Saturday, December 25, 2010

How Do We Square The Circle

Pay attention...many brilliant people think they're not

...you may be one of them

Also, There is no such thing as ADHD!

Then there's this:

What motivates you?

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas...to all and to all a good night from Storm'n Norm'n

Best if viewed full screen...
The following compliments of Texas Fred ...thanks Fred
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

Photobucket

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Colonel 'Jihad' van Coots insults the troops...must be a friend of Major Nidal Malik Hasan.

See rule #8 below
 

The following from: Patriots For America

Walter Reed Hospital Commander's Muharram Greeting

The number directly to COL Coots office is 202-782-6395........I spoke with a secretary who took my request but would not answer the question. She took my number and said she would "add" to messages to COL Coots....
In calling his office......please request a copy of COL Coots Christmas message and Hanukkah message to the troops. Give the secretary or whomever answers your email address and ask for a copy of the Christmas and Hanukkah message be sent to you........if they say no Christmas or Hanukkah message has been sent, then we need to tell the Internet and the press........

This sends me beyond anger............
Harry Riley

___________________________________________
This is a disgrace and such a slap in the face of our Brave Warriors! Did he send out a Merry Christmas message to the Christian Warriors up and did he send any Hanukkah messages out to the Jewish Warriors up there? Time to bombard Walter Reed with phone calls!

(202) 782-3501 Ask for Coots office. I spoke with Karen in his office and I let her know this is wrong and he better address the Christians and the Jewish patients there too! Coots wasn't in but they transferred me to Jonie Mitchell, his secretary. I let loose on her and she will pass my message. This moron Coots will be back in his office at 1:30! She took my number. I told her this is harmful to the mental health of these BRAVE Warriors and he better send a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to the other Warriors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I told her she is going to get alot of calls today and we will not stop here!

Folks, this is important, please call, STICK UP FOR OUR TROOPS, FIGHT FOR THEM LIKE THEY HAVE FOUGHT FOR US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CALL (202) 782-3501 and ask for Commander Coots!

This is downright cruel and this crap needs to stop! Please Call and please pass this all over! Those phone lines need to burn up at Walter Reed. If anyone has a contact out there who is partial to our troops at Walter Reed and part of command, please forward their phone number to me.

Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers

Copy of Letter can be seen HERE

Permalink Reply by Paul Stewart Reprogle 1 day ago
I sent this to the Secretary of Defense requesting to know how this could be considered appropriate in any context. Waiting to see what they say.


Update
Just to let you know how I really feel, I sent the following email to Walter Reed Army Medical Center:
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 1:56 PM
Subject: Official Insult
↓ above jpeg photo went here
Posted here
Other links:
Washington Times apparently the Times do not wish to receive comments on this subject (comments were closed at time of posting)

The so-called colonel cannot redeem himself for making excuses by sending out separate greetings. Islam was never a part of the traditional American Christmas season until the Muslim sympathizer in the White House came on the scene. Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Christ is what generations of Americans celebrated even before President Grant signed it into a Christmas holiday albeit for the District of Columbia. Further, that this nation was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles and it is those principles that have kept us together as a nation. And as such we celebrate both Christian and Jewish holidays during this time of year and not some anti-American ACLU winter solstice. East is East and West is West and never the two shall meet! ...and the same goes for Islam for they have no tolerance for either Christians or Jews...says so in their anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Jewish Quran!
Van Coots is a poor example of anyone who ever donned the uniform of this country!
Norman E. Hooben
...a reminder from Cicero
"A nation can survive its' fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the galleys, heard in the very hall of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor--He speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and wears their face and their garment, and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation--he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city--he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared."Cicero, 42 B.C., Roman Statesman, orator, and author. And if you don't think that Barack Husein Obama is the enemy within, you're not thinking!  ...and don't forget RULE # 8 (Written in 1982)
8. Encourage Muslims to penetrate the White House, specifically with Islamists who can articulate a marvelous and peaceful picture of Islam. Acquire government positions and get membership in local school boards. Train Muslims as medical doctors to dominate the medical field, research and pharmaceutical companies (Ever notice how numerous Muslim doctors in America are, when their countries need them more desperately than America?) Take over the computer industry. Establish Middle Eastern restaurants throughout the U.S. to connect planners of Islamization in a discreet way.
See also: Islam -What the West Needs to Know (full length)  (YouTube)


 

JFK...I thought he was a Democrat

JFK's conservative values...
...and you voted for the Marxist Obama.  Where are your values?

WARNING ! Indiscriminate use of this product may land you in jail !!!

The following from: Patriot Action Network

Boy, 13, Busted For Illegal Marker Possession

DECEMBER 22--A 13-year-old boy was arrested Friday for using a permanent marker while in class at his Oklahoma City middle school, a violation of an obscure city ordinance.
According to an Oklahoma City Police Department report, the boy was spotted “in possession of a permanent marker” by Roosevelt Middle School teacher DeLynn Woodside. The 50-year-old educator told cop
Miguel Campos that the student was “writing on a piece of paper, which
caused it to bleed over onto the desk.”
Woodside, pictured at right, reported that the child, whose name was redacted by police from the report, attempted to hide the marker when she asked him for it. Strangely, Woodside’s Facebook page reveals that
her “likes and interests” include the official “Sharpie Permanent
Markers” page on Facebook.
Campos reported that he allowed Woodside, a seventh grade math teacher, to “sign a citation” against the boy, who was then transported to the Community Intervention Center, a juvenile holding facility. A police sergeant subsequently
“booked the marker into the property room.”
A police spokesman referred to the student’s bust as a “citizen’s arrest” effectuated by Woodside.
The marker ban--which apparently is aimed at curbing graffiti--stems from a city ordinance making it illegal to possess spray paint or a permanent marker on private property (without the owner’s permission)

The following from: The Smoking Gun

Boy, 13, Busted For Illegal Marker Possession
Oklahoma City math teacher in citizen's arrest of student
________________________
Something to think about...

Here's the bottom line . . .(from Downsize D.C.)
"Most political labels are about tribal loyalties, and psychological dispositions, NOT bedrock coherent principles. These tribal loyalties and psychological dispositions can be designated by the traditional terms "left" and "right." These simple if meaningless direction pointers are more than enough to show us that there are two feuding factions..."
If the voter (not just the average voter, all voters) had bedrock coherent principles then all who voted for John F. Kennedy would have sent Edward M. Kennedy (aka Ted Kennedy) to prison.  Just goes to show you who has values and sticks to those values through thick and thin no matter what the designation after the name...maybe Perry Willis is right on! ~ Norman E. Hooben

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

We own a Chevy...but this is the classiest Ford ever!

In case you didn't know...Ford has not accepted a penny from the government bailout.
_________________

For all you car enthusiasts here's a little history lesson: (Now who would trade-in a good horse for one of these?)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

New Internet Rules...good or bad?

I'm not sure how this new legislation is going to affect the average person's use of the Internet for I haven't kept up with it since Hillary Clinton was a senator from New York.  Clinton received large sums of money (while she was a senator) from advocates for net neutrality.  I didn't like the idea then and probably should not like it now...especially that the likes of Al Franken, Senator from Minnesota, has endorsed it.  Will this be the be the so-called 'foot-in-the-door' for the FCC to impose new rules down the road?  Just what we need, more of big government... Hey Hillary, "What did you do with all that money?" ~ Norman E. Hooben

Internet rules to get go ahead by US regulators


Protesters with "save the internet" signs The issue has already been the subject of protests
 
Controversial new rules affecting the running of the internet are expected to be approved by US regulators today.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote on a principle known as net neutrality; a tenet that ensures all web traffic is treated equally.
The rules have been criticised for setting different standards for fixed line broadband and mobile operators.
Officials said the regulations are "the first time the Commission has adopted enforceable rules" to govern the web.
Tuesday's vote is the culmination of five years of fighting over how best to ensure the free flow of information in all its forms over the internet.
The proposal also comes at a time when consumers are increasingly accessing the web via smart phones and turning to the internet to watch TV shows.
'Rules of the road'
The Commission's ability to regulate the internet was thrown into doubt following an appeals court decision earlier this year that said the agency lacked the authority to stop cable firm ComCast from blocking bandwidth-hogging applications.
Hands bound by ethernet cable (Thinkstock) Many arguing for net neutrality say it is a fundamental freedom the web should guarantee
The FCC's agenda said the vote will address "basic rules of the road to preserve the open internet as a platform for innovation, investment, competition and free expression".
That is a view backed by chairman Julius Genachowski.
"We're adopting a framework that will increase certainty for businesses, investors and entrepreneurs," Mr Genachowski said in remarks prepared for the meeting.
"We're taking an approach that will help foster a cycle of massive investment, innovation and consumer demand both at the edge and in the core of our broadband networks."
The five member Commission is expected to vote 3-2 along party lines.
Michael Copps, a Democrat, said in a written statement that he will not block the plan after weeks of what senior FCC officials called "robust engagement" with the Commission to toughen the rules.
"The item we will vote on is not the one I would have crafted but I believe we have been able to make the current iteration better than what was originally circulated," said Mr Copps.
"If vigilantly and vigorously implemented by the commission, it could represent an important milestone in the ongoing struggle to safeguard the awesome opportunity-creating power of the open internet."
Fellow Democrat Mignon Clyburn is also expected to concur on the rules, whilst Mr Genachowski's vote is expected to push it through. Republicans Meredith Baker and Robert McDowell are expected to vote against the order.
The regulations are expected to be challenged in court.
'Squandered'
A number of interested parties including internet providers, developers and companies like Google have said the rules will provide some regulatory certainty going forward. Many have acknowledged that the proposal could have been much worse.

Start Quote

I think we will see the flood gates open from the blocking of applications to the slowing down of competitors' apps to monetising every application that seeks to travel over their network”
End Quote Aparna Sridhar Free Press
 
The new regulations would prohibit telecommunications companies that provide high-speed internet service from blocking access by customers to any legal content, applications or service.
But, for the first time, there will be a policy that will allow for what has been termed "paid-prioritisation", where companies will be able to pay for a faster service.
The FCC proposal would also place tougher restrictions on wired services from cable and phone companies than on wireless carriers, which have more limited bandwidth.
It comes at a time when an increasing number of people are using smart phones or tablet devices to access the web or watch TV shows.
The rules would allow mobile firms to block access to sites or applications that specifically compete with a carrier's voice or video services.
Supporters of net neutrality feel the new regulations should have gone further and have slammed them as "fake net neutrality".
"I think today is a tremendously important day in the fight to preserve a fee and open internet," Aparna Sridhar of advocacy group the Free Press, told BBC News.
"Chairman Genachowski has completely squandered a golden opportunity to make this vote meaningful. Until now we have had a certain amount of regulatory uncertainty and the carriers have had an incentive to stay on their best behaviour.
"This rule will endorse bad practices in the wireless space and I think we will see the flood gates open from the blocking of applications to the slowing down of competitors' apps to monetising every application that seeks to travel over their network," added Ms Sridhar.
In an opinion piece for the Huffington Post, Al Franken, US Senator for Minnesota, called the FCC vote "the most important free speech issue of our time" and the draft order the FCC will vote on a "badly flawed proposal".

More on This Story

Related stories

Sunday, December 19, 2010

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T REMEMBER, THIS IS HOW THE BOOGIE WOOGIE WAS DONE! ...from the mailbox (the truth of the matter is, "I remember")

----- Original Message -----
From: fred
To: Norm
Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2010 3:52 PM
Subject: Fwd: Fw: boogie woogie

Now this was when music was good and dancing was better.

FRED
 
THIS IS THE COOLEST!!
If you can take your eyes off her, the male dancer is super. He never moves his shoulders compared to what his feet and knees are doing. And the top of his head stays at the same height no matter what.

This is a pianist from Switzerland who plays some of the best Boogie Woogie anywhere. He is so BIG over there, they hold a week-long Boogie Woogie contest every year and all the best players in the world are invited. In this video he is joined by 2 amazing dancers. The male dancer even has a haircut from the forties.
Turn up the volume, watch and give it a listen! If you experience any trouble tapping your foot to the beat, you had better hurry and schedule an appointment with your physician.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T REMEMBER, THIS IS HOW THE BOOGIE WOOGIE WAS DONE!

Sometimes I just break out laughing...(may be uncouth for some)

New high tech communications ...
with English subtitles

________________________
Picture of the day...

Peggy West ? ...Ummm, Where do these people come from? - Also: 7th Special Forces Get Help From Illegal Aliens

See video below.

The following from: Enduring Sense 

Peggy West, Democrat Country Supervisor from Wisconsin

Posted by Steve Markowitz

The Progressives and loony-Left often resort to the narrative that those that disagree with them are lacking in intelligence and education.  Through this narrative they attempt to get a pass on legitimate debate of the issues.  This approach was successful enough in 2008 to get Barack Obama elected president without one day of executive experience to his credit.  The folly of that approach shows since the election.
Talking of intellect and the Left, the video below of Peggy West is incredible.  Ms. West, a County Supervisor from Wisconsin, wants her town to boycott Arizona for their audacity of wanting to enforce immigration laws.  How crude of them!
In defense of her position Ms. West proffers the view that Arizona’s law is unacceptable since that State, unlike Texas, does not have a border with Mexico.  Progressive intellect in action!  Facts be damned; if it sounds good say it.  Why not, Ms. West saw it work so well during the last presidential election.
I have a suggestion for the good folks in Wisconsin.  First, check Ms. West’s resume carefully.  If she indeed did finish high school, or heaven forbid college, pull their accreditation!
 _________________

In Other News...

30+ illegals found working at 7th Special Forces

Subcontractor was also an illegal

Source: NewsHerald.com Panama City, Florida
Brian Hughes Florida Freedom Newspapers

---
CRESTVIEW* — A September arrest of an admitted illegal alien by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office precipitated an investigation that has led to the arrest of a subcontractor who also admitted to being in the United States illegally. The man employed nearly three dozen other workers who are in the country illegally, investigators said.

The workers were all doing drywall work in buildings at the 7th Special Forces cantonment south of Crestview across State 85 from Duke Field. They worked for H&S Drywall, owned by Victor Hugo Contreras-Suarez, 27, a Mexican national married to an American, whose name, Sheyenne Contreras, appears on contract documents, according to a sheriff’s office press release.

“It looks like he used her to sign the paperwork,” said sheriff’s office Investigator George Collins.

According to Contreras-Suarez’s arrest report, on Sept. 15, Collins asked for assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ on-site resident engineer and supervising manager, Jeremiah Walker, who “expressed his concern,” but said he must clear his cooperation with the corps’ legal office. Subsequent attempts by Collins to contact Walker by e-mail and telephone received no reply, according to his report.

Collins then sought and received the assistance of local agents from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Eglin Air Force Base and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Eglin OSI opened an investigation on Sept. 27 Collins reported, but it wasn’t until Dec. 7 that investigators were able to review critical Corps of Engineers documents, he said.

On Dec. 8, the investigators inspected payroll time sheets from the previous several months. According to Collins’ report, “on the first contractor, we found two out of the seven SSNs (Social Security numbers) to be false, and two others to be questionable.”

Collins’ report said an investigation of a second contractor’s time sheets revealed “15 of the first 16 names we checked to be either false or questionable.”With H&S Drywall’s conduct looking most suspicious, Collins spent two more days reviewing its company timesheets with the help of the local Social Security office.“Of the 35 different names listed, we determined that 32 of them were false, stolen or fictitious and others were questionable,” Collins stated in his report.
Working undercover Dec. 9 through 15, Collins continued his investigation on the cantonment site.
“While working in an undercover capacity, (Collins) asked workers if they had completed I-9 forms, which are required for work in the United States and is a requirement for work on government contracts,” stated Contreras-Suarez’s arrest report. “The workers did not know what the form was, stated they did not complete such a form, or were not sure.”
When arrested Dec. 15, Contreras-Suarez admitted to being an illegal alien. Because he was observed driving a 2009 GMC Sierra four-door pick-up truck on the cantonment site, Contreras-Suarez was also arrested for driving without a license.
Marlo Contreras, 23, and Abraham Garcia, 26, both Mexican nationals, were arrested on charges of fraudulent use of personal information. The other 31 suspects had already moved on by the time the identity fraud investigation concluded, Collins said.

“The issue was there is a lot of turnover in the company,” Collins said. “Most of the 35 weren’t even working there anymore when we gat the data to check. The most recent payroll data they had was Nov. 21. This was Dec. 8 when we finally got the records. That particular company was winding down because they were coming to the end of their workload.”
Collins’ report stated that the investigation is ongoing and has expanded beyond identity fraud into contract, criminal labor violations and immigration violations.
“There are a lot of issues of non-payment or under-payment of wages,” Collins said. “There are things we still have to look into. We have to look into the whereabouts of those workers. A lot of them came from Orlando to work for this guy. Some of them told me they came up from Orlando because they worked for him before. Some of them told me they worked for him on a previous government contract.
“I know the Air Force is going to look into some of the administrative issues on the contracts,” Collins said.


*No connection to the above story but I got my dog from a animal rescue shelter in Crestview, Florida.

The Most Corrupt List...awe c'mon, you knew he'd be on the list but did you know he was at the top

"Americans have suffered through lies, stonewalling, cover-ups, corruption, secrecy, scandal and blatant disregard for the rule of law … this has been the Obama legacy in its first two years"
The only problem I have posting these lists is the it only encourages voters from Massachusetts, New York, California, and a few other places to continue to re-elect corrupt politicians...they fail realize that the D after the name on the ballot stands for Deceit. When asked the question, "What good did your candidate do for the country?", not one could come up with an answer...not a good answer anyway.  The other mysterious thing that befuddles my mind is how can anyone keep voting for the same people and then complain about whatever it is that government does when it's the voters that put the bums in office and then allow the bums to reward themselves for failure (i.e. vote themselves pay raises, retirement and medical benefits unheard of anywhere else, etc.). ~ Storm'n Norm'n

The following from: World Net Daily

OBAMA WATCH CENTRAL
Encore! Obama repeats appearance on 'most corrupt' list Joined by Boxer, Emanuel, Ensign, Pelosi, Rangel, Waters

By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily


U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to the White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Department of the Interior in Washington on December 16, 2010.   UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg Photo via Newscom

Barack Obama has been encored on the "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2010, a list published annually by the a Washington-based organization that focuses on transparency, accountability and integrity in the government, politics and law of the United States.
"Remember the promise President Obama made just after his inauguration in 2009? 'Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency,'" said Judicial Watch in today's announcement.
"Instead, Americans have suffered through lies, stonewalling, cover-ups, corruption, secrecy, scandal and blatant disregard for the rule of law … this has been the Obama legacy in its first two years."
The full list, in alphabetical order, names: Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.; Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; Sen. John Ensign, R-N.V.; Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.; Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill.; Barack Obama, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.; Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky.; and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
About Obama, the report said he was "caught in a lie" over what he knew about Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's "scheme to sell the president's vacated Senate seate."
The report explained, "Blagojevich's former Chief of Staff John Harris testified that Obama had personal knowledge of Blago's plot to obtain a presidential cabinet position in exchange for appointing a candidate handpicked by the president. In fact, according to Harris's court testimony, Obama sent Blagojevich a list of 'acceptable' Senate candidates to fill his old seat. Obama was interviewed by the FBI even before he was sworn into office. He claimed he and his staff had no contact with Blagojevich's office."
The White House did not respond to a WND request for comment.
According to Judicial Watch, "Unfortunately federal prosecutors never called the president or his staff to testify under oath."
Further, Obama broke "his famous pledge to televise health-care negotiations."
"In 2010, we learned why he broke his pledge. In what is now known as the 'Cornhusker Kickback' scheme, Obama and the Democrats in the Senate 'purchased' the vote of one of the last Democrat hold-outs, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson, who opposed Obamacare over the issue of covering abortions with taxpayer funds," the report said.
"Nelson abandoned his opposition to Obamacare after receiving millions of dollars in federal aid for his home state, helping to give the Democrats the 60 votes they needed to overcome a Republican filibuster. Same goes for Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu, who received a $100 million payoff in what has been called 'The Louisiana Purchase.' (The Kickback was so corrupt that Democrats stripped it out at the last minute. The Louisiana Purchase, on the other hand, became law of the land.)" the report said.
"Obama lied about his White House's involvement in this legislative bribery that helped lead to the passage of the signature policy achievement of his presidency," the report said.
Founded in 1994, Judicial Watch describes itself as a constitutionally conservative, nonpartisan education foundation that promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law."
The other celebrities "honored" on the list:
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 06: Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, speaks during a news conference on December 6, 2010 in Washington, DC. Senator Boxer spoke about the United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in Cancun, Mexico from November 29 to December 10. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

  • Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. – who, it appears, "still needs an ethics lesson," the report said. She's chair of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, and presided over a year-long investigation into the "preferential treatment" Sens. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Kent Conrad, D-N.D., may have gotten from Countrywide Financial. Senate rules prohibit members from getting loan terms not available to the general public, Judicial Watch said.
    "The evidence clearly showed that Dodd and Conrad knew they were receiving preferential treatment despite repeated denials. Yet Boxer's Senate Ethics Committee allowed Dodd and Conrad to wriggle off the hook with a light admonition that suggested the two senators should have exercised better judgment.
    But that's not all, the report said. "Boxer failed to mention (or disclose on her official Senate Financial Disclosure documents) that she and her husband have signed no less than seven mortgages with Countrywide! At the time of the hearing, Boxer reportedly indicated she had paid off two Countrywide mortgages, but did not mention the others.
  • Former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel – who "didn't earn the nickname 'Rahmbo' for being a mild-mannered shrinking violet," Judicial Watch said. Among his issues cited: He served as Bill Clinton's chief money-man when the Clinton campaign was "corrupted by foreign money." He was a "ruthless political combatant" in defending Clinton in the Lewinsky scandal. He allegedly interfered with Senate elections in Pennsylvania and Colorado by offering federal appointments to Rep. Joe Sestak and Andrew Romanoff and participated "in the Blagojevich scandal."
    "According to sworn testimony during the 'Blago' trial, Emanuel served as Obama's chief negotiator with the Blagojevich team as the former Illinois governor attempted to illegally sell Obama's former Senate seat to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, the federal prosecutor cut short the case against Blagojevich and Emanuel and other Obama insiders were never called to testify," Judicial Watch reported.
    And, regarding the elections, "Sestak and Romanoff were not Obama's favored candidates, so Emanuel and Messina apparently attempted to unlawfully persuade them to abandon their campaigns.
    "Emanuel left the White House under an ethical cloud and has decided to throw his hat in the ring for mayor of Chicago, where he again stands accused of ignoring the rules and violating the law regarding candidate residency requirements," the report said.
  • Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. – publicly admitted an affair with the wife of a staff member, and evidence "indicates" he tried to cover up his shenanigans "by bribing the couple with lucrative gifts and political favors," Judicial Watch said.
    The New York Times said, JW reported, that, "Payments of $96,000 to the Hamptons also were made by Sen. Ensign's parents, who insist this was a gift, not hush money. Once a lobbying job was secured, Senator Ensign and his chief of staff continued to help [Doug] Hampton, advocating his clients' cases directly with federal agencies."
    But Judicial Watch reported not only did the lobbying apparently violate Senate rules, the "$96,000 in 'gifts' provided to the Hamptons were clearly hush payments."
  • Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. – Where to start? He allegedly "intervened" for Rep. Waters on behalf of his home-state OneUnited Bank to get Troubled Asset Relief Program money, and "to this day, Barney Frnak continues to defend his role in the meltdown of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saying he was just as blindsided as the rest of America when the two government sponsored enterprises collapsed, triggering the financial crisis."
    But the report said The Boston Globe documented that Frank should have known.
    "Frank wasn't wrong," said Judicial Watch. "He was just lying through his teeth. Frank claims that he 'missed' the warning signs with Fannie and Freddie because he was wearing 'ideological blinders,' which was just his lame attempt to blame Republicans. But he did not miss them. According to evidence uncovered by Judicial Watch, he just chose to ignore them," the report said.
  • Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill. – was described by the Chicago Sun-Times as directing "a major political fundraiser to offer former Gov. Rod Blagojevich millions of dollars in campaign cash in return for an appointment to the U.S. Senate." Judicial Watch said while "Blago" was convicted on one of 24 charges related to the scheme, it is Jackson "who should be on the hot-seat."
    "According to Jackson's fundraiser, Raghuveer Nayak, the Illinois congressman asked him to offer not $1.5 million, but a whopping $6 million in campaign cash to Blagojevich to secure the Senate seat!" Judicial Watch said. "In addition to his corrupt deal-making, in 2010 Jackson was also nailed for conducting an improper and potentially criminal relationship with a female 'social acquaintance.'"
    U.S. President Barack Obama (R) is greeted by smiles from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (L) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after he signed the Health Insurance Reform Bill in the East Room of the White House in Washington on March 23, 2010.  The historic $938 billion health care bill will guaranteed coverage for 32 million uninsured Americans and will touch nearly every American's life.  UPI/Pat Benic Photo via Newscom
  • Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. – Judicial Watch said "Air Pelosi" now is grounded.
    "Judicial Watch uncovered documents back in 2009 detailing attempts by Pentagon staff to accommodate Pelosi's numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft for herself and her family as well as the speaker's 11th-hour cancellations and changes. In 2010, Judicial Watch kept the pressure on Pelosi, uncovering documents that demonstrated the speaker was using U.S. Air Force aircraft as her own personal party planes. Overall, the speaker's military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol," the report said.
    Among the purchases were Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey's Irish Cream, Maker's Mark whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewar's scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, Corona beer and several bottles of wine.
    "Moreover, Pelosi also abused the rules by allowing members of her family to join her on taxpayer-funded Air Force flights. For example, on June 20, 2009, Speaker Pelosi's daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons joined a flight from Andrews Air Force Base to San Francisco International Airport. That flight included $143 for on-flight expenses for food and other items. On July 2, 2010, Pelosi took her grandson on a flight from Andrews Air Force Base to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, which is northeast of San Francisco," the report said.
  • Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., – Earlier this month the U.S. House voted 333-79 to "censure" Rangel, which, the report said, is next to expulsion as the most serious sanction that can be taken. Judicial Watch said Rangel's ethics violations included forgetting to pay taxes on $75,000 in rental income, misusing his congressional office to raise money for his private center, misusing his residentially zoned Harlem apartment as a campaign headquarters and failing to report $600,000 in income.
    "It is worth noting that the [House] committee did not consider other serious corruption charges against Rangel. For example, it has been alleged that Rangel preserved a tax loophole for an oil company in exchange for a Rangel Center donation. The committee also did not consider the charge that Rangel used improper influence to maintain ownership of his highly coveted rent-controlled apartment – the same apartment he improperly used for campaign activities," Judicial Watch said.
    "As this is Washington, politicians of both parties will pretend that censure is a serious punishment. But it is a 'punishment' that simply requires Rangel to come to the well of the House and hear a disapproving statement read by lame-duck House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In the real world, you get fired or thrown in jail for abusing your office and not paying your taxes," the report said.
  • Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky. – Judicial Watch said Rogers, even though the 2010 election focused on cutting government spending, was named chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and according to ABC, "In two years, Rogers pushed through 135 earmarks worth $246 million. He's brought tens of millions of dollars into his hometown of Somerset, Ky., so much so that the town has been dubbed 'Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.'" Judicial Watch said those earmarks included $17 million for an airport that is so disused the last commercial airline pulled out in February [2010].
    Other expenditures he sought included $5 million for a Namibia-based group that employs his daughter.
  • Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. – The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (known informally as the House Ethics Committee) plans to hold hearings on Waters, according to the AP, on allegations "Waters broke the rules in requesting federal help for a bank where her husband owned stock and had served on the board of directors."
    Judicial Watch has investigated the Waters/OneUnited Bank scandal for months. In fact, JW successfully sued the Obama Treasury Department to get documents and obtained explosive e-mails from the Treasury that provide documented evidence to support the charges against Waters.
  • It also reported a lobbyist reportedly paid Waters' husband $15,000 in consulting fees at the time she was co-sponsoring legislation that would help save a client.
Judicial reported among those listed on the "most wanted" list in earlier years was former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, later sentenced to nearly six years in prison for a fraudulent casino deal.
Another individual previously cited was former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who recently was convicted of funneling corporate money to Texas candidates. He's planning an appeal.
A third is Dodd, who announced he would not run for re-election and as of January, will be out of office.
The 2009 list included Dodd, Obama, Frank, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Attorney General Eric Holder, Pelosi, Rep. John Murtha, Ensign, Jackson and Rangel.

Something Stinks Here...smells like the Clinton-Obama Doctrine

Pakistan’s Spy Agency Denies It Exposed CIA Chief

Source Pat Dollard
ISLAMABAD (AP) – Pakistan’s main spy agency denied it had unmasked the CIA’s station chief in Islamabad, and warned such allegations could damage its already fragile counterterrorism alliance with the United States.
The CIA pulled its top spy out of Pakistan on Thursday amid death threats after his name emerged publicly a few weeks ago from a Pakistani man threatening to sue the CIA over the alleged deaths of his son and brother in a 2009 U.S. missile strike. The attorney involved with the complaint said he learned the name from Pakistani journalists.
But the station chief’s outing has spurred questions whether Pakistan’s spy service might have leaked the information. Lawsuits filed last month in New York City in connection with the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, India, also may have raised tensions by naming Pakistan’s intelligence chief as a defendant.
The recall of the top American intelligence official in Pakistan comes at a delicate time.
The White House over the past week released the results of a review of progress in the war in neighboring Afghanistan. The report included the conclusion that the existence of safe havens for militants on Pakistan’s side of the border remained a major obstacle to defeating the Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistan’s assistance in clearing those militant hideouts—and providing intelligence to help the U.S. pinpoint targets for its covert, drone-fired missile strikes—is considered crucial. A breakdown in the relationship with Pakistani intelligence could be a major blow to the U.S.
An official with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency, its lead spy agency and a powerful force in the country, said Saturday any suggestions it outed the station chief were “a slur.”
In particular, he denied the notion that the U.S. lawsuits had spurred the ISI to retaliate.
Such “unfounded stories can create differences between the two organizations,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not cleared to brief the media.
The U.S. lawsuits were filed last month, and the plaintiffs include relatives of victims in the Mumbai attacks, which left 166 people and nine attackers dead. The assault has been blamed on the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is listed as a defendant in the suit.
But they also list the ISI and its chief, Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha. The suits repeat long-standing allegations that the ISI “has long nurtured and used international terrorist groups,” including Lashkar.
“Defendant ISI provided critical planning, material support, control and coordination of the attacks,” the lawsuits allege in pursuing wrongful death and additional claims against the ISI, Pasha and others.
The lawsuits claim at one point that a safe house in Pakistan used in connection with the attacks was part of the ISI’s “Karachi Project”—”an initiative by which anti-Indian groups were tasked and/or supported by the ISI in a surreptitious fashion to engage in acts of international terrorism.”
Pakistan has denied any government agency was involved in the attacks in India, its archrival with whom it has fought three wars since 1947. Islamabad has detained seven suspects in the case, but their trials have stalled in the country’s slow-moving court system. India has convicted the sole surviving gunman in the attack.
It’s unclear how far the U.S. lawsuits will go or how quickly they will move, but being named in such legal documents is an embarrassment to the ISI and Pasha.
“We are in the process of serving all defendants,” James Kreindler, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, wrote in an e-mail. “Most have been served, which triggers their obligation to answer.”
The Pakistani intelligence official said the CIA has not directly accused the ISI of any wrongdoing in the revelation of the station chief’s name.
The station chief in Islamabad operates as a virtual military commander in the U.S. war against al-Qaida and other militant groups hidden along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The chief runs the Predator drone program targeting terrorists and handles some of the CIA’s most urgent and sensitive tips.
He also collaborates closely with Pakistani intelligence. The alliance has led to strikes on key militant leaders but has also been marred by spats between the two agencies and ongoing suspicion that the ISI has not fully severed its ties to the Afghan Taliban, which it supported before the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
During the first term of President George W. Bush’s administration, Pakistan almost expelled a previous CIA station chief in a dispute about intelligence sharing.
Pakistanis involved in the threatened lawsuit over the missile strikes have held rallies in Islamabad featuring posters bearing the CIA officer’s name and urging him to leave the country.
A number of Americans and other Westerners, including a Wall Street Journal correspondent, have had to leave Pakistan or take extra precautions after their names surfaced in press reports as possible spies for the CIA, Israel or India. Some right-wing newspapers have even printed Westerners’ addresses or claimed they were Jewish in some articles.

Comment: by Norm
Something definetly stinks here. For one thing, what in the world is a lawsuit being brought into an American court for an action taken in a foreign land against a known terrorist group? Where’s the jurisdiction in the case? And why is this news release identifying tasks of a CIA station (i.e. “The Chief runs the predator drone program.” [don't have it in front of me, but my previous readings on this program the predator drone program was run by the military and not the CIA])
Something tells me that the Clinton-Obama doctrine of everything being defined as a police action makes it OK to bring a lawsuit against a military action regardless what part of the world it occurs…also part of the New World Order or globalization efforts of our court system…