Politics & Government - 28 March 2007

Had Kerry won, he would have been stuck with the catastrophe Bush has created with no "good" way out. And Bush and his crowd would be crowing that Kerry screwed up the brilliant plan that Bush was never able to implement. Seems to me that Kerry should be thrilled that he lost that election

2007-03-28 11:30:09 · 16 answers · asked by golfer7 5 in Politics

SEN. Dianne Feinstein has resigned from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee.

As MILCON leader, Feinstein relished the details of military construction, even micromanaging one project at the level of its sewer design. She regularly took junkets to military bases around the world to inspect construction projects, some of which were contracted to her husband's companies, Perini Corp. and URS Corp.

The MILCON subcommittee is not only in charge of supervising military construction, it also oversees "quality of life" issues for veterans, which includes building housing for military families and operating hospitals and clinics for wounded soldiers. Perhaps Feinstein is trying to disassociate herself from MILCON's incredible failure to provide decent medical care for wounded soldiers.

Two years ago, before the Washington Post became belatedly involved, the online magazine Salon.com exposed the horrors of deficient medical care for Iraq war veterans. While leading While leading MILCON, Feinstein had ample warning of the medical-care meltdown. But she was not proactive on veteran's affairs.

Feinstein abandoned MILCON as her ethical problems were surfacing in the media, and as it was becoming clear that her subcommittee left grievously wounded veterans to rot while her family was profiting from the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. It turns out that Blum also holds large investments in companies that were selling medical equipment and supplies and real estate leases—often without the benefit of competitive bidding—to the Department of Veterans Affairs, even as the system of medical care for veterans collapsed on his wife's watch.

As of December 2006, according to SEC filings and www.fedspending.org, three corporations in which Blum's financial entities own a total of $1 billion in stock won considerable favor from the budgets of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs:


Boston Scientific Corporation: $17.8 million for medical equipment and supplies; 85 percent of contracts awarded without benefit of competition.


Kinetic Concepts Inc.: $12 million, medical equipment and supplies; 28 percent noncompetitively awarded.


CB Richard Ellis: The Blum-controlled international real estate firm holds congressionally funded contracts to lease office space to the Department of Veterans Affairs. It also is involved in redeveloping military bases turned over to the private sector.

You would think that, considering all the money Feinstein's family has pocketed by waging global warfare while ignoring the plight of wounded American soldiers, she would show a smidgeon of shame and resign from the entire Senate, not just a subcommittee. Conversely, you'd think she might stick around MILCON to try and fix the medical-care disaster she helped to engineer for the vets who were suckered into fighting her and Bush's panoply of unjust wars

2007-03-28 11:29:08 · 5 answers · asked by CaptainObvious 7 in Politics

These are tools that you as an employee bought when hired because they were required to do the job. They were secured in a locked toolbox on company premises. The lock was cut and the tools were stolen. Is it the company's responsibility to replace them since they did not provide adequate security or is it your responsibility?

2007-03-28 11:26:51 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

Do you think its because of modernizing society and it has to adapt or is it triggered by some sort of discrimination case that has been fought and won? If you agree discrimination that has went to the crown court could you suggest any case that would validate this.
Thanks

2007-03-28 11:26:33 · 2 answers · asked by zero 2 in Law & Ethics

RUSH: This is a fascinating, fascinating piece. It's right up my alley here, and I'm surprised that this piece got published in Newsweek -- and furthermore, that it was put on the PMSNBC website. The woman who wrote it is Paula Spencer who lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and I can't believe she will last there very long after having written this. "We Protect Kids From Everything But Fear -- With hand sanitizer and long-sleeved swimsuits, we're teaching our children a dangerous lesson." This is in the April 2nd issue of Newsweek, by the way. "Four 11- and 12-year-old girls stood in front of my open pantry, mouths gaping wide. 'Look! Fruit Roll-Ups!' 'Oh, my God! Chocolate-chip cookies!' 'You have regular potato chips? We only get the soy kind!' After 14 years and four kids, I thought I'd feel comfortable as a mother. Instead, I'm increasingly aware of a prickly new sensation: that I'm some kind of renegade.

"Who knew that buying potato chips would become a radical act? Or that letting my daughters walk home from school alone would require administration approval? How did I, a middle-of-the-road mom, become a social deviant? Fear is the new fuel of the American mom. If it's not fear of her child becoming obese, it's the fear of falling behind, missing out on a sports scholarship or winding up with a thin college-rejection envelope. Apparently I'm not nervous enough. Last summer while I was loafing in front of the TV with my kids, the most benign things morphed into menaces. For example, the sun: long-sleeved, UV-protective swimsuits were all the rage at my neighborhood pool, while I could barely remember to bring the year-old sunscreen. The water wasn't safe either: at the beach I saw tots dressed in flotation belts and water wings -- for shelling along the shore." They weren't even in the water! "And goodbye, cotton candy and hot dogs! At a major-league game I saw moms and dads nix the stuff as if they'd never eaten the occasional ballpark treat.

"As if their children would balloon into juvenile-diabetes statistics if a single swig of sugary soda passed their lips. Half my kids' friends -- who already make A's and B's -- had summer tutors in order to 'keep it fresh.' I thought vacation was for relaxing and recharging. What would our pioneer foremoms think? (You want something to worry about, let me show you frostbite, typhoid and bears!) Heck, what must our own mothers think? (Snap out of it! Go worry about something truly scary, like how you're going to pay for retirement!) I thought that once the kids were back in school, things would calm down. Instead, a fresh seasonal crop of anxiety sprouted, this time over corruptive candy fund-raisers and insufficient use of hand sanitizer. I know one mom who wants to change her son's schedule because he doesn't know anyone in his classes; she's worried he'll be 'socially traumatized' all year.

"Another is afraid of a learning disability she just read about, though her child seems bright and charming to me. And then there's playground panic. I had to laugh when an Australian study recently found that playground injuries continue to rise despite safety improvements. One of the suspected reasons: the safe new play structures are so boring that kids are taking more risks in order to have fun. The fears are as irrational as they are rampant. Recently my children's elementary school failed to meet adequate yearly progress goals for a particular minority's reading progress under the No Child Left Behind Act and was placed on a warning list. This meant parents might gain the right to transfer their children to another school in the district. Never mind that this very same school sent more kids to the district's gifted program than any other, or that this entire district has the highest SAT scores in the state. The day the news broke, six different moms (none in the affected minority) asked me if I was planning to transfer my kids. From neighborhood pride and joy to threat to child's future overnight.
"It's not that I think parents shouldn't worry about anything. I'm personally petrified of SUV drivers on cell phones. I fret as much as the next mom about how to pay for college. I pray my kids won't wander onto MySpace and post something dumb." Hey, that's probably already happened. "But you can't go around afraid of everything. It's too exhausting! No matter how careful you are, bad stuff happens (diaper rash, stitches, all your friends assigned to another class). And it's seldom the end of the world. Watching my daughter's friends ogle my pantry, I realized there's one big, legitimate fear that I haven't heard anybody mention: what's the effect of our collective paranoia on the kids? Yes, these very kids we want to be so self-sufficient, responsible, confident, happy and creative (not to mention not food-obsessed).

2007-03-28 11:25:52 · 14 answers · asked by GREAT_AMERICAN 1 in Politics

Can you answer this survey about Canada (please include your current country of citizenship afterwards)
what do you think of:
1) Canada overall?
2) the fact that there is a french/english language system?
3) Canada as a whole in comparison to the U.S.
4) Canada's position in the world (not just militarly, but politically, economically etc...
5) The people who live here?
6) The gov't
7) The way Canada uses the English language

Please include any other thoughts about Canada you may have and don't forget to inlcude your nationality at the end.

2007-03-28 11:23:52 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

how can I find out who wrote it?

2007-03-28 11:23:26 · 1 answers · asked by Legandivori 7 in Law & Ethics

2007-03-28 11:22:47 · 5 answers · asked by GTS 1 in Politics

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?

2007-03-28 11:22:02 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

We can clone right? We've tried that on sheep.

2007-03-28 11:21:51 · 28 answers · asked by Romel L 1 in Military

I registered Democrat at the time of registration because it seemed the Republicans expanded the federal government too much. Now, I don't think either party tells it like it is or really cares. Dr. Ron Paul is a Constitutional libertarian, so I need to vote for him in the Primaries but I've got this icky Democrat tag on me, and I would rather not have the icky Republican tag either.
I felt like providing those details so i don't fuel flames of "YEAH SEE DEMOCRATS SUCK, REPUBLICANS RULE."
I just want to know where I have to go exactly or what I can do online to change my affiliation to the Republican party.
Thanks

2007-03-28 11:21:35 · 6 answers · asked by steve g 1 in Elections

I want to move from chicago there but I have public Aid for Illinois so I wanted to know does anyone know about that or just low income information for that state including websites or whatever you can provide on that subject would be great.

2007-03-28 11:21:12 · 1 answers · asked by Jennifer T 1 in Other - Politics & Government

If our housing codes were enforced, if they were tracked like citizens are.....how long would it be for them to realize you can't survive on what alot of these jobs pay without welfare or doing something illegal to earn more money? Then what do we do? I just read yet another story where Circuit City is laying off it's better paid employees for cheaper labor. It's been being done for awhile but atleast these guys were honest about it. And here the government want's to bring in more low wage earners. What are they going to do when their children are literally ripped from their arms and they are charged with neglect for being poor? Being a good hard worker gets you a pink slip out the door because you've reached your cap. 15 min. late from picking up your kids at school gets you landed in jail because some low wage employer wouldn't let you leave. I'm waiting for things to go full circle so they can see Americans aren't lazy or racist when they fight this.

2007-03-28 11:19:41 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Immigration

I have a friend who is considering trying to be a school bus driver (kind of random, I know). He got a DUI two years ago and is wondering if he would still be allowed to try. He has not been arrested or anything since then.

2007-03-28 11:19:29 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

I am interesting in finding information about the San Angelo Texas area. My son is wanting to go to San Angelo Texas for the Summer to be near his girlfriend who will be in Air Force technical school. He is interested in an inexpensive rental place and a part time job. I have no clue where to start to find help with this.

2007-03-28 11:19:21 · 1 answers · asked by short_n_size_only 1 in Military

How politicians don't give a yes or no answer. Some do but not enough.

2007-03-28 11:15:41 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

2007-03-28 11:15:07 · 55 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

Does sepreation of powers say that even though congress signs the checks, it is up to the executive branch how to spend it, in this case specifically for war? Does Congress have the right to dictate when we must withdrawl from Iraq, or is their check signing power as far as it goes?

What do you think?

2007-03-28 11:14:23 · 7 answers · asked by teachingazteca 3 in Other - Politics & Government

2007-03-28 11:13:16 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

I am talking about liberals who are atheist and hate all religion and want no sign of it in our society and have very few morales or values. Im conservative but i will try to pick the overall best answer thank you ahead of time.

2007-03-28 11:13:14 · 16 answers · asked by Half-pint 5 in Politics

i am Jamaican but Haitians r people 2. They risked their lives traveling (most of them cant swim) only to be sent right back. How come Cubans get 2 stay but they get deported?

2007-03-28 11:13:05 · 13 answers · asked by niciash_12 2 in Immigration

i thought i heard sumthing like this once b4. like a cop can't pull you over in an unmarked car or sumthing ...

2007-03-28 11:12:22 · 10 answers · asked by andrew 2 in Law Enforcement & Police

Why are the Tuskegee Airmen just now recieving this?

2007-03-28 11:10:28 · 3 answers · asked by Paul S 3 in Military

2007-03-28 11:10:20 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Military

When I was 15 My Daughter and I were placed into foster care by my mother who was going to prison for a short time(6 months)
What i'm trying to find out is if my rights were violated
My daughter was under age and had a guardian inlitem present i was not appointed one, I was just appointed a court lawyer the judge terminated the rights on the grounds of best for the parent and child I was told I had a length of time to appeal the decision I indicated to my lawyer that I wanted to do this, and he ignore my calls i left messages with his family and when someone finnaly told me I could check at the court house to find out rather he filed them or not he was to late and I found out he did not file untill the day after my deadline I want to search for my daughter I need answers

2007-03-28 11:09:58 · 3 answers · asked by northsidemom1 1 in Law & Ethics

How politicians don't give a yes or no answer. Some do but not enough.

2007-03-28 11:09:32 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

To the person who said I just wanted to write an anti-conservative rant. Yes. You are correct. I think conservatives are totally wrong. However, you are INCORRECT when you said it had no basis in reality.

I already put the question/answer on the Women's Bible and Susan B Anthony/Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Here is Jimmy Carter leaving the Church because the Southern Baptist Church is anti-women.
http://edition.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/20/carter.baptists.ap/

2007-03-28 11:08:20 · 11 answers · asked by soldier_of_god 2 in Politics

This includes all the expenses it costs to keep these people.Staff wages, Bed and Board etc.

When they were released would this not give them a sense of responsibilty to what there actions cost us tax payers and help them to be more responsible adults in the future.

2007-03-28 11:08:17 · 15 answers · asked by ? 7 in Law Enforcement & Police

answer, though i've never been to a jail

2007-03-28 11:08:13 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law Enforcement & Police

He closed the Bin Sultan Airbase at the "exclusive" request of Osama Bin Laden. He created the greatest Al Queda recruitment tool by bombing and invading a Muslim Nation without cause.

Now he wants us to believe that He and his revolving door of criminals self imposed benchmarks need no fiscal discipline?

It's bad enough that we were forced to take out the clause making Bush come to Congress to War with Iran to support the Israeli's--who, the last time I checked---are perfectly capable of defending themselves.

This Bill "SUPPORTS OUR TROOPS" --Cut and Dry. To Veto it, delays funding. The new Iraqi Gov't/Bush cannot expect us to fund their problem without making any significant headway towards self governance. Every day the (R)'s allow this illegal mismanaged war to endure is another day we neglect the needs of our OWN. This war is all about Oil, and the last time I checked--I live in the U.S.A.--not in some Oil magnates Texas mansion!!

2007-03-28 11:08:01 · 14 answers · asked by scottyurb 5 in Politics