Name that party!
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has awarded some of the state's first stimulus money to his former employer in a no-bid contract.
Ritter hired his former law firm, the Washington-based Hogan & Hartson, in a no-bid contract to review stimulus spending, The Denver Post reported Friday. It said the firm was paid $40,000 in stimulus money through June.
Aides to the governor insisted the contract was properly awarded. The state attorney general's office deemed the contract necessary to allow the state to have speedy legal advice about stimulus money. The contract is too small to require competitive bidding.
Ritter worked for the Denver office of Hogan & Hartson in 2005, leaving the following year when he ran for governor. The law firm has about 1,300 lawyers across the country and specializes in public finance, real estate, white-collar litigation and environmental and governmental regulation.
Many of Hogan's lawyers are Ritter supporters, and two who work directly on the state's stimulus issues are contributors.
A managing partner for the firm, Cole Finegan, told the Post that the work was of "tremendous importance." Colorado was due to receive about $3 billion in stimulus spending. "This is an area where we have great expertise, and obviously we want to be helpful to the state in ensuring Colorado gets its fair share of stimulus money," he said.
And your personal fair share of the pie ...
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/11/2009 14:43 ||
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When's his term up? Not to imply that he's looking out for his future employment opportunities, but...
WASHINGTON -- Skillful piloting may have prevented a disaster for President Obama and his campaign last summer, a former federal safety official said Friday.
A report released by the National Transportation Safety Board indicates an inflated slide may have pressed against critical control cables, forcing the emergency landing of Obama's campaign plane on July 7, 2008. The slide inflated inside the tail cone of the campaign's McDonnell Douglas MD-81 shortly after takeoff from Chicago's Midway International Airport, the report said. Investigators found evidence that the slide and a broken walkway railing inside the tail cone may have pressed against elevator cables that run the length of the plane. The cables are used to control whether the plane points up or down.
The plane's flight crew struggled to level the aircraft's nose, which continued to point upward after takeoff, but regained control by manipulating the control column and adjusting the trim on the plane's tail, the report said. However, the flight crew noted the pitch control pressure required to level the airplane was higher than normal, the report said.
Former NTSB member John Goglia said the problem, had it continued, had the potential to cause a stall "at a critical point in flight."
"It did have the potential of causing a catastrophic event," Goglia said.
Normal control returned after the plane began it's descent for an emergency landing at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, said the report, which lays out evidence uncovered by investigators but doesn't reach a conclusion on the cause of the incident. The report doesn't say why the slide inflated, but notes the air carrier, Midwest Airlines, suggested the slide's cover may not have been secured properly.
There were no injuries to the two pilots, four flight attendants, two airline representatives, and 43 passengers, including Obama. At the time of the incident, the pilot told passengers they were never in danger, and the Federal Aviation Administration said no emergency had been declared.
However, audiotapes released about a month later showed that after the pilot discovered he no longer had full control of the plane, he told an air traffic controller: "At this time we would like to declare an emergency, and also have CFR (crash equipment) standing by in St. Louis." Asked which runway he wanted to use, the pilot replied, "Well, which one is the longest?"
Democratic U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, his political prospects and personal legacy weakened by controversy, is expected to announce Friday he will not seek election to the seat he was appointed to by Rod Blagojevich after the then-governor's arrest, sources close to Burris said.
And that's the last entry for his family tombstone, 'Senator'. Unless he's fortunate enough to be indicted, which in Illinois is always a possibility ...
The decision by Burris, 71, is an acknowledgment that prospects of mounting a multimillion-dollar fundraising effort for a high-profile statewide race are low in the face of widespread public criticism over how he got the job. Almost two months after his appointment, a Tribune poll found only 37 percent of voters wanted Burris to run. As of the spring, he raised $845 with more than $111,000 in debt, a campaign filing showed.
Even in Illinois that isn't going to cut it, and I'm guessing both Richie 'Short Shanks' Daley and Lisa 'Daddy's Girl' Madigan are gunning to get him out of the seat, and get someone in there who is appropriately pliable.
Burris wasn't sure he could handle the grueling schedule of a senator up for election and knew the political "tide was against him," said a source close to the senator. Burris will finish out his term, which expires in January 2011.
"He wants to be a full-time senator for the remainder of the term," said the source, who asked not to be identified because the person was not authorized to speak for Burris. "He's really passionate about that. He won't be running for election. He'll just be the state's senator."
It's sorta like being the state bird or the state hood ornament except that the pay is better ...
He is expected to formally make his announcement during a 2 p.m. speech to youth groups at a South Side hotel, and he did not talk to reporters after landing at O'Hare International Airport Thursday evening.
Burris -- a former Illinois attorney general whose 1978 victory as comptroller made him Illinois' first African-American elected to a statewide office -- found himself at the center of a political firestorm after Blagojevich appointed him to Barack Obama's old Senate seat. It came three weeks after federal agents arrested Blagojevich at his Northwest Side home on federal corruption charges, including allegations that he attempted to sell the Senate vacancy to enrich himself and his family.
Blagojevich, who was impeached and ousted from office a month after picking Burris, has pleaded not guilty. Burris has said he was unaware of Blagojevich's attempts to profit personally and politically from the seat and was not involved in any pay-to-play activity.
Except for what was caught on tape ...
As a practical matter, Burris' decision may not have much impact on next year's still-developing Senate race -- a contest in which prospective candidates have been lining up for months. One prominent contender, Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, dropped out of the running Wednesday to seek re-election.
That's the interesting news. Daddy's Girl would have had the inside track.
State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has been preparing to enter the February Democratic primary and Cheryle Jackson, president of the Chicago Urban League and a former Blagojevich spokeswoman, may run. Chris Kennedy, who runs the Merchandise Mart and is the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, also is interested.
Giannoulias is an Obama confederate and has rather unfortunate ties to people who are 'connected'. If you want to frighten him just come up from behind and yell, "Broadway Bank" ...
Amid the Blagojevich scandal, the GOP also has hopes of capturing the seat. North Shore Republican Rep. Mark Kirk and state GOP Chairman Andrew McKenna Jr. made their pitches to Republican Illinois congressmen Thursday.
Burris repeatedly tried to fend off criticism that the seat was tainted by the federal allegations against Blagojevich. But Burris did not help his cause in revealing a series of changing and sometimes contradictory details about his contacts with top Blagojevich allies that led up to his appointment.
Burris ultimately acknowledged attempting to raise funds for Blagojevich. In an FBI recording, Burris suggested to Blagojevich's brother he might try to donate money through his attorney out of fear that getting the appointment would look like a quid pro quo.
Patrick Fitzgerald forgot to tell us about that ...
His statements, including his testimony under oath before a House panel that recommended Blagojevich's impeachment, were investigated by the state's attorney's office in Springfield. That prosecutor found Burris' answers didn't rise to the level of perjury. A probe by the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee continues.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/11/2009 00:00 ||
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Ro would make an excellent Zsar. He knows a lot. I didn't say he was SMART, he just KNOWS a lot in a Tony Soprano sort of way. I recommend he should ring Rham up sometime next week....on the "special line."
#3
I dunno, OS. Illinois is ripe for a correction. The Pubs blew it big time in 2002 by allowing George Ryan to stay around -- he tarred the old party. Memories fade, and the Dummicrats have been doing some, well, dumb things lately here at home.
Expect the Blago scandal to continue, the Jesse Jackson 3rd scandal to erupt, and the Dems to keep trying to raise state taxes in a recession. And the new governor, Quinn, is a genial, well-intentioned idiot.
If the Dems run Giannoulias, they lose. If they run Chris Kennedy they lose. I keep thinking Daddy's Girl just has to get back into the race, but she may be holding out for governor, hoping Daddy can talk Quinn out of the mansion (indeed, Madigan for governor and Quinn for Senate would be trouble for the Pubs).
Kirk could beat Giannoulias or Kennedy. He'd probably beat JJ3. I don't know about McKenna.
What the Pubs need now is a strong candidate for governor.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/11/2009 10:12 Comments ||
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#4
I was so hoping that this article was about McCain, Kennedy, Byrd, or one of the other scoundrels. This guy hasn't been in long enough to be a major pain in the butt to the entire country.
#5
WHatever happens I hope its not RFK's son - we do NOT need any more dynastic pols in office. Especially a Kennedy, they dig in like ticks and only death takes em out out.
He claims to have read the Cap-n-Tax bill and voted for it. Either he lied about having read it, or didn't comprehend what he read... or LIKED what he read. (And what are the odds one of those windmills would be anywhere near in sight of Highland Park?)
#8
You're correct, OS. RINO is better than fascist/socialist (but I repeat myself) in most cases. Plus, they're infinitely more conservative than the run-of-the-mill Illinois "D" pol.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
07/11/2009 14:59 Comments ||
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#9
Damn, with all the RINO's in the Senate how in the hell can we trust any of them. Vote against them all just to be safe and sure. 4 real Republicans are better than 40 Rinos and cheaper to operate.
A post of Zombietime's
John Holdren, Obama's Science Czar, says: Forced abortions and mass sterilization needed to save the planet
Forced abortions. Mass sterilization. A "Planetary Regime" with the power of life and death over American citizens.
The tyrannical fantasies of a madman? Or merely the opinions of the person now in control of science policy in the United States? Or both?
These ideas (among many other equally horrifying recommendations) were put forth by John Holdren, whom Barack Obama has recently appointed Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology -- informally known as the United States' Science Czar. In a book Holdren co-authored in 1977, the man now firmly in control of science policy in this country wrote that:
Women could be forced to abort their pregnancies, whether they wanted to or not;
The population at large could be sterilized by infertility drugs intentionally put into the nation's drinking water or in food;
Single mothers and teen mothers should have their babies seized from them against their will and given away to other couples to raise;
People who "contribute to social deterioration" (i.e. undesirables) "can be required by law to exercise reproductive responsibility" -- in other words, be compelled to have abortions or be sterilized.
A transnational "Planetary Regime" should assume control of the global economy and also dictate the most intimate details of Americans' lives -- using an armed international police force.
Impossible, you say? That must be an exaggeration or a hoax. No one in their right mind would say such things... As they say, read the whole thing.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain ||
07/11/2009 00:06 ||
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Many are already aware of the unspoken dangers these appointments or "Zhars" hold, but here's some additional background. Besides circomventing the established political and governmental processes by establishing a backccannel system, many of these committed loyalists will remain in the system and must be dealt with for years to come.
If Barry is defeated in 2012, it is very likely that a high percentage of these people will quietly migrate into powerful Gov't Senior Executive Service positions. Positions which require skills and expertise which very conveniently call for the specific talents which their individual resumes contain.
Notice the age of most of these folks if you will. They'll be around for a while. The Clintons left "W" a nice cadre of them as well.
#8
I've believed for some time now, that it will be necessary to deal with these people harshly. It will not be possible to stop them from within the system as they now control it completely, or damn near it.
The more I hear about these Czars and their radical views, (take Alcee Hastings for example) the more convinced I am that it will be necessary to wage outright war against them directly and ruthlessly. It seems they are emboldened by Obamarama's win. We are running out of time. I do not expect that there will be any 2010 elections.
If there are, and they go badly for us, there won't be any 2012. Not without a fight anyway.
It is going to come down to a fight, you know that Half-Empty. Only thing that remains to be seen is if it happens before or after they start rounding people up.
Small caliber, sub-sonic, close range and preferably suppressed. When the break comes it is going to be personal, might as well look them in the eyes.
#11
Technology was very different in 1977. Then too, people's opinions often change in thirty years.
F'r instance: it'd be awfully hard to force feed birth control chemicals to a population that puts PUR filters on their faucets, Brita filters on their water pitchers, and purchases bottled water for general drinking... and then heats everything in the microwave, breaking delicate chemical bonds.
Also, given how few doctors are now trained to perform abortions, where will they find large numbers of surgeons willing to give up lucrative private practices in order to abort and sterilize welfare mothers on the Medicare dime?
And seriously, an international police force? Given the effectiveness of the Blue Berets thus far, a UN police force doesn't seem much of a threat, no matter how much they might want to be.
#12
Who the hell let Half out? Next we'll be seeing Dave D posting!
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/11/2009 16:16 Comments ||
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I strongly suspect that if the gentleman in question had a textbook that talked about the need to control the population of those untermenschen jews that Cranium-half-empty would not be mocking those of us who are upset by the situation. I also don't think TW would be making statements like "Well, everyone's opinion changes over time, maybe he's not a Nazi any more."
The Nazis came into power because noone _took_ them seriously at the time until it was too late. The idea that they actually meant to do what was set out in _Mein Kamf_ was just too laughable to most Germans, who wanted to be stronger and not worry about the details too much.
It ended with their country being partitioned for forty years, and could have ended worse if the allies had gone through with the morgrenthau plan and/or the soviets had more than a quarter of the country.
I don't see where any of the non-US world powers out there today are the sort of people to rebuild a conquered adversary instead of looting it.
Finally, I wouldn't bet on their views having changed any if the resulting actions they're trying to justify are pretty much the same. In 1970 population expansion and resource depletion, to these people, meant the US had to be de-developed.
Now, in 2009, their reason is global warming, but the recommended course of action would produce the same result.
I imagine in ten years they'll still be pursuing the same rememdy, if they haven't accomplished it already (and they're halfway there), even if the crisis du jour is embarrassing fungal infections.
#14
"Under what constitutional power are these "czars" created and given governing authority?"
-none. They don't answer to congress. I heard there are 33 total Czars now - they are being paid tax payer cash and so far only answer to the pres. That would've prolly been enough for our founders to throw the b.s. flag at the fed gov't.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, his political prospects and personal legacy weakened by controversy, is expected to announce Friday he will not seek election to the seat he was appointed to by Rod Blagojevich after the then-governor's arrest, sources close to Burris said.
