Bush Appointee Breaks the Law While Helping McCain Fundraise
By SilentPatriot Saturday Jun 21, 2008 6:50pmLooks like McCain's maverick ways are rubbing off on others and causing them to do some crazy things... like, say, break the law.
WaPo:
A Canadian newspaper reported Thursday that Friday's scheduled $100-a-plate luncheon speech by Sen. John McCain in Ottawa was organized in part by U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins, a former South Carolina lawmaker whom President Bush appointed in 2005.
Democrats pointed out the article late Thursday night, and alleged that Wilkins's actions could be construed as a violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits many kinds of political activities by government employees.
This ties in nicely with Scott McClellan's testimony today. The main theme of his book is that this White House operates in a "permanent campaign mode," where every action they take is politically calculated to help GOP electoral prospects. We saw it with the clueless Lurita Doan and we see it now with David Wilkins: It doesn't matter if there are laws on the books prohibiting certain conduct; if it helps get Republicans elected, do it. And it appears that if it helps fill McCain's empty coffers, he doesn't have much of a problem with it either.
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FYI - The capital of Canada is spelled Ottawa.
The agency responsible for investigating Hatch Act violations (OSC) is in shambles. Therefore, this important story merits a polite "Yawn" because absolutely nothing will come of it.
Color me shocked, a Republican breaking the law...
McCain knows that the FEC is on permanent vacation so the cat is away and John "Mighty Mouse" McCain is playing. This is what happens when criminals like Laurita Dune, and Monica Goodling, and Karl Rove, Josh Bolton, Harriet Miers, Lewis Libby, and Dick Cheney are not punished for crimes when everybody knows that they have committed them.
PS Canadians are excellent spellers.
So what are they going to do about it? Let me guess.
Wonder if the Harper Cabinet's gonna do anything about it? My guess: they'll do just as much as the McPapen campaign. The Canadian PM is a Bush Clone.
And I didn't realize that people would try to half-ass being Niccolo Machiavelli...and then get caught. The Bush Administration is the most incompetent, bungling, idiotic bunch of asshats this country has ever elected. They even beat Harding and Grant!
Obama's campaign better be SCREAMING about this. Every one of them every time they are on TV should bring this and the other campaign financing law McLawbreaker has broken. What do yoiu think would be happening if Obama did this? Where is Howard Dean on this?
I am very bitter about this.
As for which party is the most corrupt and less faithful to their wives, the repugnants win hands down.
But, Obama still has a funny name.
General_Rennenkampf @ 5:
They don't care.
Dr. (Hussein) Matt @ 8:
And he has two black children from his relationship with a black woman.
and what part of mcfuckhead is NOT like bush........
well that would be NONE.
Gee-freakedy-whiz, my home state is batting zero today! First Lindsey (Honey) Graham embarasses himself on national television (for the 3,000th + time), now some ambassador I never heard of embarassing us in Canada of all places?
You`d think that livberal bloggers would be worldly enough n have enough respect for their Northern neighbors to at lease spell Ottawa correctly. Oh yeah, It ìs not American so who gives a f**k!
I find it surprising that McCain is actively seeking funds from people in a foreign country. It is my understanding that it is against the law for non-US citizens to contribute to American campaigns. It seems interesting though that the rate-per-plate fee is just less than the minimum donation at which a campaign has to itemize donations.
I found this article about foreign donors interesting.
Megan McCains blog,
We went overseas today to see our friend Canada. Mom let Dad use the plane if he promised not to try and fly it. Not since his staff gave him that movie Crash for fathers day.
So after I was done in the Blue Jay’s dressing room I met Dad upstairs where He and mom were lighting up Cubans with $100. bills and the ambassador was holding the lighter. The press that traveled with us was nowhere to be seen until flight time when they showed up with a lot of junk food and an elderly lady by the name of Flame that claimed to be an old friend from Florida. She works in the underground ballet industry.
This is awesome back home and no customs.
silentpatriot......you bring up a very important point that i believe some people overlook.......this is the strategy of(NEOCONS) being three steps ahead of the dems./opposing reps....regarding every move, policy/issue/meeting/public appearance everything has been calculated for votes and policy.....it's a continuum i've never seen anything really like it in my life time. every angle and possibility is calculated...and sometimes they surprised law makers by just disregarding the law altogether.....even that is a calculated move cause and effect hypothesis
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 4:
I'll take a whack at it. Write a letter?
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 9:
Jymn @ 13:
@Jymn:
It wasn't C&L that misspelled it, it was the Washington Post. Following in the footsteps of the UK media, I see. Next thing you know, there'll be an article about all the people in the US that believe MLK was a myth. I mean already 1/5 of the country believes in geocentrism...
@Captain Obama's Bitter Half Hussein Kangaroo:
They may not...but I do. We don't need a repeat of bad presidencies of the past now. And we've been having that for the past 8 years.
I also found it odd that a fundraiser for a US Presidential candidate would be in a foreign country.
Judge @ 19:
So do I. Evidently geography education hasn't just been bad in the post-60s era.
General_Rennenkampf @ 18:
I care as well but they see "And we've been having that for the past 8 years" and that is why they don't care. I sure hope that Americans wake the fuck up this year.
Bush Appointee Breaks the Law While Helping McCain Fundraise
Bush Appointee Breaks the Law While Helping McCain
Bush Appointee Breaks the Law While Helping
Bush Appointee Breaks the Law While Helping McCain Fundraise
Bush Breaks the Law
Almost Haiku, ain't it?
Judge @ 19:
He also had a fund raiser in England a couple months ago on his way back from a shopping trip to Iraq.
Notice the illegal fund raiser was not held in the US. Look McCain is losing and with a corrupt White House and paid Law Makers nothing will happen. Americans had no problem knowing Bush/Cheney were cheating and lying to get in office twice. When I visited Ottawa it was interesting to hear questions as to why the American People allowed Bush to steal the White House twice. Canada should follow the rest of the World Leaders and use the US for all it's worth while idiots are still in office. The Saudis are laughing all the way to the bank. Iran is selling the US oil as the White House propaganda department makes Americans think we don't do business with Iran. Halliburton's CEO Dick Cheney has been doing business with Iran since 2000 and still going strong. It's so easy for the White House to continue to do the crimes as Americans believe what ever the White House says. I love to hear Charlie Gibson defend McCain and attack Obama. He must need that extra money the GOP is giving him.
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 21:
Another four years of George Bush-style governance would put us on the fast-track to a Qing Dynasty-style collapse.
We keep spending like there's no tomorrow with nonexistent money, we'll not be the only ones paying for it, 6.6 billion people will pay for it.
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 23:
that's not chaaaange we can count on.........now shit eating grin........it's a huge snow job mcBlame
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 23:
Again, geography education must have been just as bad when McPapen was in High School. A pretty damned long ways away from Peoria, the UK is.
P @ 14:
p,
I was going to say the same thing. Obama's fundraising capacity really has them in fits, apparently.
Speaking of Canada, in a lengthy newspaper article today, the outgoing CEO of a local health organization wholeheartedly endorses a universal health care system for the U.S.
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 4:
(((((((((((((((((( crickets )))))))))))))))))))))))))
WC @ 28:
That would be good. We have far too many people unable to have access to hospitals, and in a nation of 300+ million people, that's a very scary thing. Imagine an epidemic like the bird flu sweeping through with that scenario, and you'll see what I mean.
General_Rennenkampf @ 20:
Perhaps McCain has watched the movie Meet The Robinsons one too many times; in the future, the main character says he's from Canada, and another character corrects him by saying something like "You mean northern Montana. It hasn't been called Canada in years."
The Who comes to mind,"Meet the new boss, Same as the old boss!"
WC @ 31:
Nah, I think he just has the average American's understanding of Canada: Big National Park north of the border.
Canadians are pretty cool, and a North American state with the Westminister system is always a plus. Considering how our system...works...in Mexico (understandably, our interference is a big reason for its...malfunctions), the presence of two (seemingly) functional states in North America is always good.
MSM is staking out Buddhist monasteries and can't be bothered with this.
Relevance Rating - 10
Interest Rating - 10
Chance of Seeing It In the MSM - ZERO
Attila the Trollop, King of Beer, Second to None @ 34:
Are those monasteries Theravada or Mahayana? j/k
It's not incompetence, don't let the Republicans and their lapdog media convince you of that. The Bush regime has been the most effective right wing government we've ever had in terms of implementing their ideological agenda. The problem is that Republicanism looks like incompetence when put into practice. Their goal is to make government so repellent they can convince the public that it doesn't work. John McCain promises more of the same.
Yes, its spelled "Ottawa". How would you feel if we spelled your capital "Warshington"!!
Secondly, I'll lay to dollars to donuts that our Prime Minister was there licking McCain's boots.
Disgusting...thoroughly and utterly...disgusting!!!
shaddomagg @ 38:
Check out the link to the original article. The Warshington Post misspelled Ottawa as well.
shaddomagg @ 38:
Snowball @ 37:
@ Snowball:
If they convince people it doesn't work, doesn't that make them out of a job?
@ Shaddomagg:
Don't look at me, it's not my fault our newspapers rival the UK's in stupidity. The mother country seems just as stupid as we are.
Is McCain holding these fundraisers for Americans abroad?
He held a big money fundraiser in England not too long ago too.
Is there some loophole that foreigners can make political donations to candidates, but only as long as the fundraisers are held on foreign soil that I've never heard of before?
How can he raise campaign money in foreign countries and keep getting away with it?
The only way it could be legal is if the donors were American citizens and the article I read about the England fundraiser mentioned English Aristocrats that attended that were British citizens... I just don't get how this is legal?
MichiganGirl @ 41:
McLawbreaker doesn't care and neither should you.
Congress will ignore their responsibility and do nothing. Democratic leadership needs to be changed to someone who will abide by the constitution and do oversight.
General_Rennenkampf @ 30:
What was especially delicious about the article is that on the front page the paper also had an article about our U.S. House Rep and his challenger (both Repubs) and how they are both health care industry insiders (incumbent is a health care business owner, challenger is a retired obstetrician/gynecologist) and they both are against a universal H/C plan. It was indeed a rare moment of what I guess the very conservative newspaper would consider a balanced viewpoint.
More political news:
NYTimes: Staten Island G.O.P. Candidate Dies
Washington Post: Obama Targets "Enron Loophole"
WC @ 44:
Heh, why are we the only First World nation to deny our citizens health care, hmm? Do we hate our citizens or something?
I wonder if "fundraisers" for McSame are scheduled in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and THE GREEN ZONE IN BAGHDAD?
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 23:
They use the $5 rugs to decorate the hall that the stupid old fuck , surrounded by a goddamn brigade of the US' finest along with a couple of tanks and several fighter helicopters , weaseled out of the desperate Iraqi people ?
CowboyBob in Austin @ 47:
Our military men and women don't have enough to worry about without adding to their burden by foisting a lying stupid old sack of shit upon them for a photo op again ?
Wow, that's journalism at it's finest. A fundraiser in Ottowa Kanuckistan, or is it Kanata? Kanadduh? Where do Ahmerikun journalists go to skool?
We can bitch all we want, but, while we have gutless democrats in office, the republicans will continue to do this and more and get away with it. Where are the Democrats in all this? Why are they not all over the air waves pushing for the Justice Dept. to look into this? When is this country going to start sending these assholes to jail? We have become a nation of idiots with these republicans. No different than a banana republic!
Nope, they have more lucrative careers waiting for them in the corporate world after they've done the dirty work of dismantling government, rendering it useless as an instrument of democratically regulating corporations.
gonzalez @ 50:
Perhaps you forget who's in control of the Justice Dept.
Snowball @ 52:
We need a more active approach.
Snowball @ 51:
How exactly would a government-by-corporations work? Some sort of new Feudalism? The idea of the corporations governing directly is ridiculous, primarily because as far as I can see, they have no apparatus with which to do it, unless somehow they were to revive Feudal serfdom. Don't get me wrong, that certainly is one explanation of how President Anti-Midas could be this stupid, but I don't see how a corporation-system is possible.
Wow, we have really become jaded haven't we? I guess 8 years of the Bush White House will do that.
A particularly annoying part of the coverage of McCain's speech here in Canada is the way reporters talked about NAFTA as if it were just a trade pact. It's more than that - as the Metalclad/Mexico case illustrates. But acknowledging that it's about more than sending trinkets across borders wouldn't help the news media help McCain make his case that re-examining NAFTA is a terrible idea.
gonzalez @ 51:
Perhaps it's time for Americans to at least consider that maybe, just maybe, the Dems are not spineless, but equal partners with the Repubs. Maybe there are no good guys vs. bad guys at all.
Jackie @ 24, what an excellent post. I agree, Canada is in a position to pressure the US in many ways. Unfortunately, it will never happen with our little Bush lapdog Stephen Harper in charge.
Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau would be horrified to see what is happening to both of our countries.
General_Rennenkampf @ 55:
I don't know where you get the idea that corporations don't control the levers of our government through bought and paid for politicians. If you don't think it's possible, you're completely daft. Ever hear of the Military Industrial Complex? How about Dick Cheney's energy task force that divided up Iraq's oil amongst Big Energy corporations before the invasion of Iraq? Who writes the trade deals? Corporate lobbyists. Who has Bush put in control of every regulatory agency? Corporate lobbyists who will go back to the corporate world after they've rendered those agencies useless or misused them to advance corporate interests.
Libertarianism as advocated by the Libertarian party would be Feudalism.
The correct term would be Fascism as described by the World Heritage Dictionary"
There is a lot of gibberish on the web by historical revisionists who have been diligently redefining Fascism as a left wing movement or stripping it of its defining characteristic of corporate control of government. Wikipedia has one of the worst articles on the subject. Ignore them all and stick with the American Heritage definition.
A Bush appointee breaking the law? I'm sure you must be mistaken.
According to the Globe and Mail, John McCain's luncheon in Ottawa was attended by nearly 400 businessmen; flown in by their employers (BIG OIL) from Saskatchewan and Alberta. Also in attendance were enough executives from Toronto to fill an entire airplane. The plates were $1000 and $2000 each. That's a minimum of $400,000 earned during one little lunch in a foreign country!!! This system is so friggin' broken it's beyond repair.
My mistake. It was $2000 and $5000 per plate.
Reading this article almost made me vomit.
............................................................
AT THE SCENE: OTTAWA ABUZZ OVER McCAIN
Heeere's Johnny! Monologue was city's hot-ticket event
JANE TABER
SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER
June 21, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/3vevl8
mccain = bush in 20 years
Both are assholes, both are war criminals, and both don't give a shit about anyone but themselves, their families and their criminal conspirators.
Incredible waste of DNA.
Harper is a criminal, We want to hang him for afghanistan.. Oh, and him accepting your countries propaganda and false flag operations at face value.
"White House operates in a “permanent campaign mode,” where every action they take is politically calculated to help GOP electoral prospects."
Wow, can this administration do ANYTHING right? The GOP's electoral prospects are DISMAL! hahahahahaha!
So basically, the "permanent Republican majority" was to be gotten by breaking every American law necessary. Starting with election fraud and a Supreme Courth decision in 2000.
"Wilkins’s actions could be construed as a violation of the Hatch Act" - I smell some sternly written letters coming his way... That'll teach him.
Numb nuts. All numb nuts. You know the real reason George Carlin died today? He's had enough.
Hey now ! I agree with that guy on FOX or MSNBC who said that it should be a "level playing field" ! It is so unfair that Obama raised all that money on-line. Totally unfair ! That's not a level playing field. Obama is being unethical. To compensate - McCain should be allowed to do illegal fund-raising. Furthermore you idiots -- The republicans always raise money any way that can and cheat in elections so get used to it ! That's the way things are done. Wake up ! Whatever is necessary to protect America against the terrorists ! Obama can't protect us from the Islamo-fascists ! So I'm all in favor of gaming the 2008 elections. This is the battle between good and evil. Like that guy on FOX said "Ahmadinejad wants Armageddon." You people don't understand how dangerous the terrorists are ...like those ones in Guatanamo...ALL of them . You better all thank dear Jesus that we have true heros like George Bush and Lieberman , Graham, and McCain and Cheney to protect us. And let's all thank Jesus that we have people who campaign for the truth like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly. Just thank Jesus ! ( SARCASM. 100% SARCASM OF COURSE ! )
What makes this crap, even worse is the fact they take any and everything they can find to demonize and go after Senator Obama on, even if they have to make shit up.
I don't blame the GOP at all of this crap, because they are simply doing whatever they can get the hell away with and we need to be aware of that.
Our National Media however plays a huge roll in this shit, because they know better and refuse to play the game fairly, which shows exactly who they are in bed with.
We need to stop allowing these bastards to get away with this kind of crap
We need to be all over our Congress and FCC, officials, to correct these problems in our media and drive these bastards off our air waves when they continue.
This crap would not be a problem if they did not promote it.
Don Rumsfeld hater @ 69:
It is also unfair that we have had to put up with the likes of George W Bush, screwing over our country as he lies, cheats, and steals us blind, with 90% support of John McCain, who now cannot buy a vote if American people charged him for it.
It is one of the best moves Senator Obama has made to ask us to volunteer to donate to his campaign to become President. It simply adds to the fact that there are millions and millions of us, willing to support a man like him, instead of an old worn out fool, who intends to continue the Bush, bull shit.
Stop wining and get used to the fact that American people are sick and tired of these republicans, and we are hell bent on removing ALL of their asses from office and we are doing it to help not just ourselves, but ignorant people like yourself.
WELL AFTER THE OBAMA RHETORICAL FLIPFLOPS ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT HE HAS THE GREATEST BENEFICIARY OF THE MAJOR LOBBYISTS INCLUDING OIL....
PER DEFINITION, YOUR OBAMA IS THE GREATEST CROOK AND LIAR.
NOW I NOW THIS BLOG, SHADY LOVER OF CROOKS AND LIAR.
NOW IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE OBAMA SUPPORTERS ARE NOT JUST FANS... BUT ACTUALLY INFECTED WITH OBAMAAIDS.
NO CURE FOR THAT ONE.
In regards to messages #70 and 71 above --someone made a good point in one of the very early messages- the people who are now in power will do anything to stay in power....and one reason would be to protect themselves from imprisonment; therefore it is my guess that Obama might not be the next president even if 80% of the people want him to be. Why ? The people of the USA didn't stand up and do protests or any effective action when Bush stole the last two elections so they'll do WHATEVER is necessary to stay in power. ANYTHING ! And Nancy Pelosi has blown it for us and for the world. Pelosi is protecting Bush. She should be as passionate as Kucinich regarding impeachment of Cheney and Bush. She does nothing with the expectation that her inaction will guarantee a Democratic Party victory in November....BUT THE OPPOSITE MIGHT HAPPEN !! By allowing Bush to gain more and more power - she's making it possible that the president in 2009 will be a republican ...even if they stage another 9/11 and/or use the FEMA concentration camps for us and/or declare martial law. Nancy Pelosi is blowing it ! I hate her ! I hate Pelosi ! If the President in 2009 is still Bush or another Repub- then Nancy Pelosi betrayed us. In 2006 She declared haughtily,"There's a new congress in town."
StCyrlyMe2 @ 71:
...................
You call me ignorant ? First of all, Mr. Saint Carlyle Me, I wrote in parenthesis (100% sarcasm) and more importantly you made a statement as if it were fact,but totally wrong : You wrote :
"John McCain, who now cannot buy a vote if American people charged him for it."
That's ridiculous ! Obviously untrue.
Geeeeez these goopers can't help but break the law!
Wilkins wouldn't even be a decent Ambassador to Mayberry.
There were also problems with the fundraiser the Rothschilds had for McCain in London in March.
http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/group-files-complaint-over-mccains-lond...
I wonder if the McCain campaign has reimbursed them for the venue yet....
Just the Facts @ 63:
The article said per table, not per plate.
Another article the WP quoted stated...." Wilkins had been contacted by the McCain campaign about a Canadian visit, and the ambassador wanted to know if some of d'Aquino's group of corporate chief executives might be interested in meeting the Republican presidential candidate.
Almost instantly, d'Aquino jumped at the opportunity, and an additional $100-a-plate luncheon organized by the Economic Club of Canada sold out in 30 minutes with tickets now reselling at up to $1,000 a pop."
I can find noone stating other than the unnamed Democrats complaining that these funds charged by the Economic Club went to McCain. None of the Canadian articles referenced stated they did or that this was a fundraiser. The Economic Club are referenced as big free trading supporters.
Jymn @ 13:
It's spelled "liberal" you worldly a** wipe......
Should lockup all of these republicans. We should be able to see these aholes on the next Lockup show on MSNBC.
By now it would be bigger news to report on a Bush appointee that WASN'T breaking the law.
I know, I know, "B-B-But Obama lied! (sniff,whine)"
First I was trying to figure out which Canadians would shell out $100 to listen to McCain - unless they thought it was to hear from the frozen french fry people, but then I remembered that the dollar is now at par so it's really only $68 in old money. Really cheap.
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