Guest blogged by Fin
For those who wondered why Senator Feinstein didn’t join Senator Boxer in opposition to Condoleezza Rice, we have this from The Byrne Report:
ON JAN. 18, California senator Dianne Feinstein introduced Dr. Condoleezza Rice at a Senate nomination hearing for Secretary of State in terms so saccharine that molasses seemed to ooze out of her mouth….That very same day, Feinstein’s husband, Richard Blum, took advantage of a spike in the price of his URS Corporation stock. He sold a third of his holdings in the defense contractor for $57 million, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. With Rice confirmed, the business of death and occupation looks rosy as hell for Feinstein, who–let’s get real–benefits tremendously from sharing community property with Blum….Hubby holds a controlling interest in another engineering firm, Perini Corporation of Framingham, Mass….After the Senate, Feinstein included, approved Bush’s war plans in 2002, Perini’s defense contract awards soared from negligible to $2.52 billion. But, as with many of the sole-source, open-ended contracts awarded to politically connected firms, there are problems with accountability. Last summer, Department of Defense auditors determined that Perini could not adequately justify its costs in Iraq as fair and reasonable.
Some would say it’s just business as usual, but with 1,500 dead and tens of thousands wounded (both physically and psychologically), it all seems criminal.
I would say that "seems" is an awfully polite way of putting it.
Conflict of interest. But more than that, it is discusting. Immoral. Sad. Does being a senator protect her from C. of I. codes? Shouldn’t.
Hi Nana –
Ethics are becoming increasingly irrelevant in Congress, in case you hadn’t noticed. 😉 Just look at the way Hastert has purged and restacked the deck in the House committee. CONs consider the "e" word "quaint." Hasn’t 9/11 been enabling, though?! Hail, hail, the Gang’s all here…..
Hi Peg C
Between this political slime and the SUPER BOWL HELL I’m
living in today, kinda makes me yearn for my "Margaritaville Daz" Where is my blender?
Di Fi and Joe Leiberman are couple of DINOs for sure. Perhaps if the democratic party moves farther to the left we can purge them. The right likes to dare: Go ahead, Democrats, make our day. Move farther to the left. I think it’s what they really fear the most. In truth, Democrats just need to remain true to Democratic principles. Soon the right will have shifted so far to the fringe that to some we will look moderate, no matter how far left we go. Di Fi only has a political carreer because she became Mayor of S.F. after Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk were assassinated by Dan White, the conservative politician who escaped punishment for that kind of politics by invoking the famous "Twinkie defense." "I was eating too many Twinkies so I can’t be held responsible for my actions." This is a conservative, mind you. He later committed suicide, probably with a Twinkie. Those of us who lived there during that time know there was more to that story than just Twinkies. She’s about as much of a Democrat as George Bush is a Republican.
Di Fi and Joe Leiberman are couple of DINOs for sure. Perhaps if the democratic party moves farther to the left we can purge them. The right likes to dare: Go ahead, Democrats, make our day. Move farther to the left. I think it’s what they really fear the most. In truth, Democrats just need to remain true to Democratic principles. Soon the right will have shifted so far to the fringe that to some we will look moderate, no matter how far left we go. Di Fi only has a political carreer because she became Mayor of S.F. after Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk were assassinated by Dan White, the conservative politician who escaped punishment for that kind of politics by invoking the famous "Twinkie defense." "I was eating too many Twinkies so I can’t be held responsible for my actions." This is a conservative, mind you. He later committed suicide, probably with a Twinkie. Those of us who lived there during that time know there was more to that story than just Twinkies. She’s about as much of a Democrat as George Bush is a Republican.
Sorry for the double post. I thought I was voting.
I hope one or more energetic constituents of Ms. Feinstein’s are taking note of what is said here, and feels inspired to undertake a complete investigation of her political performance to date. Then, armed with the info, they find a good, decent candidate to oppose her the next time she runs for office, lay it all out for the voters and have her replaced. It’s time the Senate and government is rid of "bought and paid for" so-called Democrats. P.S. A few good political accomplishments DO NOT offset her support, even minimally, of the current Administration!
LOL @ # 7
"Winter Patriot said:LOL @ # 7"
For BradBlog, of course.
LGM #5 Says "…Soon the Right will have shifted so far to the fringe…"
That may be the salvation for the planet, let the Right keep shifting to the right and they will just fall off the edge of the world. It is flat, you know.
This is another factoid for the argument of more than two political parties.
We need greens, independents, and the like to filter out these phony, self serving crims.
Thanks Fin.
Thanks for posting this story. I didn’t know that Feinstein was so closely tied to military contractors.
However, it really bothers me when bloggers and others refer the number of casualties and only use the figures for U.S. and "coalition" members. It’s as if the Iraqi dead didn’t matter. I don’t believe you really think that, but please, when you’re counting, count all the dead. It’s more like 100,000.
Arguably, it is more important to count the Iraqi dead, since most of them weren’t involved in combat by choice.
I agree with you completely Cupajoe.
Being moderate means allowing our representatives to get filthy,no pun intended, rich while the muricans get poorer and poorer. If Dean took some of the vociferous positions of Pat Buchanan he would be called a wild eyed liberal, as in NAFTA is killing us. Should never have gone into Iraq..not only are our jobs outsourced but the foreigns are taking the few jobs left by working for lower wages. We need to unite on common issues and stop being pure. Checks and balances work for government all across the spectrum. Let’s start a movement of informed versus uninformed with room to disagree because of the uniqueness that has been our greatness in the past…melting pot thing.