237 Millionaires in Congress

Politics is profitable. Just ask the Clintons and Rudolph Giuliani. You think you are electing public servants. The joke is on us. Our government is piggy bank for the powerful and well connected. And Congresspeople are part of that corrupt two party system. When they are not going to jail for illegal bribes and getting caught with hookers, they are busy taking legal bribes from big business. Especially after they leave office - if they leave. Oh, getting elected to Congress is basically a lifetime appointment.

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"Even in tough times, it's good to be a lawmaker: According to a report released this week by the Center for Responsive Politics, there are 237 millionaires serving in Congress, according to 2008 figures. That's a slight decline from the previous year, when there were 239 millionaires in the House and Senate. But it still reflects the fact that the average lawmaker is far wealthier than his or her typical constituent. While about one percent of Americans are millionaires, 44 percent of those serving in Congress can claim as much. "The biggest takeaway from all of this is that even thought the collective wealth of members of congress appears to have declined, members of Congress are still so much more wealthy than the average American – and even more wealthy than a lot of wealthy Americans," CRP spokesman Dave Levinthal told Hotsheet."
- 237 Millionaires in Congress - Political Hotsheet - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Suspect in Orlando office shooting had money woes

You can't tell me this wasn't a copy-cat killing. One day after the Fort Hood killings. And once, easy access to guns made this possible. You combine a disgruntled person and guns, with a media that romanticizes mass murder, this is what happens. Killers are almost portrayed as somehow justified. They're in debt or they are being taunted. It almost makes it okay. When the media should be portraying these people as the weak cowards that they are.

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"Suspect in Orlando office shooting had money woes"
- Suspect in Orlando office shooting had money woes (view on Google Sidewiki)

Tom Tancredo Walks Off MSNBC Set Because Of Markos Moulitas (VIDEO)

Shows you how tough Republicans are. They can dish it out but certainly can't take it. Although, it took a blogger to make a Republican politician cry uncle. Democrats haven't shown much of a stomach when it comes standing up to the tea bagging thugs.

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"On MSNBC Friday night, David Shuster (filling in for Ed Shultz) addressed hateful signs at Thursday's Capitol Hill "House call" against health care reform. But the discussion escalated into a fight that led a Republican guest to walk off the set. Former Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo refused to criticize Republican leaders for participating in the event, saying there were equally offensive signs at anti-Bush rallies in the past. He said they should talk about the policy, not the signs. Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitas defended health care reform, pointing out that the military uses government-run health care. Tancredo said veterans complained about their health care and would much rather have a private choice. "Tom, I'm a veteran. Okay?" Moulitas responded. "I did not get a deferment because I was too depressed to fight a war I supported in Vietnam. I'm a veteran. They want a more effective V.A. ..." "You're not going to do that. You're not going to try to insult me that way and then pretend like we're just going on and talk about that. You either apologize ..." When Moulitas did not apologize, Tancredo simply took out his earpiece and walked away."
- Tom Tancredo Walks Off MSNBC Set Because Of Markos Moulitas (VIDEO) (view on Google Sidewiki)

Fort Hood: The Victims

Here is a list of the victims murdered at Fort Hood. There seems to be a unwillingness to call this what it is was - terrorism. The American people should demand an explanation as to how all the warnings were ignored. Yet again. Didn't we learn anything from 9-11?

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"Fort Hood: The Victims"
- Fort Hood: The Victims - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

If ‘They Stop, We’ll Stop,’ Murdoch Says of MSNBC-Fox Feud

Murdoch gave himself away. Now we know for a fact that FOX is run by a thug.

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"Rupert Murdoch says News Corporation will resume its truce with General Electric — if MSNBC stops slinging mud at Mr. Murdoch’s Fox News Channel. Hector Mata/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Rupert Murdoch says Fox News will stop attacking MSNBC if the other channel stops its sniping as well. This contest needs a referee, stat. The two media companies reached a fragile pact to halt personal attacks between the two cable news channels earlier this year. Executives at both companies were said to be fed up with the vicious sniping between Keith Olbermann and Bill O’Reilly, the 8 p.m. hosts on MSNBC and Fox. The feud between those two men sparked a broader rivalry between the top-rated Fox News and the lower-rated MSNBC. After The New York Times reported on the attempts to ease tensions in August, the sniping resumed, but some executives at the companies are still seeking to keep the invective at a minimum. Asked about the feud on a conference call Wednesday, Mr. Murdoch pointed a finger at MSNBC, saying “we did not start this abuse.” But he said the fighting became “personal” and “finally we had to allow people to retaliate.” Then Mr. Murdoch proposed a peace treaty of sorts: “The moment they stop, we’ll stop.”"
- If ‘They Stop, We’ll Stop,’ Murdoch Says of MSNBC-Fox Feud - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Wall St swine flu vaccinations spark uproar

Well obviously the lives of Wall St. bankers are more important than the lives of the average Americans. Why else would we given them hundreds of billions of tax dollars. Especially after they plundered the U.S. economy? Nothing is too good for them. Think of it as more trickle down economics. What's good for Wall St. is good for America. "Greed is good."

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"News that US swine flu vaccines, meant to be prioritized for the nation's most vulnerable, are being distributed to Wall Street firms such as Goldman Sachs, have sparked uproar. The New York Department of Health said Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have applied for supplies of the H1N1 vaccine and are eligible because they are large employers with in-house clinics. With H1N1 vaccines often scarce and populist anger already raging at Wall Street for last year's financial meltdown, the news triggered furor. Anna Burger, secretary-treasurer for the largest US healthcare union, the SEIU, said it was "obscene" that powerful and wealthy private organizations got vaccines when "at-risk Americans are either waiting in line for hours or getting turned away.""
- Wall St swine flu vaccinations spark uproar - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Fort Hood Suspect's Home Searched

This could have been prevented. It is possible this was a terrorist act. In which case, the FBI failed - again - to prevent terrorism on U.S. soil.

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"Military officials were starting Friday to piece together what may have pushed an Army psychiatrist trained to help soldiers in distress to turn on his comrades in a shooting rampage that killed 13 people and wounded 30 in Texas. The suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was on a ventilator and unconscious in a hospital after being shot four times during the shootings at the Army's sprawling Fort Hood, post officials said. In the early chaos after the shootings, authorities believed they had killed him, only to discover later that he had survived. The FBI, local police and other agencies searched Hasan's apartment Thursday night after evacuating the complex in Killeen, said city spokeswoman Hilary Shine. She referred questions about what was found to the FBI. The FBI in Dallas referred questions to a spokesman who was not immediately available early Friday morning."
- Fort Hood Suspect's Home Searched - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Russia: 2 suspects in lawyer, journalist killings

Sounds pretty fishy to me.

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"Russian investigators on Thursday announced the arrests of two suspects in the killings of a human rights lawyer and a journalist who were shot in central Moscow in January. Investigators identified the suspects as a man and woman in their 20s, but gave no details about their motives or suspected roles in the killings of Stanislav Markelov or Anastasia Baburova. In briefing President Dmitry Medvedev on the arrests, the director of Russia's security services suggested the suspects were extreme nationalists. He said they belonged to an armed group that was implicated in a recent killing motivated by ethnic hatred. Markelov, 34, a prominent lawyer whose work had angered nationalists, and Baburova, 25, a journalist walking with him, were shot after leaving a news conference on Jan. 19 in a brazen daytime attack by a lone gunman wearing a stocking-style mask. Russia has seen a string of contract-style killings of human rights workers and journalists in recent years. Few of the killings are ever solved. In the rare case when people suspected of taking part in a killing are brought to trial, the mastermind is rarely identified."
- Russia: 2 suspects in lawyer, journalist killings - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Israel rejects UN vote approving Gaza report

Israel has a history of committing wartime atrocities. But you won't hear about it from the U.S. press or politicians. Don't want to be accused of a being an anti-semite. And if you are a politician and criticize Israel your going to lose your job.

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"Israel said on Friday that a U.N. General Assembly decision to endorse a report accusing the Jewish state of war crimes lacked the support of the world's "moral majority."In a vote Thursday, the General Assembly overwhelmingly approved an Arab-drafted resolution calling on Israel and the Palestinians to conduct "credible" investigations into alleged war crimes committed by both sides during the fighting in Gaza early this year. The motion, drafted by Arab countries, raised the possibility of Security Council action if the sides do not comply.The 192-member world body approved the resolution by a vote of 114-18, with 44 abstentions and 16 countries not voting.Israel launched its offensive against Gaza's militant Hamas rulers in an attempt to halt years of rocket fire at Israeli towns. The fighting killed 13 Israelis and nearly 1,400 Palestinians, many of them civilians."
- Newsvine - Israel rejects UN vote approving Gaza report (view on Google Sidewiki)

Facebook and MySpace users hit by cyber attacks

LIke I said, we need better online protections that involve prosecuting scammers. They target children. This is a nightmare for parents.

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"already being targeted in a malware campaign - are now under threat from a phishing scam. Security specialists Symantec report that the company's systems have picked up fake messages that appear to be sent by the social networking service. Users will receive an email that looks like an official Facebook invite or a password reset confirmation. If a duped user clicks on the 'update' button they will be redirected a fake Facebook site. They will then be asked to enter a password to complete the updating process. As soon as the unwitting Facebook user does this, their password is in the hands of cybercriminals. Dodgy subject lines for the phishing emails are: 'Facebook account update,' New login system' or 'Facebook update tool'. The malware campaign that is still targeting Facebook is also propagated via email. This time, the message looks like a Facebook notification that the recipient's password has been reset. It includes a zip file that, if opened, launches an .exe file, which Symantec's Security Response centre says is a net nasty called Trojan.Bredolab. Once a users' machine is infected by this malware, it secretly dials back to a Russian domain and, Symantec says, "is most likely becoming part of a Bredolab botnet." But it isn't just Facebook that is being lined up by cybercriminals; News Corp's MySpace is also under attack. Potentially dangerous email subject lines to look out for are: 'Myspace Password Reset Confirmation,' 'Myspace office on fire' and 'Myspace was ruined'."
- Facebook and MySpace users hit by cyber attacks - News, Gadgets & Tech - The Independent (view on Google Sidewiki)

Are You Getting Scammed by Facebook Games?

Facebook has a responsibility here. It is easy to be scammed online. And we, with any online accounts, are vulnerable. What we really need is a consumer bill of rights. Online scams are supplanting traditional scams. The laws need to catch up.

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"Mafia Wars, FarmVille, Restaurant City — have become surprisingly effective at diverting timewasters among the social networking crowd. More than 63 million people play FarmVille alone. But now accusations have surfaced that the games can lead some more gullible players, including children, into Internet scams, especially if they have a cell phone."
- Facebook Game Scams Appear on Phone Bills - TIME (view on Google Sidewiki)

NYC mayor's Dem foe might run again

He could've won if Obama, and other high profile Democrats, had come to his support. He was betrayed by his own party. Politicians from both parties are really out for themselves. They will support what they believe to be winners. It's look so many baseball fans who over night became big Yankee fans. Everybody likes a winner. If you are a Democrat you might want remember what happened to Bill Thompson. You party will throw you to the wolves. They are already doing it.

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"The Democrat who came within 50,000 votes of unseating billionaire New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is open to running again and said he's not bitter that many in his party deserted his campaign when it seemed like a long shot.William Thompson Jr. said in an interview with The Associated Press that he isn't ruling out any option for his next move, including a congressional run. Except one - he wouldn't take a job in the next Bloomberg administration."That's the one thing I can rule out - I won't be doing that," he said. Thompson, who relied on donations and matching funds to finance his campaign, said he will likely have spent $9 million on his first mayoral bid when the bills have all been paid.Bloomberg, the richest man in New York with an estimated fortune of $17.5 billion, will likely have poured more than 10 times that into his campaign for a third term.The popular mayor who stomped his Democratic opponent by nearly 20 points in 2005 had been widely predicted to win easily again, by at least 10 points, but he finished with 51 percent to Thompson's 46 percent."
- AP NewsBreak: NYC mayor's Dem foe might run again - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee (view on Google Sidewiki)

Afghan insurgents make wreckage of U.S. armored vehicles

We can't even protect our troops over in Afghanistan. Our superior technology know how seems to be worthless. If Obama can't protect our troops then we need to get out. We had enough of maimed Americans coming home with no legs. Protect our troops or get us out.

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"Taliban-led insurgents in Afghanistan have devised ways to cripple and even destroy the expensive armored vehicles that offer U.S. forces the best protection against roadside bombs by using increasingly large explosive charges and rocket-propelled grenades, according to U.S. soldiers and defense officials.At least eight American troops have been killed this year in attacks on so-called Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles, or MRAPs, and 40 more have been wounded, said a senior U.S. military official who, like others interviewed on the issue, declined to be further identified because of the issue's sensitivity.The insurgents' success in attacking the hulking machines, which can cost as much as $1 million each, underscores their ability to counter the advanced hardware that the U.S. military and its allies are deploying in their struggle to gain the upper hand in the war, which entered its ninth year last month. The attacks also raise questions about how vulnerable a new, lighter MRAP, the M-ATV, which is now being shipped to Afghanistan, are to the massive explosive charges that Taliban-led insurgents have been using against its bigger cousin."
- Afghan insurgents make wreckage of U.S. armored vehicles - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee (view on Google Sidewiki)

Ex-Trenton lobbyist alleges 3-year affair with N.J. Democratic chairman, denies stalking

If you wondered lately what was going on in government. Here's an update.

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"A former Trenton lobbyist, ordered by a court to avoid contact with state Democratic chairman and Assemblyman Joseph Cryan and his family, wants her guilty plea in that case withdrawn, because she claims she was not a stalker but rather had a three-year-long affair with Cryan. Karen Golding, 40, of West Orange, whose sentencing is pending in the case, also claims Cryan (D-Union) used his influence to get stalking, an indictable offense, charged against her, as opposed to a lesser harassment charge, according to a legal motion filed Oct. 29 in Superior Court in Morristown by her attorney, Roy Greenman."
- Ex-Trenton lobbyist alleges 3-year affair with N.J. Democratic chairman, denies stalking | New Jersey Real-Time News - - NJ.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

7 killed in Fort Hood Shooting Spree

America has become one big video game. Except real people are dying. And no one seems understand. We just sit around and watch it unfold on our TVs. And where is this President? Why hasn't he spoken out on gun violence in our society. The reason he is silent is simple: he's afraid of the gun lobby. Just like most every other politician in America.

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"Seven people have been killed and at least 12 injured after a shooter opened fire on Fort Hood Thursday afternoon. Fort Hood officials say one person is in custody but are asking people to stay away from windows. We've learned an incident has taken place at the sports dome, now known as the soldier readiness area. The Nolanville Fire Department tells News Channel 25 that they've been asked to bring all available EMS and Rescue personnel. Darnall Army Community Hospital reports they have received numerous victims. The spokeswoman could not confirm what types of injuries the victims were suffering."
- 7 killed in Fort Hood shooting spree - KXXV-TV News Channel 25 - Central Texas News and Weather for Waco, Temple, Killeen | (view on Google Sidewiki)

Rihanna interviewed on Good Morning America

See the video of her interview on GMA.

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"Rihanna's Good Morning America video from Thursday, November 5, 2009, has been released by ABC. Watch Rihanna's first part of her interview with Diane Sawyer played on Good Morning America today here on ABC's website."When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result into some young girl getting killed -- I could not be easy with that," Rihanna said on GMA. "I am strong. This happened to me. I didn't cause this. I didn't do it."That's how today's portion of Rihanna's Good Morning America segment opened, with the Barbados beauty morphing into tears only when she described how much her decision to briefly return to Chris Brown may have affected the young girls who look up to the star."
- Rihanna Good Morning America video: Here's Rihanna Good Morning America video to watch online (view on Google Sidewiki)

Transcript: Fox News' Interview With David Axelrod (11-4-09)

Complete transcript. Excerpt below:

Fox News: The president's decision on Afghanistan is still a few weeks away. Will the country know before Thanksgiving?

Axelrod: I'm not going to, Major, give you a precise deadline. The president is working through the options focusing on the objective that he began with and will continue to focus on which is how do you best disrupt, dismantle, and destroy Al Qaeda and how do you embrace a strategy in Afghanistan that best facilitates that and he'll make a decision soon based on a thoughtful review of all the options.

Fox News: Based on the deployment schedules communicated to the president will he have sufficient time to be prepared for the spring?

Axelrod: Absolutely I think that, you know, the troops that he ordered in March are just now completing their arrival and the next troops would not be due there until the spring and summer and he has time to make this decision and do it in a thoughtful way.

Fox News: To those who ask me via Twitter and other mechanisms why it's taking so long, what's the answer?

Axelrod: The answer is that whenever you deploy troops and make decisions relative to war you ought to make them based on the best information and get the strategy right, make sure that the strategy serves your goals and that you're making the right decisions and he owes that to the service men and women who are going, he owes that to their families, and he owes it to the American people.

Fox News: Health care - the goal is Christmas. Is it a realistic goal soft preference or hard demand for this White House?

Axelrod: We want to get this done. It's been a long process. A lot of good work has been done. We're very close to finishing and a lot of the delay right now has to do with the Congressional Budget Office reviewing the Senate proposal and scoring it for cost and impact and so on. And that's delayed the process. You've got holidays in the way and so on. But we hope that the Senate will work through and get it done. The House seems to be on a more expedited schedule so we have the ability to get this done and we'd like to get it done.

U.N. to evacuate hundreds of staff from Afghanistan

Abandoning ship. Looks a lot like the final days of Vietnam.

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"The United Nations said on Thursday it would start evacuating hundreds of its international staff from Afghanistan after an attack by Taliban militants last month killed five foreign staff. U.N. spokesman Aleem Siddique said the United Nations would relocate about 600 of its roughly 1,100 international staff in total, with some being moved to safer sites within Afghanistan while the rest would be withdrawn from the country. "The United Nations has been in Afghanistan for half a century and we are not about to leave now. The Afghan people want us to stay,""
- U.N. to evacuate hundreds of staff from Afghanistan - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Mom gets jail after teen rides in box atop van

What the hell is going on in this country? What would make this sick puppy think this was ok? Did no one notice?

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"A woman pleaded guilty and will spend five days in jail after letting her daughter ride in a cardboard box on top of their van. The judge ordered Jackie Knott to 90 days jail time, of which she will serve only five days. WAFF reported Tuesday that the 37-year-old Knott admitted endangering the welfare of a child. The sentence began immediately and she also has to complete 40 hours of community service, attend a parenting class and driving school followed by two years probation. Albertville police arrested Knott last month after concerned drivers called police when they saw the 13-year-old in the box. Knott reportedly told police the box wouldn't fit inside the van so her daughter was sitting inside to weigh it down on the roof. The teen was not hurt."
- Mom gets jail after teen rides in box atop van (view on Google Sidewiki)

China activist risks jail with letter to Obama

I'm sorry, you're on your own. China can do whatever they want without repercussions or even criticism. Remember the snubbing of the Dalai Lama?

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"China activist risks jail with letter to Obama"
- Newsvine - China activist risks jail with letter to Obama (view on Google Sidewiki)