STOP THE POLITICIANS
              Here are two quotes to think about:

Sen. Hillary Clinton  -  "The oil companies, the drug companies, the health companies, the predatory student loan companies have had seven years of a president who stands uo for them.  It's time we had a president who stands up for you"

Sen. Barack Obama  -  "Are we to continue to allow lobbyists to veto our country's progress, or do we finally put our national interests ahead of the special interests ....  Because to meet these challenges, changing parties isn't change enough.  We need something new. We need to turn the page" .


Here are the campaign contibutions they have taken:

Special Interest Group                Clinton             Obama

Pharmaceutical Companies          $269,550        $262,000

Oil & Gas                                   $220,550         $106,000

Lobbyists                                    $567,950          $77,000
                Who Is The President Anyway?

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi isn't content to wait in line to become President.  The Speaker's position is second in succession behind the Vice-President in case there is some disaster that would eliminate the President and Vice-President.
Last week she made a visit to Israel & Syria even after the President asked her not to go.  In a meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, she called the road to Damascus the road to peace, and also implied that Israel was ready to sit down with the Syrians to discuss peace.  This prompted a virulent response from Israel that nothing has changed until Syria renounces violence.
The whole episode was even called ludicrous and foolish by the Washington Post, not known as a friend of President Bush.  This trip by the Speaker was totally out of line and just an attempt to embarrass the President.  What it accomplished was to give cover to a ruthless dictator suspected of ordering the murders of a number of Lebanese politicians, and undermining U.S. policy to isolate the Syrian regime.
Is there no end to partisanship in this nation that our congressional politicians will even toy with foreign policy that is not in their domain?

 
 Political Language - and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists - is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.
                                                   GEORGE ORWELL
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                 The Two Americas

Candidate for President in 2008,  former senator John Edwards, has been touting his theme of two Americas, one rich and the other poor, for a few years, going back to his Vice-Presidential candidacy in 2004.  Recently Mr.  Edwards just built a 28,000 sq. ft. home on an exclusive island, complete with an indoor tennis court, pool and what ever else. You can guess which America he belongs to. 
John Edwards is a man who made his millions suing insurance companies and recently told Tim Russert on "Meet The Press' he would raise taxes inorder to provide everyone with health care.
Imagine, a multi-millionaire ambulance chaser wants to raise taxes to pay for health care!
   Our Politicians Retirement - $180,000 yr.

What did they do to earn this?  Well, here are some of their accomplishments while in office:
  36   Have been accused of spousal abuse
    7   Have been arrested for fraud
  19   Have been accused of writing bad checks
117  Have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2
        businesses
    3   Have done time for assault
  71   Cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
  14   Have been arressted on drug related charges
    8   Have been arrested for shoplifting
  84   Have been arrested for drunk driving

Are you still going to keep voting for these clowns?  Really?

This information is from: Capital Hill Blue
 
" of the People, by the People, for the People" 
 
The New Transparent Congress Is Working

California Senator Diane Feinstein recently resigned from the Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee because of allegations of influence on behalf of a company named URS, which just happens to be owned by her husband, Richard Blum.  The influence goes back to at least March of 2003, and three contracts were involved; $600 million for Army bases anti-trrorism protection, and $42 million to build the C-17 aircraft maintenance facility in Hawaii.  Another of Blum's companies won a contract of $185 million for roof reinforcement at bases in Iraq.
Feinstein's spokesman Scott Gerber claims that none of this has to do with her stepping down, and besides, Congress has no role in awarding contracts, which is true.  The Pentagon does however, get its approvals from Congress, including the sub-committee on which Mrs. Feinstein served.
From this we can conclude what;  that the new congress is truly transparent; that Vice-President Cheney had no influence with contracts to Halliburton; and there is no partisanship in Washington?
Can we let the next election pass without changing the culture of corruption in our capital?  Can we afford to elect another Democrat or Republican President? CAN WE?
                                Lobbying Reform
If you missed this one you missed a real gem.  On 'Meet The Press" in early February, House Leader Steny Hoyer (D) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R) were discussing a variety of topics with host Tim Russert.  When the talking got around to lobbying reform, it was explained that the new bill put forth by the Democrats would severely limit activities such as paying for golf trips and other outings, paying for meals, and laying out cash for fund raising parties.  Sounds good, right?
Well it turns out that since the lobbyists can't do all these things, what they now do is make a substantial contribution to the politician's Political Action Committee.  Then the PAC goes ahead and pays the bills.  You had to see these two trying to justify this. 
Amazing!
The Politics of Personal Destruction

Also in February, and you knew it would happen sooner or later.  Hollywood mogul David Geffen, a former advisor to the Clintons, is now supporting Sen. Obama.  He was quoted as saying that "All politicians lie, but the Clintons do it with such ease...."  The battle cry went up and Harold Wolfson, Sen. Clinton's campaign press secretary was on 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' demanding that Sen. Obama apologize, denounce Mr. Geffen and, get this, give back the money he raised.  Sure, that'll happen.  Sen. Obama said he would not apologize for what someone else said, and he wasn't giving back any money.  Visonary leadership all the way around!
                  The Second Amendment 

Freshman Sen. Jim Webb (D) of Virginia was Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration, and a decorated veteran of Viet Nam. 
Just last week a staff member of Sen. Webb was caught carrying two handguns belonging to the senator into the capital building.  No doubt, the staffer was doing his boss' business and no crime was intended. 
Nonetheless, the senator had to answer some questions that apparently he did not take kindly to.  His answer to the question, "Do you, Senator, feel that you are above Washington, D.C.'s gun law?" in reference to his owning handguns was, "I'm not going to comment in any level in terms of how I provide for my own security" and included the phrase "people like me".  I suppose he means that we commoners aren't to be trusted with weapons, but it is ok for our elite politicians.
It has to make you wonder, didn't the senator wear the uniform of our country to protect our freedoms?
       Joe  Oliva  For  President  2008 
 
                When Does It End?

This is a 3 part posting:

1.  Two Republicans have stepped down from committee
positions.  First, Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) is off the Appropriations Committee due to more Jack Abramoff investigations. Second, Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) leaves the Intelligence Committee because of investigations into his wife's real estate deals.  At least they are not in positions of responsibility, and to be fair, they aren't convicted of anything yet.
2.  Lobbying activity in the capital has increased this year, up from 1,222 new registrations to 2,232.
3.  Federal employees have been ripping off the government's commuter program for millions of dollars by over estimating their actual costs, selling off commuter vouchers as they carpool with others, and in some cases, those who no longer  work for the government are still getting vouchers.

Is anyone in charge out there?  Oh well, it's only tax dollars, right?  What are we to do, laugh or cry?  I just don't get it.
                                  Pay Raises 

Led by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), the House  voted 244-181 to give itself a pay raise of $4,400 and to reinstate the automatic COLA raise every year.  You have to wonder how these people get away with this.
If you tune into C-SPAN at 9a.m. e.s.t. weekdays, you will see the House begin its day.  What you will rarely see however, is Speaker Pelosi at the gavel, or very many members present.  Where they all are is a mystery?
I can tell you though, where they are not.  They are not in their offices reading and responding to emails.  If you ever emailed your representative, you have probably noticed you received an auto-reply. They are also not answering phone calls as you also know if you ever called to talk with your representative.
Worst of all, they are not reading up on proposed legislation.  How many times have you heard it said by your representative that he/she didn't have time to read the bill?
So then, we need to ask ourselves, or maybe we should ask them, what is it that they get paid for?  Power keeps growing at the federal level of our government!  If we hand either party the Presidency in 2008, it will continue to grow, guaranteed. Can we afford to do that?
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