Quick guide to the corruption of Donald Trump and family

The investigation on Trump's involvements in world-wide corruption is well underway.  Following the money is essential.  Here is the some of the most recent breaking news and a new investigative documentary on his business ties:


Breaking from the WSJ: Former Trump Adviser Paul Manafort’s Bank Records Sought in Trump / Russia Probe - New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. are both pursuing Manafort’s real estate deals in the city. LINK


Breaking from the WSJ: Trump's finances revealed to Senate Intel Committee by the Financial Crimes Enforcement division of the US Treasury. LINK

The lawyers who wrote a letter saying President Trump had no significant business ties to Russia work for a law firm that has extensive ties to Russia and received a “Russia Law Firm of the Year” award in 2016. LINK

 Dutch documentary on Trump's contacts with Russia and other corrupt business dealings. LINK

Republicans Block Bill To Raise Oil Companies' Liability Cap

Would you expect anything less from Republicans? In the face of the worst oil spill in US history, Republicans blocked a bill that would have raised the maximum liability for oil companies after a spill from a paltry $75 million to $10 billion.

A friend from New Orleans told me BP reps are going door to door in the LA fishing communities trying to get fishermen to sign waivers of liability for a $5000 check.

Much of the oil remains below the surface and appears to be headed toward FL and fragile marine ecosystems.



If you haven't seen the 60 Minutes Report on the BP oil spill, you need to watch this - it a gripping tale:



Part 2



Part 3

Blagojevich case reveals Republican hypocrisy - authoritarian loyalty and politics more important than the rule of law

Patrick Fitzgerald is now the hero of conservatives. The conservative Hot Air blog says the arrest is "staggering" and "Fitzmas arrives early this year." The conservative American Thinker had several articles of this triumph of justice on their website - the arrest of Blagojevich. The Democrats applaud the arrest and are united against Blagojevich. Liberal host Rachel Maddow suggests Blagojevich is mentally ill, a sociopath.

What?

Wait a second. Isn't that the same prosecutor that when indicting Republican Scooter Libby, the conservatives called Fitzgerald "beneath contempt"?

From the American Thinker - 3/08/07:

Patrick Fitzgerald is a disgrace both to the legal profession and to the human race. His partisan allies, such as Senator Chuck Schumer and certain nameless bureaucrats at the CIA, are beneath contempt.... Patrick Fitzgerald fulminated in court about a cloud over the Vice President in an effort to suggest that there was something dark and sinister about administration officials discussing Valerie Plame with reporters after her husband injected her into a national controversy. That suggestion is pure left-wing fantasy.

Conservatives went after Patrick Fitzgerald as the noose tightened around the office of the VP in Plame case. Conservative Tucker Carlson, who once had glowingly approved Ken Starr's inquisition of Bill Clinton, said of Libby's prosecutor:

"You shouldn't have these freelancers, like the lunatic Fitzgerald, running around destroying people's lives for no good reason. I hate this trial."

Weekly Standard editor and New York Times conservative columnist Bill Kristol went after Fitzgerald over his inquiry into the Plame affair:

"You know, the leak story is absurd, but I now think the whole prosecution is absurd. ... I now think it's a politically motivated attempt to wound the Bush administration."

What is truly beneath contempt are the wingnut Republican bloggers, like the pathetic Bill Hobbs, who breathlessly try to tie Obama to this corrupt governor.

Obama has called for Blagojevich to resign. It has been reported that the Obama camp tipped off authorities to the corruption. What does Bush do about Scooter Libby? He commutes his sentence.

What this shows is that conservatives are very happy to overlook corruption, abuse of power, ignoring subpoenas, etc... when it involves Republicans. This clearly shows that for conservatives, authoritarian loyalty trumps the rule of law nearly every time.

The difference here is when a Bushie get called on corruption, conservatives circle the wagons because of their authoritarian loyalty. We've seen it time after time. When a Democrat gets charged, Democrats unite against the criminal. We can see which party values the rule of law over politics and ass-kissing authoritarianism.

The Republican Culture of Corruption under Bush remains unprecedented.

H/T: C&L

Palin has not called for the resignation of convicted felon Sen. Ted Stevens

Sen. Ted Stevens [R-AK] - Guilty of seven felonies. Stevens becomes the first senator to be convicted of a felony since 1981.This should help the Dems take that 60 seat majority in the Senate.

Here's a campaign video with Sarah Palin appearing with and being endorsed by the now convicted felon Stevens. Palin has not called for Stevens to resign. It will be interesting to see if the RNC allows a seven time convicted felon run for reelection. As a convicted felon, Stevens can not vote.

The End of Democracy? GOP plan to steal another election?

There has been a blog buzz about Republican IT specialists plotting to steal this election. Sources say there is a story about to break regarding Republican internet security expert Stephen Spoonamore, a McCain supporter who has come forward to tell in very specific detail how the GOP led by "the Christianist far right" plan to electronically rig the election. Spoonamore says there is no system in the world that can't be hacked and paper ballots are the ONLY way to a secure election. There is NO transparency in the present process, NO way to verify the data. He mentions the involvement of Republican IT guy Michael L. Connell.

Guess what? Lending credence to this accusation, in a voter fraud case regarding tampering of the Ohio election of 2004, there has been enough evidence to warrant a subpeona for Michael L. Connell. He was served Sept 22. Connell is a long-time GOP operative, whose New Media Communications provided web services for the Bush-Cheney ’04 campaign, the US Chamber of Commerce, the Republican National Committee and many Republican candidates. He was deeply involved in creating Ohio’s official state election website.

It would stand to reason that the Christian dominionist right would be involved with this. They are dualists, they have no regard for American Democracy, it is "god's law" that supercedes everything and they see any and all opposition as inherently evil and a force to be destroyed in any way possible. Democracy is meaningless for such people.

Now we know who the enemies of democracy are - the real terrorists in America.

Dodd, Banking Committee Chair: "a lot of us have been working for 5 straight days around the clock and I haven't heard a word from John McCain."

John McCain - Stunt Man

Obama did the right thing -- showed leadership. At 8:30 AM, Obama reached out to his rival to propose they come up with a bipartisan statement. By making this effort, Obama gave up the opportunity to show just how much better he and his team are responding to this issue, how much more the public blames the GOP for this mess, and instead prioritized finding a solution that would work.

McCain received that offer. And he sat on it. For six hours. What happened in those 6 hours? A call to the White House perhaps? Finally, at 2:30 PM, McCain accepted the offer. It seems that, during those six long hours when McCain was mulling Obama's proposal, McCain was inventing a way to turn this into yet another political gimmick. Twenty minutes after accepting Obama's proposal, McCain pulled this stunt of calling for a suspension of the campaign and postponement of the debate.

Who is gullible enough to actually believe John McCain will be going to DC to "work across the aisle to strike a deal that will save the economy?" You know, McCain - the guy who said 10 days ago - "the fundamentals of the economy are strong." Maybe the same people who thank Bush for a wonderful presidency? Maybe the same people who think "drill baby drill" will help our gas prices?

Chris Dodd is the chair of the Senate Banking Committee. He OWNS this issue. Dodd says:

"I'm beginning to think this is more about a rescue plan for John McCain than a rescue plan for the economy...Candidly, a lot of us have been working for 5 straight days around the clock and I haven't heard a word from John McCain."

Maybe you smart people can tell me what exactly McCain is going to do in Washington besides a photo op with Bush? He doesn't sit on any of the relevant committees, the committees are already deep in negotiations for days, pretty much finished with their work. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

What are others saying?

Survey USA:

Immediately after John McCain’s announcement 3 pm ET today, Wednesday 09/24/08, that he was suspending his campaign and seeking to postpone Friday’s schedule presidential debate, SurveyUSA interviewed 1,000 adults nationwide. Key findings:

A majority of Americans say the debate should be held. Just 10% say the debate should be postponed.

WashPost: A Transparent Ploy

Salon: Stunt Man

The only way to understand it is politically: In a presidential campaign, the surest sign that a candidate is playing politics on an issue is when he claims not to be playing politics on an issue... It's hard to believe that McCain's actions would pass his own laugh test.

Boston Globe: McCain's Debate Stunt

altering the debate schedule would hardly serve voters. If anything, debates are most valuable at times of national crisis, because voters need to hear candidates highlight their policy differences.

That's what Obama said.

Bush plays the fear card, sets up political stunt for McCain

Well you heard it... Bush using words like "crisis" ... "collapse" ... "recession" ... "economy in danger," be afraid of an imminent collapse, we must take urgent measures. Call off the debate! This meeting with McCain and Obama can't wait til Saturday.

Something is rotten in DC

I'd bet my bottom dollar that this scenario was a complete set up staged by McCain and Bush. Look at what McCain has done. He has pulled political stunts for effect during his whole campaign, not for America's well-being, but calculated risky maneuvers that may help him get elected... like getting an inexperienced good looking female governor as running mate, like calling for a gas tax holiday, like canceling the first night of the RNC because of a hurricane, like calling for the firing of Cox, and now McCain to the rescue of America's economic crisis ... postpone the debate!!!??? Even suggesting the postponement of the VP debate!!! Smoke and mirrors.

McCain is about as far away as any Senator from doing his job. He hasn't voted since April 8. He doesn't even know what his own Senate Commerce Committee does.

I am sorry, this is not about America's economic rescue, this is about saving McCain's ass from sinking poll numbers. McCain is a fake - a liar and a manipulator. It doesn't take a genius to see through this bullshit.

Look at what is happening - HuffPost gives us the McCain scenario:

• Sunday: McCain endorses $700B Wall Street bailout.
• Tuesday: McCain says he hasn't even read the bailout proposal and is undecided on whether to support it.
• Tuesday night: Washington Post poll shows big Obama lead.
• Wednesday morning: Obama calls McCain about issuing joint statement on Wall St. crisis, McCain isn't available. McCain finds time for meeting with ex-Clinton supporter Lady Lynn de Rothschild.
• Wednesday afternoon: McCain "suspends" campaign, demands debate be postponed. Decides to appear for interview with CBS's Katie Couric.
• Wednesday Night: Dems say they've already reached deal on bailout
• Wednesday Night: Bush plays fear card in speech, McCain-Bush summon Obama to DC
  

McCain, off to DC - the big hero to the rescue. Political theater at it's most absurd and disingenuous.

Bush/Cheney War Crimes and Corruption Update

Vets protest Bush/Cheney War Crimes today at the National Archives

Bush/Cheney War Crimes and Corruption Update:

• Cheney is told he can not destroy his records in violation of the Presidential Records Act (... which means he is destroying them now).

LA TIMES: Judge rules Cheney must preserve records - In her ruling, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly cast doubt on the vice president's argument, given that the Presidential Records Act was specifically amended to prevent former President Richard Nixon from destroying any of the tapes or documents that led to his resignation. And here's the kicker: Any violation by the preliminary injunction is punishable by immediate contempt -- including the power to jail the offender.

• Bush loses effort to keep torture photos secret.

AP: Court: US govt can't block detainee photos release. The United States cannot conceal pictures of abusive treatment of detainees by its soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan by saying their release might cause enemies to hurt someone, a federal appeals court said Monday in ordering the release of 21 photographs.

• Worsening situation in Afghanistan hidden by Bush until after the election

ABC: 'Grim' Afghanistan Report To Be Kept Secret by US "No Plans to Declassify" New National Intelligence Estimate for White House - US intelligence analysts are putting the final touches on a secret National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Afghanistan that reportedly describes the situation as "grim", but there are "no plans to declassify" any of it before the election, according to one US official familiar with the process.

• Maliki says Bush wants to prolong the war for political purposes to help McSame. This is exactly what they accused Obama of and now, Maliki has confirmed that Bush is doing exactly that.

TP: White House communications staff were concerned that Maliki’s endorsement of the 2010 time line would damage Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) presidential campaign. Indeed, during an interview with Iraqi television last week (according to an Open Source Center translation), Maliki suggested that the U.S. presidential elections played a role:

Actually, the final date was really the end of 2010 and the period between the end of 2010 and the end of 2011 was for withdrawing the remaining troops from all of Iraq, but they asked for a change [in date] due to political circumstances related to the [U.S] domestic situation so it will not be said to the end of 2010 followed by one year for withdrawal but the end of 2011 as a final date. -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

Thus the legacy of GW Bush

Fair and balanced

The candidates change but the tactics stay the same... can you imagine this coming from any other network? What other counties have networks that function as blatant government propaganda outlets? Iran? China?

Same old shit


... I guess they need all the help they can get.

Palin crony, Alaska Attorney General says subpoenas will be ignored, she is above the law

Sound familiar?

It is virtually unprecedented that a state attorney general say he will break the law and not honor lawful subpoenas. This is something right out of the corrupt Bush Administration's politicized Justice Dept.

Even the much maligned and indicted Alaska senator Ted Stevens wants to get his trial over before the election so he can be found innocent and clear his name. Contrast this with Palin's tactic to make sure that special counsel Steve Branchflower won't be able to issue his report before the election. Obviously, she fears the investigation and the findings that could come from it.

It is fairly clear from a damning audio tape already released that the allegation has merit. This audio tape is of a recorded phone call from Palin senior staffer Frank Bailey to an Alaska Public Safety Department staffer, (trashing of Wooten starts at 7:30 on the tape). First Palin claimed she knew nothing about any pressure from her office to fire her ex-brother-in-law, and her subsequent firing of the Public Safety Director Walt Monegan when he would not do so.

Palin now admits DOZENS of contacts to state police, both from her staff and from her husband, Todd, but admitted only after this TrooperGate recording surfaced. Caught.

This is how Republicans do business. They don't call it the "Culture of Corruption" for nothin'.

Palin pulls a Cheney: refuses to cooperate with investigation

Following the pattern of Dick Cheney and the Bush Administration, Sarah Palin - the candidate who says she'll help reform Washington, is refusing to cooperate in a legislative investigation into the firing of her public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan. Despite the fact that the five-member legislative committee is composed of three Republicans and two Democrats, Palin is calling the investigation "tainted" and blames Obama - ironic since the McCain campaign has been cited for trying to derail the investigation.

Sarah Palin's husband Todd has been subpeonaed by the committee along with 13 others. Sarah Palin was not subpeonaed because she said she would cooperate. Now she has reneged. The committee may now opt to subpeona Sarah Palin.

Palin has been accused of lying by the fired public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan:

"She's not telling the truth when she told ABC neither she nor her husband pressured me to fire Trooper Wooten," said Walt Monegan, the Alaskan official whose dismissal by Sarah Palin is the focus of a state investigation known as "Troopergate". "And she's not telling the truth to the media about her reasons for firing me."

In an exclusive interview with ABC News.com, former Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan said he resisted pressure by the First Couple to re-open an old case against a state trooper, who was in a hotly contested divorce and custody battle with the Governor's sister Molly.

With the Bush Administration's tradition of secrecy, cronyism, and failure to cooperate with government oversight investigations, we can see the McCain/Palin ticket is getting an early start in carrying on that tradition... the Republican Culture of Corruption.

And Palin has tha balls to say she's a candidate for reform? Ha!

CNN

RS

Palin lied about her record

Fact check: Palin was FOR the pork barrel "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it, and she lied about it in her convention speech.

Palin indicated during her 2006 campaign for governor that she supported the bridge. It was only after the project had become an embarrassment to the state, after federal dollars for the project were pulled back and diverted to other uses in Alaska, that she said that it would be fruitless to try to persuade Congress to come up with the money. Congress decided to pull funding for the bridge TWO YEARS before Palin's decision.

"It's clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island," Palin said then.

But before, Palin support forthe bridge was clear:

Palin responded to a written questionnaire from the Anchorage Daily News. One question: "Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?"

Palin: "Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now -- while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist."

The LIARS LIE

This lie is now a selling point for the McCain campaign! The latest McCain ad says point blank "She stopped the bridge to nowhere"

McCain and Palin together have told a broader story about the bridge that is a lie. She is portrayed as a crusader for the thrifty use of tax dollars who turned down an offer from Washington to build an expensive bridge of little value to the state.

"I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere," she said in her convention speech last week.

Her self-description as a leader who "championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress" is harder to square with the facts.

In her two years in office, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. And as mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. McCain criticized Palin's earmarks. THREE TIMES!

[Yahoo news]

Rueters: Palin "bridge to nowhere" line angers many Alaskans

"...political leaders of both parties said the claim was false and a betrayal of their community, because she had supported the bridge and the earmark for it secured by Alaska's Congressional delegation during her run for governor."

Palin = Cheney: Palin hides 1100 emails in freedom of information request

Palins stands for corruption, cronyism, and political backstabbing - a continuation of the shadow government run in secrecy by Dick Cheney - famous for with holding information from the American public. She claims 'executive privilege'... sound familiar?

Andree McLeod, a 53-year-old registered Republican who has held various jobs in state government, filed a freedom of information request for emails regarding the case of a Palin-backed effort to oust the state chairman of the Alaska Republican party, Randy Ruedrich.

RS

Palin's office provided McLeod with a 78-page list (PDF) cataloging the emails it was withholding. Many of them had been written by Palin or sent to her.

Of the withheld e-mails, at least four dozen include Todd Palin, and many of those refer either to the Public Service Employees Association, a union representing law enforcement officers in Alaska. Others including Todd Palin reference Andrew Halco, a former state lawmaker who ran as an independent against Sarah Palin in 2006. Since losing that race, he's become a blogger who frequently criticizes Palin's administration.

An authoritarian's dream... a candidate with a history of withholding communication records. Hmmm.... what do you suppose she's hiding?

Smear Palin? No... just FACTS

This letter was written by Alaska resident, a person who has known Palin since 1992, a Wasilla resdent. It was found and verified on snopes.com - a fact checking website.

Forget about your partisan bullshit and Republican authoritarianism for 2 minutes and read this. These facts show Palin is an appropriate torch bearer for the Republican culture of corruption:

Read the whole letter or this excerpt:

--------------------------------------

"Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years; as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.

During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative." During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't even have clear title to, that was still in litigation later to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once. These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.

As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state. In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's surplus, borrow for needs.

She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them. While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.

Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys". Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State's top cop: As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's Police Chief because he "intimidated" her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than a dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.

She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness. Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.

When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the "old boys' club" when she dramatically quit, exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).

As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the "bridge to nowhere" after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.

As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as "anti-pork."

She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.

Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah's mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.

As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as "AGIA" that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum.

Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She campaigned "as a private citizen" against a state initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list polar bears as threatened species."

-- excerpt from letter by Alaska resident Anne Kilkenny who has known Palin since 1992.

Palin's speech to nowhere: Associated Press exposes the lies

Yet Republicans swallow...

The speech was full of sarcasm and smear but short on any mention of vital issues like health care, education, Afghanistan, Social Security, and more... of course this speech was not Palin, it was written by the McCain campaign, started even before Palin was selected.

Instead of the heart-felt inspiration you heard during the DNC speeches, you heard laughter, glee in response to insult after insult.... smear after smear.

Here, the AP dissects the lies Palin delivered so well last night.

Here are just a few:

Strike one - "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."
- Palin

FACT: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation.

Strike two - "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate." - Palin

FACT: Obama has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate.

Strike three - "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House." - Palin

FACT: Sarah Palin Slashed Special Needs Education by 62%. Gov. Sarah Palin oversees the budget for the Department of Education and Early Development Special Schools in Alaska. These funds provide supplementary educational services to students with severe disabling conditions and the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy. Without the supplementary services the handicapped kids needs would not be met by the local school district in most cases.

Palin is supposed to be a Washington outsider not subject to pork and earmark spending.

John McCain disagrees....

Three times in recent years, John McCain's catalogs of "objectionable" spending have included earmarks for this small Alaska town, requested by its mayor at the time -- Sarah Palin.

Palin and McCain carry on the Republican tradition of lying, obstruction, bad decisions, abuse of power, and hypocrisy

Thank you John McCain for your VP nomination. You couldn't have served up an easier more inept target than Sarah Palin. In just 20 months as Governor, Palin has shown she is truly in the Republican religious right wing conservative mode of hypocrisy, corruption, abuse of power, and cronyism.

Palin used a line item veto to slash funding for teen mothers - a state program benefiting teen mothers in need of a place to live.

Palin slashed $1.1 million in funding for a program that would provide "young mothers a place to live with their babies for up to eighteen months while they gain the necessary skills and resources to change their lives" and help teen moms "become productive, successful, independent adults who create and provide a stable environment for themselves and their families."

McCain and Palin opposed funding to prevent teen pregnancies.

McCain has opposed Senate proposals to spend federal money on teen-pregnancy prevention programs. In 2006, McCain voted against a proposal to send $100 million to communities for teen-pregnancy prevention programs that would have included sex education about contraceptives. In 2005, McCain opposed a proposal that would have spent tens of millions of dollars to pay for pregnancy prevention programs other than abstinence-only education, including education on emergency contraception such as the morning-after pill. The bill also would have required insurance companies that cover Viagra to also pay for prescription contraception.

Palin abused power by trying to have an ex-relative fired from his job for personal reasons. She then fired an official for his refusal to act inappropriately, LIED about it and continues to lie about it.

In summary, Palin 1) tried to have an ex-relative fired from his job for personal reasons, something that was clearly inappropriate, and perhaps illegal, 2) fired a state official for not himself acting inappropriately by firing the relative, 3) lied to the public about what happened and 4) continues to lie about what happened.

These are not the traits or temperament you want in someone who could hold the executive power of the federal government... that is unless you're an authoritarian and condone abuse of power, as so many Republicans do.

The McCain campaign is trying to use tactics to stall the release of a bi-partisan State Senate Legislative Counsel Committee investigation on Palin

... an investigation of claims that Palin abused her office to get the Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, fired.

The judgement to be Commander in Chief: John McCain was wrong, Barack Obama was right

Should we trust John McCains judgment when he said only three years ago, Afghanistan-we dont read about it anymore because its succeeded? Or should we trust Barack Obama, who more than a year ago called for sending two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan? The fact is, al-Qaida and the Taliban-the people who actually attacked us on 9/11-have regrouped in those mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan and are plotting new attacks. And the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff echoed Barack's call for more troops.

John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.

Should we trust John McCain's judgment when he rejected talking with Iran and then asked: What is there to talk about? Or Barack Obama, who said we must talk and make it clear to Iran that its conduct must change.

Now, after seven years of denial, even the Bush administration recognizes that we should talk to Iran, because thats the best way to advance our security.

Again, John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.

Should we trust John McCain's judgment when he says there can be no timelines to draw down our troops from Iraq-that we must stay indefinitely? Or should we listen to Barack Obama, who says shift responsibility to the Iraqis and set a time to bring our combat troops home?

Now, after six long years, the Bush administration and the Iraqi government are on the verge of setting a date to bring our troops home.

John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.

Again and again, on the most important national security issues of our time, John McCain was wrong, and Barack Obama was proven right.

Folks, remember when the world used to trust us? When they looked to us for leadership? With Barack Obama as our president, they'll look to us again, they'll trust us again, and well be able to lead again.

-- Joe Biden, the next Vice President of the United States, DNC Convention, 8/27/08

Top CIA official confesses order to forge Iraq-9/11 letter came on White House stationery

Central Intelligence Agency's former Deputy Chief of Clandestine Operations Robert Richer says a forged letter linking Saddam Hussein to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks was ordered on White House stationery and probably came from the office of Vice President Dick Cheney, according to a new transcript.

"I would probably stand on my, basically, my reputation and say it came from the vice president." --Robert Richer

Breaking a 25 year code of journalistic principles and practices, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ron Suskind that broke this story has named his sources and posted the transcript of the interview of his sources.

American Conservative Magazine has investigated the forgery story and acknowledged it is correct but blames the forgery on Bush staffer, Doug Feith.

"An extremely reliable and well placed source in the intelligence community has informed me that Ron Suskind’s revelation that the White House ordered the preparation of a forged letter linking Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda and also to attempts made to obtain yellowcake uranium is correct... "

The level of lies, corruption and shear dishonesty of the Bush Administration is stunning... how can any principled American condone this?

Four arrested after attempting Citizen's Arrest of Karl Rove: Judge says, "It's about time"

From the press release from the Des Moines Catholic Worker organization:

The four Iowans arrested last Friday for attempting to make a citizen's arrest of Karl Rove

Retired Methodist minister, Chet Guinn, 80, and Des Moines Catholic Workers, Ed Bloomer, 61, Mona Shaw 57, and Kirk Brown, 25, were arrested at a Des Moines country club where Rove was appearing at a Republican Fundraiser.

Shaw was the first called before Polk County Fifth Judicial District Associate Judge William Price.

After entering her plea, the judge asked Shaw, "Mamn, what were you doing at the Wakonda Country Club?"

"I was attempting to make a citizen's arrest of Karl Rove, your honor," Shaw answered.

"Well," the judge looked up and said, "it's about time."

My thoughts exactly.

Here is the criminal complaint against Karl Rove from the Des Moines Catholic Worker organization.

Federal Judges rule against Bush Administration - executive privilege claims for Bolton and Miers bogus; must turn over missing emails

The rule of law is a noose that is beginning to tighten around the neck of the Bush Administration - the most corrupt Executive branch in American history.

Bush appointed US District Judge has ruled that the Bush Administration's claims of executive privilege for former staffers Josh Bolton and Harriet Miers are bogus - they must comply with subpoenas about the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. Bolten and Miers must give Congress all documents related to the firings.

"The Executive's current claim of absolute immunity from compelled congressional process for senior presidential aides is without any support in the case law." - Judge U.S. District Judge John Bates

What makes this remarkable is that Judge Bates was appointed by President George W. Bush in December 2001 and appointed to the FISA court by Justice John Roberts in 2006. On many previous occasions, his rulings have helped cover-up for the administration's wrongdoings.

In a separate case, U.S. District Court Judge John M. Facciola ordered the Bush administration to locate the missing emails on laptops, portable media devices, and individual workstations. Emails from Vice President Dick Cheney's office went missing during a crucial period of time when he and aides were involved in stemming the tide of the Valerie Plame scandal.