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AM Feed - July 21: Bush Makes Long-Delayed Appearance

Hot Topics

• President Bush finally appeared before the NAACP, the nation’s leading civil rights organization, for the first time during his presidency yesterday after refusing to address the group his first years in office. During his speech, he acknowledged the lack of support he (and the Republican Party as a whole) has received from black voters. Bush spoke of his desire to change the situation, but failed to address the issues that have caused his party’s problems with black voters, such as his opposition to affirmative action, his justice dept’s lack of enforcement of civil rights laws, and his budget cuts in health care, education, and programs to lift people out of poverty. And remember that just last week, conservatives in the House of Representatives tried on several occasions to derail the extension of the landmark Voting Rights Act. Yesterday the Senate passed the measure, meaning that it is now up to President Bush to sign it. [link]
• The Washington Post has found that Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and his relatives have created a charitable foundation that actually gives little money to charity. So why bother? Leavitt and his relatives have been using it to claim millions of dollars in tax deductions. The foundation donated less than 1 percent of its assets from 2002-04 – instead, much of the money went to Leavitt family business interests. [link]
• Former Rep. Tom DeLay’s infamous political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority (ARMPAC), is shutting its doors. The group agreed to pay $115,000 in fines for violating campaign finance laws. Included against the allegations against DeLay’s PAC was that it misrepresented $240,000 in activity in 2001 and 2002. The indicted former House majority leader used the organization as his main fundraising vehicle during his reign in Washington, DC, which ended with his resignation last month. [link]

Quote of the Day

“Mr. DeLay made the symbiosis of lobbyist and lawmaker an unabashed money machine that scandalized Congress. Mr. Boehner took over with vows to reform Congress. But he’s busier beating Mr. DeLay’s game at extracting contributions from power lobbyists and their corporate clients. He’s averaged $10,000 a day since February, according to an article in The Times by Mike McIntire, with banks, health insurers and drug, oil and cigarette corporations among the biggest donors. As for golf junkets and other ‘educational’ freebies, Mr. DeLay scored 18 trips financed by private interests since 2000; Mr. Boehner has racked up 39 in that time.” – Excerpt from an editorial in yesterday’s New York Times.

Morning Snark

• Mike Leavitt is abusing charitable foundations? Is he practicing to fill the void in the lobbying world left by Jack Abramoff? (And, if so, does Majority Leader Boehner have him on speed dial yet?)

1. When it comes to money, love it or Leavitt.
   — Doyal    Jul 21, 11:22    #
2. The final tally of the casualties in the Mumbai (Bombay) train bombings is 182 people murdered and 900 injured. I have a special place in my heart for Indians – this is just so horrific…
   On another note, I just heard a commentary from The Black Commentator that Bush and the Neo-cons are planning an invasion of Cuba – apparently, those racist, frothing-at-the-mouth fanatics in the Miami Cuban-exile community are finally going to get their wish of ousting Castro…
   — John    Jul 21, 11:30    #
3. Good one, Doyal!
   — John    Jul 21, 11:31    #
4. John, you can’t be serious about the Cuba invasion! Tell me, it isn’t so PLEASE!!!!
   — Jeannine    Jul 21, 11:34    #
5. I have no real inside knowledge, Jeannine, but I’ve found the insight and analysis of those thinkers over at The Black Commentator to be extremely trenchant and prescient. You know, every administration since Ike in 1959 has been absolutely rabid about Cuba – like Haiti, the Cuban people pulled off a miraculous revolution ousting the parasitical elites which is totally repugnant to the pampered aristocrats of the U.S. government…
   — John    Jul 21, 11:52    #
6. I would put NOTHING past this administration John. They are robbing the American people blind all in the name of “security”. I find myself asking people “are you scared yet?” If they are, the bushies have succeeded.
   — Jeannine    Jul 21, 14:17    #
7. You’re absolutely right, Jeannine. The trick is to be fearless – after all, these neocons and war pigs are little men (boys, actually, in terms of emotional and psychological development), incompetent and fearing that their time is nearing its end – they’re flailing and hysterical with no moral compass. But, you know all this already…
   — John    Jul 21, 14:43    #
8. My first recollection of John Boemer was a TV picture showing him, some years ago, disembarking from a large corporate jet (tobacco company I believe) the sole passenger arriving for a national GOP convention. I figured at that time that he would have a successful career in the Republican Party.
   — Neil Sl Hutchens    Jul 21, 15:18    #
9. Rove reminds me of the kind of kid that got his butt kicked practically every day because he was goofy. Then he went to college, got some knowledge and now he wants to pay everybody back that ever messed with him. He just has that “snarky” look about him. Creepy…I’d say.
   — Jeannine    Jul 21, 16:35    #
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