20081112
20081027
Adventist Spies: The CNP, Pro-life to Sunday Laws & the role of Sarah Palin
ZAGREB, Croatia July 15, 2008 (AP)
The Croatian parliament has passed a law forcing shops to close on Sundays in a concession to the Roman Catholic church.Not in America, right? This next website actually covers a lot of source material in building the case that this is exactly what the religious-right, Christian Coalition has in mind as they build their "pro-life" base within the Republican party, which fits into the neo-conservative globalist agenda, here outlined by a Seventh-day Adventist writer uncovering the mystery behind the Council on National Policy (CNP), Christian Coalition Highlights By J. Allen Fine reproduced below. By the way, as you read on, remember that the CNP was behind the recent selection of Sarah Palin, as reported by The Nation Magazine. This fits into the Catholic-Protestant agenda for America --Christian by force--as they reach across the divide and find their common ground.
The church has campaigned for years for Sundays to be devoted to family or Mass in Croatia, which is almost 90 percent Roman Catholic. But Croatians have begun spending weekends in shopping malls that have flourished across the country in the past few years and remain open seven days a week.
The author of the following comments chooses to remain anonymous. He is a graduate of London University and Lincoln ’s Inn Court of London, England , and was a Barrister-at-law in Britain for 20 years. He has been a Seventh-day Adventist since 1953 and moved to the U.S. in 1975; became a citizen and has since worked in the Corporate and Civil litigation department of a major California corporation. He writes:
“By the early ‘70’s three key men – Richard Viguerie (a Roman Catholic), Howard Phillips, and Paul Weyrich (A Roman Catholic) had laid the foundation for a conservative revolution in the U.S. Weyrich (remember that name) obtained financial backing from a Colorado beer magnate Joseph Coors (a Roman Catholic) to found the Heritage Foundation. This is a right-wing think tank that has exercised great influence on Republican presidential administrations since Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980.…“In 1974 and 1975 a group of key leaders, including Richard Devos, president of the Amway Corporation, and Bill Bright, president of Campus Crusade for Christ convened a series of secret meetings to plan the development of the religious right. This group published a blueprint for Christians to win elections and a manual designed to persuade evangelical Christians to adopt conservative positions on a whole range of issues.…Organizations arose to mobilize women by appealing to ‘family values’ and anxieties [against] … the emerging feminist movement. In 1972, Phyllis Schlafly (a staunch Roman Catholic) founded the Eagle Forum to organize opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, which she saw as a threat to the traditional family.… Grassroots organizations such as the Moral [M]ajority and eventually the Christian Coalition joined their voices.
“It is not possible within the limits of this [communique] to mention all of the arms of the religious right movement. Suffice it to say that all of the major religious right leaders have united in[to] a single political entity called the Council for National Policy (CNP).”
I gleaned the following information from an ABC news.com release entitled “Meet the Most Powerful Conservative Group You’ve Never Heard Of,” which I will partially quote so you can be privy to another viable source and then I’ll try to pull it all together.
“When Steve Baldwin executive director of the Council for National Policy (CNP) boasts that ‘we control everything in the world,’ he is only half-kidding.… But also half serious because the council has deservedly attained the reputation for conceiving and promoting the ideas of many, who in fact, do want to control everything in the world.…“Clothed in secrecy since its founding in 1981, the Council for National Policy is a virtual ‘Who’s Who’ of the Hard Right. Its membership comprises the Right’s Washington operatives and politicians, its financiers, and its hard-core religious arm.”
I wanted first-hand information about this organization and was able to talk to the executive director, Steve Baldwin, who was a bit upset at first that I had managed to get his number. However, when I told him I was a member of the Christian Coalition and was just a pastor trying to understand a little more about the organization’s relationship to the CC, he opened up somewhat and answered a few of my questions. I found out that the membership list is not suppose to be for publication (although I was able to get a fairly recent membership list through an ABC affiliate just last week). Also, I learned that … membership is open to anyone who wants to request it ‘…even I could apply to become a member for a yearly fee of $1750. BUT I would have to be recommended by another CNP member and voted in by the other members. So they manage to be extremely selective as they meet behind closed doors with no media allowed and no press releases unless all presenters agree upon them, which is next to never! This way they are allowed to say anything, vote anything without fear of being exposed. It’s not directly connected to the government so does not have to answer to ‘the people.’ I asked Mr. Baldwin … ‘Why have an organization like the CNP? His answer: ‘It gives major (right wing) thought leaders a chance to all get together and discuss what is best for America and help carry it out.”ABC News.com in a May 2 release put this spin on it: “The Hard Right utilizes the CNP’s three-times-a-year-secret meetings to plan its strategy for implementing the radical right agenda. It is here that the organizers and activists meet with the financial backers who put up the money to carry out their agenda.”
Major thought leaders, organizers, financial backers is right! This list of members obtained through ABC.com includes the likes of Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family), Congressman Tom DeLay, Congressman Dick Armey, Karl Rove (Chief advisor for President Bush), Jerry Falwell, Gary Bauer, Judge Robert Bork, Attorney General John Ashcroft (he’s listed as a former member), theologian John Ankerberg, Pat Robertson, Jeffrey Coors (Coors Brewery money magnate), Richard DeVos (Amway and Orlando Magic entrepreneur), Bill Bright (Campus Crusade), Senator Jesse Helms, Larry Burkett, Rev. Donald Wildman (American Family Assoc.), D. James Kennedy (Save our Sundays and Save our America), Sam Moore (President of Thomas Nelson Bible Publishers), Oliver North, Roberta Combs (President of Christian Coalition), Ralph Reed (former head of Christian Coalition and Bush’s presidential campaign director), Keith Fournier (attorney and Catholic spokesman), Phyllis Schlafly (women’s activist), Tim LaHaye (Author of the deceptive Left Behind series and “a founding father" of the CNP), John Whithead (Rutheford Institute founder), Alan Keyes (Roman Catholic talk show host), Nelson Baker Hunt (son of billionaire H. L. Hunt and connected to the John Birch Society, the Reagan political network and a founding father of the CNP), and the list goes on.
Now, don’t quite reading … you’ll be quite amazed at where this all leads and what the bottom line truly is and who is actually drawing it. I do, however, want to momentarily switch gears here. We have a friend who helps us research issues as these, and in reviewing the CNP, ran across the acronym NSSM. We asked him to see what he could find out about it. It turned out to be shorthand for National Security Study Memorandum. It was defined as “the definitive interagency study of world population growth and its implications for United States and global security.” Among its conclusions was: “World population growth is widely recognized within the Government as a current danger of the highest magnitude calling for urgent measures.…” [Issued by National Security Adviser, Henry Kissinger, during the Nixon Administration].
So, what does all of this have to do with our concerns? Just this – one of the solutions to the problem of overpopulation that was promoted vigorously by the NSSM was the wide use of contraception and abortions – a pro-choice platform that totally “flies in the face” of the Catholic church. The NSSM died a very quick and quiet death as did other proposed pro-population control bills. The head of the Center for Research on Population and Security, Dr. Stephen Mumford, decided to research the “Why?” and journaled his findings in a book entitled, The Life and death of NSSM 200, 1996, Research Triangle Park , NC .
His research revealed that at the same time the Christian right wing movements were emerging (in the1970’s), another group had organized in response to the Roe vs. Wade pro-abortion decision … a group called the American Catholic Bishops! The abortion issue was the “sticky” moral issue that provided the glue for Catholics to solicit Protestants to meld together in a common cause giving them a viable springboard into the political arena. The American Catholic bishops organized to formulate a plan that would give them access to the political processes while beating the drum for antiabortion activists to join them to overturn “Roe vs. Wade.” Dr. Mumford wrote the following in his book which has been corroborated by other authors I’ll mention later.
“On November 20, 1975 , the American Catholic bishops issued their ‘Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities.’ … This plan is a superbly detailed blueprint of the bishops’ strategy for infiltrating and manipulating the American democratic process at the national, state, and local levels. It creates a political machine controlled by the bishops. This plan has been called by Timothy Byrnes (Author of Catholic Bishops in American Politics), the most ‘focused and aggressive political leadership’ ever exerted by the Catholic hierarchy. So much for … separation of church and state! (Pg. 137) Mumford includes the entire ‘Bishops’ Pastoral Plan’ as written in his book.
“Jesuit priest Virgil Blum, … proposed this strategy (a strategy to undermine the American political will) in a 1971 ‘American’ magazine article titled, ‘Public Policy Making: Why the churches Strike Out.’ He stated, ‘If a group is to be politically effective, issues rather than institutions must be at stake.’ Abortion was simply the issue created to achieve this effectiveness. Blum’s article set the stage for the creation of the Pastoral Plan, offering the bishops a set of well thought out guidelines which capitalized on centuries of experience of Jesuit manipulation of governments(Pg. 155).“In another of his guidelines, Blum concluded that if the Catholic leadership is to succeed, it must make their efforts look non-Catholic. Blum also concluded that to accomplish this goal, the bishops must create a strong ecumenical movement.… Blum recognized early on that ‘ecumenism’ would be an essential weapon to counter the criticism certain to come with the blatant involvement of the bishops in making public policy (Pg. 159-60).
“The Pastoral Plan specifically directed the creation of ‘grassroots’ organizations (like the Christian Coalition) for the purposes of advancing the papal agenda. During the period 1976-1980, nearly all of the organizations that became known as the ‘New Right Movement’ or the ‘Religious New right’ were organized, such as ‘The Moral Majority,’ ‘The Heritage Foundation,’ ‘Eagle Forum,’ the ‘National Right to Life Political Action Committee’ and many others.… Catholics were key players in the creation of all of these organizations and in their leadership.
“Vital to the success of the Pastoral Plan has been the creation of first, the Moral Majority, followed by the Christian Coalition.… The evidence shows that both of these organizations, for all practical purposes, were created by the bishops because of the Plan, and these organizations have derived their energy, organization and direction from the Catholic Church.…
“Perhaps the most convincing link between Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition and the activists who are implementing the Bishops’ Pastoral Plan is Robertson’s link with Paul Weyrich (a staunch Roman Catholic and the money and the brains behind the Heritage Foundation). Weyrich (the Catholic activist) recruited Jerry Falwell to become the nominal leader of the Moral Majority. Weyich also claims to have suggested the Moral Majority name.… When Falwell dropped out of politics in the late ‘80’s, Weyrich sought out another Protestant to take his place in order to continue the ecumenical activity called for in the Bishops Pastoral Plan: … Pat Robertson … Weyrich is deeply involved in the Christian Coalition and planned to serve as a faculty member at 70 Christian Coalition ‘leadership schools’ in 1994.… (Pg. 175-177).
“Catholic leadership of Robertson’s so-called Protestant network is clearly established. In an April 1993 article in Church and State magazine, Joseph L. Conn reveals the close connections between Weyrich and other Catholic activists and Robertson.… Marlene Elwell, co-founder of the Catholic Campaign for America, has long been a close ally of Robertson.… and was active in his political campaign. Thomas Monaghan (a staffer on a legal firm sponsored by Catholics United for Life) is senior counsel of Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Catholic activist Keith Fournier heads ACLJ and also serves on the Catholic Campaign for America. … (Pg. 178).
“According to Conn ,… ‘Simply put, the emerging alliance between these Protestant and Roman Catholic conservatives links Pat Robertson’s grassroots army – estimated at 350,000 (this year it was reported at 1.7 million) with the Catholic Rights’ wealth, political expertise and high-tech capabilities.’ It also gives that very desirable Protestant look to the movement as sought by the Bishops’ Pastoral Plan. (Pg. 178).
“The evidence continues to mount that the Christian Coalition is fundamentally Catholic – not Protestant.… Political science professor Mary Bendyna told the Religious News Service that she was surprised to find that even before the creation of the Catholic Alliance (a Catholic appendage of the Christian Coalition created in 1995) – even before that – all five staffers in the Christian Coalition’s Washington, D.C., office were Catholic.
“God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men.…”5
We originally had no clue that we were going to find this deep Catholic connection in the Christian Coalition. Remember, the obvious lack of visible Catholic presence this year, especially in contrast to earlier CC meetings? Now we understand why. It is vital that they continue to be perceived as a Protestant organization in order to ‘stealthily’ promote a Catholic agenda. “Since its (the CC’s) creation, the press (Mumford goes into the extremely important role the vastly networked Catholic media plays in this intricate drama) (Catholic and secular) has given Americans the mistaken impression that the Coalition is a Protestant organization.… By October 1995 it was deemed safe for this ‘Protestant’ organization to more openly identify with Catholics but only as individuals.… Reed told the Associated Press: ‘It was time to at least “peek their heads out of the closet door.” After all, they had signed the “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” in 1994 and we had seen them all clasp hands in solidarity – so why not?’ We came to expect a certain Catholic presence after that.”
The ‘95 meeting did, indeed, have a very Catholic flavor. We were inundated with antiabortion speeches and material and were given badges to wear that had an outline of a baby in the womb and a light that blinked on and off to represent a beating heart. Very impressive! Catholics, Governor Robert Casey and Education Secretary William Bennett were keynote speakers. Catholic presidential candidates Alan Keyes and Patrick Buchanan received standing ovations when they spoke. Several priests in full garb pronounced invocations before the meetings. The Catholic Campaign for America had a booth set up right before you walked into the convention doors. I attended a breakout session with the Catholic Campaign for America and it was there, while sitting between two priests discussing school vouchers when one said, “The American people won’t accept all of these things at once so we’re going to have to accomplish them in increments.” Well, the school vouchers are a “done deal” under “our man in the White House” as several speakers referred to President Bush at the CC meetings in October 2002, and implementation of faith-based organizations headed by a Catholic is now a reality. Incrementalism is alive!We don’t know how all of this sets with you, but our reaction left us dumbfounded, to say the least. I thought, “Is this guy, Mumford, for real?” I could tell he was greatly upset that his NSSM Bill had been squelched and wondered “Is this just a vendetta against the Catholics in return?” However, his credentials appeared valid and his book seemed quite well-documented. Then logic set in. I asked my friend Bob to scan the internet, and I began to search my library for other sources to confirm what he had written. We ran across several, some that Mumford had quoted in his extensive bibliography, and others in my library and on line that reinforced Mumford’s portrayal of the “Catholic” Right. I will list these books for you at the conclusion of this “treatise.” What “cream” I’m able to skim off the top for you is only a drop in the ole’ proverbial milking bucket. I did find a personal interest story in a book I had, entitled: “The Conservative Revolution” by Lee Edwards, that I’d like to share with you. It confirms and expands on what Mumford had reported.
“Weyrich (the Catholic who sought out Falwell to head up a Right Wing movement) was giving a briefing to Falwell on the current state of American politics when he remarked, ‘Out there is what you might call a moral majority. They are politically and socially conservative. If we could get these people active in politics there is no limit to what we could do.… ‘A moral majority’ Ed McAteer (who had arranged the meeting) mused, ‘that’s a great name.’ Falwell, too, was struck by it, ‘That’s it. That’s the phrase I’ve been looking for.’ And thus the Moral Majority was born.… I want to quote from a couple of other sources to help undergird what Mumford has written.
John Swomley authored a book entitled, Catholic Power vs. American Freedom which brings a lot of this same information from a new viewpoint in a more concise way. He states:“It seems clear that Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority and Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition would not have been organized if the Vatican through its agents, the American bishops, had not decided it was necessary to involve articulate right-wing Protestant leaders in their anti-abortion campaign. (Pg. 169)
“One of the early successes of the Bishops’ Plan was the passage of the Hyde Amendment (by Congressman and Catholic activist Henry Hyde), which restricted the use of Medicaid money for abortions, limiting poor women’s access to abortion. Although declared unconstitutional by a federal district court judge, an appeals court overturned that decision and it became law.
“The Bishops’ Plan also indicates that their action against abortion must not be thought of as a Catholic movement, but must be seen as ecumenical. This was probably their most important decision because it resulted in the enlistment of much of the Protestant right-wing as both allies and followers of the bishops’ strategy.… (Pg. 168)
“Other developments reveal the success of the bishops’ strategy. The Southern Baptist Convention came under right-wing control and accepted the Catholic position on abortion.” (Pg. 171)
Having been a Southern Baptist, I was most interested in what Mumford also had to say in a more extensive way: “Another major accomplishment of the [Bishops’] Pastoral Plan has been its effect on Protestantism in America . The Plan has taken the protest out of Protestant [emphasis supplied]. No wonder when I asked Ralph Reed why he called himself an Evangelical and not a Protestant he said, “Why should I? I’m no longer protesting anything.”
Back to Mumford: “It is obvious that the victory of the Baptist fundamentalists benefits the Papacy. The bishops can now speak for 14.7 million Baptists on this issue and will wield the additional political power derived from this arrangement.… By 1979, the bishops had identified their man to engineer the Baptist rift.… Judge Pat Pressler! … During an interview by journalist Bill Moyers, Moyers brought to light that Judge Pressler is on the board of directors of the Council on National Policy (he was actually one of the ‘daddy rabbits’ of the organization) along with fanatical Religious right Catholics, Richard Viguerie, Phyllis Schlaftly and Joseph Coors.” This is the secretive CNP organization we spoke of earlier. Mumford continues: “As Meyers pressed the Judge on his relationship with the Council on National Policy (CNP), which promises the adoption of Papal policy, the judge broke off the interview and refused to answer further questions. The Judge had been exposed – as had been the real actors behind the Baptist rift.” (Pg. 312) No wonder W. A. Criswell, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention said without any qualms: “I don’t know anyone more dedicated to great fundamental doctrines of Christianity than the Catholics.” And Billy Graham, another Baptist minister, professed: “I’ve found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of Orthodox Roman Catholics.” I have great respect for my dear Baptist friends, but I’m so grateful that God has called me out of that darkness “into this marvelous light” and I pray they will also be “enlightened.”
20081005
20081004
20080930
IS AMERICA FINALLY WATCHING BIG BROTHER?
For more than a century ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure – one world, if you will. If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.- David Rockefeller of Standard Oil, Chase Manhattan and the Council on Foreign Relations, from his Memoirs in 2002.
Capital must protect itself in every way... Debts must be collected and loans and mortgages foreclosed as soon as possible. When through a process of law the common people have lost their homes, they will be more tractable and more easily governed by the strong arm of the law applied by the central power of leading financiers. People without homes will not quarrel with their leaders. This is well known among our principle men now engaged in forming an imperialism of capitalism to govern the world. By dividing the people we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance to us except as teachers of the common herd.- JP Morgan - Questionable quote, reported by John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) Tycoon
If at any time, the now Christian ideology of "anti-christ" were alive and well--that time is now. As Bush famously stated, “This is an impressive crowd: the Have's and Have-more's. Some people call you the elites. I call you my base” (insert the usual Satanic giggle). The blinded "Christian Nation" has been standing far too long upon the precipice of a high mountain and drooling over the power that the world holds, abandoning those at the bottom for more monetary gain.
20080924
Kucinich’s Main Street Recovery Plan
216-252-9000 877-933-6647
1. Health Care for All: Insurance companies make money not providing health care. As the co-author of HR 676, a universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care system, Medicare for All, I understand millions of Americans want health care that is accessible and affordable.
Medicare for All will help businesses large and small, create jobs as well as save the jobs of thousands of people including those of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who are currently leaving medicine because it is run by the insurance companies. $1 in every 3 dollars of the $2.4 trillion spent annually in America for health care goes to the insurance companies. If we take that money ($800 billion in unproductive wasteful spending) and put it directly into care, we will have enough money to cover everyone. We are already paying for Medicare for all, but not receiving it. HR 676 changes that!
2. Prescription Drug Benefit for Seniors: HR 6800 is the MEDS Act, which provides a fully paid prescription drug benefit, under Medicare, for all seniors. I wrote this bill to help alleviate the economic pressure that comes from the high cost of prescription drugs. We can pay for it by letting the government negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies as well as by permitting re-importation.
3. Stop the Oil Companies’ Price Gouging: As you know, I was the first one to step up to challenge of the corrupt price gouging and market speculation of the oil companies by proposing a windfall profits tax, on oil and natural gas companies, with revenues put into tax credits for the purchase of fuel-efficient American-made cars. However, it may be that nationalization is the only way to put an end to the oil companies' sharp practices.
4. Protecting the American Homestead: As Chairman of the Domestic Policy Oversight Subcommittee, I am working to protect your basic right to have a roof over your head, whether as an owner or renter. I have investigated and helped to expose the manipulation of mortgage markets, and I am crafting a new federal policy so that neighborhoods with the highest number of foreclosures get the most help.
5. Jobs for All: Congressman LaTourette and I have co-authored the bi-partisan New Deal-type jobs program, HR 3400, "Rebuilding America's Infrastructure." It will create millions of good-paying new jobs rebuilding our roads, bridges, water systems and sewer systems.
6. American Manufacturing Policy: I am drafting the American Manufacturing Policy Act, which for the first time, will state that the maintenance of U.S. steel, automotive, and aerospace industries are vital to our national economic security and must be maintained through integrated public-private cooperation, new trade policies, and investment.
7. Works Green Administration: I am also drafting plans for a green New Deal jobs program, in which the government creates millions of jobs by incentivizing the design, engineering, manufacturing, distribution and maintenance of millions of wind and solar micro-technologies for millions of homes and businesses, dramatically lowering energy costs and reducing our dependence on oil.
8. Fair Trade: The U.S. has lost millions of good-paying jobs, and more jobs have been out-sourced. As you know, I have helped to lead the way in opposition to trade giveaways. I strongly urge repeal of NAFTA. We must include workers' rights, human rights and environmental quality principles in all trade pacts. We must also protect the Great Lakes' water resources from the reach of multi-national corporations.
9. Education for All: I know families need help with the rising cost of day care. That is why I introduced HR 4060, a universal pre-kindergarten program to ensure that all children ages 3-5 have access to full-day, quality day care.
10. Protecting Pensions: I am working to change bankruptcy laws so pensioners' claims will be first, ahead of banks, and that corporate executives who misuse workers' pension funds are subject to criminal penalties. I want to fully fund the Pension Benefit Guarantee Board.
11. Social Security: From my first moments in Congress, I have exposed Wall Street's efforts to privatize Social Security and attacked it in the Democratic Caucus when it was being proposed. Can you imagine where seniors would be today if Social Security had been turned over to the stock market? Social Security is solid through 2032 without any changes.
12. Protect Bank Deposits: I will work to make sure the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has sufficient funds to provide for insurance of deposits up to $200,000 at all banks and savings and loans. This is an urgent matter since so many banks are said to be vulnerable.
13. Protect Investors: Bring back strong regulation to Wall Street. As Chairman of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee, I challenged the Wall Street hedge fund speculators as a threat to small investors. I intend to keep active watch over the machinations on Wall Street.
14. Strength through Peace: You'll remember when I led the effort against the ill-conceived Iraq war, which has now cost more than 4,100 US soldiers' lives, cost U.S. taxpayers between $3 trillion and $5 trillion, and resulted in the deaths of more than a million Iraqis. We must bring our troops home and end the war. We must engage in diplomacy. We must reduce the military budget, and we must stop outrageous cost overruns by the likes of Halliburton.
15. Safety in America: I am proud of my work for peace. In July 2001, I introduced a bill, which today is HR 808, that for the first time creates a comprehensive plan to deal with the issues of violence in American society, particularly domestic violence, spousal abuse, child abuse, gang violence, gun violence, racial violence, and violence against gays by establishing a Cabinet-level Department of Peace and Restorative Justice. This proposal has sparked a national movement and when implemented will save tax payers millions of dollars.
16. Monetary Policy: It is long past the time that we looked at the implications of our debt based monetary system, the privatization of money created by the 1913 Federal Reserve Act, the banks fractional reserve system and our debt-based economic system. Unless we have dramatic reform of monetary policy, the entire economic system will continue to accelerate wealth upwards. I am currently working on drafting legislation for an 'American Monetary Act' to address these and other issues in order to protect the economic wellbeing of America.
20080923
SHOCK AND AWE: DROWNING IN A BAILOUT
"I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub."
Grover Norquist, former Evangelical Liaison to the President, founder of The Americans for Tax Reform
ClaimDemocracy Panel, November 2007
That’s what it feels like right now for Americans, like you’ve been punched in the face, kneed in the stomach, and hit on the back of the head, and now you’re kind of awake, bleeding, and you feel someone pulling you across the cold hard floor to the bathtub…and bad for all of us—the water is running. As you’re pulled along you find yourself staring into space, tears running, in disbelief about what’s going on, what's about to happen, and almost numb, but definitely terrified….you’re in shock. Hopefully we’ll wake up a few people to become resilient in what’s happening while we're in shock and what we can do about it.
Yesterday on MSNBC, the Rachel Maddow Show outlined the eight-year disaster that is Bush policy, largely guided by the economics of Milton Friedman: move from de-regulation, wait for a real or perceived shock crisis that will paralyze the people and then enact pre-prepared policy privatization or additional shocks. Those disasters are September 11, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and now the economic crisis.
We half-watched in shock after September 11 as Bush rushed for massive privatization of contracts through Homeland Security for military functions, surveillance, and the Patriot Act dismantling of basic Constitutional rights. Then we saw $8 billion in cash disappear into the Shock and Awe Iraq Occupation hole; private contracts to Blackwater for security, the building of the Green Zone by Halliburton, and the take-over of 70% of Iraq’s oil--not to pay back taxpayers--but to fill the pockets of Multinational Big Oil Companies. Again, on our own land, we saw the prep work for Katrina; bleeding money away from fixing the levies, privatization of 95% of the schools, stealing away public low-income housing, and privatization of the police force during the crisis—again, Blackwater. In every case they’ve engaged in de-regulation, wait for a real or perceived shock crisis that will paralyze the people and then enact pre-prepared policy privatization or additional shocks.
Based on the above, can you predict what this economic bailout for the banks is going to look like? What are they operationally doing right now in this policy rush to save us from economic crisis?
While you’re in shock, Paulson, Bernanke and Bush are actually in a panic to gut out the government to its fullest extent before Bush leaves office, through their financial bail-out proposal. You will have to read on your own in Naomi Kline’s Shock Doctrine how they--and by “they” I mean neo-conservatives, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund--screwed over South Africa by tying up the country in so many geo-political economic rules and agreements that the country was bankrupted, their Constitution nullified, leaving the new social democracy with no real power. They have never truly recovered from the corporate takeover of the corporate ruling class.
This is what Bernanke and Bush have in mind for us. That, in Section 1 (a) of the proposed legislation purchases and handouts are “…terms and conditions as determined by the Secretary..,” giving the Secretary unilateral powers over this $700 Billion taxpayer handout. Make no mistake this action will NOT “socialize” these banks, because the “Federal” Treasury is not an arm of the Federal Government, but owned by several “independent” banks. So in essence, from Regan to Bush II, the neo-cons have been de-regulating the banks, among many things, and making a KILLING off of Americans, making them wealthy beyond measure. In squeezing every cent out of these de-regulatory loopholes, they’re now going to get their second round of pay. These banks that act “independent within the government" will seize YOUR $700 Billion in cash borrowed from CHINA, leaving us YOU with the tab. This will all happen with no government or legal oversight.
What will be left for the next president to fix any of our infrastructure mess? Healthcare? Schools? Social programs for Americans? I’ll tell you what they’ll do, because Friedman’s recommendations are always the same. Now that there is this huge debt, you have to gut out any “unnecessary” programs, like Social Security and all its related programs at the state level. Do you feel your face just hovering above the bath water now? See, government is not bad, but it’s only as good as the people running it. If you hate government, then the government is going to suck, but it’s nothing compared to corporations taking over your physical and emotional trauma-crisis management for a profit. I can just hear their lustful breathing for power and control over Americans. This is why they’re in such a rush to pass this legislation because they have to guarantee a broken government and future profits off of crisis. We’re going to make money off of this deal like Iraqi oil is paying for the war. Now, be good consumers or they’re going to shut off your Real ID Chip.
In the NYT story Democrats Set Terms as Bailout Debate Begins, “Some lawmakers also said they did not want to be rushed into approving extraordinary new powers for the Treasury secretary and the government without full consideration of the consequences.”
The NYT article continues by saying, “Financial companies were already lobbying to broaden the plan. And the Bush administration did indeed widen the scope by allowing the government to buy out assets other than mortgage-related securities as well as making foreign companies eligible for government assistance.” After years of lip service to their base about “illegals” accessing government programs, they’re now going to bail out “foreign” corporations. This is the pinnacle of anti-social behavior, to value a money machine for the wealth of others against the welfare of actual human beings.
As in the aftermath of Katrina when government assistance was deregulated and downsized so as to limit assistance for our most vulnerable private citizens, so it should be for the banks. To this day thousands, if not millions of our citizens still have no access to all the public land that was privatized, or schools that were privatized, teacher salaries cut and contracts handed to big corporations for elite neighborhoods and nonexistent for “red-zones” who can’t pay. So it was up to us to help our own. Private citizens stepped in the gap to send millions of dollars to our fellow citizens and opened our homes to our American "refugees." This should be the fate of the banks, turning to their own.
The people who caused this economic problem or profited most from deregulation should pay for this bailout, as recommended by Senator Bernie Sanders (we’ll get to at the end), since millionaires and billionaires fought from the Regan years until now for de-regulation of the financial sector. The conservative wealthy are not for "big-government" and welfare for irresponsible individuals, so why should government (We the people…) be there for irresponsible corporations, who engaged in predatory lending for a profit, to vulnerable citizens, uneducated in the deals they were making?
Have you made your voice heard to your legislators? I agree with and am pushing for Senator Bernie Sanders proposal for the bailout, as outlined in his September 19th article on the Huffington Post:
Specifically, to pay for the bailout, which is estimated to cost up to $1 trillion, the government should:
a) Impose a five-year, 10 percent surtax on income over $1 million a year for couples and over $500,000 for single taxpayers. That would raise more than $300 billion in revenue;b) Ensure that assets purchased from banks are realistically discounted so companies are not rewarded for their risky behavior and taxpayers can recover the amount they paid for them; andc) Require that taxpayers receive equity stakes in the bailed-out companies so that the assumption of risk is rewarded when companies' stock goes up.(2) There must be a major economic recovery package which puts Americans to work at decent wages. Among many other areas, we can create millions of jobs rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and moving our country from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. Further, we must protect working families from the difficult times they are experiencing. We must ensure that every child has health insurance and that every American has access to quality health and dental care, that families can send their children to college, that seniors are not allowed to go without heat in the winter, and that no American goes to bed hungry.(3) Legislation must be passed which undoes the damage caused by excessive de-regulation. That means reinstalling the regulatory firewalls that were ripped down in 1999. That means re-regulating the energy markets so that we never again see the rampant speculation in oil that helped drive up prices. That means regulating or abolishing various financial instruments that have created the enormous shadow banking system that is at the heart of the collapse of AIG and the financial services meltdown.(4) We must end the danger posed by companies that are "too big too fail," that is, companies whose failure would cause systemic harm to the U.S. economy. If a company is too big to fail, it is too big to exist. We need to determine which companies fall in this category and then break them up. Right now, for example, the Bank of America, the nation's largest depository institution, has absorbed Countrywide, the nation's largest mortgage lender, and Merrill Lynch, the nation's largest brokerage house. We should not be trying to solve the current financial crisis by creating even larger, more powerful institutions. Their failure could cause even more harm to the entire economy.
20080922
NO VETTING VETTER
SO, let me get this right....You're going to root out corruption and massive bonuses by big time corporate heads, but can't even be bothered to clean up the corruption in your own campaign staff. HE IS A LIAR!
20080920
BACKWARD LAND
I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....
* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic, different.'
* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.
* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.
* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.
* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as
a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second
highest ranking executive.
* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.
* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
* If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.
* If your wife is a Harvard graduate laywer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.
* If you're husband is nicknamed 'First Dude', with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.
OK, much clearer now.
20080919
PHASE ONE: NORTH AMERICAN UNION? BRAVE NEW WORLD ORDER? TRACKING CITIZENS ELECTRONICALLY?
"Today, America would be outraged if U.N. troops entered Los Angeles to restore order [referring to the 1991 LA Riot]. Tomorrow they will be grateful! This is especially true if they were told that there were an outside threat from beyond, whether real or promulgated, that threatened our very existence. It is then that all peoples of the world will plead to deliver them from this evil. The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well-being granted to them by the World Government."
- Dr. Henry Kissinger, Bilderberger Conference, Evians, France, 1991
I just finished working out and as I was leaving a commercial came on the locker room TV, sponsored by NEXUS for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. I tried to find the commercial to post here, but there was no posting, but will post it when it shows up. The new chips in the cards, passports, and who knows what the range is on the sub-dermal embeded chips, but we know from the AMERICA: FREEDOM TO FASCISM movie that many of the corporations are already "tracking product" with this technology. THE CORPORATIONS ARE WATCHING YOU....I haven't even begun investigating who owns the technology for NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST but I'll let you know what I find out...
Areas that fall under the WHTI:
Canada
Mexico
Bermuda
The Caribbean region (includes 17 regions)
AIR TRAVEL
ALL PERSONS traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States.
LAND AND SEA TRAVEL
The following summarizes information available on the Department of Homeland Security’s website.
CURRENTLY:
U.S. citizens need to present either (a) a passport, passport card (scheduled to be in full production beginning in July 2008), or WHTI-compliant document; or (b) a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.
LATER:
On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card, or WHTI-compliant document.
Note: The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.
U.S. PASSPORT AND WHTI COMPLIANT DOCUMENTS:
U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air, land or sea between the U.S. and the aforementioned Western Hemisphere countries.
The Passport Card: Passport card applications are currently being accepted in anticipation of land border travel document requirements. Based on current projections, we expect the passport card to be in full production beginning in July 2008. We will provide additional updates as available. Once in production, the passport card it will only be valid for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda.
WHTI-Compliant Travel Documents for U.S. citizen travel via land or sea, as of January 31, 2008:
Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST)
State Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (when available)
Enhanced Tribal Cards (when available)
U.S. Military Identification with Military Travel Orders
U.S. Merchant Mariner Document when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business
Native American Tribal Photo Identification Card
Form I-872 American Indian Card
For further information see U.S. Customs and Border protection.
ABOUT WHTI
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), requiring all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S.
The goal of the initiative is to strengthen U.S. border security while facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.
THE LIST: McCain & 177 Lobbyists...I Mean Campaign Staff
Posted by Mother Jones on 09/17/08
McCain Attacks Wall Street Greed—While 83 Wall Street Lobbyists Work for His Campaign
In the past few days, as the economic crisis has deepened, Senator John McCain has been decrying the excesses of Wall Street. At a campaign rally in Tampa on Tuesday, he vowed that he and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, if elected, "are going to put an end to the reckless conduct, corruption, and unbridled greed that have caused a crisis on Wall Street." He noted that the "foundation of our economy...has been put at risk by the greed and mismanagement of Wall Street and Washington."
He blasted CEOs who "seem to escape the consequences." He denounced Wall Streeters who "dreamed up investment schemes that they themselves don't even understand" and who used "derivatives, credit default swaps, and mortgage-backed securities" to try "to make their own rules." He excoriated Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for gaming the system. And he slammed financial industry lobbyists for misguiding members of Congress. "I can promise you the days of dealing and special favors will soon be over in Washington." On Wednesday morning, after the federal government committed $85 billion to prevent the collapse of the American International Group (AIG) insurance conglomerate, McCain again assailed irresponsible corporate executives. "We need to change the way Washington and Wall Street does business," he proclaimed.
McCain has been quick with fiery, populist-tinged speeches. But one thing has been missing: any acknowledgment that McCain's own campaign has been loaded with the type of people he's been denouncing. (The McCain campaign did not respond to a request for comment; we will update the post if they do.) As Mother Jones previously reported, former Senator Phil Gramm, McCain's onetime campaign chairman, used a backroom maneuver in late 2000 to slip into law a bill that kept credit default swaps unregulated. These financial instruments greased the way to the subprime meltdown that has led to today's economic crisis. Several of McCain's most senior campaign aides have lobbied for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And the Democratic National Committee, using publicly available records, has identified 177 lobbyists working for the McCain campaign as either aides, policy advisers, or fundraisers.
Of those 177 lobbyists, according to a Mother Jones review of Senate and House records, at least 83 have in recent years lobbied for the financial industry McCain now attacks. These are high-paid influence-peddlers who have been working the corridors of the nation's capital to win favors and special treatment for investment banks, securities firms, hedge funds, accounting outfits, and insurance companies. Their clients have included AIG, the newest symbol of corporate excess; Lehman Brothers, which filed for bankruptcy on Monday sending the stock market into a tailspin; Merrill Lynch, which was bought out by Bank of America this week; and Washington Mutual, the banking giant that could be the next to fall. Among these 83 lobbyists are McCain's chief political adviser, Charlie Black (JP Morgan, Washington Mutual Bank, Freddie Mac, Mortgage Bankers Association of America); McCain's national finance co-chairman, Wayne Berman (AIG, Blackstone, Credit Suisse, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac); the campaign's congressional liaison, John Green (Carlyle Group, Citigroup, Icahn Associates, Fannie Mae); McCain's veep vetter, Arthur Culvahouse (Fannie Mae); and McCain's transition planning chief, William Timmons Sr. (Citigroup, Freddie Mac, Vanguard Group).
When cable news shows air footage of McCain railing against greedy execs and the lobbyists who rig the rules for the benefit of Wall Street dealmakers, there ought to be a crawl beneath him listing these lobbyists. (Talk about a fair and balanced presentation.) Short of that, here's the list of the McCain aides and bundlers who have worked for the high-finance greed-mongers McCain has pledged to take on. So far, it seems, none of them have been cast out of the campaign. If McCain were serious about his outrage, he might throw these money-changers out of his own temple.
Phil Anderson: American Council of Life Insurers, Aetna, AIG, New York Life, MassMutual, VISA
Rebecca Anderson: Aegon, American Council of Life Insurers, Cigna, Barclays, Credit Suisse First Boston, HSBC
Stanton Anderson: The Debt Exchange
David Beightol: Allstate, Amerigroup, Charles Schwab, HSBC
Rhonda Bentz: VISA
Wayne Berman: American Council of Life Insurers, AIG, Americhoice, Shinsei Bank, Blackstone, Carlyle Group, Broidy Capital Management, Credit Suisse Securities, Highstar Capital, VISA, Ameriquest Mortgage, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Fitch Ratings
Charlie Black: JP Morgan, Washington Mutual Bank, Freddie Mac, Mortgage Bankers Association of America, National Association of Mortgage Brokers
Judy Black: Colorado Credit Union League, Genworth Financial, Bay Harbour Management, Merrill Lynch
Kirk Blalock: Credit Union National Association, Financial Executives International, American Insurance Association, Mutual of Omaha, Zurich Financial Service Group, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
Carlos Bonilla: Financial Services Roundtable, Freddie Mac
Christine Burgeson: Citigroup
Mark Buse: Freddie Mac, Goldman Sachs, Manufacturers Life Insurance Company
Nicholas Calio: Citigroup, Managed Fund Association, Fannie Mae, Merrill Lynch, The Investment Company Institute, TIAA-CRE, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
Ben Nighthorse Campbell: Amscot Financial Corporation, Community Financial Services Association, Fidelity National Financial
Andrew Cantor: American Insurance Association, Merrill Lynch
Alberto Cardenas: Fannie Mae
James Courter: Goldman Sachs, Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, Investment Company Institute, Merrill Lynch
David Crane: Financial Services Roundtable, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, KPMG, Ernst & Young, Bank of America, Association of Corporate Credit Unions, Freddie Mac
Dan Crippen: Merrill Lynch, National Multi-Housing Council
Arthur Culvahouse: Fannie Mae
Bryan Cunningham: Arch Capital Group
Alfonse D'Amato: AIG, Freddie Mac
Doug Davenport: Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Goldman Sachs, VISA
Ashley Davis: Prudential Financial, American Financial Group, American Premier Underwriters, Great American Insurance Company
Mimi Dawson: MassMutual
Melissa Edwards: Freddie Mac, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Access to Capital Coalition
Chris Fidler: American Bankers Association, Milcom Venture Partners, National Association Real Estate Investment Trusts
Samuel Geduldig: American Bankers Association, American Institute of CPAs, America Gains, Berkshire Hathaway, Consumer Bankers Association, Ernst & Young, Financial Services Roundtable, Investment Company Institute, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Prudential Financial, Sovereign Investment Council, Fidelity Investments, FMR Corp.
Benjamin Ginsberg: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, AIG Technical Services
David Girard-Dicarlo: American Financial Group, American Premier Underwriters
Juleanna Glover Weiss: RJI Capital, American Institute of CPAs, BNP Paribas, Ernst & Young, PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Slade Gorton: Allstate Insurance, Hannan Armstrong Capital
Phil Gramm: UBS Americas
John Green: Laredo National Bank, Alternative Investment Management Association, AIG, Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group, Citigroup, Credit Suisse Group, Fannie Mae, Icahn Associates, FMR Corp., AFLAC, VISA
Janet Grissom: American Institute of CPAs, NYSE, Merrill Lynch
Kristen Gullott: San Diego Credit Union
Kent Hance: Stanford Financial Group, Municipal Capital Markets Group, Inc.
Vicki Hart: American Financial Services Association, Citigroup, Investment Company Institute, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, New York Stock Exchange, VISA, Carlyle Group, Credit Suisse, Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Goldman Sachs, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, Stanford Group, Lloyd's of London, National City Corp.
Richard Hohlt: Capmark Financial Group, Fannie Mae, JP Morgan Chase and Co., Student Loan Marketing Association, Washington Mutual, Guaranty Bank & Trust, Peachtree Settlement Funding, Dime Savings Bank of New York
Gaylord Hughey: Heartland Security Insurance Group
Kate Hull: Credit Union National Association, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Zurich Financial Services, American Insurance Association, Financial Executives International
James Hyland: American Insurance Association, Seattle Home Loan Bank, Self Help Credit Union, National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, Merrill Lynch, Mortgage Investors Corp., Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Freddie Mac, New York Stock Exchange, Citigroup, VISA
Aleix Jarvis: Credit Union National Association, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Financial Executives International, Mutual of Omaha, American Insurance Association, Zurich Financial Services
Greg Jenner: American Council of Life Insurers, JG Wentworth, UBS, VISA, PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Frank Keating: American Council of Life Insurers
Steven Kuykendall: California Bankers Association
William Lesher: Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Commerce Ventures, Rabobank International
Thomas Loeffler: Citigroup, Fannie Mae, Investment Company Institute, World Savings and Loan Association, United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
Kelly Lugar: RJI Capital Strategies
Peter Madigan: Arthur Andersen, Bank of New York, Broadridge Securities Processing, Charles Schwab, Deloitte and Touche, Goldman Sachs, International Employee Stock Option Coalition, Mastercard, NYSE, Fannie Mae, Merrill Lynch, PNC Bank
Mary Mann: MassMutual
Paul Martino: Morgan Stanley, Baker Tilly
Jana McKeag: Venture Catalyst
Alison McSlarrow: Fannie Mae, Hartford
Mike Meece: Georgetown Partners
David Metzner: Ernst & Young, Harbinger Capital Investments, Prudential, Public Financial Management, Western Union
Susan Molinari: Freddie Mac, American Land Title Association, Association of Consumer Credit Unions, Beacon Capital Partners, College Loan Corp, Coventry First, E-Trade, Financial Services Roundtable, Rent-A-Center
John Moran: Cerberus Capital Management, American Council of Life Insurers, Accenture
John Napier: Freddie Mac
Susan Nelson: AIG, San Antonio Credit Union
Paul Otellini: Ernst & Young, Financial Services Forum
Steve Perry: Charles Schwab, Hoover Partners, HSBC, National Stock Exchange
Nancy Pfotenhauer: American Land Title Association, Mortgage Bankers Association
Elise Pickering-Finley: Credit Suisse, DE Shaw, Hartford Financial Services, Research In Motion, Retail Industry Lenders Association, URL Mutual
James Pitts: Advanced Association for Life Underwriting, AETNA, American Council of Life Insurers, AIG, Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, Debt Advisory International, Financial Services Coordinating Council, GE Financial Assurance, Hartford Life, Jefferson Pilot Financial, Kenwood Investments, MassMutual, Mutual of Omaha, New York Life, UNUM Provident, VISA, PMI Group
Tim Powers: AP Capital, Genworth Financial, Retail Industry Lenders Association, E-LOAN, General Electric Mortgage Insurance
Walter Price: Wachovia
Sloan Rappoport: Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc. (FBR), Trafelet Delta Funds
Hans Rickhoff: Capital One, Investment Company Institute, United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
Kathleen Shanahan: New York Stock Exchange
Andrew Shore: Accenture, Retail Industry Lenders Association, Barclays, Bond Market Association, Credit Suisse, TPG Capital
Katie Stahl: Alliance for Investment Transparency, Ares Management, Fairfax Financial Holdings, Uhlmann Financial Group
Milly Stanges: TIAA-CREF
Aquiles Suarez: Fannie Mae
Don Sundquist: Freddie Mac, The Hartford
Peter Terpeluk: JP Morgan Chase, Ernst & Young, Prudential
Fred Thompson: Equitas
Jeri Thompson: American Insurance Association
John Timmons: National Association of Federal Credit Unions
William Timmons Sr.: American Council of Life Insurers, Citigroup, Dun & Bradstreet, Freddie Mac, Vanguard Group
Vin Weber: Agstar Financial Services, AKT Investment Corp., American Institute of CPAs, Ernst & Young, Freddie Mac, Louis Dreyfus Corp, PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Jeffery Weiss: JP Morgan
Tony Williams: Russell Investment Group, American Life Inc., Northwestern Mutual
— David Corn, Jonathan Stein, and Nick Baumann
20080913
20080910
PALIN AIP WELCOME
And the founder of the Alaskan Independence Party...Joe Volger:
"I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her
damned institutions. The fires of hell are glaciers compared to my hate for
America and her government".
Why would you "welcome" and "God bless" such an anti-American organization? Can you say "Reverand Write"? Yes, you can and it's all on the table, but in this case, it's a neo-conservative white woman, so I'm sure at least conservatives will be very forgiving of her association with this party whose motto is "Alaska First...Alaska Always." We must be discerning of what is "anti-American" sentiment. McCain/Palin's slogan is "Country First"...which country?
"QUEER" QUOTES: McCain Campaign Manager, Rick Davis
20080909
GET REAL: WHY WAS THERE AN IRAQ VETERAN PROTESTING McCAIN'S RNC SPEECH?
I'll tell you why! Why would they respect a man who has supported a WAR OCCUPATION in which they've given their lives and limbs, that was devised by neo-conservatives in league with oil giants and war profiteers, bent on getting their greedy hands on Iraq's land and resources, while privatizing the US GOVERNMENT through no-bid contracts that used to be run by the military at controlled costs? They wouldn't and shouldn't, and neither should we.
I DO respect SOLDIERS who ARE DOING THEIR JOB...up to a point. It's time for America, including military servicemen to research the voting records first hand and pay attention to what candidates SAY and how that translates into their legislative ACTIONS. Indeed, lets support our troops and vote for a president who will do the same. Here are links to the ratings from the top war veterans organizations and their ratings on McCain and their ratings on Obama in their support of legislation that actually addresses veterans best interests, as well as their ACTUAL votes on various legislation in the last few years, on which I will go into detail further down.
A family acquaintance actually sent me the video above and in response to the McCain and Obama ratings I sent him he wrote: "AND...let us both remember...Senator McCain has voted more extensively on bills before the Senate than Senator Obama has...so no matter what his 'grade' is...in my book, Hussein Obama is still just the freshman junior Senator from Illinois...with limited practical world experience. Senator McCain is just another POW Vietnam vet that has served his country in and out of the Congress for the last 40 years." Then why is it that since 2002 McCain has voted down 17 pieces of legislation that would have supported our troops before, during and after serving? How is it that in only TWO years Obama has supported 16 pieces of legislation that would have supported our troops before, during and after serving?
Beyond our family aquaintence's blatant racism, using Obama's middle name as if it MEANS something, this is all that is disturbingly wrong with 1/3rd of Americans and the way they educate themselves and vote. This man ACTUALLY expects me to believe that I should throw out REASON! That when it comes down to my actual welfare I should choose "experience" over "substance," even if it means voting against my own welfare and that of family. Even if it means supporting a man who says he supports the troops and then screws them at every turn. He suggests that regardless of the abysmal ratings that Veterans organizations have given McCain and despite his voting against the best interests of our military and the American people, that his being tortured and being in Congress for 40 years somehow makes all his anti-troop voting okay. I will no more support McCain because he's a 40 year politician who was tortured, than I will support an abusive father because he's been a father for 40 years.
I have dedicated 12 years my life to working with marginalized, exploited and oppressed populations, but that means NOTHING if I work to compromise their safety, decrease their funding, or shut down their programs to a bare minimum, all for corporate greed. Our military is being HARMED for no good reason. So, I'M PISSED LIKE I'VE NEVER BEEN PISSED before and you can easily say I'm at the point where I'm not PLAYING AROUND with irrational, fear mongering, sociopathic lunatics any longer.
John McCain can say what he wants about supporting the troops until he's blue in the face , but there are some inconvient little facts called A VOTING RECORD that sets John McCain's military voting record, and his veterans voting record apart--so far apart in fact, that what he SAYS and what he is ACTUALLY DOING is a worthy of a multiple personality disorder. If you choose to ignore his documented record, you ignore it at your own peril.
NO: On supporting the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reducing the defiit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans Tax Rate Extension Amendment (HR 4297)
NO: On providing an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder. Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment (S 2020)
NO: On ensuring that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation. Health Care for Veterans Amendment (HR 2863)
NO: On redeployments, reductions, timetable withdrawals from Iraq (S Amdt 3875, S Amdt 2898, S Amdt 2087, HR 1591, S 2766)
NO: On minimum rest periods between soldiers' deployments(S Amdt 2909)
NO: On military prisoners having haebeus corpus rights (S 3930)
NO: On the president NOT being allowed to establish future military commissions (S 3930)
NO: On congressional oversight of CIA detention, interrogation and rendition programs (S 3930)
NO: On a ban on funding of cluster munitions to protect civilian populations from un-detonated bombs (HR 5631)
NO: On a repeal of capital gains tax cuts from 2010 moved to 2008 to appropriate $47.27 billion for Army and Marine operations and maintenance (HR 4297)
YES: On use of Military force against Iraq (H J Res 114)
YES: On the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (S 3930) - Abolishing the Geneva Convention and suspending haebeus corpus outside the US, no jurisdiction for courts outside the US, allow evidence seized without a search warrant, allow hearsay evidence as long as the adverse party is informed of it.
NV: Not Voting, Excused, Absent, or Present and not voting for 14 votes on military/veterans issues since 2002: Defense Authorizations Bill HR 4986, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 HR 1585, Condemning Iraq Abuse of Prisoners resolution SRes 356, United States Policy in Iraq Resolution of 2007 S J Res 9, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 HR 1585, Permanent Residence for Certain Undocumented Immigrants S 2205, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense S 2340, Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq HR 4156, Concurrent Budget Resolution S Con Res 70, Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with Provisions Regarding Conduct and Congressional Oversight S Amdt 4817, Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan S Amdt 4818, Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East PN 1641, MOST IMPORTANT FOR RETURNING TROOPS:Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill HR 2642 & GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions S Amdt 4803.
AND WOW! He missed EVERY opportunity to fund the troops, without exception! UNBELIEVABLE!
Now let's look at Barack Obama's military voting record & veterans voting record:
YES: On supporting the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the defiit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans (HR 4297).
YES: On a vote to adopt an amendment to HR 2642 that provides education funding for eligible members of the Armed Forces, extends unemployment compensation, establishes moratoria on certain actions regarding Medicaid, and appropriates a total of $28.67 billion for various domestic and international purposes. GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions (S Amdt 4803)
YES: On providing an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder. Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment (S 2020)
YES: On ensuring that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation Health Care for Veterans Amendment (HR 2863)
YES: On the Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill (HR 2642)
YES: On appropriations for 2008-2013 - $3.56 trillion for National Defense, $2.79 trillion for Medicare, $2.49 trillion for Income Security, $2.03 trillion for Health, $577.28 billion for Veterans Benefits and Services, $479.81 billion for Transportation, $155.31 billion for Social Security (S Con Res 70: Concurrent Budget Resolution)
YES: On reductions of US forces in Iraq (S Amdt 2898: Iraq Troop Reduction Amendment)
YES: On prohibiting deployment unless time between deployment is equal to last deployment, recommend rest periods be 2x the deployment time, prohibits deployment of National Guard if previously deployed in the last three years, recommend Reserve deployment be no longer than one year, and onely once every 5 years, President can waive requirements if substantiating an "emergency," (S Amdt 2909: Time Between Troop Deployments)
NO: On striking language that required a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq (HR 1591)
YES: On a phased withdrawal of troops (S J Res 9)
YES: On striking language prohibiting a court, justice or judge from hearing haebeus corpus (S 3930)
YES: On prohibiting the establishment of new military commissions after December 31, 2011(S 3930)
YES: On congressional oversite every three months of CIA detention, interrogation, rendition programs (S 3930)
NO: On the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (S 3930) - Abolishing the Geneva Convention and suspending haebeus corpus outside the US, no jurisdiction for courts outside the US, allow evidence seized without a search warrant, allow hearsay evidence as long as the adverse party is informed of it.
YES: On a ban on funding of cluster munitions to protect civilian populations from un-detonated bombs (HR 5631)
YES: On a repeal of capital gains tax cuts from 2010 moved to 2008 to appropriate $47.27 billion for Army and Marine operations and maintenance (HR 4297)
The odd ones out:
NO: On a redeployment of troops (S 2766 - 6/2006)
NO: On prohibiting a permanent base for purposes of controlling Iraq oil, limits on deployment, Congressional input for security agreements, suspend statute of limitations to 5 years for contractors and government agencies, allow prosecution of contractors and non-armed service employees, investigation of contractors (HR 2642 - 5/2008)
NO: On allowing for House Amendements to a bill "...which makes emergency appropriations to certain departments for various purposes..." (?) Looks like a mixed bag...(HR 2206 - 5/2007)
NV: Not Voting, Excused, Absent, or Present and not voting for 5 votes on military/veterans issues since 2006: Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East PN 1641, Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan S Amdt 4818, Iraq Withdrawal Amendment S Amdt 3875, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 HR 1585, Defense Authorizations Bill HR 4986.
Yes, John McCain was totureed and has had over 40 years in politics, but what is he DOING RIGHT NOW to meet the needs of people, like the soldier in the video earlier? I know...AND NOW--so do YOU! What are Obama's three crappy decisions against McCain's 17? I would like that soldier to actually look at what these organizations have found in the ACTIONS of these two men and then see if he'd be doing that spot. Who ACTUALLY makes it possible for him and his fellow soldiers to get the mental and physical services they need?
Like McCain, just because a soldier loses his leg, while noble in serving his country, does not make him educated on policy or veterans services, nor does it enable him to have sound judgement. Nor is disclosing the loss of his leg in any way appropriate or a JUST response to SERIOUS policy questions that effect people's safety and welfare. Just because McCain doesn't want to talk about the legislative voting facts of his record, creating every left-field distraction to keep us off his trail, doesn't make him a hero, it actually makes him less than any honest man. This soldier certainly gave no facts about how McCain's experience translates into legislation and much needed monetary support for military service women and men.
I'm only supporting candidates who can back their words with action...and INACTION is why an Iraq Veteran was protesting John McCains speech!
20080908
T Boone Pickens, Halliburton & Energy Independence?
If you want more money going to Dubai!
I'm watching Kieth Olberman and the Premier of MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, which I'm a HUGE FAN because she's also a talk show host on Air America, and a Gay icon with a tremendous amount of integrity and calm strength.
I couldn't help noticing all of these natural gas commercials, and a company with the vast majority of holdings, called Chesapeake Energy Corp. What is the question we need to ask? Exactly--Who owns this company? T. Boone Pickens, a neo-liberal oil man who has a great idea, even a green idea. But, do you want this guy to be the one who makes money off of the remaking of our energy infrastructure? I don't! Now that Halliburton has moved its corporate offices to Dubai, all this does is tie our energy again to countries who are suspect in funding terrorism, and to Cheney.
As oil prices decline, energy stocks lost their multi-year uptrend and come down quickly. But oil man billionaire T Boone Pickens is buying more. If you like to buy more energy stocks, see what T Boone Pickens is buying. T Boone Pickens owns 27 stocks with a total value of $2.1 billion. These are his buys and sells during the second quarter.
T Boone Pickens buys Chesapeake Energy Corp., Devon Energy Corp., Tenaris S.A., EOG Resources Inc., BPZ RESOURCES, INC, sells Titanium Metals Corp. during the 3-months ended 06/30/2008, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, BP Capital. T Boone Pickens owns 27 stocks with a total value of $2.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.
New Purchases: BZP, CHK, DVN, EOG, TS,
Added Positions: ABB, DNR, FLR, HAL, JEC, OXY, RIG, SGR, SLB, SU, TLM, WFT, XTO,
Sold Out: TIE,
For the details of T Boone Pickens's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=T+Boone+Pickens
Added: Halliburton Company (HAL)
T Boone Pickens added to his holdings in Halliburton Company by 65.78%. His purchase prices were between $40.99 and $52.16, with an estimated average price of $47.5. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 2.43%. His holdings were 2,447,470 shares as of 06/30/2008.
Halliburton Company provides a variety of services equipment maintenance and engineering and construction to energy industrial and governmental customers. The company is made up of the following three business segments: Energy Services Group Engineering and Construction Group and Dresser Equipment Group. Halliburton Company has a market cap of $38.24 billion; its shares were traded at around $43.61 with a P/E ratio of 15.90 and P/S ratio of 2.35. The dividend yield of Halliburton Company stocks is 0.83%.
