Critics Question Timing of Santorum Bill

[laheina]

Critics Question Timing of Santorum Bill
By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer
Thu May 26, 11:45 PM

WASHINGTON - Two days before Sen. Rick Santorum introduced a bill that critics say would restrict the National Weather Service, his political action committee received a $2,000 donation from the chief executive of AccuWeather Inc., a leading provider of weather data.

The disclosure has renewed criticism of the measure, which Santorum, R-Pa., maintains would allow the weather service to better focus on its core mission of getting threatening weather info out in a "timely and speedy basis.

<snip>

http://www.comcast.net/news/politics/index.jsp?cat=POLITICS&fn=/2005/05/27/142404.html

[WillParkinson]

1. Stop questioning the Republicans!

They know what's best for us. Who are we to question their wisdom?
May lightning strike them down if they....say, are those storm clouds gathering?

[laheina]

2. LOL. nt

[elehhhhna]

23. Why do you hate Sphinctorum's Freedom? Unpatriotic much?

[annabanana]

3. He really is a spectacular

slime bucket. I like the NWS just the way it is . . OURS!

[NWHarkness]

4. Man, what a cheap whore

If Ricky will introduce a bill for only $2000, I might buy a few laws myself.

[KittyWampus]

5. Santorum Is Cheap. $2000 Bucks Is Chicken Scratch To Delay/Abramoff

[triguy46]

18. 6 pairs of shoes for frist

[progressoid]

21. Ha ha ha

You gotta have comfortable shoes to walk all over people.

[chelsea0011]

6. The National Weather Service? Leave it to the Republicans

to make an issue of the NWS.

[Strawman]

10. The libruls run the NWS

They keep confirming that global warming nonsense with their pinko weather reports. :sarcasm:

I think the Repugs should just run Ed Anger from the Weekly Word News for President in 2008.

Boy, they must really be scaping the bottom, of the barrel in their quest for sources of outrage now that they run everything.

[MisterP]

13. Bush cancelled funding for at least six weather satellites

no prize for anyone guessing right as to why he wouldn't want us to see the weather...

[freedom_to_read]

12. why should my tax dollars go to predicting other peoples weather?

/sarcasm

[wallwriter]

7. Accuweather would have had to pay more, but

they swore to Santorum that they really love Jesus...

[Zynx]

8. Whoa, cheap whore. Only $2000 to buy a Senator??

Just damn.

[Pacifist Patriot]

16. I thought that was a rather paltry bribe myself.

;)

[fob]

22. That's called a "loss leader". Ricky gets you on the docket and a

bill for $2,000 and you think "Cool, I'm in", but then your bill hits some "trouble" and Ricky needs another $2,000. Then it stalls in Committee and there are 5 committee members and a chair so Ricky will be the "unsticker" for another $15,000 (committee chairs cost $5,000!)
And so on.

[pilgrimsoul]

44. Yeah, isn't that Jeff Gannon's going rate for a weekend? LOL

Hoping some talented DUer will photoshop Santorum's head on one of Gannon's naughty tighty-whity pics. It's like the old joke - we've already established what you are...the only thing left to is negotiate the price.

[Daphne08]

9. Story is in the Washington Post, too.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/27/AR2005052700124.html

[NashVegas]

11. Four Tennessee Legislators Were Arrested by the Feds Yesterday

For something very much like this.

[gratuitous]

14. Which makes you wonder

Why did the FBI go to all the trouble of setting up a sting when they could have gotten all the corruption they wanted just by reading the newspaper?

[johnaries]

15. Operation Tennessee Waltz. Interesting tidbit on local Public radio,

there were several other sponsors that the sting op talked to, but never offered bribes to. No one seems to know why bribes were offered to some but not others. Hmmmm...

[burythehatchet]

17. I agree with Rick

weather should be privatized. Let the free market make rain when the invisible hand guides it.

[tk2kewl]

19. The check and the proposed bill probably came in the same envelope

[stevedeshazer]

20. Great photo of Santorum in that article

[warrens]

24. Oh, good lord

Putting weather conditions up on the internet for free isn't a "timely and speedy basis?" What is this LUNATIC drinking?

God, I loathe these scumdumpsters.

[Allenberg]

25. Nice.

More bullets for Bob Casey Jr.'s guns come 2006. Thanks Rick!

[Lori Price CLG]

26. Storm Brews Over Santorum PAC's Weather Dealings

Storm Brews Over Santorum PAC's Weather Dealings

Two days before Sen. Rick Santorum introduced a bill that critics say would restrict the National Weather Service, his political action committee received a $2,000 donation from the chief executive of AccuWeather Inc., a leading provider of weather data.

The disclosure has renewed criticism of the measure, which Santorum, R-Pa., maintains would allow the weather service to better focus on its core mission of getting threatening weather info out in a "timely and speedy basis."

Opponents say the bill would endanger the public by preventing the dissemination of certain weather data, and force taxpayers to pay for the data twice. The bill would prevent the weather service from competing for certain services offered by the private sector.

<snip>

Lori Price

[annabanana]

27. He just doesn't want anyone to get ANY free information

from ANY part of the federal government.... Not if he can cut any of his friends in on it.

If one of his pals sold AIR he'd figure out a way that we couldn't breathe without some damn fee.

[VegasWolf]

28. Only 2K to buy a US Senator. Wow, Murika has really fallen. n/t

[Ikonoklast]

29. What a cheap slut

I wonder if he got the money tucked into his thong or picked it up with his teeth?

[dbt]

30. Funny that this comes to light at the same time as S.517,

Kay Hutchison's bill to establish a Bureau Of Weather Modification, no? Read all about it here.

:tinfoilhat:

[CottonBear]

32. Holy Orwell Speak Batman! Bureau Of Weather Modification?

:scared: Is that like "Clean Skies" and "Healthy Forests"?

[Lori Price CLG]

33. Thanks for that link, and I guess that means we can stop being called...

...conspiracy theorists when we suggest that tsunamis can be triggered/generated by the U.S. military, etc..

Lori Price

[dbt]

35. Nah, we'll just get bitched out for keeping the information

to ourselves for so long!

:evilgrin:

[wtbymark]

34. The weather modification bill

also states that any so-called 'collateral damage' (in other words, the public) cannot be legally pursued in court. Yea, it's great to wake up in the morning and breath barium and aluminum particals, yummy!

[dbt]

36. Shhhhhhh. You'll stir *THEM* up!

;-)

[vajraroshana]

39. I've read through it three times and don't see that

Where do you see it stating that collateral damage cannot be legally pursued in court. Are we reading the same bill?

[NewJeffCT]

31. wow, Fox News even says it

that is not good for Santorum.

[Robb]

37. Well, *I* can be bought

...but two grand?

It's a news strawman. Next story will be how much said weather companies contributed to the Dems.

Ready? Here, I'll write it now:

WASHINGTON -- Just days after controversy erupted over one Republican Senator's political action committee receiving $2,000 from a company that provides weather data as a weather bill was being introduced, a political watchdog group says the Democrats received over $4 million from the same company.

A Fox News investigation revealed AccuWeather, Inc. has donated more than four million dollars to Democrats over the past ten years in more than nine states.

Sen. Rick Santorum, who was at the center of attacks by the Democrats on Friday lashed out today, decrying what he called "misleading the American people with out of context statistics and damn lies."

etc. etc. etc. :eyes:

[denverbill]

38. Anyone remember when cable had a 24 hr weather radar?

It was free, and always available, even if nothing was happening.

Then the Weather Channel came along. Since people could go to the free channel and get exactly what they needed within 2 seconds, nobody had any need for the Weather Channel, which give you weather information for you locality about every 20 minutes. Oddly enough, that free weather service disappeared shortly thereafter.

Sanatorium is probably trying to for this website off the air so that people are forced to go to ad supported, sites.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p19r0/si.kftg.shtml

[Desperadoe]

40. Here is the lie

Santorum said critics have misinterpreted the bill's purpose. He said severe weather information would still be released, and it would restore the old rules that were changed last year.

But a little further up in the article he says this:

He said he has worked on the issue for three years.

So my question is: How come he has been working for three years to undo changes that were made one year ago?

Also, the $2000 was only the latest contribution from AccuWeather. They have donated over $11,000 in the last year.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20050527/D8ABJ6201.html

[rodeodance]

41. and AccuWeather based in State College PA

AccuWeather, based in State College, Pa., provides weather data to a variety of outlets, including media organizations such as The Associated Press.

"I think the timing of it is what makes it so suspect," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Government (search), a Democratic-leaning watchdog group. "It's like here's the money and you're going to do what I want."

Santorum said the $2,000 contribution, received from AccuWeather CEO Joel Myers on April 12, came during a fundraiser in State College that happened to be two days before the bill was filed. He said he has worked on the issue for three years.

[rodeodance]

42. "bill.. bar weather service forecasters from giving one-on-one....

interviews. What the crap is all this needed for?

........Under the proposed legislation, the weather service would be allowed to offer particular types of services only if the private sector does not offer them, a provision similar to rules the agency was guided by for 14 years until last year.

When the rule changed, the weather service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expanded into areas already served by the commercial weather industry, according to Santorum's office.

In his letter, Nelson said Santorum's bill would bar weather service forecasters from giving one-on-one interviews to media. He also said it could inhibit pilots' access to data the weather service provides to the Federal Aviation Administration online. When four hurricanes struck Florida last year, the weather service Web site received 9 billion hits, Nelson said.

He urged Bush to "publicly oppose this legislative attempt to push the weather service back to a pre-Internet era and restrict the public's right to access government information."

[Lori Price CLG]

43. Great points, Desperadoe! n/t