If Novak's column is even 30 percent correct, I am getting madder by the day

[Progressive_In_NC]

Granted he's a tool, but he has some points in his column today I am trying to verify. Limpballs must have talked about it today because I've gotten six repub emails about it since 2:00.

With troops dying every single day in Iraq, why do we have time in the US Congress to appropriate money to family members and their business endeavors? I just don't understand this attitude. There are too damn many big issues facing our country today, and these are the folks that we put in power to change the status quo.

I just wish they'd do it.


http://www.suntimes.com/news/novak/479371,CST-EDT-NOVAK23.article

snip

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When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid picked up his ball and went home following his staged all-night session last week, he saved from possible embarrassment one of the least regular members of his Democratic caucus: Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska. Reform Republican Sen. Tom Coburn had ready a defense authorization bill amendment to remove Nelson's earmark funding a Nebraska-based company whose officials include Nelson's son. Such an effort became impossible when Reid pulled down the bill.


Carl Levin's amendment to the defense bill mandating a troop withdrawal from Iraq would fall short of the 60 senators needed to cut off debate, and planned from the start to pull the bill after the all-night debate, designed to satisfy anti-war zealots, was completed. But Reid also is working behind the scenes with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to undermine transparency of earmarks and prevent open debate on spending proposals such as Nelson's.


At stake is the fate of Coburn's "Reid Amendment" previously passed by the Senate -- so called because it would bar earmarks benefitting a senator's family members such as Reid's four lobbyist sons and son-in-law. Nelson's current $7.5 million earmark for software helps 21st Century Systems Inc. (21 CSI), which employs the senator's son, Patrick Nelson, as its marketing director. 21 CSI gets 80 percent of its funds from federal grants, mostly from earmarks. With nine offices scattered among states that are represented by appropriators in Congress, the company has in recent years spent $1.1 million to lobby Congress and $160,000 in congressional campaign contributions. "As of April," the Omaha World-Herald reported, "only one piece of <21 CSI> software has been used -- to help guard a single Marine camp in Iraq -- and it was no longer in use."

In requesting the 21 CSI earmark, Nelson did not disclose his son's employment there. "There's no requirement that he disclose that," a Nelson spokesman said. "But frankly, in this case, we didn't disclose it because it's so public." An April 24 letter from Armed Services Committee Chairman Levin, giving all senators instructions on how to request earmarks, makes no mention of the "Reid Amendment" passed by the Senate three months earlier but requires only certification that no senator's spouse will benefit from an earmark. Inclusion of Nelson's son, however, would be required if and when the ethics bill provision passes.
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[TwilightGardener]

1. Snarlin' Arlen can go to hell--whining crybaby who is upset that

Reid is finally playing some hardball. But there is no excusing Nelson--he's increasingly becoming an embarrassment to the party, because of the recurring earmarks to a company his son works for (and he gets campaign donations from them, too), AND because he voted for Cheney's office to get funding--he said, "Cheney can do exactly what he wants". Uh, no he can't, you corrupt Republican-ass-licking DINO.

[Robbien]

2. Not surprised Novak is only reporting the Dem pork and not GOPer pork

nor even mentioning how many GOPer relatives are on the payroll.

But yes, Novak is right. Dems have quite a few real big porkers.

[Progressive_In_NC]

3. Like I said he's a tool I know, the repubs have had 12 years of pork

i guess I just sorta expect that crap from them.

[tabasco]

5. Thanks for your "concern." n/t

[underpants]

4. Don't be afraid to be wrong

It hasn't happened recently but don't let them use your fear of not being right EVERYTIME because they have been milking THAT for years now. That was the reason that they were able to get the votes for the war in the first place (okay it is more complicated than that but that is for another post).

Don't be so afraid of one time being wrong that you let them set this up as a truth. It stinks to high heaven.

First of all if Novak was so concerned about these earmarks for useless software he would do regular reports on the 1,400 accounting systems now used in the Pentagon. That is right 1,400-why so many? Basically they are bought by Congressmen from constituents to help their sales and provide a great reference. This is part of the reason that $2.1 Trillion of STUFF is missing at the Dod.

SEcondly note that there is nothing illegal in what is done. It WILL BE illegal or at least it has to be disclosed IF the bill passes (I am willing to bet that Novak's dark overlords oppose it) but it hasn't yet. How about all the former Congresspeople who do the same lobbying right now?? How about tracing the lobbying work of Fred Thompson there Novak?

Don't buy into their shit. They are liars-they have to be confessing to working for the rich and only the rich would never sell even to their most toothless supporter.

[leftist.]

10. Fantastic reply, and thanks for taking the time to write it! n/t

[KoKo]

6. Ben Nelson is a DINO and Anything Bob Novak writes is open to question.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

7. "I've gotten six repub emails about it since 2:00."

Why would you get so many repub emails about anything?

[Progressive_In_NC]

8. Welcome to Raleigh, NC

Where my neighbors and family all lock-step to the RW talking points. My parents are the only dems in two large, very southern and rural families.

My dad fought hard for a union at his place of work, until they finally fired him 1 year before full retirement and gave him nothing for a pension (NC is a "right to work state" you know). My parents are both anti-war, but they've got brothers and sisters who drive big-assed SUVs and have the ribbons and W04 stickets on their cars.

I am kindof vocal too, I went to that "librul college" -- UNC Greensboro (or UNC Gay as they like to call it) where I met my librul wife and now we have two librul kids who we are obviously raising poorly. Needless to say, I've got a big bullseye in my back from my uncles and cousins and my neighbors (Knightdale and Eastern Raleigh aren't exactly bastions of progressiveness, although our Representative is Brad Miller).

So about once or twice a week, I get my inbox full of "A-Ha" emails, which I'm guess is because of the radio guys brought it up (streaming is blocked at work so I have no idea where this stuff comes from).

[leftist.]

9. In any office there's usually an "Everyone" option for email.

Some people don't realize that what they send is too politically pointed and as such inappropriate for an office, and then some people just don't care at all. I worked in "9 in 10 employees are republikans" office just over a year ago and it was common to see many emails addressed to "Everyone" flying around about whatever they were scared of or pissed at that day. Some times I would snopes them but most of the time I'd just ignore them.