The John McCain " McMyth "

  I've been to busy today to keep up with the world, so I bring you another McCain Myth-buster from DailyKos.

The McMyth

by smintheus Sat Jul 12, 2008

John McCain is just a shameless liar, as I can attest from personal experience. But the traditional media in the US remains so wedded to the McMyth he's constructed for them of a 'straight talker', that they generally ignore any evidence that would shatter it. Revelations that would destroy another politician's career routinely are cloaked in silence to preserve the McMyth. Reporters have settled on their narrative for McCain, and they're damned now if they'll admit that they were just blowing smoke at the public.

Take the revelation yesterday that McCain has lied and continues to lie about his marital infidelity and divorce.  Richard Serrano and Ralph Vartabedian of the LA Times uncovered documents to show that McCain's memoir falsified the facts.

In his 2002 memoir, "Worth the Fighting For," McCain wrote that he had separated from Carol before he began dating Hensley.

"I spent as much time with Cindy in Washington and Arizona as our jobs would allow," McCain wrote. "I was separated from Carol, but our divorce would not become final until February of 1980."

An examination of court documents tells a different story. McCain did not sue his wife for divorce until Feb. 19, 1980, and he wrote in his court petition that he and his wife had "cohabited" until Jan. 7 of that year -- or for the first nine months of his relationship with Hensley.

Although McCain suggested in his autobiography that months passed between his divorce and remarriage, the divorce was granted April 2, 1980, and he wed Hensley in a private ceremony five weeks later. McCain obtained an Arizona marriage license on March 6, 1980, while still legally married to his first wife.

The Times neglects to mention that adultery is considered "conduct unbecoming an officer" and can be prosecuted under the UCMJ. The report does however show that despite his later version of events, McCain concealed his extramarital affair from fellow officers and friends as well as his wife, Carol, for the better part of a year. McCain's false chronology obviously is meant to conceal how calculated his behavior was throughout. That's hard to deny given that he got a marriage license while he was married.

So, we have the presumptive Republican presidential nominee caught lying in his memoir about his sordid behavior and past dishonesty. Predictably, the rest of the US media have turned a blind eye to the LA Times' revelations (though they're considered newsworthy abroad).

Because voters don't need to know about evidence regarding McCain's integrity. Reporters have already presented the McMyth. What more could the public want?

Technorati Tags: John McCain,Cindy McCain,Carol McCain,elections

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Demand For U.S. Withdrawal

  IPS for entire article

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's demand for a timetable for complete U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq, confirmed Tuesday by his national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie, has signaled the almost certain defeat of the George W. Bush administration's aim of establishing a long-term military presence in the country.  

  So Prime Minister al-Maliki has decided that he wants a withdrawal timetable for the U.S. troops to leave Iraq. This all sounds well and good on the face of it, but do you really think that the Bush Crime Syndicate is just going to pack up and leave all of that oil money in Iraq? I think not.

   Maliki's timetable for our troop withdrawal apparently does not state that the United States has to do so in any certain period of time. That would mean that Bush, if he would actually allow this to happen, could set a withdrawal date which could be years away from now. I doubt that we'll be leaving anytime soon, though it would be nice. You must remember that we are dealing with a criminal President in the White House.

  You can read more here about Iraq's slow drift away from Washington's influence and pressure.

Technorati Tags: Iraq,Nouri al-Maliki,Iran,George Bush

Democrats Allow Illegal Wiretaps With New FISA Bill

  We all already know that the Bush Crime Syndicate got all that they wanted from the Democrats in the Senate today, Obama included, when they voted to let Bush and the telecoms off the hook for years of illegal spying against both you and myself.

  Listen to the following video

    Are there any honest people running for President out there?

Technorati Tags: FISA,Barack Obama,Democrats,George Bush,telecom amnesty,the Senate,Congress

Barack Obama In New York On July 9,2008

   A nice little speech from the Democratic Presidential hopeful, but my problem with this little chat is that Senator Obama said nothing on why he voted in favor of the FISA Bill which contained amnesty not only for the telecom's but also for the crimes of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

   Now you and I will never know just exactly what kind of illegal wiretaps Bush and friends performed against the citizens of the United States.

  Thank you Senator Obama for your crappy vote against us. You lost my vote in November!

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama,FISA,George Bush,elections,4th Amendment

No More Baggy Pants In Flint, Michigan

   It is about time that someone decided that our youths need to learn how to dress when out in public.

   Flint Police Chief David Dicks said that his officers would begin arresting people who wear saggy/baggy pants that show boxer shorts, bare ass, or skivvies.

"Some people call it a fad," Dicks told the Free Press this week while patrolling the streets of Flint. "But I believe it's a national nuisance. It is indecent and thus it is indecent exposure, which has been on the books for years."

The crime, he says, is disorderly conduct or indecent exposure, both misdemeanors punishable by 93 days to a year in jail and/or fines up to $500.

Dicks, 41, broke down his interpretation of the laws as such: Pants pulled completely below the buttocks with underwear showing is disorderly conduct; saggy pants with skin of the buttocks showing is indecent exposure, and saggy pants, not completely below the buttocks, with underwear exposed results in a warning.

The American Civil Liberties Union is already scrutinizing the enforcement, something Dicks fully expected. But he said he's not backing down until the pants stop falling down.  Freep for more

  I do not really like our government, or police, trying to tell us what we should be wearing. However, we all know that having to watch or look at these people in their drooping drawers is for the most part, disgusting. Give them the tickets and to hell with the ACLU, which I do support in matters of importance. This ain't one of them.

Technorati Tags: Flint Michigan,ACLU,David Dicks,baggy pants

Congress And House Resolution 362

  Many of you may not know what House Resolution 362 is yet. That is why I'm gonna tell you about some of this piece of legislation.

   To put it in simpler terms, this resolution pretty much gives our Criminal In Chief the authority to give Iran a very hard time by doing such things as...

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress--

(1) declares that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, through all appropriate economic, political, and diplomatic means, is vital to the national security interests of the United States and must be dealt with urgently;

(2) urges the President, in the strongest of terms, to immediately use his existing authority to impose sanctions on--

(A) the Central Bank of Iran and any other Iranian bank engaged in proliferation activities or the support of terrorist groups;

(B) international banks which continue to conduct financial transactions with proscribed Iranian banks;

(C) energy companies that have invested $20,000,000 or more in the Iranian petroleum or natural gas sector in any given year since the enactment of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996; and

(D) all companies which continue to do business with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps;

(3) demands that the President initiate an international effort to immediately and dramatically increase the economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on Iran to verifiably suspend its nuclear enrichment activities by, inter alia, prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program; and

(4) urges the President to lead a sustained, serious, and forceful effort at regional diplomacy to support the legitimate governments in the region against Iranian efforts to destabilize them, to reassure our friends and allies that the United States supports them in their resistance to Iranian efforts at hegemony, and to make clear to the Government of Iran that the United States will protect America's vital national security interests in the Middle East.   Govtrack

  By blocking planes, trains, and whatever else, the Congress is pretty much giving Bush the okay to perform an act of war against Iran. Stopping ships from either coming or going is an act of war all by itself.

A US House of Representatives Resolution effectively requiring a naval blockade on Iran seems fast tracked for passage, gaining co-sponsors at a remarkable speed, but experts say the measures called for in the resolutions amount to an act of war.

H.CON.RES 362 calls on the president to stop all shipments of refined petroleum products from reaching Iran. It also "demands" that the President impose "stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains and cargo entering or departing Iran."

Analysts say that this would require a US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.   GlobalResearch

  As is usual on our Congress, only a few people spoke up about how bad this could be.

Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH)

July 1, 2008

Stop the Escalation of Tensions with Iran
Oppose H. Con. Res. 362

Dear Colleague:

I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose H. Con. Res. 362 when it comes to the Floor following the July 4th recess. Despite the intentions of the sponsors of the legislation, this bill will only serve to escalate tensions between the U.S. and Iran. This bill will play into the hand of those in the Bush Administration who want Congressional license to attack Iran.

The third resolved clause states that there should be imposed “stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiation the suspension of Iran’s nuclear Program.” Enforcement of such a provision would almost certainly imply or require the use of force. Furthermore, it is conceivable that this provision could be construed to constitute the imposition of a naval blockade. Under international law a blockade is classified as an act of war.

The bill leaves the door open for war but is silent on ways to avoid it. The language in clause 3 could be understood to contradict the whereas clause in the bill that states that “nothing in this resolution shall be construed as an authorization of the use of force against Iran.” Furthermore, it is notable that this whereas clause does not include a declaration that the President must seek the approval of Congress before authorizing any use of force against Iran. Nor does it explicitly state that the U.S. will resolve our differences with Iran diplomatically and in a show of good will take the use of force off the table.

The provocative nature of the resolution will appear to Iran to be another round of saber rattling and will inflame additional ill will between our nations. If this body truly wants to find a peaceful solution to Iran’s nuclear program and influence in the Middle East, we must use the best and most credible form of diplomacy at our disposal. The U.S. must engage Iran in direct diplomatic talks without preconditions. Passage of this resolution only escalates our strained relationship with Iran.

I urge my Colleagues to vote against H. Con. Res. 362. If you have any questions please contact Cate Veith…

Sincerely,
/S

Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress

  Must you and I always have to tell or elected employees when they are screwing things up? Have they no common sense?

Technorati Tags: House Resolution 362,Iran,George Bush,Congress,Dennis Kucinich,war

John McCain And The Republicans

  You and I have both heard on many occasions that Senator Barack Obama is not qualified to be the President of the United States. This has come from John McCain and his Republican cohorts, of course. the usual line of bullshit is that Obama has not been involved in government service long enough to have gained any experience yet.

  Funny thing about that is this comparison between current President Bush and soon to be President Obama.

   John McCain on then Governor Bush's experience.

   McCain On Bush: "I Think It's Well Remembered That He Was Involved In Government For A Long Time." During a joint appearance on CNN, John McCain praised Governor Bush's experience. He said, "I think it's well remembered that he was involved in government for a long time, including with the previous White House's administration." [CNN, "Inside Politics," 8/10/00; emphasis added]

   Now, comparing Bush and Obama, we learn this:

• When Inaugurated, President Bush Had Been Involved In Government For 6 Years. George W. Bush was elected governor of Texas in 1994. He had been involved in government for 6 years at the time of his inauguration as President of the United States. [Associated Press, 6/3/00]

• On Inauguration Day, Obama Will Have Been Involved In Government For 12 Years. Barack Obama, who entered the Illinois State Legislature in 1996 and has served in the U.S. Senate since January 2005, will have been involved in government for 12 years in January 2009. [ABC News, 2/25/08]

  Obama has twice as much time serving in government than Bush did when he ran for the Oval Office. I guess that in McCain's eyes, it is fine if the Republican running for office has no experience in government, but not if the Democrat doesn't have enough under GOP rules.

Technorati Tags: George Bush,John McCain,Barack Obama,politics,elections,government

134 Lobbyist Working/Raising Cash For John McCain

I still have 2 days of this holiday left so I am directing you to this article, which is on-going.

   Below is an edited version.

   It looks as though John McCain is really just a front man for a group of Republican power brokers who already pull his strings and will continue to do so if elected, hoping that they can secure the White House as puppeteers, just as they have done with George "W"orthless Bush.

  A few of McCain's lobbying friends include..

Charlie Black is John McCain's chief political adviser and formerly a partner at the lobbying firm he founded, BKSH & Associates. He took leave from the firm earlier this year.

The firm's client list have included military contractor Blackwater Worldwide and Phillip Morris, as well as Angolan warlord Jonas Savimbi, and former dictators Ferdinand Marcos of the Philipenes and Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo).

Last year Black was registered to lobby on behalf of 29 clients, including AT&T, Lockheed Martin, Occidental Petroleum, and JP Morgan Chase.

Charlie Black has earned more than $1.8 million representing the Occidental Petroleum Corporation, the leading foreign producer of gas and oil in Colombia. Significant in view of McCain's trip this week to Columbia.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who looted his country during his reign and whose totalitarian regime was marked by human rights abuses.

Angolan Guerilla leader Jonas Savimbi, who brutally murdered and tortured civilians and planted land mines in his own country.

Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, who tortured and publicly executed political rivals, and pillaged his country's resources, enriching himself as the people of Zaire starved.

Rick Davis is John McCain's campaign manager from both this election cycle and McCain's run in 2000. However, he recently turned over day-to-day campaign operations to another staffer.
Davis took leave in 2006 from the lobbying firm he founded, Davis Manafort, in which he retains an ownership stake. Davis Manafort's client list has included Verizon and SBC Communications and Ukranian holding company System Capital Management. Although he has not been registered as a lobbyist for two years, his firm was actively involved working as an unregistered lobbyist representing the interests abroad of foreign politicians and businessmen. In 2006 Davis’s firm represented Viktor Yanukovich, a Ukranian politician opposed by the U.S. Government because of his ties to Vladimir Putin.

Also in 2006, Davis represented Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska a close ally of Vladimir Putin, whose U.S. visa was revoked because of his organized crime and anti-democratic ties. Davis used his ties with McCain to set up a meeting between Deripaska and McCain at an economic conference in Switzerland.

Davis was still actively working as a lobbyist while also working as a paid consultant to McCain’s Reform Institute, and later used his contacts with McCain to facilitate a merger between DHL and Airborne. McCain "thwarted [R-Alaska Senator Ted] Stevens's effort to insert language into legislation that would prohibit foreign-controlled companies such as DHL from holding certain military contracts."

Nigerian Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who supressed opposition political parties, and had a magazine editor critical of his abuses murdered.

Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, whose army slaughtered 5,000 unarmed civillians in ten months.

Phil Gramm is an economic adviser for McCain who was until April a
registered lobbyist for UBS, the world's largest manager of personal
wealth. Gramm is also currently a vice chairman for UBS's investment arm. A former Texas senator and economics professor at Texas A&M, Gramm was still a lobbyist when he advised McCain on the campaign's economic policies unveiled earlier this year.

Additionally, Gramm was a senator who took cash from the banking industry and introduced - and passed - a law that removed consumer safeguards in place since the Great Depression. This allowed banks to merge with financial investment institutions and begin selling risky investment products, including speculating on mortgages. This led to the subprime meltdown we have today which is destroying our economy. Then Gramm quit the Senate and went to work for UBS, a gigantic international bank that took advantage of Gramm's new law and gobbled up investment firms, then had Gramm lobby George W. Bush to remove the remaining consumer safeguards on predatory lending.

John Green is a lobbyist who announced in March that he planned to take leave from his post as a managing director at Ogilvy Government Relations to coordinate the McCain campaign's efforts with congressional Republicans. In recent years, the firm's clients have included European Aeronautic Defense & Space, which beat Boeing for a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract. Also, his firm represented Ameriquest Mortgage, one of the most notorious lenders in the current mortgage crisis.

This year, he is registered to lobby for 57 clients including Pfizer, United Health Care Group, the Carlyle Group and the American Petroleum Group.

  The list goes on and on, so go and check it out just to see how corrupt John McCain is. This man is no straight talker in any sense of the phrase.

Technorati Tags: John McCain,lobbyist,Carlyle Group,USB