Democratic Corruption goes Un-reported, Just like Halliburton, only much much more...

#1
OrangeEmpire

OrangeEmpire

The White Debonair
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Nov 28, 2005
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#1
Feinstein Resigns

SEN. Dianne Feinstein has resigned from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee. As previously and extensively reviewed in these pages, Feinstein was chairperson and ranking member of MILCON for six years, during which time she had a conflict of interest due to her husband Richard C. Blum's ownership of two major defense contractors, who were awarded billions of dollars for military construction projects approved by Feinstein.

As MILCON leader, Feinstein relished the details of military construction, even micromanaging one project at the level of its sewer design. She regularly took junkets to military bases around the world to inspect construction projects, some of which were contracted to her husband's companies, Perini Corp. and URS Corp.
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For those of you that don’t know… Perini and URS are huge engineering anf construction companies…you know, like Halliburton.

Perhaps she resigned from MILCON because she could not take the heat generated by Metro's expose of her ethics (which was partially funded by the Investigative Fund of the Nation Institute). Or was her work on the subcommittee finished because Blum divested ownership of his military construction and advanced weapons manufacturing firms in late 2005?

The MILCON subcommittee is not only in charge of supervising military construction, it also oversees "quality of life" issues for veterans, which includes building housing for military families and operating hospitals and clinics for wounded soldiers. Perhaps Feinstein is trying to disassociate herself from MILCON's incredible failure to provide decent medical care for wounded soldiers.

Two years ago, before the Washington Post became belatedly involved, the online magazine Salon.com exposed the horrors of deficient medical care for Iraq war veterans. While leading MILCON, Feinstein had ample warning of the medical-care meltdown. But she was not proactive on veteran's affairs.

Feinstein abandoned MILCON as her ethical problems were surfacing in the media, and as it was becoming clear that her subcommittee left grievously wounded veterans to rot while her family was profiting from the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. It turns out that Blum also holds large investments in companies that were selling medical equipment and supplies and real estate leases—often without the benefit of competitive bidding—to the Department of Veterans Affairs, even as the system of medical care for veterans collapsed on his wife's watch.

As of December 2006, according to SEC filings and Welcome to FedSpending.org, three corporations in which Blum's financial entities own a total of $1 billion in stock won considerable favor from the budgets of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs:

Boston Scientific Corporation: $17.8 million for medical equipment and supplies; 85 percent of contracts awarded without benefit of competition.

Kinetic Concepts Inc.: $12 million, medical equipment and supplies; 28 percent noncompetitively awarded.

CB Richard Ellis: The Blum-controlled international real estate firm holds congressionally funded contracts to lease office space to the Department of Veterans Affairs. It also is involved in redeveloping military bases turned over to the private sector.

You would think that, considering all the money Feinstein's family has pocketed by waging global warfare while ignoring the plight of wounded American soldiers, she would show a smidgeon of shame and resign from the entire Senate, not just a subcommittee. Conversely, you'd think she might stick around MILCON to try and fix the medical-care disaster she helped to engineer for the vets who were suckered into fighting her and Bush's panoply of unjust wars.
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If a Democrat takes billions for their family businesses and the MSM doesn’t report it (as of posting time, not one story is coming up on Google) Do they get away with it? Well this has been bouncing around since 2002…so yeah, it looks like they do.

Just in case THAT isn’t enough, She is going after a guy, one that DID HIS JOB, over his expense report

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who as chair of the Rules Committee has oversight responsibility for the Smithsonian, was so upset by reports of Small's excesses — and the board's lackadaisical response — that she moved up, to April 11, the date of her committee's hearings, according to her staff.

"It is my hope that Secretary Small's resignation will help clear the air at the Smithsonian and help lead to a new era of accountability at one of our nation's premier institutions. I believe that his compensation package, totaling $915,698 in 2007, was seriously flawed and the oversight of his spending practices lacking," she said in a statement Monday. "Now, in the wake of his resignation, it is imperative that the Board of Regents step up to the plate and ensure much more vigorous oversight and accountability."
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And what did this guy do?

As the 21st century approached, the nation's largest museum complex — with 18 museums (plus one under construction), nine research facilities and the National Zoo — was looking a little shopworn, and board members decided that an outside executive, Lawrence M. Small, could liven things up.

Small, who had made his name in the financial community first at Citicorp and then at Fannie Mae, succeeded beyond all expectations. The new secretary of the Smithsonian brought in more than $1 billion in new support and spearheaded the reopening or refurbishing of several marquee museums.

But on Monday the Smithsonian announced his resignation, a departure marred by controversy over his personal style. During his seven-year tenure, Small, 65, showed a willingness to step on toes and a penchant for corporate-style expense account amenities that left him few friends when critics gained the upper hand.
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So clean government boys and girls…what should Diane do? What should be done with her?

Thoughts?
 
#4
#4
This is the same senator that complained that wrote to Gonzalez to express concern that Carol Lam (fired US Atty) was not properly prosecuting illegal aliens but now says she believes in her heart of hearts that Lam was let go because of the Duke Cunningham prosecution.

Thank goodness the Dems have swept in with the most ethical and transparent blah blah blah.
 
#5
#5
Why is anyone surprised? Anyone with a brain knew prior to the 2006 elections that if the Rs were turned out there would be:
1. Increased pork barrel spending;
2. An overnight end to cries for accountability, transparency and ethics reform;
3. A rush to see who could surrender the War in Iraq first;
4. Increased taxes; and
5. Further attempts to make some animals more equal than others (i.e. bringing back the ERA, for starters).
 
#6
#6
VolunteerHillbilly said:
Why is anyone surprised? Anyone with a brain knew prior to the 2006 elections that if the Rs were turned out there would be:
1. Increased pork barrel spending;
2. An overnight end to cries for accountability, transparency and ethics reform;
3. A rush to see who could surrender the War in Iraq first;
4. Increased taxes; and
5. Further attempts to make some animals more equal than others (i.e. bringing back the ERA, for starters).
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And if they held another election on tuesday it would be just the same as Nov. 2006 maybe worse for (r's) America isn't quite buying the talking points like they were a few years ago.:thumbsup:
 
#7
#7
DAVOL said:
And if they held another election on tuesday it would be just the same as Nov. 2006 maybe worse for (r's) America isn't quite buying the talking points like they were a few years ago.:thumbsup:
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I think that has more to do with specific candidates than with party affiliation - Emanuel did a good job of picking dem contenders. Now we'll see if they were truthful about their intentions during the campaign.
 
#9
#9
DAVOL said:
And if they held another election on tuesday it would be just the same as Nov. 2006 maybe worse for (r's) America isn't quite buying the talking points like they were a few years ago.:thumbsup:
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I wouldn't be so sure. I know a lot of people who sat out the midterm out of petulance who are now kicking theselves. Of course it ain't gonna make a hill of beans of difference so long as Bush uses the veto.
 
#10
#10
volinbham said:
I think that has more to do with specific candidates than with party affiliation - Emanuel did a good job of picking dem contenders. Now we'll see if they were truthful about their intentions during the campaign.
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Yep. A lot of those candidates will have short tenures if they knuckle under and vote with the liberal wing of the party after convincing moderate voters in swing districts that they were just as conservative as the R incumbents.
 
#11
#11
VolunteerHillbilly said:
Yep. A lot of those candidates will have short tenures if they knuckle under and vote with the liberal wing of the party after convincing moderate voters in swing districts that they were just as conservative as the R incumbents.
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As conservative as the thoses incumbents who set spending level records for any congress.:good!:
 
#12
#12
DAVOL said:
As conservative as the thoses incumbents who set spending level records for any congress.:good!:
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At least they didnt do it in their first 100 hours. Amazing how things really changed huh?
 
#13
#13
DAVOL said:
As conservative as the thoses incumbents who set spending level records for any congress.:good!:
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stickin $25 billion in pork onto the defense appropriations bill has not gone over too well. I'd venture to guess that some attack ads are already "in the can".
 
#14
#14
utvolpj said:
At least they didnt do it in their first 100 hours. Amazing how things really changed huh?
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Actually they hardly did anything period try dividing spending by the hour actually worked in congress under Hastert the (r's) spent a helluva alot more atleast congress is actually talking about accountability for the money spent now unlike before.:victory:
 
#15
#15
DAVOL said:
Actually they hardly did anything period try dividing spending by the hour actually worked in congress under Hastert the (r's) spent a helluva alot more atleast congress is actually talking about accountability for the money spent now unlike before.:victory:
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Son, I got a headache trying to decipher what you wrote.

Democrats and republicans accountable..............that is funny!

:lolabove:
 
#16
#16
OrangeEmpire said:
Son, I got a headache trying to decipher what you wrote.

Democrats and republicans accountable..............that is funny!

:lolabove:
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Well I'm sorry dad I just hope those new alzheimer drugs sure hold some promise and maybe you can regain your faculties.:birgits_giggle:
 
#18
#18
The "new tone" of the Congress is astounding. Unparalleled transparency and accountability. Finally, a Congress serving the will of the people.

Praise the (insert your favorite non-demoninational entity here)!
 
#19
#19
Amazing someone stepped down. Shocking that on the other side it takes a conviction or being voted out of office to clear things up. Not to mention any names...Cunningham, Ney, Taft, Burns, DeLay.
 
#20
#20
CSpindizzy said:
Amazing someone stepped down. Shocking that on the other side it takes a conviction or being voted out of office to clear things up. Not to mention any names...Cunningham, Ney, Taft, Burns, DeLay.
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That is funny, I thought they learned how to hang on by watching the Clinton administration. They learned it is better to go down with a fight.
 
#21
#21
You'd think they'd learn their lesson...either NOT to do it or how to NOT get caught. Not the brightest I guess. Slow learners.
 
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