Taxpayers have paid out nearly $1 million per year in settlements to congressional employees who have been harassed or otherwise treated badly by their political bosses over the past 14 years, according to records from the Office of Compliance. The payouts stem from hundreds of complaints from employees, some of whom may have been sexually harassed or treated so poorly that third-party mediators were brought in to negotiate cash payoffs to settle the cases.
In fiscal year 2007, for example, the OOC -- an agency that administers a confidential dispute resolution system -- settled 38 cases, with 25 resulting in monetary awards worth $4 million. In fiscal year 2009 -- the most recent year reported by the OOC -- the office settled 13 cases for nearly $830,000.
These settlements may be especially relevant if aides who were allegedly abused by former Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) seek restitution. Massa resigned under allegations that he sexually harassed male staffers. Quite often, the harassment cases, after a secretive mediation process, can land staffers retroactive raises, vacation time and cash payouts for their perceived pain and suffering.
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#1
"It's worth it to pay them, especially if it's not their money, just to have the thing kept confidential. It's worth it to them just to keep inappropriate allegations out of the public airwaves."
Looks like it's coming to light. I think there should be a taxpayer PAYBACK!! What a BUNCH OF DIRTBAGS
#2
"It's worth it to pay them, especially if it's not their money, just to have the thing kept confidential. It's worth it to them just to keep inappropriate allegations out of the public airwaves."
Looks like it's coming to light. I think there should be a taxpayer PAYBACK!! What a BUNCH OF DIRTBAGS
A California congressman who drew shouts of disbelief at a town hall meeting when he said he was unaware of the voter intimidation case involving the New Black Panther Party explained that the reason he hadn't heard about the story was because his news sources didn't cover it.
Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., in a written statement released late Tuesday, accused Fox News of launching "attacks on me" for showing video of the meeting. He said he would soon send a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the incident and "the importance of allegations of voter intimidation," but said the "major sources of information which I rely upon most" did not mention the issue.
Sherman listed the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Daily News, the Economist, Newsweek, Congressional Quarterly and National Journal and said he only found one mention of the Black Panther case.
"While it is possible that our review missed something, it can be said that less than one page per 50,000 from the above sources deals with the issue," Sherman said. "In contrast, Fox News covered the issue repeatedly."
The nearly two-year-old case resurfaced this month when J. Christian Adams, who recently quit the Justice Department, lobbed accusations at his former superiors of instructing attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and white victims.
Adams' allegations have led the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which is investigating the Justice Department's handling of the case, to plan a new round of subpoenas and call for a separate federal probe.
The remarkable scene at the town hall meeting on Sunday Sherman was captured on video and posted on YouTube.
When asked by a constituent for reaction to explosive allegations by an ex- Justice Department official that the Obama administration abandoned the New Black Panther case for racial reasons and is not pursuing voter violation cases involving white victims and black defendants, Sherman disputed the charge.
"I am extremely sure that we do not have a policy at the Department of Justice of never prosecuting a black defendant when the victim is white," he said, drawing shouts of "Yes, you do!"
"I'm sure it may say that somewhere on the Internet but that doesn't mean it's true," he said, drawing more jeers.
"As to the Black Panther Party, I'm simply not aware of that case," he said, drawing a sustained cry of hissing, boos and outrage. One constituent can be heard saying, "Just for that answer, I'm not voting for you."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
I actually believe this guy.
You'd never know if you depended on MSM for your news.
#2
Don't pathological liars actually believe what they're saying?
Posted by: Bobby ||
07/15/2010 5:59 Comments ||
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#3
Sherman's a lying sack
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/15/2010 8:29 Comments ||
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#4
Lying sack he may be, but I agree with Big Jim: if I didn't check the blogs, Fox and other new media, I wouldn't have known about it either. I'll bet Sherman's staff doesn't research outside of approved sources.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/15/2010 9:26 Comments ||
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#5
In that case Steve he's a pathetic stupid sack of ...
Of course anyone who lists NewsWeak as their news source has other problems as well.
#6
There are many donk politicians and some diehard donk voters who refuse to watch Fox News--something about plausible denial, the ostrich syndrome or refusal to hear the truth.
#9
Exactly, Ebbang. I rarely watch TV news or read a newspaper. Rantburg and other internet sites are my news sources. Yet I am sure that I am better informed on national and international news than I used to be.
I mean, where else ca you read about nuggets from the Urdu press, or the shutter guns from the RAB.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
07/15/2010 14:34 Comments ||
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#10
'...when someone asked if she had heard the latest about Acorn,(she responded) âI had to answer ânoâ because I get all my news from The New York Times.â'
#11
"In contrast, Fox News covered the issue repeatedly."
Meybe that's a clue about which news sources can be trusted to bring you the actual news, you idiot.
You need to get out of your DC bubble more often.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/15/2010 21:29 Comments ||
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#12
Congressman Sherman has no staff? Even if he missed any of the discussion in the media, his staff should have given him summary of all pertinent news.
He could fire his staff, cancel his Times subscription, and google rantburg.com. He would find himself much better informed.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Sixth district congressional candidate Lou Ann Zelenik received death threats and a nationwide outcry after she opposed a Rutherford County Islamic Center last month. Now, someone has targeted some of her campaign signs with a paint can.
Robert Stroop is a Zelenik supporter. He said he was shocked to find the sign outside a building he owns spray-painted with swastikas and the word "fascist," meaning a dictator or having nationalist political ideology.
"This sign is here for a purpose, just like the one across the street with the other candidate is, and it's not the country I was raised in and believe in," Stroop said.
The Zelenik sign in the front yard of the home Stroop owns on Greenland Avenue was also vandalized over the weekend.
"I think it's just the world we're living in today, and I'm really disappointed," said Stroop.
Campaign workers found out about the defaced signs Sunday. They filed a report with Murfreesboro police.
"She is very disappointed that people, you know, would do this kind of behavior. It's very disheartening to see that in a political campaign," said Jay Heine, Zelenik's campaign manager.
This isn't the first time Zelenik has had to call police. Last month, she received death threats at her campaign office and at home after she issued a statement about the proposed Islamic Center in Rutherford County.
"This Islamic Center is not part of a religious movement; it is a political movement designed to fracture the moral and political foundation of Middle Tennessee," Zelenik wrote in a statement.
Zelenik's campaign manager said after they reported the death threats to police, no more have been received. Now, they're dealing with the vandalism.
"It tells a little bit about maybe the characters and stuff involved in the issues and stuff in this campaign," Heine said.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
This Islamic Center is not part of a religious movement; it is a political movement designed to fracture the moral and political foundation of Middle Tennessee
So... if it's a religious center, it's above reproach; if it's a political movement, it should be banned. WTF?
Is the communist party banned in the US? Lyndon LaRouche's fascist party? Are the Black Panthers banned? Since when do we ban political movements?
#2
Lex, simple. It is a pseudo-religious, socio-political ideology. That would be fine as you point out. However, one of the main articles of it is the "Kill the Apostate", "Kill the Infidel" and even more so when the Infidel is a Jew.
That makes it a dangerous pseudo-religious, socio-political ideology. Dangerous in the sense of threatening lives of you, me, us infidels.
The freedom of religion and screed is not a suicide pact, Lex.
If they removed all the "Kill the Infidel" reference from their political manifesto (Koran, Hadiths, Sura), then I'd have no problem with them, probably no one would.
#3
She's in my district, and I've been debating whether or not to vote for her. If the wackjobs are going to this much trouble, she's worth looking at closely.
#4
He said he was shocked to find the sign outside a building he owns spray-painted with swastikas and the word "fascist," meaning a dictator or having nationalist political ideology.
You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it does.
Posted by: Formerly Dan ||
07/15/2010 11:49 Comments ||
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#5
Lou Ann Zelenik should just just say... "I'm really annoyed to be associated with socialism."
#6
Last month, she received death threats at her campaign office and at home after she issued a statement about the proposed Islamic Center in Rutherford County.
Way to prove her point!
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
07/15/2010 14:33 Comments ||
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has filed for divorce from his wife of 16 years, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
The Journal News, citing Westchester County clerk records, said on its website that the filing occurred on May 12, three days before Kennedy's wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, was charged with drunken driving. It said details, including any grounds cited for divorce, were not available. Married to a Kennedy isn't ground for a divorce?
Calls to Robert Kennedy and to Mary Kennedy's attorney were not immediately returned. The Journal News quoted Kennedy as saying, "I'm not going to talk to you about my personal life." Certainly not while things are so crappy for me...
Kennedy, a prominent nutter environmentalist, is the son of assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Mary Kennedy is his second wife. They have four children. Putting the mental in environmental
Kennedy had two children with his first wife, whom he divorced in 1994.
Mary Kennedy was arrested May 15 after a police officer reported seeing her drive her car over a curb near their home in Bedford, 45 miles north of New York City. Police said she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11 percent; the legal limit is 0.08 percent. Stop the presses! A Kennedy with a drinking problem!
Robert Kennedy did not appear at his wife's May 28 arraignment, when she pleaded not guilty and agreed to be evaluated to see if she needs treatment for alcohol abuse. She thought about getting treatment but concluded she needed another drink.
Police said they had responded to the Kennedy home twice in the week before her arrest but no crimes had been committed. Lt. Jeff Dickan said that in one call, Mary Kennedy reported a dispute between children. He said the other visit resulted in a state domestic incident report but there were "no crimes committed, no report of assault, no arrests and no need for follow-up." The check musta cleared
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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Is there a Kennedy alive today that has not been charged with drunk driving?
President Obama's aides are shrugging off warnings that proposed new financial regulations would be a jobs-killer, while pledging to continue reviewing those concerns.
A White House official said Tuesday that the administration has held "countless meetings" with business leaders and agrees that "it is important to avoid unjustified regulatory costs and burdens." The official said that while they disagree with some business leaders on the need for a financial industry overhaul, business groups are welcome to pass along their regulatory suggestions.
But with the financial overhaul potentially on the verge of passing the Senate, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs explained why those regulations won't be reconsidered. "So we don't find ourselves celebrating the two-year anniversary of an economic collapse with rules the way they were two years ago," he said.
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Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
NEWS KERALA > THREE OUT OF FOUR AMERICANS BELIEVE RECESSION MAY LAST ANOTHER YEARS [Year 2012].
#2
The biggest problem is that all these regulations apply to companies large and small. Large companies already have dozens of lawyers on staff and on retainer to handle these regulations. It is just a part of doing business. Small companies, or startups, would end up spending a large proportion of their income on trying to comply with all the regulations.
This is one reason that big companies don't complain so much about regulations - the regulations help keep the "riff-raff" (i.e., competition from small companies) out of the market place.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
07/15/2010 3:57 Comments ||
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#3
Could never happen.
Who doesn't like regulations?
Only a racist, that's who!!!!
#4
the regulations help keep the "riff-raff" (i.e., competition from small companies) out of the market place
Gee, ya suppose the gubbamint understands that?
Posted by: Bobby ||
07/15/2010 5:52 Comments ||
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#5
Bobby, two possibilities:
1) The haven't a clue.
2) Itsa plan.
I am rip, torn. It is possible that both factors are present. The administration puppets are firmly in the camp #1. The puppeteers have a keen understanding of #2.
#6
Given the amount of lying Obama and his people have done, I am beginning to attribute their acts to malice, not stupidity. And there are hard consequences for malice.
#8
NEWS KERALA > THREE OUT OF FOUR AMERICANS BELIEVE RECESSION MAY LAST ANOTHER YEARS [Year 2012].
It's (ofcourse) just a coincidence that's the end of Oshit's Presidency.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/15/2010 12:33 Comments ||
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#9
"An ounce of prevention is worth of cure." Like wise people were saying right after Obama was elected. This stuff and the damage it will cause to this country will take YEARS to repair.
#11
I am personally going with, "It is a plan." It's just more of Obamanitions social engineering to eliminate independence, kill private business, and create a government run state.
#12
The problem with regulation is that it's like sh$$ - if you don't clean it up now and then, it accumulates to the point where no one can escape the stench. We need to clean house in ALL of the government offices in Washington, DC, down to the GS-5 level.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/15/2010 23:17 Comments ||
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Europe's disappointment with Barack Obama's presidency is laid bare today as the EU's most senior figure calls for a dramatic effort to revive transatlantic relations. The President of the European Commission told The Times that the new era at the White House was in danger of becoming a "missed opportunity" for Europe. José Manuel Barroso said that the EU-US relationship was "not living up to its potential" and was being marred by fundamental disagreements on how to deal with the economic crisis, climate change and trade reform. The feelings of a deepening rift are mutual. Senior US figures said last night that Mr Obama could never live up to Europe's sky-high expectations.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
What happened to the progressives' paradigm "now we all will be Europeons"? Maybe B. Hussein Obeyme has a closer affinity to mooselimbs?
Senior US figures said last night that Mr Obama could never live up to Europe's sky-high expectations
In fact, nobody's high expectations. It was all in their deluded cranial cavities. (Note I don't say brains, and that is not by omission!)
#2
Maybe we can even reopen the debate about why, given their history, we would WANT to become European. So we can have more international wars, pogroms, and appeasement?
Bonus Question: Would the Chinese appreciate us being more European? Unequal Treaties and all that?
#3
But, but, but Barack, the One was supposed to fix all the stuff that George W. supposedly broke in the way of foreign relationships. BO was supposed to make the world all better--kumbaya.
The honeymoon has been over for some time now except there are still some diehard koolaide swallowers (donks--either the party faithful no matter what or blacks who don't want to critize BO for whatever reason)out there who think everything is wonderful and good for everyone and that it is BO's doing.
#5
This reporter's burying the lead. The heart of the problem is the fiscally-responsible Euros' disbelief and anger at being hectored by Team Barry (and Paul Krugman) to drive their nations' finances into the ditch as Greece has done and the US under Barry proposes to do.
The Germans esp are now convinced that Barry's completely out of his depth. They're right.
#6
or blacks who don't want to critize BO for whatever reason)out there who think everything is wonderful and good for everyone and that it is BO's doing...
Which is why many black "frenemies" of mine have been deleting me on social networks just as soon as they learn that I am a Conservative!! Can't be friends with a Conservative Cracker, can we now?
#7
who don't want to critize BO for whatever reason)
How many Catholics spoke against President Kennedy at the time, or Irish-Americans, whatever they might have thought, Cloud Banks? Leave them their pride in the achievement of one of their own, pity them that the first one was such a dud that the second will have to be truly extraordinary to overcome that legacy -- the ultimate poison of soft bigotry. Not to mention that some non-Black Liberals are also deleting you on social networks as soon as they learn you are a Conservative.
#8
Not to mention that some non-Black Liberals are also deleting you on social networks as soon as they learn you are a Conservative.
Fundamentally, I see your point, but I am hard pressed to concede it because it just isn't the case.
Small truths can mean a lot. And the fact is, the only deletes have been initiated by black libs on my networks under two circumstances once they realize that:
I am Conservative and White and I post articles unflattering about their beloved BO.
I am Jewish and I don't like Rahm!! Pride for one's own against all evidence to the contrary is nothing more than a sign of a small thinker. They can keep BO, but I wouldn't claim him, and I know plenty of blacks who don't either.
To wit, the majority of my network are liberals and not black, and I don't see them deleting.
#9
There are black conservatives of like mind out there with whom to communicate Cloud Banks.
Liberal whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Jewish folks voted for Obama to help him win. If Obama were more mainstream and represented the majority of the people rather than viewing them as his enemy, people might feel better about him. He tends to belittle and alienate the American people. He does not listen. He tends to jam legislation down the American people's throats which will saddle them and their families with debt for generations. He is an idealogue who thinks he is smarter and brighter than the majority of the American people. He projects arrogance to Americans as well as our allies. The truth is he sidles up to a narror minority of Americans and says in so many words screw the rest. He communicates in so many ways that he is superior to all of our founding fathers and previous presidents. If he seemed like he loved America, many Americans would get behind him. Look at Ronald Regan, for example, he projected American exceptionalism and confidence which was contagious to a majority of Americans. He did not try to Balkanize Americans but tried to unify. I wish Barack Obama would rise to that stature but he chooses not to. I guess I got on a rant.
#10
If he seemed like he loved America, many Americans would get behind him.
I, for one, wouldn't because I'm not interested in love and feeling good, I am interested in keeping our country from coming undone. I give a rat's ass that he's black, all I give one iota about is our country not being sold up sh&*ts creek without a paddle.
With his approval numbers hitting new lows it's no surprise that Barack Obama's numbers in our monthly look ahead to the 2012 Presidential race are their worst ever this month. He trails Mitt Romney 46-43, Mike Huckabee 47-45, Newt Gingrich 46-45, and is even tied with Sarah Palin at 46. The only person tested he leads is Jan Brewer, who doesn't have particularly high name recognition on the national level at this point.
It's not that any of the Republican candidates are particularly well liked. Only Huckabee has positive favorability numbers at 37/28. Romney's at 32/33, Gingrich at 32/42, Palin at 37/52, and Brewer at 17/20. But with a majority of Americans now disapproving of Obama it's no surprise that a large chunk of them would replace him as President if they had that choice today.
There are two things driving these strong poll numbers for the Republican candidates. The first is a lead with independents in every match up. Romney leads 48-35 with them, Gingrich is up 50-39, Huckabee has a 46-40 advantage, Palin's up 47-42, and even Brewer has a 38-37 edge.
The other thing causing the Republicans to do so well is that their party is unified around them to an equal or even greater extent than Democrats are around Obama. Huckabee's getting 85% of the Republican vote to Obama's 82% of the Democrats, Romney's at 82% in his party to Obama's 80%, Gingrich and Obama are each getting 83% of their party vote, and Palin and Obama are each getting 81% of theirs.
Obviously 2012 is a long ways off and the immediate relevance of these numbers is limited. It's possible we'll look back on polls like this 28 months from now after Obama's been reelected and laugh. But it's also possible that we'll look back on the summer of 2010 after he's been defeated and see it as the time when his prospects for reelection really took a turn for the worse. For now there's really no way to tell.
Republican Sharron Angle says her campaign to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada is "a calling" from God and that her faith is helping her endure a fiercely competitive race in which Democrats have depicted her as a conservative extremist.
"When you have God in your life ... he directs your path," Angle told the Christian Broadcasting Network in an interview posted on its website Wednesday.
Asked why she entered the race, Angle said "the reason is a calling."
"When God calls you he also equips you and He doesn't just say, 'Well today you're going to run against Harry Reid,"' the tea party favorite said.
In the Bible "Moses has his preparatory time. Paul had his preparatory time. Even Jesus had his preparatory time," the former legislator said, citing her years in public office as her preparation for the race.
"God knew all of this in advance," Angle added. "I don't know what's coming up tomorrow but I do know that He is there. He saw it and that He has provided a way of escape and a way for me to endure."
In a wide-ranging interview, Angle said her media appearances are guided by the need to raise money for her campaign and she defended an overhaul of her campaign website in which many of her earlier positions on Social Security and other issues were rewritten, condensed or deleted.
Angle, a Southern Baptist, has called herself a faith-based politician who prays daily. Among her positions, she opposes abortion in all circumstances, including rape and incest.
Since her come-from-behind victory in the June 8 primary, Angle has appeared largely on conservative media outlets. She said her public schedule is being driven by the need to raise money and she gets the best return for her time on conservative programs, which drive up donations.
"The whole point of an interview is to ... earn something with it and I'm not going to earn anything from people who are there to badger me and use my words to batter me with," she said.
In mainstream media outlets "there's no earnings for me there," she added.
Asked about the retooling of her website, she said she was advised by consultants to condense the long-running text on her site. Reid's campaign later posted the website's original language.
"I am pretty wordy," Angle said. "We're still working on those precise statements."
Meanwhile, Angle is airing her first TV ad of the fall campaign -- a scathing attack on Reid's record on jobs in a state with a U.S.-leading 14 percent unemployment rate.
Ominous, dirge-like music plays in the 30-second as a black-and-white photograph of a grim-faced Reid and images of shuttered factories and shuffling workers appear. Text in the ad points out that unemployment in the state has risen nearly 10 percentage points since Reid became majority leader.
Reid launched a new ad statewide Wednesday that takes Angle to task for saying she would not have stepped in to save a major construction project in Las Vegas, CityCenter. Reid is credited with pressuring banks and saving the project when its financing was at risk. "She wouldn't have lifted a finger," the ad says. Angle has said Reid's move cost jobs elsewhere in the city.
#1
I met and had a conversation with Sharron Angle a few months back when she was running in the primary. Nice lady (honestly), but her political strategy won't make a lot of sense if you're not from Nevada. It's not THAT complicated, though its probably not about what you think its about.
Here goes:
Harry Reid is Las Vegas' senator, not Nevada's. (Really he's California's third senator, but that's another matter. Las Vegas is also California's third largest city.) Now, Las Vegas is something like 60% of the state's population, but they don't vote reliably. Angle thinks that only 40% of them will go to the poles.... maybe even less.
The rest of the state (re: rural, conservative) is only 40% of the population. But we vote. Every. Time. And we hate Reid. And he hates us right back.
So, simply put, if Harry can terrify Las Vegas into voting against the scary, old-person-hating, child sacrificing, Elron Hubbard worshiping Nazi lady from up north in large numbers, he will win... and probably his spawn along with him. If not, the Reid family is done for good.
#4
bigjim - you prefer Reid? Seems to me the choice is pretty clear.
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/15/2010 8:35 Comments ||
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#5
One infused with moral traditions of classical Western Civilization, the other infused with the (im)moral traditions of Power. Is that a real hard choice?
#6
Charlotte zings Reid from beyond the grave
Posted by John L. Smith
Tuesday, Jul. 13, 2010 at 10:43 AM
Election 2010 has just heard from a member of the Silent Majority.
Chances are good you never met Charlotte McCourt during her 84 years, but Im willing to bet youll be hearing about her in the coming days now that her obituary has taken Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to task. Its the kind of small story that has the potential to ricochet like a bullet through the campaign showdown between incumbent Reid and Republican challenger Sharron Angle.
Not because McCourt, who died July 8 after a long illness, was a political player or business powerbroker, but precisely because she was neither of those things. She was a homemaker, proud mother and grand mother and wife of 67 years to Patrick McCourt.
And she was at one time a loyal supporter of Harry Reid.
Her obituary, printed in Tuesdays Review-Journal, reads in part, We believe that Mom would say she was mortified to have taken a large role in the election of Harry Reid to U.S. Congress. Let the record show Charlotte was displeased with his work. Please, in lieu of flowers, vote for another more worthy candidate.
Ouch.
McCourt was born Dec. 25 in Wellington, Utah and was a 40-year Nevada resident. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Perhaps by coincidence, Reids re-election hangs in no small part on his ability to encourage conservative and religious Democrats to support him. He is also a member of the LDS faith.
As the midterm election season approaches, new road signs are popping up everywhere -- millions of dollars worth of signs touting "The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act" and reminding passers-by that the program is "Putting America Back to Work."
On the road leading to Dulles Airport outside Washington, DC there's a 10' x 11' road sign touting a runway improvement project funded by the federal stimulus. The project cost nearly $15 million and has created 17 jobs, according to recovery.gov.
However, there's another number that caught the eye of ABC News: $10,000. That's how much money the Washington Airports Authority tells ABC News it spent to make and install the sign -- a single sign -- announcing that the project is "Funded by The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act" and is "Putting America Back to Work." The money for the sign was taken out of the budget for the runway improvement project.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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Well, as long as it generates the correct perception... everything's peachy. You pay out $15 million and hide $15 billion. People are confused by all these zeros anyway. What's not to like?
#2
Hey now how many sign painter jobs were saved or created? Didja think about that? And someone had to put the signs up right? And you know the guy that owns the sandwich truck still has a job. And dont forget the shoe store that sells boots. And what about
#1
Hopefully, he will help them as much as he helped Senator Martha Coakley of Massachusetts, Governor Jon Corzine of NJ, Governor Creigh Deeds of Virginia, and other candidates last year.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
07/15/2010 2:55 Comments ||
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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs during Tuesday night's House Democratic Caucus meeting for saying Sunday that Democrats could lose control of the House in November.
Several Democratic sources in the room described a testy scenario that started with Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (N.J.) criticizing Gibbs for saying on NBC's "Meet the Press" that there is "no doubt there's enough seats in play" to allow for a House GOP takeover in 2012. Things heated up as Pelosi jumped in and blasted Gibbs for making "politically inept" comments, according to one source.
"It was bad," another source said. "She was like: 'I don't appreciate it. I don't know who this guy is. I've never met him before. And he's saying that we're going to lose the House.'"
A spokesman for Pelosi declined to comment Tuesday night.
Pelosi reportedly said Gibbs' comments were particularly damaging because they give ammunition to Republicans trying to make the case that Democrats are going to lose in November. "Someone from the White House says it, and [House Minority Whip Eric] Cantor says it, so now you have both sides saying something," the source said. "So she was very upset."
At one point, the Speaker turned to Dan Turton, the White House legislative liaison, and demanded to know whether Gibbs was speaking for the White House or for himself. Turton said he did not think Gibbs' comments were a coordinated statement, the source said.
Pascrell voiced the opinion of many in the room when he complained that the White House has not given much campaign help to House Democrats and that Gibbs' remarks were "kind of emblematic of that," the source said.
However, Pelosi's bottom line was to discourage Members from stewing over the comments, according to another source. Although she said she sympathized with the Members' frustrations, the Speaker told the Caucus, "We've vented our frustrations, and we need to move past that and move forward."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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#7
Gibbs was playing the expectation game. Now, if the Dems retain control he says that 'we did better than we thought' if the Dems lose control he says, "well we always said that..."
the problem is that the House Dems fundraising gets hurt by these games and fundraising is way, way important to Pelosi, Hoyer, etc.
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/15/2010 13:09 Comments ||
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#8
Gibbs tells the truth, that is, that the Democrats are at risk of losing the House. He tells the truth and the rest of the Democrats go nuts. The truth is rare with that crowd.
As IBD's own poll showed today, the forecast for the fall election is looking plenty grim for the Democrats. Things have gotten so bad that even the White House has acknowledged they could lose control of the House.
Other Democrats are not so worried though. They have a cunning plan that will carry them through: Attack George W. Bush. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., explained it to reporters today:
Do I think there are ... enough seats in play? Probably close. The fact that they are in play does not by any stretch of the imagination mean that I think we are going to lose the House. I don't think we are going to lose the House ...
The American public, I think, over the next few months is going to focus on whether they want to go back to the failed policies of Bush and the Republican Congress, which had such a disastrous result during the first 8 years of this decade, actually the first 10 years ... .
I think the American public, hopefully, are going to reflect on that. We are certainly going to be talking about that. I am going to be talking about that.
So they are not going to highlight their record or achievements. They are going to attack somebody who left the White House years ago and isn't on the ballot anywhere. That's not a model for success.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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#2
Attack George W. Bush. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
I think the voters get this charade after two years of being hammered with this lame excuse. The donks have had control of Congress since 2006. I hope the demonrats do parade out this tired old reason for their failure. It ain't going to fly or for that matter get off the ground.
Posted by: Steny Hoyer ||
07/15/2010 14:11 Comments ||
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#4
There's just a lot to attack Bush on: his evil concentration camp at Guantanamo, troops engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, a $400 billion deficit, slow response to disasters....oops.
Posted by: Matt ||
07/15/2010 17:12 Comments ||
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Shall we sit back and savor an incipient Dem implosion? Drudge has links up about the White House waving the white flag, having a "credibility crisis," and hitting the panic button. This evening's Ed Show gave another hot and salty taste of the Dem meltdown, as Ed ripped Harry Reid for calling Pres. Obama, in Schultz's words, "a big wimp." In a formal TV interview, Reid has accused PBO of being insufficiently "firm" and "forceful," describing him as "a person who doesn't like confrontation."
Lib talker Bill Press also hit Harry, but at the same time effectively agreed with Reid's critique, saying that Obama had been too nice to Republicans and that "nobody in this town is afraid of Pres. Obama." Schultz, meanwhile, accused Reid of being a weak leader. Schultz began by accusing Reid of landing a "sucker punch" on PBO, and went from there.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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PBO, I suspect, meaning President B. O.
Posted by: Bobby ||
07/15/2010 5:57 Comments ||
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Press & Schultz do remember of course that this is not Cuba or North Korea and we can actually criticize our president, right?
Posted by: American Delight ||
07/15/2010 5:58 Comments ||
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#3
Whatever our agents are adding to the Washington DC water supply seems to be working!
Posted by: Halliburton Political Control Division ||
07/15/2010 7:48 Comments ||
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#4
This evening's Ed Show gave another hot and salty taste of the Dem meltdown, as Ed ripped Harry Reid for calling Pres. Obama, in Schultz's words, "a big wimp."
Actually, Reid might pick up a few votes for saying such things. I think it is too late for Harry. Angle is going to kick his arse.
#5
Maybe. If he can get the population of Vegas to actually vote, he will win again. And his son will win the gov's mansion as well here in Nevada, making us back into a family "racket" once again.
In an interview earlier today with the South African Broadcasting Corporation to air in a few hours, President Obama disparaged al Qaeda and affiliated groups' willingness to kill Africans in a manner that White House aides say was an argument that the terrorist groups are racist.
Speaking about the Uganda bombings, the president said, "What you've seen in some of the statements that have been made by these terrorist organizations is that they do not regard African life as valuable in and of itself. They see it as a potential place where you can carry out ideological battles that kill innocents without regard to long-term consequences for their short-term tactical gains."
Earlier today a senior administration official said the Obama administration believes that Al Shabaab carried out the attack.
Explaining the president's comment, an administration official said Mr. Obama "references the fact that both U.S. intelligence and past al Qaeda actions make clear that al Qaeda -- and the groups like al Shabaab that they inspire -- do not value African life. The actions of al Qaeda and the groups that it has inspired show a willingness to sacrifice innocent African life to reach their targets."
This can be seen, the official said, in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, when hundreds of Africans were killed and thousands wounded.
"Additionally, U.S. intelligence has indicated that al Qaeda leadership specifically targets and recruits black Africans to become suicide bombers because they believe that poor economic and social conditions make them more susceptible to recruitment than Arabs," the official said. "Al Qaeda recruits have said that al Qaeda is racist against black members from West Africa because they are only used in lower level operations."
"In short," the official said, "al Qaeda is a racist organization that treats black Africans like cannon fodder and does not value human life."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2010 00:00 ||
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That is something W should have told from as early as 9/12. Now the next step is telling Islam is racist (countless haddiths and historical proof for it) as WOT will be won by splitting Islam into many little pieces and by making Non-Arabs see it as an instrument of Arab domination.
PS: Obama saying something right. I can't believe it.
#3
the official said. "Al Qaeda recruits have said that al Qaeda is racist against black members from West Africa because they are only used in lower level operations."
Give me a break. This is nothing more then identity politics. What should AQ adopt some affirmative action plan to place more people of color in charge of planning? Maybe they need to consider reparations? Maybe they can give the African terrorists cash for housing. You know something to compare with the posh caves the big turbans have. Oh yeah and al Shabaab does not value African life. Oh sure, AQ blows the bejeebus out of people from every race, nationality, and religion on a regular basis but were talking bout Africans here. Yeah...that outta turn things around.
Does it surprise anyone that an Administration whose only real talents are running election campaigns would try cheap politics as a counter terrorism strategy?
I, for one, would value that from Afghanistan to Kenaya whenever a jihadist is known like it the locals kill him.
Remember the embassy bombings where over 200 hundred locals were killed and thousands wounded? Well, locals ended blaming America and rejoicing for 9/11. that is what happens when you don't do the political work.
I get the whole divide and conquer psy-op thing. Thats not the point. This is about a low-level mouthpiece walking back Obamas comment on how AQ doesnt regard African life as valuable. The prominent reaction to that statement was no shit Mr. President I dont think AQ values life in general and its not just Africans. But rather then saying the President was speaking to a specific event they contort it into something about race. Which is kind of foolish when you think about it. Other then Zawahiri calling Obama a house slave AQ really doesnt talk that much about race issues. And if you havent noticed theyre most concerned about the Jihadi stuff. But goodness forbid, this administration cant say theyre against Jihad. No sir that might be offensive. So lets call em racists oooh I bet theyre sorry now.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
A California congressman who drew shouts of disbelief at a town hall meeting when he said he was unaware of the voter intimidation case involving the New Black Panther Party explained that the reason he hadn't heard about the story was because his news sources didn't cover it. 
Republican Sharron Angle says her campaign to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada is "a calling" from God and that her faith is helping her endure a fiercely competitive race in which Democrats have depicted her as a conservative extremist.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs during Tuesday night's House Democratic Caucus meeting for saying Sunday that Democrats could lose control of the House in November.
As IBD's own poll showed today, the forecast for the fall election is looking plenty grim for the Democrats. Things have gotten so bad that even the White House has acknowledged they could lose control of the House.
Shall we sit back and savor an incipient Dem implosion? Drudge has links up about the White House waving the white flag, having a "credibility crisis," and hitting the panic button. This evening's Ed Show gave another hot and salty taste of the Dem meltdown, as Ed ripped Harry Reid for calling Pres. Obama, in Schultz's words, "a big wimp." In a formal TV interview, Reid has accused PBO of being insufficiently "firm" and "forceful," describing him as "a person who doesn't like confrontation."
