-Caveat Lector- War and Politics Do Mix, Apparently Calif. Says Here's the Proof, Now Do Something
This is the week the gloves came off, and with them any remaining pretense that GOP candidates are not politicizing the war on terrorism. ”Across the country, GOP House and Senate candidates are emphasizing the possibility of war in Iraq, either touting their support for Bush or highlighting their opponents' reservations -- past or present -- about military strikes against the Baghdad regime, according to several candidates and party strategists. “ - Washington Post With control of the House up for grabs in next month’s mid-term elections, GOP candidates in tightly contested races have now openly hitched their hopes to the Bush administration’s war wagon. The change in tactics was most notable in states where the stakes were highest, particularly in Senate races in South Dakota, Minnesota and Georgia. "These events mark a shift in the midterm elections toward a topic that Republicans generally favor -- the Bush administration's tough stand against Hussein -- at the expense of subjects that Democrats prefer -- domestic matters such as health care benefits and the fiscal health of the Social Security system.” - Washington Post Democrats worried in recent weeks that if they openly questioned the administration’s policy on Iraq their queries would be later used against them in future campaigns. Those fears were reinforced this week by a series of GOP ads in key districts. The ads used comments and questions made in 1991 during the debate on the Gulf War to paint Democratic opponents as soft on Saddam. Targets of such ads included incumbent Paul Wellstone (D-MN), and South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson. Both men were in the forefront of demanding open debate and congressional approval for the Gulf War. By dredging up those earlier remarks and using them in the context of current tensions, GOP strategists hope to accomplish two goals. First, to do whatever it takes to maintain control of the House and, if possible, regain control of the Senate this November. Second, to effectively muzzle congressional criticism of the administration’s policies regarding Iraq, terrorism and homeland security. Clearly Republicans have weighed the cost/benefit ratio and decided they have more to gain than they risk losing by politicizing the war against terrorism and possible war against Iraq. "The issue matrix is changing," admitted South Dakota GOP challenger John Thune. "Whether Tim Johnson likes it or not, this is on the mind of voters." Which of course is the whole point. When it comes to issues, war and talk of war always trump domestic concerns. GOP candidates suffer whenever the issues on the public’s mind include domestic problems such as the soaring federal deficit, Social Security and Medicare. Democrats and Republicans alike recognize the very real threat posed by terrorists and Saddam Hussein. The only question is how much damage is the administration willing to inflict on our democracy in its haste to call for war? California: “We Told You So” Californians have long suspected that Texas energy producers and wholesalers like Enron and Dynegy, mugged them back in 2000-2001. Yesterday they presented the proof. “The report by the California Public Utilities Commission blamed Houston- based power generators Dynegy and Reliant as well as Duke Energy, Mirant and AES/Williams for keeping significant portions of their capacity idle or off the market on key days from November 2000 through May 2001, the height of California's energy crisis. - Houston Chronicle "Had the generators produced the power they had available, most of the statewide blackouts and service interruptions could have been avoided without overloading the transmission lines linking Northern and Southern California," the report concluded. Democratic California Gov. Gray Davis has long been critical of both the Bush administration’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Justice Department for failing to take action against rogue energy companies. Yesterday he said the state’s own investigation challenges the DOJ to finally take action. "This report confirms that energy generators manipulated California's energy market and stopped at nothing -- including putting the health and safety of Californians at risk -- in the name of ripping off California ratepayers," said Davis in a statement. Outrage of The Day More evidence emerged this week on the spending habits of former Tyco Chairman Dennis Kozlowski. This guy had a serious shopping disorder: According to a new report, Kozlowski had the company secretly pay for personal items like an $80,000 American Express bill; a $72,000 fee to a German yacht maker; a $17,100 traveling toilet box; a $15,000 dog umbrella stand; a $6,300 sewing basket; a $6,000 shower curtain; $5,960 for two sets of sheets; a $2,900 set of coat hangers; a $2,200 gilt metal wastebasket; a $1,650 notebook; and a $445 pincushion. In 2000, Kozlowski had Tyco authorize nearly $96 million in unapproved bonuses for 51 employees to offset relocation loans for employees moving to Florida. "Forgiveness was offered to some people who never moved...and people who did not even have a Tyco mortgage," the report said. Several millions dollars may have also gone to keep some bookkeepers and others in the know silent, a court filing alleges. [ More Featured Content ] This site is a project of American Family Voices <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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