Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: rpm on October 01, 2003, 05:19:30 AM
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FromThe Atlanta Journal - Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/1003/01irconsult.html;COXnetJSessionID=16kcOKRxg1aBi9AylT8f6VzqTManvgKsmwHBvTHGsj7m556aG22H!461918832?urac=n&urvf=10650020125110.8150146701019434):
The firm is headed by Joe Allbaugh, Bush's campaign manager in 2000 and director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency until March. Directors include Edward Rogers Jr., vice chairman, and Lanny Griffith. Both were assistants to the elder President George Bush and now are closely linked to the White House.
The fuss about New Bridge comes as Bush is seeking congressional approval for $20.3 billion to rebuild Iraq, part of an $87 billion package for military and other needs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
From The Hill (http://www.thehill.com/marshall/100103.aspx) :
A tsunami of American money is about to crest over Iraq. And all the GOP insiders — who have the pull to steer that money in one direction or another — are lining up to get a piece of the action.
With so much money in play it’s probably inevitable that there would be some insiders lining their pockets. What’s shocking is just how openly they’re doing it.
FromThe Charlotte Observer (http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/6902847.htm) :
Appearances matter in government, and they matter at the points where government touches private life. Here, people have set out to line their own pockets by taking advantage of connections they formed while in the pay and, ostensibly, the service of the taxpayers. This is just plain bad. It's bad for the Bush administration, and it's bad for the perceived integrity of the U.S. government.
Chalk up another one for Dubya and his boys.
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The amazing thing is no firms run by Democrats or that have Democratic stockholders seem interested in doing any of the business.
They're not lobbying for the jobs at all!
Incredible, don't you think?
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Maybe the point is these companies shouldn't politically affiliated.
The money should go to the companies who give the best value for money (it is your money after all).
If G. Bush's friends are offering the best value for money then it's not a problem. On the other hand if they do not and i was a US taxpayer, whatever my political affliation, i wouldn't want a company lining it's pockets with my money, even if they agreed with my politics.
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ALL corporations are "politically affiliated", and most politicians are "corporately affiliated". Tax money goes to the corporation with the best connections, then some of it goes back to the politician as a campaign contribution. It's a win-win. (Except for the taxpayer.)
The Bush adminstration has just taken the art to a new level.
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Originally posted by popeye
The Bush adminstration has just taken the art to a new level.
Nothing new about it at all if you study the history of the US political system.
In fact, it's "business as usual" for both parties when they respectively held the White House.
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Originally posted by Toad
Nothing new about it at all if you study the history of the US political system.
In fact, it's "business as usual" for both parties when they respectively held the White House.
yep
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A $2 billion no-bid contract for the VP's former employer is much more efficiency in the process than most previous administrations were able to attain.
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I'm sure if anyone were bored enough to search one could find equally egregious examples in a Democratic administration, probably even the last one.
The piety is amusing but simply flies in the face of US Presidential history.
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Originally posted by Toad
I'm sure if anyone were bored enough to search one could find equally egregious examples in a Democratic administration, probably even the last one.
The piety is amusing but simply flies in the face of US Presidential history.
You have a single example of a multi billion no-bid contract being awarded by the Clinton admin?
I don't think the GOP would stand for this happening on anybody's watch but their own.
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There's no way that the honorable man of integrity, moral character, and compassion - George Dubya Bush - would allow such blatant impropriety to occur under his watchful eye. Nope, not never.
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When government does, occasionally, work, it works in an elitist fashion. That is, government is most easily manipulated by people who have money and power already. This is why government benefits usually go to people who don't need benefits from government. Government may make some environmental improvements, but these will be improvements for rich bird-watchers. And no one in government will remember that when poor people go bird-watching they do it at Kentucky Fried Chicken.
O'Rourke, P.J. (1994), All the trouble in the world. The lighter side of famine, pestilence, destruction and death. Sydney (Picador), 199
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Toad, just so it's not so boring, be sure to find a circumstance where the VP was paid $376,690 by the company in question, and held 433,333 stock options in that company, DURING his tenur in office, while the contracts were being awarded.
http://lautenberg.senate.gov/~lautenberg/press/2003/01/2003925A22.html
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Originally posted by MrLars
You have a single example of a multi billion no-bid contract being awarded by the Clinton admin?
I don't think the GOP would stand for this happening on anybody's watch but their own.
He does not, because there isn't one. If anything even remotely resembling this had happened during Clinton's Presidency there would have been Special Procecutors, Congressional Hearings, Impeachment Proceedings, ect,ect,ect.... The Republicans would have cried "Ethics Violations" and "Self Serving Democrats". But it's fine now that the Republicans are doing it.:rolleyes:
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Sorry, guys... I'm way too busy to search.. but feel free to plead that Bill's admin was the first ever to be squeaky clean in this regard.
:rofl
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Let me ask a question:
Let's say that Company X has just won a job from the gov't. They are to be paid an amount reasonable considering the size, scope and difficulty of this job. They regarded around the world at being one of the best companies for this type of job and perhaps the one best equiped to complete it. They are one, if not the only, American company that is capable of succesfuly completing the project.
They also happen to be huge supporters of the current administration. One of the members of the admistration was even a high ranking member of the company before taking a position with the gov't.
So, my question to you is, "Is this wrong? Should this company have gotten the job?".
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Okay let me help the Republicans.
Loreal (sp) is a company that makes satellites. In 1996 they contributed $100,000 to Clinton/Gore campaign with the hope then President Clinton would sign a waver allowing the transfer of technology to the Chinese Gov. to effect cheaper launches thereby saving the company many times more than the $100k campaign contribution.
Hey you know how to get rid of corruption in government?.. Easy.. simply remove the meaning of the word.
Toad you gonna answer they're question? :) This new batch of Progressives is very impressive.
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Originally posted by Toad
Sorry, guys... I'm way too busy to search.. but feel free to plead that Bill's admin was the first ever to be squeaky clean in this regard.
:rofl
Did you type that with a limp wrist?
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PS
"When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators." -- P.J. O'ROURKE
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Toad, you don't need to search. The Republicans spent $80 million of your taxes turning over every rock that Clinton ever stepped on. I'm sure they would have noticed a $2 billion no-bid contract.
Was he squeaky clean? Not by a long shot. Personally, I think he was a sleazy fool. However, he was an amateur at corporate connections when compared to the current administration.
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One interpretation of "Iraqi Liberation"....
"One alliance of Republican lobbyists, New Bridge Strategies, whose interest in Iraq has earned considerable attention because of its close ties to the Bush administration, is gearing up to seek distribution rights for major U.S. companies producing everything from grain to auto parts to shampoo.
'Getting the rights to distribute Procter & Gamble products would be a gold mine,' said one of the partners at New Bridge who did not want to be named. 'One well- stocked 7-Eleven could knock out 30 Iraqi stores; a Wal-Mart could take over the country,' he said."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30907-2003Oct1?language=printer
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This is another example of Libral puke and lies attempting to stain the good moral character of our Vietnam (Texas National Guard) veteran President.
Thomas Jefferson was the first president to bring in the "Spoils System" and it has been a American Presidential Tradition ever since.
Bush stole the election fair and square, naturally he has every right to reward those who helped him.
He got rid of an "evil" dictator who was causing the region to be "unstable."
He and his croonies - so what if it costs 87 billion... this will create more jobs - albeit Iraqi Jobs. But at least when his croonies buy new houses, cars, and pools.
We Americans can clean their houses, wash their cars, and clean their pools.
So you see, this is creating American jobs for migrant workers from Mexico and Indonisia.
All librals do is complain - sheesh get a job! If librals would work they wouldn't have time to complain!
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Originally posted by Toad
Nothing new about it at all if you study the history of the US political system.
In fact, it's "business as usual" for both parties when they respectively held the White House.
And you call ME a situational ethicist?
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Geez guys....if Bush is such a bad President and so many people disagree with his domestic and foreign policies, just don't re-elect him next November. Sure you have to live with the Administration for another year....but just do your best to make sure that more people vote for his opponent than for him come November 2004.
On second thought, that plan didn't work in November 2000.
Sorry guys...you're screwed for another 4 years ;)
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damnexus I really think you need to go smoke some dope dude.
Oh wait..........
you funny hehe
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"Getting the rights to distribute Procter & Gamble products would be a gold mine,' said one of the partners at New Bridge who did not want to be named. 'One well- stocked 7-Eleven could knock out 30 Iraqi stores; a Wal-Mart could take over the country,' he said."
Ahhhh....so this what what "freedom" is all about.
I recall a definition of "imperialism" (or was it "colonialism") from my Poli. Sci. days which was:
Colonize a nation/people.
Strip them of their natural resources (oil, sugar, timber, gold, etc.).
Transport natural resources back to the mother country.
Produce consumer goods.
Transport consumer goods back to the colony for sale.
Repeat ad nauseum.
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Originally posted by midnight Target
And you call ME a situational ethicist?
Yep.
What I stated isn't dependent upon the situation or which party's in the White House. It's simply true historical fact, no matter which party is in.
It's a historical observation rather than a judgemental pronouncement.
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From one of your links rpm:
"A subsidiary of Halliburton, which Vice President Dick Cheney headed from 1995, has received hundreds of millions in government contracts for work in Iraq."
Hmmmm, another subsidiary of Haliburton collected $1.2 billion by Bush, oh wait, was he president between '92 and '99???? Maybe it was someone else?
"According to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, between 1992 and 1999 the Pentagon paid Brown & Root over $1.2 billion for its work in trouble spots around the globe."
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if it weren't above board .. don't ya think drunk Teddy and his media friends would be having a field day with it???
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Originally posted by niknak
Maybe the point is these companies shouldn't politically affiliated.
The money should go to the companies who give the best value for money (it is your money after all).
If G. Bush's friends are offering the best value for money then it's not a problem. On the other hand if they do not and i was a US taxpayer, whatever my political affliation, i wouldn't want a company lining it's pockets with my money, even if they agreed with my politics.
than take back the
education system, social securty, postal, amtrack
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Originally posted by Eagler
if it weren't above board .. don't ya think drunk Teddy and his media friends would be having a field day with it???
That’s Mr. Drunk, negligent homicide committing, adulterous, Teddy to you. Gees show some respect he is a Senator after all.
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.
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Originally posted by popeye
A $2 billion no-bid contract for the VP's former employer is much more efficiency in the process than most previous administrations were able to attain.
How was it a no bid contract??