Sen. DeMint claims (in a foolishly partisan attack) that he has declared war on earmarks. A practice he denounces as wasting taxpayers’ money.
Next we hear from The State that Sen. DeMint is one of 13 in Congress that has given up 'pork'.
Now we have the Seattle Times reporting that Sen. DeMint was the leading pork distributer in the SC delegation, handing out over $30,000,000.00 in earmarks much of it to persons who have given over$53,000.00 to Sen. DeMint
So what is it? Is Senator DeMint the savior of the South Carolina taxpayer, or the fattest hog at the troff.
A hat tip to Palmetto State Progressive
Tags
DeMint, Earmarks
Showing posts with label DeMint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DeMint. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Why All The Rush To Embrace Inhumanity
The last couple of weeks has been quite fascinating. We have politicians of all types who appear eager to embrace inhumanity and what are quite likely highly illegal actions.
We have a flock Republican Presidential candidates who all want to be seen as the next Jack Bauer. One, Rudy Giuliani, going as far as to try to tie police questioning that he oversaw, with the torture our government is now employing. We have a confirmation mating dance in DC, where all parties are afraid to talk plainly about the subject, and instead chose to focus of what 'is' is. The President still foolishly parrots his false claim that the US doesn't torture. He apparently thinks that if he redefines torture to remove from the list all the acts of torture we want to use, we are not torturing.
Everyone is acting like the issue of the propriety and legality of waterboarding (and other unnamed forms of torture) is in question. Well, it is not. The US has viewed this act as illegal for over 100 years. In the past, the US has denounce other governments for using this, and other forms of torture. We have prosecuted war criminals who have used waterboarding to question captives.
And now we seem to be trying to claim that this act is no longer torture.
Another way to look at this is to consider the company you keep. Who else is known to have embraced the use of water boarding? Well, Japan during WWII, North Vietnam and the Vietcong , The Stalin's KGB, Pol Pot of Killing Fields fame, and now George Bush.
In the next day or two, more names can be added to the list of those who think torture is an acceptable way of doing business. Including a number of Democratic Senators and of couse both Senators from South Carolina. DeMint, who is a reliable vote for Bush, and Graham, who knows better, but lacks the courage to do the right thing. When Mukasey is approved as AG, those who vote to install him are also voting to approve the use of torture. In his confirmation it was made very clear the he is also willing to twist the law to allow us to try to redefine torture, and allow its continued use.
And, no matter what our politicians do, no matter how they justify it, how they redefine it, no matter how much makeup they apply, it is still torture. Keith Oberman again nails the truth, and the disgustingly viable reasons for Mukasey nomination, and acceptance.
Dispatches From The Culture Wars also touches upon this theme.
We have a flock Republican Presidential candidates who all want to be seen as the next Jack Bauer. One, Rudy Giuliani, going as far as to try to tie police questioning that he oversaw, with the torture our government is now employing. We have a confirmation mating dance in DC, where all parties are afraid to talk plainly about the subject, and instead chose to focus of what 'is' is. The President still foolishly parrots his false claim that the US doesn't torture. He apparently thinks that if he redefines torture to remove from the list all the acts of torture we want to use, we are not torturing.Everyone is acting like the issue of the propriety and legality of waterboarding (and other unnamed forms of torture) is in question. Well, it is not. The US has viewed this act as illegal for over 100 years. In the past, the US has denounce other governments for using this, and other forms of torture. We have prosecuted war criminals who have used waterboarding to question captives.
And now we seem to be trying to claim that this act is no longer torture.
Another way to look at this is to consider the company you keep. Who else is known to have embraced the use of water boarding? Well, Japan during WWII, North Vietnam and the Vietcong , The Stalin's KGB, Pol Pot of Killing Fields fame, and now George Bush.
In the next day or two, more names can be added to the list of those who think torture is an acceptable way of doing business. Including a number of Democratic Senators and of couse both Senators from South Carolina. DeMint, who is a reliable vote for Bush, and Graham, who knows better, but lacks the courage to do the right thing. When Mukasey is approved as AG, those who vote to install him are also voting to approve the use of torture. In his confirmation it was made very clear the he is also willing to twist the law to allow us to try to redefine torture, and allow its continued use.
And, no matter what our politicians do, no matter how they justify it, how they redefine it, no matter how much makeup they apply, it is still torture. Keith Oberman again nails the truth, and the disgustingly viable reasons for Mukasey nomination, and acceptance.
Dispatches From The Culture Wars also touches upon this theme.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Geese and Ganders
Our two towering paragons of virtue, Senators DeMint and Graham, were among those who were oh so eager to denounce Move On for a pun. They joined the whole of the Republican membership of the Senate (and a collection of weak willed Democrats) and participated in this absurd political Kabuki in an effort to score a few popularity points by pretending to defend the honor of our armed forces by passing a resolution that said in part:
Now we have the chance to see if they were really serious about this. For if they were it would mean that they would now have to aggressively lead an effort to pass a condemnation of Rush Limbaugh for his anti-armed forces rant.
But,
I strongly recommend that you not hold your breath waiting for their action. Our Senators have shown a strong partisan streak that makes it clear that the actions of those on the left, if they are an effort to overturn their political goals must be condemned, but those exact same actions on the right (the questioning the impartiality and honesty of members of the armed forces) are just fine.
It goes back to the rule of ethics and political discourse that has existed for at least the last 10 years at least, IOALAYAAR. (It's OK as long as you are a Republican)
2) to strongly condemn any effort to attack the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all the members of the United States Armed Forces;
Now we have the chance to see if they were really serious about this. For if they were it would mean that they would now have to aggressively lead an effort to pass a condemnation of Rush Limbaugh for his anti-armed forces rant.
On his radio show yesterday, right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh attacked the “honor and integrity” of some members of the Armed Forces. Limbaugh attacked troops who hold a different viewpoint than his own as “phony soldiers.”
But,
I strongly recommend that you not hold your breath waiting for their action. Our Senators have shown a strong partisan streak that makes it clear that the actions of those on the left, if they are an effort to overturn their political goals must be condemned, but those exact same actions on the right (the questioning the impartiality and honesty of members of the armed forces) are just fine.
It goes back to the rule of ethics and political discourse that has existed for at least the last 10 years at least, IOALAYAAR. (It's OK as long as you are a Republican)
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
DeMint, He Opens His Mouth
And a flood of stupidity follows.
His latest attempt at public speaking has a couple of choice moments.
A few notes for Sen. DeMint.
Al Quade makes up only a very small percentage of the forces involved in fighting against the US in Iraq (and would not even be in Iraq if we had not gone in there). The vast majority of those involved in attacking US forces are Iraqi. These people will continue to fight us until they are totally defeated, something that almost never happens with domestic insurgency.
They are responding to an invasion of their land like I hope Americans would respond to an invasion of the US, with massive resistance. In the US this resistance would not stop based upon the political discussions of the invaders, but only when the invaders were either kicked out, or had killed such a massive amount amount of our population that resistance was no longer an option.
We face the same reality in Iraq.
The sad truth is, they want us out of the way so they can get busy killing each other. Iraq is a land divided by religious, ethnic and family divides, and grudges held onto from the past. These will define their existence for the next few decades if not longer. Our staying in Iraq just delays the now unavoidable.
All you do by demanding that we remain in Iraq is assure the deaths of more of our troops. The Democrats are trying to save some troops, it is you Sen. DeMint who are killing them.
Not only did Sen DeMint display his stupidity while in Spartanburg, He also confirmed that he is very accomplished at spinning a lie.
Yes Saddam has some very old, scattered, most likely forgotten, shells that did at one time contain deadly toxins. These are left over from their war with Iran (you know, back when we were allied with them, and were helping with their chemical weapons programs). As chemical weapons, these shells are basically useless. The chemicals have degraded, and are not much of a threat. In fact a couple have been used in IEDs (most likely by accident), and the damage was very limited.
These are not the 'stockpiles' but leftovers, and posed no real threat to our nation.
Stupid, and a bad liar, no wonder so many love to call the Jr. Senator from South Carolina Sen DimWit.
Tags
DeMint
His latest attempt at public speaking has a couple of choice moments.
“Al-Qaida knows that we’ve got a lot of wimps in Congress,” DeMint said. “I believe a lot of the casualties can be laid at the feet of all the talk in Congress about how we’ve got to get out, we’ve got to cut and run.”
A few notes for Sen. DeMint.
Al Quade makes up only a very small percentage of the forces involved in fighting against the US in Iraq (and would not even be in Iraq if we had not gone in there). The vast majority of those involved in attacking US forces are Iraqi. These people will continue to fight us until they are totally defeated, something that almost never happens with domestic insurgency.
They are responding to an invasion of their land like I hope Americans would respond to an invasion of the US, with massive resistance. In the US this resistance would not stop based upon the political discussions of the invaders, but only when the invaders were either kicked out, or had killed such a massive amount amount of our population that resistance was no longer an option.
We face the same reality in Iraq.
The sad truth is, they want us out of the way so they can get busy killing each other. Iraq is a land divided by religious, ethnic and family divides, and grudges held onto from the past. These will define their existence for the next few decades if not longer. Our staying in Iraq just delays the now unavoidable.
All you do by demanding that we remain in Iraq is assure the deaths of more of our troops. The Democrats are trying to save some troops, it is you Sen. DeMint who are killing them.
Not only did Sen DeMint display his stupidity while in Spartanburg, He also confirmed that he is very accomplished at spinning a lie.
DeMint also took issue with the now widespread belief that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction, saying the executed Iraqi dictator had “stockpiles of chemical weapons” that still exist.
Yes Saddam has some very old, scattered, most likely forgotten, shells that did at one time contain deadly toxins. These are left over from their war with Iran (you know, back when we were allied with them, and were helping with their chemical weapons programs). As chemical weapons, these shells are basically useless. The chemicals have degraded, and are not much of a threat. In fact a couple have been used in IEDs (most likely by accident), and the damage was very limited.
These are not the 'stockpiles' but leftovers, and posed no real threat to our nation.
Stupid, and a bad liar, no wonder so many love to call the Jr. Senator from South Carolina Sen DimWit.
Tags
DeMint
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Sen. DeMint and RU-486
South Carolina's Junior Senator's war on RU-486 continues. It should come to no surprise to anyone that in this ongoing effort, The Senator (or his staff) continue to use misinformation (A classy term for subtle lies) in their effort to support their case.
There is an excellent quick review at The Well-Timed Period, where some real facts are introduced.
While the DeMint press release is chocked full of half truths and misapplied stats, the one that I find most interesting is the whole last paragraph.
It appears that the fine folks in DeMints office decided to quote the numbers that best helped their case, while ignoring the rest.
Lets start with the RU-486 mortality number, there is still study needed here, and some of the adverse effects appear to come from improper use of the meds, but even then, the real number is about 1 in 110,000 (not less than 100,00 are DeMint claims). As for regular abortions, well on the whole, they are 1 in 1 in 142,000 ( not 1 in 1,000,000 ).... and there is one other fact that his office left off the memo that is very telling: The risk of death in pregnancy is 1 in 8700. Making it a far riskier proposition than either RU-486, or surgical abortion.
Yet, somehow, that little fact is not mentioned at all.
No wonder so many people in SC prefer his nickname when refering to him, Sen. DimWit.
hat tip to pharyngula
There is an excellent quick review at The Well-Timed Period, where some real facts are introduced.
While the DeMint press release is chocked full of half truths and misapplied stats, the one that I find most interesting is the whole last paragraph.
The reported risk of death associated with RU-486 is ten times greater the risk associated with surgical abortions. The death rate associated with surgical abortion is one in a million. By contrast, the reported risk of death associated with RU-486 is higher than one in 100,000.
It appears that the fine folks in DeMints office decided to quote the numbers that best helped their case, while ignoring the rest.
Lets start with the RU-486 mortality number, there is still study needed here, and some of the adverse effects appear to come from improper use of the meds, but even then, the real number is about 1 in 110,000 (not less than 100,00 are DeMint claims). As for regular abortions, well on the whole, they are 1 in 1 in 142,000 ( not 1 in 1,000,000 ).... and there is one other fact that his office left off the memo that is very telling: The risk of death in pregnancy is 1 in 8700. Making it a far riskier proposition than either RU-486, or surgical abortion.
Yet, somehow, that little fact is not mentioned at all.
No wonder so many people in SC prefer his nickname when refering to him, Sen. DimWit.
hat tip to pharyngula
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