All Posts Tagged With: "Senate"
Cal Senate Boss Heads Herd of Hypocrites
Perata , family and friends face fines and decades in prison if convicted.
According to an article on the EASTBAYEXPRESS website the feds likely will file charges against the California state Senate boss Don Perata (D). The FBI, the US Attorney’s Office, and a federal grand jury have been investigating whether the senator took bribes or kickbacks in exchange for providing official government favors to close friends, business associates, and major campaign donors. Others could also be indicted.
Using the age-old formula Perata has denied everything; admitted nothing, and blames the probe on others. Public records show that he is taking the investigation very seriously. Through May 17, the last state filing deadline, his legal defense had racked up $1,921,779 in expenses since the probe began. In the first four-and-a-half months of this year alone, his expenses totaled $445,925. However, Perata still has plenty of money at his disposal. According to state records, he’s sitting on $1.97 million in four campaign accounts. In addition, the state Democratic Party just donated $250,000 to Perata’s legal defense fund on July 1.
Based on interviews and subpoenas obtained by newspapers, the investigation has included: An examination of the Ron Cowan Parkway, a $40 million publically funded road between Oakland airport and an Alameda business park. As the Express first reported in March 2006 (see “Road to Nowhere,” 3/1/06), Perata strongly urged the Port of Oakland and the city of Alameda to hire a lobbyist to help obtain federal approval of the road even though the lobbyist’s assistance was unnecessary.
Lily Hu’s role in a 2002 BART seismic retrofit bond. As first reported in the Oakland Tribune in November 2004, BART paid Hu $112,000 from June 2001 to December 2003. BART also employed Polka as a consultant.
And the hiring of Staples by several card clubs in an attempt to stop an Indian tribe from opening Casino San Pablo, which was to be the first full-fledged casino in the Bay Area. As first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle in April 2005, Perata had strongly urged the clubs to hire Staples at a time when Staples also was paying Perata to stay in office. The scam was soundly rejected by California voters.
Target - Bush Democrats: Steny Hoyer
The Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot, as usual, by just about handing George Bush — a failed president with a horrendous legacy, a man whose approval rating is the lowest it’s been since they started keeping such statistics, a leader who is the architect of the most unpopular administration in American history — everything he wants. George was given two gifts this week, courtesy of line-crossing Democrats, or what we like to call “Bush Democrats.”
Gift No. 1: Another $163 billion to continue the illegal occupation of Iraq. How generous of our imperial leader and his submissive minions on Capitol Hill to give the new administration a financial running start at continuing on with this absurd war. As if the poor slob who gets elected isn’t inheriting enough problems. This country is in a colossal mess thanks to the last eight years of inept and misguided ideological-driven leadership.
Gift No. 2: A FISA Act that not only gives Bush and the Telecoms retroactive immunity, but also expands his spying powers. It doesn’t get much better than that for a president who blatantly broke the law and committed an impeachable offense. Luckily for all of us, this bill has been approved only by the House. When it moved to the Senate late this past week, Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) managed to prevent it from being rammed through by delaying a vote until after the July 4 holiday. He released this statement:
“I’m pleased we were able to delay a vote on FISA until after the July 4th holiday instead of having it jammed through. I hope that over the July 4th holiday, Senators will take a closer look at this deeply flawed legislation and understand how it threatens the civil liberties of the American people. It is possible to defend this country from terrorists while also protecting the rights and freedoms that define our nation.”
Nevertheless, the chief architect of this travesty, in concert with President Bush, was none other than Democrat Steny Hoyer. He now holds the dubious title of “Bush Democrat.” The propaganda machine was churning out the crap the other day as Hoyer described this as a compromise that not only
gives the government what it needs to protect us against terrorism, but also puts safeguards in place to guard our rights. The bill is anything but. What the bill stands for is a total cave-in by a spineless Congress. Bush and the Telecoms get their retroactive immunity and we reward a president-out-of-control by giving him expanded spying powers. By doing so, the House has legitimized his law-breaking warrantless wiretapping of American citizens. It was not our government’s finest hour by any stretch.
In addition to electing a gridlock-proof majority (as opposed to the slim, ineffectual one-seat majority they have now), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is targeting the “Bush Democrats” for removal. On the House side, they’ve identified John Barrow of Georgia’s 12th District as someone to replace. For the record, Barrow crossed the aisle on both votes. The DSCC is instead supporting State Senator Regina Thomas.
However, let’s make sure Steny Hoyer is on the list. The spirit of bipartisanship is a wonderful thing. I understand the need for being able to work across the aisle with others. However, the two parties were never intended to be a mirror image. The Democrats look like Republican Lite. We need Democratic party members who will STAND UP to the Republicans, not STAND WITH them.
US Senators Eating Subsidized Meals From Irish Linen And China While Americans Skip Food
There are 100 U. S. Senators in Washington DC they have their own fancy food service and dining room complete with fine linens, and tableware. Plus a cafeteria and coffee shop that have combined to lose over $17 million since 1993 and a million this year alone.
Finally these fiscal geniuses and privileged few want to privatize it so the highly paid federal employees who staff it can be fired, and money saved – but they still expect to pay a pittance for expensive meals and service but now they can blame it on some smuck who has to cater to these first class hypocrites.
The House of Representatives has a similar deal, run by a private vendor. But, the Congressmen’s meals are also subsidized. On more than one occasion money has been hidden inside other bills to keep Congress, and staff on this modern day grain dole. Hypocrisy.
Enquirer Rips Chris Mathews Out of Senate Race
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews was seriously mulling a challenge to Senator Arlen Specter as a Democrat in 2010. In the wake of a devastating story in the New York Times Magazine which depicts Matthews as a pompous, self important, sexist asshole, Matthews told the Philadelphia Enquirer in an interview that he is not going to run according to a report by Roger Stone in his StoneZone.
In the meantime, Senator Specter’s cancer has returned and he will be treated, but few believe that that will deter him from running and winning in 2010.