Controversial private security firm Blackwater Worldwide “has ramped up its lobbying representation on Capitol Hill” by hiring the law firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice to “lobby the government on contracting and other issues.” “Womble Carlyle is the third lobbying firm to be hired by Moyock, N.C.-based Blackwater since October.”

Lobbying. Everything that is wrong with this country.
Money talks. People? F()ck ‘em!
January 9th, 2008 at 8:51 pmLobbying. Everything that is wrong with this country.
Money talks. People? F()ck ‘em!
Comment by Ms_Joanne
those that want to put an end to lobbying and corporate control get an unfair deal with corporate MSM. Edwards gets no coverage, as compared to Hillary and Obama, even though he came in second in Iowa.
January 9th, 2008 at 8:58 pmCarlyle, eh? I’m guessing part of The Carlyle Group that the Bushes are in league with. I’m shocked, shocked I tell you.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:07 pmI would think Stinkwater would have to increase lobbying presence, in light of how poorly they actually perform.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:14 pmApparently, the lawyer handling the lobbying inside this law firm on behalf of Blackwater is John Mashburn, former spokesman for Jesse Helms and the former general counsel and policy director for Senator Judd Gregg, who is the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:14 pmW-C Is a Winston-Salem based outfit. Old RJR money. Really started expanding during Bush years.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:17 pmBy a huge, wide margin - money in politics is the biggest problem in America.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:18 pmEdwards is the only one talking about corporate lobbying reform, but the MSM is endlessly talking about meanlingless nonissues like “change” versus “experience.” People saying Edwards should drop out might want to think twice. Edwards is the only one keeping the issue alive, and corporate lobbying reform affects our lives in one way or another.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:19 pmBy a huge, wide margin - money in politics is the biggest problem in America.
Comment by Namtillaku
i do agree with the money is a problem but NOT the biggest by a huge margin. the problem is who is behind the money in america……..zionists(israel,jews)
Israel Controls the United States Government; Rep. Paul Findley: http://video.google.com/ videoplay?docid=-3252642434022358005&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=undefined
January 9th, 2008 at 9:41 pmKill innocent people….then just throw money at it and the whole thing disappears into our government. Ah…the American way.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:41 pmi wonder where they put the bodies from the other 2 firms?
but really, why did they ditch the other two?
January 9th, 2008 at 9:44 pmnews.google.com
US to consider 3000 more troops for Afghanistan
January 9th, 2008 at 9:51 pmReuters Canada - 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates will consider a proposal to send some 3000 additional US troops to Afghanistan to thwart any spring offensive by Taliban militants, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
More Marines Heading to Afghanistan The Associated Press
US to send more troops to Afghanistan Toronto Star
…
Blah blah blah blah blah…
January 9th, 2008 at 9:58 pmCarlyle, indeed. Pappy Bush’s connection to Blackwater at last!
January 9th, 2008 at 9:59 pmOh, goodie! Our own Waffen SS. Gott mit uns!
January 9th, 2008 at 9:59 pmBlackwater is the Black Plague of Amerika.
January 9th, 2008 at 10:12 pmHave they moved their HQ to Dubai yet?
January 9th, 2008 at 10:14 pmamazing… … baseball…
The House committee looking into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball has postponed a hearing next week that was to feature Roger Clemens and his accuser so that the panel can begin its own investigation into Clemens’s adamant denial that he had used such drugs.
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs, the most powerful investigative panel in Congress, pushed the hearing back from Jan. 16 to Feb. 13. […]
http://www.nytimes.com/ 2008/ 01/ 10/ sports/ baseball/ 09cnd-clemens.html?hp
watch out for the underbelly news of 2/13ish…
cheeney’s probably spittin’ mad ’cause he has to push back
January 9th, 2008 at 10:18 pmwhatever he had planned for next week…
…
Grease as many palms as possible and you smell like a rose. Tell me another one. When America stops listening to the pundits and start looking for the facts, maybe these criminals will be stopped. I’m not betting on it.
January 9th, 2008 at 10:41 pm“i do agree with the money is a problem but NOT the biggest by a huge margin. the problem is who is behind the money in america……..zionists(israel,jews)
Israel Controls the United States Government; Rep. Paul Findley: http://video.google.com/ videoplay?docid=-3252642434022358005&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=undefined”
Nice of you to give liberals a bad name. Just shut up already, you ignorant toad.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:10 amOur tax dollars are being diverted to firms like Blackwater, who will eventually protect only those who can afford them. Our military should be building up an arsenal, not Blackwater. We should all demand this from our congress person. It seems strange to me that our government can send in the FBI to break up small, milita cults in America, yet allow Blackwater to buildup a military that is better equipped, better payed, and more capable then the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Something is seriously wrong with this picture. As a veteran of Desert Storm, I feel that Blackwater and all those associated with it, have dishonored the American soldier and devalued their service, in the name of greed.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:22 amOur tax dollars are going toward Blackwater and other mercenary groups. Is this not taxation without representation, considering they are not subject to US law?
January 10th, 2008 at 12:37 amNice of you to give liberals a bad name. Just shut up already, you ignorant toad.
Comment by Sabyen91
your ignorance shows in your post above. where was liberals in what i said? if i remember right, o yeah all if have to do is scroll and it says zionism. farthest thing from a liberal. it also shows you know nothing about zionism, the players and the history of zionism(israel) let alone israels control, power over america, it’s money, it’s politics, it’s mainstream media. so…..for greenpeas study history and the players involved. this has to do with american citizens, taxpayers, liberals, reichwing, independents big dummy. next time before you respond proof read your st st stutterin stupidity.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:03 amNo, jackass. You come here and spout your racist crap and people will assume you are liberal. Or is that too tough for you to understand? You give liberals a bad name.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:07 amracist, lol, that is some funny stuff. you know absolutly nothing. zionism is not a race dumb ass. jews is a religion and the majority of the players in zionism are of jewish faith. and don’t be so naive to think these american political players of jewish faith are american first……damn fool. you don’t even get how religion plays in this. you probably think (p)resident bushy is the big kahuna behind the state sponsored terror of 9/11……what a joke it’s way bigger than bush he is just a pawn. liberals ought to be ashamed this is going on just like every american. who are the players owning the federal reserve bank? do you know anything about the federal reserve act of 1913? do you know anything on how the banking world operates and who owns it? you probably didnt know that there is a nazi in the white house, sitting in the governors seat in cali, and bushes brain. what do you think pnac is filled with, carlyle, bildaberg etc…..please you couldn’t answer one of those. why do we give millions to israel every year? come on now. i don’t need to be a liberal, dem, repub, ind, conserv., all that groupy shit….what you can’t think on your own you need to adopt, adjust and go along with someone else thoughts. america is still full of sheeples. i study history and the players involved and this as been going on for over 30 years and they are accomplishing their mission. do you get it, huh, huh. this is like talking to a highschooler just learning but thinks he knows it all and know nothing…so i know this is to much for you to consume so go get a fishing net swipe it around and try to catch the info before it goes over your head.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:27 ambs, your name is appropriate. Jewish IS a race (that is what they consider themselves and who am I to disagree). But you are too much of a moron to understand that.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:32 amzionism is not racism. jewish is not a race. a race that would be white. you are really that stupid? seriously? o, boy, it is a religion a faith. it is obvious you have no clue about zionism. and you have a hard time with excepting the fact the majority of zionists are of jewish faith that is a personal problem. zionism started in israel and the majority of the folks there are of jewish faith so……duh. so don’t get it twisted and scream racism. boy cry wolf huh. A Jew is a member of the Jewish people, an ethnoreligious group, originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the ancient Middle East.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:54 amJewish IS a race (that is what they consider themselves and who am I to disagree)
o really. no they don’t. they are israelis. they are only jewish if they are of jewish faith. some are of jewish faith and some are of christian faith. the majority are of jewish faith so they are called jews. jew was short for jewish, the jewish faith. do you know what an ashkenazi jew is which makes up about 80 percent of israel? didn’t think so. the ignorant fools among us……your foreign knowledg and mentality is occupying my white house and then we wonder why.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:13 amPut an end to non-competitive government contracting and put teeth in enforcing fair, open, and honest contracting.
January 10th, 2008 at 6:54 amReally Lobbying sounds very weird and antidemocratic to the foreing observer, but lobbying by a mercenary corporation? Reminds me of the best times of the corrupt italian republics at the Renaissance.
January 10th, 2008 at 8:14 amI guess Rice and Prince need more cover to hide this kinda crap (link below) before they bring these tactics over here. This is the making of the American Stasi…period.
Article this morning from the Seattle Times..
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ html/ iraq/ 2004116833_blackwater10.html
January 10th, 2008 at 8:35 amThis story tells a lot about current America and how uncommerce like our nation has become.
January 10th, 2008 at 9:38 amInorder for Blackwater (and many American companies) to function they have to hire an assortment of lobbing firms to aquire their business and an assortment of law firms to protect them from their unbusiness like impropriaties.
In any normal business atmosphere a company would have to incur these costs and add them to the price of their product. But with the likes of a Blackwater (and other no bid contract firms), the lobbyists pay those up from costs and expenses to aqiure their work. And the “no bid” allows these firms to easily assorb any expense the law firm charges as a result of their bad behavior.
America has really distorted the meaning of “commerce” and hides behind handouts and favors for the connected.
“Commerce” is not a handout. Commerce does not exist to explicitly guarantee work for law firms. If these firms have to depend on lobbists and lawyers to conduct their business might it be time to challange the meaning of “commerce” as it applies to the laws as written.
“Blackwater increases DC lobbying presence.”
Shouldn’t they be increasing their security presence for female co-workers instead?
January 10th, 2008 at 12:04 pm