Posted on 01/23/2007 4:45:40 PM PST by STARWISE
Edited on 01/23/2007 6:37:01 PM PST by Lead Moderator. [history]
Bush SOTU ping
follow the earmarks, sniff out the money, check out jack murtha.
Here is from the linked article you gave re: Murtha's earmarks:
"'Paul Magliocchetti worked with Rep. Murtha as a senior staffer on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee for ten years,' says the report. 'After leaving the committee, Mr. Magliocchetti founded the PMA Group, which has become one of the prominent Washington, DC defense lobbying firms. In the current campaign cycle, the PMA Group and 11 of the firm's clients rank in the top 20 contributors to Rep. Murtha, having made contributions totaling $274,649. In the 2002 and 2004 cycles, PMA and nine of the firm's clients ranked in the top 20 contributors, having made $236,799 in contributions and $279,074, respectively.
"'In turn, many of PMA's clients have benefited significantly from Rep. Murtha's earmarks. In the 2006 Defense Appropriations bill, PMA clients received at least 60 earmarks at a total of $95.01 million.'
"Stop and think about that for a moment. Over the last six years, officials and clients of the PMA Group have contributed roughly $800,000 to Congressman Murtha's campaign fund. In return, they have received at least $95 million in federal contracts, loans, and grants. That's a better than 100-to-1 return on investment.
"A second former Murtha staffer who now engages in a lucrative lobbying business is Carmen Scialabba, who now lobbies for a firm called KSA Consulting.
"In the 2004 Defense Appropriations bill, Congressman Murtha inserted earmarks valued at more than $20 million for at least ten KSA Consulting clients. At least one of those clients directed $12,000 in campaign contributions to Rep. MurHA."
Dear God! I knew Murtha was a corrupt coward - but did not know all this. When one googles "earmarks" does Murtha's name come up first??? It should.
You are more than welcome. If you are interested in keeping up with murtha, let Red or jaz know.
Standing in front of the mirror this morning, applying my war paint ; ) the thought came to me that if the left wants to abort their own, so be it.
They've got another thing coming if they think they can abort mine, or their mission.
They'll have to pry mine from my cold dead hands.
But you knew that, didn't ya : )
Are you one of those "Bush is Hitler" jerks? _________________________________________________
NO. I am not one of those.
Bush is good on some things but needs improvement on others.
Well until we get Jesus Christ as president, anyone elected will likely have flaws, as do you, as do I, as do we all.
Your "good German" comment reminds me of the extreme left who enjoys making Nazi comments about President Bush.
Which is entirely different from racingfan's comment about being a "good German." THAT comment implied quite clearly that Americans who support the president in the WOT were being Nazis.
Racingfan can go pound sand.
I don't "believe in" President Bush. I assess that he is the best leader of the WOT. Your "good German" comment had nothing to do with censorship, the Nazis were all about genocide. Your comment sounds like DU.
"Then you are voting for the Democrat candidate. Period."
I refuse to vote liberal to avoid liberal. If the GOP wants my vote, present an honorable choice.
I was worried she might strike at Bush but Cheney was closer which put him in greater danger.
"I assess that he is the best leader of the WOT."
Is he? Compared to whom? Even calling it a "WOT" is PC. Prosecuting our Marines is PC. This Wilsonian view of "democracy" is PC. Encouraging Muslim immigration since 9/11 is PC. Personally arranging to bring in 15,000 more Saudi exchange students this year without adequate background checks is just... puzzling.
Let's not even touch the border security issue here.
A John Howard he's not, I'm afraid.
"Your comment sounds like DU."
So totally missing a historical reference probably is something that occurs on DU quite often.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
I guess that's where the term "welfare" comes from. But notice it says to promote the general welfare, it doesn't say to "provide" the general welfare.
I don't see anything about public entitlements in those words (or anywhere else in the US Constitution.
Now, I guess if the preamble is interpreted as loosely as the Bible is to suit political ambition and agendas, then sure - it says the government is suppose to give entitlements to everyone, other than those who actually work for a living. Including those who are not even US Citizens, and are not here legally.
Apparently a fictional one. :-)
I was wrong about my health care. My bad. I just checked my official company report of my benefits worth, and it looks like my health care is in the $10k range as well, with me paying about $2500 of it.
My HMO costs me around $30 a week. However, there IS a health plan offered that costs over $100 a week, although I can't figure what extra it pays for (I think it's for employees who don't have an HMO in their area, and exists to remind us how much money we save by having the restrictions and limitations of the HMO).
SO I guess Bush's plan won't effect me. I'm not sure what you would add to my health plan to make it better -- I even have a HSA available so I could get my co-pays in pre-tax form if I wanted, and still be less then $15,000 a year.
I have coverage for just about everything, including mental health, eye care, and even half off my kids braces.
I have to assume though that there are people getting over $15,000 a year for health insurance, or it would make no sense to propose this change.
I can only speculate, but it must be for plans that pay for a lot more regular things, or have little or no co-pays, or something, or else a lot of people's companies just aren't doing as good a job managing health care costs as my company.
Excellent graphic and spot on.
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