A case for influence peddling: one of many?

Republican Senator John Hoeven (R) ND, one of 44 Senators, to challenge the U.S. Constitution

The Chattanoogan.com

Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), David Vitter (R-La.) and a total of 44 senators, including Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, announced on Monday that they will introduce legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project under Congress’ authority enumerated in the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8.

Senators Hoeven, Lugar and the other senators have been working with colleagues in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to ensure that this vital project is advanced.

I have written much about the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline.   The lingering push for the pipeline recently drew a questions from many people, “what is the push from the Right all about?”.  Why would John Boehner invite managers from two Midwest refineries to the SOTU Speech as his guests?  Why is the GOP so fired-up about a pipeline that will cut in half  the transcontinental beauty of our nation with a man-made object that will undoubtedly sit large enough to be seen from Mars.  Of much mores significance, and during a week when BP was informed it cannot defray the legal damages off to other culpable organizations, we receive word a Republican Senator will propose legislation to usurp our president’s non-support for the pipeline.

Reuters is reporting on plans from the office of Senator John Hoeven (R) North Dakota to introduce pipeline legislation.

Here again, the GOP steps up with a big business, Big Oil, special interest issues while showing a willingness to attach such issues to human issues from the Left.  The following will not surprise you, but the it certainly speaks to the complete state of “Lost” from the GOP.

Reuters…..

Republicans have made the pipeline and its construction jobs a key political issue in the run-up to the 2012 presidential election.

Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives also are considering legislation to advance the project, and have not ruled out attaching it to payroll tax cut legislation that needs to pass Congress by the end of February.

The GOP continues use  ’GOP doctrine items’ , as fodder for negotiations when it comes to issues that benefit the middle and lower income earners.  We hear their argument, about how the Keystone XL Pipeline will generate jobs. Yet, Cornell University’s Labor Study shows  results that directly contradicts the jobs estimates from the GOP.  Trans Canada predicts the project will provide 20,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs, the GOP quotes the same number.

I posit the GOP’s interest in the pipeline is far more related to lobbying and political contributions than the prospect of actual good for our nation.   The Guardian published the following list of top ranking members of Congress who receive (ed) large amounts of contribution from the Oil & Gas Industry.  Here is the Guardian link and the list.

Rank of Oil & Gas as a Contributing Interest Group

Name / Vote on HR 1938 [the act to "direct the president to expedite the consideration and approval of the construction and operation of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, and for other purposes"] / Total contributions from oil lobby ( July 1, 2009 – 30 June 30, 2011)

1 – Rep. Steven Pearce [Republican] / AYE / $370,020

2 – Rep. Mike Pompeo [R] / AYE / $333,156

3 – Rep. Bill Flores [R] / AYE / $266,184

4 – Rep. Cory Gardner [R] / AYE / $205,124

5 – Rep. Dan Boren [D] / AYE / $201,800

6 – Rep. John Sullivan [R] / AYE / $179,200

7 – Rep. Jeff Landry [R] / AYE / $176,050

8 – Rep. Tim Griffin [R] / AYE / $164,709

9 – Rep. James Lankford [R] / AYE / $156,760

10 – Rep. Rick Berg [R] / AYE / $151,561

11 – Rep. Michael Conaway [R] / AYE / $136,850

12 – Rep. Tim Murphy [R] / AYE / $133,700

13 – Rep. Dennis Rehberg [R] / AYE / $133,152

14 – Rep. Steve Scalise [R] / AYE / $125,335

15 – Rep. Francisco Canseco [R] / AYE / $121,767

16 – Rep. Pete Olson [R] – AYE – $106,400

17 – Rep. Tom Cole [R] / AYE / $103,400

Ah, but John Hoeven was one of the newly elected 2010 members of the House who came to office via the Tea party, the Kochs, Freedom Works, Dick Armey and others.  He is not on the list, you say?

Granted,  he is not on the list but let’s take a at Hoeven:

OpenSecrets.org

John Hoeven

First Elected : 2010

Assumed office:  January 3, 2011

Political party	Republican Party (2000–present)
Other political affiliations	Democratic Party (Before 2000)

What entities contribute to Senator Hoeven?

Top 5 Contributors, 2007-2012, Campaign Cmte

Contributor	Total	Indivs	PACs
Murray Energy	$36,431	$26,431	$10,000
Xcel Energy	$23,000	$15,500	$7,500
Hess Corp	$21,600	$21,600	$0
NorPAC	$19,700	$14,700	$5,000
Berkshire Hathaway	$19,000	$3,000	$16,000

view more data (You must click here)

Top 5 Industries, 2007-2012, Campaign Cmte

Industry	Total	Indivs	PACs
Oil & Gas	$263,289	$151,289	$112,000
Retired	$228,600	$228,600	$0
Leadership PACs	$147,900	$1,000	$146,900
Mining	$147,231	$84,481	$62,750
Insurance	$143,100	$41,050	$102,050

…view more data (You must click here)

Total Raised vs. Average Raised

Cycle Source of Funds, 2007-2012, Campaign Cmte only

	Individual Contributions  - Small Individual Contributions - Large Individual Contributions	$2,339,929(60%) $277,430  (7%) $2,062,498 (53%)
	PAC Contributions	$1,288,203	(33%)
	Candidate self-financing	$130,626	(3%)
	Other	$128,293	(3%)

See OpenSecrets.org Note:  Information about posted data

Credit  for this data should go to the Center for Responsive Politics. 

The following information is reflected in the links above, but since some do not prefer to visit links, please take note of the following small individual contributions.  It seems Senator Hoeven receives support from the Koch Family.

Federal Election Commissions Filings and filing numbers.

KOCH, ANNA B

WICHITAKS 67214

10/18/2010

2400.00

WESLEY MEDICAL CENTER/NURSE

10021011887

KOCH, C CHASE

WICHITAKS 67201

09/13/2010

2400.00

KOCH NITROGEN COMPANY/VICE PRESIDE

10020704469

Of course, the tabled contributions are individual contributions that appears to be legal and maxed-out for individual contributions.  There is no question about legitimate contributions to candidates.  However, the names of the contributors are supportive of the prospect that more thousands (in contributions) could have been (and probably were ) contributed via the secretive world of Citizens United.  The following link from OpenSecrets.org sheds light on the shadowy Koch Empire.  The real question is, “do the names listed just about provide the basis for  syllogism about contributions which could provide impetus for politicians like Hoeven?”   Syllogism?  Yes, how could the depicted contributions impact a sitting representative?  Even though the picture is obvious and not new to US politics (nor politics world-wide) let’s take a quick run through the syllogism.

[A + B will then lead to "C"]

A. Contributions to a particular member of Congress could lead to legislation favorable to the contributing person or organization.

B. Contributions support prospects of re-election.

C. Contributions then could lead to representative placing the desires of the financial supporter over the good of the nation and possible against their better judgment.

If  the Oil  and Gas Industry provide significant capital for congressional campaign hoppers, would said contributions provide impetus,  support a particular member of Congress and his/her chances for re-election, and will that member of congress join-in sponsoring legislation against the Constitutional powers of the President of the United States of America?

The real tragedy about influence-peddling and contribution absorption is its benefits to special interest and how it impacts everyday citizens such as you and me.  Another shameful 1% influence over our legislatures, is the potential damage to the nation that could outlive anyone reading this piece or anyone  ”on the take” in congress.

It is sad that legislators such as Hoeven could not spend their energy and effort in providing real jobs on a large and more permanent scale.  The answer lies in the Citizens United ‘open-door to remaining in office’ supreme Court decision.   People cannot and do not contribute to campaigns at the same level as special interest groups, lobbyist and Super PACs.

While it is impossible to say definitively that Hoeven is an influence buying recipient, but the data above should give ’cause for concern’.

President Obama should continue  review of the Keystone Pipeline and its potential impact on the nation (good or bad) as long as it take to make a ” proper” decision.  He should also not allow the payroll tax and other programs to be used as fodder  in considerations/negotiation related to the Keystone XL Pipeline .

The 112th US Congress should do more to provide job opportunity for far more of the population than so much time and energy what appears to be an ‘influenced-peddled’ project.

Additional Resources:

The New Fuelist

The Keystone XL Influence Scandal

Keystone XL Pipeline

OPenSecrets.org Oil & Gas (Rick Perry and Mitch McConnell named as benefactors)

Theprogressivesinfluence.com (Cornell University review of Keystone jobs)

US House of Representatives Bill

Politician Veracity: “Pants on Fire”

“Facts are stubborn things.“< Ronald Reagan

The following exercise and treatise was developed as a year-end project for the site.  Unfortunately, the decision to develop the work came about late in December. A permission (to use) request from Politifacts prior to publishing the work was caught-up in holiday season time-off.  I received permission this morning.  Here, you are and have some fun with this piece.

Happy New Year!

As we close out 2011, I thought about what sort of year-end summary should I develop. A summary which would be both informative (for me at least) and fun was important. 

I write a monthly Absurdity Award (AKA, the DUMBASS), but I noticed the work has not been accomplished since August . So, I could not use that opportunity to close with a “year-end”  winner of the DUMBASS AWARD.  I will re-engage the DUMBASS starting in January 2012.

My quest for a year-end review took me to a place that I have been very much angry about since Mid-December: Politifacts.  Yes, Politifacts  ”most noticeable 2011 false claim” was the Democratic Party’s ‘Seniors anti-healthcare’ campaign. The distinctions still festers a bit. That arguable award aside, Politifacts provides a month-to-month chronological set of investigative details I could not resist.

The following information represented two critical facts.  First, it shows what the idle mind will do when it is not occupied with work (Holiday Break). Second, and more important, Politifacts does not delve into every opportunity for investigation. I will admit that I am not aware of what criteria the site uses for its research and opinions, but 99 % of the time, I find their analysis accurate.

With those two opportunities (time and source) available to me, I decided to do the following quick review. 

A word before the data. It should be noted, any information factored into this work is based on comment from either political party, officeholder, or candidate for office.  The Politifacts information is not a poll, the site accomplishes its work via the number and level of notable comments they feel are worthy of investigation. It would have been good to know an approximate number of comments Politifacts investigated  throughout the year; but the information is not available (to me).  

Congressional wealth and income disparity

Get elected to Congress become a Beverly Hillbilly!

As reported by MSNBC and based on an article from the Washington Post w/ Bloomberg website, the US Congress has become the land of Jed Clampett, Granny, Ellie Mae and Jethro (The Beverly Hillbillies). Once elected to office a Congressional Representative, with a few reelections, rest assured of riches. The Washington Post article, includes information about the growing income disparity between average Americans and the people we vote into the House and Senate of the US Congress.

On December 26, Peter Whoriskey published the article   which craftily depicts how a steel worker left his shift one day and told his wife he was running for Congress. After winning an election and entering the congress in 1975, (and many years later) Myers ‘slice of life’ increased materially to the point of the following quote.

“My mother and I used to joke we were like the Beverly Hillbillies when we rolled into McLean, and we really were,” said Michele Myers, the congressman’s daughter, now 46. “My dad was driving this awful lime-green Ford Maverick, and I bought my clothes at Kmart.

ANONYMOUS!!!!!

Anonymous strikes out at the National Defense Authorization Act.  The bill was passed by the Senate in an  86 Senators in a bipartisan  vote (13 voted against,one Senator abstained from the vote.)

Can anyone remember a time citizens clearly do not wish certain legislation or measures and the Federal government pushes the legislation forward anyway? The Anonymous information ’dump‘, may not have any desired effect beyond irritating the legislators, but it is a form of protest. It seems the powerful in the nation are only responding (albeit it in small ways) to protests.

Keystone XL: JOBS? Pants of Fire! How About 1% (Percent-ism)?

Keystone XL & the Midwest Grain Belt

Since the first thing you saw when you opened to this article was the map above, you should have noticed something very dire.  The proposed Keystone Pipeline, as planned, cuts directly across the U.S. heartland. The heartland is a veritable grain-belt which feeds the nation and many nations across the globe.  It also serves as an agricultural-economic foundation for the nation.

BP, Trans Ocean and Halliburton tragically showed dangers of fossil fuel extraction technology. How many times did we hear BP executives say, “this should not have happened”.  Are we to believe the Trans Canada CEO, as he claims the industry is predominately free of damaging accidents? (also linked below “take”)

I am no oceanographer nor am I a scientist, but I believe an oil spill in the mid-west would take far longer to overcome than an ocean spill.  Of course, no one really knows the long-term effect of major ocean spills, but there is something about the regenerative forces of oceans compared to the destructive contamination of land spills (ruined water tables, unrecoverable land, and destroyed farm land.)

Lest we forget the GOP generally has less interest in the previous points. Yet, the party seems hell-bent on  proliferation of the ‘lie’ about jobs.  Let’s take a brief look at Keystone XL Jobs.

Switchboard.nrdc 

The Republican party, Trans Canada, and the oil industry have been promoting the Keystone XL pipeline promising jobs.   The numbers they promise are all over the map ranging anywhere from between 13,000 to 100,000 jobs created.  In some cases, Trans Canada has claimed a staggering 250,000 jobs permanent will be created.  These jobs benefits have been significantly exaggerated – and discredited.

Independent studies by the University of Cornell Labor Institute and the State Department further confirmed by the Washington Post report that actual job creation numbers are much much lower.

The number of temporary construction jobs created over the two year period the pipeline will be built will be no more than 6,000 jobs according to the Secretary of State.  The Cornell Labor Institute puts that temporary construction job figure to be closer to 2,500-4,650 jobs.

The number of permanent jobs created by the pipeline are as low as 20 according to the State Department.  Even the pipeline company Trans Canada has admitted the pipeline will only create“hundreds” of permanent jobs.

University of Cornell Labor Institute

Pipe Dreams? Jobs Gained, Jobs Lost

By the Construction of Keystone XL  (A report by Cornell University GLobal Labor Institute)

The purpose of this briefing paper is to examine claims made by
Trans Canada Corporation and the American Petroleum Institute that,
if constructed, TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline
will generate enough employment to kick-start important sections of
the US economy through the creation of tens of thousands—perhaps
even hundreds of thousands—of good, well-paying jobs for American
workers.

The report is relatively brief but a more focused information map will help.

KXL will generate 2,500-4,650 construction                                                                                              Jobs                                                                                                                                     Page 7

Most jobs created will  be temporary and non-LocaL                                Page 8

The data places John Boehner’s claim of 15,000 to 20,000 jobs from Keystone Pipeline construction is ‘pure bunk’ basket.

Another ‘take‘ on Keystone includes information about  ’big oil’ and ‘big energy’ will gain much more from its construction than the U.S. job Market.

The GOP first has no productive business linking the XL Pipeline to bills related to improving the economy or providing assistance to people.  The Party really is the Party of  self-serving Moguls like the Koch Brothers.

Additionally, there is no way the GOP Trans Canada’s CEO, or any expert can assure of pipeline operations free of spills.

Boehner and company are merely pandering to special interest and playing self-serving “Anti-Obama’ politics.

They do so at our expense!

Public Swimming Pool…. Whites Only (State’s Rights Anyone?)

1955? (NO) 1960?(NO) 1965?(NO) 2011 (YES)!!!

The 24/7 cable news channels (with a possible exception for one such network) are running a story about a Cincinnati, Ohio ‘landlord’.  The building owner may have violated federal  Fair Housing Laws and possibly violated other Civil Liberties laws.  The landlord was found on the wrong side of equal opportunity laws for hanging a sign near a swimming pool that read “Whites Only”. Apparently, Ms. Jamie Hein feels that the equal rights commission’s ruling of  ’guilt’ was wrong; she is appealing the ruling.

Details about the case ‘so’ remind of days long past.  Even more tragic is how anyone in the nation could feel our world has changed such that it is acceptable to so blatantly practice racism and overt ‘PROPERTY OWNER” right to segregate people. (Caps for Congressmen Ron and Rand Paul).  Regardless of your perception of the  following details or my perception of the details, Hein is a racist.  Her actions are no different from the ‘in-your-face’ (state’s rights) racism and discrimination of segregationist like Lester Maddox (Georgia) George Wallace (Alabama), J. P. Coleman (Mississippi), Luther Hodges (North Carolina), and Leroy Collins (Florida). She made the decision to restrict the interaction among people based solely on race or related issues that separate people based on race.

Times NEWS FEED…. (details from this past June)

Michele Bachmann’s Latest Gaffe

Cross posted from http://www.addictinginfo.org

November 30, 2011

By The Pardu

Embassy in Iran?

 

Huffington Post is reporting on the latest, verbal SNAFU from Michele Bachmann.

Michele Bachmann told supporters in Iowa on Wednesday of her lofty plans for American diplomacy, claiming that a Bachmann presidency would mean no U.S. embassy in Iran.

Considering the recent hostility in the Iranian capital of Tehran against the British embassy, the comment might not seem particularly out of place – if not for the fact that the U.S. hasn’t actually had a functioning embassy in Iran since 1980.

OK, when a writer can find no words for the moment, it might be hard to classify this as a gaffe. Let’s see….

Merriam-Webster.com

Definition of GAFFE

1: a social or diplomatic blunder

2: a noticeable mistake

OK, so it is a gaffe! Yet, I am really concerned we have a new word brewing. Is Michele Bachmann joining Rick Perry in a unique category of ‘GAFFEDOLTED?’

These verbal ‘bomblets’ are becoming seriously embarrassing even for one whose universal existence is, “living liberal,”  How can any one consider themselves a serious supporter of people like Bachmann, Perry, and Cain?

 

 

Huntsman Uncharacteristically Jumps Under the Cain Bus

Cross posted from http://www.Addictinginfo.org

November 30, 2011

By The Pardu

“We’ve got real issues to talk about, not the latest bimbo eruption,” 

With probable good intent Jon Huntsman, a trailing aspirant for the GOP presidential nomination, spoke in very uncharacteristic language recently, according to Huffington Post. Good intent does not always equate to use of good judgment. Huntsman’s mis-speak may draw the ire of people who feel that the Cain issue is s serious matter. In fact, the comment may draw fire from people who feel Huntsman spoke in demeaning sexist terms.

Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman characterized the allegations of an extramarital affair surrounding fellow candidate Herman Cain as a “bimbo eruption” in an interview with the Boston Herald editorial board Tuesday.

Unemployment A GOP Trojan Horse and a President’s Achilles Heel!

If you think charts and graphs are boring, you might pass on this article. If you care for a picture of how unemployment might hurt President Obama’s reelection, you should probably deal with the charts and think about the images they convey. The Republicans are not going to help with the nation’s economy because the economy is their political leverage for 2012. If you know Bush/Cheney was bad, think about the prospects for 2012.

Occupy Wall Street is making committed sacrifices, at least you and me can, “Educate, Postulate and Agitate”.

Unemployment in the United States remains at the 9.0% level.  High unemployment levels have been election killers for all past administration with above 7.0 percent unemployment.  It is  impossible today to find any media without hosts and pundits are not  discussing the possible election doom of the Obama Administration.

The Rights Principles Revisited?

Elizabeth Warren attacked by vulgar Tea Party mouth-piece (Video below)

During the summer of 2009, FreedomWorks and other Right-wing politics groups  unleashed an unprecedented political strategy on our ‘free nation’: The RIGHT Principles and planned disruption of open communication (between government officials and ‘the people“) comparable to totalitarian societies.

It was a summer to remember.

Earlier the president had proposed healthcare reform.  Congress was in the midst   of either deliberating or resisting health care reform, depending on your perspective.   The Congress and Senate were out-of-session.  Our federally elected officials were home for their extended summer break.  It was a time for a normal summer break, or at least Democrats in the Congress and Senate thought.