● Election 2012... ● Shelby Steele: The Exploitation of Trayvon Martin... ● Protecting You From The UN-Frendly Skies... Prohibited Items Found 3/2 to 3/8... ● Congressional earmarks sometimes used to fund projects near lawmakers' properties... ● Public Law List (112st Congress - 2012)... ● Congress's Phony Insider-Trading Reform... ● Obama denounces Senate vote to block Cordray at consumer watchdog agency... ● Walker signs 'castle doctrine' bill, other measures... ● Holder faces House Republicans over health-care law, ‘Fast and Furious’... ● Postal workers behaving badly!...
PositiveReform header image 4
When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; When the government fears the people, there is liberty.  ~ Thomas Jefferson

 

Entries Tagged as 'Transparency'

Democrats want to block campaign regulation that got them elected from costing them their jobs.

July 27th, 2010 · Accountability, Congress, Deception, Democrats, Dissention, Ethics, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Terrorism from Within, Treason

Bill on political ad disclosures falls a little short in Senate

By Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked legislation requiring fuller disclosure of the money behind political advertising, derailing a major White House initiative and virtually ensuring an onslaught of attack ads during this year’s midterm election season.

The vote — in which Democrats fell just shy of the 60 votes needed to avoid a GOP filibuster — marks a major setback for President Obama, who has railed against the influence of special interests in elections and pushed for the legislation as a counterpoint to court rulings freeing up the use of corporate money in politics.

The development also represents a significant victory for Senate Republicans and business groups, which portrayed the measure as a Democratic attempt to tilt the playing field by discouraging corporations and other likely critics from spending money on political ads. The measure is the latest in a series of Democratic initiatives that have been approved by the House only to die in the Senate, including comprehensive climate-change legislation abandoned last week.

Opponents of the Disclose Act — which would force corporations, unions and other groups to reveal the donors behind their political ads — said the vote marked a victory for free-speech rights, including the rights of corporations to spend as much as they want on political advertising.

“This bill is a partisan effort, pure and simple,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said before the vote. “. . . This bill is about protecting incumbent Democrats from criticism ahead of the November election.”

Democrats, however, portrayed the legislation as an attempt to force transparency on political advertising by outside groups and corporations, activity that is often cloaked in anonymity and is now largely unrestrained by campaign finance restrictions. Party leaders signaled Tuesday that they will seek to make the issue part of a broader line of attack on Republicans as backing corporate interests on such issues as Wall Street reform and the health-care overhaul.

[View Complete Article →]

Tags: ············

No Comments

Democrats passes financial reform bill before ousted.

July 17th, 2010 · Banking Industry, Congress, Deception, Democrats, Federal Spending, Finance, Government, Government Control, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Tax Dollars, Taxes

By Brady Dennis Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 16, 2010

Congress gave final approval Thursday to the most ambitious overhaul of financial regulation in generations, ending more than a year of wrangling over the shape of the new rules and shifting the government’s focus to the monumental task of implementing them.

The final Senate vote, which came almost two years after the nation’s financial system nearly collapsed, was a significant legislative victory for President Obama, who had pledged to rein in the reckless Wall Street behavior behind the crisis and to right the government regulation that failed to prevent it.

The massive bill establishes an independent consumer bureau within the Federal Reserve to protect borrowers against abuses in mortgage, credit card and some other types of lending. The legislation also gives the government new power to seize and shut down large, troubled financial companies — like the failed investment bank Lehman Brothers — and sets up a council of federal regulators to watch for threats to the financial system.

Under the new rules, the vast market for derivatives, complex financial instruments that helped fuel the crisis, will be subject to government oversight. Shareholders, meanwhile, will gain more say on how corporate executives are paid.

[View Complete Article →]

Tags: ···············

No Comments

Congress returns from recess to even more of the same

July 12th, 2010 · Accountability, Change of Power, Congress, Corruption, Deception, Democrats, Dissention, Economy, Ethics, Government, Government Control, Greed, Non-Transparency, Obama Exposed, Obama's Scheme, Reform, Selling Out the US

By Shailagh Murray Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 12, 2010

Congress will return this week from the July 4th recess to a pile of unfinished business.

Yes, the same might be said of every Congress returning from every recess since lawmakers wore wigs and tights. But this time it could be a big problem, especially for the party in power.

When Barack Obama took office and the Democrats took control of Washington, they made ambitious promises about how much they’d get done, with or without Republican help. Now, with relatively few working days left before the November midterm elections (in part because lawmakers granted themselves another long break beginning at the end of July), they might not be able to convince skeptical, frustrated voters that they delivered — and that they deserve to stay in charge.

Bills to extend unemployment benefits and impose new regulations on the financial industry have yet to be resolved. An emergency war funding bill, loaded up with unrelated spending, faces a White House veto threat. The Senate must still approve Elena Kagan‘s nomination to the Supreme Court.

Add to that coming debates over campaign finance legislation, long-awaited food-safety rules and a contentious defense authorization bill that would end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military.

[View Complete Article →]

Tags: ··········

No Comments

Gen. Petraeus runs into resistance from Karzai over village defense forces

July 11th, 2010 · Deception, Defense, Democrats, Ethics, Foreign Policy, Government, Government Control, National Security, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Terrorism from Within, Treason, War on Terrorism

By Joshua Partlow and Karen DeYoung Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, July 10, 2010

KABUL — As he takes charge of the war effort in Afghanistan, Gen. David H. Petraeus has met sharp resistance from President Hamid Karzai to an American plan to assist Afghan villagers in fighting the Taliban on their own.

A first meeting last week between the new commander and the Afghan president turned tense after Karzai renewed his objections to the plan, according to U.S. officials. The idea of recruiting villagers into local defense programs is a key part of the U.S. military strategy in Afghanistan, and Karzai’s stance poses an early challenge to Petraeus as he tries to fashion a collaborative relationship with the Afghan leader.

Senior U.S. officials say that the United States would like to expand the program to about two dozen sites across Afghanistan, double the current number, and are hoping to overcome Karzai’s concerns. But the issue is delicate to many who fear that such experiments could lead Afghanistan further into warlordism and out-of-control militias.

The U.S. initiative was developed under Petraeus’s predecessor, ousted Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, although Petraeus has been a strong supporter of such programs. When Petraeus commanded the Iraq war, U.S. forces partnered with tens of thousands of civilian guards, including former insurgents, who fought against the group al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Despite his tensions with other U.S. officials, McChrystal formed a close working relationship with Karzai. The question of whether Petraeus can replicate that bond remains a significant uncertainty hanging over the war effort.

[View Complete Article →]

Tags: ···············

No Comments

Congress Hard At Work Bills: Nothing Better To Spend Money On.

June 29th, 2010 · Accountability, Congress, Deception, Democrats, Ethics, Federal Spending, National Security, Terrorism from Within

H.R. 4628 / Public Law 111-189 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 216 Westwood Avenue in Westwood, New Jersey, as the “Sergeant Christopher R. Hrbek Post Office Building”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1274; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 4547 / Public Law 111-188 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 119 Station Road in Cheyney, Pennsylvania, as the “Captain Luther H. Smith, U.S. Army Air Forces Post Office”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1273; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 4425 / Public Law 111-187 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2-116th Street in North Troy, New York, as the “Martin G. `Marty’ Mahar Post Office”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1272; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 4238 / Public Law 111-186 View Posted 06/28/2010
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 930 39th Avenue in Greeley, Colorado, as the “W.D. Farr Post Office Building”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1271; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 4214 / Public Law 111-185 View Posted 06/28/2010
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 45300 Portola Avenue in Palm Desert, California, as the “Roy Wilson Post Office”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1270; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 4139 / Public Law 111-184 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7464 Highway 503 in Hickory, Mississippi, as the “Sergeant Matthew L. Ingram Post Office”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1269; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 4095 / Public Law 111-183 View Posted 06/28/2010
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9727 Antioch Road in Overland Park, Kansas, as the “Congresswoman Jan Meyers Post Office Building”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1268; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 4017 / Public Law 111-182 View Posted 06/28/2010
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 43 Maple Avenue in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, as the “Ann Marie Blute Post Office”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1267; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 3892 / Public Law 111-181 View Posted 06/28/2010
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 West Highway 64 Bypass in Roper, North Carolina, as the “E.V. Wilkins Post Office”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1266; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 3634 / Public Law 111-180 View Posted 06/28/2010
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 109 Main Street in Swifton, Arkansas, as the “George Kell Post Office”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1265; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 3250 / Public Law 111-179 View Posted 06/28/2010
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1210 West Main Street in Riverhead, New York, as the “Private First Class Garfield M. Langhorn Post Office Building”.
(June 9, 2010; 124 Stat. 1264; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 5139 / Public Law 111-177 View
Extending Immunities to the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Civilian Office in Kosovo Act of 2010
(June 8, 2010; 124 Stat. 1260; 2 pages)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 5128 / Public Law 111-176 View
To designate the United States Department of the Interior Building in Washington, District of Columbia, as the “Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building”.
(June 8, 2010; 124 Stat. 1259; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
S. 1067 / Public Law 111-172 View
Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009
(May 24, 2010; 124 Stat. 1209; 6 pages)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 5160 / Public Law 111-171 View Posted 06/15/2010
Haiti Economic Lift Program Act of 2010
(May 24, 2010; 124 Stat. 1194; 15 pages)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 4360 / Public Law 111-164 View Posted 05/29/2010
To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs blind rehabilitation center in Long Beach, California, as the “Major Charles Robert Soltes, Jr., O.D.
Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center”.
(May 7, 2010; 124 Stat. 1184; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 4573 / Public Law 111-158 View Posted 05/18/2010
Haiti Debt Relief and Earthquake Recovery Act of 2010
(Apr. 26, 2010; 124 Stat. 1121; 2 pages)
——————————————————————-
H.J. Res. 80 / Public Law 111-156 View
Recognizing and honoring the Blinded Veterans Association on its 65th anniversary of representing blinded veterans and their families.
(Apr. 7, 2010; 124 Stat. 1114; 2 pages)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 3788 / Public Law 111‑135 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 Darrow Road in Stow, Ohio, as the “Corporal Joseph A. Tomci Post Office Building”.
(Jan. 29, 2010; 123 Stat. 3494; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 3767 / Public Law 111‑134 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 170 North Main Street in Smithfield, Utah, as the “W. Hazen Hillyard Post Office Building”.
(Jan. 29, 2010; 123 Stat. 3493; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 3667 / Public Law 111‑133 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 16555 Springs Street in White Springs, Florida, as the “Clyde L. Hillhouse Post Office Building”.
(Jan. 29, 2010; 123 Stat. 3492; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 3539 / Public Law 111‑132 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 427 Harrison Avenue in Harrison, New Jersey, as the “Patricia D. McGinty‑Juhl Post Office Building”.
(Jan. 29, 2010; 123 Stat. 3491; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 3319 / Public Law 111‑131 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 440 South Gulling Street in Portola, California, as the “Army Specialist Jeremiah Paul McCleery Post Office Building”.
(Jan. 29, 2010; 123 Stat. 3490; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 3072 / Public Law 111‑130 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9810 Halls Ferry Road in St. Louis, Missouri, as the “Coach Jodie Bailey Post Office Building”.
(Jan. 29, 2010; 123 Stat. 3489; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 2877 / Public Law 111‑129 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 76 Brookside Avenue in Chester, New York, as the “1st Lieutenant Louis Allen Post Office”. (Jan. 29, 2010; 123 Stat. 3488; 1 page)
——————————————————————-
H.R. 1817 / Public Law 111‑128 View
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 116 North West Street in Somerville, Tennessee, as the “John S. Wilder Post Office Building”.
(Jan. 29, 2010; 123 Stat. 3487; 1 page)

Tags: ·············

No Comments

Obama appointed Customs Commissioner neglected to file forms on household employees

May 15th, 2010 · Accountability, Deception, Immigration, Obama Nominees, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Terrorism from Within

By Ed O’Keefe Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 14, 2010

Customs and Border Protection CommissionerAlan D. Bersin said Thursday he didn’t know he’s required by law to file paperwork verifying that his household employees were authorized to work in the United States.

Bersin told senators that he and his wife tracked the immigration status of a nanny, house cleaners and babysitters “on a piece of paper that was on file in our home.”

“No employee ineligible to work in the United States has ever worked in our household,” Bersin said. “No employee who has worked in our household has not had taxes paid for.”

According to a memo by the Senate Finance Committee, Bersin has employed 10 household employees since 1993 and failed to complete I-9 forms for all of them. The I-9 form is issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which shares immigration enforcement responsibilities with CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

President Obamanominated Bersin in September and issued a recess appointment for him and 14 other nominees in March. Obama said all of the nominees would remain in the Senate for confirmation.

[View Complete Article →]

Tags: ·······

No Comments

Obama is expected to reveal size of nuclear stockpile

May 3rd, 2010 · Deception, Defense, National Security, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Terrorism from Within, Treason

By Mary Beth Sheridan and Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, May 1, 2010

The Obama administration is likely to reveal a closely guarded secret — the size of the U.S. nuclear stockpile — during a critical meeting starting Monday at which Washington will try to strengthen the global treaty that curbs the spread of nuclear weapons, several officials said.

Various factions in the administration have debated for months whether to declassify the numbers, and they were left out of President Obama‘s recent Nuclear Posture Review because of objections from intelligence officials. Now, the administration is seeking a dramatic announcement that will further enhance its nuclear credentials as it tries to shore up the fraying nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The numbers could be released as soon as Monday, when Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is to address the NPT Review Conference in New York, officials said. She will speak after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is likely to repeat his demands for more global controls over the stockpiles of the nuclear nations.

U.S. officials fear he could hijack the conference with such demands, diverting attention from his own nuclear program, which is widely seen as violating the nonproliferation treaty.

[View Complete Article →]

Tags: ·····

No Comments

Obama, Republicans square off on financial-regulation bill

April 17th, 2010 · Banking Industry, Corruption, Deception, Democrats, Ethics, Federal Spending, Government, Government Control, Greed, Money Lost, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Tax Dollars, Taxes, Terrorism from Within

By David Cho and Scott Wilson Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, April 17, 2010

President Obama accused Republicans on Friday of trying to carve out “special loopholes” for the financial sector in regulatory reform legislation and warned they would soon face a choice: whether to side with an unpopular industry or with ordinary Americans.

His pointed comments came as all 41 Senate Republicans signed a letter criticizing a bill before the chamber to overhaul financial oversight. They said the measure would stifle the economy by giving the government “unlimited regulatory powers” and called on the administration to start a new round of negotiations. Republicans added that they have the votes to prevent Democrats from bringing the bill to the floor.

At the same time, the administration responded to an initiative from its left flank. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner sent a letter to Capitol Hill signaling his skepticism about a far-reaching measure unveiled Friday by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.). Lincoln proposed banning big Wall Street banks from trading lightly regulated financial instruments known as derivatives. Geithner said he wants tough new rules as well, but he stopped short of supporting an outright ban, which has gained traction among some liberal Democrats.

[View Complete Article →]

Tags: ·········

No Comments

Business’ given Green Light to terminate current employees and hire new ones to gain tax credits.

March 17th, 2010 · Accountability, Congress, Corruption, Deception, Democrats, Ethics, Federal Spending, Government Control, Greed, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Social Security, Tax Dollars, Taxes, Terrorism from Within, Treason, Unemployment

Senate clears jobs bill for Obama’s desk

Updated 11:29 a.m.  By Ben Pershing

The Senate cleared an $18 billion jobs bill for President Obama’s signature Wednesday, a down payment on what Democrats hope will be a significant election-year investment in boosting the economy.

The measure passed 68-29, with 11 Republicans joining all but one Democrat present — Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.) — in support. The bill had already passed the Senate once but the House tweaked it, requiring the second Senate vote before it could go to the White House. President Obama has praised the legislation in the past and plans to sign it.

Though relatively small compared to last year’s economic stimulus package, the measure represents the first clear legislative shot in months aimed squarely at persistent unemployment, and a rare bipartistan achievement from a Congress plagued by partisan squabbling. After getting bogged down in the health-care debate, Democrats are eager to pivot to the economy, which polls regularly identify as Americans’ most pressing concern.

“The beauty of this bill: It’s simple, it’s focused on private-sector job growth and it’s paid-for,” said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), a co-author of the measure. “It’s modest, but … it’s almost a legislative dream.”

The centerpiece of the bill is a new program giving companies a break from paying Social Security taxes for the remainder of 2010 on any new workers they hire who had been unemployed for at least 60 days. Employers would also get a $1,000 tax credit for each of those workers who stays on the payroll for at least one year.

Aside from that program, the measure includes a one-year extension of the law governing federal transportation funding, and would transfer $20 billion into the highway trust fund. The bill also extends a tax break allowing companies to write off equipment purchases, and expands the Build America Bonds program, which helps state and local governments secure financing for infrastructure projects.

Some critics have questioned whether the package approved Wednesday is big enough to make a dent in the nation’s persistent unemployment problem, arguing that the new payroll tax break is unlikely to spur much new hiring that wouldn’t have otherwise occurred.

Separately, many Republicans suggest the bill uses accounting sleight of hand to make the measure appear budget-neutral.

“This isn’t so much a jobs bill as it is a debt bill,” complained Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.).

[View Complete Article →]

Tags: ··········

No Comments

Obama threatens veto on intelligence activities bill that hold him accountable to congress.

March 16th, 2010 · Accountability, Congress, Deception, Ethics, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Terrorism from Within

By Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The White House has renewed its threat to veto the fiscal 2010 intelligence authorization bill over a provision that would force the administration to widen the circle of lawmakers who are informed about covert operations and other sensitive activities.

When the bill passed the House on Feb. 25, the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), hailed it for improving “congressional oversight by strengthening certain disclosure requirements of intelligence activities to the House and Senate intelligence committees.” Lawmakers had spent the previous six months working out provisions that the White House still opposes.

Under the House plan, which is similar to one passed by the Senate, the White House would have to inform all members of both intelligence committees of the “main features” of activities disclosed in detail to the Gang of Eight — the speaker and minority leader of the House, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, and the chairmen and ranking minority members of the Senate and House intelligence committees.

[View Complete Article →]

Tags: ···

No Comments