Officials: Democrat’s Biggest Money Man Has Mob Connections

[SteveStromberg]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Politics/Vote2004/convention_stephen_bing_040728-1.html

[CamB]

Without reading it. Who gives a ****.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Well, I do. Cam, obviously you don't, your gov't is free from any graft or organized crime influence. Right?

[CamB]

Pretty much, actually. We consistently rate at the top (the good end) of corruption measures. There is pretty much none to speak of. See: http://www.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2003/2003.10.07.cpi.en.html

What is more relevant is that you obviously accept that there is a direct link between funds contributed to a campaign and favours given out by elected officials.

This presumably runs both ways - ie, for both Democrat and Republican. I see no reason to get extra especially worked up about a guy with mafia links.

I better clarify. Where the money comes from is (possibly) bad. However, I find it highly unlikely that it will influence any government's position on crime in a meaningful way.

[Neilk]

Do we need to bring up Ken Lay and Enron?

[on-ramp]

the biggest US contractor in Iraq right now is Halliburton.

interesting.

[dtw]

Why is it interesting. Please indicate what company is more qualified to do the work they're doing. Don't just be provocative.

[Moneyguy1]

I would think the "Republican Truth Squad" could do better than deflect attention. A list of positives accomplished over the past 3 1/2 years would be nice, or would that be too difficult. I am finding it more and more difficult to maintain a neutral attitude with what appear to be ever more desperate comments by the "ins".

As Edwards said tonight, Aren't you sick of it?

[Mulholland]

Originally posted by Neilk
Do we need to bring up Ken Lay and Enron?

Ken Lay got his money throughout the Clinton Administration. No help whatsoever from Bush...In fact, I don't know if you are watching the news, Ken Lay is going down the river.

The Enron ties to Clinton are more profound, including Robert Rubin (Clinton's Tres Sec) getting a top spot at Citicorp, even calling the White House during the fall and asking for some Federal help.

Need I bring up Sandy Berger to underscore the Clinton record for honesty?

[Mulholland]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
A list of positives accomplished over the past 3 1/2 years would be nice, or would that be too difficult. I am finding it more and more difficult to maintain a neutral attitude with what appear to be ever more desperate comments by the "ins".

Here ya go.

- Led the nation in two wars, ousting two of the world's most barbaric regimes.

- Redirected foreign policy to confront the threat of terrorism.

- Ambitiously and decisively embarked on a campaign to introduce democracy to the middle east.

- Reconstructed the military and the executive branch of government.

- Passed 2 tax cuts and revived the economy that Clinton left it depression.

- Beats the crap out of Democrats routinely.

[Mulholland]

Originally posted by on-ramp
the biggest US contractor in Iraq right now is Halliburton.

interesting.

Dick Cheney was brilliant enough to be called upon by Halliburton to help run a company that goes back into Vietnam, through Clinton's wars and has the proven track record of successfully rebuilding countries...Interesting.

FYI - despite liberal propaganda, Halliburton is only evil in order to slander Cheney...No evidence whatsoever of their intentional malfeasance...Their subcontractors got out of control and severely fined and reprimanded in the process.

[CamB]

Originally posted by Mulholland
Here ya go.

- Led the nation in two wars, ousting two of the world's most barbaric regimes.

At a cost of tens of billions, many lives, and he isn't done yet.

- Redirected foreign policy to confront the threat of terrorism.

Any president would have done that.

- Ambitiously and decisively embarked on a campaign to introduce democracy to the middle east.

That's not his job, and he wasn't hired for that.

- Reconstructed the military and the executive branch of government.



- Passed 2 tax cuts and revived the economy that Clinton left it depression.

You know that both the first and last part of that sentence are unproveable. It won't stop both sides campaigning that Bush fixed or broke the economy on exactly the same figures.

- Beats the crap out of Democrats routinely.

[Moneyguy1]

You forgot:

Walks on water.........

Commands near maniacal loyalty.........

You know, change the year and the continent and there was someone else that reconstructed the military and the executive branch of government, and ambitiously and decisively embarked on a campaign to introduce his form of government to other countries, led his nation in two wars (eastern and westen fronts), ousting a number of regimes, and so on..

Gee, who was that guy.......

See, although not comparing GWB, the same words can be used to desctibe a totally different situation.

Why do I bother?

[Moneyguy1]

You forgot:

Walks on water.........

Commands near maniacal loyalty.........

You know, change the year and the continent and there was someone else that reconstructed the military and the executive branch of government, and ambitiously and decisively embarked on a campaign to introduce his form of government to other countries, led his nation in two wars (eastern and westen fronts), ousting a number of regimes, and so on..

Gee, who was that guy.......

See, although not comparing GWB, the same words can be used to desctibe a totally different situation.

Why do I bother?

[Mulholland]

You are getting repetitious.

[Moneyguy1]

I'll wait until someone reposts your comments, Mull.....

and they will......

[350HP930]

I wonder which party the exiled cuban mafia is supporting?

[cmccuist]

Working in Iraq is neither going to make or break Halliburton. The $1.2 billion isn't even that big a contract for them. My company (Bechtel) got a $700 million contract to rebuild infrastructure in Iraq. This also isn't a huge project for us. There are only a few companies that can marshall the resources and manpower and move right into a project of this type seamlessly. If you took those contracts from Bechtel and Halliburton, we wouldn't even feel it.

Bechtel and Flour are the largest Engineering and Construction firms in the US and do about $7-8 billion/yr. So the Iraq work is roughly 5-10% of the gross (it's a multi-year contract) We have been doing that for many years now. I believe Halliburton is a $20 billion/yr company, but they do more than just engineering and construction.

These companies have a history in the middle east. Bechtel actually built a lot of the oil field projects in Iraq. I had buddies in Iraq who had to get out when Saddam went into Kuwait. The left is pissed because there's just too much of a "who cares" attitude about Halliburton among the general public.

[widebody911]

The NeoCon aptitude for cognitive dissonance is mind-boggling. Stephen King, George Lucas and Tom Clancy couldn't team up to write better stories to rationalise the greed and graft of this administration. I'm waiting for one of you to claim "if it saves just one child..."

So after Halliburton's paid out millions in fines and restitution, there's no evidence whatsoever of malfeasance?

On one hand people claim Halliburton is the only company big enough to handle the job - yet apparently they sub out everything to incompents who end up getting them fined? If that's the case, then cut out the middle man!

Dick Cheney was brilliant enough...

No, he had the political connections. You know, that whole "Secretary of Defense" gig. There's anectdotal evidence to show that when he wasn't that great at the day-to-day running the show.

Why can't the NeoCons own up to the fact that they're #1 guy (GWB is #2, in more ways than one) is more crooked than Nixon, Capone and the entire La Cosa Nostra combined. There are innumerable investigations ongoing; I'm sure the adminstration has quashed many more.

You guys defend him more vigorously than a trial lawyer, yet you'll never see a penny of the billions he's stealing. I mean, I could understand if there was a financial motive, but the only motive I can see is having to admit you're wrong.

[SteveStromberg]

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=CA&last=Bing&first=Stephen