Kristol: Karl Rove Told Dubai To “Pull The Plug On The Dealâ€
Kristol: Karl Rove Told Dubai To “Pull The Plug On The Dealâ€
Yesterday, President Bush described Dubai Ports World’s announcement to sell its U.S. operations as a decision made by the company under pressure from Congress:
I’m sure that the decision by DP World was a difficult decision, to hand over port operations that they had purchased from another company. My administration was satisfied that port security would not have been undermined by the agreement. Nevertheless, Congress was still very much opposed to it.
The media has largely bought into that narrative. But according to Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, the White House instructed DP World to concede. Appearing yesterday on Fox News, Kristol said Karl Rove canceled the deal with a phone call on the night of March 8:
He made that veto threat then he went on the trip to India and went silent basically. Karl Rove calls the people in Dubai two nights ago and tells them pull the plug on the deal, and I think as a result, the president looks weak, frankly.
(HT: Newshounds)
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…the president looksweak…?
Geeze, is he talking about the prez who hasn’t vetoed one piece of legislation YET? The prez who will not conduct an non-scripted press conference? The prez who has never admitted to even the smallest mistake? This can’t be the same “strong leader of America” we know.
March 11th, 2006 at 11:34 amIT’S A LIE.
The People and the Congress were too much for this Administration too handle.
Why believe a lie that attempts to spin the weakness of the Administration in the face of the People and the Congress, into a (super-human) strength of the Senior Advisor?
It’s a lie; consider it’s source.
March 11th, 2006 at 11:35 amThis BULL that “Rove pulled the string that blew up the deal” is simply meant to head off all talk of the Truth, of how…
The People and their Congress faced down the President on his seven billion dollar ‘deal’ with his ‘good friends’ in the UAE, and both he and his Administration, were too weak to even face the People and their Congress, let alone face them down
…that’s the Truth, that’s the talk, and that’s the headline; and don’t let anybody try to spin it any other way, in order to save the President’s ‘face’.
Not Rove, and certainly not Kristol.
It was the PEOPLE and their CONGRESS that secured this Nation’s Ports this week, not the Senior Advisor.
March 11th, 2006 at 11:45 amJust curious, am I alone in thinking the only thing worse than Dubai running the ports, is Hallibuton running the ports? I don’t think I’m just being a pessimist, but then again, maybe I am.
March 11th, 2006 at 11:46 amRove advised them to abandon the deal due to pressure from Congress. There’s not the slightest hint of a contradiction there. This is an extremely idiotic post, even by ThinkProgress standards.
March 11th, 2006 at 12:10 pmLily, how could you think such a thing.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but after your post and out of curiosity I decided to check out their site. I mean, maybe we will all be pessimists after reading what looks like KBR’s “sales pitch” for another no-bid contract.
http://www.halliburton.com/kbr/infra/portsHarbors.jsp
March 11th, 2006 at 12:12 pmLily, what would be wrong with Halliburton running the ports?
March 11th, 2006 at 12:18 pm#4 - You are not alone.
March 11th, 2006 at 12:24 pmHalliburton isn’t a wise alternative.
Unfortunately, it may be seen as the only alternative.
The talk regarding Rove’s direct involvement in this deal to orchestrate an uprise within the GOP and strengthen it from an independent standpoint for the upcoming elections is a very convincing argument.
However, if that is the strategy, Rove has a lot more work ahead of him.
The main issue of course being Iraq would require the darkest performance of a lifetime by Rove, since he’ll essentially have to make the impossible look possible. He’s done it before, and I think he’s capable of doing it again.
I just wish Rove hadn’t joined the darkside.
Can you imagine how well the world would be if his ability to shape public and private perception on a global scale were actually put towards something good?
#4- I agree that Halliburton has been doing ‘one heck of a job’ over in Iraq; with all of the Billions missing and stolen we have to wonder whose side are they on.
But think about the hell that would be unleashed if the UAE was in charge of a port when a bomb got through and went off. Eeeeeyow. As we are learning with Iran, we do not have the military strenth to invade another country. We also don’t want to nuke them to the stone age because we want their oil. We would be screwed.
March 11th, 2006 at 12:25 pm#9,
March 11th, 2006 at 12:26 pmHalliburton is Dick Cheney’s crime facility.
BEEP BEEP BEEP….Kristols lie detector going off.
March 11th, 2006 at 12:31 pmFrankly, the president IS weak and not only is he weak, he’s a dolt!
March 11th, 2006 at 12:32 pmI think that they should give the contract to Halliburton, once they are done building the detainment and reeductation and elimination centers it only makes sense to maximize efficiency.
Run the boxcars from the ports to the camps.
-GSD
March 11th, 2006 at 12:34 pmDid I miss something, or did the White House hang Frist out to dry on this one?
March 11th, 2006 at 12:36 pmI think it was a smart move by the admin to cauterize the wound that DPW opened among Repubs, and between Repubs and the voters. Letting this go on would most likely have had severe repercusions in the fall elections. That said, I think we’re hearing half the story. The UAE supposedly has considerable value as a strategic and economic partner (I think we actually have a trade surplus with them), so my question is, what did Rove/Bush promise them in exchange for backing off the DPW deal?
March 11th, 2006 at 12:38 pmAs I log out for better things, I’m reminded again of what seems an almost neurotic overeagerness to think that one has caught a member of the Administration, or any of it’s many hacks, of voicing ‘dissent’, or of mispeaking and inadvertently ’spilling the beans’, or of having divulged information that indicates the Administration’s incompetence, or of having ‘jumped ship’.
Isn’t it rather obvious how well planned are the things said by the Administration’s hacks?
These people are as prepared in the things they say, right down to every word, as any successful trial lawyer I have observed, or could even imagine.
They don’t take to these ‘commentary’ shows and interviews, and fly by the seat of their pants; and so why react so quickly to the things they say, when you well know that those same things said were so carefully considered?
Again, as in the business of the trial lawyer, the one who considers their words long before they speak them is most successful; and the one who considers their responses to questions they know were well considered in their composition, they are equally successful…
but the ones who fly by the seat of their pants in anything as important as a trial (or a public policy propaganda campaign), well they are fewer than you might think; and the ones who react too quickly to well considered questions and statements, as though they think they had spotted a mistake, or a misstep…
well they most often say whatever it was their opponent had hoped they’d say, and they most often lose the trial (or otherwise advance a talking point).
March 11th, 2006 at 12:42 pmHalliburton owning our ports is just as bad as Dubai owning them! Please urge Congress to STILL vote against Dubai deal and also demand that someone other then Halliburton gets to do our ports too and NOT Carlyle group either! Then demand Congress ALSO stop the other Dubai deals in the works, like two manufacturing plants in Dubai making critical Air Force equipment and engine parts for U.S. tanks too! And stop Dubai from getting Naval vessels contract too! And NOW
March 11th, 2006 at 12:48 pmThis is from http://www.waynemadsenreport.com website! Please go visit it!
March 6, 2006 — Dubai investment firm also owns Navy ship services contractor. Informed sources report that the U.S. Navy has contracted its Middle East ship husbanding services to Inchcape Shipping Services, which was purchased by Istithmar, the same Dubai investment firm that owns Dubai Ports World. Inchcape also provides husbanding services for the British Royal Navy in the Middle East and next month, Inchcape stands a good chance of acquiring the U.S. Navy contract to service U.S. naval vessels in over 60 Mediterranean ports. Inchcape is in a position to know about sensitive Navy deployment schedules as well as special cargo and weapons on board Navy ships.
Dubai-owned firm eyes U.S. Navy Mediterranean service contract
Much of the funding for the Dubai Ports World deal came from the Dubai Islamic Bank, an entity linked to questionable money flows through the emirate. The UAE was the primary source of funding for the USS Cole bombers in Aden.
It is also noteworthy that Istithmar owns 2.39 percent of Time Warner through its subsidiary, Istithmar Media Investments, and has hired Time Warner shareholder Carl Icahn as an advisor and has negotiated a proxy agreement with UBS Bank. Icahn is trying to break up the media giant into four entities.
This from the BBC, WHY is this NOT info not on our corporate news channels? I think I just answered my own question! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4768378.stm, PLease we need to stop ALL of this and NOW! Also when you call Congress against this other stuff, DEMAND THEY ALSO Filibuster/STOP THE ANTI-FOOD SAFETY BILL TOO IN THE SENATE that majority in the House passed the day before yesterday! Read about it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4768378.stm, we MUST stop ALL this horrorible stuff and NOW! Raise hell with Congress and NOW!
March 11th, 2006 at 12:55 pmThe interesting implication here is that Rove acted unilaterally — leaping into the breach to make the call that Chimpy was reluctant or unable to make.
Who knows if any of this is true? Personally, though, I kind of like the idea that Cheney and Rove (and now, even Negroponte, who is stalling release of the “Saddam tapes” and all those “smoking gun” docs Stephen Hayes keeps frothing about) are intentionally keeping George out of the loop. It suggests that he has become a liability to the cause, and that some road-company version of “The Madness of King George” is even now playing out in the WH.
Imagine Dubbya rampaging through the Weat Wing in his nightshirt, as Condi and Karen run ahead of him shouting, “Chop! Chop! The King! The King!”
March 11th, 2006 at 12:58 pmRunningDog,
The hysterical, delusional fantasies so prevalent on the left today are truly amusing.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:00 pmPerhaps Sue can explain what would be wrong with Halliburton running port operations, since no one else could.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:01 pm#7 Pass the Dubai,
http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2950154.stm
Sue, thanks. I forgot to mention Carlyle.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:13 pmhttp://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=51624
http://www.prospect.org/print/V15/1/dreyfuss-r.html
http://www.eco-action.org/porkbolter/carlyle.html
“so my question is, what did Rove/Bush promise them in exchange for backing off the DPW deal?”
72 Virgins perhaps?
“Perhaps Sue can explain what would be wrong with Halliburton running port operations, since no one else could.
Comment by Pass the Dubai — March 11, 2006 @ 1:01 pm”
Ah yes, the old corrupt monopoly gambit. Works every time.
By the way, is Sandra Day O’Connor calling the Republican party out on their nascent dictatorship part of the “delusional fantasies” of the left?
Oh yeah and Bush had a male prostitute running in and out of the Whitehouse, a petty thief as one of his closest assisstants, Vice Pres. Deadeye Dick Cheney, shotgunner of 78 year old men had a Phillipino spy ring run out of his office and an accused perjurer and obstructor of justice..Oh yeah and the Whitehouse procurement officer is under indictment..
All just in a days work for the president who was going to “restore honor” to the Whitehouse.
-GSD
March 11th, 2006 at 1:15 pmI see, Lily. You can’t answer the question.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:27 pmgo away, wallace…
March 11th, 2006 at 1:29 pm#20 Glad I amused you.
It’s obvious that George is “in charge” of exactly two things right now — Jack and Shit. Even Daddy’s erstwhile henchmen are turning on Junior, and the old-guard neo-con intellectuals are trying to paint him as an aberration.
I just added a little comic staging. As slapstick goes, however, this WH requires little embellishment.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:33 pmSo Rove told DPW executives that the President could no longer support their bid. Hmm. Or you could word that as ‘you should sell since you no longer have the presidents support’.
I’m not sure that’s exactly news. Bush’s veto threat was a joke from the start and the revolt was making him even weaker than he already was. For the past week or so Bush has been living in fantasy land as Congress lines up to voice their opposition. It’s herd behavior in that everyone wants to be on the ‘right’ side.
I would rather that Maersk had bid or another private shipper (that excludes Neptune Orient which bid for P and O and is owned by Singapore) but the price was too high.
This paranoia over Halliburton is a joke. First, Halliburton has not made a bid or suggested it will. They were suggested as being interested solely because they are, in part, a logistics company that operates ports. They have experience moving things.
And yes, Halliburton steals from the American taxpayer but the DoD has been doing that for a long, long time - they can not get their their accounting endorsed by an auditor because the DoD is a black hole for money.
Who will take over DPW’s US operations? Probably a private equity company that teams up with a logistics company. That could include operators that already have interests at the ports in question (multiple partners). They’d do that so that the private equity company put up most of the money while the companies managed the operations for a small equity contribution and a profit/revenue sharing contract.
Halliburton would make a poor partner because of the geographical spread. They do not have any operations in those areas and are not a major port operator looking to expand. It’d be a headache to run. If they do decide to, it’d probably hurt their shares even more as investors would (rightly) assume that there was some quid pro quo in the price they paid.
Hopefully DPW doesn’t have to sell at a price below the value they placed on the operations. You can bash Dubai and the UAE all that you want, but it’s nice to have some friends in the Middle East. It’s not nice to have friends who decide to stop helping you:)
For example, if the UAE were really pissed and stupid they could refuse to allow US warships to refuel or all the Iraq bound military supplies to go through their port. That would create a problem and more costs.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:33 pm#24 My bad. What would be wrong with Halliburton owning the ports? It’s my opinion that an organization as corrupt as Halliburton isn’t the best choice. I’d like to enumerate every single reason for this opinion, but instead, I posted a few links. My bad again, in not suggesngon that you click on those links to see my reasons.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:41 pm#18
Icahn IS NOT trying to break up Time Warner at present. He conceded defeat of a sort and withdrew his shareholder resolution on that matter. The whole issue is closed with Parsons, CNN CEO, promising .5bil in cost savings a year and a 20bil share buyback.
Also, Dubai through any of it’s investment entities is free to purchase a stake in any publicly listed company they wish. 2.whatever percent is a noncontrolling stake and is not 5 percent (which triggers a requirement to disclose the intentions to the SEC). 2ish percent is small - TIAA-Cref, Fidelty, etc hold larger stakes in many US companies. So do foreign investors.
A noncontrolling stake in a company is not a threat.
Perhaps you also don’t realize that the majority of US debt is held by foreigners. Were they to get pissed all of a sudden, or feel that the US dollar would weaken and make them lose money on those bonds, they could sell in mass forcing yields to rise. That’d shoot up your mortgage interest rate.
That would seem like a ‘controlling’ threat.
As for Mediterranean contracts, who cares? Apparently you don’t realize that the US military deals with DPW in Dubai. We send our military supplies (read munitions, clothing, food, etc) through their port in Dubai. We refuel our warships in Dubai.
And why do we do that? Because every other place is dangerous in that area:)
So when you factor in the Mediterranean equation, why don’t you factor in our present dealings with them. Should we stop sending military supplies and our sailors through dubai as well?
March 11th, 2006 at 1:41 pm#27 James:
Thanks for reminding me:
On September 10, 2001, Don Rumsfeld announced that the Pentagon could not account for $2.3 trillion in purchases.
Subsequent events, alas, overshadowed that revelation. Maybe we should go back and look for that money sometime.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:41 pm#28 should read:
March 11th, 2006 at 1:43 pm…in not suggesting that…
#31 Lili:
Regardless, you screwed up by NOT instructing him how to click on a link. He was DEPENDING on you!
March 11th, 2006 at 1:48 pmRunningDogLackey, there goes my paycheck for the week!
March 11th, 2006 at 1:51 pmThe only thing ‘wrong’ with Halliburton is that people resent that they are profiting off of military contracts and also going the extra mile by having poor accounting controls, overcharging, etc. That side of the business isn’t that lucrative though. Their logistics and oil services business is far more profitable (but more volatile, especially in terms of oil services).
Carlyle is a private equity company. They used to focus on hiring ex-politicians with the idea that would help them. They’ve pretty much dumped that with their new hires, who are actually professionals. The ‘landscape’ has changed (although they do keep on their old political hires).
Carlyle raises funds from individual investors who agree to a ‘freeze’ and get dividends and an eventual capital return after a certain time period, depending on how it is structured. It’s not dealing off of it’s own funds, although the people who invest must be multi-millionaires (it’s not an elite thing per se it’s a securities regulation similar to the hedge fund income/net worth requirement - they believe you’re more informed/can handle the loss).
Halliburton can bid if they like. They are a private company and those port operations are for sale. You got what you wanted in getting rid of Dubai on security reasons, so there’s no reason to not let Halliburton take over. The only people they will be fleecing will be the shipowners who have to pay fees.
I’m not a fan of Halliburton - particularly it’s support/military support side - and do think it should be split in ‘two’ or the support services should be closed down after the contracts expire. It’s a waste of capital with a low ROE. The only reason they like it is because they thought it would bring some stability to their earnings, balancing out the volatile sections.
The reason they still work for the US military is because they are contractually obligated to.
With Halliburton, though, there seems to be a weird sort of confusion over Halliburton’s profit and the military’s waste. Had the military been running the operation the costs probably would have been the same - they are horrible at contracting for supplies and over pay all the time. They can’t get their books signed off by an auditor. The DoD is a black hole. I’d equate their profits with the military’s waste. The only difference is the former is apparently more hideous to Americans why the latter is accepted since we’re patriotic.
And bashing Halliburton is a mute subject. They bid, then you complain.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:53 pmjames - still curious - what is YOUR stake in all this?
March 11th, 2006 at 1:54 pm#20, “The hysterical, delusional fantasies so prevalent on the left today are truly amusing.”
I agree. They read and think too much. They should depend on gut feelings more.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:57 pmDoes anyone actually believe that Karl Rove has that kind of pull, that he can nix a 6.8 billionh dollar deal that would directly affect port security and strategic military advantages for US forces in the Middle East… with a single phone call?
I think not.
And, if the credit/blame for scotching this deal goes to Congress, it really ought to be deflected off bloggers and other informed Americans who’d pressured Congress to finally get involved.
March 11th, 2006 at 1:59 pmJames: Not very lucrative? Do you have any fucking idea how much Halliburton’s stock price has skyrocketed since 2001, especially since 2003?
I don’t feel very sorry for those world eaters. Yeah, 1.7 billion here, 2.3 billion there seems like chump change but when you add up those cost-plus, no bid contracts, they start to add up to real money.
March 11th, 2006 at 2:02 pmFor a take on why Halliburton might potentially want to buy those port concessions read on:
Since there’s this widespread belief, propagated by rumors, that Halliburton will bid for the concessions I thought I’d explore why they might want to do so. It actually could be a ‘good’ thing (stop, read on:)).
Halliburton thought that the military contracts would give them a stable cash flow (which it does) in order to give them an earnings boost if their other business segments, which are volatile, had an earnings crash. They were okay there - although since oil prices have risen, Halliburton’s oil services are now far more lucrative than they were just 2 years ago.
What Halliburton didn’t expect was the political and public backlash against their military contracts. They probably gave it little to no thought. Their CEO, when asked, always says that the segment is a headache and not too profitable.
They’d want the ports to get the same sort of stable cash flow (somewhat less so because shipping is correlated with the business cycle) with no political problems - other than perhaps if they took on the longshoremen. That’s not even close to emotionally charged as ripping of the military.
The way this could be a ‘good’ thing is if it is a prelude to not bidding for new military service contracts. That would suggest they intend to get out of the business once their present contracts expire.
Further evidence to look for would be comments from executives along the lines that ‘we’re interested in the shipping business/consolidation/won’t rule out future aquisitions/etc’. That would suggest they really want out.
The military never should have outsourced alot of the functions that they did (my biggest issue is the shipment of supplies through hostile territory rather than cooks).
Sue,
March 11th, 2006 at 2:02 pmHalliburton has to fufill it’s contract until it expires. If the military cuts it they’d be stuck without a supplier on the ground. it’s why it hasn’t been done, even if it should be.
#35 Katy:
I think James is trying to point out that — if we exclude Halliburton and the Carlyle Group as potential buyers — the administration would be forced to broker a deal between the UAE and one of its remaining corporate allies — the bin Laden family, the Russian Mafia or the Unification Church.
The first two might work. But the American public would certainly balk at handing the deal to the Unification Church, which — while extensive in its operations and historically friendly to this WH — has little dockyard experience.
March 11th, 2006 at 2:03 pmAnd bashing Halliburton is a mute subject. They bid, then you complain.
Comment by James
First, I think you meant moot? No matter. What most people object to is the fact that they DID NOT bid.
March 11th, 2006 at 2:06 pm“Halliburton, the company formerly headed by Vice President Cheney, has won contracts worth more than $1.7 billion under Operation Iraqi Freedom and stands to make hundreds of millions more dollars under a no-bid contract awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to newly available documents.”
#42 & #43:
plunger: And so it goes. What’s the point of world domination if it ain’t profitable?
The BCCI investigation put a dent in things for a while, but these are clever men. Except for Neil Bush, who’s kinda like Fredo.
March 11th, 2006 at 2:26 pm#38
Apparently you do not understand that military services is just one segment of their operations.
Halliburton had net losses in 2003 and 2004. There goes your profit story. In 2005 they had ~12 percent net profits.
In the 4th quarter of 05 their energy services group (ESG) had a 23.3 percent return. The following are all gross profits, i.e., it is not net income - not all expenses have been included (there are no way to compare net to units from their quarterly statements) Their government services operations (which is a unit of KBR) had revenues of 2.134 Billion USD. On that they earned 55 million dollars (almost all of which was a settlement with the government over fuel prices-a rebate) - a 2.58 percent return. YAY! Halliburton makes a 2.58 percent profit on their govt operations. Gee, I want that unit. The comparable quarter in 04 saw a 9 mil loss on slightly higher revenues. The comparable quarter in 2003 was better, 7.9 percent.
Halliburton has managed to trail the S&P 500, DJI, and Nasdaq since 1985. Yes, you do need to compare a stock to an index. If it constantly underperforms that means you would have done better owning and index fund - as in a ’share’ that tracks the entire index (can also be a mutual fund). It was only in September 2004 that, for once, it managed to do better. You’ll remember from above that quarter saw a 9 mil loss from govt services. ESG, on the other hand (their oil services), had a 16 percent return or 367 mil gross income. Man, I wonder if it was that 9 mil loss or that 367 mil gain that drove their share price?
So before you start telling me that I don’t have a clue about Halliburton’s govt service profitability, you might want to stop reading the propaganda that is disseminated on halliburton bashing websites. They stick all the companies units together to try to make the case that Halliburton made a fortune off the government. It doesn’t work that way.
Yes, when I am interested in a company I actually read their financial reports.
March 11th, 2006 at 2:33 pmLily,
“What most people object to [in regard to Halliburton] is the fact that they DID NOT bid.”
Why is that objectionable? There are hundreds of US companies that can run those ports. None of them, including Halliburton, can manage or afford a 6.8 billion deal for P&O. Halliburton was obligated to bid for P&O? As in ALL of it? Do you know what ALL of it is?
‘Most people’ would object to a US company not bidding. A US company does not imply Halliburton alone.
Again, there is a common perception that DPW was just buying US port concessions. The US ports were a small part of the deal. If you wanted to bid for P&O you had to bid for the whole company - which spans the globe. Halliburton’s shareholders would have 1. not liked the idea of a company with only moderte experience in shipping becoming a major player overnight and 2. they would have been pissed that they overpaid.
It’s worth noting that the only companies that bid were government owned. The prices were far too high for anyone else to justify. These governments don’t have to justify bids to their public - and yes, Singapore has very complacent citizens.
“Halliburton, the company formerly headed by Vice President Cheney, has won contracts worth more than $1.7 billion under Operation Iraqi Freedom and stands to make hundreds of millions more dollars under a no-bid contract awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to newly available documents.â€
March 11th, 2006 at 2:40 pmRunningDogLackey 40 - aaaah…i think that’s not all he’s trying to explain… he showed up here at TP out of the blue, it seemed, at the first DPW/ports thread and everytime i ask him some version of that question, he ignores it …still… at least he did admit once to being a former republican, so i really don’t want to lose that gain… and i do feel more edumacated after reading his posts … just one of those “doth protest too much” things… call me cynical…
March 11th, 2006 at 2:45 pmAh follow up to the above (and yes I can mess up my grammar when I am typing with a headache from last night and no desire to go out right now) section that I put in but didn’t reply to….
‘Stands to’ does not mean ‘will’ in terms of ‘profits’. Halliburton has been described as ’standing to’ make hundreds of millions of ‘profits’ ever since they got these contracts.
Lily, of course you’re also leaving out the revenue equation. If they won another 1.7 bilion in contracts for say 2 years that’d increase their revenue on govt operations to around ~2.6 billion. Given that they made 55 million last year on that and those several hundred million would be spread over say two years here (but likely longer) that’s still a pretty sorry return.
And since their profiteering hasn’t been so effective to date, I wouldn’t expect it to be in the future.
March 11th, 2006 at 2:46 pm#47 katy:
Just playing…kind of. ;->
It’s hard to figure the motives of all the Operators and Agents who post. The “Internets” are full of voices.
No offense to James, but I agree that he’s posting way more information than is required to “defend” either the DPW deal or Halliburton, if that’s what he’s doing.
March 11th, 2006 at 2:59 pmJames, you need to watch a show called: “Frontline”, it shows and tells all about the money being spent in Iraq. Printed words,accounting figures vs. what you will see and hear. As I remember there were 10,000 contracters in Iraq. Many it was discovered with ‘padded’ expences, halliburton leading the way.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:01 pmjust in time…http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/03/11.html#a7485
March 11th, 2006 at 3:03 pmthis explains it all and needs to get out into the MSM:
March 11th, 2006 at 3:11 pmDays after Treasury secretary John Snow left his post as CEO of CSX corporation - an international transportation company offering a variety of rail, container-shipping, intermodal, trucking and contract logistics - CSX’s sale to Carlyle is made public. CSX is then sold by Carlyle Group to a company that becomes DW Ports-apparently for about 5 times the price C Group paid. This is all shown on the DW Ports website and the C Group website-and on others sites such as blogs. Snow of course then was made very rich by the increase in his stock holds: C Group paid I believe about 225 M and sold CSX for 1.26B.
Lily,
Did you raise similar objections when Halliburton was awarded the same type of no-bid contracts under the Clinton administration?
I don’t see any evidence which suggests that Halliburton is the bastion of corruption liberals claim it is.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:12 pmI don’t recall liberals being up in arms when Clinton gave control of some West coast port operations to the Chi-Coms.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:14 pm“I don’t recall liberals being up in arms when Clinton gave control of some West coast port operations to the Chi-Coms. Comment by Pass the Dubai ”
Wasn’t it the Reichwingers who said everything changed after 9/11? And I don’t recall China blowing up an american building, but I do recall Al Queda doing so - and I do recall reading some of the 9/11 report stating that the UAE had been infiltrated by Al Queda.
You and your fellow republicans may have forgotten 9/11, but most americans haven’t - dumba$$.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:17 pmFYI Pass the Dumba$$, I’m all for reviewing the ownership of the ports by ANY foreign company/country in light of 9/11. Are you, or are you just generally unpatriotic when your party tells you to be - or is it specifically for the purposes of supporting your Al Queda friends in Dubai?
March 11th, 2006 at 3:18 pm#53 and #54
Dammit, Dubai. Must someone ELSE post your links to Roger L. Simon?
http://rogerlsimon.com/archives/00000892.htm
Have at it, gang. The King of Pajamas Media says Halliburton is “A-OK.”
March 11th, 2006 at 3:22 pmWhy are leftists such as “Ryan Neat” incapable of making a point without resorting to juvenile insults?
March 11th, 2006 at 3:28 pmNah! Rove has not super-human mentality, I agree with #2.
Consider this: An entire firm of “gifted” kids sitting around with hand-held video games for most of their lives, creating global political games, dungeonite-dragonite scenarios. These have evolved to almost the highest level.
These are presented to the “architect”. Didn’t we read that the ports deal is not unlike a shell game, under which we will find “Haliburton” hiding?
Or, did they commit an “Ooops moment” in which they sold one of these kid’s high-tech firms to China or India?
Just what could happen with this game. They are dealing with humans, not machines. They are dealing with real lives, not a video. Even though it seems to be playing out before our eyes, and there are insinuations that perhaps our own lives could become entangled among the roots in Aspen.
Is this too far out to wonder if perhaps you should pay the closest attention, and do what you can to end their administration?
March 11th, 2006 at 3:30 pmpass the wallace…
March 11th, 2006 at 3:32 pmWht is it that wingnuts such as “Pass the Dubai” are incapable of posting their own links?
I have another one, from noted genius Byron York, if Dubai needs more backup. I’m sure Charles Johnson has weighed in on this, as well.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:37 pm“Why are leftists such as “Ryan Neat†incapable of making a point without resorting to juvenile insults? Comment by Pass the Dubai”
Why are the rightists like PD incapable of protecting our country, while being ‘juvenile’, ‘irresponsible’ and selling our security to the highest bidder?
PD has a pre-911 mindset, and just like Ann Coulter says, people with pre-911 mindsets are aiding the enemy. You should ask your own pundits why they’re such ‘juveniles’, since they seem to say you’re the loser.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:45 pmkaty,
Dumbai is definitely wallace. It’s the same hack, and the same jacka$$ liar alright.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:46 pm#58, “Why are leftists such as ‘Ryan Neat’ incapable of making a point without resorting to juvenile insults?”
I’d like to suggest that /my/ insults are carefully crafted and not juvenile at all.
But I suspect the answer to your question is that y’all (e.g. rightists [?]) have been such smug, condescending, overbearing bastards for so goddamned long now that it is difficult to resist the temptation to insult you.
It’s a human thing.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:48 pmPD works for the terrorists, that’s why he want’s an Al Queda tied company to run our ports. PD how long have you been a terrorist?
March 11th, 2006 at 3:48 pmPtD, James, first of all, back at my original post, I stated it was my opinion, that I didn’t think Halliburton was a good choice, because it is my opinion (though backed up by links) that they are corrupt.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:57 pmWhen I said it bothered most people that they did not bid, I should have worded it differently. They received a no-bid contract. No other companies were allowed to (effectively) bid. And an investigation into this was blocked by the administration. And it doesn’t matter to me which administration awards no-bid contracts. I am uncomfortable with it. i.e., that’s my opinion.
Offered? of Asked?…
The White House made it sound like the Dubai Ports World OFFERED to withdraw it’s participation in the United States ports. Now (anybody surprised), there are several media reports that say there was more “push” than “pull” from the White House….
March 11th, 2006 at 4:21 pmLots of name-calling, no substance. Exactly the content one would expect at a liberal site.
March 11th, 2006 at 4:31 pm#69, “Lots of name-calling, no substance. Exactly the content one would expect at a liberal site.”
Then why are you here? Are you getting off on the abuse?
March 11th, 2006 at 4:40 pm#69 Yeah, we got nothin’.
If you want honest, informed name-calling over “flat tax vs. fair tax,” the betrayal/implosion (pick one) of the GOP or just how quickly the USA should implement a global genocide of Muslims, you really have to go to Free Republic or Little Green Footballs.
Erudite debate — NOT a battle of competing talking points — is what wingnut sites are all about! Yessir!
March 11th, 2006 at 4:42 pmdeaR # 69-ha ha haq
March 11th, 2006 at 4:55 pm#69 please enlighten us.
March 11th, 2006 at 4:56 pm“Lots of name-calling, no substance. Exactly the content one would expect at a liberal site. Comment by Pass the Dubai”
Maybe you should exclusively stop reading your own posts, and you might form a more rational opinion. So far all you’ve posted is hate speech against others, and when called out for the lying idiot that you are, you run like a little Coulter sissy. No surprise, Reichwingers are always the biggest cowards - it’s why you ‘bluster’ so much. To cover up your inadequacies.
As I said before, why do you support a terrorist linked country and a terrorist linked company? Is it because you’re a terrorist, a terrorist sympathizer, or just because your party masters told you that these terrorists are ‘ok’?
For a party that claims to be pro-security, you guys sure have a pre-911 mindset. Are you sure you aren’t islamofascists? Or is it just that you’ll cozy up to any fascists, being one yourself?
March 11th, 2006 at 5:22 pm#64 - “I’d like to suggest that /my/ insults are carefully crafted and not juvenile at all.” - Comment by the eminent PhD, Glenn Becker
March 11th, 2006 at 5:32 pm******Actually, Dr. Becker, your comments are generally so sophomoric that I figured you were either:
a.) a boy-genius with a penchant for juvenile antics
-OR-
b.) an idiot savant who enjoys counting other people’s money.
(Psst…I knew you were in trouble when RyANNe and you were so sympatico….)
It’s high time the American people found a way to outsource this fool President and his team of ubergreedy, mendacious control freaks. The Dubai Ports deal was a “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” moment for the “you’re either with us or against us” conditioned Nascar and overlapping demographics. Exept this time, the guest has pounced upon the prize and is preparing to violate her most brutally upon the dining room table in full view of the horrified parents.
By allowing the Deal to skate in its original form,Karl has made the biggest wrong bet of his sleazy career. The weasel will try to welsh, of course, by trying to distract the rubes by whacking Iran, with all the attendant hoop-la. Unfortunately for Feces Flower, the first cup of coffee is just starting to kick in for a nation of bleary eyed Rip Van Winkles and they don’t appear to be overjoyed.
March 11th, 2006 at 5:33 pm“you guys sure have a pre-911 mindset.”
They never had a mindset that revolved around real security for our country. Instead, they had the mindset that 9-11 was a great opportunity to exploit a tragedy for political gain. They conveniently forget 9-11 when it goes against their current political drive. Their only true interest is to destroy the Constitution of the U.S. and make us into a facist dictatorship.
March 11th, 2006 at 5:35 pmTo be clear, I’m speaking of the conservatives here.
March 11th, 2006 at 5:36 pm#74, “Reichwingers are always the biggest cowards - it’s why you ‘bluster’ so much. To cover up your inadequacies.”
Yes. “This bit of jingoistic groupthink goes to 11.” If you yell it, it must be the truth.
March 11th, 2006 at 5:40 pmand he huffed and he puffed and he blew up the straw man and his house
[rover]
beware the hegelian spin of Kristol
March 11th, 2006 at 5:44 pmdont forget Kristol is one of the head cheerleaders for PNAC.
I wouldn’t take anything this man says to be factual any more than what Rove Says.
March 11th, 2006 at 5:46 pmThe main issue of course being Iraq would require the darkest performance of a lifetime by Rove, since he’ll essentially have to make the impossible look possible. He’s done it before, and I think he’s capable of doing it again.
I just wish Rove hadn’t joined the darkside.
————————————–
I think thats a huge mistake that ROVE is the grand wizard, the psychological genius behing the Bush Admin. Rover is good at spreading muck and fooling people into supporting their cause. A con man.
I figure Bushco, and this is my view, may be showing Rove the Door. He’s bad juju for the Repubs, It may be a face saving measure, Bush can Fire Rove and keep his “promise” and maybe even reinstate the port deal as a ‘good gesture’ to the UAE.
March 11th, 2006 at 5:57 pm[speculating]
#45: So what do we do, hold a fucking telethon for poor Halliburton? We’re talking about a company that gave Dick Cheney a $20,000,000 severance package… before their stock price skyrocketed.
So, to recap: You’re saying that just because a company gets tens of billions of dollars in cost-plus, no-bid contracts, which often come about because they artificially create a demand that wasn’t pre-existing, that they can’t be expected to turn a profit? Sounds like typical Republican financial wizardry to me, alright. Maybe Paul Bremer should be their CEO, instead.
Frankly, I’d be more prone to believe what financial reporters have to say about Halliburton than some anonynous poster on Thingprogress.org or any other website. You haven’t even begun convincing me why I should feel sorry for Halliburton’s, or KBR’s hard, cruel times.
March 11th, 2006 at 6:03 pmThere’s no “pre-9/11 mentality.” There’s no “post-9/11 mentality.”
The wingers are simply “stuck on 9/11.” The world itself has changed not one whit.
March 11th, 2006 at 6:11 pmI’d like to know where Cheney will be working as a consultant from January 21, 2009 until his next coronary.
March 11th, 2006 at 6:22 pm“******Actually, Dr. Becker, your comments are generally so sophomoric that I figured you were either:
a.) a boy-genius with a penchant for juvenile antics
-OR- Mighty Hypocrite”
Someone with the vocabulary, grammar and writing skills of a 12 year old unsocialized nerd shouldn’t hurl those kind of stones. Then again, stupid people do stupid things, and you prove it daily.
“b.) an idiot savant who enjoys counting other people’s money.
(Psst…I knew you were in trouble when RyANNe and you were so sympatico….) mighty Hermaphrodite”
That’s better than an IDIOT who simply steals people’s money. You claim to be a lawyer, and yet you didn’t know what mens rea was! Heck, you’d think if you were going to pretend to be a lawyer, you’d have at least learned the vocabulary. Bahaha, what a maroon!
If you’re a lawyer, then you’re as big of a thief as Abramoff was! You’re surely stealing your client’s money. Heck, what about that day you claimed to be in court all day, while you were posting on the blog every 15 minutes? Talk about robbing your clients! You’re as unethical as your fellow lawyer Abramoff is - and just as competent based on your posts!
You aren’t just boring, you’re boring AND stupid - what a combo!
March 11th, 2006 at 6:57 pm#85 Walt:
Hopefully he’ll be a QC inspector on a license-plate-stamping line at the Federal detention center in Maryland.
Bush, on the other hand — like Kissinger — will “pass like night from land to land” — trying desperately to avoid the fate that found Milosevic.
March 11th, 2006 at 7:13 pmI guess Rove made them (UAE) an offer they couldn’t refuse. The advice Rove gave Dubya on the UAE deal was the worst piece of political thinking he’s ever done. Rove should have seen this one coming, afer all he is suppose to be some kind of zin master guru of politics. I could have adviced Dubya not to use the “V” word on this one. There is no way on this planet the Republicans could run on that one back home. Dubya should have known you can’t play the “V” card after you’ve been leading with the “F” card for so long.
Hey guys let me give you some free political advice; Never leave your wing man. You guys left the republicans in Congress with their “A” word hanging out, and that’s not a good thing to do during an election year. What are you guys trying to do; Get a Democratic majority in Congress? Who needs democratic strategists when you got Dubya, Dick, and Rove making dumb mistakes like this one.
Hey Karl the next time you open your piehole be sure that something stupid isn’t going to come out. You might want to think first, it usually help to do that. Calling the UAE acting like you are me doesn’t impress me. I’m the one and only Don Corleone
Explaination of terms: “V” word=Vero
March 11th, 2006 at 7:22 pm“F” work=Fear tactics
We always KNEW it was Rovesama pushing all the buttons:
March 11th, 2006 at 7:34 pmhttp://bildkat.googlepages.com/PayNoAttention.wav
He’s not a bad man, just a bad wizard!
Obviously “LARK OVER” has run this show into the ground:
http://www.workingforchange.com/comic.cfm?itemid=19668
“I’m EMBARRASSED to be a REPUGLICAN!”
March 11th, 2006 at 7:39 pmLike I’ve said before, “Rove where you want to , Rove around the world…” Are you hip to Tip rocking through the political wilderness? It is clearly Neocon High-noon in Reality Nation till the ‘06 elections.
March 11th, 2006 at 7:42 pmRyNNe - Nice of you to stick up for your new friend, Dr. Becker. (Pssst….Dr. Becker….with “friends” like RyANNe, you just may fall off the “A” list at the college cafeteria.)
“You claim to be a lawyer, and yet you didn’t know what mens rea was!” - another lie by RyANNe
*****I don’t recall discussing mens rea with you - but as you well know, two elements are necessary for an act to be a crime. Did you master your legal terms watching “Legally Blonde”?
“Heck, what about that day you claimed to be in court all day, while you were posting on the blog every 15 minutes?”
March 11th, 2006 at 7:52 pm****Again, your half truths abound. I was in court for four hours that day - and as I told you at that time, the judge adjourned early…Try again, “independently wealthy trained economist”…and pathological liar. Keep it up and we may have to try for the rarely granted McNaughton Rule for you - undoubtedly, you’d qualify.
How can Rove have such power?
But the Howdy Dubai Show may not even be over:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4792788.stm
Second Dubai firm in US port link
A Dubai-owned firm is already providing shipping services in the United States, it has emerged.
Inchcape Shipping Services, whose clients include the US Navy, has been owned since January by the United Arab Emirates investment firm Istithmar.
Fellow Dubai firm Dubai Ports World has agreed to cede control of US ports acquired in its takeover of P&O to a “US entity” after a political outcry.
The US Congress threatened to block the takeover on security grounds.
Republican and Democrat politicians both claimed that the deal would make key US assets more vulnerable to terrorist attack.
However, as Dubai Ports World conceded the deal would not go ahead as planned, it emerged that Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) has had extensive interests in the US for many years.
“I would like to see us move toward really focusing on our critical infrastructure that is controlled, owned or operated by any foreign government” -
Senator Hilary Clinton
ISS arranges pilots, tugs and dock workers for shipping companies and works with the US Customs to ensure the smooth arrival and departure of vessels at ports such as New York, New Jersey and San Francisco.
ISS was bought by Istithmar, an investment firm ultimately owned by the Dubai royal family, for $285m in January.
Following the takeover, ISS maintained its global headquarters in London, where the firm’s management is based.
March 11th, 2006 at 7:57 pm…
“*****I don’t recall discussing mens rea with you - but as you well know, two elements are necessary for an act to be a crime. Did you master your legal terms watching “Legally Blondeâ€? MightyMoron”
You don’t recall lots of things apparently, especially anything requiring expertise or admission of failure on your part or the part of your ‘heroes’.
You misused the mens rea term, to no surprise, I called you on it, and you just made the same stupide hateful insults that you always do.
“****Again, your half truths abound. I was in court for four hours that day - and as I told you at that time, the judge adjourned early…Try again, “independently wealthy trained economistâ€â€¦and pathological liar. Keep it up and we may have to try for the rarely granted McNaughton Rule for you - undoubtedly, you’d qualify. Comment by mighty aphrodite ”
And yet you were posting every 15 minutes between 8:00 and 4:30 west coast time. What ‘4-hour’ window exists where you were working.
As for ‘half truths’ and ‘pathological liar’, you’re projecting your own traits again mighty moron. You don’t even bother with ‘half truths’, you just flat out lie daily. What a psycho idiot you are.
March 11th, 2006 at 8:09 pm“*****I don’t recall discussing mens rea with you - but as you well know, two elements are necessary for an act to be a crime. Mighty Moron”
I’m guessing you never had latin in school - give you a hint, mens rea is latin there mighty moron.
March 11th, 2006 at 8:10 pmAnd Mighty Moron, while you tend to be inept, post broken links, false information, misinformation, propaganda lies, and can’t remember your own ‘bio’ at times - some of us actually remember things and have a brain. Maybe that’s why republicans always think they’re smart, they’re too stupid to know they aren’t.
Your little mens rea goof is here.
http://thinkprogress.org/2005/12/16/presumed-innocent/
You completely misused the meaning in your argument. It shows utter ignorance of the law on your part, and you should never have been licensed if you were - and frankly if I were a lawyer I’d be embarrassed for you to be one of my profession. You’re an inept fool.
March 11th, 2006 at 8:14 pmFirst, it is fiction to think there is some sort of compartmentalization at the White House that would let K Rove operate independently of Bush or Cheney. If the deal was killed, it wasn’t Karl’s doing. His advice maybe—the Bush authorized it, not the other way around.
Second, who gives a tinker’s damn about what Kristol says….
March 11th, 2006 at 8:19 pmRyANNe - wrong day - but it’s kind of you to try SO hard to impress me!! But please refute the tax revenue for 1964-65 the “hard numbers” of a “trained economist” (I know facts can be sticky things, but do your best. Mr. Aphrodite and I were laughing at your posting and he said something too funny. He said the “vociferous dislike this Ryan-kid seems to have for you reminds me” of the boys who used to tease the girls they liked.
March 11th, 2006 at 8:30 pm#97 gtash:
Kristol’s commentary is only interesting in that the War on Terror is his personal brainchild, and he’s always comically upset that the Bush administration can’t pull it off.
Plus, he chafes at having to pretend he’s just a TV commentator and journalist, when in fact he is the Combined Shadow Secretary of State/Defense.
March 11th, 2006 at 8:58 pm#98 - ma,
March 11th, 2006 at 9:23 pmWhat the hell does 1964 -1965 have to do with the present? That was part of the era when this nation was going for the Moon and actually made it. That was the start of an era when this nation stepped into the modern age of micro-electronics, physics, economics, astronomy, space science, avionics, environmental science, agriculture, digital science and peace. Even if 9/11 had never happened, we would be in the same pickle that we find ourselves in today because Cheney and Rumsfeld were obsessed with Iraq. If anyone had ever suggested in the past that a handful of individuals would try to drive this nation into an abyss, I would have laughed in their face. Now, I worry.
… and I think as a result, the president looks weak, frankly.
He doesn’t just look weak, this IS WEAK LEADERSHIP!
And if Bush’s leadership is weak, WHO IN HE– is pushing
so hard, in contrast to this, that we are on the verge of
going into Iran — whether we are “pushing” or “being drawn
into”, this is an opportune time to expose who is the “Yang” (ie, wears the pants) in this administration.
Even if it turns out to be Cheney, once again, it’s good to know that. But whay do I suspect at this point, that it’s not JUST Cheney.
March 11th, 2006 at 9:25 pm#99; Of course Kristol is gung-ho for war, he’s another cowardly CHICKENHAWK(someone who don’t have the balls to put their body where their mouth is). These (and I’ll use the term loosely) people think a war is splendid, as long as someone else goes off to fight it. Mighty moron is another one. see for a listing of administration chickenhawks and their dittohead cheerleaders.
March 11th, 2006 at 9:28 pmI would say the Dubai folks got off easy, with just a phone call from KR and a few non refundable lost bribes. If what has been reported is true, these guys had more to do with the terrorists that Saddam Hussein. By all rights, we should have invaded and occupied their country as well.
Walt, look on the bright side. This little side trip into the abyss will be instructive on several points, such as the efficacy of the Bush doctrine, the folly of neocon thought, and what happens when conservatives abandon their principles for momentary advantage.
This too will pass.
March 12th, 2006 at 12:27 amPlease remember who Bill Kristol is: he’s the founder of PNAC, and a major player in orchestrating the war and influencing the formation of the Bush Doctrine.
He speaks with forked tongue…and yet, NO ONE ever identifies him as anything other than the editor of the Weekly Standard….which is the primary PNAC publication. Amazing.
Read on:
KRISTOL CLEAR!
March 12th, 2006 at 12:58 amWhy does Bill Kristol look so much like Bob Woodward??
I mean, they almost look like twins. And apparently, they both share the same right-wing ideology. Otherwise, Bob would have continued his reporting of governmental corruption, instead of sucking up to the Bush administration the way he has over the past five years.
Where, oh where, has the old Bob Woodward gone?
March 12th, 2006 at 2:06 amLighty Aphrotight, There is no Mr. aphrodite is there? No one to laugh with–just sick old you and I would think a cat. Correct?
March 12th, 2006 at 2:14 amMighty Aphrodite,
earlier you wrote,
I replied, but I think it went by the wayside:
Now I learn that you are a defense attorney. You have my professional respect. I will be taking the California Bar in July.
May I extend an olive branch? You can email me at myspammailbox at hotmail dot com
March 12th, 2006 at 10:22 ami just assume the neocons are 1.) always lying, 2.) always plotting, and 3.) always up to something they don’t want us to notice whenever there’s a big story in the news. hasn’t failed me yet.
March 12th, 2006 at 4:13 pmoh and by the way, can anyone explain why if this wasn’t a done deal yet DPW was handing anything over to a U.S. entity? was it a done deal? did they already get vital information? is rove covering up the depth this went to without our knowing? what gives really?
March 12th, 2006 at 4:17 pm#107 - Dear Briseadh na Faire - Lest I forget, a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you.
Good luck to you passing the Bar!! I’m certain you have excellent study habits - do keep up your study schedule and your study groups. But the most important thing to remember - BREATHE!!! As people who have studied under the Socratic method, we enjoy a fair exchange of ideas, a spirited argument, and a love for our Constitution. ( My love for all three began early. I remember as a kid the rousing table conversations between my Irish/Catholic father and my spirited Jewish mother - too much fun!!)
What area of the law would you like to practice??
March 12th, 2006 at 5:16 pm“RyANNe - wrong day - MightyMoron”
Wrong Day? Bahaha, a lie to cover another lie. I already pointed out the days, and times previously. Your lie to cover the lie is just nonsense.
“- but it’s kind of you to try SO hard to impress me!! Mighty Arrogant”
Impress you? Bahaha, you’re a fool, why would I care what you think. You’ve been proven to be inept and a fool - and based on the crap you write, what impresses you is utterly pathetic. Grow up little boy.
“But please refute the tax revenue for 1964-65 the “hard numbers†of a “trained economist†(I know facts can be sticky things, but do your best. Mighty Idiot”
Oh, you’re such a fool, your ‘lies’ are typical of the Reichwings. A ‘fact’ for you is anything that sufficiently lies to fit your preconception.
Federal Income Tax Collections (Constant dollars, CPI-U)
March 12th, 2006 at 8:58 pmYear Receipts Percent change from previous year
————————————————–
1961 $138,069 —
1962 150,567 + 9.0%
1963 155,375 + 3.2
1964 156,804 + 0.9
What area of the law would you like to practice??
Every time I hear that question I hear the response from one of my professors, “Job law. Any law that will get me a job!”
I haven’t been in too many study groups as I have a 2+ hour commute to law school. And that’s after teaching Junior High all day.
I do have some concern about the bar, though: I’m Scottish, and the Scots have a difficult time passing any bar!
Seriously, I’ve managed to stay on the Dean’s List my first three years and am in the top 15% of my class (10/83). I have a fair amount of electives in Employment and Labor Law, as well as International Law. I spent two summers abroad in international law programs, one of which was a class in Fundamental Rights in Europe and the United States taught by Justice Kennedy.
email me, please. myspammailbox at hotmail dot com
And a happy St. Patrick’s Day to you, as well.
March 12th, 2006 at 9:00 pmThe posting software thought some of the post was HTML, here’s the full table.
Federal Income Tax Collections (Constant dollars, CPI-U)
Year Receipts Percent change from previous year
————————————————–
1961 $138,069 —
1962 150,567 + 9.0%
1963 155,375 + 3.2
1964 156,804 + 0.9 < tax cut takes effect
1965 154,475 - 1.5
This clearly shows that the tax cuts destroyed tax collections, despite your claims to the contrary.
Like all republicans, you lie, tell half truths, and misrepresent the ‘facts’ by simply making them up.
You’re an embarrassment to the human race, and a foolish idiot.
“Mr. Aphrodite and I were laughing at your posting and he said something too funny. He said the “vociferous dislike this Ryan-kid seems to have for you reminds me†of the boys who used to tease the girls they liked. mighty Naive”
This sounds more like your husband projecting his crushes than anything. Perhaps you should see brokeback mountain, it has a couple of guys who sound just like your husband. No wonder you’re so homophobic, that’s common among ‘brokeback wives’. Wow, I’d feel sorry for you if you weren’t such a b!tch and a raving lunatic Mighty Hermaphrodite. But instead I’d say you’re just getting the karma you deserve. Thanks for that post, it was very entertaining to receive confirmation of my previous guesses about you and that ‘husband’ of yours.
March 12th, 2006 at 9:04 pmBriseadh na Faire,
Mighty Moron is no lawyer, or a woman, he’s a poser.
March 12th, 2006 at 9:05 pmRyan,
Perhaps you are right. But I get a different sense. That is why I would like to communicate off-board.
If “We the People” are to reclaim this country, the effort must come from all sides of the spectrum. Right now the chasm runs deep and there is no bridge. Name calling is substituted for reason. I myself fell into that, much to my regret.
I am here to help. I am here to heal. If I can bridge the gap between Mighty Aphrodite and myself, then there will be two people working together from opposite spectrums to restore balance. It will be a start.
The next move is up to Mighty Aphrodite to contact me.
March 12th, 2006 at 9:28 pmBriseadh na Faire,
Unfortunately you assume a lot. People like Mighty Moron don’t want to ‘talk’ or ‘reason’, because they are sure they’re right. They’re arrogant, ignorant, hateful and foolish.
I know ‘moderate’ conservatives, and they are nothing like this hideous aberration. This is one of the stupid fat ‘faithful 400′ who showed up to washington last year, and who believe that all liberal ideas are of the ‘devil’. He/She is one of the most foolish and idiotic of all of the trolls.
For instance, he/she comes here and seeks out the company he doesn’t agree with, taunts, insults, attacks and when confronted states that others are ‘attracted’ to him. That’s the very definition of a psychotic break, and cognitive dissonance. In otherwords, you have yourself a whacko.
I’ve been confronting this particular beast for months, and I can tell you that there’s no brain or reason within the beast. It’s just ignorance and hate, and any glimmers of reason don’t last more than one post.
If you wish to talk offline with Heir Hilterette, help yourself. You’ll quickly learn that he/she’s a fraud. There’s no way it would ever expose its fraud by actually contacting you - that would undermine it’s mission.
March 12th, 2006 at 10:32 pmThe President says that his Administration was satisfied, regarding port security??? How so? Because, according to their OWN claims, none of them even KNEW about the ports deal, until after the approval had already been given, by mid-level staffers, whose half-assed review failed to account for any “political” fallout, let alone any REAL investigation into actual security concerns. ENOUGH WITH THE LIES!!!! We are ON TO YOU ALL!!! GAWD!
March 13th, 2006 at 3:08 amI suspect that regardless of all the rumblings presently, the port deal will still go through after the 45-day “review process,” with Republicans claiming that (1) they are on top of the security issue, and (2) after review, they agree with the president that we must allow the deal to go forward.
March 13th, 2006 at 12:15 pmBriseadh na Faire, You sound like the kind of progressive my liberal friends and colleagues are - and the kind of prog I tried to be before I jumped the fence. Unfortunately, and to the detriment of the progressive movement, the radical left has been hijacked by the most cruel and vicious “voices” - (i.e “post” #116). With that one, I am done.
On the extreme right, the narrow scope of view is parallel the extreme left. As my dear Mother used to say, “crazies on both extremes meet each other in their overlapping universe - their hell is residing with each other.”
I will be out of the office part of the day to make a court appearance for a colleague who is juggling one too many balls in the air. Tuesday and Wednesday I am scheduled to be in court for closing arguments - depending on when the judge gives her final instructions to the jury - I may not get back here. Then again, if the DA is as concise as he’s been…you never know!!
About a job after law school - don’t fret. I never intended to be a criminal defense attorney, but had a wonderful prof who encouraged me to consider that avenue. She noted that so many of my fellow students were going into “money law”, which is understandable considering loans, tuition, etc. Some are disillusioned by the practice of law and the justice system. Some days I concur. But I would rather have an imperfect system that strives for justice and fairness than a “perfect” system which discounts the input of people.
Have a good day a school - whether you are the student or the teacher.
March 13th, 2006 at 2:29 pm[…] a vote on the measure and I am currently watching Senator Feingold’s remarks on C-SPAN. Permalink| […]
March 13th, 2006 at 4:31 pm
March 13th, 2006 at 10:35 pmhttp://www.avengingangels.org
March 13th, 2006 at 10:35 pmBriseadh na Faire - As I have said before you sound like the kind of liberal/progressive person I respect and admire. I appreciate your wanting an e-mail correspondence - but as Mr. Aphrodite reminded me, I NEVER correspond with people I meet on the internet. I have an unlisted phone number and due to the nature of my profession, certain steps are taken to ensure my privacy and the safety of my family. I’m sure you understand - DA’s and crim defense attorneys aleays have someone angry and upset with them. (However, the DA’s are often seen as being on the “side of the angels”.) Unfortunately, the side of the courtroom I sit on is not perceived as upholding the Constitution - rather we are often seen as “the problem” - in reality, some of us are.
Please feel free to ask questions or comment on my postings. I will do my best to respond. I encourage you to passionately and compassionately love the law - you will be a fine attorney.
March 15th, 2006 at 3:39 pmThank you for your reply. I use “myspammailbox” as a way of filtering out contacts so I can direct those whom I wish to dialogue with to an email address that is, thus far, spam free.
Knowing you are a defense attorney gives me a better understanding of the attitude which shows through in many of your posts. That is why I would have liked to have dialogued with you off board. There still is an idealist in you beneath the cynicism.
If there ever is something you would wish to discuss off the boards, I suggest you create a separate email address just for the purpose of contacting me, as I have done with “myspammailbox”. That way you can comunicate without compromising privacy, should the need arise.
March 16th, 2006 at 10:16 pmBriseadh na Faire - I’m sitting here waiting for a verdict and was pleased to read your post. Believe it or not, I am the “cockeyed optimist” in my office - we prefer the term “realist” to “cynic” - HA!!! Let me just say, my kids know it’s pretty hard to pull one over on mom - my son said a classmates’ father referred to my “bull$h*t-meter” Til later!!
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