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When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; When the government fears the people, there is liberty.  ~ Thomas Jefferson

 

Entries from March 4th, 2010

Obama appointees to the Justice Department represented detainees earlier in their careers.

March 4th, 2010 · Corruption, Deception, Defense, Democrats, Ethics, Government, Government Control, Homeland Security, Immigration, National Security, Obama Nominees, Obama's Scheme, Terrorism from Within, Treason

Conservatives raise ruckus over Justice appointees’ prior work with detainees

By Carrie Johnson Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Conservatives who are unhappy with the decision to close the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have trained their fire on an unusual target: political appointees in the Obama Justice Department who represented detainees earlier in their careers.

Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) has been demanding for months the names of nine appointees who previously advocated for or represented detainees in their private law practices. Grassley has argued that the lawyers’ backgrounds could pose “conflicts of interest” and complained that the department had been “nonresponsive” to his requests.

The rhetoric reached new levels this week when Keep America Safe, a group affiliated with Elizabeth Cheney, the daughter of former vice president Richard B. Cheney, released a YouTube video that featured the headline “DOJ: Department of Jihad?” and asked, “Who are these government officials? . . . Whose values do they share?”

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Obama tries to remain calm during political storm

March 4th, 2010 · Corruption, Deception, Politics

By Eli Saslow Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 4, 2010

The president who so famously rejects drama and derides political theater walked into the East Room at 1:45 p.m. during one of the wildest political stretches in recent memory. In the past few days, a White House spokesman was forced to defend Obama’s pugnacious chief of staff and his departed social secretary. A Republican senator held a spending bill hostage, despite protests within his own party. A Democrat considered resigning as chairman of a major House committee, then vowed to stay on, then announced he would take a leave of absence.

As this chaos ricocheted through the Capitol, the president entered in a pressed black suit, shoulders straight, eyes calm, voice measured. The chairs inside the East Room were arranged in perfect rows of 10. Doctors wearing long white coats stood with hands clasped behind their backs and flanked Obama onstage.

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Four Democratic senators aim to halt stimulus wind project

March 4th, 2010 · Deception, Democrats, Economy, Environment, Greed, Non-Transparency, Obama Exposed, Senate

By Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 4, 2010

A group of Democratic senators called Wednesday for the government to halt a federal stimulus program aimed at building wind farms and other clean-energy projects, arguing that too much of the money spent so far has gone to create jobs overseas.

The Obama administration and wind-energy advocates strongly disputed the criticism by Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) and three other Democrats, saying that most of the jobs under the Energy Department program have been created in the United States, despite the dominance of foreign manufacturers in the green-technology sector.

The dispute marks a rare public split among Democrats over the $862 billion stimulus package, which the Obama administration and party leaders have defended as crucial to saving jobs and easing the recession’s impact. Republicans have spent the past year attacking the package as a wasteful boondoggle.

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Mikulski calls OPM retirement system ‘scandalously wasteful’

March 4th, 2010 · Government, Government Control, Greed, Tax Dollars, Taxes

By Joe Davidson Thursday, March 4, 2010

Sometimes, it seems that the Office of Personnel Management won’t get the federal retirement system fixed until the crawfish whistles on the mountain, as the Russians like to say.

Consider the problems that Frederick Hancock has had trying to get the retirement income he says he is due. Hancock is a disabled Vietnam vet from Greenbelt and worked for Veterans Affairs for 25 years. He retired in 2007. He tells a frustrating story of being given the wrong retirement forms to fill out for submission to OPM.

It took OPM six months to get back to him with the right papers. He sent those in, then waited three months before calling OPM. He was told that it did not have his personnel folder — the VA Medical Center in the District did. The D.C. medical center bounced him to another office in St. Louis, which bounced him back to the VA in Washington, which again sent him to OPM, where he was told that his records were in its office in Boyers, Pa.

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FAA suspends controller, supervisor after boy directs flights from JFK tower

March 4th, 2010 · Government, News Alert

By Ed O’Keefe Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Reference: A Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller and supervisor were placed on administrative leave Wednesday after allowing a child to direct flights at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Feb. 17.

The agency also suspended all unofficial visits to air traffic control towers pending an investigation of the incident. The FAA will review its policy on allowing visitors into the towers.

“This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA’s own policies, but common sense standards for professional conduct,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement. “These kinds of distractions are totally unacceptable. We have an incredible team of professionals who safely control our nation’s skies.”

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CBO Update

March 4th, 2010 · CBO Update

The following has been added to CBO’s Web site (www.cbo.gov):

  • H.R. 4213, American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010
    Cost estimate for Senate Amendment 3336, as introduced by Senator Baucus as a substitute for H.R. 4213, updated for enactment of H.R. 4691
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11270
  • H.R. 4691, Temporary Extension Act of 2010
    Cost estimate for the amendment in the nature of a substitute for H.R. 4691 as proposed by Senator Bunning on March 2, 2010
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11268
  • H.R. 4003, Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act
    Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Hose Committee on Natural Resources on February 24, 2010
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11265
  • H.R. 1769, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Prattand Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act
    Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on February 24, 2010
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11266
  • H.R. 2788, Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act
    Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on February 24, 2010
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11271
  • H.R. 4395, A bill to revise the boundaries of the Gettysburg National Military Park to include the Gettysburg Train Station
    Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on February 24, 2010
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11272
  • S. 1672, National Oilheat Research Alliance Reauthorization Act of 2010
    Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on December 16, 2009
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11274
  • S. 1353, Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act
    Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on December 3, 2009
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11273
  • S. 1749, Cell Phone Contraband Act of 2010
    Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on February 2, 2010
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11267
  • H.R. 2554, National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers Reform Act of 2009
    Cost estimate for the pay-As-You-Go Effects for H.R. 2554 as introduced on May 21, 2009, and referred to the House Committee on Financial Services
    http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11269

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Levin to take reins of Ways and Means – More of The Same…

March 4th, 2010 · Corruption, Deception, Democrats, Ethics, Senate

By Paul Kane – Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 4, 2010; 10:24 AM

Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), a pro-union, anti-free-trade liberal who is a close ally of the auto industry, has been selected as interim chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Levin, 79, succeeds Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), who stepped down amid ethics questions.

Levin’s ascension is a rebuke to the seniority system, as Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) was in line to chair the powerful panel with authority over tax and trade issues, but rank-and-file Democrats on the committee rebelled because Stark, 78, has a history of intemperate remarks and has an undisclosed illness that has made it difficult for him to be on hand in recent weeks.

Levin’s younger brother, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairs the Armed Services Committee.

Sander Levin declined comment on his elevation, stressing its temporary status as Rangel’s ethics investigations continue.

“Under the circumstances, I could not think of anyone that could serve the country, the Congress and our committee better,” Rangel told reporters.

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