Us presidential election 2004

[Rishon 0]

lol, you have a point there, but as I said, I don't really care. (Rhyme!) I'll say it again for clarity. As long as Kerry does not lower the Military Budget or Disband the Military. (You never know with these Liberals.) I DON'T CARE.

[EiZei 0]

US military budget is approximately 400 billion american dollars last time I checked. Id be pretty pissed if I could not get free medicare while goverment pissed away tax money like that.

[Rishon 0]

US military budget is approximately 400 billion american dollars last time I checked. Id be pretty pissed if I could not get free medicare while goverment pissed away tax money like that.

Right well, You know. Maintaining the Most Powerful military on earth costs alot of money. Free Medicare is dumb, you just get stuck on a damn Waiting list, whilst the Rich get their appointments REAL snappy. Also, It's not pissing it away. That comment just pissed me off BIG time.

[EiZei 0]

Right well, You know. Maintaining the Most Powerful military on earth costs alot of money. Also, It's not pissing it away. That comment just pissed me off BIG time.

It would still be easily the world's most well-funded military if there would be a 50% budget reduction.

Quote[/b] ]

Free Medicare is dumb, you just get stuck on a damn Waiting list, whilst the Rich get their appointments REAL snappy.

Just an issue of money.

[Schoeler 0]

US military budget is approximately 400 billion american dollars last time I checked. Id be pretty pissed if I could not get free medicare while goverment pissed away tax money like that.

Right well, You know. Maintaining the Most Powerful military on earth costs alot of money. Free Medicare is dumb, you just get stuck on a damn Waiting list, whilst the Rich get their appointments REAL snappy. Also, It's not pissing it away. That comment just pissed me off BIG time.

Who said anything about free medicare? It is just that healthcare should be accessible to everyone, and not just a select few. I lost my brother to cancer recently, and he had excellent health care coverage. I can only imagine how horrible it must be for people with lousy hmo's or worse, no insurance. It's easy to sit back and tell people to earn more or get a better job, but when the doctors are telling you and your family, "Sorry, there's nothing we can do for you, go home and die" while some rich bastard gets all the new experimental treatments, then see if you care or not.

[Rishon 0]

US military budget is approximately 400 billion american dollars last time I checked. Id be pretty pissed if I could not get free medicare while goverment pissed away tax money like that.

Right well, You know. Maintaining the Most Powerful military on earth costs alot of money. Free Medicare is dumb, you just get stuck on a damn Waiting list, whilst the Rich get their appointments REAL snappy. Also, It's not pissing it away. That comment just pissed me off BIG time.

Who said anything about free medicare? It is just that healthcare should be accessible to everyone, and not just a select few. I lost my brother to cancer recently, and he had excellent health care coverage. I can only imagine how horrible it must be for people with lousy hmo's or worse, no insurance. It's easy to sit back and tell people to earn more or get a better job, but when the doctors are telling you and your family, "Sorry, there's nothing we can do for you, go home and die" while some rich bastard gets all the new experimental treatments, then see if you care or not.

I agree with that. Everyone should be entitled to health care, It's just it should not be Nationalized.

[theavonlady 2]

I promise this will make you all laugh!

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

[walker 0]

I promise this will make you all laugh!

     

Hi Avon

Yes that was funny

Kind Regards Walker

[walker 0]

Hi all

Time is Short! Register to Vote!

Remember you can only effect who will lead the US by Registering to Vote.

Get your official national Voter registration forms from this link here:

http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm

That is the form that allows you to decide who will be the next president and vice president of the USA. In a democracy it is your only real power. Use it.

Please Note the Following Exceptions:

* New Hampshire town and city clerks will accept this application only as a request for their own mail-in absentee voter registration form.

* North Dakota does not have voter registration.

* Wyoming cannot accept this form under State law.

Here is where you can register to vote

http://www.fec.gov/votregis/where_can_i_register_to_vote02.htm

Quote[/b] ]Registration applications may be obtained from either the local election official in your county or city, or through registration outreach programs sponsored by such groups as the League of Women Voters.  In addition, you can also register to vote when applying for a driver’s license or identity card at State DMV or driver's licensing offices, State offices providing public assistance, State offices providing State-funded programs for the disabled, and at armed forces recruitment offices.

Many States also offer registration opportunities at public libraries, post offices, unemployment offices, and at public high schools and universities. Colleges, universities, and trade schools participating in federal student loan programs also offer voter registration applications to enrolled students prior to general elections.

FAQs about using the National Voter Registration form

http://www.fec.gov/votregis/faqs_about_national_mail_form02.htm

Time is getting short.

The deadlines for registration in some states are fast aproaching Register to Vote now

http://www.fec.gov/votregis/state_voter_reg_deadlines02.htm

Going to be abroad?

If you are abroad and need to register an absentee ballot you need this site it will guide you through the process: http://www.fvap.gov/

In the Army?

If you are serving abroad and need to register an absentee ballot you need this site it will guide you through the process:

https://www.perscomonline.army.mil/tagd....dex.htm

In the Marines?

If you are serving abroad or at sea and need to register an absentee ballot you need this site it will guide you through the process:

https://lnweb1.manpower.usmc.mil/manpowe....ng+Home

In the Navy?

If you are serving abroad or at sea and need to register an absentee ballot you need this site it will guide you through the process:

http://www.persnet.navy.mil/nvap/

In the Air Force?

If you are serving abroad and need to register an absentee ballot you need this site it will guide you through the process:

http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/votefund/

In the Coastguard?

If you are serving abroad or at sea and need to register an absentee ballot you need this site it will guide you through the process:

http://www.uscg.mil/hq....nce.htm

Use this information now! Register to vote! And on the day Vote! or this will hapen to you.

http://promotions.yahoo.com/declareyourself/ud/dogfood_medium.html

Kind Regards Walker

[shinRaiden 0]

Great set of links, thanks.

On the first one, make sure that you read the state specific rules. Some states have different requirements for ID submission, and differing deadlines. Don't delay, check it out, but confirm what the rules are with your local county elections board, so you don't get surprised.

[billybob2002 0]

Quote[/b] ]Hi all

In a rather disturbing incedent reminicent of the worst era of soviet politics GOP wants Republicans to spy on their neghbours to find out their politics.

Walker,

Both parties do that....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5463955/

Quote[/b] ]

Parties wage battle

of the databases

Bit by bit, information

on voters shapes strategies

Mark Rutkus, right, of the Franklin County Democratic party meets Linda Houston and her granddaughter.

By Paul Farhi

Updated: 12:25 a.m. ET July 20, 2004

Fourth in an occasional series

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Democratic Party already knows a few things about the Victorian-style duplex on West Hubbard Street. It wants to know a lot more.

And so Mark Rutkus and Patrick Harris, armed with sturdy clipboards and cheerful smiles, are going on a data hunt. “Hi, we're here from the Franklin County Democratic Party,†Rutkus begins as Linda Houston draws back her front door, tentatively at first. “Can we ask you a few questions?â€

A longtime Democrat, Houston greets them enthusiastically. For the next few minutes, the local party operatives ask and she answers: Are you registered to vote? Do you reside at this address? Can you confirm the names of the other people living here? What do you know about the people living next door?

.....

[walker 0]

Hi billybob2002

The diference is the Democrats have gone round door to door saying who they are and being upfront about collecting the info and they use the the Data in their office.

The Republican System allows any person who says they vote Republican to see the data and asks neighbours to do the data collection.

Kind Regards Walker

[walker 0]

Hi all

The Budget Crunch has hit.

Quote[/b] ]“The budget crunch we all knew was coming has finally arrived,†said Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Walsh is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee that oversees veterans, environment, housing and science. The panel approved the measure by voice vote — but not without complaints from Democrats about the spending limits Republicans have voted to impose on Congress.

“This year I think it’s going to be very clear it’s becoming excruciating, if not unacceptable,†said Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, top Democrat on the subcommittee.

Even the increase for veterans fell $1.3 billion below the total desired, veterans groups and the GOP-led House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said.

“There’s very little good that can be said about†the bill, said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5467388/

You can only run at a defecit for so long looks like the Bush/Cheney Credit Card bill is due Guess they have to go to the loan sharks for some more cash. The Chinese Government likes it they have the US Economy by the short and curlys and any time they want it Bush/Cheney will have to sqeal like piggys.

Shakes head at the stupidity of some people Walker

[Schoeler 0]

Funny how the Berger investigation, which has been ongoing since last october was suddenly leaked to the press just a day before the 9-11 Commission report is released. Smoke and mirrors anyone?

[walker 0]

Hi all

Vote looser the foul mouthed liar Dodgy Dick Cheney links to the troubled Halliburton when he was in charge of the company are once again under investigation.

Quote[/b] ]In a conference call with reporters, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said he found it "unconscionable" that a Halliburton subsidiary appeared to be doing business with a country tied to terrorist activities at a time Cheney was Halliburton's chief executive.

The conference call, organized by the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), came one day after Halliburton disclosed that a federal prosecutor had subpoenaed documents as part of an investigation of whether a Halliburton subsidiary violated anti-terror sanctions on Iran. "This is such an outrageous bit of news," Lautenberg said.

In a filing with federal regulators Monday, Halliburton disclosed that the three-year investigation had escalated from an inquiry by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control to a criminal investigation by the Justice Department.

Such cases are referred to Justice only when there is evidence "intentional or willful" violations have occurred, government officials said.

My use of Bold

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A110-2004Jul20.html

Halliburton is famous for its willingness to trade with Rogue Nations while under Dodgy Dick Cheney's leadership.

* In 1997, after Dick Cheney joined Halliburton, the Yadana field developers hired European Marine Services (EMC) to lay the 365-kilometer offshore portion of the Yadana gas pipeline. EMC is a 50-50 joint venture between Halliburton and Saipem of Italy. From July to October 1997, EMC installed the 360-inch diameter line using its pipelaying barges.

The route followed by Halliburton and Saipem was chosen by the Burmese government to minimize costs, even though the onshore pipeline path would cut through politically sensitive areas inhabited by ethnic minorities in the Tenasserim region of Burma. Given the Burmese military’s well-documented history of human rights violations and brutality, human rights groups say the western companies knew or should have known that human rights crimes would accompany Burmese troops into the onshore pipeline region. They say there was ample evidence in the public domain that such violations were already occurring when Halliburton chose to lay pipe for the project. As Katie Redford, a lawyer with EarthRights International puts it, “To be involved in the Yadana pipeline is to knowingly accept brutal violations of human rights as part of doing business.â€

* Azerbaijan. Dick Cheney lobbied to remove Congressional sanctions against aid to Azerbaijan, sanctions imposed because of concerns about ethnic cleansing. Cheney said the sanctions were the result only of groundless campaigning by the Armenian-American lobby. In 1997, Halliburton subsidiary Brown & Root bid on a major Caspian project from the Azerbaijan International Operating Company.

* Indonesia. Halliburton had extensive investments and contracts in Suharto's Indonesia. One of its contracts was canceled by the post-Suharto government during a purging of corruptly awarded contracts. Indonesia Corruption Watch named Kellogg Brown & Root (Halliburton's engineering division) among 59 companies using collusive, corruptive and nepotistic practices in deals involving former President Suharto's family.

* Iraq. Dick Cheney cites multilateral sanctions against Iraq as an example of sanctions he supports. Yet since the war, Halliburton-related companies helped to reconstruct Iraq's oil industry. In July 2000, the International Herald Tribune reported, "Dresser-Rand and Ingersoll-Dresser Pump Co., joint ventures that Halliburton has sold within the past year, have done work in Iraq on contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq's oil industry, under the United Nations' Oil for Food Program." A Halliburton spokesman acknowledged to the Tribune that the Dresser subsidiaries did sell oil-pumping equipment to Iraq via European agents.

* Iran. Dick Cheney has lobbied against the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act. Even with the Act in place, Halliburton has continued to operate in Iran. It settled with the Department of Commerce in 1997, before Cheney became CEO, over allegations relating to Iran for $15,000, without admitting any wrongdoing.

* Nigeria. Where local villagers have accused Halliburton of complicity in the shooting of a protester by Nigeria's Mobile Police Unit,

* Libya. Before Cheney's arrival, Halliburton was deeply involved in Libya, earning $44.7 million there in 1993. After sanctions on Libya were imposed, earnings dropped to $12.4 million in 1994. Halliburton continued doing business in Libya throughout Cheney's tenure. One Member of Congress accused the company "of undermining American foreign policy to the full extent allowed by law."

Sources:

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Oil_watch/Cheney_Halliburton.html

http://multinationalmonitor.org/mm2001/01may/may01corp10.html

http://www.earthrights.org/halliburton/hallintro.shtml

The foul mouthed liar Dodgy Dick Cheney is famous for his anti democracy leanings and has suported many laws that reduce democracy in the world. As leader of the current NeoConMan coup that conned the Republican party in to his pocket he has only been following his goal of reducing democracy in the world by adding the US to that list.

However many in the republican party are beginning to see him for the electoral liability he is, and over the past few months there have been increasing rumours that George Bush Jnr wants to remove Dodgy Dick Cheney from his elctoral ticket with the other NeoConMen he has sidelined like Wolf Crier Ashcroft, the man who shook Sadam's hand Donald Rumsfeld and Cluck Cluck Paul Wolfowitz the Chickenhawk.

The recent grooming of Senator John McCain of Arizona as a replacement has already started with Senator John McCain shadowing and replacing Dodgy Dick Cheney on the stump.

The other major sign has been the change of Doctor preparitory to Dodgy Dick Cheney's health being raised as the excuse for a George Bush Jnr.'s flip flop on VP choice (Dodgy Dick Cheney has had 6 heart Attacks). The smart money in the Republican party is putting Dodgy Dick Cheney's health retirement taking place at the end of the Democratic Convention to try and reduce the effect of a succesful Democratic Convention.

Kind Regards Walker

[BoweryBaker 0]

The reason why Bush went to war against Iraq is because he realized that he dealt with threats in a certain manner, then after the terror attack, he started dealing with threats by using force. He stopped taking chances with his information you know? That's how he runs the white house. I don't think its good to have a military to actually move at every threat, you got to be smarter than that because it stretches the military too far and as a government you have to pay for a soldiers food in every section of the world and that gets expensive on the budget so you have to use much smaller, lighter units or fight only key battles with big armies. Kerry understands this and has said that is his viewpoint and he is an actual warrior that can deal with threats with more of a warriors logic. That is why I'm voting Kerry. Because he's a vietnam vet and thinks like a warrior.

[walker 0]

Hi all

The Budget Crunch is hitting the millitary.

Quote[/b] ]The U.S. military has spent most of the $65 billion that Congress approved for fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and is scrambling to find $12.3 billion more from within the Defense Department to finance the wars through the end of the fiscal year, federal investigators said yesterday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4065-2004Jul21.html

The Budget Crunch has already trimmed $1.3 billion off the expected Veterans funding. This when so many US solders are coming back disabled from Iraq.

The Budget Crunch cut space, environment and science programs next year, including giving President Bush 7 percent less than the $16.2 billion he proposed for NASA. So you can say goodbye to going to Mars landings for the foreseeable future.

As some of you will remember we have been discussing the inability of George Bush Jnr. and dodgy Dick Cheney to balance the books in this thread for some time.

Neither has run a succesfull business. George Bush Jnr.'s oil business went bust and he then failed while working for the Bin Ladens, Dodgy Dick Cheney's Halliburton went bankrupt and has been surviving on government handouts ever since; in fact it is the biggest social security scrounger in US history with a 6 billion dollar social security check. Like some other bankrupt social security scroungers it also does a fair amount fraud. In fact if it were a person it would be in jail.

So now the Bush/Cheney Credit Card Bill has arrived and they cannot pay it. With the US bankrupt they must feel right at home.

How the heck is any one dumb enough to think two such moronic business failures could run a countries economy?

Shakes head in wonder and laughs at the stupidity walker

[Apollo 0]

Just a question:

Since the US presidential candidate's are allowed to accept gifts to fund their ellection campaign ,are they also allowed to receive funds for ellection campaigns from abroad by other country's?

The problem is still that the conservatives or atleast Bush are able to gather 5x more campaigning funds that the democrats ,mainly because Bush has become very popular among rich American's ,mainly big industry Ceo's who obviously got the funds ,due to reasons of lowered taxes ,better laws for them ,no Kyoto emmesion limits anymore ,contracts in Iraq etc...

[Baron Hurlothrumbo IIX 0]

Just a question:

Since the US presidential candidate's are allowed to accept gifts to fund their ellection campaign ,are they also allowed to receive funds for ellection campaigns from abroad by other country's?

Apparently, given the huge amounts the Bush family is getting from countries such as Saudi Arabia.

[Akira 0]

Just a question:

Since the US presidential candidate's are allowed to accept gifts to fund their ellection campaign ,are they also allowed to receive funds for ellection campaigns from abroad by other country's?

The problem is still that the conservatives or atleast Bush are able to gather 5x more campaigning funds that the democrats ,mainly because Bush has become very popular among rich American's ,mainly big industry Ceo's who obviously got the funds ,due to reasons of lowered taxes ,better laws for them ,no Kyoto emmesion limits anymore ,contracts in Iraq etc...

Presidential Candidates are not allowed to recieve campaign funding from foreign sources or nationals.

Also there are strict laws from where they can recieve campaign funding (though of course there are loop-holes.)

And right now, Kerry is actually out fund-raising Bush.

[walker 0]

Hi all

The NeoConMen who now run the US Republican party are fearfull that the Michael Moore film Fahrenheit 9/11 is really starting to hurt their prospects of staying in power. It is causing more and more died in the wool Republicans to either switch to Voting for J. F. Kerry for this election or to decide to not to vote as Republican apathy at having the NeoConMen con them out of control of their Republican party starts to bite. This election many Republicans may even be thinking of voting Nader as a protest.

Quote[/b] ]Success of Moore film rattles Republicans 'Fahrenheit' still pulling viewers to 2,000 theatersThe Associated Press

Updated: 9:54 a.m. ET July 22, 2004

DES MOINES, Iowa - Republicans initially dismissed “Fahrenheit 9/11†as a cinematic screed that would play mostly to inveterate Bush bashers. Four weeks and $94 million later, the film is still pulling in moviegoers at 2,000 theaters around the country, making Republicans nervous as it settles into the American mainstream.

advertisement

“I’m not sure if it moves voters,†GOP consultant Scott Reed said, “but if it moves 3 or 4 percent it’s been a success.â€

Two senior Republicans closely tied to the White House said the movie from director Michael Moore is seen as a political headache because it has reached beyond the Democratic base. Independents and GOP-leaning voters are likely to be found sitting beside those set to revel in its depiction of a clueless president with questionable ties to the oil industry.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5487374/

Nader may start to woo Republican voters after the Republican Party endorsed him as a candidate.

Kind Regards Walker

[walker 0]

Hi all

George Bush Jnr. has sent vote loosing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on a tour of far flung places out of the way as part of his continued sidelining of NeoConMen in a desperate attempt to stablaise the crumbling Republican vote.

Quote[/b] ]Where's Rumsfeld these days? Burdened by Iraq prison scandal, war’s public face is suddenly scarce.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, for years the most public face of the Bush administration’s war on terrorism, has suddenly become scarce.

Burdened by the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal and constrained by the presidential election campaign, the Pentagon chief who spearheaded the Afghanistan and Iraq wars has been relegated to a less visible role.

Once seemingly in danger of being fired over the prisoner abuse, Rumsfeld appears to have survived. Yet some wonder whether the White House might still conclude he is a political liability and prefer he leave this summer.

“Donald Rumsfeld has gone from being the most popular spokesperson for the Bush administration policies to something of a pariah,†said Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute, a think tank.

“Whereas before the White House was happy to see him speaking in public whenever he chose, now it kind of cringes for fear of what the results might be,†Thompson added.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5445519/

With news that the Iraq Prisoner Abuse Scandal is due kick off again with an expansion of investigations.

Quote[/b] ]Prisoner abuse probe could be expanded

Senator says there are more cases of possible abuse in Iraq

WASHINGTON - More cases of possible mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners have come to Congress’ attention and need investigation by the Pentagon, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Thursday.

advertisement

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., also said that L. Paul Bremer, the former head of the American-led occupation in Iraq, may testify about prison abuse at a congressional hearing next week.

“I’m not trying to, you know, drop a little hint here. I’m just saying ... each day that comes along, new incidents that occurred in the past†are revealed and will need to be investigated, Warner said.

Questions remain

Despite a number of hearings and media revelations in the months since the abuse scandal broke, questions linger about the extent of wrongdoing at U.S. military prisons, how it happened and who should be held accountable.

Before the Senate goes into recess next week, Warner wants Bremer to testify at a public hearing.

Warner spoke to reporters after his committee had a private, classified briefing on the status of several Defense Department investigations into abuse stand. He gave no further details on what new allegations came up during the briefing.

But just this week, the Red Cross said the United States might be hiding detainees in lockups around the world that the group’s representatives have not visited.

The Pentagon denies the charge. The CIA has declined comment on whether it may be holding terrorism suspects at foreign locations.

The scandal began unfolding with the release of pictures from mistreatment of prisoners at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison. Questions have arisen about prisons in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the deaths of detainees, as well as whether abuse was part of interrogations.

Administration's knowledge questioned

Also, Bush administration memos seemed to indicate that officials had condoned or approved the use of torture.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5443593/

From within the Republican party calls for the NeoConMan Architects of the Iraq war to be sacked are on the increase top of the vote looser hit list along with the man who shook Sadam's hand Donald Rumsfeld are Wolfcrying Ashcroft, Cluck Cluck Wolfowitz, and NeoConMan in chief the foul mouthed liar Dodgy Dick Cheney.

Expectations are that Dodgy Dick Cheney will resign due to health reasons at the end of the Democrat Convention in the hope that a few sympathy votes may distract from a successful Democratic Convention.

The other three are expected to go during the move to bring in Senator John McCain of Arizona in as the running mate for the increasingly embattled George Bush presedential bid

Kind Regards Walker

[Balschoiw 0]

And Rumsfeld will get new director of the Pentagon

[shinRaiden 0]

1) everybody wants money, and when people don't get their money, they whine. That's not news, thats pigs at the bucket.

2) The chinese economy is also strained, as they have been turning their trade surplus around into oil purchases to make up for what they will never be able to produce. Their oil import expenses are rising faster than is their trade surplus revenues, and it is the UN that is preventing Iraq from selling Oil to the Chinese, and the only way the US would get a piece of that pie would be for the Iraqis to contract to Halliburton, generating tax revenue for the US.

3) Frank Lautenberg was swapped in a dubious manuver for former Senator Torrecelli, who was dropped as a canidate only after a convience store camera caught Torrecelli and a known mob boss putting the screws to a federal grand jury witness who was testifying against Torrecelli and the mob boss on charges of gross corruption. Lautenberg was brought in because he was a reliable party hack for the Jersey machine. Try the rose-tinted glasses, or the emerald ones if you prefer.

4) There appears to be a growing conspiricy to oust Cheney terminally by giving him more and more heart attacks. The fact that he hasn't despite the flurry of charges dredged up would I think serve as proof of his good health and ability to successfully continue his competent service. In dealing with diabolically corrupt organizations, a certain measure of baksheesh or palm-greasing is needed if you want to even get in the country.

Halliburton's interest of course ought to be Halliburton. Obscure butterflies and oppressed indeginous people's are not their target markets. That is the responsibility of the local governments to regulate, and if there are problems, blame the natives for slacking off.

Furthermore, how much of what you do in your day-to-day job goes unreported to your immediate supervisior? How much do you do under-the-table or short-cut to make the impossible possible, then fudge reports or leave the details out for the mangement? How many of you have managers that really don't know/care what is going on, just as long as something gets done that they can report to their managers and the accounts peoples? Then scale that to a company the size of Halliburton, and you wouldn't even have a case for ingorance at the CEO / Board level, they are so far removed.

5) The administration like everybody else just lines up with their hands out. It is the obligation of congress to arbitralily decide what they want to fund in their budgets, so if we weren't supposed to go to Iraq, why should we continue to fund it? That is a political question, and needs to be addressed by a majority before votes up or down on monies. Thank you to the troops who aren't sitting around, but still waiting for gear and pay while the politicians play. It's almost time for the august recess, and the troops, er, the politicians, need their vacations.

6) The entire military structure went into the can after the 'end' of the cold war, despite all the pieces of the cold war still burnin' and churnin'. What survived was companies and organizations that adopted the outsourcing business model, and lobbied it to congress. That way the doves could claim they were cutting the military, the military could get rid of a lot of stuff and jobs and services, and the lobbiests could bank.

That whole outsourcing scheme, in which everybody attempts to screw everybody's accounts, is the reason why we got contractors all over the place doing stuff, and you don't know who does what for who. That change in management and structuring happened chiefly under the previous adminstration, and fortunately those contracters picked up the dropped ball. Is it expensive with dubious political ramifications? Of course, but it is better than nothing at all.

7) I can't say for other areas, but the GOP party organization in my district is above board, and I've done some digging to verify that. The official survey program we (the party district) recieved from the Bush / Cheney campaign has no such references to neighbors. The only neighborhood lists are those copied from voter registration lists (public) and compared against census lists (public). This is about the best we can do, since in Washington state voters do not select a party during registration. Furthermore, the very first thing done, for elections rules reasons and also to promote name recognition is to fully identify who we are and what it is that we represent.

-- disclaimer --

I am running for GOP PCO (precinct comittee officer) this year, however none of the statements here are official party statements.

[walker 0]

Hi all

Has it begun?

Quote[/b] ]Police seal building housing Kerry campaign

WASHINGTON (AP) — Police sealed off the office building that houses Sen. John Kerry's headquarters on Thursday after a package with white powder was opened by campaign staff.

Kerry, D-Mass., and his vice presidential running mate, Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., were hundreds of miles away, campaigning their way toward next week's Democratic National Convention.

"An envelope was opened and white powder fell out," said campaign spokeswoman Debra DeShong. "On the recommendation of the Secret Service, we contacted the local police who are here investigating."

The discovery of the package prompted authorities to order a fleet of emergency vehicles to converge on the location, and personnel in biohazard suits entered the building.

Mike Sellitto, a deputy D.C. fire chief, said they had, "a letter that we're running some tests on up there" on the eight floor.

Sellitto said they were conducting a field screening that takes about 15 minutes, with more extensive tests planned. He said some preliminary tests had been conducted but declined to say what the results were.

http://www.usatoday.com/news....s_x.htm

Kind Regards Walker