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CORRUPTION UPDATES 44 March 23rd to March 28th, 2007 The CORRUPTION UPDATES reviews corruption in the news. News Stories from California, the Nation and the World are abstracted below, and followed by commentary and references. |
CORRUPTION UPDATES 44
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1) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE: Washington Post, 3-23-07:
New Study Offers More Bad News For GOP
By Zachary A. Goldfarb
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, March 23, 2007; 5:46 PMhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301417_pf.html
The analysis of 20 years of polling data by
the Pew Research Center for
People and the Press says that half of the public identifies as a
Democrat or leans that way. Just 35 percent align with the
Republican Party. In 2002, the country was split, 43 percent
affiliating with the Republicans and the same percentage with the
Democrats.
The
study revealed increased support for social welfare, growing concern
about economic disparities and less interest in aggressive national
security policies. The public also showed less interest in
traditional social values.
The study, however, cautions that while Republicans have declined in standing among the public, Democrats have not improved significantly.
Approval ratings of the Democratic Party have remained at just above 50 percent. But the GOP has seen its approval ratings decline from 52 precent after the 2004 presidental election to 41 percent now.
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
Republicans Losing Trust of Americans, Dems Gain Nothing
As the Repubs continue to strangle our democracy, destroy our rights, our environment, our standing in the world, and our army, they have lost the trust of the people.
Unfortunatly, there is no honest party to fill the void. Our people understand that the Dems are just as corrupt as the Repubs, as the poll above indicates.
This is ok with the Dems, as it assures them of victory without threatening their dependence on, and the support of, their corporate masters.
Our people are not stupid, just greedy. It is time to turn from greed to honor, but we have no hope with the Dems. The Dems have been swallowing huge amounts of special interest bribes as they took control of Congress. Thus the baton of corruption has merely been passed from the Repubs to the Dems, with no real change in the structure of political corruption, just who profits from it.
The American People are aware of this fact. The flood of bribery, corruption, and greed are producing a reaction of revulsion by good Americans across out state, and the country. Our revulsion indicates that it is nearing time to rise above this tide of corruption, demand democratic reform to end the bribery and corruption which have defiled our political institutions.
Corruption Updates 3, “Media Reports: Both Parties Corrupt”
Corruption Updates 5, 1st article on page, “Corruption fails as Campaign issue...”
Corruption Updates 14, 10th article down on page. “Murtha trades his vote, and ethics, for pork”
Pelosi does earmarks well and often, LA Times, 11-13-06, “Speaker-to-be is no stranger to earmarking,” (abstract at LA Times archive, #52 under Richard Simon search)
Corruption Updates 19, 1st article on page, “TOP RECIPEINTS OF LOBBYISTS BRIBES ARE LEADERSHIP OF BOTH PARTIES”
Corruption Updates 19, 3rd article on page, “PARTIES AND THEIR BRIBERS WORK TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE RESTRICTION”
Corruption Updates 20, 1st article on page, 10-25-06, “PELOSI FUNRAISING FRENZY ASSURES SPECIAL INTEREST DOMINATION OF GOVERNMENT INDEPENDENT OF WHICH SIDE WINS IN NOV”
Corruption Updates 20, 6th article on page, 10-27-06, “DEMS RECEIVE SPECIAL INTEREST BRIBES ANTICIPATING VICTORY IN NOV VOTERS ASSURED ONLY CHANGE AFTER NOVEMBER WILL BE WHICH PARTY GETS 60% OF THE SPECIAL INTEREST BRIBES, AND WHICH PARTY GETS 40% OF THE BRIBES”
Corruption Updates 21, 2nd article on page, 10-30-06: “SHADOW PARTIES (527S) INFUSE MILLIONS IN BRIBE MONEY INTO ELECTION SPECIAL INTERESTS SKIRT CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS TO MAINTAIN THEIR ILLIGIMATE AUTHORITY THROUGH POLITICAL BRIBERY”
Corruption Updates 21, 8fh article on page, 11-1-06: “DEMS BIG CHANCE TO REAP THE REWARDS OF CORRUPTION POLITICAL VICTORY OPENS DOORS OF LOBBYING FIRMS TO DEMO INSIDERS: IT'S THE DEMS TURN TO ROB THE PUBLIC BLIND, AND BETRAY OUR DEMOCRACY”
Corruption Updates 22, 6th article on page, “MONEY WINS IN ALMOST EVERY POLITICAL RACE”
Corruption Updates 24, 6th article on page, 12-4-06, “POLITICIANS WHO BRIBE POLITICIANS ARE LEADERS UNCONTESTED CANDIDATES REDISTRIBUTE BRIBE MONEY TO BUY PLUM COMMITTEES AND CHAIRMANSHIPS”
Corruption Updates 26, 1st article on page, 12-8-06, “LOBBYISTS SEE NO CHANGE UNDER DEMS CORRUPTION PRESENTED AS FORCE OF NATURE, DEM CORRUPTION NATURAL”
Corruption Updates 27, 2nd article on page, “DEM LEADERS TO REFORM CONGRESS?”
Corruption Updates 28, 1st article on page, 1-2-07: “LOBBYISTS HIRING-BRIBING DEMS SHIFTING FUNDS AND PERSONELL TO DEMS ASSURES NO REAL CHANGES
Corruption Updates 28, 4th article on page, “Bush and Dems Fight Over Earmarks”
Corruption Updates 30, 2nd article on page, “Democrats set back on earmarks” (REID TRIES TO KILL REAL EARMARK REFORMS)
Corruption Updates 33, 4th article on page, “Lobbyists find new Congress is open for business”
Search the Corruption Database under
Polls
2) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY
PUBLISHED IN THE : McClatchy, 3-24-07:
U.S. attorney probe raises civil rights issues
Focus on voter fraud under Bush may be partisan, critics say.
By Greg Gordon, Margaret Talev and Marisa Taylor - McClatchy
Washington Bureau
Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday,
March 24, 2007http://www.sacbee.com/111/v-print/story/143285.html
WASHINGTON -- Under President Bush, the Justice Department has backed laws that narrow minority voting rights and pressed U.S. attorneys to investigate voter fraud -- policies that critics say have been intended to suppress Democratic votes.
Bush,
his deputy chief of staff, Karl Rove, and other Republican political
advisers have highlighted voting rights issues and what Rove has
called the "growing problem" of election fraud by
Democrats since Bush took power in the tumultuous election of 2000,
a race ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Since
2005, McClatchy Newspapers has found, Bush has appointed at least
three U.S. attorneys who had worked in the Justice Department's
civil rights division when it was rolling back longstanding
voting-rights policies aimed at protecting predominantly poor,
minority voters.
Another newly installed U.S. attorney, Tim Griffin in Little Rock, Ark., was accused of participating in efforts to suppress Democratic votes in Florida during the 2004 presidential election while he was a research director for the Republican National Committee. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Taken together, critics say, the replacement of the U.S. attorneys, the voter-fraud campaign and the changes in Justice Department voting rights policies suggest the Bush administration may have been using its law enforcement powers for partisan political purposes.
Last
April, while the Justice Department and the White House were
planning the firings, Rove gave a speech in Washington to the
Republican National Lawyers Association. He ticked off 11 states
that he said could be pivotal in the 2008 elections. Bush has
appointed new U.S. attorneys in nine of them since 2005:
Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Arkansas, Michigan,
Nevada and New Mexico.
Frank
DiMarino: (veteran Fed Prosecutor) "smacks of trying to
use prosecutorial power to investigate and potentially indict
political enemies."
Several
former voting rights lawyers, who asked to remain anonymous for fear
of antagonizing the administration, said the division's political
appointees reversed the recommendations of career lawyers in key
cases and transferred or drove out most of the unit's veteran
attorneys.
He
said it was "absolutely not true" that he drove out career
lawyers. "What I tried to do was to depoliticize the hiring
process," Schlozman said. "We hired people across the
political spectrum."Former
voting rights section chief Joseph Rich, however, said longtime
career lawyers whose views differed from those of political
appointees were routinely "reassigned or stripped of major
responsibilities."
In testimony to a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing this week, Rich said that 20 of the 35 attorneys in the voting rights section have been transferred to other jobs or have left their jobs since April 2005, and a staff of 26 civil rights analysts who reviewed state laws for discrimination has been slashed to 10.
(under) Alex Acosta, who served as the division chief from the fall of 2003 until he was named interim U.S. attorney in Miami in the summer of 2005, the department didn't file a single suit alleging that local or state laws or election rules diluted the votes of African Americans. In a similar time period, the Clinton administration filed six such cases.Acosta, the first Latino to head the civil rights division, said he emphasized helping non-English speaking voters cast ballots.
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
Voter Fraud Rewarded with US Attorney Jobs
What qualifies Tim Griffin to be the US Attorney for Little Rock, Ark?
What qualifies Alex Acosta to be US Attorney in Miami?
Both share the blessing of being good "Bushies," and both worked very hard to cheat Americans out of their franchise rights.
Apparently, the only qualifications required for employment in the Bush Administration are Lying, Cheating, Stealing, and corrupting the electoral, legislative, and judicial processes of our country.
Also See:
Corruption Update 35, 11th article on the page, "DOMENICI FINALLY ADMITS TO UNETHICAL, IF NOT CRIMINAL, CONTACT WITH FEDERAL PROSECUTOR:PROSECUTOR ATTRIBUTES FIRING TO HIS RESISTANCE TO DOMENICI POLITICAL PRESSURE"
Read more articles About Abuse of the US Attorney
Search the Corruption Database under
Voter Fraud
US Attorney
3) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY
PUBLISHED IN THE : CNN, 3-26-07:
Pakistan: Police arrest more than 1,000 in protests against suspension of chief justice
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/03/26/pakistan.arrests/index.html
Note: on the date this article was published, there were 48 protesters killed by Musharraf's thugs in Karachi. The above CNN article made no mention of this event. In fact, I found no information on this in the American Corporate Media until June 7, 07.
See Corruption Updates 69, 2nd article on the page.
3-26-07, CNNTHE COMMITTEE SAYS:
American backed Dictator Attempting to Crush Pakistan's Judiciary
Also
See:
Corruption Updates 38, 10th article on the page, "American Dictator Removes Chief Justice in Pakistan"
Search the Corruption Database under
Pakistan
International
Supporting Dictators
4) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE : NY Times, 3-27-07:
Reagan Budget Chief Is Charged With Fraud
March 27, 2007 nyt
By JEREMY W. PETERShttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/business/27stockman.web.
html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=business&pagewanted=print
David A. Stockman, the former budget director for President Reagan, was indicted today on charges that he covered up the dire financial state of his company as it was headed into bankruptcy.
Mr. Stockman and three other former executives at Collins & Aikman, an auto parts supplier, surrendered this morning in Manhattan and were later set free on bail.
The charges detailed in the indictment, which was unsealed today, range from bank fraud to conspiracy to obstruction of justice.
Four other former Collins & Aikman officials were also charged but pleaded guilty.
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
The Regan Administration just keeps showering us with benefits.
Search the Corruption Database under
5) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY
PUBLISHED IN THE: Washington Post, 3-27-07:
Lobbying Is Lucrative. Sometimes Very, Very Lucrative.
By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Tuesday, March 27, 2007;
A11http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/26/AR2007032602027_pf.html
Lobbyists, as they say, make the big bucks. That's why so many lawmakers, congressional staffers and political appointees move downtown when they leave government.
So just how lucrative is it? Well, pretty lucrative. According to new data from the Center for Responsive Politics, 22 clients paid $1 million or more in lobby fees to individual lobbying firms last year.
Gift Ban? Oh, Never Mind
For anyone naive enough to believe that the House's new ban on gifts and meals from lobbyists has any real meaning, all he or she had to do was attend last week's Bryce Harlow Foundation dinner at the Hyatt Regency Washington.
Lobbyists and lawmakers sat cheek by jowl, feasting merrily on prime rib and good wine. The packed event, held by the city's premier lobbyist organization, raised a record $440,000 for graduate school scholarships and other educational endeavors for lobbyist wannabes.
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
Fake Reforms of Democrats:No Change in Who Runs Washington
The article above, and those referenced below, prove that our culture of political corruption has successfully passed the baton from Repub to Dem hands, without losing a dollar of bribery money.
The superficial reforms of the Dems did their job. The Dems have spewed a fog of "happy talk" and fake reform measures to obscure the fact that nothing has changed in how political power and influence is auctioned off in Washington
.It's business as usual, all over again.
Also See:
Corruption
Updates 3, “Media Reports: Both Parties
Corrupt”
Corruption
Updates 14, 10th article down on page. “Murtha
trades his vote, and ethics, for pork,”
Pelosi
does earmarks well and often, LA Times, 11-13-06, “Speaker-to-be
is no stranger to earmarking,” (abstract at LA Times archive,
#52 under Richard Simon search) Reference is linked at CU30,
2nd article on page.
Corruption
Updates 5, 1st article on page, “Corruption fails
as Campaign issue...,”
Corruption
Updates 19, 1st article on page, “Top
Recipients of Lobbyists Bribes are Leadership of Both
Parties”Corruption
Updates 19, 3rd article on page, “PARTIES
AND THEIR BRIBERS WORK TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE
RESTRICTION”
Corruption
Update 26, 1st article on page, “Time to Party,
just bring the Checkbook,” LOBBYISTS
SEE NO CHANGE UNDER DEMS CORRUPTION PRESENTED AS
FORCE OF NATURE, DEM CORRUPTION NATURAL”
Corruption
Updates 21, 8th article on page, “Dems Big Chance
to Reap the Rewards of Corruption: Political
Victory Opens Doors of Lobbying Firms to Demo Insiders,”
Corruption
Updates 20, 6th article on page, “ DEMS RECEIVE
SPECIAL INTEREST BRIBES ANTICIPATING VICTORY IN NOV,”
Corruption
Updates 27, 2nd article on page, “Leaders Want
Lobbying Changes Enacted” (fake,
superficial reforms)
Corruption
Updates 28, 4th article on page, “Bush and Dems
Fight Over Earmarks”
Corruption
Updates 28, 7th article on page, “Ney at Center of
Conspiracy”
Corruption
Updates 30, 2nd article on page, “REID
TRIES TO KILL REAL EARMARK REFORMS: RENEGADE SENATORS
EXPOSE DEMS FAKE EARMARK REFORM BY GIVING IT REAL TEETH, DEMS FIGHT
TO KILL REFORM, AND PRESERVE EARMARK CORRUPTION ” Fake
earmark reforms of dems rejected!
Corruption
Updates 31, 4th article on page, “FAKE
EARMARK REFORM IN SENATE CONTINUES: EARMARKS
NOT RECOGNIZED AS CORRUPTION ITSELF”
Lobbying Is Lucrative. Sometimes Very, Very Lucrative: Fake Reforms of Democrats: No Change in Who Runs Washington, Washington Post, 3-27-07:
House Hesitates on Ethics Changes: Corruption Pays Dems Too Well, Washington Post, 4-12-07
House Panel Rejects Lobbying Proposal: Theives Game Continues Under Democrats: Revolving Door and Endless Bribes Maintain Corporate Grip on Throat of Democracy, AP, 5-17-07
Earmarks debate turned around on Democrats in Congress: We Warned You About The Dems, and Especially Murtha
Dems as bad, if not worse than Repugs, LA Times, 5-23-07
In the Democratic Congress, Pork Still Gets Served: Dem Pigs as Voracious with Earmarks as were Republicans, Washington Post, 5-24-07
House tightens rules for lobbyists: Dem Reforms Fall Far Short of Democracy, LA Times, 5-25-07
Suit Sheds Light on Clintons’ Ties to a Benefactor: Clintons Soak up Corporate Privilege and Wealth, And they Pay them Back with our Money and Power, NY Times, 5-26-07
Coconut Road: $40,000 for $10,000,000, Earmark, NY Times, 6-7-07
Lobbyists press Congress to ease tough ethics rules: Lobbyists Whine about Superficial Reforms: The Big Bucks Still move from Special Interests to PACs and Campaigns, Washington Post, June 7, 2007
Top Democrat Plans Advance List of Earmarks: Earmark List, or a Threat Sufficient to Silence Republicans? NY Times, 6-12-07
House grinds to a halt in rift over earmarks: Dems and Republicans play HOT POTATO over Earmarks: Both want them, but Neither wants Oversight or Responsibility, Chron, June 14, 2007
House Agreement Ends Impasse Over Lawmakers’ Pet Projects: Deal to Preserve and Share Earmarks reached between Dems and Repubs, NY Times, June 15, 2007
For Lobbyists, This Campaign Is Personal: Don't Stop Lobbying, Just Stop Lobbyists from Bribing Politicians, NY Times, June 25, 2007
House approves sweeping ethics bill: House does Everything EXCEPT DEMOCRACY, LAT, July 31, 2007
Democratic Candidates Keep Outraising Republicans: Corporate Democrats Surpass Republicans as Corporate Bitches, Billery Cleaning Up in Corporate Whore-Fest 2008, NYT, October 16, 2007
Clinton the Porker: Earmark Queen, LAT, 12-10-07 see: the clinton links
Pelosi's fake earmark ban killed by corrupted senate and house, ap, 3-31-08
Search the Corruption Database under
Reform
Fake Reform
Democrats
Abramoff
Lobbyists
6) THE ABSTRACT PRINTED BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE : BEE, 3-28-07:
Agency execs get pay hikes
Governor gives raises of up to 27 percent to 49 administrators.
By Kevin Yamamura - Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Story
appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A4http://www.sacbee.com/391/story/145207.html
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Tuesday he will increase six-figure salaries for top state executives by as much as 27 percent, a move that could precipitate similar raises for his own chief of staff and other top aides in the future.
The pay hikes for 49 executives come after the Republican governor signed legislation last year enabling his administration to raise top salaries to as much as $258,125.
The 49 executives will receive pay increases starting April 1 that average 9 percent, though 10 agency secretaries will receive nearly a 23 percent bump.
While only a tiny percentage of the state budget, the $880,000 in approved executive pay increases come as Schwarzenegger may have to cut programs to balance the state's finances.
Nonpartisan Legislative
Analyst Elizabeth Hill said last month the state's revenue could
fall $3 billion short of his projections.
THE COMMITTEE SAYS:
Arnie's Staff Steals Like Corporate America
Not only are our politicians stealing like, and for, their corporate sponsors while in office, but they are preparing for highly paid corporate jobs after serving the corporations while in office.
But why wait until getting out of "public service," when they can drain the taxpayers and corporations right now?
Also See:
Corruption Updates 29, 1st article on page, "ASSEMBLY STEALS LIKE CORPORATIONS:CITIZENS TOLD GOVERNMENT MUST PAY SALARIES IN line with corporations"
Search the Corruption
Database under
Jobs
Insiders
Public Boards
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