Under Who Gives A Shit...Actor Paul Newman Dies

Actor Paul Newman has died of cancer...who cares, and why the news channel forcing garbage down our throats about this GREAT MAN? Did it occur to them that we don't want to hear it, that he was not so GREAT as to mention him every five minutes during the 24 hour news cycle!

Many lost ALL RESPECT for the man because of his vile support for a nuclear industry that kills Americans, causes untold thousands, if not millions of latent cancers here in America, and around the world. The last shreads of any respect left for the once talented actor rain down the drain when he did a PHOTO OP at the aging Indain Point nuclear reactors that are leaking tritium and strontium 90, and pronounced them vital safe and secure.

Suppose there is a certain justice that he died of cancer.

Sarah Palin Practices For Debate

Just appearing on You Tube...Sarah Palin practicing for debate!

Public Opinion Is In...McCain Got HIS ASS KICKED In Debate!

The results are in, and have listened to them on three different networks...John McCain got his ASS WALLOPED in the debate tonight, and showed himself A) to be an arrogant, snobbish, elitist prick, or B) is a CLOSET RACIST...either way, his refusal to look at his opponent has rubbed America the WRONG WAY! Even on the Iraq War Obama scored higher in the polls than McCain did.

I think McCain lost the entire debate when he insisted that we must FINISH to the BITTER END every war we ever start! Excuse me Mr. McCain, we ended the Korean War, were the soldiers in that war DISGRACED because we did not fight the war to a (quote and unquote) a successful end? You sir are a spoiled pamper ass munch who only survived your military career because your daddie and his daddie were admirals. Lets not forget, you crash FIVE PLANES while on active duty, only one of them in Vietnam...that IS SOME RECORD.

You lost tonight, and a big reason for that lose is the fact that you, like your wife Cindy are a spoiled elitist! You have no style, no grace, and probably need some serious counseling to deal wtih your anger issues and self loathing.

Did John McCain Just Break Federal Election Laws

OK...John McCain was on stage at a debate in Mississippi with Senator Obama. We all saw him, watched him make a total ass of himself. Meanwhile, almost BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN DEBATE HAD ENDED his staff has a NEW AD UP ON YOU TUBE. If you watch the ad, which I have posted below, John McCain comes on and says he approves this message! Answer me this, how could he be up on stage, then pressing palms after the event, and APPROVE A NEWLY CREATED YOU TUBE video HE HAD NOT SEEN?

"The Hill Propaganga" Candidate For Congress Steve Greenberg

So, UBER RICH Candidate for Congress, Steve Greenburg ran over to the Congress Blog on, "The Hill" and wrote up a propaganda piece on WHY WE SHOULD QUICKLY PASS the BAILOUT for Corporate America. First, this from Wikipedia shows the man is LOOOAAADDDDED!

Promotions Unlimited is a provider of advertising and promotional material. They specialize in circular / coupon book advertising and providing everyday and seasonal merchandise for drug, variety, craft, grocery, hardware, and dollar retailers nationwide.

Promotions Unlimited owns the Ben Franklin Stores franchise and runs an everyday dollar wholesale program as well.

Promotions Unlimited is a family-owned company since 1973 and is located in Racine, Wisconsin.

Now this once not so talented ex minor league hockey player wannabe, obviously born with a platnium spoon up his ass wants us to believe that the $700 Billion dollar bailout of Wall Street is not a BAILOUT AT ALL, but instead an acquisition would be a more accurate descriptor! At least we understand why he was in sales in the family business!

Basically, as you can read below, this man wants us to buy these depreciating assets and have the government sit on them until some future time and place when they MIGHT regain some of their value, claiming to do other wise would create DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES that are too great to even contemplate...don't you just love that George Bush like fear tactic?

Curious here Mr. Greenburg...what do we get here in the middle class? I'll give you a starting list of some of the things we want.

A) We want our border with Mexico Secured.
B) We want E Verify not only protected, but made MANDATORY for every business in America, large or small. (It is 98 percent accurate.
C) We want it to be a FELONY to hire or house and illegal alien.
D) We want our equity back...the greed on Wall Street has cost me personally $100 thousand in equity, and my house is now worth barely what I owe on it, and that's if I could EVEN SELL IT, all because greedy pricks on Wall Street made loans to people that could never afford them.
E) We want our laws AS WRITTEN ENFORCED, and want ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS deported. In case you do not know it, they depress our wages by over $230 BILLION A YEAR, and steal another $130 Billion a year from our economy by sending it back home to Mexico.
F) We want the same rights in Federal Bankrupcy on our SINGULAR HOUSE that rich people get with their 2nd, 3rd or in the case of John McCain, thirteenth house.

You want to get elected? STOP PANDERING TO THE RICH AND ELITE, take your head out of your ass, and find out what us middleclass Americans are feeling. My take...I would rather see us go into a Great Depression than to see Wall Street bailed out if we are going to be left out of the mix.

Perception is Reality, and in Politics, That Statement is Often the Ultimate Truth September 26th, 2008

The public perception of the current economic recovery plan is that it is a massive bailout for big business CEOs who have mismanaged their businesses, forcing responsible taxpayers to cover for the greed and excess of wealthy “fat cats”. The perception of a “bailout” is scaring lawmakers from enacting the plan, as they are unwilling to put themselves at odds with voters one month from an election.

Many complain that this bill is focused on “Wall St” while ignoring “Main St”. However, the credit market is practically frozen. Small businesses across the national cannot secure credit to grow and manage their business and create jobs. Families cannot secure a mortgage, and only those with pristine credit have even a slight chance at securing a loan to buy a vehicle or send their child to college. The pains on Wall St are mirrored on Main St, and the restoration of credit flow provides direct assistance to the taxpayers.

The term “bailout” is inaccurate. “Acquisition” would be a more descriptive term. The financial sector is in a massive selling mood as financial institutions attempt to shore up capital and ensure liquidity. In this environment, banks cannot sell the loans and assets that currently sit on their balance sheets, leaving them to depreciate in value while hogging available capital. This has exacerbated the problem instigated by irresponsible lending and has caused the credit market to screech to a halt. In this seller’s market the only institution that is large enough to buy up these assets and stable enough to hold them until they regain some of their previous value is the federal government. This acquisition of assets would free up credit flow once again and would actually bring revenues to the federal government in the long run.

Free market purists state that this is a step to socialism, but their reaction is extreme and badly informed. I believe strongly in capitalism, and am one of the chief proponents of the free market system. The problem is that currently there is no market system to be free. That being said, there are adjustments that must be made to the current proposal. The final plan must not allow CEO’s to benefit when their companies have failed employees and stockholders, and proper oversight needs to be ensured. These changes should be made immediately, and Congress must move without delay to enact the recovery plan.

The consequences of reality are too dire to bow to the pressures of perception. How many more banks need to fail before Congress does the right thing, regardless of what the polls say? It’s time real leaders stepped up and did the right thing for the struggling families back home.

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By Ill. GOP Candidate for Congress Steve Greenberg

A Good Reason To Oppose $700 Billion Wall Street Bailout...Chamber of Commerce Supports It.

This in from "The Hill"...

Seems that the Chamber of Commerce wants the $700 Billion dollar BAILOUT, and they want it ALL AT ONCE before the Congress goes out on leave. That's right, they want every single penny of the bailout, and they want it with NO STRINGS attached, and have had their lobbyist beating the drums on Capital Hill all week, also successfully lobbying to have the Middle Class Bankrupcy house rules cut out of the Bailout Bill.

If the Chamber of Commerce wants this package, that is the exact reason why America's Middle Class should OPPOSE IT. You see, the National Chamber of Commerce is OUR ENEMY. They support Amnesty for 25 million illegal aliens, they support a LIBERAL Guest Worker program, as both depress our wages, and create CHEAP LABOR for large greedy corporate scum sucking pigs! (Too harsh?) They supported the change in Bankrupcy laws that protected corporate assets in bankrupcy, yet made it all but impossible for private Middle Class citizens to get a fresh start in life when things like medical bills bury them under and avalanche of bills. They oppose any law that would make it mandatory for companies to provide REAL HEALTH CARE to their employees, oppose any increase in the minimum wage, and in fact would like to see the minimum wage ELIMINATED. Do yourselves a favor...BOYCOTT any business that is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and tell your elected officials that we demand a bailout FOR THE LOWER AND MIDDLE CLASS if there is to be a BAILOUT FOR WALL STREET.
Don't buy into the bull shit that is trickle down economics.

U.S. Chamber presses for full, $700 billion package

By Brendan Sasso
Posted: 09/25/08 06:01 PM [ET]

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce pressed hard Thursday for Congress to approve a full $700 billion bailout package for Wall Street before it goes into recess.

Bruce Josten, the group’s executive vice president, said passing temporary measures and delaying a full package until after the election would represent “severe brinksmanship and hubris on the part of Congress.”

Some of Mr. Josten's nefarious diatribe:

The solution proposed by Treasury is to allow the Treasury to remove $700 billion in illiquid and impaired assets from the system. While this proposal has been described as a bailout with a $700 billion price tag to the American taxpayer, it is not. The Treasury would purchase up to $700 billion of impaired and illiquid assets from the financial markets, but these assets would be purchased at a price that is significantly below par value. As a result, the Treasury would place up to $700 billion of taxpayer money at risk, but the ultimate cost of the package will not be determined until the Treasury ultimately disposes of the assets and will almost certainly be significantly less. Congressional oversight will help to insure that the immediate pricing and ultimate sale of these assets will keep taxpayer cost to a minimum.

Mr. josten's presents a bit of a RED HERRING in this paragraph...he wants to paint this as a long term WIN for Tax Payers when it fact it is not. Let's say we bought one trillion dollars (when sold) worth of these undervalued assets for our $700 Billion dollars in tax payer dollars.

1. We are going to have to pay INTEREST on that $700 Billion until such time as we actually SELL THOSE ASSETS.

2. Government employees are going to manage these assets...that is going to cost money in office space, personel, so forth and so on. Further, at some point when these assets are put back out on the market place, a salesperson (real estate broker) is going to be getting a commission on the sale of these assets.

3. Lastly, that is money that could be put into other areas of our economy that would CREATE JOBS through the building and repair of infrastructure as one example. What is the lost productivity costs in tying up some $700 Billion of our taxes dollars, and wouldn't we in the Middle Class be better off if that money were being used to put AMERICANS (legal citizens) back to work.

By the way folks, if you get a chance to talk to this dip shit, ask him WHY HE and the NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE want to kill the E VERIFY system that is 98 percent effective in identifying ILLEGAL ALIENS trying to take a job that rightfully belongs to an American citizen, or a legal immigrant to our country. Face it folks, the National Chamber of Commerce is nothing but a blood sucking leech, a vile scourge on our Middle Class American Society. when you think of slithering, self obsessed, venoumous vipers on K Street, the worst stench in the Lobbying Community, the National Chamber of Commerce is right at the top of the heap.

Wonkette Live Blogging Pathetic

Went over to take a look at the Wonkette Live Blogging...was not impressed, and find their arrogance disgusting, a perfect example of what is wrong with Washington, DC. Have a look for yourselves.

10:48 — No one knows what happened. So! I am ending this. Ken may or may not take over. OPEN THREAD until then. Go out and play with your friends, is my recommendation.

DUDES: Your Wonkette will be at Finn McCool’s in D.C. (8th Street SE) in like 15 minutes (11:30). We don’t expect any of you douches to show, but if you want, look for the asshole with the red hair. LATER. Gonna get me some fish ‘n’ chips. (With their attitudes, who would want to meet them for a drink? Guessing Finn McCool's doesn't have very high standards for their client base.)

Barbara Boxer On McCain's Inability To Cope, Inability To Multitask

Participate in Our Debate Poll

The pundits called the night a draw, but early polls seem to suggest the public gives the debate to Barrack Obama. We want to know what you think, so please take our poll.

With Sarah Palin His Running Mate, John McCain's Failing Health is BIG ISSUE

News Flash folks...with Sarah Palin failing miserably, showing she is a fish out of water, out of her league, John McCain's failing health is a MAJOR ISSSUE that voters must consider. I ask you to take the time to watch this video.

Pundits Declare Debate a Draw

Blah, blah, blah...etc., etc., and etc, so forth and so on. Why don't the networks get a clue and bring on some ordinary Americans instead of all these paid political pundits. Seriously, middle class America wants to hear from some ordinary folks, not talking political egg heads that live and breath politics 24 hours a day seven days a week. That being said, every one agrees that A) John McCain did not knock Obama down, let alone out, and B) when all the scores are tallied the debate was pretty much a tie.

My thoughts...first, that WIG Cindy McCain was wearing was absolutely HORRID! For a woman with so much money, you would think she could get a wig that did not look like it should be on Dukes of Hazzard.

I thought John McCain lost, and for mumerous reasons. He made it painfully obvious that he lives in the past, and harbors a great deal of anger towards OUR ENEMIES, both foreign and domestic. Electing him would be another four years of the George Bush doctrine and governance, where anyone against him (including US citizens) is the enemy. Personally, I've had enough of that, had enough of presidents trying to use fear to keep us in line. Further, the best he could come up with on the economy in light of the bailout was a FREEZE of every portion of government except veterans (which I agree with) and DEFENSE (which I disagree with). Americans are HURTING RIGHT NOW, and the worst thing we could do in our own time of crisis and individual family pain, is to FREEZE social service programs.

Side note...CNN just released the results of a phone poll...almost 600 people, and Obama wins and by DOUBLE DIGITS.

What I liked about Obama, was his willingness to sit down at the table with our enemies, to at least open up dialogue to see if some common ground could be found. I also like the fact that he is willing to RAISE TAXES for those earning over $250,000 a year. American Middle Class, ask yourselves if you would EVER SEE A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN EARNINGS? If you say no, then why are you wanting to vote for McCain...he wants to give the RICH AND ELITE $300 BILLION in taxes cuts under the guise that it will TRICKLE DOWN to you! It NEVER HAPPENS, that theory was espoused by Ronald Reagan, and if you do your homework, our Middle Class wages have been STAGNANT ever since. Ronald Reagon granted Illegal Aliens AMNESTY, promised it would be the last one as those illegals were depressing our wages. Under George Bush we saw another 8 million illegals come into our country, steal our jobs, depress our wages, and it is John McCain that wants to embrace George Bush's so called Comprehensive Immigration reform, which means AMNESTY, A GUEST WORKER PROGRAM, both of which will continue to keep AMERICA's MIDDLE CLASS UNEMPLOYED.

Obama told us tonight he wants to put a safety net back under the middle class...McCain wants to burn that safety net, wants to continue funneling riches created from our hard work up the ladder to the UBER RICH.

Bennett Accidently Just Gave Every American A Reason to Vote For Obama

The Decider and The Sheriff!

So the pundits are now tearing apart the debate, and first up was Bennett.

He said Obama always seemed to be looking for commonground, wanted to work with McCain, while McCain came across AS THE SHERIFF...kind of like the decider! Do you want another sheriff, another decider, or do you want a person as the next president who looks for common ground, seeks to find solutons by reaching across the isle, by sitting down with those we disagree with in the hopes of finding a common ground on which to build towards the future?

On A Humorous Note...I Got a EMERGENCY TELEGRAM From McCain Today

Had to laugh when I brought my mail in this evening...getting political junk mail is not at all unusual during any election, and especially during a Presidential Election Year. However, I got great chuckles when one of these pieces of junk mail from the John McCain camp was an Emergency Telegram in a BOLD YELLOW envelope! Talk about a forboding for the candidate. Could be a VERY LONG NIGHT for John McCain...unless he hits a home run out of the stadium, this could be his swan song. As far as I am concerned, it is time for the FAT LADY (his daughter) to sing.

Pre Debate Analysis and Advice

HAve been sitting here listening to the pundits babble on about tonight's debate between John McCain and Barrack Obama, and have to admit to being amused.

John McCain is a bar room brawler that is losing on points going into the 12th round, to use a boxing analogy, in a 15 round fight...he has to go for a knockout, and that MAKES HIM DANGEROUS. He's going to try to go after Obama, going to do his best to unnerve him, to get him flustered and making mistakes. Look for McCain to fight a brutal pounding debate, trying to punch Obama into submission, weaken him for a kill, then go in for a knockout punch.

My advice to Obama...stay off the ropes, don't let McCain start punching on you. In short, you need to do your Muhammed Ali immitation, "Float Like a Butterfly, and Sting Like a Bee"...short crisp responses, quick jabs that land solidly, no trick plays. That being said, don't be afraid to take and openning...you have the chance to TKO McCain tonight. If the economuy does come up, which it well, bring up the Keating Five, and McCain's son who was on the board of directors for a recently FAILED BANK out in Nevada.

This Blogger Will Be LIVE BLOGGING During Debate

Get the opinions of one pissed off average American during the debates tonight. I'll be live blogging throughout the debate.

John McCain's Bailout Kabuki Stage Craft

Perhaps the major networks, and the cable news networks should stop bringing on the political pundits, and instead bring a few of us from the Middle Class onto their shows, ask us our opinions, instead of trying to tell us what we should be seeing, explaining to us how we are supposed to percieve what is right before our eyes. John McCain's stopping of his campaign, his rushing to Washington, DC was first and foremost, nothing but stage craft, and bad stage craft at that.

His Republican croonies and the Republican Party could not have been more transparent in their attempts to stop what was becoming a Obama Juggernaut as the air was racing out of McCain's presidential race balloon. At best, Sarah Palin was a temporary distraction that has becomean embarrassment for first the Republican Party, secondly John McCain, and lastly the United States of America. The woman is so out of her league it is pathetic.

First, if you are stopping your campaign to RUSH BACK TO WASHINGTON, you do not hang around New York for an afternoon, evening, and part of the next day...hell, it is no wonder David Letterman is upset, and he has a right to be. Secondly, why say the debate SHOULD BE CANCELLED unless there is a debate, then when there is no deal yet made, flip flop and announce you'll be at the debate...come on McCain, surely you can be more original, surely your staff could make your political shannigins far less obvious and pathetic. Lastly, if you had REALLY PLANNED ON STAYING IN WASHINGTON, WHY DID YOU SPEND three and a half hours last night practicing for the debate?

Here is reality...you pulled this stunt for two reasons:

A) You pulled your ads to save money, and too change the news cycle.
B) You like the attention, and felt you were not getting your share, and this STUNT would change that, put you back in front of the cameras when your relevance was fading into the sunset.

Do yourself a favor...retire, and go spend your time with Cindy eating Cream of Wheat.

Ms Reformer Sarah Palin Is Gift Whore! What a Lying BITCH

" I will rip the nuts off the reporter that did this story!"

There is a grear story in the Washington Post, a part of which is shared here...seems little Ms. Reformer, the lady who told Congress, "Thanks but no thanks" on that bridge to nowhere, but yes on the road to nowhere has a penchant for ACCEPTING LAVISH GIFTS from those she is in a position TO HELP! Free travel, expensive pieces of art, and gifts from one of her favorite places to shop...especially if someone else is picking up the tab. Simply stated, much like the McCain's daughter, this woman is a Gift Whore!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/25/AR2008092503988.html?nav=hcmodule

Palin Accepted $25,000 in Gifts, Alaska Records Show

By James V. Grimaldi and Robert O'Harrow Jr.

Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, September 26, 2008; Page A08

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has made a crackdown on gift-giving to state officials a centerpiece of her ethics reform agenda, has accepted gifts valued at $25,367 from industry executives, municipalities and a cultural center whose board includes officials from some of the largest mining interests in the state, a review of state records shows.

The 41 gifts Palin accepted during her 20 months as governor include honorific tributes, expensive artwork and free travel for a family member. They also include more than $2,500 in personal items from Calista, a large Alaska native corporation with a variety of pending state regulatory and budgetary issues, and a gold-nugget pin valued at $1,200 from the city of Nome, which lobbies on municipal, local and capital budget matters, documents show.

About a quarter of the entities bestowing gifts on the governor are represented by one of Alaska's most influential mining lobbyists, who said in an interview that she was not involved in the tributes. The lobbyist, Wendy Chamberlain, has a relationship with the governor's family through the friendship of their teenage daughters.

On forms disclosing the gifts, Palin, who is the Republican vice presidential nominee, routinely checked "no" when asked whether she was in a position to "take official action that may affect the person who gave me the gift," and a spokeswoman for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign said the gifts had no undue influence on her.

In response to e-mailed questions, Meghan Stapleton, who is based in Alaska for the McCain-Palin campaign, wrote: "Throughout her career Governor Palin has stood for the highest standards of ethics. She spearheaded new ethics reforms in Alaska and took on her own party and entrenched interests to return Alaska's government to its people."

Records show that 23 of the gifts were offered during Palin's early months in office, when she was pushing the legislature to address a state corruption scandal by passing a package of ethics reforms. She accepted 18 gifts after the law passed in July 2007. Among other provisions, the law forbade executive branch officials from taking gifts from lobbyists or from interests with pending state business

Where's The Little Girl's Room?

Can you tell me where the little girl's room is? I really have to PEE! Katie made me SO NERVIOUS! I think I nailed it though! She tried to trip me up with that question on Russia, but I hit it right out of the park! Besides, she was distracted by my big HOOTERS...I like the place, they serve great fries. I hope America likes me, because I could do so much good if me and John get elected. I could convince John to sign a presidential decree to make Creationism mandatory in our schools, I could put an end to abortion, even when the woman has been raped, or is a victim of incest! I could quietly get someone in Congress to earmark money for that Bridge to Nowhere on threat of a veto of their bill if they refuse. I adore John, but could you imagine what would happen if he DIED? Imagine me, little old moose hunting, lip stick wearing rabid right christian zealot as the FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT of the United States of America!

Watch Sarah Palin Make Ass of Herself

WATCH: Palin: Foreign Affairs Is Good Vs. Evil

Lehman Brothers Executives Keep Bonus...What's Wrong With This Picture?

Shaking Head....

Nomura offers bonuses to Lehman staff

By Peter Thal Larsen and Lina Saigol in London

Published: September 25 2008 21:30 Last updated: September 25 2008 21:30

Lehman Brothers’ top investment bankers in London have been offered large guaranteed cash bonuses by Nomura, the Japanese lender that this week bought the European and Asian operations of the bankrupt Wall Street bank.

Nomura has offered to pay Lehman investment bankers the equivalent of last year’s bonus, in cash, if they stay until the autumn of 2009. It has also promised that the 2009 bonus pool will be the same size as last year, though a proportion will be in the form of restricted stock.

Don't Hold Your Breath United Nations (and Bill Clinton)

So the two presidential candidates were at the UN today speaking at Bill Clinton's initiative to SAVE THE WORLD, and Obama was being RATHER GENEROUS with promises that would cost American Tax Payers several BILLION DOLLARS...here's a clue for McCain, Obama, Bill Clinton, and the UN...the United States is GOING TO KEEP OUR MONEY AT HOME FOR A FEW DECADES, so go find someone else to support all this wonderful plans to help people in other nations, who in return treat us like SHIT. So don't hold your breath waiting on all that money people promised today...they DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK FOR US.

16 billion dollars pledged to fight malaria, poverty

The United Nations has announced that 16 billion dollars have been pledged in new programmes to help slash poverty, combat disease and boost education in the world's poorest nations. World leaders and philanthropists made the pledge at a development summit in New York. Three billion dollars alone has been dedicated to the eradication of malaria, which kills more than one million people a year. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said the offers exceeded his most optimistic expectations.

Polish Government Has Right Idea For Sexual Deviants (Catholic Priests) Who Sexually Abuse Children

Finally, a legislative action I could support from Poland.........actually, might not be a bad idea to incorporate this rule in America for Child Molesters, and out of control Wall Street Robber Barons.

Polish Castration Plans for Pedophiles Angers Brussels

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Tusk said pedophiles were not human

Plans drawn up by the Polish Ministry of Health to treat pedophiles with compulsory chemical castration by administering pills that lessen the libido have shocked EU parliamentarians. But there is little they can do.

In mid-September, the government issued a statement confirming that "work by ministers of health and justice on a draft law on obligatory chemical castration for pedophiles was nearing completion."

According to Polish media reports, the ministry plans to make the treatment compulsory for repeat offenders. The pills would reduce or eliminate sex drive by suppressing the production of testosterone.

"Our idea doesn't yet have the form of a law," ministry spokesman Jakub Golab told the daily Polska. "We're currently consulting with sexologists ... We want to bring it into effect as soon as possible."

McCain A Chicken,,,Afraid To Debate Obama Senator McCain Has Gone Into Hiding

The former POW, decorated war hero, man with the supposedly Steel Balls is a chicken, is afraid to meet Senator Obama on the stage tomorrow night for their debate, so he has gone into hiding. Even worse, McCain's staff is afraid to have Sarah Palin debate Joe Biden, so they have gone alone with this ploy in the hopes of giving the dim witted Alaskan Moose hunter's handlers more time to BRING HER UP TO SPEED.

ASSOCIATE PRESS

Posted: 2:30 pm
September 25, 2008

WASHINGTON - John McCain's campaign is welcoming news of an agreement in principle between congressional Republicans and Democrats on a bailout of the financial industry.

But the Republican isn't yet ready to say he will attend the presidential candidates' first scheduled debate on Friday.

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers says: "There's no deal until there's a deal."

He says McCain is optimistic an agreement between Congress and the Bush administration will be completed but that the afternoon developments had not changed his plans not to debate.

Another Reason To STOP BUYING China Goods! Lending To America Halted?

We all know the game...deny, deny, deny, even if there is truth in the rumors. Well, the buzz on the street says China's top most officials have orderd all over night lending to American Banks HALTED! Here's an idea...let's fuck China at its OWN GAME and simply declare bankrupcy as a nation. They can choke on all that BAD PAPER!

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) on Thursday denied a media report in Hong Kong that it has told domestic banks to halt interbank lending to U.S. banks.

"The regulator has never, through any channel, issued a statement or told domestic commercial banks not to lend to U.S. financial institutions," the CBRC said in a statement.

The South China Morning Post reported on Thursday that the regulator ordered local banks to halt interbank lending to U.S. banks to avoid possible losses during the financial crisis.

The newspaper cited unidentified sources as saying that the ban applied to interbank lending of all currencies to U.S. banks but not to banks from other countries.

The South China Morning Post had carried an irresponsible report without seeking verification, said the statement. It added that the regulator condemned this and reserved the right to ascertain legal responsibility.

Bank Runs Start In Hong Kong...Is America Next

We've all read stories of the great banks runs as Wall Street crashed, and we as a nation faced the Great Depression...well, put on your seat belts, as Hong Kong has a bank run!

Rumours spark Hong Kong bank run http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2008/09/20089254938144981.html

Depositors swamped the bank after text messages questioned BEA's financial stability [AFP] Hundreds of customers have descended on branches of Hong Kong's Bank of East Asia (BEA) to demand their deposits back amid continuing nervousness over the state of global financial markets. The bank said rumours questioning its stability were false and blamed the panic on the circulation of "malicious" mobile phone text messages. "The Bank of East Asia is not suffering from financial difficulties. We have enough cash to handle the needs of depositors," Joseph Pang, the deputy chief executive, told reporters at his company's headquarters on Wednesday. He declined to specify how much customers had withdrawn, but said it was not a large amount and no major clients had pulled out their money. The bank gave assurances that its capital ratio was well above international standards. Seeking to calm investors, it also said that its combined exposure to failed US investment bank Lehman Brothers and bailed-out insurer American International Group (AIG), was about $61m.

As Suspected, Bush Adminstration At HIGHEST LEVELS Knew About, Condoned Torture

Well, well, well....seems at long last that the smoking gun has appeared, and as I have always suspected, the Bush White House at the highest levels were involved with, knew about, and condoned the torture of Al Quida suspects! Yet another set of lies fed to the American Public through the Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfield propaganda machine. The most corrupt administration in the history of the United States seems to get worse with each passing day. George W. Bush need not worry about his legacy...he will go down as the most deplorable, ignorant, dispicable president to have ever held the oval office...don't be surprised to see Laura Bush seek a divorce shortly after the couple packs up and leaves the White House.

Bush aides tied to talks on CIA interrogations

By Mark Mazzetti

Published: September 25, 2008

WASHINGTON: Senior White House officials played a central role in deliberations in the spring of 2002 about whether the Central Intelligence Agency could legally use harsh interrogation techniques while questioning an operative of Al Qaeda, Abu Zubaydah, according to newly released documents.

In meetings during that period, the officials debated specific interrogation methods that the CIA had proposed to use on Qaeda operatives held at secret prisons overseas, the documents show.

The meetings were led by Condoleezza Rice, then the national security adviser, and attended by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Attorney General John Ashcroft and other top administration officials.

The documents provide new details about the still-murky early months of the CIA's detention program, when the agency began using a set of harsh interrogation techniques weeks before the Justice Department issued a written legal opinion in August 2002 authorizing their use. Congressional investigators have long tried to determine exactly who authorized these techniques before the legal opinion was completed.

News NOT ON CNN...Senator John McCain Blows Gasket, Storms Out of Whitehouse!

In the story major news media is trying to bury...Senator John McCain popped a vein, lost his temper and STORMED out of the White House meeting this afternoon. There are numerous causes for his out break, including a back stabbing attack on the bailout plan from the leading Conservative in the Senate who snuck out of the meeting briefly and told the cameras...THERE IS NO DEAL!

His veing popping, his staff scurying for their cars, John McCain angrily stormed out a side door of the White House avoiding the press, hobbled into his get away car and sped off into temporary hiding as he tries to regroup before making a statement too the press.

Rumors are swirling that he was heard using obscenities as he left the White House.

Sarah "WHACKO" Palin Protected Against Witchcraft!

In breaking news, seems Sarah Palin has been blessed, and protected AGAINST WITCHCRAFT! That's right, witchcraft! God forbid someone puts a HEX on her, or attempts using a VOODOO Doll to bring her pain and disgrace...can we have a PRAISE JESUS. Thinking this must have occurred while she was still puffing on big old fatties!



Palin Once Blessed Against 'Witchcraft'
By GARANCE BURKE
,
AP
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Sept. 24) - A grainy YouTube video surfaced Wednesday showing Sarah Palin being blessed in her hometown church three years ago by a Kenyan pastor who prayed for her protection from "witchcraft" as she prepared to seek higher office.

The video shows Palin standing before Bishop Thomas Muthee in the pulpit of the Wasilla Assembly of God church, holding her hands open as he asked Jesus Christ to keep her safe from "every form of witchcraft."

"Come on, talk to God about this woman. We declare, save her from Satan," Muthee said as two attendants placed their hands on Palin's shoulders. "Make her way my God. Bring finances her way even for the campaign in the name of Jesus. ... Use her to turn this nation the other way around."

Lobbyist's Are Running Bailout Show...WHY?

According to USA Today, the lobbyists in Washington, DC are in a feeding frenzy as they shake hands, and interfere with Congress as they try to shape a bailout out...in fact, it is doubtful that Middle America will get the break they deserve (Allowing judges to reduce mortgages and mortgage payments on first homes in a Bankrupcy Proceeding) because lobbyist in Washington, and those BIG CORPORATE INTERESTS they represent are against it...WHAT THE FUCK? Are we not facing this bailout because of lobbyist wagging the dog for decades? Keep the heat on your elected officials America...no help for the Middle Class, NO BAILOUT!

Lobbyists in 'feeding frenzy'

By Fredreka Schouten, Ken Dilanian and Matt Kelley, USA TODAY

The financial services industry, which has spent billions on lobbying over the last decade, is making its case for a $700 billion bailout...

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., pursued by reporters on Capitol Hill, has been at the center of bailout negotiations. Since 1989, he has taken more than $13 million in campaign contributions from the financial services sector.

Refuting NEI's Latest Study on Tax Payer Support To Industry

With America's anger seething at the $770 Billion dollar bailout of Wall Street, NEI is releasing a report wherein they assure American's they are getting very little taxpayer supported bailouts of thier industry. Simply stated, the report is all smoke and mirrors, crafted to HIDE THE HUGE amounts of money (into the trillions) that Americans are being asked to pay for, have paid for to save the nuclear industry.

As one example, hundreds of millions of dollars are being funnelled through the DOE to colleges willing to train new nuclear industry employees. Simply stated, we Americans are being forced to pay for the training costs of Nuclear Industry Employees. Secondly, the study fails to include the money so far spent on GNEP (Global Nuclear Energy Program), fails to mention the $1.5 Trillion in funding needed to deploy this UNTESTED technology that will not work.

Let's talk about the Price Anderson Act that precludes EVERY AMERICAN from getting insurance to cover lossed from a nuclear incident at any one of the 104 aging nuclear reactors in America. Let's talk about the billions dumped into trying to find and site a long term disposal facility in America...THINK YUCCA MOUNTAIN.

The nuclear industry wants to build 200 new Nuclear Reactors in America by the year 2050...first, it cannot be done. Secondly, the nuclear industry wants a ONE PERCENT LOAN GUARANTEE, stating that Wall Street will not invest in the industry without these loan guarantees. The average new reactor is expected to cost $10 Billion dollars! (Note-history shows us there is going to be at least a 70 percent cost over run on these costs, so real cost is closer to $17 Billion). Do the math, and the Nuclear Industry wants to put Americans on the hook in the form of LOAN GUARANTEES to the tune of $3.4 TRILLION DOLLARS, or almost five times the amount of the current Wall Street Bailout now under discussion in Washington, DC.

As Americans tired of funding corporate profits, it is time we demand the end to Nuclear Industry Bailouts, time to tell our elected officials that the days of subsidizing nuclear industry profits MUST COME TO AN END. At 50 years old, it is time for the nuclear industry to pay its own way, or GO OUT OF BUSINESS.

Virginia Office • 2716 Colt Run Road • Oakton, VA 22124 • (703) 620-4120

Contact: Roger Bezdek, president, Management Information Services Inc.
(202) 889-1324

News Release
New Study Shows That Federal Energy Incentives Have Chiefly Benefited Oil, Natural Gas Industries
Renewables Incentives Outpace Nuclear Energy Since 1994

(Washington DC) Sept. 23, 2008 — The main beneficiaries of more than $700 billion of federal energy incentives over the past five decades have been the oil and natural gas industries, a new study reveals. The oil and natural gas industries together garnered 60 percent of federal incentives between 1950 and 2006, with 46 percent of the roughly $725 billion in federal support going to the oil sector, according to the report by the consulting firm Management Information Services Inc (MISI).

The report shows that the oil industry has benefited from $335 billion in combined incentives, with natural gas receiving $100 billion.

Open Letter To My Own Congressman, Disgraced John Hall

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Open Letter To Snake Tongued John Hall

Dear John Hall:

Could you share with us, your constituents what it feels like to be a member of a do nothing Congress? What's it feel like to take campaign contributions from groups that actually support the relicensing of Indian Point? Have you no pride, no principles left? Why are you and Congress letting E verify die? Have you bought into the National Chamber of Commerce's belief that its OK to eliminate our Middle Class jobs, it's OK to lower our wages in the name of corporate bottom line profits funneled into the hands of the UBER RICH, and the Corporate Elites on the board of directors of these modern day Robber Baron companies?

We don't support the bailout, do not want you voting for it, as it includes NOTHING for the Middle Class. Some basic facts...the mortgage crisis, the crumbling of Wall Street has wiped out every cent of my house's equity, I right now am at a break even point at best, close to being one of those UPSIDE DOWN MORTGAGES where I owe more than the house is worth...even if I wanted to bail I can't, as houses are not selling right now, even at bargain basement prices. Our retirement nest egg has taken a BLOOD BATH, and this bailout is NOT GOING TO GET US THAT MONEY LOSS BACK. In fact, what is going to happen, is we'll be paying more taxes. Simply stated, let Wall Street crash...maybe that would WAKE UP THE UBER RICH AND POWERFUL.

Instead, let us have a Middle Class Bailout.

1. Nationalize all mortgages for FIRST HOMES, let normal citizens have access to theh same super discounted interests rates that the UBER WEALTHY have access to. I'd love that 3 or 4 percent interest rate that banks and big corporations get access to. The interest collected on these millions of loans could be used to reduce our National Debt, start paying off what we owe to the world so that we as a nation get out of the interest trap where the taxes we pay up through the end of April are used for nothing more than INTEREST PAYMENTS.

2. Deal with the Illegal Alien problem, and that DOES NOT MEAN AMNESTY, DOES NOT MEAN A GUEST WORKER PROGRAM...hello, we have had 600,000 people LOSE THEIR JOBS this year alone, yet you people want to LET MORE PEOPLE IN, want to let ILLEGAL ALIENS stay here, continuing to drive down our wages to the tune of almost a quarter of a trillion dollars a year!

A) Build our fence.
B) Make it a mandatory prison sentence for all corporate officers and managers of a company caught hiring Illegal Aliens, and revoke their license to conduct business.
C) Using work and home place raids, identify and begin deporting ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS.
D) Renew E-Verify, and make it MANDATORY that ALL COMPANIES use it to verify all hires, not just new ones.
E) Put a five year hold ON ALL WORK VISAS.

3) Get rid of George W. Bush's tax cuts...we are in a recession, close to a depression. Nobody likes higher taxes, but if we do not start paying down our National Debt, it is only a matter of time before America as a nation, as a government will have to declare bankrupcy.

4) The time has come to REBUILD America's industrial infrastructure...we cannot compete with China and Taiwan when our manufacturing infrastructure in many cases is over 100 years old.

5) If the bailout of Wall Street takes place, as a symbol of change, there can be no Golden Parachutes. Secondly, there is to be NO BAILOUT of International or Foreign Banks and companies...IE, HSBC.

You have no serious competition in this election...that is sad, as you so far in your first two years have DONE NOTHING for your constituents, and do not deserve the title we gave you. Stop running with the back, stop being a yes man for Pelosi and Corporate America.

Respectfully,


Sherwood Martinelli

Palin Not Ready...Let's Suspend Campaign and Postpone Debates!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

If No Bailout For Main Street, Then No Bailout For Corporate America

All this week lobbyist have descended down on Congress like vultures looking for another meal. They have insisted that Middle Class Mortgage relief would be a Corporate Bailout deal breaker. Today we have had both Presidential Candidates playing one upsmanship out on the airwaves as they wrangle for positioning in the Bailout Debate. Tonight at 9 PM we have disgraced White House moron George W. Bush going out onto the airwaves to bed and plead for this deal to be made...what all these people have in common is one thing...NO BAILOUT FOR Middle Class Americans. Well, if we are not going to get a helping hand, then let Wall Street fail! We'll face that great depression if that is the cost, as that would be better than bailing out the ultra rich at the exspense of America's working class.

Here are the terms we the Middle Class want:

1. No Golden Parachutes honored for any company recieving a bailout...no exceptions.

2. Put and end to corporations and companies hiring Illegal Aliens, and a plan put forth to deport those here illegally.

3. Bankrupcy reform that will save any American's first home...IE, allowing the judge to lower payments, or even discount the mortgage in a bankrupcy proceeding.

4. Taxpayer ownership in every company bailed out equal to said company's current wealth. If a company has a net worth of 10 Billion, and we give them 5 Billion, we get 50 stock ownership in said company...said shares to be distributed to every tax payer, not held by the treasury.

5. No bailout money to FOREIGN BANKS or FIRMS. No Exceptions.

John McCain Puts Campaign On Hold...Who Cares, I Want To Know About The New McCain BANK SCANDAL

So, John McCain is SCOOPING Barrack Obama by going public with the fact that he is putting his campaign ON HOLD...what a sleeze, Obama's campaign called Senator McCain's people earlier today to suggest a joint statement, and have both of them put their campaign's on hold while they return to Washington to deal with the BAILOUT...once again, a perfect example of John McCain's ANYTHING TO WIN, even cheating attitude. Well, I have something more important to discuss.

We all remember John McCain's involvement in the KEATING FIVE. We also now know that John McCain's campaign manager was taking money from Freddie Mac up through just LAST MONTH...he justifies this by claiming he himself was not taking any money! Hello dick wessel, YOU OWN THE GOD DAMNED COMPANY!

Well, there is a bigger scandal, especially against the back drop of this $770 Billion dollar bailout of the banking industry. Let's talk about the FAILED Silver State Bank out in Nevada. This is one of the most recently FAILED BANKS in America. Well, it seems that John McCain's son was on the BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Seems that Andrew WAS IN CHARGE OF OVERSIGHT and BLEW IT, bailing out just a month before the bank went down the tubes, and in the heart of this ELECTION SEASON...where was this story on the SIX O'CLOCK NEWS?

McCain Campaign Manager, Fuck Turd Rick David was Freddie Mac Teat Sucker

First, Senator John McCain is a god damned fucking liar! He stated just this past Sunday night that Rick David had NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH FREDDIE MAC for several years! Turns out that Rick David's firm was getting JUICED to the tune of $15,000 a month UP THROUGH AUGUST OF 2008! Talk about a corporate whore, a lobbyist fuck monkey sucking on the ass teat of criminals...that sure seems to define Rick David! We bail out Freddie Mac for BILLIONS and John McCain's own CAMPAIGN MANAGER, the reformer's MAIN HANDLER was whoring to Freddie Mac to the tune of $180,000 a year, WHILE ALSO GETTING A SALARY FROM JOHN McCAIN! You sir are a FUCK TURD!

McCain aide's firm was paid by Freddie Mac

By Jackie Calmes and David D. Kirkpatrick

Published: September 24, 2008

WASHINGTON: One of the giant mortgage companies at the heart of the credit crisis paid $15,000 a month to a firm owned by Senator John McCain's campaign manager from the end of 2005 through last month, according to two people with direct knowledge of the arrangement.

The disclosure contradicts a statement Sunday night by McCain that the campaign manager, Rick Davis, had no involvement with the company for the last several years.

Davis's firm received the payments from the company, Freddie Mac, until it was taken over by the government this month along with Fannie Mae, the other big mortgage lender whose deteriorating finances helped precipitate the cascading problems on Wall Street, the people said.

They said they did not recall Davis doing much substantive work for the company in return for the money, other than speak to a political action committee composed of high-ranking employees in October 2006 on the coming midterm congressional elections. They said Davis's his firm, Davis & Manafort, was kept on the payroll because of Davis's close ties to McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, who was widely expected by 2006 to run again for the White House.

Davis took a leave from

John McCain's Sleezy Reform Institute

Talk about SPECIAL INTEREST CONNECTIONS, and taking care of your Good Old Boys Club. Take a look at this Source Watch Article on Reform Institute...why isn't the National Press asking John McCain some serious questions about this?

The Reform Institute

From SourceWatch

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This article is part of the front groups portal on Sourcewatch. Join our team of citizen journalists researching and exposing industry secrets.

The Reform Institute describes itself as "a multi-issue think tank that champions the national interest by formulating and advocating meaningful reform in vital areas of public policy, including campaign finance and election reform, energy and climate stewardship, homeland security, immigration reform and economic policy."^[1] The Institute, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group, was founded after the failure of the Arizona Senator John McCain's bid to win the 2000 Republican presidential nomination. McCain and former Democrat Senator Bob Kerrey were the two founding co-chairman of the institute's Advisory Committee. McCain resigned his position in 2005.^[1]

Contents [hide] 1 Background 2 Funding 2.1 Foundation supporters 2.2 Corporate supporters 3 Personnel 3.1 Board of Directors 3.2 Staff 3.2.1 Former staff and Board presidents 3.3 Consultants 3.4 Advisory board 3.4.1 Academic advisory committee 3.4.2 Government & politics advisory committee 3.4.3 Business & finance advisory committee 3.4.4 Former members of the advisory board 4 Consultants 5 Fundraising 6 Contact information 7 SourceWatch resources 8 External links 8.1 Sources 8.2 Articles

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Background

The Institute, which has been identified as both an astroturf organization and phony think tank, "primarily seems to be the 2008 McCain-for-President campaign-in-waiting."^[2][3] In August 2005, the Institute was "housed in the same Old Towne office building as McCain's re-election committee (Friends of John McCain)," his Straight Talk America PAC, and "his adviser's lobbying firm" Davis, Manafort & Freedman, Inc.^[4]

"The chairman of the board of the Reform Institute is ... John McCain," Bradley A. Smith wrote. "If you go to look at the press releases at reforminstitute.org, you will see that virtually every release mentions Sen. McCain in the first sentence. Not paragraph, sentence. Who runs the Reform Institute? Well, the president is Richard Davis, who is paid over $110,000 a year. Who is Richard Davis? He was John McCain’s 2000 campaign manager. The counsel to the Reform Institute is Trevor Potter, whose law firm is paid more than $50,000 a year for the work. Who is Trevor Potter? Why, he was legal counsel to McCain 2000! The finance director of the Reform Institute is a woman named Carla Eudy. She was finance director for McCain 2000. The communications director is Crystal Benton; she was McCain’s press secretary.

"Recently the Reform Institute, which bills itself as 'a thoughtful, moderate voice for reform in the campaign finance and election administration debates,' launched what it calls the Natural Resources Stewardship Project. And what does natural resources stewardship have to do with 'campaign finance and election administration'? As near as I can tell, its only connection to campaign finance and election administration is, as the institute’s site tells us, that 'Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman have introduced the Climate Stewardship Act' in Congress. And, of course, John McCain is planning to run for president again, and his signature issue, other than campaign finance regulation, is global warming. To run the Natural Resources Stewardship Project, the institute hired John Raidt, who, you guessed it, served 15 years working on 'environmental initiatives' for Sen. McCain," Smith wrote.

"And how is the Reform Institute funded? With contributions, in six figures or more, from individuals and corporations, including the cable company Cablevision. Cable companies are constantly before the Senate Commerce Committee, which Sen. McCain chaired at the time of Cablevision’s contribution. In fact, Cablevision gave $200,000 to the Reform Institute around the same time its officials were testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee. Appearance of corruption, anyone?", Smith asked.^[5]

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Funding

The Reform Institute's 2005 annual return to the Internal Revenue Service reoported total revenue of $1,156,354 and total expenditure of $1,131,768.^[6]On its website it provides a detailed historical list of contributors to the group. However, it is not possible to identify current donors.

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Foundation supporters

The foundations listed as having supported the institute since its foundation include:

• Joseph Hoyt Foundation less than $5,000
• Allison Family Foundation, between $5,000 and $49,999
• The David Geffen Foundation, between $5,000 and $49,999
• Manafort Family Foundation, between $5,000 and $49,999
• Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, between $5,000 and $49,999
• The Educational Foundation of America, above $50,000
• The JEHT Foundation, above $50,000
• Jerome Kohlberg, Jr. Revocable Trust, above $50,000
• McMullen Family Foundation, above $50,000
• Proteus Fund, above $50,000
• Stuart Family Foundation, above $50,000
• Tides Foundation, above $50,000

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Corporate supporters

• Carnegie Corporation of New York, above $50,000
• CSC Holdings, Inc, above $50,000
• American International Group, above $50,000

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Personnel

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Board of Directors

• Charles Bass, former congressman (R-NH)
• Charles Kolb, Committee for Economic Development
• Pam Pryor, Convoy of Hope
• Daniel Ortiz, Legal Advisor
• Cecilia Martinez, Executive Director

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Staff

• Cecilia Martinez, Executive Director
• Daniel Ortiz, Legal Advisor
• Dr. Juan Hernandez, Senior Fellow of the Institute's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Initiative
• Robert W. Kelly, Senior Advisor for Homeland/National Security
• Nichole Remmert serves as the development director for the Reform Institute.
• Kerry Buker, Coordinator on Climate and Energy Policy and Executive Assistant
• Chris Dreibelbis serves as the Communications and Economic Policy Director for the Reform Institute.
• Tina Guthrie, Program and Research Associate for homeland security, energy, and climate change.
• Sarah Wambaugh, Program and Research Assistant for campaign reform and economic policy.

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Former staff and Board presidents

• Crystal Benton, Communications Director
• Winnie Strzelecki, Field Director
• Daniel Prieto, Director and Senior Fellow of the Homeland Security Center
• Tina Guthrie, Program and Research Associate on Homeland Security
• Kate Falchi, Program and Research Associate
• Steven Bogden, Research Assistant to Homeland Security
• Herb Allison (2001-2003)
• Richard Davis (2003-2005)
• Amo Houghton 2005-2006
• John Gardner (2006-2007)

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Consultants

• Tony Corrado is a professor at Colby College and assists the Institute with research that involves money in politics.
• Sam Hirsch is a partner in Jenner & Block's Washington, D.C. office. With Ortiz he was project director for the Institute's publication, Beyond Party Lines: Principles for Redistricting Reform.
• BJ Martino is a Vice President with The Tarrance Group, a political research and strategy firm that conducts polling on behalf of the Institute.
• Ken Nahigian, Senior Advisor to the Institute's Center for Energy and Environmental Progress.
• Don Murphy, Senior Advisor to the Institute's State Strategies Initiative
• Kristen Murray, Project Director for the Institute’s 2007 publication Playing Fair: 527 Reforms in the States.
• Ken Smukler, project manager for the 1-866-MyVote1 consortium.
• Tim Crawford, development and networking strategies.

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Advisory board

According to the Institute's website, is a "bipartisan group of notable academics, legal experts, election administrators, and public officials."^[7]

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Academic advisory committee

• Michael Alvarez, Associate Professor, Voting and Elections, California Institute of Technology
• Marion Just, Professor Politics and Mass Media, Wellesley College
• Raymond Wolfinger, Heller Professor, Political Science, University of California at Berkeley
• Tami Buhr, Director of Research Joan Shorenstein Center, Harvard University
• Charles Kolb, President, The Committee for Economic Development
• Norman J. Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute
• Anthony Corrado, Government Department, Colby College
• Thomas Mann, Senior Scholar, Brookings Institute
• Kristen Murray, Associate Professor, George Washington School of Law

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Government & politics advisory committee

• David Boren, Former. U.S. Senator, President of University of Oklahoma
• Ralph Munro, Former Secretary of State, State of Washington
• William Gardner, Secretary of State, State of New Hampshire
• Bob Kerrey, Former U.S. Senator
• John Raidt, Commission on National Guard and Reserves
• Lindsey Graham, U.S. Senator South Carolina
• Ron Michaelson, Executive Director, Illinois State Board of Elections
• Mark Spitzer, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

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Business & finance advisory committee

• Philip Emmer, Emmer Development Corp.
• David S. Pottruck, Chairman and CEO, Red Eagle Ventures, Inc.
• Matthew Freedman, Global Impact, Inc
• Col. Eric Rojo, U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce
• Robert Kelly, Managing Partner, Centauri Solutions,
• Joseph Schmuckler, Chief Operating Officer, Nomura Holding America, Inc.
• Cristina Munoz, Coca-Cola Enterprises
• Kim Binkley-Seyer, The Seyer Group

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Former members of the advisory board

• Former Congressman Amo Houghton (R-NY), Chair
• Cheryl Perrin, Campaign for America
• David Pottruck, former CEO, Charles Schwab

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Consultants

• Caplan and Drysdale, The 2005 annual report states that he was paid $51,523.^[8]
• John Raidt. The 2005 annual report states that he was paid $143,000.^[9]

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Fundraising

The web address for Reform Institute contributions is that for DonationReport.com, plus an extension code for The Reform Institute.

The connection for the DonationReport.com website arrives at a Login page—requiring both a User ID and Password—which belongs to eDonation.com, a member of The Donatelli Group, a fundraising company that has raised campaign funds for the Republican National Committee, Republican National Convention, Bush-Cheney '04 Inc., John McCain, the NRA [1], Vets for Freedom, and an exhaustive list of Republican members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as other political organizations.^[10]

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Contact information

The Reform Institute
300 North Washington Street, Suite 600
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703 535-6897
FAX: 866 863-5510
Website: http://www.reforminstitute.org

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SourceWatch resources

• Campaign Finance Institute
• John McCain
• John McCain: U.S. presidential election, 2008
• McCain-Feingold (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002)
• Soft money
• Think tanks

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External links

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Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "About Us", accessed March 2008.
2. ↑ "Scampaign Finance", The Agitator (blog), March 17th, 2005.
3. ↑ Brian C. Anderson, "The Plot to Shush Rush and O’Reilly", City Journal, The Manhattan Institute, Winter 2006.
4. ↑ "The Horse McCain", Dangerus, August 5, 2005.
5. ↑ Bradley A. Smith, "John McCain’s War on Political Speech. How the Arizona senator and other campaign finance reformers use the law to muffle critics and trample the First Amendment," Reason Online, December 2005.
6. ↑ 2005 Annual return, page 1.
7. ↑ "About Us", accessed March 2008.
8. ↑ 2005 Annual return, page 24.
9. ↑ 2005 Annual return, page 24.
10. ↑ "Clients", Campaign Solutions website, accessed June 2008.

[edit]

Articles

• Daniel Seligson, "Poll Shows Little Passion For Election Reform," Stateline.org, June 28, 2001.
• Jim Drinkard, "Maverick McCain now leads a pack," USA TODAY, July 15, 2001.
• "Carnegie Forum on Money and Politics," Carnegie Corporation of New York, January 26, 2004.
• News Release: "Cases: Keep it Clean v. Flake: Intervenor / Amicus Filings. Legal Center & Reform Institute Amicus Brief," Campaign Legal Center, August 2004.
• Steve Soto, "Mr. McCain Soils Himself," The Left Coaster, March 8, 2005.
• Winfield Myers, "McCain's Own Loophole, & His Takeover of Local Reporting," Democracy Project, March 8, 2005.
• Mark Tapscott, "Who is the 'Contributor No. 8, Anonymous' Behind McCain Political Advisor's Tax-Exempt Reform Institute?" Tapscott's Copy Desk Blogspot, March 8, 2005.
• "McCain has some explaining to do," The Carpetbagger Report, March 8, 2005.
• Sandi, "McCain Allies Want Reform (and Money)," Vista On Current Events, March 8, 2005.
• Chris in Paris, "The McCain-Reform Institute wants money out of politics," AMERICAblog, March 8, 2005: "As soon as your check clears into their account. Yes, but will they also provide full sucking up capabilities like we witnessed during the campaign last year?"
• Doug Ireland, "John McCain, Hypocrite," Common Dreams, March 9, 2005.
• Captain Ed, "Inside McCain's Reform Institute," Captain's Quarters Blog, March 9, 2005.
• Richard Poe, "John McCain Gets Soros Cash," Moonbat Central, March 10, 2005.
• Jacob Sullum, "How John McCain Reformed. The Arizona senator hasn't changed since his Keating days," Reason Online, March 11, 2005.
• "Scampaign Finance," TheAgitator.com, March 17, 2005.
• The Skeptic, "McCain 'Leaves' Reform Institute," Skeptic's Eye, July 28, 2005.
• Jeff Goldstein, "McCain to America: 'Do as I legislate, not as I, uh, violate the spirit of said legislation in an attempt to ready myself for another presidential run in 2008'," protein wisdom, August 5, 2005.
• Ryan Sager, "The Horse McCain Rode in On," RHSager.com, August 8, 2005.
• Bradley A. Smith, "John McCain’s War on Political Speech. How the Arizona senator and other campaign finance reformers use the law to muffle critics and trample the First Amendment," Reason Online (posted by Free Republic with comments and 6-page pdf by Heartland Institute), December 2005.
• Brian C. Anderson, "Shut Up, They Explained. The left's regulatory war against free speech," WSJ OpinionJournal, January 25, 2006.
• Brad Smith [Bradley A. Smith], "McCain, Obama & Me," Division of Labour, February 9, 2006: "Then there is the 'Reform Institute,' which Senator McCain chairs and which some have called merely a sham McCain campaign front."
• Bob Bauer, "We guess that lunch is off…," More Soft Money Hard Law, August 14, 2006.
• Brian C. Anderson, "The Plot to Shush Rush and O’Reilly," City Journal/Manhattan Institute, Winter 2006.
• Andrew Zajac, Group muddies McCain message The Chicago Tribune, June 17, 2008.

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