Since the words "corruption" and "impeachment" are on every American's minds ...
By ladyluna
@ladyluna (7004)
United States
March 11, 2008 8:05pm CST
Hello All,
Since the words “corruption” and “impeachment” are on everyone’s minds today as a result of Governor Eliot Spitzer (D-NY); perhaps we could finally address California Senator Diane Feinstein?
Below are various links to three separate corruption scandals that have yielded NO PUNITIVE ACTION against this powerful Democrat U.S. Senator. Why have the U.S. Justice Department, the Senate Ethics Committee, and the mainstream media refused to call her to task for profiteering to the tune of millions, if not billions of dollars, as funneled away from U.S. Veterans Services?
“She wielded quite a bit of power and succeeded in steering hundreds of billions of dollars in military contracts to companies partially owned by her wealthy husband, Richard Blum. One company alone earned $792 million from military construction and environmental cleanup projects approved by Feinstein’s committee and another $759 million.
The blatant ethics violation and obvious conflict of interest was first exposed earlier this year by a weekly Northern California publication. The story details how Feinstein voted over the years for appropriations that enriched her husband’s firms and that her top legal advisor also happens to be one of her husband’s longtime business partners; in other words, a financial beneficiary of the senator’s decisions.
No wonder Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, is among the wealthiest members of congress. Last year she ranked eighth with a net worth of $42.6 million, boosted by assets she holds with her husband. Most of them are companies that have made their fortune from the very government contracts she has granted them.”
How did she get away with this blatant corruption? Through intimidation, that’s how!
The next link is the second incident of Feinstein corruption. In the article you will see the paragraph that specifically addresses Feinstein’s use of intimidation to get her way on the Senate floor. In this example, her actions were on behalf of the Hollywood elite who have donated boatloads of cash to her campaign coffers.
Diane Feinstein’s policy to preserve the aesthetic views of the Hollywood elite by refusing to open up 200 acres of VA property in West Los Angeles to income opportunities for the Veterans Services Department. ** This is a must read!
http://opinionjournal.com/columnists/kstrasselpw/?id=110010574
And, how about Diane Feinstein’s involvement in the biggest gold mining swindle in the history of the USA?
Chocolate mine gold reserves swindle
http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/bixman_20010615.html
The rest of the links below are corroborating accounts of Feinstein’s corruption on the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs. Do you notice the conspicuous lack of mainstream news coverage? Where’s the NYTimes, The L.A. Times, The Washington Journal? Salon.com, a California weekly paper busted this story wide open, after a lengthy, multiple expose. Most of the major newspaper reported that Feinstein ‘resigned’ from the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Services. Yet, not one of them printed the corruption evidence, as provided by the liberal journalists at Salon.com. Even Moveon.org has hammered Feinstein over this. Yet, nary a word from the major media.
Hmmmm, it makes one wonder doesn’t it?
Well, since the words “corruption” and “impeachment” are on everyone’s minds (and lips) today, as a result of Eliot Spitzer, maybe we can finally demand punitive action against Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA)?
So, what do you think is the appropriate punishment for Diane Feinstein?
Do you think she should go to jail?
Should she have to pay back the illegally skimmed funds?
Should she still be collecting a government check and retirement pension? Grrrrr!
http://hobie.sixshootercommunity.org/2007/05/culture-of-corruption-diane-feinstein.html
http://bodegabay.blogs.co...
http://thehill.com/david-...
http://www.towleroad.com/...
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/03.21.07/dianne-feinstein-resigns-0712.html#
http://answers.yahoo.com/...
Jack Abramoff was a mere amateur compared to this crook! Yet, only one of them is behind bars.
2 people like this
4 responses
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
12 Mar 08
This is rich!
All of this time the liberals have been involved in character assassination against Bush because of his supposed involvement in companies that were benefiting from the war in Iraq ( not true, but whatever) and yet here is a lousy lying liberal that actually is stealing from the veterans everywhere in order to line her own pockets and to do "favors" for her rich Hollywood buddies.
So how is it that the liberals bash Bush for doing his job, and give Feinstein a free pass for her stealing ways?
The liberals CLAIM the republicans are corrupt, but it seems as if they have no room to point fingers... and on top of that she is in charge of the ethics committee?
She needs to be in prison, her accounts... along with her husband's accounts... need to be frozen and audited to determine the amount of theft.... and then restitution and penalties should be assessed, preferably to the point of permanent destitution.
The money trail should be followed to ferret out everyone who was involved in this nefarious betrayal of the public trust, and they should be may to pay as well.
The liberals are so quick to point fingers, but it is becoming increasingly obvious that they are at least as corrupt as any republican they can name.
I am betting that they are more corrupt simply due to the fact that they have controlled Congress for a lot time then the republicans have in the last fifty years or so.
However, a republican is hounded and investigated for any reason and sometimes no reason at all, while a liberal gets a free pass.
Yet they say there is no liberal bias in the press.
Indeed...
1 person likes this
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
12 Mar 08
Hello Destiny,
Bingo! I'm glad you picked up on the fact that Diane Feinstien now heads the Senate Ethics Committee. Meaning, that she is the one voice who decides to pursue or table an ethics investigation!!!
Diane Feinstein's swindling has been going on for years. Throughout both the Jack Abramoff, and Tom Delay scandals! Yet, nary a word on the largest act of criminal profiteering, to date!
Oh, and speaking of Abramoff, and Indian Gaming money -- how 'bout spreading out some of the investigations into Sen. Barbara Boxer's son? Yup, some very questionable ties to the same Indian Gaming money that Abramoff had, have also been linked to Barbara Boxer's son. This while Barbara Boxer has remained one of Diane Feinstein's most vocal defenders! I simply have to wonder why?
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
12 Mar 08
The why is simple, they are protecting each other.
Most likely they are into each other's action.
The liberals in Congress is nothing more than a den of thieves, and the more attention they can keep on Bush, the less attention they draw to their own misdeeds.
There are a whole lot of Bush haters out there that make this type of thing ridiculously easy, and as we all know... It ain't illegal until you get caught.
This is mostly why I believe that there can be no real change until Congress is cleaned out and the government taken back by the people.
As a veteran, I am appalled at this behavior.
1 person likes this
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
12 Mar 08
Hello Destiny,
I agree that they are protecting each other. And, not just Feinstein & Boxer. I believe the article linking to Feinstein's veiled threat to the challenge by another Senator perfectly demonstrates this.
Though, let's not fool ourselves. Democrats & Republicans are equal opportunity thieves. The 2006 election, where the Republican's lost their majority because of earmarks and wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars, was a concerted effort by average Republican citizens to 'stay home' on election day, and not support Republicans who had acted in exactly the same fashion as their 'esteemed collegues across the aisle'. Still, none can argue that Nancy Pelosi promised us the 'moon' regarding ethical standards, and responsible governance -- yet it is looking like she will go down in the annals of history as the worst Speaker of the House, ever! Or so say the pundit historians.
You do make an excellent point about "Bush hating" though. That is one of the oldest strategic tactics ever. Divert attention on to another, so that your own scheming and scamming goes unnoticed. Regardless of whether the first party is doing their own scheming and scamming, or not.
Destiny, I don't recall if I have ever thanked you for your service. If I have not, please allow me to do so now. All Veterans are deserving of our sincerest respect and appreciation for their selfless service to our nation. You are among a rare and special breed! If I may ask, what Branch did you serve with?
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
12 Mar 08
So many politicians get away with so much because both political parties when put together, control all of law enforcement in the USA.
Who appoints all the big city police chiefs, head of the FBI, head of the DEA, head of the ATF, nominates candidates for practically all the elected sheriffs, and whose members are the attorney generals through out the country? That's right. The Dumbocrats and Retardicans. Dumbocrats and Retardicans completely control law enforcement in the USA. They know it. They exploit this fact.
The only reason any politician ever goes to jail is merely because sometimes they either anger their partners in crime or their crimes become so obvious and egregious action has to be taken.
Given that all of the above is true, it is not unreasonable to view both the Dumbocrats and Retardicans as highly sophisticated organized crime.
Sorry, I did not answer your question directly, yet. Here it is.
Diane Feinstein is benefiting from the fact that others like her occupy positions of authority and are afraid to throw the first stone.
1 person likes this
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
12 Mar 08
"What will finally arouse us from our rose-colored reality, and embrace of apathy?"
Well, simply speaking the truth of the matter is not doing it. The population at large is in denial. Generally, people so afflicted require a catastrophic negative result to wake them up. It will not be pretty, but I do not know what it will be.
1 person likes this
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
12 Mar 08
You make a great point, Red!
Yes, the heads of law enforcement are overwhelmingly appointed, not elected. And yes, I deeply share your concerns of cronyism & protection of the 'hand that feeds them', in this regard.
Ah yes, the first stone thrown must be by one who is squeaky clean, or has nothing to lose. A rare find indeed!
What I find most troubling is that the American People seem unwilling to root out the corruption of D.C. What will finally arouse us from our rose-colored reality, and embrace of apathy?
1 person likes this
@academic2 (7000)
• Uganda
12 Mar 08
Thanks for this indepth perspective of American Politics-I am ofcourse, not competent to comment on your politics, but i know for sure that politics is such a dirty game of malice, intrigue, corruption and an outright avenue for self agrandizement here in my country that all these years i had lived to think this dirt is purely a Ugandan thing-am enlightened by post-the only difference we have between Uganda and America is that the corrupt steal with impunity, yet in America I hear about such words as impeachment-no one gets impeached here in Uganda for any political wrong doing-there is completely no harm to public interest in my country because nothing, nobody protects public interest jealously.
1 person likes this
@nickventere (1420)
• Zambia
12 Mar 08
Well documented indeed.
I am not a US citizen but I am a keen follower of US politics and current affairs.
From my observation for a long time now, I have coem to conclude that the US is the most hypocritical society on earth today.
largely,t he whole society lacks a good measure of moral rectitude and direction as well as grosses over what a mundane and non-hypocritical society would regard as excessive wrong.
I will not say much.
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
12 Mar 08
Hello Nickventere,
Thank you for the complimentary words about the documentation of this discussion.
While I understand how you might conclude that our elected are weighted down with more than their share of corruption, I would caution that blaming the entire U.S. society for the actions of our elected would be no more fair or accurate than blaming all Zambians for the execution style murder of Paul Tembo.
If it is proven that Katele Kalumba, Peter Machungwa, and Godden Mandandi not only illegally skimmed the $625,000, but are proven to be linked to Paul Tembo's murder, then it is those three and their thugs or assasins who should be blamed for this horrific action. It would be intellectually dishonest and distinctly unfair to blame all Zambians for this heinous crime, right?
According to "Transparency International", Zambia "is among the world's most corrupt countries..." http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900E6D81338F93AA15754C0A9649C8B63
Even so, The People of Zambia have woken up, and are demanding accountability from their elected. For this I give The Zambian People great praise. And if former president Frederick Chiluba ends up in jail for his alleged corruption, then all the better for The People.
I would personally like to see Diane Feinstein go 'the way of' Xavier Chungu, Mr. Chiluba's spymaster, and Mr. Chilbu himself. Though, that won't happen until more American's wake up, the way your Zambian brethren have awoken.
In summary, I would caution you that blaming The American People for the corruption of their elected governance is no less erroneous than blaming the Zambian People for the corruption of their elected governance. Since you and I both seem to abhor corruption, I would suggest that we work together to expose it at every turn. With the goal of eradicating it, once and for all. Sound like a plan?
