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Corporate Wars

2008-05-10T04:47:00.002-06:00

War's shopping cart
Pepsi, Apple, Krispy Kreme and other consumer firms profit from Iraq too.

Last month, a review of 2006 congressional financial disclosure statements by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics found that lawmakers have as much as $196 million "invested in companies doing business with the Defense Department, earning millions since the start of the Iraq war." An Associated Press article on the report, however, offered a caveat: "Not all the companies invested in by lawmakers are typical defense contractors. Corporations such as PepsiCo, IBM, Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson have at one point received defense-related contracts."

But the Associated Press is wrong. The fact is that corporations such as PepsiCo, IBM, Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson are, indeed, typical defense contractors. To suggest that such firms, and tens of thousands like them, only receive defense-related contracts at the odd, aberrant moment is specious at best.

In 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his famous farewell address as president, warned of the "acquisition of unwarranted influence" by what he called the "military-industrial complex" in the United States. Today, however, the "large arms industry" of Eisenhower's day is only part of a complex equation. Civilian firms such as PepsiCo and IBM form the backbone of what more accurately can be described as a "military-corporate complex." These businesses allow the Pentagon to function, to make war and to carry out foreign occupations.

For example, in 2006 (the last year for which official figures are available), PepsiCo and IBM ranked among the Pentagon's top 100 contractors, taking in $286,696,943 and $291,825,309, respectively. This was no aberration. The previous year, they received $233,053,993 and $382,408,117 each, according to Department of Defense documents. In fact, both companies have been defense contractors every year since at least 2000. And there isn't anything special or odd about PepsiCo or IBM, when it comes to the Pentagon.

(Link)

Georgie's Big Bad Boogey Man Alive and Well

2008-05-10T04:43:00.001-06:00

Al Qaeda in Iraq leader not captured - U.S.

Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the head of al Qaeda in Iraq, has not been captured, a senior U.S. military official told CNN on Friday.

Iraqi authorities said Thursday that al-Masri had been captured in Mosul.

U.S. military officials were surprised about the report of Abu Ayyub al-Masri's capture -- first reported by Iraqi media and picked up by The Associated Press. And intelligence officials said they were skeptical, even though Iraqi officials said al-Masri was already in U.S. military custody.

Al-Masri ("the Egyptian"), also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, took the reins of the Iraqi al Qaeda offshoot in June 2006 after a U.S. missile strike killed his predecessor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

(BOO)

"I can't quit you George."

2008-05-09T12:27:00.001-06:00

McCain Says He Did Vote For George W. Bush

ABC News' Jan Simmonds and Jennifer Parker report: Heightening a he-said she-said brouhaha, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., today disputed liberal blogger Arianna Huffington's assertion that the presumptive Republican nominee voted against George W. Bush during the 2000 election.

"It's nonsense," said McCain, whose campaign has suggested Huffington made up the story to promote her new book. Huffington, a former Republican, supports the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

...

Two other guests at Bergen's party, former "West Wing" actors Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff, have come forward this week in the media to say that they, too, heard McCain say he didn't vote for Bush.

Campaigning today in New Jersey, McCain disputed the story.

"I voted, campaigned for, worked as hard as I could for President Bush's election in 2000 and 2004," McCain told reporters. "I voted for President Bush, I said so at the time. I know we're already in silly season, but my record stands very clearly of campaigning all over this nation on behalf of the candidacy of President Bush."

McCain also admonished the media.

"In all due respect, this is all not worth our time ...this happened eight years ago."

McSame

It's over

2008-05-09T08:40:00.002-06:00

Obama Takes Lead in Superdelegate Tally

Sen. Barack Obama moved into the lead today in the last category that Sen. Hillary Clinton had claimed to have an edge -- support among the Democratic Party's superdelegates.

The Illinois Democrat grabbed the superdelegate lead thanks to a switch by New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne and an endorsement from previously uncommitted Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon.

Those two votes gave Obama a 267-266 lead over Clinton. That is a huge shift since the days when Clinton boasted about a 60-plus vote lead among the party's pros back on Super Tuesday.

While the New York Democrat is refusing to concede defeat and is hoping a victory in Tuesday's West Virginia primary will keep her dwindling hopes alive, Obama is starting to focus instead on his Republican opponent John McCain.

Get this over

Dream ticket talk

2008-05-09T06:26:00.002-06:00

Obama Seeks To Unify Party For November

Sen. Barack Obama began taking the first steps to unify the fractured Democratic Party for a general-election battle against Sen. John McCain, even as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton continued to insist that she has the backing of a broader coalition that could carry the party to victory in November.

Returning to Washington yesterday, Obama was mobbed by well-wishers as he walked onto the House floor. But behind the scenes, his campaign worked with a light touch to win over uncommitted superdelegates and allies of Clinton, mindful of not appearing overconfident and of the fact that they would need the backing of the candidate, her husband and their supporters in the fall.

With numerous prominent Democrats believed to be waiting in the wings to endorse his candidacy, Obama appears poised to win the pledged delegates and superdelegates he will need to claim the Democratic nomination as early as May 20, when Kentucky and Oregon vote. But although he appeared to lock down his lead on Tuesday with a strong win in North Carolina and a narrow loss in Indiana, he won only two new superdelegate endorsements yesterday, from Reps. Rick Larsen (Wash.) and Brad Miller (N.C.). Many other unaligned lawmakers said they are likely to remain on the sidelines for the time being, in deference to Clinton.

"Superdelegates understandably would prefer not to be seen as the deciding factor," Obama told reporters between meetings at the Capitol, brushing aside the suggestion that a mass endorsement is in the offing. "I think they respect the process, they respect Senator Clinton and myself."

Heal

Ties to Big Oil? Pharma? Preunp?

2008-05-08T12:10:00.003-06:00

Cindy McCain says she'll never release her tax returns

Cindy McCain says she will never make her tax returns public even if her husband wins the White House and she becomes the first lady.

"You know, my husband and I have been married 28 years and we have filed separate tax returns for 28 years. This is a privacy issue. My husband is the candidate," Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting John McCain, said in an interview aired on NBC's "Today" on Thursday.

Asked if she would release her tax returns if she was first lady, Cindy McCain said: "No."

The Arizona senator released his tax return last month, reporting he had a total income of $405,409 in 2007 and paid $84,460 in federal income taxes. He files his return separately from his wife, an heiress to a Phoenix-based beer distributing company whose fortune is in the $100 million range.

They made Teresa Heinz Kerry release hers

Is it just me or does Cindy McCain look like the Crypt Keeper?

Where all the white women at?

2008-05-08T07:10:00.002-06:00

Obama needs Clinton's white women voters to win in November

The reason Hillary Clinton is still in the race is her overwhelming support from white women in the recent primaries. Much has been made in the media and on the Sunday talk shows that if Barack Obama isn't the nominee the Democratic Party risks tearing itself asunder by losing black and youth voters.

But little is talked about whether white women, particularly senior citizens, will comfortably vote for Obama over a war hero. Obama famously said back in February, "I'm confident I will get her votes if I am the nominee. It's not clear that she would get the votes I got if she were the nominee."

A lot has happened since then. Is that boast still true? And can Democrats focus exclusively on black and youth voters and ignore white women or do they do so at their peril? Or is there still plenty of time for Obama to bridge the gap?

Recent polls from Gallup and others and exit polls from Pennsylvania have shown more Clinton voters than Obama voters would vote Republican in the fall if their preferred candidate fails to win the Democratic nomination. Almost 7 out of 10 Obama voters would cast ballots for Clinton compared to barely 50 percent of Clinton voters in PA saying they'd support Obama in the fall. Various national polls show at least a quarter of her supporters would vote John McCain in the fall.

More black caucus

All eyes on the Super Delegates

2008-05-08T06:22:00.002-06:00

Zogby: Clinton 'heading for the exit'

To all intents and purposes the race for the Democratic nomination is over.

Senator Obama needs slightly fewer than 200 delegates to pass the winning post and there are more than enough pledged delegates remaining to be elected, and super-delegates waiting to put him over the top.

....

Where do we go from here? My understanding is that probably today, but certainly within 48 hours, about 30 super-delegates will endorse Mr Obama. That should give him further momentum.

Mathematically, this will widen the gap between him and Mrs Clinton. He has a bigger share of the popular vote, more pledged delegates, and will now overtake her in terms of super-delegates too.

Here are the reasons:

There really is no mathematical chance for her to win

Her campaign is virtually out of money - and it will be difficult for her
to raise significant amounts of money after last night

Not enough happened last night to give her any hope, so continuing would
only give the appearance of wanting to damage Mr Obama

Another problem she faces is that she is not perceived as a strong general election contender, because of her high negative poll ratings.

I have no evidence that she will throw in the towel, or when she will. She is a Clinton and the Clintons do not have the word "lose" in their playbook - but these are the things I am hearing from supporters on both sides.

Round 13

Absolut Medvedev

2008-05-08T06:11:00.003-06:00

Medvedev Sworn in as New Russian President

Newly-inaugurated Kremlin leader Dmitri Medvedev says Russia must develop genuine respect for the law. But VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports, critics of the new president see his elevation to power as a contradiction of the legal values he promises to advance.

Considerable fanfare accompanied Dmitri Medvedev's inauguration in a lavish Kremlin ceremony that featured goose-stepping military units and 2,000 guests. They included political and military leaders, Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim clergy, and foreign ambassadors.

Mr. Medvedev entered the Kremlin in a Mercedes Benz limousine. He walked up a long flight of stairs to an ornate hall along a red carpet to a stage where he was awaited by outgoing President Vladimir Putin, the head of Russia's Constitutional Court and the leaders of both houses of Parliament.

Placing his hand on a copy of the Russian Constitution, the new Kremlin leader pledged to uphold the document, Russian sovereignty, and the human rights of citizens.

We shall see

Tough choices for Hillary...

2008-05-07T07:44:00.002-06:00

Will she drop out now or go in debt?

Clinton Loans Campaign More Than $6 Million in Past Month

The candidate loaned about $6.4 million to the campaign - and communications director Wolfson says she may give more.

Tells MSNBC: "She is invested in this race, she is committed to this race, she will do what she can to ensure we have the resources that we need going forward."

Loan comes on top of the $5 million she pumped into the campaign in late January.

Is this about the Democratic party anymore?

un-Lucky Guy

2008-05-07T06:43:00.002-06:00

Jenna Bush, fiance to say "I do" on Saturday

Talk about hush-hush wedding planning. First daughter Jenna Bush was the last in the family to know she was getting married.

Months ago, her fiance, Henry Hager, told Jenna's twin sister that he wanted to propose. Then at the Camp David presidential retreat, Hager asked President Bush and first lady Laura Bush for their daughter's hand in marriage.

For weeks, the president and Mrs. Bush kept their lips zipped.

.....

Officially, the wedding is a private, family affair. The White House has issued no press releases, but the president and first lady have gradually dribbled out details about the nuptials Saturday at their 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Speak now or forever hold your....

At least ole Henry will know what Jenna will look like in 30 years:

Russert Says It's Over - Clinton Cancels Appearances

2008-05-07T06:31:00.000-06:00

Timmy making sense?

More at DailyKos

Is it over?

2008-05-07T06:23:00.001-06:00

Obama expands his lead; Clinton says she'll fight on

Barack Obama closed in on a history-making presidential nomination Tuesday - sweeping the North Carolina primary and holding Hillary Rodham Clinton to a narrow victory in Indiana that raised questions about the future of her campaign.

The Illinois senator seemed relaxed and triumphant when he addressed a victory rally in Raleigh. He had prevailed in a "big state, a swing state," and one in which Clinton had suggested a loss by him could be a "game-changer."

The Illinois senator seemed relaxed and triumphant when he addressed a victory rally in Raleigh. He had prevailed in a "big state, a swing state," and one in which Clinton had suggested a loss by him could be a "game-changer."

....

Clinton - who would be the first woman nominated - announced campaign stops Thursday in West Virginia, South Dakota and Oregon. But the disappointing results Tuesday - including a rout in North Carolina after the campaign devoted enormous resources there - could make it difficult for her to raise money to compete effectively in the handful of states that remain.

Time to focus on McCain

November....

2008-05-07T06:17:00.001-06:00

Are you a Hillary supporter who won't vote for Obama? Are you an Obama supporter who won't vote for Hillary? This is what you will get. And deserve:

McCain pledges more conservative judges

Sen. John McCain moved to shore up his support among conservatives by pledging Tuesday to nominate strict-constructionist judges to the federal bench. "It will fall to the next president to nominate hundreds of qualified men and women to the federal courts, and the choices we make will reach far into the future," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said during a speech at Wake Forest University in North Carolina...

Many conservative members are suspicious of McCain on the issue of judges because of his involvement in 2006 in the so-called Senate "gang of 14."

That bipartisan group of senators sought to reach a consensus on President Bush's judicial appointees, blocking some of the president's most conservative nominations while promising to confirm others. The group formed after the then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist threatened to remove the ability to filibuster judicial nominations after Democratic senators blocked a number of Bush nominees.

McCain also directly criticized Obama for not voting to confirm Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, saying the Illinois senator's justification of that decision sounded like it was written by an "activist judge."...

In response to McCain's speech, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said the Arizona senator has a "radical, right wing judicial philosophy." "It's clear he's the wrong choice to safeguard that future," Dean also said. "No matter how far they have gone to restrict our fundamental rights or their clear records of gutting the reforms John McCain claims to care about, he has put loyalty to his party and a radical agenda ahead of the American people."

R.A.T.S. - Roberts.Alito.Thomas.Scalia

RIP GOP

2008-05-07T06:13:00.000-06:00

GOP leaders warn of election disaster

Shellshocked House Republicans got warnings from leaders past and present Tuesday: Your party's message isn't good enough to prevent disaster in November, and neither is the NRCC's money.

The double shot of bad news had one veteran Republican House member worrying aloud that the party's electoral woes - brought into sharp focus by Woody Jenkins' loss to Don Cazayoux in Louisiana on Saturday - have the House Republican Conference splitting apart in "everybody for himself" mode.

"There is an attitude that, 'I better watch out for myself, because nobody else is going to do it,'" the member said. "There are all these different factions out there, everyone is sniping at each other, and we have no real plan. We have a lot of people fighting to be the captain of the lifeboat instead of everybody pulling together."

...

And in a closed-door session at the Capitol, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told members that the NRCC doesn't have enough cash to "save them" in November if they don't raise enough money or run strong campaigns themselves.

Whaaaambulance

It will only happen when pigs fly!

2008-05-06T10:36:00.001-06:00

U.S. panel authorizes subpoena of Cheney aide

A Democratic-led U.S. congressional panel voted on Tuesday to authorize its chairman to subpoena Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff in its probe of possible U.S. torture of suspected terrorists.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, may issue a subpoena as early as Wednesday for David Addington, who the administration maintains is immune from being required to testify.

If Addington refuses to show up, a court fight is likely, but it may not be resolved until after President George W. Bush and Cheney end their terms in January and leave office.

Despite that likelihood, Nadler, chairman of the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, pushed for a possible confrontation.

(Link)

Hillary Clinton's keys to winning...

2008-05-06T07:55:00.001-06:00

By Keith Olbermann:

Know a veteran? Help them.

2008-05-06T06:21:00.001-06:00

Post-War Suicides May Exceed Combat Deaths, U.S. Says

The number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care, the U.S. government's top psychiatric researcher said.

Community mental health centers, hobbled by financial limits, haven't provided enough scientifically sound care, especially in rural areas, said Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He briefed reporters today at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in Washington.

Insel echoed a Rand Corporation study published last month that found about 20 percent of returning U.S. soldiers have post- traumatic stress disorder or depression, and only half of them receive treatment. About 1.6 million U.S. troops have fought in the two wars since October 2001, the report said. About 4,560 soldiers had died in the conflicts as of today, the Defense Department reported on its Web site.

Based on those figures and established suicide rates for similar patients who commonly develop substance abuse and other complications of post-traumatic stress disorder, "it's quite possible that the suicides and psychiatric mortality of this war could trump the combat deaths," Insel said.

Support our Troops

All hat, no cattle

2008-05-05T10:17:00.002-06:00

Schumer Proposes Putting Pressure On Saudi Arabia Over Oil

At the Hess on 44th Street and Tenth Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday, the gas price stood at $3.81 per gallon for regular, which had Senator Charles Schumer speaking up.

"We all know how the price of gasoline is through the roof," said New York's senior senator. "We all know how it's burning a hole in everyone's wallets and pocket books. And we all know how it's crimping our economy."

He and four other senators are calling on the Bush administration to use its leverage with members of OPEC to force them to increase oil supplies.

"There is one way to get the prices of oil down and it's two words -- Saudi Arabia," said Schumer.
Schumer proposes holding up multi-billion dollar arms deals with the Saudis unless they put more oil into circulation. He says the Saudi Arabia has been cutting back production the past few years, leading to a drop in supply, increased prices, and more money in the Saudis pockets.

Not gonna happen

Anyone remember then Governor Bush in 2000?

Bush Would Use Power of Persuasion to Raise Oil Supply

"I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot, to increase the supply," Mr. Bush, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, told reporters here today. "Use the capital that my administration will earn, with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis, and convince them to open up the spigot."

Instead:

Tomorrow....

2008-05-05T06:18:00.001-06:00

CBS Poll: Support For Obama Rebounds

Democrat Barack Obama appears to have rebounded from some of the damage caused by the controversy surrounding his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, according to the latest CBS News/New York Times poll.

On one key measure, Obama has seen a big reversal since his denunciation of Wright's remarks on Tuesday. He now leads presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in the hypothetical fall contest by eleven points, 51 percent to 40 percent. That compares to a tied match-up in a CBS News/New York Times poll that was released last Wednesday.

Positive assessments of how Obama has handled the situation with Wright are also reflected by a continued lead over fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton in his battle for their party's nomination. Among Democratic primary voters (those who have voted or plan to vote in a Democratic primary) Obama's lead over Clinton has increased -- he now leads Clinton by twelve points, 50 percent to 38 percent. That's up from his eight point lead in the poll released just a few days ago.

However, among all registered voters who identify themselves as Democrats (regardless of whether they have voted or plan to vote in a Democratic primary) Obama and Clinton are virtually tied -- 45 percent for Clinton and 44 percent for Obama. This is similar to the numbers earlier in the week.

The poll also shows good news for both Democrats in a campaign versus McCain in the fall. Just like Obama, Clinton's lead over McCain has jumped, from 5 to 12 points.

End it by June

Subsidies should only be for Oil, not trivial luxuries like Food

2008-05-04T06:37:00.003-06:00

As Farm Bill Nears Vote, Bush Presses for Fewer Subsidies

President Bush's decision in 2002 to sign a farm bill loaded with billions of dollars of new agricultural subsidies triggered considerable criticism from GOP conservatives true to the party's anti-spending philosophy.

Now, as Congress nears final agreement on a new five-year farm bill that will cost nearly $300 billion, the president has taken a harder line. Emboldened by soaring food prices and record farm profits, he has pressed Congress to cut farm subsidies sharply and has made clear that he will veto the popular bill if lawmakers do not meet his demands.

Too bad Bush wasn't also "emboldened by" soaring oil prices and record oil company profits into working with Congress to cut oil subsidies and eliminating tax breaks for oil companies. But individual farmers don't have millions to donate to the GOP, and Bush isn't buddies with farmers like he is with oil execs, in spite of the fact that he keeps telling us about his "ranch". You know, the one with no livestock or actual "ranching" going on.

Let them eat cake

Greed is good, right?

2008-05-04T05:35:00.002-06:00

Contractors Gone Wild

Allegations of widespread mismanagement and corruption among private contractors in Iraq are nothing new; if anything, tales of cronyism, over-billing, and embezzlement have become so frequent that our national tolerance for them seems only to have increased as the Iraq War has drawn on. Even so, the testimony earlier this week of three whistleblowers before the Senate's Democratic Policy Committee (DPC) stands out for the sheer outrageousness of their accusations-namely that U.S. private contractors looted Iraqi palaces and ministries, stole military equipment, fenced supplies destined for U.S. troops, and even operated a prostitution ring that may have contributed to the death of fellow contractor. Yet despite its focus on such salacious matters as sex and corruption, the session earned little media attention.

The first to testify was Frank Cassaday, a former KBR employee who worked as an ice plant operator in Fallujah in 2004 and 2005. "Ice was a very valuable commodity in Iraq that was regularly stolen and bartered for other goods," he told the committee. He recalled how a convoy of U.S. Marines, in preparation for an operation that would take them outside the wire for several days, requested 28 bags of ice to keep their food fresh in the desert heat. They received only three. "The ice foreman was cheating the troops out of ice at the same time that he was trading the ice for DVDs, CDs, food, and other items at the Iraqi shops across the street," Cassaday said. "This foreman would change the ice tally sheets at the distribution area I worked in to make it seem as though we had handed out more ice to the Marines than we actually did."

(Link)

A new twist to "fighting them over there"

2008-05-04T05:28:00.002-06:00

Despite Alert, Flawed Wiring Still Kills G.I.'s

In October 2004, the United States Army issued an urgent bulletin to commanders across Iraq, warning them of a deadly new threat to American soldiers. Because of flawed electrical work by contractors, the bulletin stated, soldiers at American bases in Iraq had received severe electrical shocks, and some had even been electrocuted.

The bulletin, with the headline "The Unexpected Killer," was issued after the horrific deaths of two soldiers who were caught in water - one in a shower, the other in a swimming pool - that was suddenly electrified after poorly grounded wiring short-circuited.

'We've had several shocks in showers and near misses here in Baghdad, as well as in other parts of the country," Frank Trent, an expert with the Army Corps of Engineers, wrote in the bulletin. "As we install temporary and permanent power on our projects, we must ensure that we require contractors to properly ground electrical systems."

Since that warning, at least two more American soldiers have been electrocuted in similar circumstances. In all, at least a dozen American military personnel have been electrocuted in Iraq, according to the Pentagon and Congressional investigators.

(Link)

It's just a mistake, right?

2008-05-03T06:08:00.001-06:00

Feds acknowledge error on travel for former Ala. governor

Federal court officials acknowledged Friday that they erred this week in classifying former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman as a special offender who required an extra layer of approval before traveling to New Orleans.

Probation officials in Alabama and Louisiana mistakenly applied rules governing offenders who are on probation. Siegelman is not on probation; he is free on bond pending appeal, said Karen Redmond, spokeswoman for the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts.

"They made an honest mistake," Redmond said. "They were giving him conditions for a special offender under probation. He's not. He's pretrial."

Siegelman, a Democrat who was convicted in 2006 on corruption charges, complained this week that he had been placed under new travel restrictions after appearing in several national media outlets and traveling to Washington to criticize his prosecution, which he claims was politically motivated.

(Link)

He can't talk so why would anyone think reading would be any better?

2008-05-03T06:03:00.000-06:00

Study: Bush administration's reading program hasn't helped

A reading program at the center of President Bush's signature education law hasn't added to children's understanding of what they read, a federal study has found.

The federal government has spent about $6 billion on Reading First, which was created as part of the 2002 No Child Left Behind law and brings extra reading instruction, based on recommended practices, into low-income elementary schools.

The report out Thursday from the Institute of Education Sciences, an independent arm of the Education Department, finds no difference in reading comprehension scores among students who participated in Reading First and those who did not.

One of the main goals of the No Child law is to get all children reading at their proper grade level, and the Bush administration has made Reading First a key part of that goal.

(Link)