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

[edit]

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.

[edit]

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)

[edit]

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.

[edit]

Advisory board

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Former members of the advisory board

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

[edit]

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]

[edit]

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]

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

External links

[edit]

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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Source: Technorati (view all)

Putting The Bailout In Perspective

If you total up all the various and assorted bailouts, not counting the INTEREST we will be paying on said funds, we are talking ONE TRILLION DOLLARS! Now, lets take and average American family making 60,000 per year (gross) who works for a period of 40 years. That comes to $2.4 million dollars in total earnings over their working life time. Now, if you divide that into one trillion dollars, you could pay 41,221 families their life time wages! Want to be fair about it...we could hold a National Lottery with each winner recieving ONE MILLION DOLLARS, and create ONE MILLION NEW AMERICAN MILLIONAIRES! Illegal Aliens not eligible for the drawing.

Middle Class BAILOUT...Deport Illegal Aliens and Their Anchor Babies

As we all know, the $770 billion dollar bailout of Wall Street is starting to get snagged in the political process...no big surprise there. One of the hanging points for lobbyist is the wording that would allow a judge to REDUCE our mortgage payments in bankrupcy so that we could stay in our homes! This does not surprise me either.

Now, I have a question...

Some 12 million illegal aliens hold jobs illegally in America. This depresses our middleclass wages by over $200 Billion each year. Additionally, illegal aliens working illegal in America are sending (just to Mexico) over $120 Billion a year back to their home countries, taking that money OUT OF OUR AMERICAN ECONOMY! Further, some statistics suggest that over half of the UNINSURED in America are actually Illegal Aliens and their Anchor Babies.

Based on this facts, do you feel a plan to DEPORT ILLEGAL ALIENs, a plan that would imprison company executives hiring them should be included in this Wall Street bailout as a means to help make Middle Class America WHOLE?

Speaking of Bailouts...Is It Time To STOP NUCLEAR INDUSTRY BAILOUT?

As long as America is focused in on bailouts, angry that our Government is spending hundreds of billions to bailout corporate America, this seems the opportune time to bring up the fact that George Bush, John McCain and Congress want to bail out the nuclear industry to the tune of $500 plus BILLION DOLLARS in incentives and guaranteed loans! Can we as a nation really afford to pick up the tab for a nuclear industry that cannot operate at a profit unless these companies are constantly subsidized THROUGH OUR TAXES? While you are calling up your elected officials to express your ANGER at Corporate Bailouts, you should tell them you are against Federal Funding for the building of 200 new nuclear reactors in America...not counting the guaranteed loans to the Nuclear Industry (over one trillion dollars), the DOE wants us as tax payers to pick up another $500 Billion dollars for GNEP (Global Nuclear Energy Program), which amounts to America's middleclass being SADDLED with another $1.5 Trillion dollars in debt, yet recieving NO OWNERSHIP STAKES in the companies recieving this taxpayer corporate welfare!

How To Waste John McCain's Campaign Resources

Today in the mail I got not one, but two fund raising letters from Senator John McCain wherein he (or his staff)warn me of the dire circumstances of choosing the wrong man for the job. He trots out his same old George Bush policies of cutting taxes for the UBER RICH, and waiting for everything to trickle down to normal people like you and I. The letter goes on to ask me to make a GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION of up to $1,000, and telling me it is vital that I respond today.

Now, both of these fund raising letters came with a SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOP! So, I sat down and wrote John McCain not one, but TWO scathing letters. I then inserted each into one of the SASE he'd been so kind to give me. Now, a member of his staff is going to have to recieve that envelope, open that envelope, and throw its contents away. Can you imagine 100,000 people following SUIT in this close election cycle? So people...if you support Senator Obama and recieve these mail fund raising letters, take advantage of the situation to waste Senator John McCain's limited resources.

*News note...Senator McCain today says it is wrong for average Americans to fill up the gas tanks of corporation tycoon heliocopters...does he feel it is wrong for Average Americans to fill up his wife's corporate Lear Jet?