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www.NationalView.org's Note From a Madman
August 13, 2008
Tomorrow Note From a Madman handicaps Vice Presidential contender Senator Chuck Hagel.
McKeating TV
From a new John McCain TV ad:
John McCain "reformed Wall Street..."
If by "reformed" McCain, who "approved this message", meant "Conspired with Wall
Street", then I agree. It would be good for all of us to remember that John
McCain was a charter member of the Keating Five, the five members of the US
Senate who "helped McCain's "friend" Charles Keating (no kidding - McCain called
Keating his "friend" on numerous occasions) rip off thousands of Americans in
the late 1980's and early 1990's in the Savings and Loan Scandal. Keating made
millions while regular middle class Americans lost their entire life savings.
For his "contribution" to the Keating Scandal, McCain got a slap on the wrist
and the 2008 GOP nomination to run for President of the United States.
Keating, the principle of Lincoln Savings and Loan, based in McCain's Arizona,
was a frequent and generous donor to all campaigns containing the name "McCain".
And it appeared that McCain showed his appreciation in the US Senate.
After all these years, it sure would be nice for McCain's "friend" Charles
Keating to get a Presidential pardon, wouldn't it?
John McBush
John McKeating
John McShame
John McSame
John McBush
The New Keating Five
-Noah Greenberg
A New Coalition of "Haves and Have
Mores"
"I'd rather our consumers be buying gasoline made from oil here in America than
gasoline from oil being made overseas. We want our dollars, to the extent
possible, to be here at home, staying here at home."
-President Bush to the Coalition for Affordable American Energy
The Coalition for Affordable American Energy, or CAAE - Who are these guys and
why did President Bush decide that they were important enough to come all the
way back from China for and have one of his first photo-ops with them?
Perhaps the answer lies in who makes up the CAAE, a group without even a web
site to its name, yet stones big enough to command a performance from the
Panderer in Chief.
According to President Bush, the Coalition for Affordable American Energy - the
CAAE - represent us, the American people. Here's what leader of the Free World
had to say, in closing, about those attending his speech to the CAAE:
"I appreciate the -- your work on this issue. I appreciate you represent a lot
of hardworking people, people who simply want to put food on the table and be
able to make it to work; people who are concerned about the price of gasoline;
people who have told you to tell me that they want to see more oil drilled, more
exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf; people who told you to tell me they
want to see us drilling in Alaska; people who told you to tell me they want a
common-sense energy policy right here in Washington, D.C. And I agree with
them."
-President Bush
Members of the CAAE include the National Association of Manufacturers, a group
whose name belies its true intent of removing manufacturing and manufacturing
jobs from our shores; and the US Chamber of Commerce, a far, far Right wing
group which is made up entirely of the Bush "base of haves and have mores". Also
included in the group's Steering Committee are the National Association of
Wholesaler- Distributors, and the National Retail Federation, two more groups
whose most recent purpose has been to ship our jobs overseas then sell their
wares back to us and avoid paying taxes as they do it.
Are we to really believe that these Global Corporatists represent us
"hardworking people". Does President Bush really believe that? If he does it
certainly would explain a lot, such as just about every single policy he has
ever signed into law, ordered via "Executive Privilege" or "signing statement".
Someone ought to explain to President Bush that it's actually his job, along
with Congress, to represent the American people, not paid lobbyists.
(Note: For a mere $5,000 minimum fee, you too can be a CAAE Steering Committee
member.)
Here is just a part of the letter sent by the CAAE to explain their mission:
"It is not our intention to enter the debate on specific policies at the 'micro'
level in great detail. The coalition will support initiatives which encourage
conservation and the development of renewable and alternative energy sources,"
-The CAAE
The first part sound great. Maybe they DO care about the American people - you
know, the people they "represent". Or maybe we should read the next part of the
letter to "business leaders" by the $5,000-a-pop steering committee members of
the Coalition for Affordable American Energy:
"Our focus will be on increasing domestic oil and gas production since
alternative sources will not be able to meet U.S. demand for the next 25 years
or more."
-The CAAE
Now we get it. Welcome Big Oil to the "chat" about making Big Oil "Even Bigger
Oil". Certainly this group's main area of concern is going to be making sure
that their "contributing members" get theirs (Not that they haven't gotten
enough of "ours".)
And get theirs they will. All one has to do is hearken back to the first energy
Group complied by none other than Energy Wiz-Kid Dick Cheney. Remember how well
that turned out for the great majority of us.
Now back to President Bush:
"We want our dollars, to the extent possible, to be here at home, staying here
at home."
-Bush
Since Bush and his Administration of Diminished Responsibility have taken
office, our dollars have found their way into more foreign pocket books, wallets
and bank accounts than ever before. We've even given away hundred dollar bills
off the back of trucks in Iraq, after shipping them on pallets from our shores.
And what dollars haven't been shipped out have been diminished on the world
market so everything we buy here at home costs more.
The only dollars that any energy policy this administration might somehow ram
down our throats in their final hours will do nothing but place much of the rest
of those dollars we still call "ours" in the pockets of Big Oil, make no mistake
about it.
One wonders how much of their liquid gold US dollars (formerly our middle class
dollars) Big Oil invested, and will invest into the CAAE.
This new coalition is one that the Bushies and the new McBushies will cow-tow to
in each and every way possible. And that just isn't good for the rest of us.
-Noah Greenberg
In response to, "I think it is so hypocritical how China is o.k., but Cuba is
not. Since they are both communist regimes I guess money and power is always the
motivating factor for the arrogant politicians and wealthy power that be's. I
don't necessarily think we should discontinue communicating with China, I just
think it wouldn't hurt to communicate with Cuba as well. Oh, slap me upside the
head, I forgot, they don't have money," Ginger writes:
They also don't have oil. This is nothing but a continuing political sop to the
Cubans in Miami, mostly. It doesn't matter that the embargo is so grossly unfair
and accomplishes nothing but making the Cuban people suffer. Castro just skims
everything from the top.
And in response to, "Victoria Brownworth's verbose commentary on China and the
Beijing Olympics echoed George Will's sentiments in his editorial today.
"Victoria Brownworth and George Will? Yikes!!" Victoria Brownworth responds:
Apparently even George Will can be right occasionally. There's no justification
for Bush's cow-towing to China and no excuse for our embracing the human rights
abuses there in the name of beach volleyball. Anyone who thinks otherwise is
really completely out of the humanitarian loop.
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-Noah Greenberg