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Politics : Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Kerry -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (59397)	4/5/2005 10:26:39 AM
From: longnshort	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 81568

Looks like Pelosi is a crook Pelosi helped donor to PAC By Stephen Dinan House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi helped secure $3 million last year for a nonprofit transportation-research organization whose president gave money to her political action committee as the group was paying for a European trip for one of her policy advisers. Transportation adviser Lara Levison's nine-day, $4,475 trip to Spain and Germany last April to learn about hydrogen-fuel cells for buses was primarily paid for by WestStart-CALSTART. But just days before the trip, WestStart-CALSTART announced that Mrs. Pelosi had helped the nonprofit group secure $1 million from the Federal Transit Administration for a bus rapid-transit program. A month after the Levison trip, the group sent out a press release thanking her for a $2 million grant for a fuel-cell program. According to campaign records, WestStart-CALSTART Chief Executive Officer John R. Boesel also gave $1,000 to one of Mrs. Pelosi's political action committees in 2003 and $1,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Both Mr. Boesel and Mrs. Pelosi's spokeswoman, Jennifer Crider, said there is no link between the staffer's trip and the grants. "This trip was completely within the House rules. The two projects were long-standing projects we've worked on," Ms. Crider said. Both she and Mr. Boesel said Republican staffers also were on the European trip. Mr. Boesel said Mrs. Pelosi has supported his projects for more than a decade, adding that the programs have drawn support from both parties and that his political donations have gone to both parties. But the trip is raising questions from some Republicans, who say the California Democrat and some ethics-watchdog groups are being hypocritical when they criticize House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on ethics charges. "Given the actions of the minority leader vis-a-vis the majority leader and other Republicans, I'm having a little trouble finding where the outrage is coming from these groups that continue to pound on Republican members," a senior Republican lawmaker said on the condition of anonymity. The lawmaker said nothing distinguished Mrs. Pelosi's actions from those of Mr. DeLay and other Republicans that she has criticized. He also said the questions about Mrs. Pelosi rise to the point of an ethics complaint. "I think the minority leader ought to be subject to the same type of scrutiny as other members," he said. Campaign-watchdog groups said it doesn't appear that Mrs. Pelosi or her staff member broke any rules, but said the timing looks bad. "Anytime a member of their staff gets trips to Europe, it raises questions," said Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics. "Add to it the idea that the organization is thanking Pelosi, it just adds to it." Ken Boehm, chairman of the conservative National Legal and Policy Center, which has challenged Mrs. Pelosi's campaign fundraising in the past, said the trip looks shady. "I think it looks like she's doing legislative favors for donors, because she is," he said. Mr. Boehm said Mrs. Pelosi's actions are starting to look like a pattern. He has questioned Mrs. Pelosi's earmark in early 2003 of $1 million to a University of San Francisco research center named after Leo T. McCarthy, who has been treasurer of her political action committees. The questions about Mrs. Pelosi come as Republicans have vowed to fight back against what they think is a coordinated attack by her and allied groups on Mr. DeLay. The Texan was admonished three times by the House ethics committee last year, and news reports have raised more questions this year, including about a 2001 trip paid for by a registered foreign agent. Mrs. Pelosi later had a staff member take a trip paid for by the same group. In this newest charge, Ms. Levison's trip, from April 11 to 19, 2004, took her from Washington to Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, then to Heidelberg and Stuttgart in Germany. Total transportation was $2,200, lodging cost $1,400 and meals cost $875, according to the disclosure form, which erroneously lists Mrs. Pelosi as making the trip. Ms. Levison paid for two weekend days of the trip herself -- a fact that Ms. Crider said shows the rest of the trip was for legitimate business purposes. "It's within the House rules that if you do anything that's not trip-related, that is personal, you pay for it. And we fully complied. It's actually counter to the argument that she was there for fun," Ms. Crider said. She also chided Republicans for not making their charges against Mrs. Pelosi publicly. "Republicans threaten and threaten and threaten, but aren't willing to use their name to stand up and make the case," she said.

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (59397)	4/5/2005 11:10:00 AM
From: one_less	Respond to of 81568

"This assumption ..." There is corruption in the world especially at the level of world politics, This is no assumption, it is an observable fact. The twirl you attempt to make around that fact is quite revealing. By the way, labeling people Hitler is out of fashion. When you can't deal with the logic, you are supposed to compare me to OBL. "Others are not worth it....you say "they are bad we are good." I have said no such thing. These are your words, not mine, and you preach them like a broken record on a daily basis. This is how the simplest truths get corrupted, people like you interpret them in corrupt ways. "We are born noble human beings, which makes it right to think, speak, and conduct ourselves with regard to the well being of all creatures and creation. Why is this applied selectively ..." Not by me. That is the job of political hacks such as yourself. "If you do not consider these as direct answers because they do not agree with your line of thinking, then so be it." I consider it a fair attempt. I figured you would not be able to express yourself without filtering every word through your agendized devotion to political sound bites. If that is the best you can do, then so be it.

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (59397)	4/5/2005 9:09:43 PM
From: lorne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 81568

chinu, darn that Bush guy. Look at all the changes his policies have caused to happen in the ME...why if it were not for George W these ME islam countries would have continued on happily 1500 years behind the rest of the modern world. :-) Sheikh Yehiya Al-Najar, Undersecretary at Yemen's Ministry of Religious Endowments, said that in order to dry up the sources of extremism Yemen would be closing 24,000 religious schools not under government supervision. (Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, 3/16/05) In its March 13, 2005 session, the Bahrain government approved a bill to teach democracy and human rights as required subjects in the middle and high schools. (Al-Hayat, London, 3/14/05) The Egyptian Education Ministry is implementing an experimental program for spreading human rights in over 20 public middle and high schools. Clubs to advance human rights, social participation, and respect for the other have been established in the schools for pupils aged 12-16. Over 45 teachers taking part in the experiment have participated in an Education Ministry workshop on human rights. (Al-Ahram Al-Masaai, Egypt 3/15/05) On April 17, 2005, Kuwait will host Arab Women's Day activities. (www.elaph.com, 3/16/05) The Arab Association for Human Rights in Syria condemned a three-year sentence handed down March 13 by Syria's high court for state security to a young man charged with belonging to the Islamic Liberation Party. A communiqué released by the association demanded that the Syrian authorities rule to enable activity by political parties because the absence of authorized parties has led to the detention of over 20,000 Syrian citizens. The association also demanded a general pardon for all political prisoners in Syria. (www.elaph.com, 3/13/05) The Bibliotheca Alexandria's second annual Arab Reform Conference began on March 13, with the participation of 360 intellectuals from 17 Arab countries and 141 organizations for human rights and for the advancement of democracy, growth, and reform. (Al-Ahram, Egypt, 3/14/05) 87% of respondents in a survey by the SAS center in Jeddah for monitoring Saudi public opinion said that they supported women's participation in the upcoming local council elections. (www.elaph.com, 3/15/05) Nationwide celebrations of the ancient Iranian fire festival turned into violent demonstrations against the regime last night when celebrators were stormed by Iranian security who opened fire and attacked them with weapons, leading to dozens of casualties and arrests. (Peykeiran.com; Isna; Irna; Aftab-e Yazd, Iran 3/15/05, 3/16/05) Kuwaiti Religious Endowments Minister Dr. Abdallah Al-M'atouq said that a fatwa would be issued March 19 clarifying that the question of women's participation in parliament was controversial amongst the Ulema and that the ruler would decide on the matter. This fatwa will contradict a 1985 Ministry of Religious Endowments fatwa that was renewed in 1998, stating that women could not be MP's. (Al-Hayat, London, 3/15/05)