This is the Official Web Page of the 5th Congressional District - Democratic Party of Wisconsin
We launched this site to provide better access to the people of the 5th CD to their elected Democratic Party representatives. Please bear with us, as various pages are still under construction, and new features will be made available as we continue to grow and develop this new tool. So, come on in, and feel free to browse and see what we have to offer! Click on the links and the drop down menus to the left to go to other sections. If you like what you see, join us! Become a member! Contribute: http://www.wisdems.org/contribute.asp Volunteer: http://www.democrats.org/modules/votercontact/login_signup.php Get eMail Updates! State Party News: http://www.wisdems.org/release.asp?id=0
Become a stakeholder in taking back America!
Get Your Democracy Bonds Today! Check out our Newsletter for the latest information on what is going on in the 5th CD. Many organizations are considering having celebrations to coincide with the January 20, 2009 Inauguration of our President-elect Barack Obama.
I have no problem with those organizations doing so. We’ve all worked hard to get him elected so that we can finally have someone representing us in the White House. But I would ask each of these organizations to consider all the people for whom we have worked to get President-elect Barack Obama elected. Millions are out of work, millions have lost their homes. We are currently in an economic crisis which is the worst since the Great Depression, which lasted for ten years, from 1929 to 1939. I would encourage all of you to consider doing a food drive of non-perishable items to coincide with your celebrations, so that we can show everyone that we work differently than Republicans do, and that we truly have the people as our priority. We have an opportunity to celebrate our success, but we also have an obligation to help those who have not yet benefited from this change in Administration, which has been a long time in coming, yet who gave all they could to help make this possible. Most of the food pantries throughout the country are hurting, with donations down, and some of their donors are now in line asking for assistance. Your help in making this change in administration a celebration that we can all enjoy is greatly appreciated. Here are some local organizations which can use your help. Food Pantry of Waukesha County 215 W. North Street Waukesha, WI 53188 Tel: 262.542.5300 | Fax: 262.542.4177 | E-mail: WaukeshaPantry@tds.net http://www.foodpantryofwaukeshacounty.org/index.htm America's Second Harvest of Wisconsin
Resource Development Department
1700 W. Fond du Lac Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53205 http://www.secondharvestwi.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?process&procID=332&ceNews_newsID=146&ceService_serviceID=1&ceTopic_topicID=3 Hunger Task Force, Inc. 201 S. Hawley Court
Milwaukee, WI 53214
Phone: (414) 777-0483
Fax: (414) 777-0480
Open Hours: Normal business hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
http://www.hungertaskforce.org/contact_us/ Sincerely, Les Nakamoto Chair 5th CD Democratic Party of Wisconsin Nov 5. 2008 YES WE DID! Our National nightmare of the last eight years may not yet be over, but we’re off to a great start!!! Bush, Cheney, McCain, Palin and the Republicans who have ruled or sought to rule with their “national mandates” and “political capital” have been soundly rebuked. For the first time since the 1950’s, we no longer have a Bush or a Dole elected or re-elected to national office in the United States. If Republicans learn anything from this election, they should recognize that the old Lee Atwater/Karl Rove campaign tactics they’ve used for decades aren’t being believed anymore by the majority of the American people. People who have been so abused by the politics of “agree with us, or be branded as unpatriotic”, will no longer stand for the abuses of power, or the abuses of arrogance. People who have been denied their right to voice their opinions or vote for their candidates of choice, have now seen that their votes DO COUNT when they SHOW UP TO VOTE. They don’t have to give in to the lies, the intimidation and the techniques used throughout our country’s entire history to deny the masses their right to vote or to demand a redress of grievances from their government. In spite of the reports coming in from around the country of Republican attempts to prevent people from voting, by threatening to arrest them for parking tickets, or arrest them if they had “also previously voted in the Primary elections”; in spite of them removing thousands of legally registered voters from the “official voter databases” without justification; or keeping millions of voters in line for hours because of insufficient poll workers signing in voters and providing them ballots to cast their votes, or not having enough ballots or having insufficient voting machines at polling stations to count the votes cast; in spite of touch screen voting machines that flipped Democratic votes to Republican candidates; we have just witnessed that when the voters turn out in large enough numbers, the strength of their numbers can, will and did prevent the theft of this election. Voter awareness of the REAL ISSUES was a victory for the entire country. For those electors/voters who did suffer through these indignities, they need to vote out their local politicians and elections officials who allowed this to occur, and replace them with people who will protect their rights to a fair and honest election. On behalf of the leadership of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s 5th Congressional District, I thank all of you who have taken the time and made the effort to raise your own awareness of the issues and volunteered to work hard in putting a new, thoughtful and responsible leadership in charge of our country at a time when our country most urgently needs it. God bless all of you for your efforts, and God bless a United States of America that works for ALL OF US. Now, don’t just sit back on your laurels, with this new victory, and expect things will just happen all on their own. The people to people networking that you have become part of, to move politicians and create change by being part of the change you want to see, is just the beginning of the personal empowerment that you have all seen and experienced first hand. Now use those networking and community organizing skills to create the necessary changes in the policies of our government and of our business leaders to unite this country and build it up, instead of allowing them to tear it apart and bankrupt it. We have the opportunity now, to take this country in a new direction. We don’t need the approvals of those who have long ignored commonsense policies, or diplomatic negotiations, or the pleas of the “invisible majority”; nor should we just hope for the chance that they might someday “come around”. They aren’t in charge anymore. We have new leadership. It is our time. We must not fail. And with the continued support and involvement of all those who supported President-elect Obama’s candidacy, by shaping, promoting and enacting his new policies, we will not fail. Now let us all get to the real work in rebuilding our country.
Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers This is the Video that Republicans blocked from being viewed in Congress. This is the Video that Republicans don't want you to watch. This is the same Video that the so-called "liberal" media refuses to show you on main stream TV broadcasts (except for Keith Olbermann), or in movie theaters. Ask Yourself "Why?" It is a documentary of the war profiteering that is going on by Bush campaign donors in Iraq. The war profiteering is why there are no accurate accounting records being provided to justify the "cost plus" billing by contractors like KBR, Halliburton, CACI, Blackwater, and so many more. This is why we are currently spending $10 Billion a month in Iraq. This is why McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years. It's a Republican gravytrain at taxpayer expense. See the trailers here: http://iraqforsale.org/trailer.php Get A Copy Of The Video And Spread The Word. Watch it. Show it to Family, Friends and Neighbors. This Election is about either Continuing this Greed and Corruption, or Ending it. Your Choice. http://iraqforsale.org/facts.php Facts & Research This is general facts & research. Go over here for the specific corporations, and the experts in the film. BACKGROUND ARTICLES
HEARINGS BOOKS - Iraq, Inc: A Profitable Occupation (11/2004, Pratap Chatterjee)
- Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry (4/2004, P.W. Singer, Brookings Institution)
- The Market for Force: The Consequences of Privatizing Security (7/2005, Deborah A. Avant, Author Q&A)
- Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives, and Corporate Greed in Iraq (8/2006, T. Christian Miller)
- Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror (8/2006, Robert Young Pelton)
- A Bloody Business: America's War Zone Contractors and the Occupation of Iraq (5/2006, Gerry Schumacher)
- Contract Warriors (4/2005, Fred Rosen)
- The Best War Ever, Damned Lies, and the Mess in Iraq (9/2006, Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber)
August 16, 2008 http://www.opednews.com/articles/Breaking-Conyers-Calls-Co-by-Ralph-Lopez-080815-807.html August 16, 2008 at 11:17:44 Headlined on 8/16/08:
Breaking: Conyers Calls Committee Back from Summer Recess to Investigate Suskind Allegations by Ralph Lopez Page 1 of 3 page(s) www.opednews.com
|
|
(4.8 from 13 ratings) View Ratings | Rate It From Impeachment Left to Right "The 110th Congress isn’t over. We’re starting our work, and then we’re doing it in a period where the Congress is in recess. I’m calling everybody back." -- John Conyers on DemocracyNow, Aug.14,2008 House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers has taken the highly unusual step of calling his committee back from summer recess in order to investigate allegations by Ron Suskind that the Bush administration forged a letter to buttress the links made between Saddam and 9/11, and Saddam and WMD. The congressional Authorization for the Use of Force Against Iraq, the ""War Resolution" which, as far short as it fell of a congressional declaration of war, gave the invasion its constitutional legal cover, and gave Bush the authorization to invade only after he had certified to congress the existence of these two critical links. If Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11, and if he did not possess WMD, the war was off.
The Authorization for the Use of Force stipulated:
Sec. 3 (b) Presidential Determination.--
In connection with the exercise of
the authority granted in subsection (a) to use force the President
shall, prior to such exercise or as soon thereafter as may be feasible,
but no later than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make
available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that--
(2) acting pursuant to this joint resolution is consistent
with the United States and other countries continuing to take
the necessary actions against international terrorist and
terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations,
or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the
terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.
On March 23, 2003, the president certified just that:
-"I have also determined that the use of armed force against Iraq is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." -George Bush, certification to Congress to authorize the use of force in Iraq, March 23, 2003
"Armed force against Iraq is consistent with...actions against...nations...who...aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11..." are the operative words in that statement without the subordinate clauses.
After the flurry of impeachment articles embodied in HR 1345, read on the House floor on June 9, 2008, Rep. Dennis Kucinich followed up on July 10 with a single article which lasers in on the exact war lies Suskind's alleged forgery has called attention to. Not that the document is needed to show Bush lied. He admitted as much, which in a courtroom is prima facie evidence which supercedes any other.
In a press conference with Tony Blair in Jan. of 2003, Bush said:
[Adam Boulton, Sky News (London):] One question for you both. Do you believe that there is a link between Saddam Hussein, a direct link, and the men who attacked on September the 11th?
THE PRESIDENT: I can't make that claim.
THE PRIME MINISTER: That answers your question.
And on Sept. 18, 2003, on Meet the Press, Bush drove the nail in all the way:
-"No, we've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th.
Conyers' reconvening of his committee was the result of enormous public pressure, most poignantly that coming from military families wanting to know why their loved ones are dead. Despite the exquisite, shining clockwork political operation now in place at the Executive Branch, working hand in glove with the media spin machine, it's still not that easy to get 4100 Americans killed over lies. Bush knew Americans would not subject their troops to such an uncertain fiasco over 17 violated UN resolutions, or Saddam's brutal but by no means unique human rights record. If we attacked every country which violated UN resolutions, we'd be bombing Tel Aviv.
So Bush lied.
What is needed now is a full-court press by the public, especially those citizens up until now silent, to transform the Suskind investigation into true impeachment hearings. Public pressure, and only public pressure, resulted in the stunning but buried hearings of July 25, 2008. On that day only 17 out of hundreds of citizens from across the country who packed the hallway outside the Judiciary chambers were allowed into the room. As people chanted "Shame!" it was explained by Judiciary staff that the rest of the seats were taken by the media. The joke turned out to be on you, the public. Media packed the room, but not one American newspaper, not one network news station, reported the dramatic six-hour testimony which outlined some of the most serious charges which can be made against a U.S. president.
This country is now learning what many already know: that democracy is not given. It is demanded. Few politicians are interested in your right to freedom from search and seizure without a warrant, or your right to a jury trial even if George Bush thinks you are an "enemy combatant." They already belong to a class of the powerful who will merit special consideration. Some, with good reason, may argue that we already have a two-tier system of justice, for the rich, and for the poor. But like the movie says, you ain't seen nothing yet.
There is nothing partisan about impeachment. Just as politics should stop at the water's edge (except for John McCain, who injected himself into the Georgia crisis in a manner which would have earned Obama a withering barrage,) it stops when the very process by which we govern ourselves is in peril.
This is why someone like Bruce Fein, a former Reagan deputy attorney general who "trashed the Roe v. Wade abortion decision, stating that it required a "hallucinogenic intellectual flight" on the part of Justice Harry Blackmun to draft the opinion," according to CommonDreams.org, has come out as one of the most effective spokemen for a Bush impeachment. Why? CommonDreams goes on: This is what did it: The disclosure that the National Security Agency (NSA) is engaged in the domestic wiretapping of American citizens in the United States without first obtaining warrants. The Bush Administration had crossed the line. Within twenty-four hours, Fein went into constitutional combat mode. And he hasn't stopped since.
For Fein, there is nothing really to debate; the law is settled. In 1978, Congress passed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, permitting the government to conduct electronic surveillance on citizens in the United States if it first gets a warrant from the FISA court, which exists for that reason only. The FISA court rarely has denied such a request. Fein says: "The President could pick and choose which statutes to obey in gathering foreign intelligence and employing battlefield tactics on the sidewalks of the United States." Please do three things:
1) Call Judiciary Committee members, give a message saying we know the difference between a show, and impeachment. This is fast.
2) Participate in the campaign to reach Judiciary members' campaign contributors, to ask them as one citizen to another to withhold contributions until the member does this clearest of patriotic duties. Why this route? Because congressmen have shown themselves to be impervious to any amount of constituent pressure. Rep. John Olver (D-MA) even said, at a town meeting "Spare me, I know full well the overwhelming majority of my constituency is in favor of impeachment" as he told the packed room he would not co-sponsor any resolutions against either Bush or Cheney. We used to think that representatives were there to represent us. We have learned better. But we're not done with them.
3) Start now to prevail on the media to cover important hearings when they happen. Participate in the advertiser boycott.
There will be naysayers, and the Pelosians who seems to think that a super-majority of Pelosians is the answer. These are the same people who betrayed Americans by failing to stop the Iraq War, when they were given a majority to do just that. Better the Pelosians understand that doing their duty to impeach will be seen as a down-payment on regaining the trust of the rank-and-file, and the American people. Otherwise all promises are empty. Any national healthcare will be written by big pharma and the insurance companies. Presidents will continue to get their blank checks for war. As for the naysayers on impeachment, as the saying goes, either lead, follow, or get out of the way.
From Impeachment Left to Right Thanks to MediaMatters.org for the following. Each one of these statements has been debunked: * From Bush's September 28, 2002, radio address to the nation: The danger to our country is grave and it is growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons, is rebuilding the facilities to make more and, according to the British government, could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order is given. The regime has long-standing and continuing ties to terrorist groups, and there are Al Qaeda terrorists inside Iraq. This regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fissile material could build one within a year. * From Bush's October 7, 2002, speech: We know that Iraq and Al Qaeda have had high-level contacts that go back a decade. * From Bush's January 28, 2003, State of the Union address: Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications, and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda. * From a February 6, 2003, statement by Bush: Senior members of Iraqi intelligence and Al Qaeda have met at least eight times since the early 1990s. Iraq has sent bomb-making and document forgery experts to work with Al Qaeda. Iraq has also provided Al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training. Take action -- click here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
impeach bush Click here to see the most recent messages sent to congressional reps and local newspapers http://ralphlopezworld.com Ralph is the author of a new book "Truth in the Age of Bushism." American Workers Fare Better Under Democratic Presidents - Here's the Proof In viewing Appendix Table 2: 7 out of 10 of the last recessions on record occurred under Republican Administrations, (8 of 11 if you count the one we are currently in.)
1954 and 1958 under President Eisenhower (The 1961 Recession began shortly after Eisenhower left office); 1970 under President Nixon; 1975 under President Ford (who took office after Nixon resigned); 1982 under President Reagan; 1991 under President George H.W. Bush; and 2001 under President George W. Bush. Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress for six years prior to the 2001 recession. (2008 - We are currently in another recession under Dubya, but we won’t know what the results will be until five years from now, so that obviously has been left off of the chart. Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress for 12 of the previous 14 years prior to this last recession. And while Democrats have a slight majority in both Houses of Congress now, they haven’t been able to pass any laws rescinding Bush’s and Republican policies because they don’t have enough votes – they need Republican votes in order for the bills to pass, and for Bush to sign them – not to mention the 2/3rds majority they need to override Bush’s vetoes.) Going back further to the Great Depression, Calvin Coolidge (Republican) was President 1923-1929, prior to and during the Great Depression, with Herbert Hoover (Republican) 1929-1933 following him. He didn't do a very good job at getting us out of the Depression, so he only served one term. It should also be noted that Republicans controlled both houses of Congress for the eight years prior to and during the Great Depression, and for three years after the Depression hit, with heavy majorities. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Democrat) 1933-1945, did such a good job cleaning up their mess, that he was elected to four terms in office. Democrats in Congress also had much to do with the changes in policy that Roosevelt was able to get passed because they had been elected to replace the Republicans who had gotten them into the Depression in the first place. They enjoyed dominance in both houses for the twelve years during Roosevelt’s presidency and the two years after. Note also the highest wage and salary average percentage shares / (recovery) (percentage of the total national income growth) for the five years after the recessions, occurred under Democrats Harry S. Truman 59.9% (1945-1953), John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) and LBJ (1963-1969) 49.8% and President Jimmy Carter 50.6% (1977-1981); the lowest wage and salary percentage shares coming from Republican Administrations – Nixon (1969-1974) 35.3%, Reagan (1981-1989) 37.0%, and Bush (2001-2009) 34%; while corporate profits increased the most under Republican President George W. Bush, a whopping 45.9% (2001-2009) followed by Bill Clinton 29.5% (1993-2001), John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) 22.9% and Lyndon Baines Johnson 22.9% (1963-1969), all Democrats. Bill Clinton’s recovery after George H.W. Bush’s recession, was only a little under average for wage and salary percentage shares 45.9% (Eisenhower and Reagan did a little better at 48.9%, 49.6% and 49.2% respectively), and second only to George W. Bush’s for corporations at 29.5%. Wages and Salaries recovery fared the worst under George W. Bush 34% - even worse than under Nixon 35.3% and Reagan 37% and 49.2%. (Do you see a trend here?) McCain wants not only to continue Bush’s policies, but to reduce corporate taxes, while increasing taxes on the poor and middle income individuals as well as taxing Social Security and health benefits. It is clear that both wage and salary earners, and corporations do well under Democratic Presidents; but even taking into consideration that the latest numbers reflect excessive profit taking by the big Oil Companies, it is obvious that while wage earners don't do well, corporations are heavily favored under Republican Presidents. When it comes to the economy, if you are looking for a recovery, which political party is in the White House matters. And it matters a great deal. For more on taxes go here: http://wisc5thcddems.com/Taxes.aspx For more on taxes go here: http://wisc5thcddems.com/Taxes.aspx What was that about Corporations being taxed so much that they were leaving the Country? Oops - I guess the facts expose another Republican lie. McCain promises even more tax breaks to the top one one-hundredth of one percent of earners (who have doubled their income with an average of an almost $15 million increase from 2000-2006 alone, and account for one quarter of all the income growth in the country), while taxing the 90% at the bottom of the income ladder (who have only seen an average income increase of $350 in the same six year period, and in total only account for 4% of all of the income in the country.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-l-borosage/the-great-corporate-tax-h_b_118479.html Posted August 12, 2008 | 02:52 PM (EST)
Remember the old Steve Martin routine on how to make a million dollars and not pay taxes: "First, make a million dollars... Second, don't pay taxes." Turns out Martin's joke is standard operating procedure for corporations in the United States -- only, in comparison, Martin was a piker. Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a study on taxes paid by corporations. In what Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) mildly called "a shocking indictment of the current tax system," the GAO found that about two-thirds of corporations operating in the US did not pay taxes annually from 1998 to 2005. Now most corporations in America are start-ups or small, mom and pop operations that have adopted a corporate form to lower their tax rates. And a greater percentage of large corporations do pay some taxes. But in 2005, with corporate profits reaching new heights as a percentage of national income, the GAO found that over one-fourth -- 28% of large corporations paid no taxes. (It defined large corporations as those with assets of at least $250 million dollars or gross receipts of at least $50 million dollars.) They can tell you how to make $50 million dollars and not pay taxes. Not surprisingly, the income collected from corporations has been declining as a percentage of GDP, with the burden transferred to your income and payroll taxes. According to a study by the Treasury Department, from 2000-2006, an average of 2.2% of GDP was collected in corporate taxes. This compares to an average of 3.4% in other industrial countries. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that, under current law, corporate revenues will decline to 1.9% of GDP by 2017. Why is this important? Well, the Bush administration, led by Treasury Secretary Paulson and conservatives led by John McCain are mounting a major campaign to cut the corporate tax rate even more, arguing that we are crippled competitively by having a US rate higher than any industrial nation other than Japan. "America has the second highest business [tax]rate in the entire world," says John McCain. "Is it any wonder that jobs are moving overseas? We're taxing them out of the country." But the GAO study confirms what we already knew: whatever the nominal tax rate, US corporations pay an effective rate among the lowest in the industrial world. Yet the core of McCain economic agenda consists of breath-taking corporate tax breaks. He calls for cutting the top corporate rate from 35% to 25% and allowing corporations to write off investments in the first year. Combined, the Tax Policy Center wonks cost these at over $1.3 trillion over 10 years. Len Burman of Tax Policy Center estimates that in total, McCain would cut corporate revenues by about 50% from current levels. They'll be making hundreds of millions of dollars and not paying taxes. This is no joke. To pay for these tax breaks, sustain the Bush tax cuts, add more tax breaks AND balance the budget in four years, as McCain promises, will require heroic cuts in spending. Not military spending; McCain promises to increase that. How will he do this? On the stump, McCain promises to veto any earmarked spending. But that is a gesture, providing about $18 billion a year. (And he isn't exactly consistent. McCain often tells folks who defend a local project that it is the process, not the individual project that he opposes.) Perhaps that's why McCain calls for raising Medicare taxes on seniors with over $50,000 a year in income and taxing employer-based health care benefits for families. Working people and seniors will help pay the tab for the corporate tax give-away. It's hard not to wonder about the pure, contrary, inanity of the current conservative position. Our military is by far the strongest in the world, while our trains are among the slowest and our sewers are collapsing. So they propose raising spending the military and cutting domestic investment. We suffer gilded age inequality, with the wealthiest 15,000 families -- one-one hundredth of one percent of the population -- capturing fully one-fourth of the entire income growth from 2000 to 2006. Their average income rose from $15.2 million per year to $29.7 million per year. Meanwhile, the rest of us -- 133 million households that make up 90% of the country -- divided up 4% of the nation's income, adding about $305 to our average $30,354 income. So conservatives push for more tax cuts for the wealthy, while proposing to tax employer based health benefits. Corporate profits (prior to the recession) have catapulted to what is by far the highest percentage of national income in the past half century. So they want to cut corporate taxes, inevitably increasing the burden on labor. The economic future looks dim because consumers, drowning in debt, are cutting back. So they suggest cutting taxes on corporate investments will generate new investments and growth -- as if companies don't need someone to buy the products they make. Maybe that will be Steve Martin's next routine: How to sell more stuff and not have customers. Somehow, it doesn't sound so funny. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/12/representation-without-ta_n_118455.html JENNIFER C. KERR | August 12, 2008 06:31 AM EST | WASHINGTON — Two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes between 1998 and 2005, according to a new report from Congress. The study by the Government Accountability Office, expected to be released Tuesday, said about 68 percent of foreign companies doing business in the U.S. avoided corporate taxes over the same period. Collectively, the companies reported trillions of dollars in sales, according to GAO's estimate. "It's shameful that so many corporations make big profits and pay nothing to support our country," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who asked for the GAO study with Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. An outside tax expert, Chris Edwards of the libertarian Cato Institute in Washington, said increasing numbers of limited liability corporations and so-called "S" corporations pay taxes under individual tax codes. "Half of all business income in the United States now ends up going through the individual tax code," Edwards said. The GAO study did not investigate why corporations weren't paying federal income taxes or corporate taxes and it did not identify any corporations by name. It said companies may escape paying such taxes due to operating losses or because of tax credits. More than 38,000 foreign corporations had no tax liability in 2005 and 1.2 million U.S. companies paid no income tax, the GAO said. Combined, the companies had $2.5 trillion in sales. About 25 percent of the U.S. corporations not paying corporate taxes were considered large corporations, meaning they had at least $250 million in assets or $50 million in receipts. The GAO said it analyzed data from the Internal Revenue Service, examining samples of corporate returns for the years 1998 through 2005. For 2005, for example, it reviewed 110,003 tax returns from among more than 1.2 million corporations doing business in the U.S. Dorgan and Levin have complained about companies abusing transfer prices _ amounts charged on transactions between companies in a group, such as a parent and subsidiary. In some cases, multinational companies can manipulate transfer prices to shift income from higher to lower tax jurisdictions, cutting their tax liabilities. The GAO did not suggest which companies might be doing this. "It's time for the big corporations to pay their fair share," Dorgan said. ____ On the Net: Government Accountability Office: http://www.gao.gov For more on taxes go here: http://wisc5thcddems.com/Taxes.aspx
It Was Bound To Happen - Just Like Republicans Have Always Done, They Fabricate Stories to Make Democrats Look Bad. Right after Senator Obama returned from his trip to Afghanistan, a lie written by a soldier in Afghanistan was circulating around the blogs. The soldier, CPT Jeffrey S. Porter, Battle Captain, TF Wasatch, claimed that Senator Obama "got off the plane and got into a bullet proof vehicle...As the Soldiers where lined up to shake his hand he blew them off and didn't say a word as he went into the conference room to meet the General...." Snopes.com dug into the story and proved that it was FALSE. http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/afghanistan.asp This is just one of the latest chain email smears that are being used against Senator Obama. According to an Army Spokesperson quoted in the New York Daily News: "These comments are inappropriate and factually incorrect," said Bagram spokeswoman Army Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green, who added that such political commentary is barred for uniformed personnel. In a follow-up Blog entry, the Daily News reported that the e-mail's author has recanted his original message: Now he is asking that everyone delete the email and not forward it on, claiming that after checking his sources, he found that the information that he put in his email was wrong. Unfortunately, anyone not reading the retraction will still have the same negative perception of him. In addition to the official military denials, a Department of Defense video shows Senator Obama meeting, talking, and eating breakfast with U.S. troops in Afghanistan (and includes a brief interview with a soldier who noted that Obama "took time out of his schedule to come over and visit with us, not just at this camp but at other surrounding camps in Afghanistan.") Snopes also received a flood of messages from U.S. troops who met Senator Obama in his Middle East trip in Afghanistan and elsewhere, who reported quite different experiences than CPT Jeffery Porter, including a letter from another soldier who says that CPT Porter wasn't even there. Another wrote: "I don't know who this captain saw, but it wasn't the Barack Obama I just saw in Afghanistan. Unlike most of the pols who breeze on through for nothing more than brief photo ops before leaving he was warm, friendly & engaging (as much as security would allow) with the troops he met and he was genuinely interested in us and our mission and how we could best serve our country. When Obama went to Jordan a few days ago they said "The guy gets it. Sharp, aware and a very good listener. He doesn't seem stuck in any preconceived positions." Those are the qualities I'd like to see in my Commander in Chief. While Obama was out visiting the troops, what was John McCain doing...?, playing golf with his rich cronies (Bush Sr.) in Kennebunkport and whining about how much press coverage Obama was getting. Definitely "not" the qualities I want to see in my Commander in Chief." The Salt Lake Tribune reported that it was unlikely that the e-mail's author would face any disciplinary measures. Can you imagine what would have happened if an Obama supporter had done something like this to McCain? You may also recall, that while security was supposed to be tight, and the location and itinerary for Senator Obama was supposed to be kept secret until after he left, Senator McCain was blabbing to reporters about where Senator Obama was going to be and when!!! I guess security for another American means nothing to Senator McCain if he can provide intelligence to our enemies, so that he can get them to do his dirty work for him, and get himself into the White House. Or will Senator McCain claim that he didn't know what he was doing when he was divulging sensitive information to the whole world? How secure does that make you to trust McCain with the safety of the United States, or Democrats in general if he gains the White House? How secure does it make you to consider that he has been a member of Congress for the last 26 years? Maybe that explains the mess we are in. ABC News Reports that Bush APPROVED Torture! (Note: After years of repeatedly denying that he had knowledge of, or approved of torture techniques being used, and months of an ABC News investigation, Bush finally acknowledged that he APPROVED of torture techniques being used. Not only did he approve of them, but Condoleeza Rice had meetings that were very specific about what techniques could be used, so that the torture was choreographed according to what they approved!) April 11, 2008 President Bush says he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details about how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, according to an exclusive interview with ABC News Friday. "Well, we started to connect the dots in order to protect the American people." Bush told ABC News White House correspondent Martha Raddatz. "And yes, I'm aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved."
As first reported by ABC News Wednesday, the most senior Bush administration officials repeatedly discussed and approved specific details of exactly how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the CIA.
The high-level discussions about these "enhanced interrogation techniques" were so detailed, these sources said, some of the interrogation sessions were almost choreographed -- down to the number of times CIA agents could use a specific tactic.
These top advisers signed off on how the CIA would interrogate top al Qaeda suspects -- whether they would be slapped, pushed, deprived of sleep or subjected to simulated drowning, called waterboarding, sources told ABC news.
The advisers were members of the National Security Council's Principals Committee, a select group of senior officials who met frequently to advise President Bush on issues of national security policy. At the time, the Principals Committee included Vice President Dick Cheney, former National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General John Ashcroft.
As the national security adviser, Rice chaired the meetings, which took place in the White House Situation Room and were typically attended by most of the principals or their deputies. The so-called Principals who participated in the meetings also approved the use of "combined" interrogation techniques -- using different techniques during interrogations instead of using one method at a time -- on terrorist suspects who proved difficult to break, sources said. Contacted by ABC News, spokesmen for Tenet and Rumsfeld declined to comment about the interrogation program or their private discussions in Principals meetings. The White House also declined comment on behalf of Rice and Cheney. Ashcroft could not be reached. ABC News' Diane Sawyer sat down with Powell this week for a previously scheduled interview and asked him about the ABC News report. Powell said that he didn't have "sufficient memory recall" about the meetings and that he had participated in "many meetings on how to deal with detainees."
Powell said, "I'm not aware of anything that we discussed in any of those meetings that was not considered legal." In his interview with ABC News, Bush said the ABC report about the Principals' involvement was not so "startling." The president had earlier confirmed the existence of the interrogation program run by the CIA in a speech in 2006. But before Wednesday's report, the extraordinary level of involvement by the most senior advisers in repeatedly approving specific interrogation plans -- down to the number of times the CIA could use a certain tactic on a specific al Qaeda prisoner -- had never been disclosed. more... http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/LawPolitics/story?id=4635175&page=1 Condoleeza Rice, then NSC advisor held several high level top-secret meetings regarding what torture techniques could be used and then perjured herself before Congress claiming that it had not been used! Hear her say in her own words that torture is illegal under U.S. law! (Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen to start the video.) Sign the petition to call on Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to resign! http://condimustgo.com/ How do you keep a war going on for 100 years? Six months at a time. Here's evidence of how the Bush/McCain Endless War Installment Plan is conning America into buying into this Endless War. See the video put out by MoveOn.org. Click on the arrow in the middle of the screen below to start the video. (MoveOn.org is not affiliated with our organization. The YouTube video was taken off of their website and reposted here.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suNqiAgE1kw What are the Stakes in This Year's Presidential Election? Quite simply, the choice is between more of the same of Bush politics and policies, which have been embraced by the far right and have hurt the majority of Americans, or a change in direction. The presumptive Republican Party nominee, John McCain, claims to be the candidate of the future and of change, but he surrounds himself with George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush cronies, who have supported them in lockstep, just has McCain has done. McCain is no longer the maverick opposing Bush. He is the lapdog doing Bush's whim in order to gain the support of Bush's base and the White House, even to the continued detriment of this country. We are entangled in an illegal war, that was supported by the far right, because they benefit financially from it, but for the most part, don't have to pay for it, or fight it. This $750 Billion boondoggle to Bush donors like Halliburton, KBR, Titan, CACI, Blackwater, and many more, are stealing food out of the mouths of your children, the clothes off of your back and the homes that you have worked so hard to attain. It is destroying your future and your childrens' future by taking the resources that could have provided you with an education and jobs and healthcare; while shipping jobs and industries to countries that compete with us globally. If you want to see more proof on just how badly Bush and Co. have bungled this war in Iraq in order to fraudulently steal money from American Taxpayers, you need to see Robert Greenwald's film. "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers". You can check out a preview here: http://iraqforsale.org/ and more eye opening previews here: http://store.bravenewfilms.org/ifsdvd06.php http://iraqforsale.org/trailer.php http://iraqforsale.org/video_military.php http://iraqforsale.org/video_revolution.php http://iraqforsale.org/video_erik.php http://iraqforsale.org/video_blackwater.php http://iraqforsale.org/video_david.php http://iraqforsale.org/video_caci.php http://iraqforsale.org/video_gettested.php http://iraqforsale.org/video_pursuit.php http://www.linktv.org/programs/mwatch_iraq http://iraqforsale.bravenewfilms.org/blog/393-watch-director-robert-greenwald-on-olbermann http://iraqforsale.bravenewfilms.org/blog/404-new-video-the-tale-of-prince-blackwater-ceo-erik-prince http://iraqforsale.bravenewfilms.org/blog/871-producer-director-robert-greenwald-on-bill-maher-s-show Video from Congressional hearing on Iraq war profiteering Testimony reveals Blackwater abuse, negligence http://iraqforsale.bravenewfilms.org/blog/501-testimony-reveals-blackwater-abuse-negligence Stopping War for Profit: Greenwald on Olbermann
by jessehaff · Tuesday February 20, 07:09 AM
During congressional hearings on Iraq war profiteering last week, the governments top 3 auditors found $10 billion in overcharges or unaccounted spending out of $57 billion in private contracts. Keith Olbermann interviewed Robert on the issue of Iraq war profiteering. Robert explained:
"We have to call into question the very core issue: yes they're stealing, but even above and beyond that, should people be profiting - should corporations be making millions and millions when Iraqis and Americans are being killed? That to me goes to the heart of the issue and we need to start asking that harder and harder." Iraq for Sale video banned from Congress Director Robert Greenwald is testifying today on outsourcing before the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. He was invited to testify before Congress by Rep. Jim Moran and intended to show four minutes from Iraq For Sale. Instead, Republicans banned the excerpts from being shown. The video above is what was intended to be shown before Congress.
VIDEO: Robert Greenwald vs. Jack Kingston
by robert greenwald · Friday May 11, 09:34 AM As I walked down the very big, very impressive halls of Congress yesterday, it started to dawn on me that the idea of making a film about war profiteering had actually led to a hearing in Congress in front of the people who can make a difference on the issue -- the people who write the legislation.
As I continued down that very long, very marble hall I began to have flashbacks about the road that had gotten me here. It started when we began work on Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers January 2006.
I thought of the call I received from Bob Borosage at Campaign for America's Future he said Brave New Films had to do a film about the war profiteering occurring in Iraq. I remember my visceral response when I first heard the term war profiteering-how could anyone be so sick as to profiteer from war.
As I walked down the hall, I thought of the 3000 people who donated $25 and $50 a piece to help us get started on production of the film. We had had trouble raising funds in the timeframe we needed to work within, and the amazing people who had supported Brave New Film's past work chipped in to get our production started.
I thought of our wonderful Executive Producer Dal LaManga who invested the money we needed to finish. He said to me, "Stop trying to raise more money, here, go finish the movie and tell the world what is happening."
I thought of the soldiers, and of the families of contractors who appear in the film -- their courage continues to motivate and inspire me.
I flashed back to the thousands of screenings of Iraq for Sale that occurred across the country and around the world.
And then, I realized I was there, at the entrance to the hearing room about to speak to the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense about war profiteering.
Jeremy Scahill, the brilliant author of BLACKWATER was with me. I listened as he gave his remarks to the committee. He detailed research from his book that even members of Congress did not know. When my time came to speak, I told stories about the people I got to know while making Iraq for Sale. I was not allowed to show clips from the film, so I explained the stories of how private corporations are making a killing in Iraq. (testimony)
When the time came for questioning, Jack Kingston, (Rep- Georgia) began to attack Jeremy and me (video). His attacks were beyond weak. He falsely attempted to smear me and the people who helped to make this film a reality. I got a warm fuzzy feeling thinking about the fact that truth was on my side, while Kingston simply had feeble rhetoric. As Jeremy and I fought back against Kingston, - we were giving Kingston a one-two punch he could not recover from.
As his attacks continued it dawned on me that others on the Committee were listening, thinking, and probably forming questions about how they could change they system and hold corporations accountable. They were.
It's been a hell of a ride from last January to now. This next step of taking the ideas of the film, the issues raised and turning them into very specific solutions shows that people really can have an impact when they fight hard for what is right. See the film, and make sure all your friends and relatives see it, particularly if they still support this war. It will open your eyes and make you sick that our government continues to support this wholesale theft, not for our security, but for corporate profit. It shows people who originally supported the war and supported and worked for the companies that supported Bush, until they got to Iraq and saw what was really going on there. It shows that companies (Halliburton/KBR) responsible for providing clean water for our troops are NOT treating the water, but taking water directly out of rivers, that are polluted with feces and loaded with bacteria, and giving it to our troops to drink, so that these companies can increase their profits. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. Instead of providing security and prosperity to Americans here at home, he throws away lives and resources on a war that has accomplished nothing in the past and will accomplish nothing in the future, except to weaken America while destroying ordinary Americans' dreams, while the super rich refuse to contribute to the taxes that pay for the war and Bush's policies, making them even more wealthy. McCain calls into question Senator Barack Obama's qualifications for Commander in Chief when Obama said in response to a Tim Russert hypothetical question that he would attack an enemy "that threatens America or America's interests", even on Pakistan soil, (which President Bush has just done), and that if Al Qaida regrouped in Iraq, after our troops withdrew, that he would send them back. McCain and Bush have responded by saying that Al Qaida in Iraq means that Al Qaida are already in Iraq. Senator Obama responded by saying that Al Qaida weren't in Iraq until after Bush and McCain invaded Iraq. (Look it up, it's true. Saddam Hussein, Iraq's dictator, did not share his power with anyone, and did not allow Al Qaida to come into Iraq to establish bases or training camps. In fact, Al Qaida had its bases and training camps in Afghanistan and PAKISTAN, which is supposed to be a U.S. Ally. Members of Pakistan's Intelligence service were actually training bin Laden's forces in Afghanistan when American troops were preparing to invade Bora Bora. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered American troops to stand down for several weeks to allow Pakistan Intelligence agents to escape across a narrow mountain pass into Pakistan before the bombing of Bora Bora began. bin Laden and his followers are believed to have escaped along with the Pakistan Intelligence agents during this time period along this same route that was intentionally left unguarded. This was a matter of media investigation early on in the war, (and then quickly dropped), where members of the military and chopper crews were interviewed who admitted that this actually had happened. McCain, on the other hand, has demonstrated his own inability to act "Presidential" or demonstrate the ability to act judiciously or with sound strategy in the use of our military. He is promising us that the war and occupation in Iraq could last 100 years and that "there will be more wars". He forgets that the first duty of the President of the United States is to keep us safe by avoiding war through diplomatic means, not to threaten war at every opportunity. http://www.wisdems.org/mccain.asp Fair Use Notice: This site may contain copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 USC Section 107, the material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. |