Another Feinstien Mess

Peter Byrne, MetroActive, reports that Dianne Feinstien has resigned from the MILCON subcommitee:

SEN. Dianne Feinstein has resigned from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee. As previously and extensively reviewed in these pages, Feinstein was chairperson and ranking member of MILCON for six years, during which time she had a conflict of interest due to her husband Richard C. Blum’s ownership of two major defense contractors, who were awarded billions of dollars for military construction projects approved by Feinstein.

It is puzzling, with a the media buzz about corruption the last few years, we see a prima facie case of conflict of interest and corruption that has festered for six years and it is still below the MSM radar screen.   What are the chances of Feinstien making Keith Olbermann’s ‘worst person” award?   Less than finding a dime pay phone.    

More, Don Surber. 

(H/T:  photo, Wikipedia )

Addendum I:  John Hawkins, Right Wing News:

Republicans should be doing exactly what the Democrats would be doing right now if the situation were reversed: Screaming about how corrupt the Democrats are and urging Diane Feinstein to resign from the Senate over her lapse in ethics. Then, let the Democrats explain why it was OK for Feinstein to essentially transfer taxpayer money from the treasury to her own bank account through her husband’s companies.

Addendum II:  Ed Morrissey, Captain’s Quarters, fingers an irony on wry moment:

Wasn’t it the Democrats who insisted that the Republicans jumped into bed with lobbyists and special interests?

The MSM protested to no end the idea that Randy “Duke” Cunningham was figuratively in bed with Jack Abramoff.   Yet it is reasonable to assume, that Dianne Feinstien was literally in bed with Richard Blum.   Ah the deafening sounds of the media silence.

I mean if we are going to have Mommy Dearest tell us “we are going to have to take better care ourselves” then let’s ban homosexual activity. Male homosexual activity. That is still, 25 years later, the way AIDS is spread in the United States

Don Surber. 

The Music: Maggie Bell, Suicide Sal

I’m not quite sure how to describe her singing. Perhaps the most public exposure she ever got on this side of the swim was singing alongside Rod Stewart, on 1970’s “Every picture tells a story” LP, on the title track. But there was much more to her than that exposure showed. Europe, perhaps knew her best, from her years in the early 70’s with “Stone The Crows”.
I guess the best answer for my US readers, is that she was Scotland’s answer to Janice Joplin, vocally, though that doesn’t quite fit, either.

I recall seeing her play in Atlanta, back in the day, with Earth Wind and Fire. What a sound…

This particular LP was recorded at Ringo’s Studio in Tittenhurst Park, in England… the house that had belonged to John and Yoko… and produced under the legendary Rock and Roll hall of famer Jerry Wexler, whose production credits include Wilson Picket, Aretha Frankling and Dusty Springfield’s “Dusty In Memphis” LP, Ray Charles, and so many others that went through the Atlantic label.

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A favorite track from the Album is “Wishing Well ” a song from the pen of Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers. If I recall right, “Wishing Well ” was actually recorded by “Free” which was Paul’s band before BadCo. It’s one of the few situations where the artist in the cover of a song, picks up the original, and beats the living tar out of it. She’s that powerful a singer. Or was, anyway.

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Originally released on the Atlantic Label, the reissue showed up for some reason on the Swan Song Label, which back in the day was of course Led Zep’s label, as well as BadCo.. Seems to fit either way, though, since Jimmy Page makes an appearance.

* I’ve been thinking today about the amount of work shoved into the bill that just went through and both the house and the senate, supposedly putting an end to the Iraq war by defunding it. The idea that there’s all kinds of money out there for various pork projects at home, and yet none for the troops, aside for the moment ;

The number of dollars that were spent on various pork projects that are attached to this bill, is an example of Democrat “Go along to get along” tactics. What we are witness to is what it took to get Congress critters to vote against their military, and against their country.

That is to say Congress is votes were purchased to the tune of about 130 some- odd million dollars per vote. When Nancy Pelosi decided she was going to try to cram this thing through Congress, and started running into resistance, she started digging into the Federal coffers, to try and pry loose some pols whose votes could be bought.

Like what you see, Democrats?

Oh, speaking of which…

* What an utter slimeball.

Read the link, and then come back.

Read it? Good.

Look; I have been called a harsh, on occasion, while commenting on people who have died. There is a major difference, however, between being a harsh critic, and being an utter tool. for example, while I have been extraordinarily harsh on John Edwards and his wife, and I am still suspicious that their whole deal is a ruse designed to gather sympathy votes, I have at no time wished his wife to suffer and die. As a matter of fact I specifically stated otherwise in my running commentary, several times.

And why did this moron pull this?

Troll Dolls is really Eliot Stein, a 54-year-old former online talk-show host and stand-up comedian who had taught Maia in a journalism class for a brief period in 2004, and who blamed Maia and Seipp for his departure from the school after only five weeks.

Ah, yes… the old ‘I’m a victim’ meme… the one that made the Democrat party of today what it is; the biggest group of whiners on the planet.  In the end, isn’t that the reason they’re going after Tony Snow, the same way? The very same thing with Reagan, for that matter. And so many more of course who aren’t even CLOSE to dying.
If there’s one thing the dealing with such people as taught me, it’s that being the victim is far more acceptable to them than having to recognize and adjust for the intrinsic contradictions in one’s own politics and behavior. I mean, aren’t Democrats all ‘peace and brotherhood’? How can such mindless hate come from such people?

It’s because in the end, hate is all they know.

This guy is definitely on my Special High Intensity Training list. It’s no good wishing the guy dead as I’ve seen a couple people do. Cowards, you see, die a thousand deaths. Provided they are allowed to live so long.

In fact, I don’t even want them prosecuting him under Canada’s anti- hate speech laws, even though his actions clearly qualify for enforcement of such laws. (Before some of my libertarian friends start firing up, what he did is called forgery, among other things, and therefore free speech doesn’t have a thing to do with it. Hate speech laws aside, this moron could easily be prosecuted just the same as if he’d signed Cathy’s name on a contract, or a check for something. The truth is the probably won’t be, however.)

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But here’s the interesting part; Where are the left wing sites complaining about Elliott Stein? I see none thusfar. If you see one; drop it into comments, and I’ll re-post it, or at least comment on it. So far my trackers are showing twenty different center- to- right blogs that posted messages about it, decrying at volume ten Stein’s deplorable actions. None, from the left. Zero. Zilch. Zippo. Nada.

One can only assume they are not complaining about it, because they like what he did, and agree with it. So, in the end, it comes down to this; What we’re talking about here is varied degrees of the same animal. such is what passes for the left, today.

Let me see if I understand this:

Congressmen and Senators can bring firearms into heavily-protected federal buildings guarded by permanent on-duty police officers, but residents of Washington, DC are not allowed to have weapons to defend themselves or their families in their homes.

Nope, no double standard here.

Bob Owens, Confederate Yankee.

(H/T:  Sister Toldjah )

Never judge a Clinton by their words.  Judge their deeds.  Mrs. Clinton has bought yet another campaign endorsement.  The Associated Press:

Democratic presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton has agreed to help one-time candidate Tom Vilsack, who endorsed her on Monday, as he seeks to retire a campaign debt of more than $400,000.

(H/T:  California Yankee, Red State )

Mean while back at the ranch, Ryan Sager, New York Sun, reports this the fifth anniversary of McCain-Feingold:

Five years ago today, President Bush signed into law the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. Today, American politics is so clean you could eat off it — except for the mud-slinging, back-scratching, favor-trading, influence-peddling, bald-faced lying, indictments, and convictions.

Mark Tapscott, Examiner, says repeal McCain-Feingold:

Five years ago today President Bush signed into law the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, the main sponsors of which were Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-WI. Bush signed the bill despite having publicly expressed doubt that it was constitutional.

The law banned certain forms of political speech about incumbent congressmen for 30 days prior to a primary election and 60 days prior to a general election. Not since President Lincoln suspended habeus corpus and jailed prominent Copperhead newspaper editors during the Civil War has such a frontal assault been mounted against the First Amendment’s guarantee of every American’s right to express political opinion without official restraint.

(H/T:  Paul, Power Line )

Senator McCain said that money corrupts politics and that McCain-Feingold would get the corruption, that is the money, out of politics.  As you can see by Mrs. Clinton’s purchasing of campaign endorsements, it has not.

Fred Thompson:

 It was an interesting coincidence that their announcements hit the news just as the military released Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s confession regarding his role in planning the 9/11 attacks — and a lot more. Of course, we didn’t really need his confession, because his career has been so well documented.

But sure enough, the terrorist’s admissions instantly drew sneers, and not just from the tin-foil hat crowd. Well-placed people acted like Mohammed’s smug confessions meant nothing.

A lot of people have at least a little in common with Sheen and O’Donnell. They just don’t like to think about how much our enemies actually hate us. It’s easier to escape down a rabbit hole to a land where our own government is tricking us into thinking the world is a dangerous place.

This would be the same government that can’t even keep our most secret surveillance programs out of the newspapers.

A few points:

* I guess he won’t be showing up on “The View”

* This is the kind of communication ability I’d expect from an accomplished actor, but it’s the ideas he’s communicating which are of greatest import, in my view.

And of course, the combination is impressive…. even Reaganesque.

Captain Ed, this monring, wonders if we’re not dealing with someone of variable loyalty.

Given Jim Webb’s predilection for carrying weapons and the unlikelihood of Thompson’s desire to go postal on Capitol Hill, it’s reasonable to assume that Thompson did what he said — he carried his boss’ bags to drop them in the office, without knowing or remembering about the weapon. Why can’t Webb just admit that much? It doesn’t make Webb culpable in any way — as he made sure to point out, he has an alibi. It at least doesn’t make Thompson look like a liar within hours of making bail.

Thompson, says Webb, is an old friend.  And a fine individual.  It strikes me as interesting how quickly this old friend and find individual gets tossed under the bus.

Even assuming that all this blame manages some how to get placed on Thompson’s shoulders, we’re still dealing with the idea that the firearms in question were not registered.  Says the Captain:

Webb put on quite a bizarre little show. He staunchly defended the Second Amendment, something that even some Republicans won’t do these days, and insisted that he needed to carry concealed weapons because of his stature. He noted that Presidents get Secret Service protection but not Senators or Congressmen, which is true, but not really terribly germane. Congress could create that kind of protection service for itself, or fund it through the Secret Service. Webb also refused to state whether he violates DC law, which requires registration which Webb apparently does not have for his weapons.

And while Webb waxed loquacious about his personal need for security, he never mentioned any effort on his part to allow other DC residents the right to make the same decision about their own safety, even though the GOP had offered an amendment to allow them to do just that last week.

Meanwhile, Webb’s trusted aide, who inadvertently carried Webb’s security plan into the Russell building on Monday, had to make bail just after Webb made sure to give reporters his alibi and refused to state whether the gun was his. So much for loyalty.

Speaking of loyalty, would it be gauche to question whether not Webb’s fellow Democrats will, given his overt support for the second amendment (not typically a Democrat party trait) show Webb the same kind of loyalty? Such ability… throwing people under the bus at need, does seem to be the way of things on the left side of the isle.

From the mailbag:

Dearest friends,

I am writing to you to ask for your help in shedding light on a perplexing situation I find myself contemplating.  I have selected you as a group to aid me because you have known me for at many years and I value your opinion.  Your religious experiences are varied and that is important to the problem I am faced with.  Over the years, we have all observed the seemingly random factors that affect all of our lives, sometimes without apparent rhyme or reason.  We have seen some marriages dissolve over nothing and others grow stronger under adverse conditions.  We have seen fate play a role in who survives critical illnesses and who succumbs to them.  We have all seen good people suffer great misfortunes while some people of low character thrive.  In our lifetime, we have seen Churches and Religious institutions all around the world become revised, televised, energized and even scandalized.  We are all well aware that a higher power has control of nearly all things.

Personally, I have stood in the doorway of a 7/11 in Houston, amid a shootout between the police and a gunman and walked away unscathed.  At a park, I saw a lightning bolt strike a man dead while those of us nearby where untouched.  We all watched as Hurricane Katrina ravaged some areas of the coast and left other nearby homes standing intact.  The enormity of these random and seemingly unfair applications of good or bad fortune is at the core of my dilemma.  I have flown over the heaviest defended area of the world and emerged unscathed – missed as tracers crossed over my canopy.

I have studied sacred writings of all major religions searching for an answer, and now I pose the question to you.  I cannot fathom that the highest power in this universe could take Anna Nicole from us and leave Hillary Clinton behind….

The House did something good yesterday.  It passed a motion to protect travelers from harrassment lawsuits filed by religious fanatics,  Audrey Hudson, Wsshington Times:

House Republicans tonight surprised Democrats with a procedural vote to protect public-transportation passengers from being sued if they report suspicious activity — the first step by lawmakers to protect “John Doe” airline travelers already targeted in such a lawsuit.

After a heated debate and calls for order, the motion to recommit the Democrats’ Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007 back to committee with instructions to add the protective language passed on a vote of 304-121.

Would you shocked to learn, that all representatives opposed to protecting the flying public were democrats?   Bryan Preston, Hot Air, has the Roll of Shame.

The Islamofascists want to use our courts to win their war of terror.  Democrats want to let them.

The more Obama campaigns and the veneer wears off, the more people will understand him to be a neophyte. Those of us who can count already knew this. For those who failed to realize that a two-year track record would reveal inexperience and a lack of depth, I award the Captain Louis Renault award. Shocked, shocked they must be who find Obama and his focus on “new politics” to be as substantive as gossamer.

Ed Morrissey, Captain’s Quarters.

* The Music: David Lanz: Cristofori’s Dream.. The original Windham Hill pressing, not the Narada Remaster.

Laid down at Miramar Studios in Washington State, back in 1987 and released in 88, this album held the number one position in the alternative/new age section in Billboard for staggering 27 weeks, and eventually went platinum. Not too bad for an artist who by definition, is of the mainstream. One of the highlights on the album is Procol Harem’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” which features Original PC member Matt Fisher on Organ.  With all that going for it, you certainly don’t need my recommendation, but I will add it, anyway.  I’ve heard, that he’s supposed to be releasing a new one, pretty quick.  This time, a solo effort.  That might be worth checking out.

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* Sad to see that Tony Snow’s cancer has come back, this time spreading to his liver. Now, I’m no medical expert, but the White House deputy press Secretary Dana Perino draws a fine line; the cancer is attached to the liver but is not in the liver, supposedly.  And that certainly sounds hopeful.  Here’s pulling for you, Tony.
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* You know, I keep watching the fifteen kidnapped British soldiers, over in Iran, and I really have to wonder how much the world is going to put up with.  It seems fairly clear to me that the Iranians are figured out that this little trick of theirs isn’t working out all that well in their going to have to find some way of saving face, or butt depending.  The bottom line here, is that what error ended is called an act of war.  It should be treated as such.  And not just by Britain.

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* I’m considering adding another writer, here at BitsBlog. Adding David and Fresboo were both such strokes of good luck…. they’ve both been fabulous… I feel tempted to try fate again, to add to the voices here. Drop me some feedback, and we’ll talk.

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* You know, for all of the screaming about “pork” in one bill or another, why is it were not hearing about who’s in charge of this headlong rush to overspend?  Might make Democrats look bad, maybe?

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* Did anybody here Dennis Miller’s talk show today?  Apparently he’s got a new one.  My understanding is it’s only available in two spots here in New York, on 92.3 WFNY-FM and on WYSL 1040 in Avon. The latter is a local signal to us here, and is very big… 25000 watts worth… but I wonder… I’ve always thought he’d be good at that.  I wonder how he did today?  I gather that it will shortly be also heard on the new 93.7 WTZN, “The Zone” in Pitt, once their format settles out, and on 990/WNTP in Philly.  (Nod to old friend Scott Fybush)
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* Billy… No argument. Forget the idea that he was shot, being the start of the downhill plunge . Let’s remember that the reason he was in Dallas in the first place, was because he was trying to shore up his political future; the man was in serious political trouble.  If anything, I should think his being elected would better qualify if we’re going to make him the focal point.

But, you’re quite correct; I’ve no idea why anybody would.  Other than, of course, a lack of understanding of history. (Or perhaps an overly developed sense of hero worship-Bit)
Interestingly, this ties into your discussion has regards Bill Gates and the coin toss of his ‘legacy’ still being in the air.  This is something that Bill Clinton understood quite well; ones legacy is seldom decided in the near term.  And almost never while the person is alive.  The problem with the long-term wait for the establishment of a legacy, however, is that it equally seldom is directly connected to reality.  The ones who deserve greater recognition decades down the road, get less, and visa versa.

An aide to Virginia Senator Jim Webb, Phillip Thompson, was arrested detained by U.S. Capitol Police for illegal possession of a loaded handgun.  Senator’s Webb’s office seem strangly silent on Thompson’s arrest.

I actually believe that Thompson has right to carry in Washington D.C.  Unlike the democrats, I do not believe that this right is limited to Senators and their aides. 

Liberal commentator Taylor Marsh is concerned about Thompson’s arrest:

No doubt this is an embarrassment for Webb. It’s a horrible situation for his veteran aide (a former Marine) as well. I’ll update this as more information is available, but it just might be as simple as what’s offered above. That doesn’t excuse it, but there you have it.[emphasis added]

Now when Rush Limbaugh was arrestted for illegal pocession of perscription drugs. Marsh seems somewhat less concerned about Limbaugh’s personal embarrrasment:

When Rush heard there was a warrant out for his arrest, he turned himself in. He’s agreed to continue treatment, but the rest of his deal, from what I’m hearing is pure Palm Beach machinations, which could only happen to a rich white guy. If he continues on his drug addict program, the charges will be dismissed in 18 months.

The Second Amendment protects the right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms, and not just the right of the democrat elite.

More, James Joyner, Outside the Beltway.

(H/T photo:  Skeptical Brotha )

Update:  Senator Webb’s office has responded, via email:

“To our knowledge, this incident was an oversight by the Senator’s aide.  Phillip Thompson is a former Marine, a long-term friend and trusted employee of the Senator. We are still awaiting facts.”

The senator’s statement still leaves unexplained what an unlicensed handgun was doing in Webb’s vehicle.

UMM NASER VILLAGE, Gaza Strip —AP- The convoy of the new Palestinian interior minister came under fire Tuesday as it arrived at the scene of a large sewage spill that killed three people and submered 25 homes in the northern Gaza Strip, a Hamas Web site reported.

Interior Minister Hani Kawasmeh wasn’t hurt, the Web site said.

Kawasmeh had just arrived to inspect the scene of the disaster, which forced thousands of residents to evacuate the village. His car was quickly surrounded by an angry mob, and gunfire broke out, the Web site said.

At least three people died and many more were missing after sewage and mud flooded a northern Gaza Strip village, officials said.

I guess when you’re spending all your time and money trying to think up ways to kill the jews, you don’t have a whole bunch left to spend on things like, well, sewers, and basic services.

For a woman who campaigned on the promise to drain the repulican swamp, Mrs. Pelosi’s politics sure emanate the smell of swamp gas.   Fred Thompson is not happy with Mrs. Pelosi, audio, text.

Don Surber pegs the cost to the taxpayer of Mrs  Pelosi’s surrender plan at one hundred thirty million dollars per vote.

La Clinton must think the men and women in our military are as dumb as Rep. Charlie Rangel routinely makes them out to be if she honestly thinks she’ll win over a significant amount of military support

Sister Toldjah.

(H/T:  Michelle Malkin)?