No bias here just facts. please read below:
Clinton:
During Clinton's tenure, the U.S. enjoyed continuous economic expansion, reductions in unemployment, and growing wealth through a massive rise in the stock market. The economic boom ended in Q1, 2000, 10 months before his term ended in January, 2001, possibly indicative of a stock market bubble. Although the reasons for the expansion are continually debated, Clinton proudly pointed to a number of economic accomplishments, including:
More than 22 million new jobs
Homeownership rate increase from 64.0% to 67.5%
Lowest unemployment rate in 30 years
Higher incomes at all levels
Largest budget deficit in American history converted to the largest surplus of over $200 billion
Lowest government spending as a percentage of GDP since 1974 [7]
Higher stock ownership by families than ever before
220% increase in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 300% increase in the Nasdaq from 1993 to 2001
The reasons for this growth are hotly debated, but Clinton supporters cite his 1993 tax increase as the reason that eventually led to the reduction in the annual budget deficits every year of his tenure. These deficit reductions stimulated consumption and consumer spending and strengthened the dollar, which encouraged foreign investment in the United States economy. Alan Greenspan supported the 1993 tax increase, which was approved by Congress without a single Republican vote. [8] Critics of Clinton point to Alan Greenspan's strong chairmanship of the Federal Reserve, 1995 spending cuts and the Republican Party's Contract with America initiatives as alternative reasons for America's strong economic growth of the late 90's. Critics also argue that the economic recovery had already begun before Bill Clinton took office and did not pick up momentum until 1995 and 1996, after the GOP took over Congress (despite the fact that GDP growth was higher in 1994 than in either 1995 or 1996). Many economists attribute massive growth to the dot-com boom which just happened to come during Clinton's term, thus adding many new jobs which may not be directly attributed to policies of the Clinton administration.
In 1999, Clinton was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice by the U.S. House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate. The perjury charge arose from Clinton's testimony about his relationship to Monica Lewinsky during a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by former Arkansas-state employee Paula Jones. The obstruction charge was based on his actions during the subsequent investigation of that testimony. On February 12, the Senate concluded a 21-day trial with the vote on both counts falling short of the Constitutional requirement of a two-thirds majority to convict and remove an office holder. The final vote was generally along party lines, with all of the votes to convict being cast by Republicans. On the perjury charge 55 senators voted to acquit, including 10 Republicans, and 45 voted to convict; on the obstruction charge the Senate voted 50-50. [22] Clinton, like the only other president to be impeached, Andrew Johnson, served the remainder of his term.
The day before leaving office, Clinton agreed to a five-year suspension of his Arkansas law license as part of an agreement with the independent counsel to end the investigation. Based on this suspension, Clinton was also automatically suspended from the United States Supreme Court bar, from which he chose to resign. [17][18] Clinton's resignation was mostly symbolic, as he had never practiced before the Supreme Court and was not expected to in the future. Clinton also was assessed a $90,000 fine by federal judge Susan Webber Wright for contempt of court. The Paula Jones lawsuit was settled out of court for $850,000.
In addition to impeachment and the Whitewater scandal, the Clinton White House was the subject of many other controversies.
The White House travel office controversy involved allegations of impropriety in the firing of civil service staffers. The White House personnel file controversy involved improper access by security officials to FBI files on White House personnel, without first asking for the individuals' permission. The Bill Clinton pardons controversy involved a grant of clemency to FALN bombers in 1999 and pardons to his brother Roger, tax-evading billionaire Marc Rich and others in 2001 (see List of people pardoned by Bill Clinton).
The "Chinagate" controversy involved allegations of improper campaign contributions to President Clinton's legal defense fund and the Democratic National Committee, by individuals such as John Huang, James Riady, and Maria Hsia, et al. Allegedly, the ultimate source of this money was the Chinese government. Seventeen donors and fund-raisers were convicted of felonies due to the affair.
Early in his first-term, a largely discredited documentary, the Clinton Chronicles, implicated Bill Clinton in a large number of deaths of his acquaintences. This also became known as the "Clinton Body Count" and was the subject of a request for Congressional hearings in 1994. As many as 60 people were on this list of "suspicious deaths" including Jim McDougal, Vince Foster and Ron Brown.
In March, 1998 Kathleen Willey, a White House aide, alleged that Clinton had sexually assaulted her. Also in 1998, Juanita Broaddrick alleged that Clinton had raped her in 1978. No charges were filed in either case.
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy was acquitted on each of 30 charges of illegally accepting gifts such as sports tickets, lodging, and transportation from companies regulated by his department in exchange for favors. [23] HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros was indicted on 18 counts of conspiracy, giving false statements and obstruction of Justice. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of lying to the FBI about the amount of money he gave his mistress, political fundraiser Linda Medlar. Medlar plead guilty to 28 counts related to the investigation. Both Medlar and Cisneros were pardoned by Clinton.
On Clinton's last day in office, he pardoned over 200 convicted felons, including his brother Roger, who was imprisoned on drug charges and Dan Rostenkowski, the former Chairman of House Ways and Means Committee who had been convicted on corruption and mail fraud charges. Another one of those pardoned was Marc Rich, a financier who had fled the United States decades before for tax evasion and other illegal activities including buying illegal oil from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Rich fled the country before being indicted and never saw a day of trial or incarcaration. Many questioned the pardon, stating that Rich's wife Denise had pleaded with the president for years to pardon her ex-husband and that she personally donated money to his presidential library in exchange for a pardon for her husband. These actions quickly led to public hearings by congress into the legality of all of Clinton's presidential pardons.
Bush and Baby Bush
How The Bush Cartel Stole Our Eyeballs And Is Coming Back For The Sockets
17-Oct-04
Bush Scandals
Vincent L. Guarisco writes, "The sand in the hourglass is rapidly disappearing in the run-up to the 2004 election, and so is our opportunity to expose the Bush mafia for the crimes its members have committed-crimes that have lain dormant in the shadows for decades. Of the many scary conspiracy theories floating around out there, all pale by comparison to the evil legacy of the Bush family cartel. Unfortunately, few Americans are aware of the shameful-even criminal-behind-the-scenes activity by generations of one of the most powerful, ruthless, influential families ever to seize the reigns of power in American history. "
Bush Isn't Just Connected to the Swift Boat Smear Campaign - He's Totally Enmeshed!
26-Aug-04
Bush Scandals
The Kerry campaign has tracked down not just one or two tentacles connecting Bush and the Swift Boat Phonies, they've found a veritable octopus! "Karl Rove, Ken Cordier, Benjamin Ginsberg, Harlan Crow, Bob Perry, Kady Bailey Hutchinson, John O'Neill, Merrie Spaeth, Tex Lezar, Harriet O'Neill, Margaret Wilson, the Bush-Cheney campaign HQ in FLA, the Minnesota RNC, the DCI Group, Charles Francis, Tom Synhorst, and Chris Lacivita. All were involved in the Swift Boat smear Campaign and ALL have strong ties to Bush and/or the Bush campaign. So where's the "60 Minutes," "Front Line," "Date Line," or "48 Hours" expose?
Right after 9/11 Two Bin Ladens Investigated for Terrorist Ties Were Allowed to Leave the US
22-Jul-04
Bush Scandals
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (NJ) just released a list of some bin Laden family members allowed by the Bush Administration to leave the US in the week after 9/11. Two of the bin Ladens who departed were investigated for terrorist ties before 9/11. Omar Awad bin Laden, a nephew of Osama bin Laden, was allowed to leave even though his brother and housemate, Abdullah, was a long-time American head of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY). WAMY is a suspected terrorist organization raided by the FBI this past spring. A 2003 TomPaine.com article by Greg Palast revealed the Omar and Abdullah bin Laden apartment was also just blocks away from both the listed address of two of the 9/11 hijackers and from WAMY headquarters. Also allowed to leave was Khalil Binladin, whom Brazilian police investigated for suspected terrorist ties.
Bush Flagrantly Violates DC Firearms Laws
31-May-04
Bush Scandals
Rude Pundit blogs, "apparently Bush keeps Saddam Hussein's gun, the one he had when he was captured from the 'spider hole,' in a study off the side of the Oval Office. Bush shows it to visitors; he is 'proud of it' because, it seems, or so it is said, it reminds the resident of how 'proud' he is of the troops... Exactly how may laws, federal and D.C., might the resident be breaking with his possession of that firearm? Did he receive a background check for the transfer of ownership? Is Bush licensed to possess a firearm in a federal facility? The District of Columbia prohibits firearms to be gifts. How many people are implicated in Bush's firearm possession? And, of course, ignorance of the law does not excuse the potential crimes." Impeach Bush Now!
$565-BILLION NASA Accounting Scandal Kept Out of Headlines to Aid Bush Mars PR Scheme
15-May-04
Bush Scandals
Just two and one-half months before Bush launched his "lets go to Mars" PR ploy, an audit of NASA revealed that a staggering $565 BILLION (with a "B") was not properly accounted for. In addition, "There were hundreds of millions of dollars of 'unreconciled' funds and a $2-billion difference between what Nasa said it had and what was actually in its accounts, which are held by the Treasury Department." The NASA auditors (from Price Waterhouse Cooper) were so frustrated and outraged that they quit. Yet this incredible story was swept from the mainstream news until now, and no real investigation has been launched (which of course might reveal funny business with Bush-connected-corporate contracts) Why? Because Bush was planning his big Mars PR ploy. Couldn't have any negative NASA news before then, now, could we?
Horrid Thoughts About Horrid Leaders
11-May-04
Bush Scandals
Bernard Weiner writes: "Since Bush Administration policies are so outrageous and extreme, and since the manner of carrying out those policies is so incompetently handled, and since Bush&Co. alienate everyone who comes near them, one is tempted to believe that these Bush guys are alien pod people, or forces from the dark side, or agents of a foreign power -- sent to destroy America from within and ensure defeat abroad. Of course, I'm not serious about that. But at times the Bush Administration's policies, behavior and bumbling ways certainly make one wonder. In addition to the blowback that can be expected from Bush's Israel/Palestine mistakes, here are a few more examples of policies that, if one didn't know better, could be viewed as designed to aid our enemies."
The Best Investigative Journalist Money Can't Buy
24-Apr-04
Bush Scandals
Greg Palast remains consistently a year or more ahead of the headlines, breaking critical stories others fear to investigate For example, how Enron swindled its way into an energy monopoly. Or how the Bush family stole the election in Florida with illegal voter purges, registrations collecting dust, millions of missing ballots, and the Bush Brothers' plan for the "Floridation" of our elections called the "Help America Vote Act." Recently, Palast got his hands on the secret State Department "Iraq Strategy" document - the blueprint for a free-market Disneyland of, by and for Washington insiders and lobbyists - outlining the real reasons our troops are putting their lives on the line in Iraq. Palast told Mike Hersh he felt compelled to release a new Expanded Election Edition of NY Times Best Seller, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy because, "Sewage keeps pouring out of the pipe." It "gets newer - more urgent and topical everyday." For more info. see www.GregPalast.com.
George W. Nixon
23-Apr-04
Bush Scandals
Thomas R. Asher writes, "The rising visibility of major White House miscalculations before and after 9/11, including the deteriorating situation in Iraq, have unleashed a skunky whiff of Watergate into Washington's springtime air. Bush's credibility is sinking as did Richard Nixon's when caught covering up the misdeeds of his 'plumbers;' his clandestine re-election campaign crew that spied on Nixon's opponents. Bush faces a wider range of potential scandals, which include: Iraq: the rationale for, cost of, and occupation plans following America's conquest (DOS, DOD, CIA, FBI); Suppressed Medicare costs (HHS) and bioterrorism studies (DOD); Insufficient terrorism preparedness and prevention, domestic and international, before and after 9/11 (CIA, FBI, DOD, etc.); Mounting fiscal deficits and tax relief only for the wealthy (Treasury, OMB); and Skewed or suppressed scientific research and policies (NIH, HHS, FDA, EPA)."
Under Darth W, Iran-Contra Strikes Back
22-Apr-04
Bush Scandals
Sid Blumenthal writes, "The serious constitutional issues and governmental abuses, the methods and the continuity of some key personnel, evoke memories of the mostly forgotten Reagan administration Iran-Contra scandal. Iran-Contra involved a network of aides outsourcing U.S. foreign policy like a separate government to circumvent the separation of powers, by selling missiles to Iran to fund the Nicaraguan Contras. The Iraq war was not conceived by aides but by the president and his war Cabinet in an apparent effort to evade constitutional checks and balances. In Iran-Contra, the NSC, CIA and Pentagon were stealthily exploited from within; in Iraq, they were abused from the top. When the Iran-Contra scandal was revealed, Reagan's administration was placed into receivership by the old Republican establishment. Neoconservatives and adventurers, criminal or not, were purged, from Elliott Abrams to Richard Perle. Now they are at the center of power."
Texans Fight to Repeal Bush Law that Allows Auto Dealers to Rob Customers and Keep their Kickbacks Secret
07-Apr-04
Bush Scandals
Public Citizen reports: "Two consumer groups today called on the Texas Legislature to repeal a unique law passed under former Gov. George Bush that blocks Texas consumers from recovering $6 billion in overcharges on car loans and allows dealers to keep kickbacks secret. The 1999 law allows auto dealers to pocket kickbacks from lenders in exchange for inflating the interest rates on car loans, without disclosing the kickbacks to car buyers. Using court records and insider information from whistleblowers, consumer groups and attorneys have found overcharges ranging from hundreds of dollars to more than $15,000. These kickbacks have led to higher-priced auto loans for consumers, even when the consumers have good credit. The law makes Texas the only state in the nation to specifically permit non-disclosure of the dealer kickbacks from lenders."
Creepier than Nixon
31-Mar-04
Bush Scandals
John Dean: "Dick Cheney is a political disaster awaiting recognition. In the book, I set forth a relatively long list of inchoate scandals, not to mention problems worse than scandals. They all involve Cheney in varying degrees. Bush can't dump Cheney, for it is Cheney, not Rove, who is Bush's backroom brain. He is actually a co-president. Bush doesn't enjoy studying and devising policy. Cheney does. While Cheney has tutored Bush for almost four years, and Bush is better prepared today than when he entered the job, Cheney is quietly guiding this administration. Cheney knows how to play Bush so that Cheney is absolutely no threat to him, makes him feel he is president, but Bush can't function without a script, or without Cheney. Bush is head of state; Cheney is head of government."
Busheviks Face 9 Major Scandal Investigations
25-Mar-04
Bush Scandals
The Hill reports, "At least nine high-profile investigations have been triggered in the wake of a flood of Democratic demands targeting the heretofore scandal-free [say what???] Bush administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. They range from an inquiry on the cost of the new Medicare law to multiple probes on the alleged failure of intelligence in monitoring Iraq's weapons programs. In response to the new scrutiny, many Republicans claim the rush to investigate at the Democrats' behest is politically inspired. Nevertheless, some political observers believe the cumulative effect of these probes is damaging Bush's re-election chances."
Clarke is Just the Latest Truthteller to Come Under Vicious Bushevik Attack
24-Mar-04
Bush Scandals
Paul Krugman writes, "It's important, when you read the inevitable attempts to impugn the character of the latest whistle-blower, to realize just how risky it is to reveal awkward truths about the Bush administration. When Gen. Eric Shinseki told Congress that postwar Iraq would require a large occupation force, that was the end of his military career. When Ambassador Joseph Wilson IV revealed that the 2003 State of the Union speech contained information known to be false, someone in the White House destroyed his wife's career by revealing that she was a C.I.A. operative. And we now know that Richard Foster, the Medicare system's chief actuary, was threatened with dismissal if he revealed to Congress the likely cost of the administration's prescription drug plan. The latest insider to come forth, of course, is Richard Clarke, George Bush's former counterterrorism czar and the author of the just-published 'Against All Enemies.' "
Probe Starts in Medicare Drug Cost Estimates
17-Mar-04
Bush Scandals
"The Department of Health and Human Services inspector general is launching an inquiry into whether Bush administration officials committed any wrongdoing last year by withholding from Congress internal analyses showing that Medicare prescription drug legislation the White House supported would cost significantly more than lawmakers believed... The internal inquiry into the handling of the cost estimates is part of a broad damage-control strategy HHS officials have begun mounting to defuse accusations that the administration has put politics above accuracy on an issue that Bush has cited in his reelection campaign as a prime domestic achievement."
Top Bush Scandals of 2003, Part II
18-Jan-04
Bush Scandals
Ted Kahl and Bob Fertik write: "On Tuesday, George W. Bush plans to obliterate coverage of the Democratic winner of the Iowa Caucus by giving his State of the Union speech a week earlier than usual. In the speech, Bush will lay out his major plans for 2004, thus effectively launching his campaign to get four more years in the White House - by getting more votes (if $200 million in fat-cat contributions makes that possible) or simply rigging the results (if all else fails). But before the nation looks ahead, we want to take one last glance at 2003, to highlight the 5 biggest scandals of the White House since his last State of the Union. Each of these scandals is huge. Indeed, each of these scandals completely eclipses the biggest scandal of President Clinton's eight years in office, Monicagate. If Democracy still existed in America, each of these 5 scandals would be headline news, and the news media would be demanding answers every single day."
Top Bush Scandals of 2003, Part I: Iraq
01-Jan-04
Bush Scandals
Bob Fertik and Ted Kahl write, "As the 2004 election year begins, we are astonished to discover that a handful of Americans actually believe George W. Bush should be given four more years in the White House. Obviously this is the result of too much holiday eggnog. So in the spirit of all those year-ending 'top' lists of 2003, here is a quick refresher list of the Top Bush Scandals of 2003. We hope you will send this and future lists to any friends who think they might vote for Bush in 2004. Because there are so MANY scandals, we will publish our list in two parts, the first part being devoted strictly to the Mother of All Scandals - Iraq. Bush's invasion of Iraq may be the single greatest scandal in American history, thoroughly eclipsing such major scandals as Watergate and Teapot Dome, not to mention the utterly insignificant Lewinsky affair. Sometime in the future, historians will judge whether it marked the end of American Democracy and the start of a totalitarian American Empire."
BushCroft Protects Tom DeLay from Indictment over Westar Bribery Scandal
15-Dec-03
Bush Scandals
Joan Claybrook writes, "Two indicted Westar executives, David Wittig and David Lake, were part of a scheme in 2002, revealed through e-mails released by the company's board of directors, to obtain 'a seat at the table' in last year's energy bill conference committee by giving money to a number of congressional campaigns. The campaigns included those of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas); Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.), who co-chaired the energy conference in 2002 and 2003; and Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), an influential member of the conference both years... Despite the recent Westar indictments, neither the DOJ nor the House ethics committee has taken any action on the matter. Instead, Tauzin and Barton were given leadership roles again in this year's conference committee on the energy bill." We demand a Special Prosecutor!
Extensive Study Finds Bush Regime Reversing 'Decades-Long Trend of Openness in Government'
14-Dec-03
Bush Scandals
US News and World Report: "For the past three years, the Bush administration has quietly but efficiently dropped a shroud of secrecy across many critical operations of the federal government--cloaking its own affairs from scrutiny and removing from the public domain important information on health, safety, and environmental matters. The result has been a reversal of a decades-long trend of openness in government while making increasing amounts of information unavailable to the taxpayers who pay for its collection and analysis... Important business and consumer information is increasingly being withheld from the public... New administration initiatives have effectively placed off limits critical health and safety information potentially affecting millions of Americans. The information includes data on quality and vulnerability of drinking-water supplies, potential chemical hazards in communities, and safety of airline travel and other forms of transportation."
Scootergate! Dumbanddubya.com Exposes the Truth About Bush's Segway Accident
30-Nov-03
Bush Scandals
Scootergate! Dumbanddubya.com Exposes the Truth about Bush's Segway Accident
The Strange Death of the Woman Who Filed a Rape Lawsuit against Bush
24-Nov-03
Bush Scandals
Jackson Thoreau writes: "Early one Saturday afternoon in July 2003, I made a simple phone call to Margie Schoedinger, a Texas woman who filed a rape lawsuit against George W. Bush in December 2002. I expected to leave a message on a machine, so I was caught a little offguard when Schoedinger answered. She, too, sounded somewhat surprised I had called, saying she hadn't heard from many other reporters. But she talked to me for a few minutes about the legal action. 'I am still trying to prosecute [the lawsuit],' said Schoedinger, a 38-year-old African-American woman who lived in the Houston suburb of Missouri City. 'I want to get this matter settled and go on with my life.' Well, Schoedinger hasn't gone on with her life. In fact, three months after I spoke to her, she died in an apparent suicide. And this matter remains unsettled."
Bush Betrays US Soldiers Who Were Tortured by Saddam
10-Nov-03
Bush Scandals
At the very same time as the Busheviks are broadcasting Saddam torture videos to build support for their catastrophic occupation, they are BETRAYING American soldiers who were among Saddam's torture victims. "The Bush administration is seeking to block a group of American troops who were tortured in Iraqi prisons during the Persian Gulf war in 1991 from collecting any of the hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen Iraqi assets they won last summer in a federal court ruling against the government of Saddam Hussein." "I've always tried to keep in the back of my mind that we were never going to see any of the money," said Colonel Storr, who was held by the Iraqis for 33 days - a period in which he says his captors beat him with clubs, broke his nose, urinated on him and threatened to cut off his fingers if he did not disclose military secrets. "But it goes beyond frustration when I see our government trying to pretend that this whole case never happened." Had enough? Impeach Bush Now!
Vince Foster Alert: State Dept. Official Found Dead Outside Office
08-Nov-03
Bush Scandals
"A State Department employee was found dead outside the agency headquarters Friday around 5 p.m., Fox News has confirmed... John Kokal worked in a unit that dealt with intelligence and research. Sources said he handled classified documents regularly but was not involved in intelligence analysis... Fire Department Spokesman Alan Etter said the man, a white male, was wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks, but was not wearing shoes nor a suit jacket. He was found lying in the bottom of a concrete window well near 23rd and D streets, about eight stories below the top of the building. The well drops about 20 feet from ground level... It was not yet known whether the employee jumped or fell. Firemen told Fox News that the D.C. police were handling the investigation and that the death could possibly be a homicide and that the body would not be immediately removed." Is this Bush's Vince Foster murder/suicide mystery? Is Karl Rove sending a deadlier Valerie Plame "message"? Stay tuned...
Bush Cronies Get Big-Time Profits from W-ar
30-Oct-03
Bush Scandals
"More than 70 American companies and individuals have won up to $8 billion in contracts for work in postwar Iraq and Afghanistan over the last two years, according to a new study by the Center for Public Integrity. Those companies donated more money to the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush - a little over $500,000 - than to any other politician over the last dozen years, the Center found. Kellogg, Brown & Root, the subsidiary of Halliburton - which Dick Cheney led prior to being chosen as Bush's running mate in August 2000 - was the top recipient of federal contracts for the two countries, with more than $2.3 billion awarded to the company. Bechtel Group, a major government contractor with similarly high-ranking ties, was second at around $1.03 billion. However, dozens of lower-profile, but well-connected, companies shared in the reconstruction bounty."
Terrorist Funder Linked to Norquist and Rove
28-Oct-03
Bush Scandals
On 10-22-03, Ashcroft indicted Abdurahman Alamoudi, a consultant to the Pentagon on the Chaplain Program for more than a decade, now accused of helping Osama bin Laden and Hamas. According to John Loftus, "What Alamoudi and al-Arian have in common is a guy named Grover Norquist. He's the super lobbyist. Newt Gingrich's guy, the one the NRA calls on, head of American taxpayers. He is the guy that was hired by Alamoudi to head up the Islamic institute and he's the registered agent for Alamoudi, personally, and for the Islamic Institute. Grover Norquist's best friend is Karl Rove, the White House chief of staff, and apparently Norquist was able to fix things. He got extreme right wing Muslim people to be the gatekeepers in the White House. That's why moderate Americans couldn't speak out after 9/11. Moderate Muslims couldn't get into the White House because Norquist's friends were blocking their access."
Bush Promises to 'Fire' the Whole White House
30-Sep-03
Bush Scandals
PentaPost reports, "Bush's chief spokesman said yesterday that the allegation that administration officials leaked the name of a CIA operative is 'a very serious matter' and vowed that Bush would fire anybody responsible for such actions." ROTFL! Everyone in the White House - from Bush on UP to Rove and Cheney - is "responsible" for the "outing" of Valerie Plame. Character assassination - if not outright murder - is Standard Operating Procedure for the Busheviks. Remember John McCain, who was accused of having a black child - and - going crazy while POW - during the GOP primaries in 2000? Remember Al Gore, who was accused of lies he never told? Remember J.H. Hatfield, who was driven to suicide by Karl Rove's character attacks? Remember Max Cleland, who was accused of being unpatriotic during the 2002 campaign?
Henry B. Gonzalez Knew about 'Chemical Ali'
22-Aug-03
Bush Scandals
A Buzzflash Reader Commentary: "Too bad American and Iraqi lives were sacrificed in the effort. It would have been easy to catch 'chemical Ali' back under the first Bush administration, which knew of his activities and tolerated him, and them. As the heroic, late congressman Henry B. Gonzalez pointed out, Ali Hassan al-Majid was on the short list of Iraqi front entities with which the US under then-President Bush was in the habit of doing dangerous business... In the speech, Gonzalez pointed out the widespread knowledge in other countries of Saddam's activities; the extensive trade with Saddam by American companies and companies in Europe; the part that US financing and the CIA had played in Saddam's buildup; and the close involvement of the Reagan and senior Bush administrations in supporting Saddam. (Donald Rumsfeld went to Baghdad and engaged in his famous handshake with Saddam, videotaped, in 1983.)"
Bush Inc. -- Part 4 of Salon's Excerpts of 'Big Lies'
20-Aug-03
Bush Scandals
Joe Conason writes: "For the Bush dynasty, crony capitalism is rite of passage, way of life, and family business. President Bush, his father, his three brothers, and sundry other relatives all have joined (and sometimes hastily abandoned) enterprises where their chief contribution was the perception of political influence at home and abroad. It would be possible -- although grim and morally exhausting -- to write an entire book about nothing but ethically dingy Bush business deals." Buy the book -- read it and then -- stand up and fight.
RICO! How California and the Minority in Congress Can Prosecute the White House
14-Aug-03
Bush Scandals
Katherine Yurica writes that Democrats in Congress, "can still file an unprecedented RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization) case against the Bush-Cheney enterprise. Similarly, California's Governor Gray Davis (or Cruz Bustamante-should he succeed Davis) can file both a civil and criminal RICO against the Bush-Cheney enterprise... The fact that what I am suggesting has never been done before is no reason why it should not be carried out now. Never before have we had a suspected criminal enterprise being directed from the White House. RICO was created by Congress to reach racketeering activities, including white-collar crimes that could not be prosecuted by any other means... RICO allows prosecutors (civil or criminal) to name the corporate entity, which in this case is the U.S. Government as a defendant, plus the corrupt 'enterprise' within the government as a defendant, and the individuals who make up the corrupt enterprise and commit the illegal acts as defendants."
Iran-Contra II - Conspiracy on Steroids
13-Aug-03
Bush Scandals
Jim Lobe writes, "As Karl Marx might have said, 'A spectre is haunting Washington -- the spectre of Iran-Contra'. Even some of the people and countries are the same. And the methods -- particularly the pursuit by a network of well-placed individuals of a covert, parallel foreign policy that is at odds with official policy -- are definitely the same. Boiled down to its essentials, the Iran-Contra affair was about a small group of officials based in the National Security Agency (NSC) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that ran an 'off-the-books' operation to secretly sell arms to Iran in exchange for hostages... The picture emerging from the latest reports about the manipulation of intelligence in the drive to war with Iraq, as well as efforts by administration hawks to deliberately aggravate tensions with Syria, Iran, and North Korea in defiance of official State Department and U.S. policy, suggest a similar but much more ambitious scheme at work."
Poindexter is Forced to Resign over 'Terrorism Betting Parlor' -- Will He Reappear as a Pentagon Contractor?
31-Jul-03
Bush Scandals
"The Pentagon official who oversaw the development of a plan for the military to operate a terrorist futures-trading market is resigning under pressure, a senior defense official said today. John M. Poindexter, a retired rear admiral who was President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser, is stepping down 'in the next few weeks,' the official said, following disclosure of a proposal that outraged lawmakers and embarrassed senior Pentagon officials. The plan was to create... an online betting parlor that would have rewarded investors who forecast terrorist attacks, assassinations and coups... [Defense Secretary Don] Rumsfeld agreed that the admiral's credibility was shot and it was time for him to go... Poindexter first gained notoriety [and a court conviction, later thrown out] in the Iran-contra scandal during the Reagan administration." Yes, and he helped "disappear" tens of thousands of Latin Americans who opposed right-wing juntas and terrorists.
The Lunatic Fringe of Capitalism: Trading in Terrorism
31-Jul-03
Bush Scandals
Jeff Milchen writes, "If anyone even suggested publicly the idea of putting a bounty on the head of a Bush Administration official you can bet they'd at least be jailed on felony charges promptly. Yet incredibly, the Bush administration initiated (and then cancelled in the face of immediate opposition) a scheme that would have provided financial incentives for would-be terrorists to assassinate political leaders in the Middle East -- the 'Policy Analysis Market,' or PAM. A graphic on PAM's website on Monday displayed several hypothetical futures contracts. Investors could bet on the likelihood that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat would be assassinated or Jordan's King Abdullah II overthrown. One less violent investment apparently was suggested -- the U.S. recognizing Palestine as a political entity. Those hypothetical investments were promptly taken off the website, but were captured and presented below." See the unscrubbed site!
In a Quick About-Face, the Pentagon Cancels 'A Terrorism Betting Plan' Exposed by Democrats -- Now Fire John Poindexter!
29-Jul-03
Bush Scandals
"The Pentagon on Tuesday abandoned a plan to establish a futures market that would have allowed traders to profit by correctly predicting assassinations and terrorist strikes in the Middle East... Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said.... he received assurance [from the Pentagon] that it would 'stop all engines on this matter today'... [T]he plan was disclosed Monday by Democratic Senators Ron Wyden... and Byron Dorgan... Daschle denounced the program as 'an incentive actually to commit acts of terrorism'... [Barb Boxer said] 'I think you ought to end the careers of whoever it was thought that up'... Wyden said the Policy Analysis Market is [supervised by Iran Contragater] John Poindexter, head of the Terrorism Information Awareness program... [The PAM] Web page Monday showed....futures contracts... on the likelihood that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat would be assassinated...Jordanian King Abdullah II would be overthrown... [and] a North Korea missile attack."
Another Bush Scandal: Betting on Terror, Courtesy of BushFeld
28-Jul-03
Bush Scandals
ABC reports, "Will the king of Jordan be overthrown? Will Yasser Arafat be assassinated? Will North Korea launch a nuclear attack? You can bet on it. Anyone - even terrorists, some lawmakers warn - will soon be able to place anonymous bets on future terrorist attacks on a Web site. The Pentagon has set up a Web site for the Policy Analysis Market, which is intended for a group of scholars and analysts to bet on the likelihood of dramatic events, especially in the Middle East... But as Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-ND and Ron Wyden, D-OR told reporters in Washington, D.C., today, it is a sick idea... 'Can you imagine if another country set up a betting parlor so that people could go in and bet on the assassination of an American political figure, or the overthrow of this institution or that institution?' Dorgan said. So far, $749,979 has been spent on the project and Wyden and Dorgan said the Pentagon is asking Congress for $8 million to set up the Internet program." Impeach Bush Now!
AWOL Bush Desecrates US Flag
28-Jul-03
Bush Scandals
US Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Sec. 8 (g): "The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature." So why does this photo show Bush signing a flag? Isn't this prima facie evidence of a crime? Impeach Bush Now!
Some Dare Call It Treason
21-Jul-03
Bush Scandals
BuzzFlash writes, "If David Corn, the Washington editor for The Nation is correct in his suspicions, two unidentified 'senior administration officials' are guilty of betraying our national security [when they] revealed the identity of a CIA operative to conservative columnist Bob Novak, who printed her name in his syndicated newspaper column... If true, it's the latest, and most treasonous, mafia tactic that the Bush administration has been using to intimidate patriotic Americans: 'Mess with us and we will have no compunction about betraying the national security. Our first priority is enforcement of loyalty to this administration and George W. Bush, not the nation. We will intimidate and punish anyone who is disloyal, whatever the costs to America's security. We will go as far as we need to go in achieving our objectives. If you think we won't do it because it will hurt national security, we will, if that's what it takes to protect Bush and carry out our objectives.'"
White House Uses Drudge to Smear ABC Reporter Jeffrey Kofman: Is This a Government or the 'National Enquirer'?
18-Jul-03
Bush Scandals
In Today's "Reliable Source" in the Washington Post, Lloyd Grove reveals the White House's "National Enquirer"-style hot line to Matt Drudge. Drudge, of course, professes to be "hardhitting" and "unbiased." (Yeah, and the Godfather is really Santa Claus). When ABC News' Jeffrey Kofman covered a story this week on the plummeting morale of US troops, the White House called Drudge to provide him with a smearing tip: Kofman is both gay and a Canadian. And, being a good White House minion but a very bad journalist (we like to assume good journalists have some ethics), Drudge regurgitated his "inside scoop" to the public - as did the Post, through Grove. But this is typical rightwing 'ethics' - whether a man is gay or from Canada is more important than whether that man is telling the truth.
U.S. Spy Chief Quits in Midst of Investigation into PROMIS Software, bin Laden, Hussein and Bush Sr.
11-Jul-03
Bush Scandals
"'America's top spy catcher, Paul Redmond, has suddenly resigned in the middle of his secret investigation into how Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden allegedly obtained US computer software, the Sunday Express claimed this weekend... Redmond was a legendary CIA spy catcher... He was told to investigate how Robert Hanssen, the renegade FBI computer specialist who was a longtime Soviet agent, had handed over a copy of the software - known as Promis - to his KGB controllers for $ 2million. Hanssen, now serving a life sentence, has yet to reveal all he knows about how the KGB sold on a copy of the software to Osama bin Laden for $ 4million shortly before the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. 'But until Redmond's abrupt resignation, increasingly the documents relating to Saddam's use of PROMIS - and his relationship with President [sic] Bush's father - were what Redmond had begun to focus on', said a source close to the departed spy catcher."
The Inslaw Octopus and PROMIS
11-Jul-03
Bush Scandals
From Wired Magazine, March 1993: "What for the past decade has been known as the Inslaw affair began to unravel in the final, shredder-happy days of the Bush administration... PROMIS was stolen from Inslaw by the Department of Justice directly after Etian's 1983 visit to Inslaw... PROMIS was then given or sold at a profit to Israel and as many as 80 other countries by Dr. Earl W. Brian, a man with close personal and business ties to then-President Ronald Reagan and then-Presidential counsel Edwin Meese. A House Judiciary Committee report released last September found evidence raising 'serious concerns' that high officials at the Department of Justice executed a pre-meditated plan to destroy Inslaw and co-opt the rights to its PROMIS software... One journalist, Danny Casolaro, died as he attempted to tell the story (see sidebar), and boxes of documents relating to the case have been destroyed, stolen, or conveniently 'lost' by the Department of Justice."
The 'Gilded Age' Was Never THIS Obscene
22-Jun-03
Bush Scandals
NY Times opines, "There's nothing like having a few friends over for a cocktail or two,' Bush told more than 1,200 Republicans who paid $2,000 apiece last week to begin what will be a record-breaking binge of Republican money-raising. Bush's gratitude went over well with the Washington crowd, who ponied up $3.5 million. Even more, it underlined the extraordinary gilded age of fat-cat politicking that has befallen the nation with the intersection of Bush tax cuts favoring the affluent - $1.7 trillion worth and counting - and the start of Bush's phantom primary campaign season. With no G.O.P. challenger in sight, Mr. Bush nevertheless will easily raise as much as $200 million in primary money for his re-election coffers, much of it from the warm-hearted supporters benefiting most from his deficit-financed tax cuts. This is revenue synergy of a high order that promises only to intensify." Impeach Bush Now!
Alberto Gonzales' Death Penalty Memos to Gov. Bush are ANOTHER Scandal
15-Jun-03
Bush Scandals
In a major analysis in The Atlantic Alan Berlow writes, "As the legal counsel to Texas Governor George W. Bush, Alberto R. Gonzales -- now the White House counsel, and widely regarded as a likely future Supreme Court nominee -- prepared fifty-seven confidential death-penalty memoranda for Bush's review. Never before discussed publicly, the memoranda suggest that Gonzales repeatedly failed to apprise Bush of some of the most salient issues in the cases at hand," including "ineffective counsel, conflict of interest, mitigating evidence, even actual evidence of innocence."
America's Fishiest First Family
07-May-03
Bush Scandals
A must read! Maureen Farrell writes: "'These people are overly reaching, overly aggressive, overly secretive, and just plain corrupt. I don't trust these people.' - Ronald Reagan Jr., on the current Bush administration. Sometimes, one simple assertion triggers an avalanche. The above statement, for example, after prompting an obligatory, 'Wasn't Iran-Contra aggressive, secretive and corrupt?' conjures a cascade of murkier questions. Ever since Prescott Bush was penalized for trading with the Nazis and the words 'George Bush of the CIA' surfaced on a 1963 FBI report on the JFK assassination, the Bush family has been tied to speculation... following the Reagan assassination attempt, NBC's John Chancellor and the Houston Post's Arthur Wiese and Margaret Downing reportedly stunned their respective audiences with news that Scott Hinckley, brother of Reagan's would-be assassin, was scheduled to dine with Vice President Bush's son Neil the night of the shooting."
Surprise! BushFeld Cronies Make a Killing through Insider Trading of Iraq Occupation Contracts
12-Apr-03
Bush Scandals
NY Times reports, "For some of the reconstruction work in and around Iraq, the United States Army Corps of Engineers confidentially awarded a one-year contract worth up to $100 million on April 1 to the Perini Corporation, which had revenue of barely $1 billion last year. The agency released a brief statement about the award on April 4, but Perini did not receive clearance to issue its own statement about the significant chunk of business until April 8. By then, its stock had climbed more than 40%... 'There is no secret that is known to 30 bureaucrats,' Professor John Coffee added. 'As soon as it's known that broadly, nothing is more foreseeable than that this information will leak and affect the market'" - and that BushFeld cronies will cash in "big-time." We demand a Special Prosecutor for the corrupt awarding of Iraq occupation contracts!
Dictator Bush Makes Us Long for Tricky Dick
08-Apr-03
Bush Scandals
Alan Bisbort writes, "The crimes of George W. Bush ON A DAILY BASIS surpass the collective crimes of Richard Nixon's entire presidential career. So, why aren't people more outraged by the current White House's abuse of power, unprecedented in American history? What could be more criminal than to start a war by invading another country that poses no immediate threat? What could be more criminal than starting this war by using fictitious documents, photographs and threats of retaliation against countries, and longtime allies, that will not go along with this charade?... What could be more telling about this Little Caesar in the White House that, even as he needlessly puts our brave, dutiful soldiers in harm's way, he is cutting the benefits to veterans of previous wars? What could be more criminal than to loot the U.S. Treasury to conduct a blood-for-oil feud, then pass the cost on to generations unborn? ... Even Dick Nixon looks good to me now "
Bowling for Kennebunkport
07-Apr-03
Bush Scandals
Frank Rich writes: "His next film, titled 'Fahrenheit 911,' is scheduled for release in the two months before Election Day. It tells 'in part the story of twin errant sons of different oilmen,' he says, and will stir together the pre-9/11 intersection of Bush and bin Laden family business interests when both had ties to the Carlyle Group. Such connections 'may mean nothing,' Mr. Moore concedes. But then he recalls Jane Mayer's article in the November 2001 New Yorker about the private Saudi jet that the Bush administration permitted to fly 24 members of the bin Laden family out of the country after 9/11, before they could be questioned in detail by the F.B.I. 'Here's one question I want to pose,' he says. 'What if on the day after Oklahoma City, Bill Clinton, suddenly worried about the safety of the McVeigh family up in Buffalo, allowed a jet to pick them all up and take them out of the country, not to return?'"
Michael Moore Film to Explore Ties between the Bush and Bin Laden Clans
28-Mar-03
Bush Scandals
Michael Moore "is putting together a deal with actor Mel Gibson's production company to finance 'Fahrenheit 911,' a documentary that will trace the roots of terrorism against the United States. But perhaps most shockingly, Moore will also spell out [actual] dealings between two generations of the Bush and bin Laden clans, according to Variety. 'The primary thrust of the new film is what has happened to the country since Sept. 11, and how the Bush administration used this tragic event to push its agenda,' Moore said in the Variety report. Moore said the film 'certainly does deal with the Bush and bin Laden ties,' and 'asks a number of questions that I don't have the answers to yet, but which I intend to find out'...the business relationship began with former President George Bush and Saudi construction magnate Mohammed bin Laden, the father of Osama -- a relationship that endured. 'The senior Bush kept his ties with the bin Laden family up until two months after Sept. 11,' Moore said."
Great Site of Links about Bush Family Scandals!
24-Mar-03
Bush Scandals
Prescott's Nazi financing, Iran-Contra, Iraqgate, Enron, Funeralgate, Carlyle Group and much, much more!
Secret Iraq Rebuilding Contracts are for BushBuddies Only
22-Mar-03
Bush Scandals
"Weeks before the first bombs dropped in Iraq, the Bush administration began rebuilding plans. ABCNEWS has obtained a copy of a 99-page contract worth $600 million... The USAID contract is filled with details about plans to construct Iraqi schools, airports, roads, bridges, hospitals, power plants and more. But other details are being shielded by the USAID, which chose to conduct the bidding in secret... Normally, USAID puts out contracts on the Internet, and any company can bid. But to move this through quickly, the agency said it went to firms with track records and security clearances. It asked seven - about half the number that normally would have sought the business - to bid. Among the companies believed to be bidding are Bechtel, Fluor, Parsons, the Washington Group and Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's old firm... All are generous political donors - principally to Republicans... USAID denies politics are involved in any of this." Yeah, RIGHT! Impeach Bush Now!
Clearchannel's Warmonger-in-Chief Has Scandalous History with Bush
22-Mar-03
Bush Scandals
NY Press reports, "Clear Channel Worldwide Inc., the nation's largest owner of radio stations, sponsored the numerous 'patriotic rallies' which were held around the country. They organized, advertised, provided speakers and entertainment for them, and even handed out numerous American flags... There are close ties between the company and Bush. The Vice Chair of the company is Tom Hicks, a member of the Bush Pioneer club for elite donors... The two were embroiled in scandal when Hicks, as University of Texas Regent, was responsible for granting endowment management contracts of the newly created (under legislation signed by Bush) UT Investment Management Co. (UTIMCO)... Hicks purchased the Texas Rangers from George Bush, making him a wealthy man through a deal that was partially sweetened by a shiny new taxpayer financed stadium, which included valuable land obtained at below market rates through the use of eminent domain." Impeach Bush Now!
The Colonel Who Defied Bush and Paid the Price Refuses to Be Silent
20-Mar-03
Bush Scandals
"Lt. Col. Bill Burkett completed 28 years of decorated service and was medically retired from the US Army National Guard in 1998 after suffering meningoencephalitis on return from an assignment in Panama. From 1995 until his illness, Burkett served as State Plans Officer for the Texas Army National Guard and Governor Bush. After refusing to follow direct orders involving falsifying readiness reports, Burkett sought 'whistleblower' status for reports involving anti-Semitic activity; personnel fraud; readiness fraud and the alteration of the personal military file of Governor Bush. Lt. Col. Burkett is currently the plaintiff in his appeal to the US Supreme Court in the case of Burkett v. Goodwin, Taliaferro, Meador, et al, in regard to the retaliation against him following breaking the Bush records issue." Read his powerful critique of Bush's W-ar.
Bush's Ties to Islamic Extremists
04-Mar-03
Bush Scandals
According to Jeff Jacoby, Sami "Al-Arian is not the only Islamist zealot who has gained access to Bush and his inner circle. Consider, for example, Abdurahman Alamoudi, the founder of the American Muslim Council, an extremist group with a record of defending terrorism and denouncing the United States. Like Al-Arian, Alamoudi attended the Rove briefing in the White House in 2001; a year earlier, he was one of several Muslims invited to meet with candidate Bush in Austin, Texas. Alamoudi is certainly influential - but he is also an open backer of terrorism. In October 2000, he was cheered at a pro-Palestinian rally in Washington, D.C., when he declared: 'We are all supporters of Hamas.... I am also a supporter of Hezbollah.' Three months later he was in Beirut for a terrorist summit, along with leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Al Qaeda. Is Alamoudi really the sort of Muslim with whom the administration should be involved?"
Al-Arian Says Bush Did 'Everything We Asked'
27-Feb-03
Bush Scandals
Forward reports, "Ari Fleischer told reporters that the Secret Service had alerted the White House that Al-Arian was under investigation, but he said that such a warning is not necessarily grounds to block a visit. Fleischer noted that Yasser Arafat has been to the White House many times. Critics were unimpressed with the explanations. 'Why did Bush and his aides do it? Either they think there is an electoral advantage, or they don't give a damn,' said Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York. 'And if in fact the Secret Service warned them about this person, then there is no excuse.'... Al-Arian, in fact, boasted of having helped get out the Florida Muslim vote for Bush in 2000. Footage aired this week by NBC News showed Al-Arian telling a Muslim crowd at a fundraiser last April: 'I wanted to talk about the last elections because I think I personally played a big role in [s]electing Bush. Gore ignored us, Bush did not ignore us, in fact, everything we asked him for he did.'"
By Right Wing Standards, Karl Rove Should Be Jailed for Consorting with Suspected Terrorists
26-Feb-03
Bush Scandals
Salon's Scott Rosenberg writes, "The arrest last week of the U. of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian on terrorism charges quickly became an occasion for gloating among commentators on the right -- their latest opportunity to tar as a traitor anyone who advocates due process and minority rights during the 'war on terrorism.' John Podhoretz, for instance, launched a broadside in the NY Post against writers who have raised questions about the Al-Arian case, including the NY Times' Nicholas Kristof and Salon's Eric Boehlert, calling them 'idiots.' Mr. Podhoretz, here are a couple names you'll now need to add to your 'idiot' list: George Bush and Karl Rove. That's because a little problem has emerged for the 'dare call it treason' crowd: In June 2001, it turns out, Al-Arian paid a visit to the Bush White House -- apparently as the specially invited guest of Bush's political guru, Rove, who was meeting with a Muslim-American group as part of a strategy to line up Islamic support."
Bush's Ties to Al-Arian are the Tip of the Iceberg
23-Feb-03
Bush Scandals
Rightwinger David Frum writes, "The arrest of Sami al-Arian on terrorism charges marks an epoch not only in the War on Terror, but in the history of the Bush administration... Not only were the al-Arians not avoided by the Bush White House - they were actively courted. Candidate Bush allowed himself to be photographed with the al-Arian family while campaigning in Florida. Candidate Bush denounced the immigration laws that detained - and ultimately deported - [al-Arian's brother-in-law] Mazen al-Najjar... The al-Arian case was not a solitary lapse. The Bush campaign in 2000 very determinedly reached out to Muslim voters. Indeed, Muslim-Americans may have tipped the election to Bush... That outreach campaign opened relationships between the Bush campaign and some very disturbing persons in the Muslim-American community. Many of those disturbing persons were invited to stand beside Bush at post-9/11 events, like his meeting with Muslim community leaders at the Massachusetts Ave. mosque."
Did Karl Rove Overrule the Secret Service to Invite Terror Suspect Al-Arian to the White House Briefing?
23-Feb-03
Bush Scandals
Insight, the Moonie magazine, reports that Sami Amin Al-Arian was invited to a White House briefing on 6-22-01 led by Karl Rove (Cheney cancelled at the last minute due to negative publicity) despite being under investigation for a leadership role in Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Al-Arian's name would have set alarms ringing at the Secret Service, so how did he get an invitation the White House? An anonymous associate of the GOP's top Islamic influence-peddler, Grover Norquist, insists he specifically warned the White House about al-Arian. So who ignored Norquist and overruled the Secret Service? There's only one person with the power to bring a suspected terrorist right into the White House - Karl Rove. We demand a full investigation!
Like 'Kenny Boy' Lay, Bush Tries to Disavow His Ties to Terror Suspect al-Arian
22-Feb-03
Bush Scandals
Just as George W. Bush denied knowing "Kenny Boy" Lay, now he's denying his connections with Professor Sami Amin al-Arian, who was just charged with being the US leader of a terrorist group. ''Then-Governor Bush just walked around greeting people,'' Buchan said. Al-Arian did not contribute money or volunteer work to the Bush campaign, she said. But Newsweek reports that al-Arian got out the Muslim vote for Bush in Florida, ''He was a Bush supporter,'' said Robert McKee, an attorney who is representing al-Arian in a legal dispute with the university. ''As close as the election in Florida was, Sami may have put him over the top. He got out the vote in the Muslim community in Florida.'' Later, his son was invited to the White House for a meeting related to Bush's "faith-based" initiative.
Alleged Terrorist Sami al-Arian Campaigned with Bush and Met with Rove
22-Feb-03
Bush Scandals
WashPost reports that Sami al-Arian, "a former university professor indicted this week as a terrorist leader attended a 6-22-2001 group meeting in the White House complex with Karl Rove. Al-Arian, a former computer engineering professor at the University of South Florida, had been under investigation by the FBI for at least six years at the time of the June 2001 briefing for [the American Muslim Council]. Numerous news accounts also had said federal agents suspected Al-Arian of links to terrorism. Al-Arian was indicted Thursday on charges that he conspired to aid suicide bombings in Israel and the Palestinian territories and has served for years as a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization." Cheney was supposed to lead the meeting, but he cancelled after "the Jerusalem Post had run a front-page article headlined, 'Cheney to host pro-terrorist Muslim group.'" Al-Arian campaigned for Bush in Florida mosques and was photographed with Bush on 3-12-2000.
BoxGate Part II: 'Made in China' Cover-up was a CRIME
28-Jan-03
Bush Scandals
According to customs broker Matt Erion, Bush's coverup of boxes saying "Made in China" was a crime. "Obscuring country-of-origin markings is a violation of Title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 134.4. Each count carries a penalty of up to a $5,000 fine and a year in jail." We demand a criminal investigation!
BoxGate! Busheviks Use Faux 'Made in USA' Boxes to Hide Real 'Made in China' Boxes
22-Jan-03
Bush Scandals
ABC News reports, "Bush delivered his remarks from a warehouse floor at JS Logistics, a trucking, courier and warehouse business that provided a visual image for his argument that his proposal carries economy-boosting benefits for small businesses. The audience was flanked on all sides by piles of cardboard boxes with additional piles in front of and behind his podium. Each one of the hundreds of boxes had a piece of paper obscuring its 'Made in China' label. White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan [lied and] attributed the clearly gargantuan paper-affixing effort to an 'overzealous volunteer'. A backdrop made-to-order for the White House filled the space directly behind Bush, which is most likely to show up on TV news clips of the event. Blaring a logo of 'Strengthening America's Economy,' it exactly mimicked the real-life box piles, down to perfectly aligned shelves. Except the boxes on the backdrop were labeled, 'Made in the USA.'" A PERFECT metaphor for Bushonomics!
U.S. Scrubbed Iraqi-run Florida Chemical Plant from UN Weapons List
05-Jan-03
Bush Scandals
Tom Flocco writes, "Most recently activated American soldiers are unaware that they will likely be facing the same deadly chemical and biological agents provided illegally to Iraq by their own government just prior to the last Gulf War - and that high-ranking Bush 41 cabinet officials profited from secret investments in these companies manufacturing weapons of mass destruction.... Members of George Sr.'s cabinet held sizable and conflicting financial positions in Gulf War-related companies linked to a Secret Iraqi Policy Document... Moreover, the war-related WMD financial holdings were substantial enough in 1990 to necessitate [Bush 41] to employ a Confidential Conflict of Interest Waiver -- also kept secret from Congress -- in order to absolve his cabinet and others from future legal action should Gulf War military families ever question or litigate the private and undisclosed financial links of high-ranking government officials to Iraq."
Bush Is Hushing up Lethal Asbestos Peril Affecting Millions
31-Dec-02
Bush Scandals
Andrew Schneider of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has revealed a brand new major scandal in the Bush Administration. In April 2002, "The Environmental Protection Agency was on the verge of warning millions of Americans that their attics and walls might contain asbestos-contaminated insulation." The product was W. R. Grace's "Zonolite," contaminated with an extremely lethal asbestos fiber called tremolite that has killed or sickened thousands of miners and their families. "But, at the last minute, the White House intervened, and the warning has never been issued." Naturally, the Bush administration rejected FOIA requests to reveal the decision-making documents. But the evildoer is apparently John Graham, head of Office of OMB's Information and Regulatory Affairs. We demand a Special Prosecutor!
Bush Scholarship Fund Accepts $500,000 from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal
30-Dec-02
Bush Scandals
The NY Sun reports, "The latest move in