s leader, albeit narrowly: 44 percent want her to win the nomination and 41 percent want Obama. Last month Clinton was preferred by 2 percentage points.

Click here to view full results of the poll (pdf).

Further, for the second month in a row Clinton does slightly better than Obama in head-to-head matchups against the Republican senator. Clinton tops McCain by just 1 point (45 percent to 44 percent), down from a 3-point advantage last month. McCain edges Obama by a narrow 3-point margin (46 percent to 43 percent), up from a 1-point lead.

The leader in these matchups has shifted back and forth. In the last year, the biggest spread between Clinton and McCain was September 2007 when Clinton led him by 7 points. Obama held a 10-point lead over McCain last July.

Nearly a third of Clinton supporters — 32 percent — say they would vote for McCain instead of Obama (47 percent) if the general election were held today. Fewer Obama supporters — 21 percent — would defect and vote for McCain over Clinton if she were the nominee.
A Democratic ticket with Obama as the presidential nominee and Clinton as his running mate receives 47 percent to 41 percent for a Republican ticket of McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as his vice president.

"The relative strength of this so-called ‘Dream Democratic Ticket’ is sure to fuel further speculation as to whether such a pairing is realistically possible after such a heated primary campaign," said Ernest Paicopololos, principal of Opinion Dynamics Corp., which conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from April 28 to April 29. The poll has a 3-point error margin.

If Obama wins the nomination, most Democrats (73 percent) think Clinton would want him to win the White House, although nearly one in five (18 percent) thinks she would want McCain to win.

The results are similar for the reverse situation: If Clinton is the nominee, most Democrats (80 percent) think Obama would rather see her win the presidency and 13 percent think he would want McCain to win.

Despite those findings, there are signs of deep divisions among Democrats: If Clinton loses, a 54 percent majority of her supporters says they would rather have former Vice President Al Gore as the party’s nominee than Obama (31 percent). Obama supporters are more evenly split: If he loses, his supporters would only slightly prefer Gore (46 percent) over Clinton (44 percent).

Candidate Favorable Ratings


The ongoing controversy over Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, appears to have damaged how Americans view Obama. His favorable rating is now 47 percent, down 7 percentage points since February when 54 percent had a positive view of him. As may be expected, his unfavorable rating went up from 33 percent to 42 percent today. Full Story: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353459,00.html

Friday, August 15, 2008

Russian Attacks on Georgia Shows Broken American Foreign Affairs/Military Abroad; U.S. Military is Depleted/Damaged;

Russian Attacks on Georgia Shows Broken American Foreign Affairs/Military Abroad; U.S. Military is Depleted/Damaged; & we’re in Danger of Not Being Able to Help Allies From Aggressors:
By Marc Chamot

“Russia’s attacks on Georgia is a clear message to America, NATO and former satellite states of the former Soviet Union, mess with the West you’ll die with the rest.”

Russia’s attack on Georgia also shows that America is in deep trouble on the world stage. Russia’s message to the former Soviet Union states, “See, America can’t defend you!” Our image as a democracy world defender may be tarnished for years to come.

“Under Vladimir Putin’s leadership, Russia has never done anything to show the world as to why they should be members of the lucrative WTO (World Trade Organization). WTO boosted China’s economy and the Russians got jealous and angry, they saw what WTO did for China and the Russian leaders felt that the US and the West were intentionally keeping their economic nation down.”

A Dangerous Scenario:

Iran is amassing a huge convoy and military might just south of their border with Turkey. They are preparing a massive airlift of troops and supplies to Syria. Turkey has just authorized Iran the use of their airspace for this massive mission to Syria, while. Iraqi airspace is unavailable because the United States has no flight zones over Iraq. Syria is amassing troops north of the Israeli border and waiting for Iran’s massive airlift, an attack on Israel in imminent. The United states can only watch in horror for this scenario developing, and has no way to act.

The 2008 Olympics in China is over and China is massing warships off the straits of Formosa or Taiwanese Strait. A Chinese invasion on an American ally, Taiwan is very imminent. And America sadly must sit idly by, and see another ally succumb to an aggressor.

America’s quest of being the policeman and sheriff over the world may have come back and bit US in our rear ends.

Our U.S. military is spread thin and is pretty much depleted/spent worldwide to protect our allies from aggressors. Iraq was pretty much the tipping point in the weakening/decimating of our U.S. military and our financing.

We stayed in Iraq too long and spent a huge amount of financial resources into that country and war, and we don’t have any more resources to help and protect our friends anymore.

Stop-Loss policies were enacted in the military to keep soldiers from leaving after their enlistment with the military was over. And the military recruitment goals aren’t being met. What we’ve got is a military in turmoil.

These two scenarios above could be a reality in the making. Russia, after the demise of the Iron Curtain, the formerly Soviet Union has never been able to develop free markets and capitalization as well as their neighbors on the south, China. China has become an economic powerhouse while Russia has regressed.

There was a brief period when former communist leader Mikhail Gorbachev brought down the Iron Curtain and gave satellite states their autonomy, and there was a bright spot for Russia under Boris Yeltsin. But Russia regressed under Vladimir Putin. Under Putin, Russia never materialized it’s economic potential. Russia has one of the wealthiest in minerals, gold, gas and oil reserves in the world, but never turned these into economic behemoths to their advantage.

Russia is jealous and angry with the the United States and the West, but fail to look into the mirror and see that they failed to take an economic opportunity when it was right under their noses.

Under Vladimir Putin’s leadership, Russia has never done anything to show the world as to why they should be members of the lucrative WTO (World Trade Organization). WTO boosted China’s economy and the Russians got jealous and angry, they saw what WTO did for China and the Russian leaders felt that the US and the West were intentionally keeping their economic nation down.

U.S. official: Russia's attack on Georgia is 'disproportionate'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Russia's use of strategic bombers and ballistic missiles against Georgia's civilians outside of the South Ossetian conflict is "far disproportionate" to Georgia's alleged attack on Russian peacekeepers, a senior U.S. official said Saturday.


Russian military vehicles line the road to the South Ossetia area of Georgia.

The official was not authorized to speak on the record due to the sensitive nature of the diplomacy.

Russia's use of its potent air weaponry signals a "severe" and "dangerous escalation in the crisis," the official said.

"For the life of me, I can't image that being a proportionate response to the charge that Georgia has attacked Russian peacekeepers," the official said. "It's hard for us to understand what Russia's plan is here."

The official said Russia is probably trying to destabilize Georgia politically to kill its chances of joining NATO.

Georgia wants to join NATO, but Russia opposes the move, concerned that the alliance's eastward march will erode its influence. NATO rejected Georgia's membership bid in April despite strong lobbying from U.S. President Bush, though the alliance promised that Georgia

Still, Georgia bears some of the blame for the fighting over South Ossetia, the official said. Recently, the United States has had "very blunt exchanges with" Georgia, telling its leaders that they have no chance of winning a war with Russia and that they should stick to a path of diplomacy.

The official said European allies have told the United States that Russia has "crossed a line of unacceptable behavior" and should "expect international condemnation."

"I do sense an emerging unified view among our key allies," he said.
The United Sates, Britain and NATO on Friday called for a cease-fire. And on Saturday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed an immediate cease-fire as part of a three-step plan to end fighting.

Sarkozy's proposal calls for the return of Russian and Georgian troops to their former positions and requires Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity be respected. A statement from Sarkozy's office did not provide further details on the plan.

The official also said the State Department has authorized only the voluntary departure of dependents of U.S. embassy employees from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. The official said he did not know how many dependents would choose to leave.

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council held a private meeting on Georgia on Saturday, though it seemed unlikely that there would be any immediate agreement on a statement on the conflict.

The U.S., European Union and international security organizations on Friday called for an end to the fighting.

Bush and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday discussed the conflict in Beijing, where they attended the opening of the Summer Olympics.

The EU and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe were sending envoys to Georgia to secure a cease-fire, but a senior U.S. State Department official said the United States would send only a representative after a cease-fire is in place.

The European Union said it was working with other parties "towards a ceasefire in order to prevent further escalation of this conflict." EU spokeswoman Christina Gallach told CNN: "We think it is not acceptable to see these scenes of bloodshed and destruction."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/09/georgia.reax/index.html

Russia’s Presidents Source Wikipedia.com

For Russian leaders prior to this ratification, see Leaders of the Soviet Union.
Supported by Democratic Russia Supported by United Russia Our Home – Russia Non-partisan without support

Note: Non-partisan denotes an election in which the candidates do not declare or do not formally have a political party affiliation.
#
Details
Portrait
Party
1
Terms: 1[10]
Name: Boris Yeltsin
Birthplace: Butka, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Took office: July 10, 1991
Left office: November 5, 1996

Non-partisan(supported by Democratic Russia)

Acting: 23 hours[11]
Name: Viktor Chernomyrdin
Birthplace: Otrog, Saraktash, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Took office: November 5, 1996
Left office: November 6, 1996

Our Home – Russia
1
Terms: 2
Name: Boris Yeltsin
Birthplace: Butka, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Took office: November 6, 1996
Left office: December 31, 1999(Resigned)

Non-partisan
2
Acting: December 31, 1999May 7, 2000[12]
Terms: 2, 3, 4
Name: Vladimir Putin
Birthplace: Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union(now Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Took office: May 7, 2000
Left office: May 7, 2008

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Turning Down the Vice Presidency with Barack Obama May be the Best Strategy for Hillary Clinton; & is Right Wing Conservative Republican Party Dead?


Turning Down the Vice Presidency with Barack Obama May be the Best Strategy for Hillary Clinton; & is Right Wing Conservative Among the Republican Party Dead?
By Marc Chamot

I’ve been doing a whole lot of thinking lately and what has me thinking is what about the Hillary Clinton’s 18,000,000 voters? I have no doubt that Pastor Jeremiah Wright’s Trinity United Church of Christ’s racist and anti-American rants has hurt Barack Obama considerably, especially among the white voters of America.

"A close Republican John McCain and former Democrat turned Independent through Democratic betrayals, and Joe Lieberman association with McCain, is a sign that right wing conservative within the Republican Party is pretty much dead."

In my article when this news broke out on Fox News The Audacity of Hope/Hate; Barack Obama’s Trinity United Church of Christ’s Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A Wright Racist Sermons & his Racist Supporters: Is Barack Obama Poised to lose the White Votes Down the Stretch?

Months away from the 2008 presidential elections, Barack Obama has never been able to break away from the Jeremiah Wright stigma.

Barack has never come out and explained as to why he sat there for twenty-years listening to these subversive, anti-American and racist rants from his pastor who was very influential in his life. And even dedicated a book to his former pastor called “Audacity of Hope.”

Then there was that Pastor Michael Pfleger’s, Rogue Catholic Priest Michael Pfleger Spills More Hate Speech at Barack Obama's Trinity United Church of Christ: feminist attacks on Hillary Clinton at that same church. It may have been the final nail in the coffin for any Barack Obama support from mainly white women and Hillary Clinton supporters.

Barack Obama erred once again when he came out with the comment about rural Americans in the Midwest. “They are bitter, anti-immigrant and they like to cling to their guns and religion.” Barack Obama Racist Remarks: Small Town Americans are bitter and they cling to their guns, and are religious zealots. He basically was telling the San Francisco elites that rural Americans are basically ignorant and racist as to why they wouldn’t vote for him.

There are also more signs of trouble for Barack Obama. The prior and earlier white support and voters he got from white voters, these voters are beginning to have buyers’ remorse on Barack Obama. They may not want to vote for Barack Obama this time around again.

First it was the race card, and then came the sexism remarks from Barack Obama’s campaign and supporters on Hillary Clinton. Obama’s campaign and his supporters started it with the race card and it escalated to sexism with Hillary Clinton, and now it’s the race card against Republican John McCain.

This is no way to run an American presidential election. Barack Obama and his supporters have turned this presidential campaign into a mantra, “if you’re white and don’t vote for Barack Obama, then you’re a racist!” I got one reply for Barack Obama and his supporters on that mantra, “SCREW YOU!”

I don’t blame the Clintons and their many core supporters as to why they are angry in the way Barack Obama and his supporters have run this presidential campaign. They ran it very dirty and underhandedly.

Hillary Clinton doesn’t need to hand Barack Obama the presidential campaign by accepting the vice presidency. A better Clinton strategy would be let the Republican nominee John McCain serve as a one term president (with his age and could be a bust as a president) and then run again more organized and stronger in 2012.

If she abdicates to Barack Obama and accepts the VP, it could be a risk for her. If Barack Obama’s and her presidency falters, she could be out the door by 2012. Under a Barack Obama presidency she’ll have no power and say in that administration, she’ll be a sitting duck politically.
Even if Hillary Clinton accepts the number two spot, there will never be any guarantees if her core supporters of 18,000,000 will go along with it.

At this time Hillary Clinton is actually in a most enviable situation compared to Barack Obama. Her core supporters are not really pushing for a Clinton vice presidency either.

"A close Republican John McCain and former Democrat turned Independent through Democratic betrayals, and Joe Lieberman association with McCain, is a sign that right wing conservative within the Republican Party is pretty much dead."

John McCain, a RINO (Republican in Name Only) is a very attractive alternative for independents and Clinton supporters at this time. Why is former Democrat now Independent Senator Joe Lieberman a hard-core supporter for Republican John McCain? Lieberman votes more on Democrat than Republican issues in the senate and that must tell you all something about Republican John McCain right?

The right wing conservatives of the George Bush and Republican Party have left many of us with a bitter taste in our mouths, for their ineptness in the way they have run this country down to the ground.

Are a John McCain and a Joe Lieberman ticket in the works? It could be a coup for the Republicans and a defeat for right wing conservatives and Barack Obama.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Bloodied 2008 China Olympics & Internet Spy Games; Americans and the Free World Must Boycott these Olympic games:

Bloodied 2008 China Olympics & Internet Spy Games; Americans and the Free World Must Boycott these Olympic games:
By Marc Chamot

If our spineless American presidents and politicians wont take action, we must take it upon ourselves to show China, that these anti-freedom violations will no longer be tolerated!

"What we’ve got is not a failure in communication with president George Bush, what we’ve got is a TOTAL failure in intelligence on his part."

President George Bush, the lowest rated in presidential approval ratings in recent memory. Is still doing a thing WRONG when it comes to China. And never mind that China has atrocious human rights records with Tibet and with their own people. The banning of religious freedoms such as the Falun Gong, president George Bush is heading to China for the ceremonies of the upcoming Chinese 2008 Olympics, while ignoring most Americans views against his trip.

It’s a wrong signal for a sitting American president to send to China. It merely condones their bullying and actions, something that we deplore from other nations around the world.

And now for a final blow! China wants to spy on all foreign Internet users mainly Americans during their trip to the Olympics. Spying and “freedom of speech” is China’s biggest abuse other than their Tibet and Falun Gong woes.

I for one will not watch the Olympics on TV. I’m sure that many others wont either. I’m also sure that some corporate networks and advertisers might get a consumer backlash from promoting these games. World discord and scorn towards China is at an all time high and if OUR American and world politicians choose to ignore our will. We will show them all, that the PEOPLE of the free world will no longer tolerate condoning to China’s wanton abuses!

Senator: China orders hotels to help spy on Internet users

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A senior U.S. lawmaker says China is ordering foreign-owned hotels there to install government software and hardware that would let authorities spy on guests' Internet activities during the Beijing Olympics.

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, released a translated document Wednesday from China's Public Security Bureau that he said orders hotels to use the monitoring programs.


CNN was not able to independently verify the original document, and calls to the Chinese Embassy in Washington went unanswered. CNN will continue to try to reach Beijing for a response to Brownback's allegations.

The senator said journalists, athletes, tourists, activists and others would be subjected to invasive intelligence gathering by the Public Security Bureau.

Several international hotel chains have confirmed the order, Brownback said, but he wouldn't disclose which ones, saying they fear retaliation from the Chinese government. He said the hotels are warning guests that their Internet activities are not private. Learn more how China monitors the Internet »

The translated document offered by Brownback's staff states that "refusing the installment or stopping operation of the system after installment will be subject to punishment. ... In case of serious violation, access to the Internet will be suspended or the business license will be canceled."

CNN reached one hotel manager who said authorities met with the staff to discuss Internet security. However, he said, the officials didn't provide any documentation.

The manager said on condition of anonymity that the Chinese government is capable of monitoring Internet traffic without involving or telling the hotels that it is doing so.
Stanley Marcuss, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of commerce, advised business travelers to leave their laptops at home.

"They are required by the U.S. government not to permit unauthorized access to information stored in their computers," he said, "and if the Chinese say, 'We're going to get access to what's in your computer if you use your computer in China,' that's a real problem."

The Summer Olympics in Beijing begins August 8.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/30/brownback.china/index.html

What do you expect from the worst loser president in history folks?

Bush Is Bound for Beijing as a Sports Fan, Not a Crusader
By STEVEN LEE MYERS

WASHINGTON — Aides organizing President Bush’s trip to China for the Olympics considered having him worship at a house church, one of the underground religious institutions that routinely face official harassment, but the Chinese authorities ruled it out.

Pastors, lawyers and other political activists whom Mr. Bush considered meeting in Beijing as a signal of support have instead been ordered by the Chinese authorities to leave the city during the president’s visit. Scores of others have been arrested.

The idea of giving a Reaganesque “tear down this wall” speech on human rights in China — as members of Congress and others are calling for Mr. Bush to do — has been abandoned as potentially insulting to the president’s hosts, one senior administration official said. Besides, most Chinese would probably not see or hear it, because of state control of the news media.

Mr. Bush, who departed Monday for a trip to Asia that will include four days in Beijing, has characterized his visit as an apolitical celebration of the Olympic spirit and American sportsmanship. But behind the scenes, according to officials and others involved in the discussions, the preparations have been far more complicated and remain a source of friction.

The White House’s plans have been thwarted by Chinese objections, by security issues and by sensitivities that the administration chose not to upset, even as Mr. Bush faced criticism from human-rights campaigners and lawmakers here in Washington for not doing and saying more.
Harry Wu, a well-known critic in exile of China’s prison system, who met with the president at the White House last Tuesday, dismissed the president’s statements as “just games” and expressed disappointment that Mr. Bush’s attendance at the Olympics was having so little effect on the Chinese authorities.

“There’s no quarrel,” Mr. Wu, now the executive director of the Laogai Research Foundation in Washington, said afterward, with a tone of resignation. “There’s nothing. He’s going. That’s it.”
Mr. Bush first announced last September that he would attend the Olympic Games, a politically risky decision, given China’s authoritarianism and the deep support in the United States for the country’s persecuted Christians, Tibetans and political activists.

Mr. Bush will be the first sitting president to attend an Olympic Games overseas; he and his aides have said the trip is a gesture of respect to China. While his love of sports is evident, he showed no such enthusiasm for the Olympic spirit when the Games were held in Greece in 2004. And he has rebuffed calls to at least boycott the opening ceremonies.

“I know it’s important for me to send a clear signal to the Chinese people that we respect them,” Mr. Bush said in an interview on Wednesday with China’s state television network, CCTV.
In that interview, he mentioned differences with China, but not their nature or causes, striking the balance he has sought in much of what he has said and done regarding American-Chinese relations.

When Mr. Bush met last week with Mr. Wu and four other Chinese dissidents, he did so in the White House residence, not in the Oval Office. And he made sure to drop by a West Wing meeting held the same day between his national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, and China’s foreign minister, Yang Jiechi.

While he evidently will not worship at an underground church, Mr. Bush does plan to attend services on Sunday at the Beijing Kuanjie Protestant Church, one of the most prominent of those officially registered by the government. (And then, that night, he will watch Kobe Bryant and the rest of USA Basketball play China.)

Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, who was among a group of advocates who met with Mr. Hadley last week to discuss China, said the problem with the balance Mr. Bush was striving for was that it too readily accepted the Chinese authorities’ conditions.

Referring to the decision to visit an authorized church, he said: “It’s not an affirmation of religious freedom. It’s an affirmation of government-controlled religion.”

The senior administration official who discussed the trip did not dispute that Chinese objections had shaped the president’s itinerary. “They’re going to make it difficult for the meetings to take place,” the official said, referring to Chinese efforts to keep dissidents away from the president. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding the trip.

Mr. Bush will meet President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders during the visit. And he and his aides said he would discuss a variety of contentious issues, including human rights in China; Tibet; and China’s resistance to international action in Myanmar, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

The problem for Mr. Bush politically is that the Chinese authorities have intensified pressure on dissidents and others as the Games approach, jailing hundreds in an apparent effort to avoid any demonstrations, according to reports by advocacy groups like Freedom House and Amnesty International.

That has left the president vulnerable to accusations that his entreaties to the Chinese in private have had little discernible effect in public.

The worst nightmare for the White House could be a harsh, even violent Chinese government response to protests at a moment when Mr. Bush is appearing in sparkling stadiums, watching sports with his family.

“He will look awful,” Mr. Roth of Human Rights Watch said, “if he ignores the repression around him.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/washington/05prexy.html?_r=3&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1217883684-SR/piiVHoNGejgCJNRbsRw&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Is American Politics Ethically & Morally Corrupt? The Dennis Hastert & Republican Taxpayer/Bribes Scandals Could be a Death Knell for Republicans:

Corrupt Republicans: Dennis Hastert & Ted Stevens
Is American Politics Ethically & Morally Corrupt? The Dennis Hastert & Other Republican Taxpayer/Bribes Scandals Could be the Final Death Knell for Republicans in Congress for Some Time:
By Marc Chamot

Under president George Bush, the Republican party of Newt Gingrich’s 1994 Contract With America, has become more of a contract for fleecing taxpayers and rampant corruption. Dennis Hastert’s open corruption is a powder keg waiting to explode for Republicans in this election for the House and Senate.

Senator Ted Stevens Alaska fiasco, and corruption charges is just miniscule, the real scratch on the surface emanating out of President George Bush’s seven years as president.

It’s without a doubt that Republicans buffoons will lose more of their Senate and House seats after these coming elections and deservingly so.

Then why is the presidential race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain so close?

Americans aren’t total idiots. We are not about to let Democrats have total control of both, the House and Senate, and have a far left racist loon in Barack Obama running our country amuck. Barack Obama still hasn’t earned the support of majority of white Americans. Actually his racist derogatory comments, and his associations with racist and anti-white groups have virtually divided the presidential race among racial lines.

What Americans are realizing now is that we’ve got a real ass for a president, and an ethically and morally corrupt Republican party. They are more willing to give Democrats more power on these seats. But on this presidential race, voting for Barack Obama is a risk that America cannot afford.

Had Hillary Clinton been the Democratic nominee, she’d be far ahead than Obama Vs John McCain right now. I truly believe that what totally destroyed the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, was the Chinese Norman Hsu fundraising scandals. These scandals overcame Hillary Clinton before she could hit the starting gate for the presidential race.

Norman Hsu set off such a firestorm that left the Clintons reeling, and they could never get out of this shame. It left Hillary Clinton run for the Democratic nomination on the defensive from the get-go. The Norman Hsu scandals brought back memories of Bill Clinton and Al Gore’s ill advised 1996 China trip fundraising, and pretty much angered Americans, mainly Democrats and Republicans alike.

Alaska senator Ted Stevens indicted in corruption scandal
Tuesday, July 29, 2008

United States Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska has been indicted by federal grand jury on seven criminal counts for making false statements in his Senate financial disclosure forms. The longest-serving Republican in the Senate, Stevens is the highest-profile politician ensnared in the corruption scandal surrounding VECO Corporation and its executives' attempts to influence politics. http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Alaska_senator_Ted_Stevens_indicted_in_corruption_scandal

Sibel Edmonds Case: Dennis Hastert to receive payoffs for 'services rendered'

by lukery
Mon Jun 02, 2008 at 04:59:07 AM PDT

So, former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds is again proved right. For more than a year Sibel has been predictingthat Dennis Hastert will join a lobbying firm involved with Turkey, and now we learnthat Hastert is joining Dickstein Shapiro.

In the "Representative Engagements" section of Dickstein's website, we learn that they represented "the government of Turkey in connection with the development and financing by private sponsors of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline and TransCaspian gas pipeline spanning from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean."

Dennis Hastert, who is listed in Sibel's "Rogues Gallery," was caught on FBI wiretaps accepting bribes from Turkish criminal elements associated with the Turkish government, as documented in Vanity Fairin 2005 and elsewhere.

lukery's diary :: ::

The following clip from Kill The Messenger, a documentary about Sibel's case, discusses some of Hastert's involvement as mentioned in Vanity Fair.

In researching the Vanity Fair article, journalist David Rose interviewed various congressional staffers and counter-intelligence officials who are familiar with the case. He reported that there were three separate types of bribes paid to Hastert:

"(T)ens of thousands of dollars to be paid to Hastert’s campaign funds in small checks."
"(T)ens of thousands of dollars in surreptitious payments in exchange for political favors and information."

"(A)t least $500,000"

Hastert was lucky that there was literally zero follow-up in the mainstream media to these most serious charges. Hastert did not sue Vanity Fair for libel, instead, Hastert got his spokesman to send Vanity Fair a bizarre Letter to the Editor in response, 6 months later. BradBlog has the letter here, along with Sibel's effective debunking of Hastert's response.

The only action taken in response to the startling revelations in Vanity Fair was by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) which filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) asking them to investigate the "(T)ens of thousands of dollars to be paid to Hastert’s campaign funds in small checks." According to the Vanity Fair article, these bribes were funneled into Hastert's campaign in amounts less than $200, which would mean that the contributions were below the threshold for reporting. The Federal Election Commission droppedthe investigation in early 2006 without answering the specific charge.

The bribes identified in Vanity Fair are probably just the tip of the iceberg, merely down-payments on what was promised to him when he left office, and could 'earn' a multi-million dollar salary as a lobbyist.

Sibel describedhow the process works, using another member of her "Rogues Gallery," former State Dept official Marc Grossman as an example:

"For example, look at Mr. Marc Grossman. He used to be the U.S. ambassador in Turkey and used his position within the State Department to secure future higher-level positions while in office—and I would like to emphasize this—while in office and with several agencies knowing about it. Some people in these agencies wanted to investigate these cases but they were prevented from going forward.

..And just take a look at where Mr. Grossman is today. Within a few months after he gave his resignation, he obtained a position with a semi-legitimate Turkish company that is supplying him with a very attractive monetary reward, (and) he obtained (another) position with a lobbying firm that represents (Turkey)."
And Sibel has made the same case elsewhere:

"Please do not make the grave and naive mistake of assuming that Grossman found and obtained his highly lucrative and questionable positions after his resignation in January 2005."

It appears that these arrangements aren't the typical 'Revolving Door' retirement packages, but rather specific quid pro quo deals. People like Hastert and Grossman and the others quite literally sell out their government while in office on the specific promise that they will be rewarded when they leave.

Hastert won't actually be a 'Lobbyist' according to Dickstein Shapiro, he'll be "providing strategy advice to the firm and its clients" - spending half his time in Chicago and half his time in DC.

Most likely, some of that 'strategy advice' will include advice on how to corrupt some of the sitting congressmen: The people who bribed Hastert and the others need to ensure the continuity of their operations, regardless of who is sitting in Congress. Sibel says that the foreign entities who are successful in this business simply need to follow a basic recipe:

"Get yourself a few ‘Dime a Dozen Generals,’ bid high in the ‘former statesmen lobby auction’, and put in your pocket one or two ‘ex-congressmen turned lobbyists’ who know the ropes when it comes to pocketing a few dozen who still serve."

Dickstein Shapiro, Hastert's new employers, were deeply involved with Turkey and the Central Asian region during the time that Hastert was caught taking these bribes - 1996 to 2001. For example, It was Dickstein Shapiro, in conjunction with the Baker Botts law firm, who put together the 'contract of the century' - the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (or BTC) pipeline which was to carry oil from Azerbaijan to the West, via Georgia and Turkey.

Some of Dickstein Shapiro's other claims to fame include:

1) Defending "former Assistant Secretary of State Elliott Abrams in connection with the Iran-Contra investigations."
2) "(S)uccessfully defended and represented prominent clients in a number of other high-profile cases such as...BCCI Bank"
3) Employing convicted felon Lewis Scooter Libby (and his wife), who was a partner at the firm from 1986 to 1989.

If there's any justice in the world, Dickstein Shapiro will soon be adding Dennis Hastert to their 'Ex-employees who are now convicted felons' Hall of Fame. http://www.libertycoalition.net/sibel-edmonds-case-dennis-hastert-receive-payoffs-services-rendered

Land Deal Gives Hastert 300% Profit
June 16, 2006 11:00 AM
Rhonda Schwartz Reports:

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) realized an estimated $2 million dollar profit last year on an Illinois land deal that included acreage near a future interstate highway Hastert pushed to build.

The land was sold just five months after Hastert inserted a $207 million appropriation bill for the Prairie Parkway highway during a closed-door Congressional budget conference.

The deal, representing a 300 per cent return on investment, was reported in Hastert's financial disclosure form filed this week, although the role of a secret trust set up by Hastert to sell the land was not disclosed.

A spokesman for Hastert, Ron Bonjean, confirmed the details, which were first reported by Bill Allison of the Sunlight Foundation, an on-line political watchdog group. The Speaker's spokesman said land in the Plano, Illinois area is "booming," and the future highway had no impact on the price.

Hastert and partners sold the land to developers who plan a large residential sub-division about five miles from the new highway.

Local citizens fighting the highway project were outraged to learn of the Hastert deal. "I think he clearly has his own personal interest and not the public's by buying and selling land to developers for personal profit, when it has a negative long-range effect on the community," said Jan Strasma, head of community group Citizens Against the Sprawlway.

Hastert's spokesman said that Hastert had been a proponent of the highway for 20 years, and there was nothing improper in the deal.

According to Hastert's disclosure form and county property records, a 69-acre parcel was put into a trust, Little Rock Trust #225, on May 2, 2005.

Two months later, in July 2005, Hastert pushed the highway appropriation bill through a conference committee.

On Aug. 6, 2005 President Bush appeared with Hastert at a ceremony in Illinois to celebrate the new highway's funding.

On Dec. 7, 2005 the trust sold the parcel of land to the developers.

The spokesman said, for tax reasons, Hastert used part of his $2 million profit to buy a 275-acre farm in Wisconsin that Hastert intends to use as a future retirement home. http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/06/land_deal_gives.html

Alain Chamot? Oh My, Oh My, My Half-Brother is A Card Carrying Liberal! What a Shocker!

The Obama Deception:

This BLOG Supports CANDIDATES that think for Americans FIRST. You, the candidate will get posted here and get my VOTE; only if you take care of our porous border, RID America of Criminal Illegal Aliens, No Amnesty, and Keeping American Jobs in America and improving our diminishing wages. Reducing our trade deficit with China and helping our dwindling economy and our middle class.