Tell me $nit what price will the people have to pay, tell me which politician$ don't lie, par$e word$, or blame $ubordinate$, or ju$t don't recall, or don't remember.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

during the 1992 election when then President Bush evinced surprise at having gone to a supermarket and seeing (for the first time) this most amazing device. He said that you pass the item over it, and the device tells you how much the item costs. I was living in Griffin at the time and the Kroger there had these devices (scanners for the uninformed) in their store there for at least five years. Now, I don't think that Griffin was on the cutting edge of supermarket technology. So, does that qualify as "out of touch"? Somehow, I think it does. Keep the faith

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

. . . and it was a successful attempt by the liberal media to claim a problem existed when there was none. And the public believed it. From today's perspective, it is easy to see this attempt for what it was. A whole lotta nothing. Unless of course, you believe our President's time would be BEST spent shopping in a grocery store on a periodic basis.

HOW IS ANY OF THAT RELEVANT TO BEING PRESIDENT??? It isn't. OK, decisions made at the President's level often require a common understanding of the plight of the average American. Fine. But really, so Bush senior handn't yet seen a bar code scanner in a store before. SO WHAT.

I spent several tours overseas. 2-3 years at a time. Each time I came back to the states after being away, I felt a bit "out of touch". There were slang expressions I hadn't heard, and shows on TV I hadn't seen. But that did not have any effect on my ability to do my job.

I don't have an Iphone. So what. Does that make me an incapable of understanding cell phone users? That whole story on Bush senior was sensationalized by the liberal media. That's why you remembered it.

Bottom line: A whole lotta HOOPLA over nothing. History proves me correct. Just like, "it's the economy, stupid". Hindsight proves IT WASN'T.

From the other side of the tracks

I understand your point. It is hard to fathom the truth sometimes from the media...mainstream media or internet media..either one. All we have to go on are PERCEPTIONS...and when a man tries to generate the "comon touch" and prove that he is a "man of the people" he should make sure that his advisors have brought him up to speed before engaging his mouth. Don't play the card, then b****when it gets trumped. Keep the faith.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

Oh well. A bit early in my prediction of the inevitable demise of “SHRILLARY’s” candidacy. But you have to admit, it is very interesting to watch as democrats struggle with supporting either the Clinton albatross, or a candidate like Obama, who brings a fresh, Kennedy-esque fervor to his campaign, albeit with lots of generalizations. But both make the mistake of “pander(ing) to the crude and mindless whims of the masses”. Witness Hillary’s victory speech, “ . . . I listened to you, and found my voice.” Excuse me while I vomit.
Of course Hillary won in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is as yellow dog democrat as they come. Bluer than blue. And if she could not at least take New Hampshire (close proximity to NY), her candidacy was definitely on the ropes. Just like Romney’s campaign is on the ropes.
But the best part yesterday was hearing Bill Clinton complain about the media coverage. I’m still laughing at that one. What a joke he has become.
It is Edwards who is done. But of course, he will stick around long enough to collect the $8.8M in federal campaign funds. He’s got bills to pay.
Prediction: Obama will be the nominee. Because the “change” message is more powerful than Hillary’s “experience” (especially when she has little real experience to tout, besides “I supported this”, and “I supported that”). Note how in the Saturday debate Hillary attempted to co-opt Obama’s “change” message as she claimed to be an agent of change for the last 35 years. However, she offered NOTHING to back up that claim. This is a well known Clinton tactic. Adopt the message that seems to be working best, regardless of who initiated it (republican or democrat), and then claim it as your own.
The other well known Clinton tactic is to smear. In the coming days, look for damaging info on Obama to be “leaked” to the media by some anonymous source. Because despite the New Hampshire win (which should have been an EASY win for Clinton) her campaign is on life support. And she knows it. And in her blind ambition for power, she will stop at nothing. And that will be her downfall.

From the other side of the tracks

Every exit pole I have seen on the 06 election had the war in Iraq as voter's number one concern; not fuel prices. So to say the GOP lost seats because of fuel prices may not be acurate, maybe. I'm pen and inking a more comprehensive comment on this blog in two shakes of a fuel nozzle.

Cheers,

Kevin "Hack" King

but certainly not the only issue. I just remember it was a big issue and the Dems were gonna fix it.

Frankly, I vote Libertarian.

Necessary or not....

Wow, how arrogant of you. What a flippant attitude to take regarding going to war - necessary or not. Do I detect a light bulb above your head that is flashing "the war wasn't necessary."

Is that all you care about, is that "they aren't over here, in America."???!!! Pull your head out of the sand, hammer.

From the news reports I am hearing, the terrorists and al-Qaeda are now regrouping on the Pakistan-Afghan border, with the intent of disrupting Pakistan and its puppet government, with the goal of acquiring the nukes that Pakistan has. And all because Bush took his eye off the Bin Laden/al-Qaeda ball to go after Saddam. If Bin Laden and his buddies get ahold of the Pakistani nukes, Bush and his neocons, and voters like you, will be to blame. It will be on your heads.

Tell me where or when you have seen any credible intelligence that has stated Al Qaida is unable to enter the US or does not desire to enter the US because of US troops in Iraq. Let us apply logic here, please.

When the Spaniard's rail system was bombed by Al Qaida, Spaniards as well as the USA and her allies were in Iraq.

When the Brits were attacked in London by Al Qaida, we were in Iraq.

When the Glasgow airport was attacked; when the plot was set in motion to attack JFK airport; when Fort Dix was put in the cross hairs; we were in Iraq.

You may not like the man who spoke these words, but John Kerry said in 2003 that fighting terrorism here is more a matter of law enforcement and good intel/police work than it is a military operation. Please do some research, friend, and read of how each of the plots and plans to attack the US have been stopped. You may find it interesting that each of the above attacks were home grown terrorists. Spaniards in Spain and Brits in England. So I will not believe you, but rather our intelligence organizations that tell us Al Qaida has more members in more countries than ever before. The world is not black and white as your party has convinced you. The choice is not war in Iraq or terror here, because one day, we will leave Iraq. And you need not be any more or less fearfull of domestic terrorism when that wonderful day comes. Besides, would not the war in Afghanistan have drawn the same moths to flame if that analogy was acurate?

Kevin "Hack" King

Your ludicrous premise assumes it's an "either/or" proposition, that terrorists cannot wage battles in more than one area.

Equally disingenious is your premise that terrorists are puppy dogs that will follow us home when we leave Iraq.

Clueless Republican Talking Points: Terrorists as Puppy Dogs

but the fact still remains...we aren't fighting them in our own streets. Never said they couldn't fight on two fronts...but they aren't here are they?

Should we just leave Iraq, bring the troops home and tell the terrorists to come and get us here? You democrats would love that wouldn't you? Then you could invite them in and try to get them the help they need to resolve their anger issues.

Gimme a FREAKIN BREAK!

"dog that didn't bark" defense. It isn't proof of anything other than the fact that "they" aren't here right now for us to fight in the streets.

My sister lives in Montreal and had the opportunity to ride in a cab of an Iraqi. He said that he was so happy that Bush sent troops to Iraq, because there was no way for most of his friends to get to the United States to kill Americans, and it was so nice of Bush to send troops for them to kill in Baghdad. Keep the faith

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

Terrorists have not attacked here since I moved into my house in PTC. Therefore, as long as I continue to live in this house, terrorism will not occur here. So please inform the GOP that they can get on the same sheet of music with the rest of the country and support a redeployment of troops from Iraq. Wasn't that easy? Just curious bighammer, are you "comfortable" with Americans dying at the hands of terrorists as long as they are outside of the US borders and you aren't forced to see their coffins when they re-enter the CONUS? That is a bit disturbing to me.

Kevin "Hack" King

Bighammer sweetie, I wouldn't dismiss your rambling nonsense...I WANT you to keep regurgitating Republican talking points as loudly and often as possible.

Did you see the results of your Republican "all fear, all the time" talking points in Iowa last week? Looks like it's gonna be a really bad year for fearmongers like you!!

right......no terrorists here. Hello Alice, what dream world you livin' in?

"once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right"
"listen to the thunder shouting, "I AM, I AM, I AM"

;>} Have a grateful day ;>}

"To the torture point, do you really think that US based torture or coercion just started with Bush?"

No, it didn't "start" under Bush. I'm sure there have always been a few bad apples working outside the chain of command.

Under Bush, though, for the first time in our nation's history, torture is official government policy. Aided by slippery-slope legal justifications (i.e. we can do it but other nations can't; if they don't die it ain't torture, etc), the Bush administraition has embraced the torture of human beings as part of it's overall "ends justifies the means" foreign policy.

Our government's commitment to torturing people goes a long way towards explaining why worldwide respect for America has plummeted to rock bottom levels. They don't "envy our freedom", they're disgusted with our hypocrisy.

Thanks for putting so much thought into the above post. These types of conversations are much easier to carry on than the "Bush lied / Clinton was a womanizer" hollerin matches that often break out.

I have to tell you that Sniffles is spot on with respect to torture. Never in my 20 plus years of military service have I seen an administration jeopordize US soldiers in future conflicts by abandoning the moral high ground. Never have I heard men at the highest levels of government argue vigorously as to why we should scrap the Geneva Conventions in a time of war. What will we say to Iranian Qods Special Forces members that capture and water board our soldiers? What CAN we say?

As for the price of oil, let's follow economics. Economists state the major influences on the price of oil are high demand and instability in the region of supply.

First, demand: Do you think our oil men in the executive branch have made concerted efforts to foster energy independence here at home? They have opposed the strictest cafe standards for auto makers by saying that increased economy requirements would irreparably hurt Detroit and our major auto makers. Yet we see Toyota cleaning our clocks all the while making cars which sip fuel. I dare say any other administration would have done much more in 7 + years to lower our country's level of oil use.

How about instability in the oil producing regions which sparks fears of interrupted supply? Don't you remember the neocon statmenents that we needed to "shake up" the region? We needed to "turn it on its ear?" I remember those statments. We sent J. Bolton to the UN to do the same thing. We put Iran in the axis of evil. We have made Russia apprehensive as to where our colonialisms' limits are. They don't even trust us enough to allow a US ballistic missile defense in Poland. We have supported Pakistan's Musharif as opposed to Pakistan's democratic process. We abdicated our war with Al Qaida in Afghanistan and turned it over to NATO, only to see a resurgent Al Qaida and an increase in poppy productions which provides money to our enemies. This has increased instability in the region, and our fingerprints are on the policies which have lead to this situation. And remember, we did all of this while ignoring the generals who told us we would need many, many more Americans in the region to secure the peace. So, GAconservative, I put the culpability of these negative influences in the oil market squarely on this administration and their policies which even Mike Huckabee has called arrogant.

You are dead on that illegal immigration will be and has been a problem here, no matter who controls congress or the White House.

It is tough to draw a link between a President and the dollar's value, however, when one promises to never ever raise taxes, but continues to spend as if they have unlimited funds in the bank, then has communist China finance the completely predictable debt, this is bound to have a negative effect on the value of our dollar. I believe this is why ALL previous wars have seen increases in taxes. It's like getting a second job to send your kids to college or finance a big purchase

Gitmo at Guantanamo:

The tragedy of Gitmo is not how prisoners are treated. The problem is that these "known bad actors" have been released by the dozens with absolutely no charges. They have not been given legal counsil. We have tried to convince the world that these are bad people, yet we don't have evidence to convict them in a court of law (being that we are a nation of laws)? does this make any sense? Not to me. I see Gitmo as a holding zone for failed evidence-gathering and record keeping. We cannot hold these people forever. But we just keep kicking this human can down the road as if it will fix itself.

Last but not least, Gonzo was as bad for the Department of Justices' reputation as a lion is for a heard of zebra; absolutely devastating. An AG that could not remember who told him what when or what he was or was not a part of; a completely incompetent showing. I don't know how you equate that to the DOJ's handling of a religious wingnut who kidnapped and raped underage girls and kept them as his wives. I'm not sure how hands off you think we should have been with ole' David, but I tend to not blame law enforcement for situations caused by kidnappers and rapists. If you have details that I missed back in that case, I'm all ears.

Cheers, mate, and I have enjoyed the discourse!

Kevin "Hack" King

Thanks for your kudos. Even though I may not post regularly, I do read the blogs most everyday. I respect your positions and the honest discourse.

First, let me say (again) a huge thank you to you and all others who have served our country. Those of us who have not served can not repay our debts to all of you.

To answer your questions, there is no doubt that there have been many people detained much longer than necessary at Gitmo. I do not believe it to be a perfect system. However, I understand its usefulness and the purpose behind the project. That being said, it is my opinion that there has been useful information gathered there. While I do agree that human rights are paramount in all interactions (especially incarcerations) it was more so the blanket statement above that I was responding to in my post. As is evidenced on The Citizen and other blog sites and news sources, there is still a great debate about the methods being used at Gitmo. There is just too much grey to be covered in a blanket statement.

The same thing goes for Alberto Gonzalez. To just say that he is the worst ever without any support is silly. I was just using some examples that others have criticized in our recent past to highlight other AG decisions.

Hope that this helps. Sorry for the brevity. My lunch meeting is coming up!

Take care!

GA Conservative

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.

As it happens, what you discuss here ties in with the stuff I am writing (or trying to write, anyway.)

I'll spare you all of the (very interesting) background details (unless you ask for them) and just ask my question. It is not at all a loaded question. I am strictly concerned about the issue in the abstract.

Suppose you have a known terrorist who you reasonably believe has information that is potentially life-saving and perhaps on a grand scale. But suppose you refrain from torturing/waterboarding him in order to extract the information. Suppose, further, that your refraining is from MORAL considerations.

Here's the question:

Do you refrain out of direct concern for HIM, as a humanj person who possess natural rights that would be violated by such treatment? Or is your concern only INDIRECT regarding him, with your direct concern being for further consequences, such as your concern over what we could say to the Iranians if they took up the practice on our guys?

I might like to use this example in the styuff I'm writing, and I would be inkterested in what people think.

Maybe should'a typed a different "subject" Sniff and Hack sounds like I have a cold...Oh well, Good posts...spot on y'all!

Torture

Ever had your fingers cut off one inch every time you refused to give up information?
It’s a painfully slow process. At some point you do break.

Do you carry the scars from the torture till this day?

And when someone asks what happened to your hand you just say an industrial accident because the memory of those days still haunts you?

It’s a little different when you actually know how true torture feels.

Is water boarding torture?

I don’t know, I guess I would have to talk with someone that has experienced it.

I would not want my worst enemy tortured.

It’s bad enough to be spit upon just because you served your country.

Imagine coming home from an unpopular war and being ashamed to tell anyone the real truth of why you only have one finger and a thumb on your left hand. Charlie has broken you.

Many of our brothers came home mentally and physically disabled. Some never made it home.

Many are still living on the streets some by choice.

Others really want and need a hand up not a hand out.

All gave some
Some gave all

Oh, the finger thing, one inch at a time with bolt cutters, isn't the worst torture.
A movie, I think, once showed a cage being fitted over a man's head with a trap door in the front, where a large starving, irritated rat was let in and then closed. The man's nose usually went first until the eyes became wide open! Sometimes they would just put a harmless mouse in first to see if he would talk. After showing him the big rat!
Flaming bamboo strips driven under the fingernails until they came out somewhere is also good.
John McCain could, if he would, tell you how it feels to be hung with your arms behind you, pulling your shoulder out of joint while whipping your feet and electrifying your genitals.
There are others even worse about ants, worms, snakes, and skinning one inch at a time, and de-bowling a little at a time, but if I mention them we will make them legal, I'm afraid!

My earlier post regarding torture was not something I read in a book or saw on TV or in the movies.
It was about my father who was physically and mentally tortured. The cutting off of his fingers was the final form of torture that broke him. His fingers weren’t cut off with a pair of bolt cutters but severed with a knife over a seven day period.

I was not implying that severing a person’s fingers is the worst form of torture available to the enemy.

Long after the physical portion of the torture ended the mental portion and the embarrassment remained. For years he would wake up in the middle of the night screaming.

He suffered for a long time. Sadly several years ago on his birthday he made the decision to end his suffering. I will never forget that day.

I wouldn’t expect for you to understand how I feel.

Torture is not a short term action that a person recovers from in a few days or months some never recover.

All gave some
Some gave all

I hope you really don't have such a personal encounter with such suffering, but if you do, I hope you are able to deal with it and still enjoy life.

I appreciate your calm words of wisdom. It's so nice to have you around.

Next time you will be telling him off like you do everyone else, one day you like them and then the next you don't, except for Sofa and a few others.

go to bed please, you sound tired and distraught.

No need to tell anyone off, really, I just tell it like it is, missy. That's what these blogs are for anyway, to discuss important issues that affect all of us. Please try to keep up.

BTW, are you trying to set me up with Sofa King? That's the second time you've mentioned him, when addressing me.

I do come in peace, this is what Wicca believes. I did not try to hurt or attack you- I want you to know this is not a God (Jesus) thing.

If you don't want to believe in Jesus that is your choice- but Wicca is not Christian. I leave in peace. End of subject.

...Wicca is not Christian

I know that Lilly, and I believe that is one of the reasons why many people follow Wicca.

My only argument with you in the first place, was the point you tried to make about Bush valuing life, and for some reason, it turned into a discussion on religion.

If a politician, or anyone for that matter, values life, then it should include innocents abroad, and I do not believe Bush thought through this war, the pre-emptive strike against Iraq, in the way that a man who 'values life' would/should have.

Please don't turn this into an argument about abortion and religion, as it gets us nowhere. I hope that voters look BEYOND fetal politics when voting, and vote for someone who will lead this country out of this current economic and geopolitical mess we are in.

___

I have to say which you already guessed that the issues that Lilly spoke of do have some to do in who I deceide to vote for.

Look at the other nations that believe in a false god, or no god at all, they have no regard for life- well they just as soon blow you up as to look at you.

Morals and values are imporatant, if we don't have them- what do we go by- do your own thing.

Of course I don't vote for a stupid person that don't know a thing about goverment

Main Stream Christian do value life and I value you.

Being a Christian does not make me stupid- btw God gave us a brain.
Who gave you yours?

____________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

so, bpr, you say that morals and values are important to you when voting? Republicans hold the record for lewd, scandalous and sexually deviant behavior. It's shocking to read the names in this list and the disgusting actions by those held in such high esteem, just because they are labeled as 'conservative.' And this is the party of 'morals and values'??!!:

REPUBLICAN SEX SCANDALS DWARF THOSE OF DEMOCRATS

I reviewed the article. Republicans less moral? Give me a break.

Of the 34 "Republicans" listed, only six (6) were IN OFFICE when these ALLEGED events took place. 7 of the 34 were not even in office (events took place either when they were very young, or YEARS after they left office). And 19 out of the 34 (56%) are not even elected officials. They are listed as "activists" and "evangelists", etc. And the allegations against Bush are completely without merit or they would be front page headlines. What a retarded attempt to broadbrush all "republicans" with this horse-pucky.

Face the truth. Even if ALL of the above were true (and it's far from it), it PALES in comparison to the acts of one individual. Bill Clinton as president. And remember, Clinton not only committed these acts while serving in the highest office in the land, but created an even bigger scandal when he lied about it under oath and committed perjury. Now there's an example not likely to topped in any millennium, this one or the last.

Meanwhile, your Democratic "leaders", like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and others daily undermine the mission of our Soldiers overseas with their public pronouncements that the war is lost, etc. Obviously, in their view, everything is fair game as long as you can score some quick cheap political points. Now there's a real example of moral leadership.

And don't even think about coming back with that "Bush lied about the WMDs" baloney. A lie means it was pre-meditated. Hard to "lie" when that is the prevailing thought at the time, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

The article attempts to assert that Republicans are less moral. IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE. Democrats long ago permanently won the "less moral" and "no values" moniker. Democrats have ALWAYS owned it, and ALWAYS will. Get over it.

Unless you want me to cite a recent financial comparison of Democrats and Republican Congressmen & women who have bounced checks and filed for bankruptcy. It's not even close.

I bet that in 24 hours, I could come up with morals and values allegations of 34 Democrats from the Clinton Administration alone.
Let's see, Vincent Foster, FBI files, Lincoln bedroom, Al Gore soliciting campaign contributions from White House phone lines, Whitewater, Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, "wag the dog" bombings. And these are just the ones the mainstream liberal media printed. Need I go on?

From the other side of the tracks

OST, whether those individuals were in office or not, is irrelevant – they are members of the Republican party, the party of ‘morals and values.’

If that list doesn’t suffice for you, then here’s one that is more recent, and these are just incidents occuring in 2007:

January 23, 2007: Republican radio personality Scott Eller Cortelyou of Denver arrested on suspicion of using the Internet to lure a child into a sexual relationship

January 29, 2007: Republican former Jefferson County, Colorado, Treasurer Mark Paschall indicted on two felony charges "in connection with an allegation that Paschall solicited a kickback from a bonus he awarded one of his employees"

January 31, 2007: Republican Congressman Gary Miller is named by Republicans as ranking member of oversight subcommittee of House Financial Services Committee despite the FBI's investigation into his land deals

February 14, 2007: Major Republican fundraiser Brent Wilkes and former CIA executive director Kyle "Dusty" Foggo are indicted by a grandy jury for corrupting CIA contracts

February 16, 2007: Major Republican donor Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, aka Michael Mixon, is indicted in federal court on charges of providing material support to terrorists

March 5, 2007: Ethics complaint filed against Republican Senator Pete Domenici for his role in the Attorney Purge scandal

March 6, 2007: I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney found guilty of obstruction of justice and perjury

March 8, 2007: Republican former U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich admits to extramarital affair

March 23, 2007: Former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles, an oil and gas lobbyist who became an architect of George W. Bush's energy policies, pleads guilty to obstructing justice by lying to a Senate committee

March 27, 2007: Criminal charges filed against Republican Pennsylvania State Senator Robert Regola in connection with the death of a teenage neighbor who was shot with the senator's gun; he is accused of three counts of perjury, allowing possession of a firearm by a minor, recklessly endangering another person and false swearing

March 27, 2007: Ronald Reagan's budget director, David Stockman, "indicted on charges of defrauding investors and banks of $1.6 billion while chairman of Collins & Aikman Corp., an auto parts maker that collapsed days after he quit"

March 28, 2007: Robert Vellanoweth, a Republican activist and appointee of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, is arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, after a crash that killed three adults and one child

April 18, 2007: The FBI raids the home of Republican Congressman John Doolittle, investigating his ties to Jack Abramoff

April 19, 2007: The FBI raids a business tied to the family of Republican Congressman Rick Renzi, as part of an investigation into his business dealings

April 23, 2007: The FBI questions Republican Congressman Tom Feeney about his dealings with Jack Abramoff

April 23, 2007: Federal auditors find repeat violations of federal election law from the 2004 Senate campaign of Republican Senator Mel Martinez

April 26, 2007: David Huckabee, son of Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, is arrested at an Arkansas airport after a federal X-ray technician detected a loaded gun in his carry-on luggage

May 4, 2007: Bruce Weyhrauch and Pete Kott, former Alaska state Republican legislators, were arrested and accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from the corrupt VECO Corporation

May 4, 2007: Republican state Assemblyman Michael Cole is censured and stripped of his leadership position after the married father of two spent the night at a 21-year-old intern's apartment

May 11, 2007: A field coordinator for Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry is indicted for voter fraud in North Carolina

May 12, 2007: NBC News breaks the story that the FBI is investigating Republican Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons for suspicion of accepting bribes in exchange for securing government contracts

May 15, 2007: Connecticut Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy is arrested for drunk driving (he pled no contest on June 1, but didn't publicly disclose the event until June 11)

May 18, 2007: Republican former South Dakota State Representative Ted Klaudt is charged with eight counts of second-degree rape, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of sexual contact with a child younger than 16, two counts of witness tampering and one count of stalking against two foster children in his care

May 21, 2007: Republican state Senate candidate Mark Tate is indicted on nine counts of perjury and two counts of election fraud by a grand jury

June 11, 2007: Republican Senator Larry Craig is arrested for lewd conduct in the men's bathroom of an airport

June 19, 2007: South Carolina Republican state Treasurer and South Carolina Chairman of Giuliani for President Thomas Ravenel is indicted by a grand jury on cocaine distribution charges

July 2, 2007: President George W. Bush commutes the sentence of former Cheney Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby following Libby's conviction on obstruction of justice and perjury

July 3, 2007: A grand jury report declares that the sale of public land to Republican Congressman Ken Calvert and his business partners violated the law

July 11, 2007: Republican state Representative and Florida co-Chairman of McCain for President Bob Allen is arrested for soliciting a male undercover police officer, offering to pay $20 to perform oral sex

July 16, 2007: Republican Senator David Vitter holds press conference acknowledging being on the D.C. Madam's list and past involvement with prostitutes

July 16, 2007: Story breaks that Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski was involved in a sweetheart real estate deal

July 19: Republican former state legislator Coy Privette is charged with six counts of aiding and abetting prostitution

July 24, 2007: Michael Flory, former head of the Michigan Federation of Young Republicans, pleads guilty to sexual abuse

July 26, 2007: Media report that Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski will sell back land purchased in a sweetheart deal, following close scrutiny of the shady transaction

July 29, 2007: Glenn Murphy Jr., recently-elected Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation, is accused of sexually assaulting a sleeping man

July 30, 2007: The FBI and IRS raid the home of Republican Senator Ted Stevens following investigations into Stevens' dealings with the corrupt VECO Corporation

August 2, 2007: Bush administration senior adviser Karl Rove disregards a Congressional subpoena and refuses to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee

August 6, 2007: Investigation called for after House Republican Leader John Boehner leaked classified information regarding a secret court ruling over warrantless wiretapping

August 8, 2007: Republican Senator Larry Craig pleads guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct following his June 11 arrest

August 9, 2007: Major Republican donor Alan Fabian is charged with 23 counts of bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and perjury

August 15, 2007: Republican state House candidate Angelo Cappelli is arrested for perjury and grand theft

August 22, 2007: Republican political consultant Roger Stone resigns his role with the New York state Senate Republicans after reports surfaced that he made a "threatening, obscenity-laced" phone call to the 83-year-old father of Governor Eliot Spitzer

August 27, 2007: Story breaks that Republican Senator Larry Craig was arrested and pled guilty - he had not publicly disclosed the events to that point

Wow, this list of repukes is scary.

Some values...??

should be completely spared any kind of nasty or derogatory blogging!

Huckabee's Son Kicked Out Of Boy Scouts For Torture Killing Of Dog

Of course, Other Side of Trax and/or Hutch866 will be by here shortly with "proof" that Jimmy Carter's kids ran a "murder for hire" racket out of the White House.....
_____________________________________________________
Wall Street Journal: FairTax,Flawed Tax
Unspinning the FairTax

Agree with Jeffc that children of candidates should be off-limits.

However, siblings are fair game. As for Jimmy Carter, remember "Billy Beer"? Need I say more??????

From the other side of the tracks

Agree with Jeffc that children of candidates should be off-limits.

Really. It would be distasteful, after all these years, to bring up that time that Jeff C dressed up like a _____ and drank that _____ while riding that that _____ in a most provocative manner.

Chelsea is off limits to me, unless she starts sputtering her political opinions about in order to prop Mom up. Same as Huckaby's knucklehead son. Just proves in spite of trying to raise 'em right, sometimes a mutant perseveres. After viewing that picture of Mike's son, I'll bet Jeff C is telling himself, whew.... I sure am glad digital camera's weren't around when I was in college. LOL! Second thought, I'm glad they weren't around when I......

Just kidding Jeff. In regards to Billy Beer and your uncle.... I had an Uncle Clarence that was quite the character such as your uncle was. My folks nicknamed him Billy during the your dad's reign. They could have been twins.

________
In regards to Democrats, Republicans, gangs, and other scads of coterie Kool-Aide drinkers; Remember this..... Eagles Don't Flock

That screams a lot about the values taught in his home.

I was appalled that he tried to go through airport security with a gun. This takes the cake!.
Based on what I have seen from "christians" I guess I would be disappointed with any other behavior.

Good job to search engine sniffles.

"....looks like that wild hog they shot down in Redneckistan"

Just what the White House needs, a Belushian, glock-packin', dog-killin', preachers son. Lord help us all.

EXAMPLE OF GOOD CONSERVATIVE PARENTING.... REALLY??!!

_

I thought you said that you had a boa in you back yard- or is it in your house? '

Heard from my cyberboyfriend?

______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

Most of us teach our children morals, values, respect for others, etc. etc. Although we do the best that we can, sometimes our children choose another path.

Y'all can dig up stuff like this all day. Hey Jeff, what did you do? Just kidding.
Have you seen this bumper sticker?
Monica Lewinsky's X-boyfriend's wife for President

Where do you get the stickers I have about 15 people that want them.

______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

I don't have the bumper sticker and don't know where you would find them. A friend sent me a picture of it.

Believe me I will find it or have it made myself. Good one. I met a few of your friends, they spoke highly of you- hope to meet you soon.

_____________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

I hope to attend one of the coffee meetings sometime soon, would like to meet you too.

Watch out or you will be Hutch's cybergirlfirend - he can have two can't he?

_______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

mayor.

Giuliani

I just about fell out of my chair over this.

The guy's got to have a healthy sense of humor (not to mention a sense of his own manhood) to have gone along with this gag. Oh, my Lord is this funny.

Did your dad ever do anything like this? Please tell him it's not too late!

You have the good parenting award wrong- excuse me the all time sex parenting award goes to:

BILL AND HILLIARY CLINTON

what exactly has Chelsea Clinton done to call into question her parents' parenting skills? Keep the faith.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

How do you know what she hasn't done? Hey, Dad is her role model??????

using the old "dog that didn't bark" argument. Because we don't know if she has been in any trouble, her parents are guilty of faulty parenting. Keep the faith.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

Why do you hate Lilly because she is a Christian? Do you honestly think you have all of us fooled? BTW it's not Lilly you hate it's God.
I don't know this person- but you are mean to her- I don't care if you are mean to me. Why can't you let her believe in her God and you do your own thing- I know- you take joy being mean because you are so not happy. HUH?

as my old buddy, trax, says...its PERCEPTION. I most certainly do not hate Lilly, or God for that matter (though you would not know that without knowing me). What I take exception at is constantly casting dispersions at anything and everything Clinton, just because it has the name Clinton attached to it. Bill and Hillary might not be your or her idea of the perfect couple, but then who is? Why is it mean for me to point this out to Lilly, but not mean of her to constantly rail against the Clintons? BTW the way, since you brought it up, my God is a god of forgiveness and redemption, a god of promise and everlasting joy at some point in the future (far in the future, hopefully). Tell me about yours. Keep the faith.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

(Perception)

All you have to do is sit here and read and read what MainYardman5508 has said to Lilly.

What is it with you- don't hate Lilly or God so you choose to talk trash to Lilly like Lilly is nothing- if anyone and I mean anyone says they are a Christian or have Christian values-here you come. Well, to have Christian values you sure are making fun of Lillys.

BTW- What Christian values- if you have them you don't make fun of them.

BTW my view of faith is not up for debate- you don't argue what you know is truth.

I sat here and watched and read what you wrote to who you call Main about bpr - laughing you said Main I still like you even if you pick on bpr all the time. Christian? UMMMMMMMM?

Someone even though I have not seen you or talked to you would describe you as a grumpy old man.

As far as Clinton- you are so full of wisdom- yes God forgives- but He expects you to turn or stop from what you are doing wrong- how could you be sorry if you didn't- wise one.

(PERCEPTION) What wife would not care if her husband cheats,cheats, cheats and makes you look like a dumb no brain head like Hillary- marriage-they don't have a marriage.

May I ask how would Bill feel if some OLD MAN LIKE BILL did the same thing to his daughter?

I have a friend who's husband went to school and church with Bill- I have the scoop on him, family- believe her husband- yeah, what a legacy to tell my two small kids.

I suggest you go on a hike and get your stress together and think about using your words kindly- even if you disagree- be a gentleman!

Its just a reflex. They don't even realize they're doing it.

I defy you to find one statement I ever made against Carter, I liked Carter, it was my first election and I voted for him, somewhere around here I still have a drivers license with his signature, so maybe in the future, you liar and hypocrite leave me out of your crap. BTW, I consider trax to be the Republican basmati.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

. . . you really hurt my feelins with that one. . . LOL

From the other side of the tracks
(ONE name is all I need, except when some wanker changes my password, then I use "other_side_trax" - just a different form of the same name)

Oh, I'm fully aware you've never said anything bad about Jimmy Carter. I was simply pointing out you incessant need to disparage every post I make.

a punk like you is hardwired to respond...it's your nature.

_____________________________________________________
Wall Street Journal: FairTax,Flawed Tax
Unspinning the FairTax

lying again, seems you're a little hardwired too. I really only answer your hypocrite posts or when you include me. It's so easy to talk tough on the net ain't it, that's the only place you could get away with calling me that.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Hi,
You know you're not a punk, your friends know you're not a punk, so don't let it bother you.

Not to worry, I would only worry if he liked me. The bas likes to give, he just don't like to receive. Someone requested another password for me last night, no problems till then, I wonder what happened. I hope you're doing all right and thanks for the support.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Well said Ms. Tug.

_____________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

(This list was compiled at the end of the Clinton administration. It was last updated in 2000)
The Clintons, to adapt a line from Dr. Johnson, were not only corrupt, they were the cause of corruption in others. Yet seldom in America have so many come to excuse so much mendacity and malfeasance as during the Clinton years. Here are some of the facts that have been buried.
RECORDS SET

- The only president ever impeached on grounds of personal malfeasance
- Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates*
- Most number of cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation
- Most number of witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify
- Most number of witnesses to die suddenly
- First president sued for sexual harassment.
- First president accused of rape.
- First first lady to come under criminal investigation
- Largest criminal plea agreement in an illegal campaign contribution case
- First president to establish a legal defense fund.
- First president to be held in contempt of court
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions
- Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions from abroad
- First president disbarred from the US Supreme Court and a state court
STARR-RAY INVESTIGATION
- Number of Starr-Ray investigation convictions or guilty pleas (including one governor, one associate attorney general and two Clinton business partners): 14
- Number of Clinton Cabinet members who came under criminal investigation: 5

CRIME STATS
- Number of individuals and businesses associated with the Clinton machine who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes: 47
- Number of these convictions during Clinton's presidency: 33
- Number of indictments/misdemeanor charges: 61
- Number of congressional witnesses who have pleaded the Fifth Amendment, fled the country to avoid testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses) refused to be interviewed: 122
SMALTZ INVESTIGATION

- Guilty pleas and convictions obtained by Donald Smaltz in cases involving charges of bribery and fraud against former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and associated individuals and businesses: 15
- Acquitted or overturned cases (including Espy): 6
- Fines and penalties assessed: $11.5 million

CAMPAIGN FINANCE INVESTIGATION
- As of June 2000, the Justice Department listed 25 people indicted and 19 convicted because of the 1996 Clinton-Gore fundraising scandals.
- According to the House Committee on Government Reform in September 2000, 79 House and Senate witnesses asserted the Fifth Amendment in the course of investigations into Gore's last fundraising campaign.
-James Riady entered a plea agreement to pay an $8.5 million fine for campaign finance crimes. This was a record under campaign finance laws.
CLINTON MACHINE CRIMES FOR WHICH CONVICTIONS WERE OBTAINED
Drug trafficking (3), racketeering, extortion, bribery (4), tax evasion, kickbacks, embezzlement (2), fraud (12), conspiracy (5), fraudulent loans, illegal gifts (1), illegal campaign contributions (5), money laundering (6), perjury, obstruction of justice.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
- Number of independent counsel inquiries since the 1978 law was passed: 19
- Number that have produced indictments: 7
- Number that produced more convictions than the Starr investigation: 1
- Median length of investigations that led to convictions: 44 months

- Total cost to taxpayers of the Madison Guarantee failure: $73 million
OTHER MATTERS INVESTIGATED BY SPECIAL PROSECUTORS AND CONGRESS, OR REPORTED IN THE MEDIA
Bank and mail fraud, violations of campaign finance laws, illegal foreign campaign funding, improper exports of sensitive technology, physical violence and threats of violence, solicitation of perjury, intimidation of witnesses, bribery of witnesses, attempted intimidation of prosecutors, perjury before congressional committees, lying in statements to federal investigators and regulatory officials, flight of witnesses, obstruction of justice, bribery of cabinet members, real estate fraud, tax fraud, drug trafficking, failure to investigate drug trafficking, bribery of state officials, use of state police for personal purposes, exchange of promotions or benefits for sexual favors, using state police to provide false court testimony, laundering of drug money through a state agency, false reports by medical examiners and others investigating suspicious deaths, the firing of the RTC and FBI director when these agencies were investigating Clinton and his associates, failure to conduct autopsies in suspicious deaths, providing jobs in return for silence by witnesses, drug abuse, improper acquisition and use of 900 FBI files, improper futures trading, murder, sexual abuse of employees, false testimony before a federal judge, shredding of documents, withholding and concealment of subpoenaed documents, fabricated charges against (and improper firing of) White House employees, inviting drug traffickers, foreign agents and participants in organized crime to the White House.
ARKANSAS ALTZHEIMER'S
Number of times that Clinton figures who testified in court or before Congress said that they didn't remember, didn't know, or something similar.
Bill Kennedy 116
Harold Ickes 148
Ricki Seidman 160
Bruce Lindsey 161
Bill Burton 191
Mark Gearan 221
Mack McLarty 233
Neil Egglseston 250
Hillary Clinton 250
John Podesta 264
Jennifer O'Connor 343
Dwight Holton 348
Patsy Thomasson 420
Jeff Eller 697
FROM THE WASHINGTON TIMES: In the portions of President Clinton's Jan. 17 deposition that have been made public in the Paula Jones case, his memory failed him 267 times. This is a list of his answers and how many times he gave each one.
I don't remember - 71
I don't know - 62
I'm not sure - 17
I have no idea - 10
I don't believe so - 9
I don't recall - 8
I don't think so - 8
I don't have any specific recollection - 6
I have no recollection - 4
Not to my knowledge - 4
I just don't remember - 4
I don't believe - 4
I have no specific recollection - 3
I might have - 3
I don't have any recollection of that - 2 I don't have a specific memory - 2
I don't have any memory of that - 2
I just can't say - 2
I have no direct knowledge of that - 2
I don't have any idea - 2
Not that I recall - 2
I don't believe I did - 2
I can't remember - 2
I can't say - 2
I do not remember doing so - 2
Not that I remember - 2
I'm not aware - 1
I honestly don't know - 1
I don't believe that I did - 1
I'm fairly sure - 1
I have no other recollection - 1
I'm not positive - 1
I certainly don't think so - 1
I don't really remember - 1
I would have no way of remembering that - 1
That's what I believe happened - 1
To my knowledge, no - 1
To the best of my knowledge - 1
To the best of my memory - 1
I honestly don't recall - 1
I honestly don't remember - 1
That's all I know - 1
I don't have an independent recollection of that - 1
I don't actually have an independent memory of that - 1
As far as I know - 1
I don't believe I ever did that - 1
That's all I know about that - 1
I'm just not sure - 1
Nothing that I remember - 1
I simply don't know - 1
I would have no idea - 1
I don't know anything about that - 1
I don't have any direct knowledge of that - 1
I just don't know - 1
I really don't know - 1
I can't deny that, I just -- I have no memory of that at all - 1
ARKANSAS SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME
- Number of persons in the Clinton machine orbit who are alleged to have committed suicide: 9
- Number known to have been murdered: 12
- Number who died in plane crashes: 6
- Number who died in single car automobile accidents: 3
- Number of one-person sking fatalities: 1
- Number of key witnesses who have died of heart attacks while in federal custody under questionable circumstances: 1
- Number of unexplained deaths: 4
- Total suspicious deaths: 46
- Number of northern Mafia killings during peak years of 1968-78: 30
- Number of Dixie Mafia killings during same period: 156
It is important in considering these fatal incidents to bear in mind the following:
• The fact that anomalies need to be investigated further carries no presumption of how a death actually occurred, only that there remain serious questions that require answers.
• The possibility of foul play must be taken seriously in a major criminal conspiracy in which over two score individuals and firms have been convicted and over 100 witnesses have pled the Fifth Amendment or fled the country.
• If foul play did occur in any of these cases, that fact by itself does not carry the presumption that the the Clinton machine was involved. Given the footprints of organized crime, drug trade, foreign espionage, and intelligence agencies on the trail of the Clinton story, such a assumption would not be warranted. It is also well to keep in mind the classic prohibition era movie in which the corrupt poitician's job was not to engage in illegal acts but to avoid noticing them.
ARKANSAS MONEY MANAGEMENT
- Amount of an alleged electronic transfer from the Arkansas Development Financial Authority to a bank in the Cayman Islands during 1980s: $50 million
- Grand Cayman's population: 18,000
- Number of commercial banks: 570
- Number of bank regulators: 1
- Amount Arkansas state pension fund invested in high-risk repos in the mid-80s in one purchase in April 1985: $52 million through the Worthen Bank.
- Number of days thereafter that the state's brokerage firm went belly up: 3
- Amount Arkansas pension fund dropped overnight as a result: 15%
- Percent of Worthen bank that Mochtar Riady bought over the next four months to bail out the bank and the then governor, Bill Clinton: 40%.
- Percent of purchasers from the Clintons and McDougals of resort lots who lost the land because of the sleazy financing provisions: over 50%
THE MEDIA
- Number of journalists covering Whitewater who have been fired, transferred off the beat, resigned or otherwise gotten into trouble because of their work on the scandals (Doug Frantz, Jim Wooten, Richard Behar, Christopher Ruddy, Michael Isikoff, David Eisenstadt, Yinh Chan, Jonathan Broder, James R. Norman, Zoh Hieronimus): 10
FRIENDS OF BILL
- Number of times John Huang took the 5th Amendment in answer to questions during a Judicial Watch deposition: 1,000
- Visits made to the White House by investigation subjects Johnny Chung, James Riady, John Huang, and Charlie Trie. 160
- Number of campaign contributors who got overnights at the White House in the two years before the 1996 election: 577
- Number of members of Thomas Boggs's law firm who have held top positions in the Clinton administration. 18
- Number of times John Huang was briefed by CIA: 37
- Number of calls Huang made from Commerce Department to Lippo banks: 261
- Number of intelligence reports Huang read while at Commerce Department: 500
UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA
- FBI files misappropriated by the White House: c. 900
- Estimated number of witnesses quoted in FBI files misappropriated by the White House: 18,000
- Number of witnesses who developed medical problems at critical points in Clinton scandals investigation (Tucker, Hale, both McDougals, Lindsey): 5
- Problem areas listed in a memo by Clinton's own lawyer in preparation for the president's defense: 40
- Number of witnesses and critics of Clinton subjected to IRS audit: 45
- Number of names placed in a White House secret database without the knowledge of those named: c. 200,000
- Number of women involved with Clinton who claim to have been physically threatened (Sally Perdue, Gennifer Flowers, Kathleen Willey, Linda Tripp, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Juantia Broaddrick): 6
- Number of men involved in the Clinton scandals who have been beaten up or claimed to have been intimidated: 10
THE HIDDEN ELECTION
USA Today calls it "the hidden election," in which nearly 7,000 state legislative seats are decided with only minimal media and public attention. But there was an important national story here: evidence of the disaster that Bill Clinton was for the Democratic Party. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Democrats held a 1,542 seat lead in the state bodies in 1990. As of 1998 that lead had shrunk to 288. That's a loss of over 1,200 state legislative seats, nearly all of them under Clinton. Across the US, the Democrats controled only 65 more state senate seats than the Republicans.
Further, in 1992, the Democrats controlled 17 more state legislatures than the Republicans. After 1998, the Republicans controlled one more than the Democrats. Not only was this a loss of 9 legislatures under Clinton, but it was the first time since 1954 that the GOP had controlled more state legislatures than the Democrats (they tied in 1968).
Here's what happened to the Democrats under Clinton, based on our latest figures:
- GOP seats gained in House since Clinton became president: 48
- GOP seats gained in Senate since Clinton became president: 8
- GOP governorships gained since Clinton became president: 11
- GOP state legislative seats gained since Clinton became president: 1,254
as of 1998
- State legislatures taken over by GOP since Clinton became president: 9
- Democrat officeholders who have become Republicans since Clinton became
president: 439 as of 1998
- Republican officeholders who have become Democrats since Clinton became president: 3
HERE ENDETH THE LESSON
******************
From the other side of the tracks

Haven't you learned yet? Accountability only applies to Republicans. Your examples matter not. Only if Clinton were a Republican would those facts be relevant and applicable.

________
In regards to Democrats, Republicans, gangs, and other scads of coterie Kool-Aide drinkers; Remember this..... Eagles Don't Flock

Your posting about the “Hidden Election” reminded me of a graphic that I had seen and it nagged me until I looked it up. It verifies your win/lose statement but seems not to correlate to presidential terms; what with Republicans sagging under Reagan and barely gaining under Clinton, etc.

However, what intrigued me about the graphic is its remarkable resemblance to the Christian fish avatars everybody here was sporting recently.

I believe this is a clear sign that religion is to be permitted in politics and that Huckabee is going to win Georgia!

You can see it here:

Share of Legislative Seats

By the way, I'm sure all of those Democrats were innocent and even if one or two may have not been totally and completely innocent, I'm sure that they can be rehabilitated!

Very interesting graphic . . . and it does look "fishy" . . .

From the other side of the tracks

The point I was making was that in order to create a list of Republican alleged misdeeds, the author had to stretch to try and dig up allegations from when they were not even in office, and also used allegations against minor figures.

Neither stretch is necessary to find a long list of misdeeds from current Democratic NATIONAL office holders.

And the mere fact that this liberal columnist felt obliged to select this as a topic proves my point. Democrats OWN this one HANDS DOWN. Time to give up the ghost.

From the other side of the tracks

NY Times
Brian M. McLaughlin, a Queens assemblyman who as head of the nation’s biggest municipal labor council personified New York City’s politically powerful labor movement, was arrested yesterday on federal racketeering charges involving embezzlement, receiving bribes, fraud and money laundering. Conviction on all 43 charges could send him to prison for decades.
A 186-page indictment charges Mr. McLaughlin, 54, with illegally obtaining $2.2 million from taxpayers, labor unions and contractors over the last decade since he became president of the New York City Central Labor Council, a federation of 400 union locals with one million members.
The accusations range from the Dickensian (stealing $95,000 from Little League baseball teams to pay his rent) to the brazen (creating two no-show jobs on his legislative payroll and keeping part of one salary), according to the painstakingly detailed racketeering indictment unsealed yesterday.
Mr. McLaughlin surrendered early yesterday. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Federal District Court in Manhattan before Magistrate Judge James C. Francis IV, and was released on $250,000 bail. His lawyer, Jonathan Bach, did not return a call for comment.
Law enforcement officials said that Mr. McLaughlin used subordinates as “personal servants,” to take his dog to the veterinarian, hang Christmas lights, trap rodents in his basement and clean out his barn.
He is also charged with making an aide use his E-ZPass at tollbooths to make it appear that he had returned home from Albany later than he really had, allowing him to bill for daily allowances given to legislators.
He is accused of using more than $330,000 from his re-election campaign funds to pay for personal expenses like a rehearsal dinner for his son’s wedding, renovation of his $760,000 house in Suffolk County near Long Island Sound, payment of his country club membership fees and the purchase and installation of a plasma television for a female friend.
He is charged with using stolen money for an $80,000 Mercedes-Benz for his wife, marina fees, school tuition for one of his children, rent payments on his Albany residence and rent payments on his Queens residence.
Michael J. Garcia, the United States attorney for Manhattan, said the extent of the thefts was “stunning in its breadth and scope,” at a news conference yesterday announcing the indictment.
“This case lends a new meaning to the term ‘hand in the till,’ ” he said.
Asked why Mr. McLaughlin would go to so much trouble to steal money when he was making what many would consider much more than a decent living — $263,600 in combined salaries and expenses as an assemblyman and labor council president — Mr. Garcia said he could not offer any insight, except to say, “What we have here is really a story of greed.”
For more than a decade, Mr. McLaughlin was among the most influential labor leaders in New York City and in the state, providing pivotal early support for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s re-election and supporting the failed effort to build a football stadium on the Far West Side of Manhattan. He led the fight to keep Wal-Mart out of the city and lent strong support to transit workers during last year’s strike.
The investigation became public seven months ago when the F.B.I. raided Mr. McLaughlin’s offices.
Some labor experts said they were shocked by the scope of yesterday’s accusations, which could represent a huge embarrassment for organized labor and elected officials.
“If these charges prove true, it’s certainly a blot on the union movement, and whenever there’s a corruption case involving a high-profile union leader, it has to hurt that much worse,” said Joshua Freeman, a professor of labor history at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
Mr. McLaughlin, a Democrat, is the eighth state lawmaker accused of crimes in recent years. He announced in January that he would not run for an eighth Assembly term.
Republicans did not hesitate to capitalize on the indictment. “Today, New York’s Assembly Democrats continued their long tradition of corruption,” Stephen Minarik, chairman of the Republican State Committee, said in a statement.
A spokesman for the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, would say only that the Assembly had cooperated with the inquiry.
Denis Hughes, president of the state A.F.L.-C.I.O. and chairman of the labor council’s executive board, responded to the indictment with a statement: “Everyone should keep in mind that Brian McLaughlin has not been convicted of a crime and will be afforded the opportunity to respond to and defend himself against these allegations.”

***************************
From the other side of the tracks

Even though you're obviously not in to Rudy G., I like you and your style. I guess now that Sofa is mysteriously out of the loop or banned for some reason, we're all in it together so to speak. Seems like bpr has a sofa fixation or something, huh? 20 yr. old female that she appears to be and all.....you know what they say 'bout them catholic girls!

"everybody's dancin' in a ring around the sun"

Sick, Sick, people- is that all you think about? BTW my husband is the best- the problem is you want meet anyone to there face.

_______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

thinking I was being nasty BEEPER. That would just be improper, gosh darn forbid. I would have shot and not pass the puck then I would have had to hunt for the rock you hide under; or is that Mother Tucker?

"everybody's dancin' in a ring around the sun"

Are you a pervert talking to someone like this- along with what seem to be your friends comments after. Well, I don't see anyone laughing.

Lighten up bob. See I didn't make any bob jokes ;@}

"everybody's dancin' in a ring around the sun"

No, you didn't- you did answer my question.

hit me up with your question again bob, I must've missed it first time 'round.

"everybody's dancin' in a ring around the sun"

OK, so maybe I'm carrying a few extra pounds. Still not in the range to be hidden under.

Come join the fun? Nickpicker wanted to know if I had been hacked, I said no- have you?

______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

about 20 or 30 times. Keep the faith.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

There is still hope for you.

______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

I actually do like Rudy - he's my favorite out of the Repub. candidates.

Yup, Sofa got banned for using a bad word - reminds me of George Carlin's 7 words you cannot say on TV/radio.

Is it fun talking to yourself all day?

______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

_______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"

It didn't take.

______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"