Posted by Brandon English
Monday, March 12, 2007 at 7:33 PM
Unbelievable. Halliburton, Vice President Cheney's former company, is moving its business from Houston off shore to Dubai!
Halliburton is synonymous with corporate greed -- Halliburton has used its insider political access to rip-off American taxpayers with obscene no-bid contracts, mismanagement and waste. They have overcharged and defrauded the government for billions of dollars multiple times for contracts in Iraq. For that, Halliburton was rewarded by Bush, Cheney, and the Rubber Stamp Republicans with more no-bid contracts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Now, after taking billions of American tax dollars, they want to cut and run to Dubai.
Why is Halliburton moving? The money. Last year alone, Halliburton's profits were $2.3 billion (hundreds of thousands of which went to Republican candidates).
Halliburton is moving its operations to Dubai, where you may remember President Bush wanted to sell off our ports last year. Karen Tumulty at Swampland wonders, "What's so cool about Dubai?"
Is this about tax breaks? Getting beyond the reach of congressional subpoenas? And what about all that sensitive information that Halliburton has had access to? At a minimum, reincorporating in Dubai would mean that Halliburton will be paying less taxes to the U.S. Treasury, even as it collects billions from government contracts.
Chris in Paris from AmericaBlog has some answers:
Could it be that Halliburton, who has received billions in US government contracts and who has also been cited for billions of dollars of mismanagement and over billing in a war zone, wants to avoid paying US taxes and is hopping to another location because of a better offer? Maybe Congress ought to consider such moves when handing out no-bid contracts and include penalties for companies that jump ship and have no loyalty to anyone other than themselves. Of course, American individuals are not allowed to just leave when they don't their like taxes, but Halliburton and their kind always seem to be above the law for the rest. Now why is that?
This is the kind of oversight we need and why we fought so hard for a Democratic Majority -- to make sure sweetheart "no-bid" insider deals like this don't happen.
Posted by Brandon English
Friday, March 9, 2007 at 6:56 PM
One of the reasons I'm most thankful for our Democratic Majority is that Democrats have provided real oversight over an Administration that thought they were above the law.
Cases in Point:
REPUBLICANS BREAK IT: In an unprecedented move, the Justice Department fires U.S. Attorneys who refused to bend to the will of the Bush Administration to make room for Bush loyalists under an obscure provision in the Patriot Act.
WE FIX IT: In hearings in the Democratic House and Senate on Tuesday, the fired U.S. Attorney from New Mexico exposed the political pressure federal prosecutors were put under by Republicans and named Represenative Heather Wilson (R, NM-01) and Senator Pete Domenici (R, NM) as two of the culprits.
Now, the Bush Administration has relented and will allow the provision in the Patriot Act that catalyzed the purge to be repealed. Republican Senators are even hinting that it's time for Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to go:
Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, seemed to suggest that Gonzales's tenure may not last through the remainder of President Bush's term.
"One day there will be a new attorney general, maybe sooner rather than later," Specter said sharply. [emphasis mine]
This isn't over yet, though. The House Judiciary Committee is calling the Justice Department officials responsible for the "Prosecutor Purge" to testify so we can get to the bottom of this scheme.
More Information:
Josh Marshall reviews the case and explains why Democratic oversight matters.
TPMmuckraker outlines the evidence that federal investigations have been politicized during the Bush administration.
REPUBLICANS BREAK IT:Under the Republican Congress, Iraq contractors (including Haliburton, Dick Cheney's former company)
overcharged the government tens of millions of dollars on multiple occasions.
WE FIX IT: John Murtha won't let this stand in the Democratic House...
Now, Murtha says, both the Government Accountability Office and the Special Inspector General for Iraq have come to him and said, “Help us get a handle on the contractors.” So Murtha is going to play hardball. “[W]e took five percent of their money out, and that’s about $800 million. We also fenced 10 percent of their money. We want answers about whether these contractors — how much it costs us, how many we have, and how the contracts are being, are being given to these various organizations.”
...and House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman won't have it either:
[T]he House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is marking up the Accountability in Contracting Act, which would require federal agencies to limit the use of abuse-prone contracts and increase transparency and accountability in federal contracting.
More Information:
Carpetbagger Report: Henry Waxman has a few questions about Iraq contracts
Huffington Post: Jack Murtha - Extenstive Hearing on Iraq
- Political Favors Paid Out With Taxpayer's Money
REPUBLICANS BREAK IT: No-bid contracts, backroom deals, and the use of official resources for political purposes were all too often the norm in the General Services Administration.
WE FIX IT:
Waxman's Oversight Committee has uncovered it and is ready to expose it:
Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), head of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said his investigators had obtained information that raises "further questions" about GSA Administrator Lurita Alexis Doan's efforts to give a no-bid job to a longtime friend and professional associate.
Waxman also revealed new allegations that Doan "asked GSA officials in a January teleconference how the agency could be used to help Republican candidates," in possible violation of federal law.
More Information:
POGO Blog: GSA Head to Staff: “Find Opportunities to Help Republican Political Candidates”
Pacific Views: One Friend Washes Another: Lurita Doan
Beltway Progressive: GSA Head to Staff: “Find Opportunities to Help Republican Political Candidates”
REPUBLICANS BREAK IT: The Bush Administration led us into the war in Iraq on intelligence that was known to be false. When diplomat Joe Wilson revealed the truth, the Bush Administration tried to discredit him by outing his wife as a CIA agent. Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby, lied to investigators about his role in the leak and was found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice on Tuesday.
DEMOCRATS FIX IT: The House Oversight Committee will investigate the issue next week. Committee Chairman Henry Waxman is determined to get to the bottom of what happened and why:
The trial proceedings raise questions about whether senior White House officials, including the Vice President and Senior Advisor to the President Karl Rove, complied with the requirements governing the handling of classified information. They also raise questions about whether the White House took appropriate remedial action following the leak and whether the existing requirements are sufficient to protect against future leaks.
More information:
WaPo: Plame to testify to Congress on leak
Think Progress: Waxman to hold oversight hearings on Plame leak.
Posted by Brandon English
Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 7:27 PM
I never thought I’d be telling anyone to watch Glenn Beck but with DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen on the show tonight, I can make an exception. Chairman Van Hollen will be discussing the Democrats’ Iraq plan with Beck.
The show airs on CNN Headline News tonight at 7pm, 9pm, and midnight.
Posted by Brandon English
Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 6:51 PM
If the deplorable conditions our veterans had to suffer at Walter Reed didn't make your blood boil, this will.
Members Were Aware of Lapses at Walter Reed [CQ]:
Senior Republicans who knew about problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center while their party controlled Congress insist they did all they could to prod the Pentagon to fix them.
But C.W. Bill Young, R-Fla., former chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, said he stopped short of going public with the hospital’s problems to avoid embarrassing the Army while it was fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
That's right, the Republicans knew about the horrid conditions our veterans were living in but didn't bother to fix the problem or even admit they were aware of it. Why? Because they didn't want to embarrass the Army!
Representative Young's excuse of wanting to "avoid embarrassing the Army" sounds a lot like I wanted to avoid embarrassing President Bush to me. Does anyone really buy the reasoning that we serve our verterans best by refusing to stand up for them?
Young further excused his inaction by claiming he "got in Gen. Kiley's face on a regular basis." However, as ThinkProgress reports, Young sang Kiley's praises at a Congressional hearing just last January:
YOUNG: Well, Mr. Chairman, I want to join you in welcoming our guests and our witnesses today, having known especially Don Arthur and General Kiley very, very well over the years. I thought they’d get tired of seeing us in their hospitals. And we haven’t had as much opportunity to visit with the Air Force, General. But I know that these gentlemen are committed to providing our war heroes with the very, very best medical care that is possible.
Now, with Democrats in control, extensive hearings have already begun and the President has been embarrassed into providing the support our veterans deserve.
UPDATE: A hat tip goes to Stakeholder reader Tally from FlaPolitics.com who was on this story before it broke into the national media. Check out the FlaPolitics.com diary and Stakeholder comment.
Posted by Brandon English
Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 11:39 AM
Democrats' Iraq Strategy: We have a real strategy to end the war. After years of Bush’s failed strategies and so-called "plans", we finally have a real plan with accountability, benchmarks, and a real date for when our troops can come home. House Democrats have come together to introduce the "U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act."
What a difference a Democratic Majority makes. The Bush Administration no longer has a blank check for an open ended war in Iraq. That wouldn't have happened under a Tom DeLay-led Congress or with the Republican Rubber Stamps leading the show. In just a few months, the Democratic Majority has held over 80 oversight hearings on the war, passed a historic resolution opposing Bush’s escalation of the war, and now has a plan with a real date for when our troops can come home.
The Democrats' strategy has consequences and benchmarks. It says the Iraqi government must meet the benchmarks that President Bush outlined in his address to the nation. By July 1st, the Iraqis must have made progress toward key benchmarks. By October 1st, the Iraqis must have met those benchmarks. If they don't, the troops come home. Either way, we start redeploying troops by March 1st, 2008, at the latest. The troops will be completely redeployed by September 1st, 2008. The only troops that can stay in Iraq after redeployment are the ones working diplomatic protection, counterterrorism operations, and training of Iraqi Special Forces. Also, in getting out of Iraq, we will refocus attention on the real War on Terror and refocus our efforts in Afghanistan and on al Qaeda.
"U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act" makes sure our troops have everything they need and finally forces the President to explain himself if they don't. It also makes sure there aren't any more Walter Reed's disasters on our watch -- Democrats will fully fund the Veterans Administration.
Posted by Brandon English
Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at 8:14 AM
Second Lawmaker Called Prosecutor [WaPo]:
Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-N.M.) acknowledged yesterday that she contacted a federal prosecutor to complain about the pace of his public corruption investigations, as the Senate Ethics Committee signaled that it had opened a preliminary inquiry into a similar communication by her state's senior senator, Pete V. Domenici (R).
Posted by Brandon English
Monday, March 5, 2007 at 7:41 PM
DCCC Press:
“Heather Wilson campaigned on fighting public corruption, but now that questions arise about her actions she is silent on whether she tried to use her own power to intimidate a federal prosecutor,” said Jennifer Crider, Communications Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Heather Wilson’s silence is deafening – if she didn’t do anything wrong, why won’t she say so?”
Background: As the House of Representatives prepares for its hearings into the firing of U.S. Attorneys, Senator Peter Domenici (R-NM) admitted he was one of the two New Mexico lawmakers to contact U.S. Attorney David Iglesias regarding an ongoing federal investigation taking place in New Mexico. Heather Wilson (R-NM-1) has been implicated in the scandal, but has refused to comment.
Posted by Brandon English
Friday, March 2, 2007 at 2:36 PM
A House Judiciary subcommittee issued subpoenas for several U.S. Attorneys fired under questionable circumstances by the Bush Administration. The U.S. Attorneys, who received positive reviews on their evaluations, were let go for "performance-related" reasons. Despite testimony of Bush's Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to the contrary, bloggers (especially TPMmuckraker) have long been asserting that the Attorneys were forced out as political retribution.
Now McClatchy Newspapers is reporting Representative Heather Wilson (R, NM-01) and Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) may have tried to strong arm one of the U.S. Attorneys:
Sources: GOP lawmakers tried to influence federal investigation:
Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico pressured the U.S. attorney in their state to speed up indictments in a federal corruption investigation that involved at least one former Democratic state senator, according to two people familiar with the contacts.
The alleged involvement of the two Republican lawmakers raises questions about possible violations of House of Representatives and Senate ethics rules and could taint the criminal investigation into the award of an $82 million courthouse contract.
The two people with knowledge of the incident said Domenici and Wilson intervened in mid-October, when Wilson was in a competitive re-election campaign that she won by 875 votes out of nearly 211,000 cast.
David Iglesias, who stepped down as U.S. attorney in New Mexico on Wednesday, told McClatchy Newspapers that he believed the Bush administration fired him Dec. 7 because he resisted the pressure to rush an indictment.
Wilson and Domenici initially avoided reporters; however, as their level of involvement became clearer, they broke their silence yesterday with what amounted to non-denials:
NM Republicans lawmakers deflect questions about whether federal prosecutor was pressured [AP]:
Senator Domenici:
"I don't have any comment," he told The Associated Press. "I have no idea what he's talking about."
Representative Wilson:
Wilson tersely referred questions to Iglesias' government supervisors.
"You should contact the Department of Justice on that personnel matter," she said.
Clearly, neither of these answers are sufficient. Domenici and Wilson's constituents have a right to know if they injected partisan politics into the workings of our justice system.
Posted by Brandon English
Thursday, March 1, 2007 at 4:45 PM
Over on the DCCC home page we are highlighting our new feature, "Republican Re-Runs." The new special section features the Republicans thrown out of Congress by voters last November who are considering a "re-run." Clearly these re-runs didn't get the message that voters were tired of the old Rubber Stamp Republicans and want a New Direction for America.
Our current featured Republicans are:
Jeb Bradley - defeated by Representative Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
Jim Ryun - defeated by Representative Nancy Boyda (KS-02)
Mike Sodrel - defeated by Representative Baron Hill (IN-09)
Mike Fitzpatrick - defeated by Representative Patrick Murphy (PA-08)
Rob Simmons - defeated by Representative Joe Courtney (CT-02)
We'll update the list as more Republicans announce their intentions. Roll Call has more on these wannabe repeats:
DCCC Blasts GOP 'Reruns':
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has a name for any former Republican Congressman looking to reclaim his seat next year - "rerun."
Today the DCCC will launch a feature on its Web site called "Republican Reruns" that uses much of the same ammunition that helped topple GOP incumbents in November.
The new Web feature is part of a broader DCCC campaign to discredit the ex-Members and the notion that national Republicans can do nothing better than offer up candidates whom voters rejected in the previous cycle.
"Americans clearly want more change and the Republican answer is to put up the people who were thrown out last time," said DCCC spokeswoman Jennifer Crider. "Their answer is more of the same. The American people spoke loudly and clearly that they wanted a change in the direction of the country and the Republicans haven't gotten the message."
On the Web site, each former lawmaker is pictured in black and white on the screen of a 1950s-era TV set. Individual sections are laden with references to President Bush, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and rubber stamps.
Check out the Republican reruns >>
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