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8/11 Al Gore speaks to http://moveon.org: http://salon.com/opinion/feature/2003/08/08/gore_speech/index_np.html \_ time for Al Gore to "move on" himself \_ hear hear. Gore has very good speech writers. -nivra \_ Wow, that really was a good speech. \_ Yeah, it's a good one when you're hearing what you want to hear even if it isn't true. And no, it isn't a good speech. It's \_ Name some instances of lies in there. just a very standard speech. Nothing in there is going to rev up the crowds or get people out to vote for Gore, for any other Democrat or against Bush. There's nothing new in it. It's uninspiring like the man himself. "Gore is a stiff" was the mantra in 2000, and 1999, and 1998, and 1997, all the way back to when he was running for President himself (you remember that, right?). This isn't newsmedia created distortion. This isn't a Steve Job's Apple commercial. This is reported for 12+ years because it's true. The man is a stiff. \_ In 2000 it was about personality-- Gore was stiff and Bush was the honest, plainspoken Everyman. I was on the fence back then, but I've since decided I'd rather have a stiff than a liar. -- conservative \_ he was most un-stiff on SNL. He was hilarious. \_ also, didn't fiscal responsibility used to be a major part of American conservatism? you should check out http://republicansfordean.blogspot.com and vote for Dean in the primary. \_ No Republican can be for a socialist like Dean. That's like Jews for Jesus but worse. \_ A socialist? Dean? Read his platform. Dean is more conservative than Bush, except he's not a religious loon or a born-again military man. No more listening to talk of "evildoers." http://deanforamerica.com click on "Issues". \_ Better yet look at his record in Vermont, which has the 4th highest tax burden in in the US. California is up there as well - surprise surprise. \_ Vermont is also fiscally solvent and has 96% health care coverage for children. \_ Oh, its for the children. I see now. Too bad hillary care failed in 93, eh comrade? Vermonts budget tripled from 91' to '02. Lets just socialize everything. \_ You prefer destabilizing entire geopolitical zones, breeding the next generation of terrorists, and running our economy into the ground while foisting religion into government? Attaboy. Let's roll. \_ Im sorry you cant understand the necessary geopolitical risks Bush is taking. The Middle East must cleaned up, or in 10-15 years the fights will be in the streets of America. Exactly what laws are foisting Christianity on this Country? This country is historically Christian, and a very strong argument can be made that social decay is because we have strayed from any spirituality. \_ Blah blah blah. \_ Truly brilliant reply! You'll knock em dead with that depth of thought and hard core logic! I love it when I hit home so hard people like you feel the need to reply but are left with nothing to say. Made my day. Thanks! \_ It was reported for 12 years straight because its easier than thinking up something new to say - ! the person that said "blah blah blah" \_ If it wasn't true they wouldn't be saying it 12+ years later. New things sell news. \_ My post had as much content as yours. Read yours again. "it isn't a good speech, it's standard, gore is a stiff, just a long boring drivel with no points to debate. Take it to Free Republic. \_ See? There you go. At least now you're trying. Sort of. Maybe next time you'll add something or refute what is said. Is calling me a freeper meant to be your lowest insult? I think they're idiots but if you think I'm a freeper you don't know what a freeper is. At least try to understand what a thing is before you accuse someone of being it. \_ Blah blah blah. \_ It's so true, you hear what you want to hear. \_ Since Gore is politically dead, I don't care either way how stiff or dynamic he is. His speech means nothing. \_ Actually, I felt the speech was fairly original. Thus, my original comments praising the speech writers. It's not a speech that's meant to "rev up crowds or get people out to vote for Gore." It's a speech that presents the recent events in a slightly different light, tying in Bush's "compassionate conservatism" with the "ideological righteousness" of right-wing Christian conservatives. Certainly he didn't bring up any new facts or reveal new information. It was just a cogent, powerful summary of his opinion on the recent events and the recent actions of the Administration. Oh, and as far as "stiffness" goes. All we have is the transcript of the speech, and I'm sure his presentation of the speech has more to do with how "stiff" he appears than the content of the speech has. -nivra \_ It was a lecture. The man sounds like one of my less interesting history profs. If there was nothing new and everyone already knew it all and it wasn't to rev anyone up, then why is he giving it? To hear his own voice? \_ read my post. I didn't say there was "nothing new." I said he introduced no new "facts" or "information," and also said it presented the events in a "different light." Basically, I think it's an interesting take on the situation, and that's what's original about it. Oh, and also that it was well-written and persuasive, although it did have minor problems, as well. -nivra \_ In other words, he summarized and analyzed the information on the Bush administration, and it doesn't look good if you care about America. Gore in '04! \_ yup. it felt very presidential. too bad he didn't have that air about him during the elections in 2000. -nivra \_ I think that bad air in 2000 was somewhat of a media creation. The media likes to simplify elections into stories that play well on TV - this isn't necessarily a political bias but the nature of TV. The story from early on was "Bush is a nice normal guy" and "Gore is a stiff." Anything that conformed to that storyline was hyped up, and anything that deviated from it was played down or ignored. Television is quite a reality distortion device - its too bad real life isn't so simple. \_ free yourself from the filter: http://www.cspan.org this site has all of the cspan channels as well as cspan radio streaming over the web for free. \_ CSPAN is my favorite channel, along with the the history channel. -freeper guy \_ you should still check out the web site. it's like having cspan, cspan2 and cspan3, all with TIVO. it's not like you need a nice picture for talking heads anyway. for instance the speech this thread is about is archived there. \_ http://www.moveon.org they have a streaming vid of speech and text, without salon's crap. \_ Ah yes, Al 'no controlling legal authority' Gore. Its ok to take millions in campaign contributions from Chinese Communists as long as he makes you feel good. \_ No matter how many times you repeat that lie, it does not become more compelling. \_ Democrats Are Fined $243,000 for Fund-Raising Violations http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/754651/posts Clinton and Chinese Missiles "... Hughes Space and Communications Company of violating U.S. national security 123 times by knowingly sending detailed missile and space technology directly to the Chinese army." http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/822768/posts I can continue with many more links, but I'll let you rebut. \_ Go read the Thompson report for a more accurate and in many ways, far more disturbing picture of both Democratic and Republican fund raising abuse: http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/sireport.htm PS $243,000 ain't millions and almost all of the money Clinton raised was not from "Chinese Communists" it was from Taiwanese and Indonesians. That doesn't make it right, but it does, however, make you someone who swallows Right Wing propaganda. |
| 5/24 |
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| salon.com/opinion/feature/2003/08/08/gore_speech/index_np.html Millions of Americans now share a feeling that something pretty basic has gone wrong in our country and that some important American values are being placed at risk. The way we went to war in Iraq illustrates this larger problem. Normally, we Americans lay the facts on the table, talk through the choices before us and make a decision. But that didn't really happen with this war -- not the way it should have. And as a result, too many of our soldiers are paying the highest price, for the strategic miscalculations, serious misjudgments, and historic mistakes that have put them and our nation in harm's way. I'm convinced that one of the reasons that we didn't have a better public debate before the Iraq war started is because so many of the impressions that the majority of the country had back then turn out to have been completely wrong. Leaving aside for the moment the question of how these false impressions got into the public's mind, it might be healthy to take a hard look at the ones we now know were wrong and clear the air so that we can better see exactly where we are now and what changes might need to be made. You have two options: Subscribe now, or watch a brief ad and get a free day pass. |
| republicansfordean.blogspot.com First, in Portland Oregon, thousands of demonstrators 10 protested a 11 Bush fundraiser and raised the voice of the American people, long forgotten by his government. Then, in Iowa, a group of Howard Dean supporters 12 hand delivered a "Wall of Defiance" to Attn. John Ashcroft containing 50,000 signatures against the Victory act and Patriot Acts. As big a stand as yesterday was, it was an afterthought and receiving no mention in the press. But today, the solid foundation supporting the Bush Whitehouse is starting to show serious cracks. This represents a tone shift on the editorial board of the Post, an important step to Media accountability for the hand they played in this war. As important, a 14 Front Page article boldly declares that Security May Not Be Safe Issue for Bush in '04. The hole is beginning to show, and I remind you that one candidate represent the attach against this White House on this front. Unlike the 4 Washington Candidates, Howard Dean did not support the President's handling of the War, though now we are forced to find international help for the Iraqi problem. Dean, and I hope that you will stand with me as together, we take our country back! Originally published just prior to the horrific bombing which has sent the international community reeling, it says with unqualified certainty that the US Government had not only failed to adequately protect the compound, it also failed to adequately assess the security risk. We are being led deeper and deeper into this conflict by an administration which has its head in the clouds and refuses to believe reality. But despite concerns from UN security specialists and field workers -- agreed that the situation is in fact worsening, particularly in the light of the recent bomb attack on the Jordanian embassy and the tragic deaths of two aid workers -- the UN is coming under immense pressure from the United States to downgrade the threat. A UN source who spoke on the condition of anonymity predicted the security alert will probably be downgraded to Phase Three before the end of August, irrespective of augmented security fears. Meetings are already believed to have taken place between US officials and top UN representatives to broker a deal -- greater involvement for the UN in return for downgraded security. It is freightening that this could be reported just hours before the fatal truck bombing which has resulted in the death of 20 UN innocents. This regime now 19 pretends to handle the situation, but mark my words, they will continue to fail! We now know we should have never entered in the first place, and this regime will never take 20 the actions necessary to fully complete the task. American troops and now UN workers die daily as Americans are asleep at the wheel, allowing our administration to fail in its most basic responsibility. Deal making regarding security risks is equal to treason in my mind. This was a time when Saddam was playing hanky panky with the inspection process, but it is beautiful sometimes to go back and look into the past. Dean had a clear message then, and that this message has not changed one bit in the 11 months since. My two highlights of this exercise if time travel are: 1) Bob, my problem is not whether we're going to end up in Iraq or not. Saddam Hussein appears to be doing everything he can to make sure we do go into Iraq. Foreign policy in this country is dependent on us working with other countries. And we need to continue, as his father did, to build an international coalition to go after Saddam and make sure he does not have those weapons of mass destruction. He didn't flip flop on any Senate votes, and he never fell for the tomfoolery of the White House, though he too took the President at his word some time ago. News & World Report: Governor, what exactly does the president then have to prove to you? I think that most Americans, including myself, will take the president's word for it. But the president has never said that Saddam has the capability of striking the United States with atomic or biological weapons any time in the immediate future. My question is not that we may not have to go into Iraq. As luck would have it, some have already started to try and use this single, out of context remark as 'mud' against Gov. Unlike the 4 Washington Candidates though, his message hasn't changed. It is now time that we as Republicans stand up and realize that we have been lied to by this Regime in Washington for too long. This is why today, I ask you to support an effort to faux-recall President Bush, as a symbol of the anger we feel towards this Regime. There is nothing wrong with a President expressing his faith, but there can be problems when the contents of the faith express ideas that are not in line with the faith one professes. Wallis takes great pains to repsect Bush's sincerity, but explains in stunning detail how his theology which is based on "empire" is contrary to the Gopsel preached by Jesus. We should be asking if such an action, like pre-emptive strikes, are in line with the Christian faith. Bush and many though not all of his evangelical followers are lacking in wisdom. Wisdom sometimes asks us to do things that are against coventional wisdom. The picture that is emerging about the dominant religion among many in the GOP is one that doesn't accept ambiguity, or critical thought. They see the world in black and white when there is a whole bunch of grey. They view God as a rather authoritarian God that blesses the good and damns the wicked instead of the God revealed in Christ who died for all of us sinners. The Religious Right has done a good job at articulating their social vision or lack thereof. Those of us, evangelical and mainline Christians, those of other faiths, must start articulating our social vision based on social justice. While the story looks very "sexy" for the Bushies, in reality it may not do anything to deter the very real threat of a terrorist bringing down with domestic airliner with a surface-to-air missile. The interesting part of this article is the fact that the Bush Amdminstration turned down a bill that would have called for commercial jets to be fitted with a system designed to deter such attacks. They even ignored a bill by a Republican that would have studied the issue. Training people who work or live near airports to recognize a missile attack. The Bushies give us the illusion that we are safe, and yet we are still as vulberable to a terrorist attack as we were before 9/11. The realization that George Bush is squandering massive resources overseas has overtaken thoughtful people of all political persuasions, conservative and liberal alike, leaving the President isolated and alone with only a relatively small core of supporters: his fundamentalist neocon base. Bush and the religious right don't want you to think they represent only a minority of Americans: they want you to believe they represent the majority. Faced with this brand of Christian triumphalism, opponents may simply call it a day and go home. Hence the minority wins through blatant manipulation of the process; Here is Republican Clyde Prestowitz, a trade negotiator in the Reagan administration, writing under the headline '"Stepping Off The Platform:" "President Reagan once explained his political switch during the 1950's from the Democrats to the Republicans by saying, 'I didn't leave the Democratic Party. He, like many of us, is of the old school that says religion is a private matter and not to be paraded before the public in a gaudy display for votes. Unfortunately, Bush and his supporters maintain no such scruple. They constantly display their religious faith to the public in prayer gatherings, photo ops, declarations of piety, statue drapings and other choreographed events. They use their religion as tool, as goad, as wedge, as hammer, and have done so for decades. This is why the time for a clear and bold re-statement of fundamental principles of American governance is at hand; Among these are Kevin Phillips, who writes in his article about our candidate, Howard Dean, titled "The Anti-Bush:" "At some point Dean will have to consider z... |
| deanforamerica.com -> deanforamerica.com/ March 11, 2004 Message from Governor Dean Governor Dean with supporters at the March Meetup in Burlington. Photo by Eileen Burke John Kerry and I had a very good meeting yesterday. During the campaign we often focused on what divided us, but the truth is we have much more in common beginning with our fervent desire to send George Bush back to Crawford, Texas in November. As I have previously said, I will work closely with John Kerry to make sure we beat George Bush in November and turn our country around. There is a lot we can do together to rebuild an America that belongs to all of us, and well be saying more about what our amazing grassroots network can do to help with this goal on March 18. March 02, 2004 Thank You Vermont Governor Dean released the following statement tonight in response to the Vermont presidential primary results: I want to thank the great people of Vermont tonight who overwhelmingly endorsed our campaign for change. Two years ago, I entered this race to talk about health care, children, and to demand change and leadership in our Party. This Party and this country still needs change, and tonight you have helped further that process. While I ran for president I often said that America would be a better place if it was more like Vermont. I still firmly believe that to be true: We still need health care for all children, affordable prescription drugs for seniors, and equal rights for all Americans. Throughout this campaign, I have appreciated the strong support from the people of Vermont. Our campaign owes a huge debt to the hundreds of Vermonters who worked at our headquarters-answering phones, stuffing mailings, and responding to emails-as well as to all of those who canvassed on our behalf in New Hampshire and elsewhere. I will never forget the work and the heart that you put into our campaign. I look forward to continuing the energy and the campaign for change that our movement began. We are determined to keep this organization as vibrant as it was throughout our campaign. We are leaving one track, but we are going on another track that will take back America for ordinary people again. Democracy, Freedom, and Action will be the watchwords of this new effort. Our new effort will change America by working for the following principles: We will promote grassroots democracy and bring new people intpolitics. This year, our campaign made the case that, in order to defeat George W. Bush, the Democratic Party must stand up strong for its principles, not paper over its differences with the most radicalAdministration in our lifetime. In order to win, the Democratic Party must aggressively expose the ways in which George W. Bushs policies benefit the privileged and the most extreme ideologues. I will do everything I can to ensure that the 2004 Democratic nominee runs as a true progressive, as a champion of working Americans and their hopes for a better future. February 18, 2004 A Beginning not an End Today my candidacy may come to an endbut our campaign for change is not over. I want to thank each and every person who has supported this campaign. Over the last year, you have reached out to neighbors, friends, family and colleaguesbuilding one American at a time the greatest grassroots campaign presidential politics has ever seen. I will never forget the work and the heart that you put into our campaign. In the coming weeks, we will be launching a new initiative to continue the campaign you helped begin. There is much work still to be done, and today is not an endit is just the beginning. This Party and this country needs change, and you have already begun that process. There is enormous institutional pressure in our country against change. There is enormous institutional pressure in Washington against change, in the Democratic Party against change. Yet, you have already started to change the Party and together we have transformed this race. Along the way, weve engaged hundreds of thousands of new Americans in the political process, as witnessed by this years record participation in the primaries and caucuses. Although my candidacy for president may end today, the most important goal remains defeating George W. Bush in November, and I hope that you will join me in doing everything we can to support the Democrats this fall. From the earliest days of our campaign, I have said that the power to change Washington rests not in my hands, but in yours. |
| www.cspan.org -> www.cspan.org/ Mubarak Press Conference 04/12/2004 NASA Briefing with Administrator Sean OKeefe 04/13/2004 State Dept. Briefing with Richard Boucher 04/13/2004 Discussion on Israeli Withdrawal from Gaza 04/13/2004 Sept. Briefing with Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli 04/09/2004 Democratic Party Unity Dinner with Kerry, Carter, Clinton & Gore 03/25/2004 . FROM THE WHITE HOUSE Presidential News Conference In the East Room of the White House, Pres. Bush holds a news conference, partly to address the situation in Iraq and also pre-Sept. RESPONSE TO TERRORISM FBI Director Before Commission The September 11 Commission hears testimony on law enforcement and the intelligence community from FBI Director Robert Mueller. |
| www.moveon.org -> www.moveon.org/front/ The Movie the White House Doesn't Want You to See On Memorial Day weekend, Hollywood is releasing a summer blockbuster movie that's making the Bush administration very nervous. Because it's a disaster movie about a potential climate crisis. While "The Day After Tomorrow" is more science fiction than science fact, everyone will be talking about it -- and asking "Could it really happen?" This is an unprecedented opportunity to talk to millions of Americans about the real dangers of global warming and expose President Bush's foot-dragging on the issue. Responding to Torture Reports and photographs of Iraqi prisoners being tortured and abused by US and British troops have shocked the world. We've got to support an immediate, independent, impartial and public investigation into all allegations of torture. To be credible, the investigation should be done by an international body, including representatives of Arab nations. We've got to get to the bottom of this, and we've got to do it now. Censure Bush for Misleading Us In an attempt to evade responsibility for the misleading statements that pushed the nation into war, Bush has announced plans to form an independent inquiry to look into what went wrong. An inquiry would serve the Bush administration well: it would envelop the issue in a fog of uncertainty, deflect blame onto the intelligence services, and delay any political damage until 2005, after the upcoming election. Despite repeated warnings from the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency, President Bush and his administration hyped and distorted the threat that Iraq posed. And now that reality is setting in, the President wants to pin the blame on someone else. Congress has the power to censure the President -- to formally reprimand him for betraying the nation's trust. MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country How to Find Your Political Voice and Become a Catalyst for Change Written by MoveOn members across the country, from Hawaii to Maine, from political figures to teachers, this collection of essays shares compelling personal stories and action items with resources for taking inspiration a step further. Simple ideas are illuminated, such as "His Last Vote," about a dying man's wish to cast a ballot, as are more dynamic actions, such as "Start a Petition," which chronicles a couple's quest to protect wolves from trappers in Alaska. MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country answers the question that more and more citizens are asking: "What can I do?" Protect our Kids from Mercury Pollution Under energy industry pressure, President Bushs EPA plans to defer controls on mercury emissions by power plants for at least a decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 49 million women of childbearing age in the US -- that's 8 percent -- have unsafe levels of mercury in their blood. The people hit hardest will be new-born infants -- every year over 630,000 infants are born with levels of mercury in their blood so high they can cause brain damage. We have just a few weeks to get public comments to the EPA on this plan to defer mercury controls. It's time to tell the EPA and the White House that our kids come first. Al Gore Speaks on Global Warming and the Environment Beacon Theater, New York January 15, 2004, Noon In this, his third major speech sponsored by MoveOn, Mr Gore issued an indictment of the Bush administration's inaction on global warming, linking the issue to national security. He showed that global warming is not a future threat -- it is happening now. And yet, the President is choosing to help his coal- and oil-company supporters rather than advance modern technologies that can affordably solve this critical problem. Support Kerry's call to fire Rumsfeld May 7, 2004 In the wake of revelations of torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners, John Kerry has launched an important petition calling for President Bush to fire Donald Rumsfeld. Getting rid of Secretary Rumsfeld would be a huge step forward for all of us who oppose the Bush war policy, and Kerry needs to hear our support. Help win the election this Saturday May 3, 2004 This Saturday, we're joining other grassroots groups in the largest day of voter mobilization in American history. MoveOn members will gather at parties across the country to make over 100,000 phone calls in one afternoon to swing state voters. In an election that could be won or lost with a handful of votes, we'll work to turn out every last progressive voter and send George Bush packing. |
| www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/754651/posts Classic Clinton/Gore: Take advantage of others, stiff them and make them pay, then walk away scot-free. Al wasn't smart enough to do that - he just showed up for the event. Although, I do believe he did know what the event was all about - but I'm convinced he didn't plan it. But the heavily redacted documents also state that the commission voted unanimously to "take no action at this time" on the general counsel's recommendation. Maybe not the stiff fines I had hoped for, but good nevertheless. Hopefully, the dems will get the message that this admin will not allow them to get away with this stuff. This negative stuff about the Clinton/Gore/Dems can just never happen on a Monday. Gore was was in one of three states of mind -- probably the third. Incompetent for not researching the legality of the contributions. Set the whole thing up knowing the contributions were illegal. Gore's incredibly lame "no controlling legal authority" response points to number 3. With CFR, it's only against the law to TALK ABOUT IT 60 days before an election. Only problem I see is the Dems' fines are way too light. NOW NOBODY CAN TELL US IT WAS OUR IMAGINATION OR BLIND BIGOTRY! They exchanged our nuclear secrets for campaign dollars - anyone can see that. Peach 146 Post Reply | 147 Private Reply | 148 To 1 | 149 View Replies To: Zon This is so outrageous - and he gets away scot-free to run for president again. Ashcroft isn't much better than Reno - They all cover each others asses. Peach 152 Post Reply | 153 Private Reply | 154 To 17 | 155 View Replies To: Humidston; We have many good people ready to tell the people like the Rush Limbaugh show on Monday and what is it 22 million that tune in? Not to mention the other vrwc radio show hosts all across the country. Treason is the reason and Clinton/Gore are the suspects! In the real world, one would have to return the million in illegal money AND pay a $243K fine AND be injoined from engaging in fundraising AND be sent to jail AND have any property used in the commision of the crime confiscated by the government. CFR was meant to prevent outsiders (meaning you and me) from running ads talking about issues with politicians and their actions within 60 days of an election. Two officials at the firm who were involved in the handling of the donations have agreed to pay a total of $67,500. So when will they be disbarred or otherwise disciplined by the bar association? Is it time to start writing the bar association like we did when Clinton admitted to perjury? I find the Saudi contribution the most interesting item here. The national committee paid a $115,000 fine and agreed to turn over to the Treasury $128,000 it had received in illegal contributions. Maria Hsia spent time in jail but her pals at the Buddhist temple paid a $120k fine, the DNC coughs up another $115k in fines and returns the $128k it received in donations, and Slick/Whore pitch in a paltry $2k. It's early, but if there's a controlling criminal authority for Ms Hsia why is there only a controlling civil authority for the DNC and Slick/Whore? Second, the facts in the case seemed clear enough in 1998 for Ms Hsia to go to jail. Wouldn't it have be better for our democracy to inform the voters in 2000 about AlWhore's illegal activity from his 1996 campaign? Fred Thompson's commitee was steam-rolled and this proves it. The whole thing stinks and leads me to think we won't know the whole story on the Marc Rich pardon crime until sometime in 2010. No hard time, and they get to keep 75cents on the dollar. Here's the rest of the story that the mainstream media has yet to report. District Court Judge Paul Friedman finally handed Hsia her sentence: a puny 90 days of home detention and three years of probation, along with a fine and assessment of $5,300. They didn't show any of it-except for the Democrat grilling of Haley Barbor! Edsall and Edward Walsh THE WASHINGTON POST WASHINGTON, Sept 21 -- The Federal Election Commission disclosed yesterday it has imposed a record-setting $719,000 in fines against participants in the 1996 Democratic Party fundraising scandals involving contributions from China, Korea and other foreign sources. THE FEC DOCUMENTS describe Democratic fundraisers who set specific prices for foreign nationals to make illegal campaign contributions in return for meetings with then-President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. A Democratic finance vice chair, for example, said organizers would have to contribute a total of $100,000 in return for Gore's appearance at a Buddhist temple in Los Angeles. Those penalized included the Democratic National Committee, the Clinton-Gore campaign, the Buddhist temple and nearly two dozen people and corporations acting as conduits for illegal contributions. The total in fines would have been significantly higher except that some of the corporations have folded and others were dummy operations, with no assets, set up as conduits for money from China, Venezuela, Canada and other countries. Foreign individuals and organizations are barred from contributing to federal elections. In some cases, foreigners who would have been subject to fines could not be located and served with papers. In other cases, which sometimes produced minor news coverage, the individuals pleaded guilty in criminal cases and are bankrupt. The DNC was fined $115,000, the Clinton-Gore campaign $2,000, and the Buddhist Progress Society $120,000. Treasury, representing illegal contributions that were not returned to donors. In some respects, the 1996 fundraising efforts by the Clinton White House and DNC were a Democratic counterpart to the Republican Watergate scandals of 1972. Just as Watergate was followed by the campaign finance laws of 1974 and 1976, disclosures of the 1996 activities played a crucial role in prompting Congress to enact the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill this year. Huang, a central figure in the fundraising controversy, pleaded guilty in 1999 to conspiracy to defraud the FEC. He was sentenced to one year's probation and fined $10,000. The amount represented $50,000 for each of the five company officials who met with Clinton. Huang received $40,000 from Indonesian nationals Arief and Soroya Wiriadinata that was deposited in the DNC's federal account in June 1996. Lee, a California developer, negotiated the price of a meeting between President Clinton and several executives of II Sung Construction, a Korean company. The documents say Lee met Larry Wallace, an Arkansas lawyer with ties to the DNC, to seek the meeting. The FEC fined Lee $250, noting that the penalty would normally be 200 percent of the violation, or $300,000, but Lee is $850,000 in debt and has already been sentenced to three years probation on a misdemeanor. The FEC documents are rich in detail on the behind-the-scenes world of political fundraising. They describe how Chien Chuen "Johnny" Chung brought 20 guests to a $1,000-per-person Clinton-Gore fundraising dinner in Los Angeles in 1995. Chung tried to pay for the dinner with a check for $25,000, but it was refused by Karen Sternfeld, the campaign's deputy finance director for Southern California. She told Chung she needed 20 checks of $1,000 each from his guests. The next day, Sternfeld asked Irene Wu, an employee of Chung's company, about the 20 checks, but was told the guests had scattered and the checks could not be obtained. According to the documents, Sternfeld said the checks did not have to be from the people who attended the dinner, and directed Wu to meet her at a restaurant later that day to deliver the money. The documents said Wu and others then collected 20 checks of $1,000 each from "conduits," who were promised they would be reimbursed, and Chung later withdrew $20,000 in cash from his bank accounts to repay the conduit contributors. Edsall, Edward Walsh, Washington Post Saturday, September 21, 2002 240 2002 San Francisco Chronicle. DTL Washington -- The Federal Election Commission disclosed Friday it has imposed a record- setting $719,000 in fines against participants in the 1996 Democratic Party fund-raising scandals involving contributions from China, Korea and other foreign s... |
| www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/822768/posts State Department reveals that the most successful Chinese espionage operation in recent history occurred during the Clinton administration. According to the State Department, the most serious violations occurred when Hughes gave the Chinese army information that supported its analyses of the investigation of the January 1995 failure of the launch of a China Long March 2E (LM-2E) rocket carrying the Hughes-manufactured ASTAR II commercial communications satellite. The first failure of the LM-2E in December 1992 involved an attempted launch of the Hughes OPTUS B-2 commercial communications satellite. According to a 1998 Defense Department investigation, the reason for Hughes passing the technical information to China was because the Chinese army blamed Hughes for the rocket failure. The subsequent joint Hughes-Chinese failure investigation was apparently intended, at least in part, to resolve this dispute," states the 1998 Defense Department report. The 2002 State Department letter makes it clear that they believe Gen. Shen led the successful penetration of the Clinton administration and Hughes. Shen was second in command of a Chinese army unit known as COSTIND, or the Commission On Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. Shen, and his COSTIND operatives in front companies, secured a wide range of advanced missile and space technology from Hughes after a 1994 meeting with Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. Commerce documents obtained using the Freedom of Information Act show that Brown met with Gen. President Clinton personally authorized the meeting between the Chinese general and Brown. Before moving to Commerce, Brown headed the Democratic National Committee. The Federal Election Commission fined the DNC in 2002 for "knowingly and willingly" accepting donations from Chinese army sources. Shen did obtain help from the White House by pressuring Hughes with satellite contracts. Hughes CEO Michael Armstrong wrote President Clinton in 1993 threatening to pull support for Clinton if he did not allow the space technology transfers to China. In 1994, Clinton approved a waiver for Hughes to transfer advanced satellite encryption systems to China. Shen managed to get his son, Shen Jun, a job at Hughes as the lead software engineer for all Chinese satellites. According to Hughes, Shen Jun had access to "proprietary" satellite source code. According to the State Department, Hughes contends that it followed the law with regard to hiring Gen. Cryptographic technology is used to scramble communications sent to satellites to prevent unauthorized access. President Clinton, who transferred the power to regulate sensitive satellites to Commerce, under Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, ultimately overruled Christopher. Hughes satellites currently provide the Chinese army with secure communications that are invulnerable to earth combat and highly accurate all-weather navigation for strike bombers and missiles. Hughes satellites purchased by Shen also provide direct TV and cable TV broadcasts to most of Asia. Thus, cable and pay-per-view services help pay for the Chinese army satellite communications. The brilliant planning and logistics mean that Chinese military communications pay for themselves. Clinton Legacy - A New Arms Race The satellite and missile technology obtained from Hughes by the Chinese army is critical for the design and manufacture of missile nose cones and electronic missile control systems. The success of Shen is a story of missiles, politics and greed. Shen succeeded in using Hughes and President Clinton as valuable tools to obtain weapons that are now pointed at the United States. The Clinton legacy for the 21st century is a new arms race. Post as ye might) 76 Post Reply | 77 Private Reply | 78 To 5 | 79 View Replies To: NormsRevenge The lettering in the image in 2 is Korean, of course. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. |
| www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/sireport.htm Policies and Elections 2 Procedural Background and Overview 19 Charlie Trie's and Ng Lap Seng's Laundered Contributions to the DNC 3 Summary of Findings 20 Charlie Trie's Contributions to the Presidential Legal Expense Trust 8 4 The Thirst for Money 21 The Saga of Roger Tamraz 10 5 The White House Controlled the DNC and Improperly Coordinated the Activities of the DNC and Clinton/Gore '96 11 22 DNC Efforts to Raise Money in the Indian Gaming Community 12 6 The DNC Dismantled its System for Vetting Contributions 13 23 The Hudson Wisconsin Casino Proposal 14 7 DNC Fundraising in the White House: Coffees, Overnights, and Other Events 15 24 The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes: Their Quest for the Fort Reno Lands 16 8 Fundraising from the White House 17 25 The Offer of R. Get free Adobe Acrobat for viewing PDF files References 1. |
| moveon.org -> www.moveon.org/front/ The Movie the White House Doesn't Want You to See On Memorial Day weekend, Hollywood is releasing a summer blockbuster movie that's making the Bush administration very nervous. Because it's a disaster movie about a potential climate crisis. While "The Day After Tomorrow" is more science fiction than science fact, everyone will be talking about it -- and asking "Could it really happen?" This is an unprecedented opportunity to talk to millions of Americans about the real dangers of global warming and expose President Bush's foot-dragging on the issue. Responding to Torture Reports and photographs of Iraqi prisoners being tortured and abused by US and British troops have shocked the world. We've got to support an immediate, independent, impartial and public investigation into all allegations of torture. To be credible, the investigation should be done by an international body, including representatives of Arab nations. We've got to get to the bottom of this, and we've got to do it now. Censure Bush for Misleading Us In an attempt to evade responsibility for the misleading statements that pushed the nation into war, Bush has announced plans to form an independent inquiry to look into what went wrong. An inquiry would serve the Bush administration well: it would envelop the issue in a fog of uncertainty, deflect blame onto the intelligence services, and delay any political damage until 2005, after the upcoming election. Despite repeated warnings from the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency, President Bush and his administration hyped and distorted the threat that Iraq posed. And now that reality is setting in, the President wants to pin the blame on someone else. Congress has the power to censure the President -- to formally reprimand him for betraying the nation's trust. MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country How to Find Your Political Voice and Become a Catalyst for Change Written by MoveOn members across the country, from Hawaii to Maine, from political figures to teachers, this collection of essays shares compelling personal stories and action items with resources for taking inspiration a step further. Simple ideas are illuminated, such as "His Last Vote," about a dying man's wish to cast a ballot, as are more dynamic actions, such as "Start a Petition," which chronicles a couple's quest to protect wolves from trappers in Alaska. MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country answers the question that more and more citizens are asking: "What can I do?" Protect our Kids from Mercury Pollution Under energy industry pressure, President Bushs EPA plans to defer controls on mercury emissions by power plants for at least a decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 49 million women of childbearing age in the US -- that's 8 percent -- have unsafe levels of mercury in their blood. The people hit hardest will be new-born infants -- every year over 630,000 infants are born with levels of mercury in their blood so high they can cause brain damage. We have just a few weeks to get public comments to the EPA on this plan to defer mercury controls. It's time to tell the EPA and the White House that our kids come first. Al Gore Speaks on Global Warming and the Environment Beacon Theater, New York January 15, 2004, Noon In this, his third major speech sponsored by MoveOn, Mr Gore issued an indictment of the Bush administration's inaction on global warming, linking the issue to national security. He showed that global warming is not a future threat -- it is happening now. And yet, the President is choosing to help his coal- and oil-company supporters rather than advance modern technologies that can affordably solve this critical problem. Support Kerry's call to fire Rumsfeld May 7, 2004 In the wake of revelations of torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners, John Kerry has launched an important petition calling for President Bush to fire Donald Rumsfeld. Getting rid of Secretary Rumsfeld would be a huge step forward for all of us who oppose the Bush war policy, and Kerry needs to hear our support. Help win the election this Saturday May 3, 2004 This Saturday, we're joining other grassroots groups in the largest day of voter mobilization in American history. MoveOn members will gather at parties across the country to make over 100,000 phone calls in one afternoon to swing state voters. In an election that could be won or lost with a handful of votes, we'll work to turn out every last progressive voter and send George Bush packing. |