Sibby Online

Daschle's permanent campaign for abortion

Here is the comment I sent to Mount Blogmore regarding a Don Frankenfeld response to my early morning post I made regarding the Focus South Dakota poll on the abortion ban:

22: "I know all of these FOCUS guys pretty well, usually as political opponents, from time to time as allies. (I’m pretty sure Robinson, working on behalf of Tim Johnson, was chiefly responsible for Johnson’s 67%-33% squeeker over me in 1990). Whether or not you agree with them, give them credit for being smart and honest. Robinson has conducted scientific surveys in South Daktoa and across the nation for years."

I would like to thank Don Frankenfeld for providing me with more insight on what is going on with this abortion issue. And it is Tom Daschle. Frankenfeld spoke on those "Republicans for Daschle" commercials in 2004. Focus South Dakota also ran pro-Daschle commercials in 2004. Steve Hildebrand, Daschle’s campaign manager, started the so-called Common Sense South Dakota in response to the South Dakota ban on abortion. And now we have Frankenfeld defending the Focus South Dakota campaign to con South Dakota on the abortion ban.

At this point I would like to point out a side note that Tom Daschle was afraid to call himself pro-choice in 2004. Tom Daschle did not want the people of South Dakota to know the truth back in 2004 and his organization doesn’t want the people of South Dakota to know the truth today. Tom Daschle is pro-abortion.

I already been chewed out today by Bill Harlan for using too much content from other sources to support my position (see comment 2). So I will only provide this link to today’s KELO-TV coverage of the Focus South Dakota pro-abortion propaganda campaign. It is truly a work of media bias. I am sure the far-left commenters on this blog will enjoy it.

Joe Kafk also provided an AP report on this Daschle Democrat campaign. I will risk violating Bill Harlan’s rules with this excerpt:

However, Leslee Unruh, a state leader in the battle against abortion, said she doesn't believe the poll was done properly. She also said Focus: South Dakota is suspect because it gets much of its money from national abortion-rights groups.

Unruh said the South Dakota political group collected $20,000 from Planned Parenthood during the 2004 election cycle and $5,000 from the National Abortion Rights and Action League.

Unruh also said 99 percent of abortions are done for reasons other than rape and incest, and the poll takers insinuated that the proposed South Dakota law does not provide any exceptions in those instances. The measure allows for emergency contraception, she said.

If the abortion bill is put on the fall ballot, voters would approve it, Unruh said. She said abortion foes will conduct a "campaign sweep across South Dakota like you've never seen."

A statewide effort to promote the legislation will begin April 2, she said.

"It's important that people get the right information so they can make the right decisions, and I believe that most South Dakotans want to protect women and babies," Unruh said. "South Dakota citizens do not support abortion as a means of birth control."

I hope the RCJ will again point out the Daschle fundraisers for both Planned Parenthood and NARAL as they report on this Focus South Dakota poll and their connection to Daschle. This will complete the connect the dots truth that Tom Daschle is behind the undoing of South Dakota’s ban on abortion. This entire crusade against HB1215 is a national effort funded and promoted by the Daschle Democrats.

The Delusional Dumped Daschle

From Rush Limbaugh:

I have observed over the course of many years that the route to the highest stature one can achieve in the Democratic Party and liberalism is to become a loser. They seem to reward their losers with the highest honors they can bestow. Jimmy Carter, for example, was the king of the Democrat National Convention up there in Boston, honored as such by being allowed to sit next to Michael Moore for much of the convention. There are countless other examples of this. Failure seems to be a springboard to instant icon status in the Democratic Party. I've got another example of it today. AP story, "Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, accusing the GOP of spreading a message of fear, says he is considering a 2008 presidential bid. 'I haven't ruled anything out or anything in at this point,' Daschle said in an interview Saturday night after a hometown dinner in his honor."

They're honoring a loser! The guy lost his Senate seat in South Dakota! (Daschle impression) "'I'm encouraged by the strong support many people have voiced for my candidacy around the country and in South Dakota. I'll make a decision at some point later on this year,' he said. Daschle said President Bush and Republicans have overemphasized the importance of the war on terror--" (laughing) He created racists out of all of us don't you know. We're all anti-Arab, we're all a bunch of xenophobes and racists. Bush caused that, and Daschle said the United States is no safer now than it was before the Iraq invasion.

All right, so here we have another Democrat, a glaring failure, launched to the heights of possibility, presidential nomination in his own party. As you people know, the Republicans appear to be in disarray. The president's approval numbers appear to be down and so forth, but you can always count on the Democrats to come to the rescue. Be it Feingold's idiotic censure move, John Conyers impeachment move, and now Daschle saying that Bush overemphasized the war on terror, and on that basis he wants to run for president. He's overwhelmed by all of the support that he's getting around the country and in South Dakota. Delusional, it's simply delusional, and it's to our benefit.

Hildebrand boys unhinged

Here is what I found on the Clean Cut Kid’s web site:

I am sick of losing. I am so fucking sick of losing. And it's time for everyone to quit whining about what everyone else is doing and it's time for everyone to put up or shut up. Period. And it's time for everyone who cares about any of this who is not a Democrat to get their asses down to the courthouse and change the voter registration so we can do something about this at the primary in June.

This is supposed to be the tolerant progressive far-left faction of the Democrat Party. But they can stand anybody unless they are a Democrat. Here is more insight on the Hildebrand strategy:

We also end up blaming the six Democrats in the senate who voted for this bill while we let nineteen Republicans who did the same thing off the hook. We blame the people that are trying to do something positive, instead of the misogynists running the show in the capitol.

Now it doesn’t matter if Democrats voted for the ban on abortion. The Hildebrand faction of the Democrat Party don’t really care about the issue, they are just sick of Democrats losing. So now they are out on this crusade to paint Republicans as extremists because they did not provide an exception for rape and incest.

The reason why they adopted this strategy is because they do not care about debating the issue. If they did they would have learned that the proponents of the ban used the scientific evidence provided by DNA that proves the fertilized egg is no longer the woman’s body because the DNA is different. Therefore, the life of the unborn deserves the Constitution’s equal protection that includes the inalienable right to life. And you cannot make that argument if you except those children whose father is a rapist. They to deserve equal protection. They should not be given the death penalty without due process just because their father is a criminal. This is hardly an extreme argument. In fact many of those who have an open enough mind to listen to the debate understand that it makes no sense to punish children of the criminal. And some of those are Democrats.

But Hildebrand who starts an organization called Common Sense for South Dakota ignores what truly is common sense and goes on a campaign of smoke and mirrors to paint only Republicans as extremists. This is not because they care about the abortion issue. It is simply a ploy to win elections for Democrats. His blogger said as much above.

The true extremists in South Dakota are going into bed with Planned Parenthood to attack South Dakota and damage our economy. Here is more from their web site:

Planned Parenthood tells bloggers to put things on their blogs when they're having a day in Pierre. Bloggers take a more active role organizing and fundraising. County parties invite Planned Parenthood and Democracy In Action, Planned Parentood invites county parties, and we all show up. Pissed, but at the wackos and not each other. And while we're all showed up, we write checks to the state party, the county party and Planned Parenthood.

Then progressive candidates tell bloggers when events are, and the bloggers again organize and fundraise. Then candidates show up at some party meetings, and Democracy In Action and Planned Parenthood come, followed by another round of writing checks and signing up to knock on doors.

But let's not kick our friends while we're all down. And this doesn't just apply to bloggers and Planned Parenthood and Democracy in Action. It applies to Common Sense South Dakota, Grassroots South Dakota, the environmental groups, the Peace and Justice Network; everyone out there who wants a more progressive South Dakota.

Yes, their agenda is about moving South Dakota to the far left. And they don’t care if they trash South Dakota and hurt South Dakota’s economy in the process. They really don’t care about South Dakota, they only care about of themselves.

The startling meanness of Tom Daschle

The South Dakota Republican Party has issued a response to the sopranos style attacks being funded by Tom Daschle:

The Boston Globe reported this week that former Senator Tom Daschle is planning to "strike back" at Republicans by waging a "permanent campaign" against his former GOP colleagues.

Daschle wants to institutionalize his bitter and negative attacks through a new "527" organization, according to the Globe, and the South Dakota Republican Party is calling for an end to these wasteful and detestable plans.

"Daschle and his attack dogs have been refining their ‘permanent campaign’ ever since his defeat in 2004," said South Dakota Republican Party Chairman Randy Frederick. "These constant attacks go against everything we South Dakotans believe in and I am calling on Rep. Herseth to reject this angry and hateful new tactic. Herseth has been trying to sell herself as a Blue Dog Democrat since going to Congress. It is time she delivers some proof."

Daschle has been raising money to continue his constant campaign against Republicans, according to the Globe. Daschle’s new group hopes to raise millions of dollars and has been given a start from liberal labor unions and trial lawyers.

"This brand of politics isn’t what South Dakotans expect or deserve," said Frederick . "Stephanie Herseth owes the citizens of this state better than that."

Next the SD GOP goes after Daschle’s right hand man, Steve Hildebrand:

Daschle continues to fund his long-time political operative, Steve Hildebrand who constantly attack the GOP in general and Sen. John Thune in particular.

And we are quite familiar with the Hildebrand Boys, Hildebrand’s bloggers, whose dark side was exposed by Erin. Recently Todd Epp ran a popularity contest on the South Dakota blogosphere. While most promoted votes from their readers, I chose not too. This web site wasn’t meant to make me popular. It’s purpose is to expose what isn’t getting enough exposure. After the Clear Cut Kid won the online poll, teh site noted that their victory was due to the right’s three blogs (SDP, SD War Colloge, and this site) getting spit up and argued that is what will happen in upcoming elections giving victory to Democrats. I hope the Democrat believe that. Because while the Republican Party has debate from different viewpoints regarding issues important to the votes, the Democrats victory will depend on negative attacks. Those negative attacks may have made Chad Schuldt the most popular web site, but his web site falls short when it comes to the issues. His far-left positions are not be acceptable to mainstream South Dakotans. The Democrats will continue to lose.

I still remember how Schuldt laughed his ass off when Daily Kos outed Jeff Gannon. SDP has pointed out how Jim Jordan attacked Larry Pressler by using the gay card. Again, the Democrats are not the tolerant party they claim to be. And their intolerance and sopranos style tactics will continue with Daschle funding Jim Jordan. The SD GOP points out how losing has exposed the real Tom Daschle:

"Daschle is becoming known as the sorest loser in American politics," said Frederick . "Daschle should end his permanent campaign and try to do something productive. The recent attack by Sen. Mark Dayton on South Dakota and Sen. Thune appears to be more sour-grapes politics and the beginning of the permanent campaign."

Daschle’s new "permanent campaign" organization is headed by Jim Jordan, who has been active in South Dakota politics in the past and is a well-known Daschle operative. "Jim Jordan is remembered in South Dakota for one of the nastiest campaigns in the state’s history. It’s too bad that Tom Daschle is providing more money to Jordan to satisfy his need for revenge," Frederick said. "I don’t know how long it will take, but some day Daschle will realize the campaign is over. He needs to get over it and stop providing a bad example of politics for our young people."

Ironically, it was Jeff Gannon who exposed the real Tom Daschle back in 2004. For more on that, see my post on "The Sopranos of South Dakota". Even more bizarre is how Tom Daschle spoke against "startling meanness" in American politics back in 2004. And now he is funding it.

Argus ducks Daschle’s permanent campaign

SDP pointed out a Boston Blobe report regarding Daschle’s permanent campaign:

Hoping to strike back at Republicans who mounted a yearslong effort to oust him from office, former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle is helping raise millions of dollars to form a new political advocacy group aimed at creating a clearinghouse of opposition-research information against all Senate Republicans.

Senate Majority Project is to formally launch today, with Daschle and other Democrats looking to bring in more than $2 million to collect and disseminate political information critical of all GOP senators, not just the handful of vulnerable incumbents whom Democrats have targeted this year. The project is the first concerted attempt by Democrats to create a permanent opposition-research arm focusing on all Republicans.

The Argus Leader did their own version of this story and did not cover the permanent nature of this Daschle lead crusade. The Argus Leader neve mentioned this quote:

''The campaign is extending endlessly," Zelizer said. ''If you're going to really conduct a serious campaigns for the Senate in offyears, it's going to increase the importance of raising money, and it's going to cost even more to run campaigns."

Note that the Globe report said "create a permanent opposition-research arm focusing on all Republicans". Here is what the Argus Leader report said:

So far, 20 Republican senators - not including Thune - are targeted on the Web site.

This is factually incorrect. There is a post on the web site that does mention Thune:

Mr. Bennett said he saw nothing wrong with Mr. Thune's work; he said lobbyists often had expertise that could translate into good public policy.

Latter the web site ties Bob Bennett to Watergate. But when you think you are running a monopoly, you figure you can get away with reporting misinformation.

Daschle Democrats attack South Dakota

David Kranz pointed to a new Daschle v Thune battle regarding the DM&E project and Daschle’s new board position at the Mayo Clinic who opposes the project. Looks like the attack as grown to one of Democrats against South Dakota. Mount Blogmore post a quote made by Minnesota’s Democrat Senator Mark Dayton:

`[t]he Mayo Clinic is worth a hell of a lot more than the whole state of South Dakota.’"

Mount Blogmore then responded with this:

This just in. A four-minute Mount Blogmore investigation involving half a dozen Google searches has proved that Minnesota Sen. Mark Dayton was wrong. The Mayo Clinic is not "worth a helluva lot more than the entire state of South Dakota." (See the previous topic.)

The Mayo Clinic had $5.4 billion total revenues in 2004. South Dakota had a $28.4 billion gross state product in 2004, which is 5.25 times the revenues of the Mayo Clinic. **

We’ll be expecting a retraction from Sen. Dayton’s office.

The South Dakota Republican Party responds with this:

As South Dakota comes under attack from an out-of-state politician aiming to derail a project that could generate a massive economic boom in the region and create thousands of jobs, Tom Daschle finds himself caught at the crossing.

Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota has attacked a railroad expansion project benefiting South Dakota , the biggest building project in South Dakota history, on behalf of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minnesota . Not only is Dayton standing in the way of a project that could have a massive economic impact in the region and create thousands of jobs, Dayton also insulted the people, heritage and pride of the entire state of South Dakota . Dayton told Fortune magazine that "The railroad will enter Rochester over my dead body" and that "The Mayo Clinic is worth a hell of a lot more than the whole state of South Dakota ."

This begs the question: Where does Dayton ’s close friend and recently-appointed Mayo Clinic Board Member Tom Daschle stand? The recent silence from Daschle’s office has been deafening.

"Daschle should tell his friend Mark Dayton to put a sock in it," said Randy Frederick , Chairman of the South Dakota GOP. "Daschle should stand up for his state and condemn Dayton ’s insulting remarks," he added.

In addition to being friends with Mark Dayton, Daschle has also joined the board of the Mayo Clinic, the most powerful opponent to the railroad expansion. "It would be nice if Tom Daschle would stand up for his state instead of his buddies at the Mayo Clinic," Frederick said. "I’d like to know if Daschle thinks the Mayo Clinic is ‘worth a hell of a lot more’ than his home state of South Dakota like Senator Dayton has said," Frederick questioned.

"Daschle’s chief political consultant also pays bloggers who constantly attack the railroad expansion project and Daschle should tell them to start helping South Dakota by supporting the biggest project in South Dakota history. Why Daschle stands silent while his close friends, business associates, and consultants constantly attack a project that is critical to the economic health of South Dakota I can’t understand," said Frederick .

Chad Schuldt, one of the paid bloggers mentioned above, has pointed to Dennis Wiese (a Tom Daschle supporter in 2004) as a possible Democrat candidate for governor. Here is what Wiese said about the DM&E project in a 2/21/2002 News Release:

South Dakota Farmers Union President Dennis Wiese said "With their ambitious expansion and rebuilding project, and now this acquisition, DM&E is taking bold moves that will have a lasting and profoundly positive impact on agriculture throughout South Dakota and Minnesota. We need to do all we can to help make this dream become a reality not just for DM&E but for agriculture and economic development in small communities across its service territory"

Here is more on what this project means to South Dakota farmers:

Grain silos are fixtures in the small towns along the DM&E's line through Minnesota and South Dakota. Farmers depend on the railroad as a cheap way to get their products to market. While much of the talk about this rail expansion focuses on coal, many of the rail cars will still carry wheat, sunflower seeds, soybeans and other cash crops. In many ways, the future of farmers on the Great Plains will be dictated by the railroad and its expansion dreams.

…

New markets aren't the only benefit. The expansion would also make the DM&E a much more efficient railroad. The result - not just a larger potential market, but a faster way to reach those customers. Mike Held, administrative director of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, says a South Dakota State University study shows just how much farmers will benefit.

"It indicated that net farm income will increase about $90 million every year because of those two factors. So we think that's one of the main reasons why it's in the best interests of agriculture," says Held.

Looks like the Hildebrand Boys should have been patting John Thune on the back instead of stabbing him there.

Abramoff, Reid, Ayoob, Yankton Sioux, Daschle

The Democrats are still playing partisan politics over the Abramoff scandal. Here is how The Washington Note described Harry Reid’s position yesterday as the Democrats joined the Republicans in lobbying reform proposals:

Senator Reid shared with us that just that day an unnamed Democratic Senator had come to him with a proposal on "ethics reform" ala Abramoff that could be bi-partisan. Reid told this person that this was the wrong time to be engaged in construtive "reform" proposals with the other side. He said that this was the time to draw a line and to show how "our side" differed dramatically from "their side."

Obviously the Democrats would rather play politics instead of working for reform. And as I have said repeatedly, the Democrats have two sets of rules, one for Republicans and none for themselves. As Harry Reid joins in the Democrat’s whining about the GOP’s culture of corruption, he is no better:

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), like House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), signed a letter in 2002 to Interior Secretary Gail A. Norton on behalf of an Abramoff client around the time he received a large campaign contribution from Abramoff's tribal clients. Edward P. Ayoob, a former Reid aide, was a member of Abramoff's lobbying team.

Here is more on the Reid and Ayoob connection:

Reid also has been linked to Abramoff through Edward Ayoob, who is from Las Vegas and worked for Reid from June 1997 to March 2002 variously as legislative counsel, tax counsel, appropriations manager, foreign affairs adviser and chief aide on judicial nominations, according to a biography on his employer's Web site.

Ayoob in 2002 was hired as a lobbyist by Greenberg Traurig LLP, where his work included teaming with Abramoff and other lobbyists on client matters.

Abramoff left Greenberg Traurig in March 2004 after the Senate and the FBI began investigating his activities.

Ayoob, 36, left Greenberg Traurig in spring 2005. He now is a senior lobbyist at Barnes & Thornburg LLP.

Contacted at his office last week, Ayoob declined to comment.

And Free Republic has even more on Ayoob as they explain the Democrat’s role in the Abramoff Group Scandal (AGS) and the Jack Abramoff Group (JAG) lobbyists:

JAG Democrat Edward Ayoob: $ 500
1. Was a key staff member to AGS Dem Harry Reid before joining JAG from '01 - '04
2. While a key lobbyist with JAG, Ayoob donated $4,000 to Reid, for lobbying client favors, held a fundraiser for Reid at JAG's law offices/employer being Greenberg Traurig (GT), and GT also donated $19,941 to Sen. Reid - his 18th single largest donor.
3. From '97 - '98, Edward Ayoob was the Assistant Finance Director for Harry's Reid's PAC, "Friends for Harry Reid", and on the PAC's payroll. During that time Reid's PAC was FEC fined for improper payroll accounting involving $316,737 in payroll expenditures.
4. At 01.10.06, per a highly knowledgeable source, Ayoob is under DOJ criminal investigation for his AGS role, along with Sen. Harry Reid and the law firm of Greenberg Traurig. Sen. Reid has significant AGS involvement, receiving $68,941, yet to-date denies that he received any AGS, or related, donations.

Later in the thread you will find a listing of Ayoob clients that include the Yankton Sioux Tribe. Here is what was reported in April 2002 by Indian Country Today:

After more than 40 years of awaiting compensation for land taken by federal hydroelectric dam projects, the last two Missouri River tribes in the case are nearer to hopes of compensation.

Legislation providing that funds be awarded to the Yankton Sioux and Santee Sioux Tribes has passed through the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. A companion bill was introduced in the House, but details need work, said Robert Cournoyer, vice chairman of the Yankton Sioux Tribe.

These two tribes are among the poorest in the nation with high unemployment rates and few jobs. They are located in low population areas so casinos provide little more than employment for a few tribal members. Cournoyer said the Yankton tribe has between 70 and 80 percent unemployment and this award will help to create economic development.

"It was exciting when the legislation came out of committee ﾖ to have legislation work for us," Cournoyer said.

Both tribes have had their troubles with litigation pushed by the states of South Dakota and Nebraska that help to drain funds from the tribal coffers.

The equitable compensation will place funds in the Federal Treasury so that the two tribes can draw down interest or use the interest as leverage for loans to improve the infrastructure and economic development on each reservation.

"As a result of the construction of these dams, more than 3,259 acres of land owned by the Yankton Sioux Tribe were flooded or subsequently lost to erosion. Also, approximately 600 acres of land located near the Santee village and 400 acres on the Niobrara Island of the Santee Reservation were flooded," said Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D. Co-authors of the Senate bill are Senators Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Chuck Hagel, R- Neb.

The total amount of the compensation will be $23,023,743 for the Yankton Sioux Tribe and $4,789,010 for the Santee Sioux Tribe.

This bill failed to get out of committee two years ago, but with the persistence of Daschle and Johnson it finally prevailed, Cournoyer said.

"It's good to have someone like Daschle on your side," he said.

And remember that Daschle was the Majority leader back in 2002 and Harry Reid was not only the Majority Whip, he was also a member of the Senate’s Indian Affairs committee that approved the $23 million for the Yankton Sioux Tribe. And lets not forget what the Washington Post reported in June 2005:

But Abramoff didn't work just with Republicans. He oversaw a team of two dozen lobbyists at the law firm Greenberg Traurig that included many Democrats. Moreover, the campaign contributions that Abramoff directed from the tribes went to Democratic as well as Republican legislators.

Among the biggest beneficiaries were Capitol Hill's most powerful Democrats, including Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.) and Harry M. Reid (Nev.), the top two Senate Democrats at the time, Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), then-leader of the House Democrats, and the two lawmakers in charge of raising funds for their Democratic colleagues in both chambers, according to a Washington Post study. Reid succeeded Daschle as Democratic leader after Daschle lost his Senate seat last November.

This all leads one to believe that the Democrat’s culture of corruption continued on after the Clinton years.

UPDATE: Here is more from the Free Republic link regarding JAG Michael Smith:

6. JAG insiders stated Smith was the Democrat alter-ego to Republican Jack Abramoff.

7. Smith served as the Midwest Political Director for the Gore-Lieberman 2000 campaign. In this position, Mike coordinated the campaign's efforts in 8 states, including Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Previously, Mike served as a liaison between the White House, campaign staff and local, state and federal officials during the Clinton-Gore 1996 campaign. He co-founded The Winning Margins, a political action committee dedicated to raising funds for Democratic candidates through low dollar fundraising events. Mike remains active in Democratic politics and continues to advise numerous members of Congress and other elected officials on both political and substantive matters. According to Steve Hildebrand, who was Tom Daschle's 2004 campaign manager, Michael Smith "helped with a lot of Democratic campaigns." Tom Daschle received over $81,000 of AGS donations.

8. At 01.10.06, per a highly knowledgeable source, Smith is under DOJ criminal investigation for his AGS role. Like Stephanie Leger Short, Smith was forced to resign by GT [Greenberg Traurig]. Like Abramoff and Scanlon, Leger Short and Smith are being investigated by the DOJ, not only for Congressional members bribes and kickbacks, but also JAG client over-billing and submitting fraudulent billing invoices.

Tom Daschle, a liberal from Washington DC

The Argus Leader continues to hope Tom Daschle runs for President with another front-page report in today’s paper. I noticed the reporter on the story is Nestor Ramos and not Dave Kranz. Perhaps that is why the report points out that Daschle is a DC resident:

Today, Daschle lives in Washington, D.C.

And then there is this analysis from Larry Sabato:

He said Daschle’s strengths are compelling. "He’s a liberal Democrat, but because he had all those years of running in South Dakota, he’s learned how to soft-sell the liberalism."

Soft-sell? No, it is more like Daschle outright lied about his positions on the issues and the Argus Leader helps him promote the propaganda.

Iran’s nukes, China, Clinton, Daschle

While the MSM is busy with lobbying and campaign contribution activities regarding Republicans, they are ignoring some very disturbing activities involving Democrats. Currently there is much concern about Iran’s decision to resume its uranium enrichment program. And the missiles needed to deliver the warheads may indeed be compliments of Bill Clinton. While Clinton is wrongly getting credit for the economic boom of the 1990’s that was actually the result of those who created the technology revolution, Clinton instead was trading some of that technology to China for campaign contributions. This was documented in a timeline provided in a 1998 Washington Times report. Excerpt:

May 1998 Loral issues a statement declaring, "No political favors or benefits of any kind were requested or extended, directly or indirectly, by any means whatever." On May 17, President Clinton asserts, "All the foreign-policy decisions we made were based on what we believed -- I and the rest of my administration -- were in the best interests of the American people."

Mr. Clinton's statement would seem to ignore the 1995 agreement among the State and Defense Departments, the CIA and the NSA to keep satellite-export-licensing authority within the State Department, a decision Mr. Clinton reversed. It ignores the vigorous opposition of his own Justice Department to the controversial waiver he granted Loral this year. It ignores the Pentagon's 1997 report concluding that U.S. national security was harmed by technology Loral transferred in 1996, a technology transfer that Mr. Clinton, in effect, retroactively approved in 1998, jeopardizing a Justice Department criminal investigation of Loral.

Mr. Schwartz's company has been the primary beneficiary of policies Mr. Clinton adopted. Disturbingly, these were policies contrary to those advocated by his senior foreign-policy, intelligence, defense and legal advisers. At the same time, Mr. Schwartz has emerged as the Democratic Party's largest individual soft-money contributor, having written checks cumulatively exceeding $1 million since Mr. Clinton became president. He clearly got his money's worth. And, for $300,000, it's equally clear that Chinese military intelligence got its money's worth as well. What about taxpaying citizens whose security has been sacrificed? They, it turns out, are the real "incurable patsies."

The Times report has this regarding China’s involvement with Iran:

February 6, 1996 Despite reports in January that China continued to export nuclear technology to Pakistan and missiles to Iran, President Clinton signs waivers for four satellite launches by Chinese rockets. On the same day, Wang Jun, who owns a huge stake in a Hong Kong satellite company, meets with Ron Brown. That night, he attends one of the notorious White House coffees. Beyond his interest in satellites, Mr. Wang is a Chinese arms dealer and the son of one of China's most reactionary leaders, the late Wang Zhen, who advocated the massacre at Tiananmen. As it happens, another of Mr. Wang's companies was suspected of brokering cruise missiles to Iran.

And here is more regarding Iran/China/Loral in the September 2004 NewsMax report:

The Bush administration has resisted the powerful aerospace lobby to restart space exports to China. The main reason is because of the continuing Chinese proliferation of advanced missile and nuclear weapons technology to Iran, Pakistan and North Korea.

Loral CEO Bernard Schwartz backs the Kerry campaign. Since 2000, Schwartz has donated over $4 million to Democrats including Kerry.

And while there is much to do about Republican lobbying these days, not enough has been said about those that lobbied for Loral. Enter Linda Daschle. Here is what I posted in September 2004:

[My last post ended with a reference to the lobbying efforts of Linda Daschle. That provides a lead-in to a yet unreleased Jack Cashill book regarding Ron Brown. Here is a description:

The mysterious death of Ron Brown has caused much controversy and suspicion, and in this investigative book, Cashill takes a close look at Brown's checkered career as Clinton fund-raiser and commerce secretary and consequently exposes the Clintons' dirty, relentless practices for getting financial backing. Cashill answers the most trenchant questions surrounding Brown's rise and fall: Why did his plane crash? Why did the White House suppress an investigation? What was the purpose of Brown's trade missions? And what larger forces caused the Clintons to seek international cash? Using the case of Ron Brown's untimely death as a touchstone for the Clintons' unseemly and unsavory practices in the White House, Cashill explores the seedy depths of the most corrupt adminstration in American history during its two most desperate years and focuses directly on the machinations of the direst threat to today's political scene, Hillary Clinton.

Cashill has been providing snippets of his book on WorldNetDaily. The sixth segment of his eleven part series concerned Bernard Schwartz of Lorel. Here is Cashill’s opening paragraph:

No American had more sway over Clinton administration foreign policy than Loral honcho Bernard "Bernie" Schwartz. His money spoke with such clarity that, in early February 1996, the White House dispatched Ron Brown to collect a major chunk of it in person. No doubt, Schwartz could have mailed it in. But by sending a Cabinet member, the White House signaled both its respect for Schwartz and its recognition of his intent, namely to secure waiver approval for Loral's satellite launches.

If you have the intellectual capacity, read the entire Cashill column, and then order his book. For the rest of you, here is the cut to the chase:

This story merits its own book, but what deserves immediate comment is the willingness of the Clintons to risk everything to keep the cash pipeline open. Schwartz kept it open and full. Before he was through, Schwartz and Loral would donate roughly $2 million to the Clinton cause. Whether Schwartz gave additional money or favors off the books is a question that deserves asking.

A second question that deserves asking is just how much damage Schwartz, Berger and the Clintons did to America's national security.

A third question worth asking is whether Ron Brown's very real threats to expose these machinations led to his death.

So, why did I title this blog, "Daschlegate"? Here is the connection to Linda Daschle:

In one of those corporate-coddling moves for which the Clinton administration became infamous, President Bubba appointed Linda Daschle deputy administrator of the FAA, putting her in charge of regulating her once-and-future clients; and she wound up running the agency as acting administrator. This, of course, significantly boosted the Daschle family income by hyping the amount Linda could charge her clients when she left government service. She didn’t wait long to cash in. Example: While running the FAA, she awarded Loral Space Technologies (a major Democratic contributor that figured in the ’96 campaign-finance scandals) a nearly $1 billion contract from the federal government; after Linda passed through the revolving door to Baker, Donelson, Loral paid the lobby shop $740,000 in 2000-2001 for Linda’s services. When the FAA was pondering making mandatory a criminal-background check for all airport employees, Linda, who was then running the agency, vigorously opposed this common-sense move — echoing the position of the airline-industry lobby that had previously employed her.

Guess who was in the top 20 contributors to Tom Daschle’s 1998 Senate campaign…Loral.]

And now that Hillary and now Tom Daschle are considering a run at the 2008 Democrat nomination for President, I am sure the MSM doesn’t want to talk about how Iran may have gotten their missile technology. And I doubt Jack Cashill's book will be promoted on 60 minutes anytime soon.

Daschle’s permanent campaign continues

Tom Daschle’s permanent campaign against John Thune continued today on familiar grounds…the pages of the Argus Leader. This time they moved David Kranz’s Op-ed from the front page of the Sioux Empire news section to the front page of the entire paper. Here is his introduction:

Figuring out who is the U.S. attorney from South Dakota can seem like a legal game but the whole thing is really more of a political mystery.

At the center of the plot is Sen. John Thune, on whose shoulders it would traditionally fall to forward names to President Bush. The president then, would pick a nominee who would need approval by the U.S. Senate.

But that hasn't happened and the office - responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the state - has been open for a year.

The complicated ring of legal characters and political subtext played out last week as a butting of heads between three federal judges in South Dakota and the Department of Justice in Washington. It started when U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol issued what seemed an odd order - he was appointing former state Attorney General Mark Meierhenry to temporarily fill the job as U.S. attorney.

There was already someone in that role, Michelle Tapken. But her 120-day interim term was ending Dec. 24 and the Bush administration, through the Department of Justice, asked Piersol to re-up Tapken.

The judge said no and picked Meierhenry.

Tapken resigned Dec. 22 and the feds put an Oklahoma lawyer in her place, sidestepping Piersol's order.

Which leads to the mysteries.

Mystery No. 1: Why wouldn't Piersol extend Tapken's term?

Mystery No. 2: Why hasn't Thune made a public recommendation?

In both cases, we don't know.

David Kranz spent the rest of his column attacking Thune in regard to Mystery No. 2. Example:

Tapken is a former member of the Board of Regents. She was expected to get the official appointment as U.S. attorney before a potential conflict occurred. Her son, Chris, had financial interest in Dan Nelson Auto in Sioux Falls when the business became the subject of investigation after encountering serious financial problems last year. Nelson, owner of the business at the time, is one of Thune's best friends.

But when it came to Mystery No. 1, here is all Kranz would say:

Piersol of Sioux Falls is the chief judge of the state's federal district court. He was recommended to the position by Daschle and nominated by Democratic President Clinton. He once served as Daschle's lawyer.

Remember that the elements of journalistic bias are very subtle. The most common element is not reporting important facts that do not fit your worldview. In this case, Kranz does not want to disclose the friendship of Daschle and Piersol, even though he brought up the friendship of the judge’s husband’s business partner to Thune. And David Kranz knew about this friendship as he reported it himself in 2001:

Piersol, a longtime friend of the senator, said Daschle has risen to the point where he faces the ugliness of power.

Certainly Kranz did not forget the bonehead move the Daschle campaign made in Piersol’s courtroom on Election Eve 2004:

According to the complaint, Daschle asked U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol for a temporary restraining order to prevent Republicans from doing anything that would "harass, intimidate or discourage voters or having that effect."

Joseph Bottom pointed out the partisan nature of that event:

LAST NIGHT, Tom Daschle threw his campaign into the shredder. What is it that makes South Dakota politicians do this kind of thing? There must be something in that Missouri River water that makes even the best of political pros tuck their thumbs into their armpits and squawk like demented chickens.

Daschle's new outbreak of ornithological lunacy started yesterday, when he requested from federal circuit-court judge a temporary restraining order banning Republican--and only Republican--poll watchers from all election sites on Indian reservations or majority Indian districts.

Dick Wadham’s, Thune’s campaign manager pointing out the bias problem regarding Judge Piersol:

Thune campaign manager Dick Wadhams shot back that the intent was to keep GOP watchers away and lay the groundwork for a judicial challenge of the election results.

"Who goes into court the night before an election if they're not afraid they're going to lose," he asked.

Wadhams said Piersol was, at one time, Daschle's lawyer, the judge was recommended to the bench by Daschle and Piersol's wife supports Daschle's campaign.

"This is a joke," Wadhams said.

The issue of Piersol’s bias was ruled on by James B. Loken, Chief Judge of the Eight Circuit US Court of Appeals on August 22, 2005. Excerpt:

The complaint and its attachments confirm that, before coming to the bench, the judge [Piersol] was a long-time personal friend and political ally of one of the candidate litigants, the incumbent office holder [Daschle].

Kranz fabricated his Mystery No. 1. There is little doubt why Piersol refused to extend Tapkin’s term. And there is little doubt why Daschle’s college buddy did not report all the facts surrounding this controversy. He did not want the facts to get into the way of a good mystery story.

Tom Daschle’s supporters are still stinging from his defeat. And this time it is his longtime friends, one a judge and the other a reporter, that continue to attack the guy who defeated him.