Is Congress ignoring the tattered curtains?

Could it be possible that Congress is complicit in aiding and abetting this corrupt administration? I wrote the following today to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees.

Is the Judiciary Committee aware of this? If so, I expect you to do something about it. If not, well, I doubt that. But I am determined, as an aware citizen of this country, to do everything possible to bring our Congress to the point where they are ready to impeach the Bush Administration. How much more will it take? This is outrageous, and I want you to ask Gonzales about it.

Dead, fired attorneys’ Medicare fraud probe linked to White House

Senator McCaskill knew about dead attorneys before Senate Gonzales hearing.

President Bush’s first cousin Jonathan Bush is CEO of Athena Health in Watertown, Massachusetts, the developer of Novation’s “CodeRyte” software program that “runs on an algorithm built into the system,” which “can read the data entry, find any required associations and automatically contact on-staff coders who can read the work and determine the appropriate code.”

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s association with Novation’s Tenet Healthcare comes after Tenet was audited in 2004 by the California Department of Health Services after overcharging the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, by $11.9 million at Redding Medical Center, linked to a Tenet probe by fired San Diego U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, a 45-agent FBI raid and multiple subpoenas signed by a Dallas assistant U.S. attorney found dead the day before Senate healthcare anti-trust hearings.

San Diego and Memphis papers reported that Tenet Healthcare Corporation of Dallas has agreed to pay $21 million as part of a civil settlement with the federal government over allegations of kickbacks to doctors. The settlement also requires Tenet to close or sell the hospital where the kickbacks allegedly took place, Alvarado Hospital Medical Center in San Diego.

Senate Judiciary obstruction of justice

The Senate Judiciary Committee failed to question Attorney General Gonzales about the two suspicious deaths and three abrupt departures of assistant U.S. attorneys at the Dallas-Fort Worth U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) offices all within 90 days during an $84 billion Medicare fraud probe.

California’s Redding Medical Center is one of thousands of U.S. hospitals, nursing homes and clinics subject to the far-reaching Justice Department Medicare fraud probe researched by Fort Worth Civil Enforcement Head Thelma Colbert which resulted in multiple subpoenas signed by her boss, Dallas U.S. Attorney’s office Criminal Chief Shannon Ross—after which Ross was found dead on September 13, 2004, the day before Senate hearings on healthcare anti-trust violations—and just 55 days after Colbert turned up dead in her swimming pool on July 20, 2004.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also failed to interrogate Gonzales about circumstances involving the quick departures (35 days after Ross’ death) of three assistant U.S. attorneys in Colbert’s Fort Worth office—Leonard Senerote, Michael Uhl and Michael Snipes—and whether the Attorney General had them fired, forced them to resign or they were intimidated by the deaths of Colbert and Ross.

No U.S. legal entity has questioned whether McCaskill or Leahy obstructed justice in the Senate’s Gonzales hearing under 18 United States Code 4 guidelines for reporting federal crimes, or whether meritorious evidence that the White House purposely quashed the Texas fraud case was also covered up, despite deaths and firings within a compact timeline.

Maybe Chairman John Conyers will actually ask Gonzales what he knows about the five dead and fired U.S. attorneys probing Medicare fraud in Dallas Fort Worth and perhaps he will attempt to get to the bottom of Sam Lipari’s case.

http://tomflocco.com/fs/FiredAttorneysFraudProbe.htm

Thank you. Please, don't stop asking questions and getting to the bottom of this rotten apple barrel!

Bush's Burqa

Bush has thrown another thick curtain around his cabal, a virtual burqa now, with the insistence that he can forbid the DOJ to issue Contempt of Congress citations. This virtually eliminates one branch of government, Judiciary, when people like David B. Rifkin, who worked in the Justice Department and White House counsel's office under presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, says, "U.S. attorneys are emanations of a president's will." And in constitutional terms, he said, "the president has decided, by virtue of invoking executive privilege, that is the correct policy for the entire executive branch." Washington Post 7/19/2007

I have written another letter today, this time to my Republican Senator (he's heard from me many times recently). It's one thing to write to Democratic Senators, which is like preaching to the choir. I'm ready to take on the Republicans and let them know that over-reaching by this President has gone far enough.

Senator Martinez,
Don't you think it is quite dangerous to our country and the Constitution to allow President Bush to assert that he doesn't have to comply with Congressional requests? He is saying he is above the law!

If you are endeared to the American belief in the rule of law, then it is time for you to take a stand to save our country.

Don't you think that it's quite suspicious that the Executive Branch is extracting so much power, wresting the checks and balances away from both the Judiciary and Congress? It is time to get this administration under control. I want you to be one of the Senators to stand up and say so.

I'm afraid that if you don't, then Congress will be the next group that the President has executive privilege over and he may just send every one of you home.

This is of the utmost importance and your attention to this matter is at the very heart of what our country stands for. No one, even the President, is above the law.

Thank you.

I've started posting my letters here, just in case the ykw police come knocking on my door, or I get put on the no-fly list, or some such thing. Of course, Glenn Greenwald is still furiously banging away at the keyboard, and his post today prompted me to write to Martinez. So, I'm just adding my voice to the others online. I am deeply grateful for Glenn's heartfelt concern for the direction our country is going.

Oh, I think I'll send the same letter to Senator Nelson.

Pentagon Propaganda: Throwing Mud

I am disgusted with the Bush Administration using government agencies to push their political agenda. The public announcement by Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman regarding Senator Clinton's stance on Iraq War policy is the latest example.

As an American citizen who has decided to quit screaming at the television and make some efforts to let others know that I am not falling for the propaganda, I have sent the following letter to the Pentagon (via http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.html).

I believe We the People have the sense that the Pentagon is out of line with Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman's comments about Senator Clinton's questioning of Iraq War policy. This is an implication that ANY American asking questions about the Iraq War will come under your scrutiny. That is so very UN-American of you.

The Bush Administration's stance (and yours, by extension) that the people who want a draw-down of troops are aiding the enemy is bunk. I believe most Americans understand that Iraq cannot be abandoned completely, that bringing troops home must be done over a responsible period of time. There is nothing "precipitous" about redeployment!

Instead, General Pace is talking about sending more troops?!

I, for one American, am not interested in hearing the Pentagon spout the very rhetoric that the Bush Administration wants to use to influence the political arena. And if it isn't politics, then why would Edelman mention just Senator Clinton? There are many people, public figures and common citizens, who are speaking out in the same manner.

I'm sure that Under Secretary of Defense Edelman has much more important things to do than make silly comments about an American citizen's position on the war. Please, just do your job and stay out of politics.

Thank you.

Rips in the opaque curtains of the White House

Yes! Finally, the MSM is starting to reveal much of what is going on with this outrageous "war" and the Bush administration.

Kudos to:

• Olbermann for his Special Comments on July 3rd;
  
• ABC's Nightline coverage of "Inside the Surge" (done by BBC's embedded reporter);
  
• Paul Craig Roberts (www.counterpunch.org) chats with Thom Hartmann (AirAmerica, 7/19/07), saying that unless congress immediately impeaches Bush and Cheney - a year from now the US could be a dictatorial police state at war with Iran;
  
• and of course, Glenn Greenwald is always on the ball with his commentary on the state of the media in their collusion with the Bush Administration.

Note that the military is speaking out against Bush as their Commander-in-Chief, and will do so with their votes, if we get a chance to vote (see Paul Craig Roberts above). One of the biggest problems we face, as a nation, is that if they aren't impeached immediately, Bush's Directive #51 will allow him to dismiss Congress, cancel the 2008 elections, and take over government UNTIL HE DECIDES the country is ready for government again. He may think he is the Decider, and he said he was the Uniter ~~ well, he's definitely uniting many of us: AGAINST him!

See Military Favors Ron Paul over McCain.

Support Our Troops?? Not the Republicans!

I am sick and tired of the Republicans shouting about supporting our troops and that if we are against the war, we are not supporting them. Bah! I say, Bah! Let's rip apart this curtain of lies: Forty-six of them voted AGAINST allowing the troops down time, away from battle, to recoup! Alas, my own very red Senator was one of them, so I sent the following message to him.

Senator Martinez,
I am extremely disappointed that you voted nay on the amendment to allow our soldiers and National Guard and Reserves some leave time away from battle. You and the Republicans repeat the meme "Support Our Troops" but you vote against everything that actually supports the troops in real ways.
These brave men and women deserve better, and you have let them down, again. I am going to write to each one from Florida that I know and let them know that you voted against giving them time away from battle.
It's no wonder recruitment numbers are down. I would advise any youth considering the armed services or National Guard against joining because the Republicans don't do as they say. There was absolutely no reason to block this admendment if you truly cared about these brave souls.
The polls that show lack of confidence in Congress is because We the People are disgusted with exactly these type of votes. Are you so interested in supporting the President that you won't support the troops in the areas where they really need it? Are you part of the 26% of this country that still thinks he's doing a good job? Are you willing to fight this fight until all of our armed forces are too exhausted or killed?
Let's get real about supporting our troops! I will watch every one of your votes for or against troop support and I will inform everybody I know how you vote. Your response is expected and appreciated.

"Red" = authoritarian/totalitarian
Screw the needs of the troops -- keep 'em fighting, down to the last one dragging ass in Iraq.

2007 Declaration of Independence

If we want to remove the wizard behind the curtain (and disallow any future wizards), We the People will have to re-unite and actively work towards a new democracy in the United States. This is Ron McCallie's fight for democracy. Check it out.

http://myfightfordemocracy.blogspot.com/

Stealing Elections: Past and Future

What's behind the election curtain? Our government is working diligently to make sure this curtain is opaque to the people. If the past major elections are any indication, We the People are in big trouble.

I think many Americans felt that something was seriously wrong in both the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections. The Supreme Court stepped in for us in 2000 (Florida) and Diebold stepped in for us in 2004 (Ohio). I was one American wondering why in the hell was Ohio taking so long to post its results. Now we know.

Take an hour out of your day to review this video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-365586126885215066&q=hacking+democracy&total=65&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

If you want to save your vote, as do I, then We the People MUST make our voices heard NOW.
Please contact your Congressional Representatives about H.R. 811 (text: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c110:1:./temp/~c1108fZ0PX::)
and S. 559 (text: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.559:),
because "these bills allow government insiders to count votes in secret and prohibit us from either watching our votes get counted or even obtaining any information after the fact about how they were counted. " (Bev Harris, Blackboxvoting.org)

The inherent problems of HR 811 are:
1) The proposed legislation codifies secret vote counting
2) The proposed legislation cements control of secret vote counting to the executive branch
3) The proposed legislation provides sets the scene for unlimited litigation on election challenges.
4) The proposed legislation has many big ticket items that are unfunded.
5) The proposed legislation will not provide relief for 2008.
(Nancy Tobi, quoted on Blackboxvoting.org)

If you want to celebrate our democracy this 4th of July, 2007, then do something to protect your right to vote to keep our democracy!