Bush told the country that we are in an economic crisis and his Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson, came up with an idea that would, it is claimed, end up actually making money for the U.S. Treasury in the long run. That’s all well and good, but the Democrats already have a plan to siphon off any repayment of the people’s money back to the treasury by adding one little line to the agreement that would end up stealing money from any repayments and giving it to left-wing political advocacy groups like ACORN, the National Urban League and the Hispanic group La Raza. Instead of trying to help the economy, the Democrats just want more money for their left-wing political constituents. It’s business as usual for the Democrats, of course, but a bigger question is will the media let them get away with it?

On Thursday, the Senate Democrats shopped around a one page “Agreement in Principle” from the U.S. Senate Banking Committee that laid out their proposal for the bailout of the economy. At first it all seems rather straight forward, but hidden inside this document is one little line that proves that Democrats aren’t as interested in the economy as they are in trying to extort a payday for their favorite political advocacy groups. Yes, even in a bill as important as the bailout the Democrats are trying to stuff it with pork!

Of course, the claim that this bailout will make money is not cut and dried. But the idea is that the bailout will put the Treasury Department in ownership of what could easily later become lucrative investments. And, at that later date, the Treasury Dept. can then begin to sell these investments off at a profit and, thence, pay back the Treasury for the bailout — in essence repaying the American people. But, the Democrats already have a plan to spend “profits” that not only do not exist yet, but may never exist. In the “Agreement in Principle” is the following line:

“Directs a certain percentage of future profits to the Affordable Housing Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund to meet America’s housing needs.”

So, the Senate Democrats want to re-direct profits to the “Affordable Housing Fund” and the “Capital Magnet Fund” instead of keeping these future profits going to pay back the American people for this $700 Billion bailout loan. And what are these special agencies the Senate Dems want to fund? We turn to the Wall Street Journal in a July 2008 piece that reports on what sorts of groups that were to be the recipients of the federal pork from earlier bills the Senate tried to pass.

That tax eventually will channel upwards of $600 million annually in grants for developing and restoring housing, mostly as low-income rentals, available to Acorn and other groups (such as the National Council of La Raza and the National Urban League ). Democrats on Capitol Hill and housing groups say the housing-assistance money is vital to helping Americans hit hardest by what some call the largest drop in home values since the Great Depression. But they acknowledge the perception of political conflict in giving federal funds to an organization that does political work. “We are guarding against it,” said Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank in an interview. He secured the Affordable Housing Trust from his seat as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee…

Many may already know that ACORN ( The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is under investigation in several states for voter fraud. They have been caught turning in hundreds of thousands of fake voter registration cards in an effort to stuff ballot boxes with fake voters and pump up Democrat vote totals. ACORN’s founder also tried to cover up an embezzlement scheme his little brother perpetrated when he stole $1 million dollars of the organization’s money. This has only lately come to light.

Of course, many are also aware of the race oriented Hispanic La Raza group that has been a major player in trying to allow illegal aliens to enter the U.S., vote in our elections, and take freely of schools and social welfare monies.

Naturally, all these organizations exclusively support the Democratic Party.

Lastly, there is one more aspect of this that proves the Democrats are playing politics with this issue instead of being concerned with the saving the economy. The Senate Democrats and Democratic Speaker of the House Pelosi have been pressuring John McCain to sign onto this deal. If he does and this payoff to left-wing groups like the vote fraud infused ACORN or the racemongering La Raza stays in the bill, McCain will be responsible for giving pork to dangerous hardcore, left-wing organizations. If he doesn’t sign onto this because of this pork laden provision, the Democrats can then turn around and say that McCain is a stumbling block in this important bailout bill. The Democrats have, in other words, slipped a poison pill into the plan.

Once again, the Democratic Party proves that it doesn’t care about capitalism, doesn’t care about the economy, doesn’t care about working for the people, but does want to continue slipping huge amounts of cash to their buddies in anti-American groups as well as using important bills to advance mere political partisanship.

So, lets see if the media siezes on this one line in the Senate Democrat’s “Agreement” and reports it for what it is: a cynical, partisan attempt to play politics during one of the most important crises in years.

(H/T Bill Smith of ARRA News Service)

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Apparently the media wants to get even for the Swift-Boaters successful torpedoing of John Kerry in 2004 because they are by the dozens every day promulgating lies about the career and life of Governor Sarah Palin. I recently posted a piece on the lies, exaggerations and misbegotten assumptions of a Baltimore Sun columnist and it got me to thinking to try and gather one thread rebutting the media’s ever evolving negative memes against this strong woman. From unproven claims of infidelity, to claims she is a book banner and a negligent Mother, the media have been smearing this woman daily since she stepped out onto the national stage. One recent Politico attack on Palin was made up solely of the claim that she was once mean to someone… yes, Politico actually was trying to say that their report was serious.

In any case, I’d like to present and knock down some of the swift-skirt attacks the media is launching. So, in no particular order…

Lie- Palin Slashed spending for teen moms from $5 million dollars to $3.9 million in the Alaska state budget.

Truth- Palin actually increased by three-fold the budget for the Covenant House teen pregnancy programs. What she “cut” was the Covenant House’s request for $5 million! Palin’s $3.9 million was still a massive increase from the previous budget.

Lie- Palin belonged to the Alaska Independence Party, a group that wants Alaska to secede from the United States.

Truth- The Governor’s political registration shows that she has been a Republican since 1982 and she has never been a member of the AIP, though he husband has in the past.

Lie- Palin wants Creationism taught in school alongside of the Theory of Evolution.

Truth- Palin has spoken in favor of open discussion in the classroom of the two competing ideas, but has never spoken for, advocated for, or tried to make a policy that would make Alaska’s schools add creationism to their curriculum. Palin quote: “I don’t think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn’t have to be part of the curriculum.”

Lie- Palin was so mired in controversy as a mayor that she was almost recalled while mayor of Wasilla.

Truth- Only a small number of Wasilla residents supported the recall effort and the idea died stillborn.

Lie- Palin cheated on her husband with her husband’s former business partner. This man had his divorce papers sealed to hide Palin’s affair.

Truth- Turns out it is untrue and the reason the man wanted his divorce papers sealed is to prevent the media from intruding into his life and the life of his young son.

Lie- Palin faked her recent pregnancy to cover for an out-of-wedlock birth of her teenaged daughter.

Truth- Many eyewitnesses and photos easily debunk this story. And even if you didn’t believe that, the fact that Palin’s daughter is pregnant NOW makes it physically impossible that she could have had a baby earlier in the year.

Lie- Palin was a supporter of Pat Buchanan when he ran for president in 1999.

Truth- Palin actually supported Steve Forbes in 1999 and was the co-chair on his Alaska campaign.

Lie- Palin is hiding her real religion from the public. She claims to be “just” a Christian, but is really a Pentecostal.

Truth- Palin left the Pentecostal Church she belonged to in Alaska 6 years ago.

Lie- Palin wanted a long, long list of books to be banned in the Wassilla library.

Truth- Palin did ask the library about what the process might be to ban a book, but the long list of books being circulated to “prove” she wanted books banned is really a list of all the books that have been banned at one time or another over the last 100 years. In fact, as far as the Harry Potter Books on that list goes, some of them came out after Palin left the office of Mayor of Wasilla.

Lie- Palin is lying when she says she sold the state’s jet plane on ebay.

Truth- Palin never said she sold the jet on ebay. She says she put it up to sell on ebay. And she did. But it didn’t sell there. The state sold it in a private sale to Larry Reynolds.

These are just some of the lies that the media are trying to sell us to swift-skit Sarah Palin. They cannot stand to see a strong woman like Sarah that actually got to the top by her own efforts… as opposed to some female Senators who got where she is because her philandering, but powerful husband paved the way for her.

There are surely others I’ve missed, I know, and if you readers have some, post them and I’ll add them here. (Give supporting links if you can)

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There is an ethics squabble going on in Montana perpetrated by the senior counsel to the Democrat Governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer. It has been revealed that the Governor’s “senior counsel,” a man named Eric Stern, has been caught trying to “back-door” the judge in a case in which he is involved on behalf of Governor Schweitzer. The ethics violation is bad enough, but it has also been discovered that, even though he is claimed to be an attorney and the Governor’s senior counsel, Eric Stern, is not licensed to practice law in the state of Montana. This seems to say that Eric Stern is practicing law without a license, doesn’t it? Strangely, the media have not bothered to report this most important fact.

According to reports, Eric Stern “a senior official in the governor’s administration” improperly contacted the commissioner of political practices “outside of official proceedings in an ongoing ethics case.” In effect, Stern is accused of trying to “back-door” the judge by discussing the case outside of official proceedings, an extremely blatant ethics violation.

Commissioner Dennis Unsworth, who acts like a judge in the proceedings, said he was contacted by Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s senior counsel, Eric Stern.

The conversations are not allowed outside official proceedings, according to a lawyer for the state Republican Party, who is asking for a hearing to determine what was said.

Like I said, the violation of ethical conduct by Governor Schweitzer’s senior counsel is bad enough, but some bloggers have discovered something that is even more disturbing about Stern: he isn’t licensed to practice law in the state of Montana.

Carol Minjares of Missoula, Montana first found out on August 19 that the Governor’s senior counsel, a man who holds forth in the Governor’s legal proceedings as an official operative and representative of the Governor, is not licensed to practice law in the state.

I called the Montana Bar and found out he is not licensed to practice in this state. Was he ever licensed, and if so where? If not, how can he be an attorney without a license?

How is it that the Governor’s senior counsel can interact with official legal cases on behalf of the Governor is not even licensed to practice law? Worse, why have the Old Media throughout the state not investigated this and confronted the Governor about this strange status?

Perhaps because the Governor is a Democrat?

For more information, Gregg Smith from Electric City Weblog has several in depth reports on the legal implications of senior counsel Eric Stern’s ethics violations. (Here and here)

Eric Stern’s bio on the Governor’s official website:

Eric Stern - Energy Specialist and Senior Counsel to the Governor

Eric Stern was Schweitzer’s campaign manager and is an attorney and business consultant. He is a native of Teaneck, NJ, and attended Connecticut College and Columbia Law School. He worked after college at CNN in Atlanta, and then went on to serve in the Clinton Administration as a political aide to the Vice President of the United States, directing the Vice President’s international and political trips; and also as a policy aide to the U.S. Secretary of Education, overseeing the political elements of important education reforms of the 1990s. He also worked on the national staff of three presidential campaigns. Stern moved to Bozeman, Montana in 2001 to do non-profit legal and environmental work, and business consulting. Prior to taking over Schweitzer’s campaign, Stern directed the bid by Mexico to lure a Major League Baseball franchise, the Montreal Expos, to the city of Monterrey.

Stern is sure presented as an attorney! Yet, no license? And no news reports of the fact?

Seems quite odd, doesn’t it?

(Photo credit: wired.com)

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There is an ethics squabble going on in Montana perpetrated by the senior counsel to the Democrat Governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer. It has been revealed that the Governor’s “senior counsel,” a man named Eric Stern, has been caught trying to “back-door” the judge in a case in which he is involved on behalf of Governor Schweitzer. The ethics violation is bad enough, but it has also been discovered that, even though he is claimed to be an attorney and the Governor’s senior counsel, Eric Stern, is not licensed to practice law in the state of Montana. This seems to say that Eric Stern is practicing law without a license, doesn’t it? Strangely, the media have not bothered to report this most important fact.

According to reports, Eric Stern “a senior official in the governor’s administration” improperly contacted the commissioner of political practices “outside of official proceedings in an ongoing ethics case.” In effect, Stern is accused of trying to “back-door” the judge by discussing the case outside of official proceedings, an extremely blatant ethics violation.

Commissioner Dennis Unsworth, who acts like a judge in the proceedings, said he was contacted by Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s senior counsel, Eric Stern.

The conversations are not allowed outside official proceedings, according to a lawyer for the state Republican Party, who is asking for a hearing to determine what was said.

Like I said, the violation of ethical conduct by Governor Schweitzer’s senior counsel is bad enough, but some bloggers have discovered something that is even more disturbing about Stern: he isn’t licensed to practice law in the state of Montana.

Carol Minjares of Missoula, Montana first found out on August 19 that the Governor’s senior counsel, a man who holds forth in the Governor’s legal proceedings as an official operative and representative of the Governor, is not licensed to practice law in the state.

I called the Montana Bar and found out he is not licensed to practice in this state. Was he ever licensed, and if so where? If not, how can he be an attorney without a license?

How is it that the Governor’s senior counsel can interact with official legal cases on behalf of the Governor is not even licensed to practice law? Worse, why have the Old Media throughout the state not investigated this and confronted the Governor about this strange status?

Perhaps because the Governor is a Democrat?

For more information, Gregg Smith from Electric City Weblog has several in depth reports on the legal implications of senior counsel Eric Stern’s ethics violations. (Here and here)

Eric Stern’s bio on the Governor’s official website:

Eric Stern - Energy Specialist and Senior Counsel to the Governor

Eric Stern was Schweitzer’s campaign manager and is an attorney and business consultant. He is a native of Teaneck, NJ, and attended Connecticut College and Columbia Law School. He worked after college at CNN in Atlanta, and then went on to serve in the Clinton Administration as a political aide to the Vice President of the United States, directing the Vice President’s international and political trips; and also as a policy aide to the U.S. Secretary of Education, overseeing the political elements of important education reforms of the 1990s. He also worked on the national staff of three presidential campaigns. Stern moved to Bozeman, Montana in 2001 to do non-profit legal and environmental work, and business consulting. Prior to taking over Schweitzer’s campaign, Stern directed the bid by Mexico to lure a Major League Baseball franchise, the Montreal Expos, to the city of Monterrey.

Stern is sure presented as an attorney! Yet, no license? And no news reports of the fact?

Seems quite odd, doesn’t it?

(Photo credit: wired.com)

Be sure and Visit my Home blog Publius’ Forum. It’s what’s happening NOW!

Milwaukee has discovered some more voter fraud with 10 more voter registration workers are being investigated by Wisconsin authorities. Fittingly, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covered the story in its paper on August 29. Unfittingly, the Journal Sentinel forgot one, tiny aspect of the story… that the voter fraud was perpetrated by Democrats. In fact, one of the organizations, ACORN, is intimately linked with Barack Obama.

Milwaukee’s top election official said Thursday she plans to seek criminal investigations of 10 more voter registration workers, including two accused of offering gifts to sign up voters.

So, what we have here is an Old Media story about voter fraud where the salient fact that the fraud is being committed by Democrats and Democrat organizations is somehow absent from the story. What a surprise, eh?

Voter bribery, voter fraud, workers misrepresenting themselves with false driver’s license numbers, fake Social Security numbers, there’s lots of details in the story. Yet, the word Democrat never appears once in the story.

So, who was responsible for all this fraudulent registration?

All the workers were paid by two organizations running voter registration drives, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and the Community Voters Project. Overall, 37 of the suspect workers were on the ACORN payroll, 11 were paid by the voters project and it’s not clear who employed the other one.

For those of you unaware, ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is a far left group that is intimately linked with Barack Obama since his early days in the corrupt Chicago, Daley Democrat political machine. ACORN has given Obama much financial support over the last two decades. ACORN is also big on furthering the unAmerican thuggery of unions all across the nation. And that means they are strictly a Democrat organization… not that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wants anyone to know that.

So, what are the charges here?

Among the latest group, two ACORN workers are accused of offering pre-paid gasoline cards or restaurant gift cards to people in exchange for signing up to vote.

Edman said she wants Landgraf to look into whether the workers violated a state law that forbids offering cash or gifts to sway voters.

Eight voter project workers are suspected of making up information on voter applications, Edman said.

Among the workers previously referred to Landgraf, two are accused of submitting cards for dead voters.

Others appear to have submitted cards for people who said they never filled out an application or who were already registered, signed cards themselves, or falsified driver’s license numbers.

That’s quite a laundry list. And, realize, this sort of Democrat fraud is happening all across the country in every major city. And it’s all perpetrated by Democrats. Someone should pass this info on to the Journal Sentinel.

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