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A well-known Washington lobbying firm with links to the financial industry has proposed an $850,000 plan to take on Occupy Wall Street and politicians who might express sympathy for the protests, according to a memo obtained by the MSNBC program “Up w/ Chris Hayes.”
The proposal was written on the letterhead of the lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford and addressed to one of CLGC’s clients, the American Bankers Association.
CLGC’s memo proposes that the ABA pay CLGC $850,000 to conduct “opposition research” on Occupy Wall Street in order to construct “negative narratives” about the protests and allied politicians. The memo also asserts that Democratic victories in 2012 would be detrimental for Wall Street and targets specific races in which it says Wall Street would benefit by electing Republicans instead.
According to the memo, if Democrats embrace OWS, “This would mean more than just short-term political discomfort for Wall Street. … It has the potential to have very long-lasting political, policy and financial impacts on the companies in the center of the bullseye.”
The memo also suggests that Democratic victories in 2012 should not be the ABA’s biggest concern. “… (T)he bigger concern,” the memo says, “should be that Republicans will no longer defend Wall Street companies.”
Two of the memo’s authors, partners Sam Geduldig and Jay Cranford, previously worked for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Geduldig joined CLGC before Boehner became speaker; Cranford joined CLGC this year after serving as the speaker’s assistant for policy. A third partner, Steve Clark, is reportedly “tight” with Boehner, according to a story by Roll Call that CLGC features on its website.
Jeff Sigmund, an ABA spokesperson, confirmed that the association got the memo. “Our Government Relations staff did receive the proposal – it was unsolicited and we chose not to act on it in any way,” he said in a statement to "Up."
CLGC did not return calls seeking comment.
Boehner spokesman Michael Steel declined to comment on the memo. But he responded to its characterization of Republicans as defenders of Wall Street by saying, “My understanding is that President Obama is the single largest recipient of donations from Wall Street.”
On “Up” Saturday, Obama campaign adviser Anita Dunn responded by saying that the majority of the president’s re-election campaign is fueled by small donors. She rejected the suggestion that the president himself is too close to Wall Street, saying “If that’s the case, why were tough financial reforms passed over party line Republican opposition?”
The CLGC memo raises another issue that it says should be of concern to the financial industry -- that OWS might find common cause with the Tea Party. “Well-known Wall Street companies stand at the nexus of where OWS protestors and the Tea Party overlap on angered populism,” the memo says. “…This combination has the potential to be explosive later in the year when media reports cover the next round of bonuses and contrast it with stories of millions of Americans making do with less this holiday season.”
The memo outlines a 60-day plan to conduct surveys and research on OWS and its supporters so that Wall Street companies will be prepared to conduct a media campaign in response to OWS. Wall Street companies “likely will not be the best spokespeople for their own cause,” according to the memo. “A big challenge is to demonstrate that these companies still have political strength and that making them a political target will carry a severe political cost.”
Part of the plan CLGC proposes is to do “statewide surveys in at least eight states that are shaping up to be the most important of the 2012 cycle.”
Specific races listed in the memo are U.S. Senate races in Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Mexico and Nevada as well as the gubernatorial race in North Carolina.
The memo indicates that CLGC would research who has contributed financial backing to OWS, noting that, “Media reports have speculated about associations with George Soros and others.”
"It will be vital,” the memo says, “to understand who is funding it and what their backgrounds and motives are. If we can show that they have the same cynical motivation as a political opponent it will undermine their credibility in a profound way.”
Jonathan Larsen is executive producer of "Up w/ Chris Hayes"; Ken Olshansky is a producer for the show.
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Lobbiest are the problem in America, Always looking to attack someone if there is a Buck in it. Pure Scum........
don't forget the Politicians....
This definitely needs to be seeded, posted, and alarmed to as many people as possible - that lobbying firm has to be the biggest barrel of used douchewater I've seen in a long time.
Big-money proposal to big-money to get rid of those that complain about big-money... imagine that! The fact that they put it on an official memo shows the contempt and disregard these big-money operatives have for us 99%.
This and virtually every move made by big-money of late should upset EVERYONE. We should be pissed! We cannot put up with this American betrayal!
Yes, this is about the poor, the unemployed, the underpaid, our threatened futures, the bail-outs, our raided 401ks, our diminished or non-existent pensions, and our politicians not willing to do a damn thing about it... except to take more big-money.
It ends now.
Don't get me wrong. I am all for free enterprise. I am all for capitalism and the opportunities it brings. I am all for people being responsible for themselves... but big-money has gone way too far with their absolutism about money and greed. They have become all about themselves, with a complete disregard for those that work that got them where they are. They have abandoned "do unto others" for "the end justifies the means"... which is hugely dangerous when the end is "all about me".
The article states that the OWS movement and the Tea Party could well come together or unite. I doubt this very much. While both movements are mostly about anger, that is where it ends.
OWS is anger at process. They don't hate capitalism or government or institutions. They just want them to act with more equity and more social responsibility and, in some cases, more common sense. The Tea Party is angry at people and institutions. They don't understand processes, so they are looking for a politician to blame --- always a politician from the other party and another district or state --- as though blame would fix anything.
The Tea Party is focused on surprisingly narrow demographics exacerbated by the lack of African-Americans and Latinos. People analyzing arrest records from OWS are seeing arrests of people as young as 7 and as old as 86 and the demographics are much more like the general population except for a distinct homogenuity with a very very low representation of African-Americans and Latinos.
By establishing specific goals, such as eliminating the Department of Education, the Tea Party has set themselves up for the types of failure that always underlie populist movements. By focusing on process (how things are done) and the effects of process, the OWS people have almost guaranteed that they will eventually just fade out. But in the long run, the OWS movement stands to make a much more lasting impact because it is much more likely that change will come incrmentally to process rather that radical sweeping change to institutions.
And as a postscript to the post, I would like to see all face-to-face contact between legislators or their staffs banned completely. Virtually 100% of corruption takes place in face-to-face meetings. By requiring lobbyists to "put it in writing" in position papers, they give small groups an equal lobbying shot with the monied guys. And, since position papers would become a more prominent lobbying tool, it would create a viable transparent political discussion that was legitimate. One would hope that this would move the process toward more productive areas.
Changes are on the way. The arrogance of these people knows no bounds. The words of another famous privileged individual who denied the legitimate viewpoint of the people comes to mind - "Let them eat cake."
Actually sirs, I perfer meat and like it bloody.
Ummm, is this of any surprise to anyone?
This is an example of why it would be so very difficult to establish a viable 3rd political party in this country, one dedicated to the Middle Class and Main Street. Big money would do everything possible to suppress it.
....Of course, there was 1789, and then 1917.
Thanks CLGC, you've gotten me off my butt. No more cheering from the sidelines; as soon as there is an Occupy anywhere near Bum@!$%#, WI, I'm going.
Hard to argue with this. Bring it on!!! I have little doubt that OWS is funded by Liberal hedge fund managers like Soros along with Big Money from the Unions and their Democratic puppets. The height of hyprocrisy was their non-profit funds being deposited at Wells Fargo. As was noted Obama received the largest amount of donations from Wall Street during the Presidential Campaign. His Billionaire bundlers are just starting to make news headlines. Think MF Global's Corzine and Solyndra's Kaiser. You sure won't see the propaganda machine at the BSDNC making an effort to do the research nor print objective results for their flock of progressive sheep to consider.
Treasonous comes to mind.
Prepare yourself for a bombardment of propaganda about "you are much better off than you think, thanks to Wall Street." Even if you lost your job, car and home and can barely buy food - Wall Street is there for you. The real relief is that 850K isn't a lot of money in perspective and will barely go upstream once this news article dies down.
This 'leak' or what have you should be the beginning of the end to lobbyism, '.... reports of substantial bonuses while millions of Americans do with less this Christmas' (or something close). That speaks volumes as to the seperation seen , SEEN to be the case by this lobbying firm.
I'm completely with LMarcT on this; remember, capitalism is barely contained greed and I, too, believe in Real American Capitalism.... not this bastardization that hasn't been watched nor contained. We allowed the systemic failure as we've not been dilligent in reining in politicians, whom's elected and their wealth backgrounds, career politicians, where invested, et al.
It's not impossible, but a long, long uphill climb to clean house. I personally believe OWS should be OCH (Occupy Capitol Hill) as that's the group that, for decades now, has allowed things to become what they are. WS doesn't make the rules, but they will follow and exploit every option they can. It's someone else's jobs to legislate constraints, and I think I know who it is......
hardwood1: You registered today just to comment on this story? Wow, you must be paid.
Chimp- He's paid because he expresses an opinion that isn't yours? Hahahaahahahha!!!!! It's one thing to eat up the propaganda from the BSDNC but requiring leftist propaganda brings the stupidity of the progressive flock to a whole different level.
What?-3106699: So, because hardwood1 agrees with you, he's right and I'm wrong? I do hope you realize that you sound like a hypocrite, pushing your "rightist" views.
And that's Mr. Monkey to you!
very well said what?. on my way to saying the same exact thing.
I thought FOX NEWS already had this "negative narrative" contract tied up. Am I surprised.
Grover Norquest stated on "Morning Joe" that it did not matter who won the Republicon nomination because Bohner/McConnell/Cantor would be the ones pulling his strings anyway - they would be the real ones in power.
Ohio? Are you paying attention? Do you really want to re-elect Bohner? You have experienced what they have in mind just by the damage caused by your Republicon governor and legislature. Want more, but on a Federal level?
Kentucky? Virginia? Do you trust your US Representative and Senator to put party over country or country over party? Are you ready for more Trickle-Down Economics?
Moderation - why wait for OWS to protest in Washington? It is time the rest of us spoke up for ourselves. Sitting back is how we ended up in this mess!
We all need to go there and just stand silently - we would need large numbers to show up for it to do any good though. Surround the Capitol, East Front and West Front, with We the People! Hopefully, have the Mall full of people , too!
I don't believe this is a conservate vs. liberal thing in politics as neither exists any more, not in the true sense of moderates working together along compromising allbeit leaning lines of political thought. It's become extremism, and shows with most that take time to post.
Since the inception of the illegal Fed Reserve, the wheels were started. Negating wars (though I believe Korea was about politics and money) a trend in existence was exacerbated; politicians being from the wealthiest of families. This, because the illegal Fed knew what powers it had and what it could do, become. Fast forwarding, we had the 'Fonzi' days where America prospered under both sides of the aisle; some hiccups here and there, but for the most part the average American did well. The old saying, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' applies and not much interest was given American politics or the politicians as long as things went up and up, and the economy ran well. Little by little corpor government was moving ahead, but so subtle; most went about their lives, enjoyed them, and did little complaining about any. It was even amusing to some how those in Congress had money, got away with things, .... it was popular cartooning. But, it wasn't a major concern to most as their lives were good... for the time being.
There were then good and bad, presidents mostly taking the blame as they're the front man, but Clowngress and the illegal Fed quietly went about their business, distracting when necessary, to the point where we are where we were a decade or so ago; sold out completely to government corpor interests without a single member of Clowngress NOT being able to afford to wipe their hinies with dollar bills or larger.
And these same people, that conspired and legislated our jobs to their invested interests leaving America are supposed to be the same that legislate towards OUR common good, America's economy, and are representative of us??? Go against those they're invested in? Both sides of the aisle?
We have a lot of work to do as Americans, the everyday, average American to fix the Hill as they're going to fight tooth and nail to keep what they have..... both sides of the aisle. They'll distract, they'll do whatever; but when it's constantly seen on the vine and other places just how divided we've become, libtards this and rethugs that, it really seems we've no hope of uniting and Their tactics are working better and better all the time.
OWS rocks! Keep it up guys. Don't let the police state or Fox or lobbyists turn you away. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, you have impacted society in a positive way already. Ending corporate personhood and lobbying are great causes to cry out for. Keep yelling! You rock!
Lobbyists are parasites and are directly responsible for the state this country is in. They lobbied for bank deregulation leading to the crash of our economy.
The confessions of Jack Abramoff should be required reading, because it spells out how easy it is to buy an office. The last thing Lobbyists want are term limits. Once they buy an office they want the politician to stay in office as long as possible.
If we are to ever have a government that represents the people, the first thing to do is make lobbying politicians illegal. Next, we need to impose term limits and reduce the amount of money and benefits our so called “public servants receive.
It is time to tap the momentum of OWS and create our own political party called the 99% party. It’s time we had real representation in our government to make the changes so badly needed.
This is an overt attempt to undermine our rights, these lobbyists need to be held accountable for that.
Will Congress do anything?
If not...we need MORE than OWS to put WE THE PEOPLE as a priority.
"Ohio? Are you paying attention? Do you really want to re-elect Bohner? You have experienced what they have in mind just by the damage caused by your Republican governor and legislature. Want more, but on a Federal level?"
No, the majority of voters in Ohio aren't listening, in spite of the Kasich/Boehner death grip on Ohio politics. Outside of the larger cities Ohio is a very conservative state and the Republicans have played to the fears of their base to stay in power. We're a year away from the election and you can put money on the fact that Ohio Republicans will pull out all the stops, using gay marriage, abortion, gun control and socialism to attack President Obama and the Democrats for the next 12 months. Pathetic.
...another pseudo conservative fiddles while Rome burns.
Used douchewater is more pure than that.
@Get a Clue and anyone else who's had enough of politics as usual: americanselect.org
Talk about class warfare. While the GOP screams that OWS and the Dems are conducting class warfare, they, the GOP and those they advocate for, actively participate in just that.
Why is the lobby's attack on OW any worse than the media's ongoing attack on whichever GOP candidate is currently leading the pack? What's good for the goose........
Odd. The story right below this story Specific Democrats Targeted seems to be broken....what's up with that?
History tells us that money and power go hand in hand. This article should surprise no one...no one! Money and power in the hands of the few is the demise of all empires throughout history. That is irrefutable. Therefore, this article is just merely pointing out what lobbyist and their representative institutions have ALWAYS done.
Until we can separate money from our political system...NOTHING WILL CHANGE. Government throughout our history has tried to keep that distance (Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt come to mind), but our government today is synonymous with money from big business and the financial industries.
God help us....
Sorry Spider, but if you don't like your frontrunners getting media coverage for sexual harassment... Try picking one that hasn't sexually assaulted women. Don't blame it on the media, who are just doing their jobs.
Lets start with the fact that a vast majority of the attacks on the GOP are just replaying their own words, not a concerted effort to twist the truth or just make @!$%# up. The GOP is their own worse enemy and the medias best source for bringing them down.
Then we can look at the fact that politicians have put themselves in the public eye so everything they say and do is either recorded or video taped, again, making it very easy to shoot them down. By the way, this goes for Dems as well.
Wouldn't it be novel to actually address the issues rather than attack the messenger?
AnaBanana,
So you are o.k. with the tactics of the OWS crowd? Destruction of property, assault upon police officers and each other, rape, robbery, murder, preventing people from opening their small businesses, urinating and defecating in the streets, is o.k. in your liberal feeble mind. If you agree with it so much take your butt from behind the computer and join the idiots in the streets.
The OWS can't even decide what they want to accomplish and how to do it. Nothing but a bunch of whining idiots that are only worried about themselves. If they are serious about trying to change the system, and not just themselves, they should use the political process and elect people that agree with them, much like the tea party did.
Now where would we be without speculators and lobbyists? Probably in a much better place than we are.
Should the Tea Party movement and the OWS join forces we just might see organization with forward movement. That aspect has Wall Street and the Financial Industry shaking in their boots. Great! Bring it on!
The check is in the mail, sfcret.
Where is Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford located???
Get word out to supporters in there area to put pressure on them until out of business!!!
The corp. interests are getting afraid............typical tactics from the right, since Nixon, Bush Sr, and Jr. is you can't defeat the people leagally and honestly, well, lying, stealing and cheating are great, the ends justifly the means...............right Tpubs? lol Be afraid.
They haven't accepted your mud-slinging proposal yet. You are not going to get paid for writing this.
spider, the fact that you would even ask that question shows that you don't have an independent thought. The "media's ongoing attack" on the GOP candidates is the same thing that was done to Obama and every other person running for a high office. The media digs for anything they can find on anyone who runs.
And if you try to say that the media didn't do that to Obama, that's flat out BS, we were told about everyone he ever had a conversation with and it was constantly drummed on thru the entire election cycle.
The article is about an attempt to discredit an entire movement, not fact find on specific indivituals that are running for office.
In case anyone was wondering - lobbyists don't get paid the big bucks for nothing.
post #1.38 Now there's the perfect addendum to the article. A 'club where rich men or pretty girls mate.'
Now, do the rich men mate with one another or with the pretty girls? Either way, seems rather apropos...
The biggest fear the Republicans have is the common ground shared by the Tea Party and OWS - I've been wondering what has taken so long for this to develop.
Let's assume for a moment that Tea Partiers are of normal intelligence. They had to discover eventually that it wasn't all about free bus rides to DC - Dick Armey cringes every time he sees a Tea Party protester carrying a sign that says both "No to Socialism!" and "Hands off my Medicare!."
The Tea Party PROTESTERS are there because of their own feeling of disenfranchisement. OWS exists for the same reason. The difference is that the Tea Party members are just now discovering that the whole thing isn't about them; it's about the corporate sponsors that are concerned about nothing more than getting Republicans elected who will acquiesce to their demands.
Sounds like OWS to me!
To Johnathon Larson and Ken Olshansky... Bless you... If all reporters had stayed true to the people and the country like you have in this report, we would not even be close to the mess we are in today. You are truly AMERICANS and I hail you!!! Please keep it up and may your wisdom and courage become contagious. With men like you we can become the Country our founding fathers wanted for our children to inherit.
Today's Date: November 19, 2011
Date on "Secret" Released Memo: November 24, 2011
Where can I donate money to this firm to help them get rid of these communist rat bastards? These Occupy group are a bunch of left wing communists that sit round @!$%#ting on the American flag the whole time claiming to be patriots. What a joke. The President and the Democrats have run this country into the ground with the budget (there has not been on in over 900 days) and unemployment. Where is the liberal media? They are talking about Penn state coaches and other bull@!$%# while the President and the Democrats run the county into the ground. What would have happened if Bush was in office? We would hear about this 5 times a day for weeks. This occupy thing is smoke and mirrors taking the American publics attention away from the President. All good Americans should stay focused on these people who have screwed us up. OMG (Obama Must Go).
How does everyone like Obama’s change now?
Don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain! It is nice to read an article from the MSM that exposes anything. This piece is just the tip of the iceberg and will slip below the surface very quickly. Our corporate media will not discuss this en masse, and sadly we will be inundated with whatever celebrity scandal/death is next. I hope we all remember the view when the fat ladies dress was blown-up.
In my opinion, occasionally the American people are given a view behind the curtain. Why? just to let us know the Psychopaths are still in charge and there is not a damn thing you can do about it! Just my opinion.
Note: I do not support either corrupt political party. Vote out the incumbents, for true term limits.
What these big money people and the lobbyists don't realize is that it's not about money. They seem to think they can buy their way out off this mess like they are used to doing.
OWS is about a bunch of highly PO'd people who have had more than they can stand and if quashed will be immediately replaced by another even more PO'd grass roots movement and so on and so on................
This thing has taken on a life of it's own. It can't and won't be stopped.
And, it's long overdue.
they should use the political process and elect people that agree with them, much like the tea party did.
And hows that working for you? A 9% approval rating isn't much to brag about and many of those will be lucky to keep their seats. Plus if you understood anything, you would know that the protests are not against politicians, but against those that fund and get them elected. The saying goes, cut off the tail and another one grows, but cut off the head and it's game over.
Let the class war begin!!!!!
Things are bound to get really ugly in this country.
Why would anyone be surprised that big financial firms do not simply want to sit back quietly while receiving spit in their faces on a daily basis from the 'occupiers' ??? I don't blame them for a minute for using a public relations operation to fight back against the onslaught of muck and hatred shown at these protests.
The financial world is not the sole cause of our problems but gets the lion's share of the blame.
If there's a statement in this thread that truly represents the disconnect of low information voters combining with Conservative love for the Big Lie technique this is it. HEDGE FUND MANAGERS are trying to bring down Wall Street? This memo is not bad news. As long as it's exposed it only helps the cause of the occupiers.
First of all... Everyone involved with this, from the occupy movement to the story writers to the posters who use vulgarity and inflammatory language needs to find a PRODUCTIVE hobby.
Second...TERM LIMITS would stymie lobbying firms and special interests. Maybe if the Occupy Wall Street folks would concentrate their efforts into this NON-PARTISAN effort they would actually be doing something!!!!
The feined shock and horror displayed on this link is characteristic of shows like One Tree Hill and BH90210. The fact that a lobbying group is doing this is notanything new, it is something that is done by BOTH sides and every stinking one of you know it. The left does it to the rights protests, the right does it to the lefts.
All of this drummed up anger and hypocrisy is pathetic. No political party, no lobbying group, no organized protests are clean of blood on their hands for trying to accomplish an undermining of their opposition.
Can any one of you on the left honestly tell me that had there been a memo released that a left leaning lobbyist group was revealed as undermining the Tea Parties you would be shocked, and not overjoyed about that?
I disagree with the cloak and dagger tactics along with the politicians that ustilize such services, I think any and ALL that partake in this sort of activity are traitorous to the American public. But please, stop acting like one side is any better than the other. It is all about perspective based on the side that you are on.
How about a bi-partisan effort to do the following:
Seems to me that lobbying groups serve a purpose to disseminate information and provide political support staffs opportunity to meet with representatives of large groups and gain perspective without the logistic issues of meetin each person individually.
Remove all of those items and pull back the curtains and you will suddenly remove the undermining efforts you see here.
I'm thinking that if Obama doesn't want a civil war happening he'd best step up to the plate here pretty soon. It's getting ugly already.
What Do You Expect?
Do you think these players believe in fair play ? LOL Congress has given this country away through legislation that favors the few ... if you think they are going to give it back without a fight, you still believe in Santa Claus & the tooth fairy!
They need a dirty deed done .... lol .. just do it ..... it's tax deductible .. just cost of doing business .....
They need a lawyer? ...... Hire two or three of the best ... it's tax deductible! ... But when a individual needs a lawyer to fight for his rights ... it comes right out of his pocket .... it's not deductible ...
Is that a level playing field ? .................. HELL NO! Look at the post on here ... the posters that are obviously operatives of a group trying to influence opinion .... and being paid ... shouldn't they at least have to say .... I'm a hired gun?
Let the class war begin!!!!! Things are bound to get really ugly in this country.
You can thank the Tea Party for that. They started their campaign of hate immediately after the 2008 Presidential Election. Job loss, ballooning deficits and declining middle class have been around for decades, but they decided that it was this President who started it all. NO, we really know the reason. And the Tea Party's only real goal is to remove this man from office. The other stuff is just a sham, paid for by the likes of the Koch's.
Perhaps it is time that the 99% come to terms with their own Frankenstein monster. Stop spending money on needless items such as Ipods, lattes, and baby fashion clothing. We as Americans have fed this beast for way to long. While it is despicable that the money changers have gambled on the failure of the homeowner (and profited), without consumerism there is no money to change hands. Use the only weapon that matters, your spending habit. No one seems to have noticed that the reason there are so few jobs in America is that America has become a service provider nation. We no longer employ the masses to grow food nor manufacture the machinery and parts to do so. While we flounder in our own mess the rest of the world is manufacturing the products that you squander what little money you have left. A country that manufactures nothing can afford just that.
I'm thinking that if Obama doesn't want a civil war happening he'd best step up to the plate here pretty soon. It's getting ugly already.
Yea, maybe he should do what that fellow Chicagoan, Mayor Daley, did in 1968. Get real.
Tonyb: Uh huh, and OWS is nothing but a group of shills pandering for the communist party and George Soros and Stephen Lerner of the SEIU and other unions....see how easy this is...nothing like a little hyperbole to brighten one's day.
tonybeerm,
You are just pissed because the right stopped taking @!$%# from the likes of you and started fighting back. The campaign of hatred was started long before the Tea Party kicked off its protests after Obama took office, apparently you were hiding under a rock while Bush was in office. Those were not love letters to the right hte left were carrying on their protest signs.
As for reference to Koch, it is funny how the likes of Soros are ignored when person like yourself pop off.
The first thing to note about this revolving door is that these lobbyists recently worked with John Boehner of the Teapublican House. The obvious thing per the title is that the right-wing IS concerned about OWS and ARE trying to smear the movement. Other things to note:
1) The right-wing admits that Republicans defend (protect) Wall Street and Big Business (and their lobbyists) over the majority of the American people (Main Street).
2) They are concerned that majority sentiment in our democracy will actually cause Republicans to represent the people instead of Wall Street and Big Business.
Then they go on to criticize the president because Wall Street always hedges their bets by contributing at least a little to Democrats. But as stated, small individual donations are still the largest contributions President Obama receives making him far less indebted to special interests in comparison.
The part that probably made the bank association decide against hiring these Yahoos was the inclusion of conspiracy theory about Soros and speculation that the Tea Party would join OWS. Note that they also fear the Tea Party movement, but while there is some overlap between the movements, the Tea Party consists largely of the religious-Right. So only the fiscal conservatives outside the right-wing Echo Chamber (if there are any) might join OWS.
The nugget in this for OWS is to plan protests when the next round of bonuses are handed out during the holidays. Hey, some free lobbyist advise folks. Go OWS!
Uh huh, and OWS is nothing but a group of shills pandering for the communist party
Yep, that's what we are, a bunch of pinko commies. You must have a poster of Archie Bunker on your wall. And I bet that check will buy a bunch of stuff at Walmart.
So whats new lobbyist have been undermining our country on both sides for as long as I can recall, that's politics plane and simple its just getting to be more open as each try to expose the other . they are both bad I do agree with the post a new party to represent the working class that is stuck in the middle is needed, but unfortunately the working class is no longer the majority and would not be able to support its own party. New symbols for the parties might help, instead of a jackass and an eliphant how about a chicken killing Fox and a Egg sucking skunk. ether way the hen house is in trouble. you can assign the critters to what ever party you want it works both ways.
The memo clearly shows the link between Republicans and Wall Street firms, and their presumed dependence on Republican candidates to support them. It shows a cynical and calculated strategy to undermine the OWS movement and to disrupt a fair political process with lies and deception in order to get the candidates (Republicans) they want.
To say "Well, both sides are just as bad." without evidence to support the claim is disengenuous, and it is a way for traditional conservatives to be able to spread the blame, and to avoid feeling they have been wrong, or duped by their party. You have been duped by your party, which very obviously supports big business at the expense of everyone else. This memo just proves what the OWS movement and its supports have always suspected.
The Occupiers are liberal media darlings.
Someone will obviously have to pay money to counteract that.
The media is not going to dig and find out who make the Occupier donations.
So this is totally apropriate lobbying.
The media didn't even want to mention:
Bill Ayers (Obama friend and fundraiser - convicted terrorist).
Tony Rezco - (Sold Obama the lot next to his house at a discount - convicted of Felony corruption)
Rev. Wright (Obama's pastor for 17 years with anti American rhetoric)
If the media wasn't interested in these juicy stories simply because of Obama's position on the left of politics, why would they go after the Occupiers who are also leftists?
Think about it: The Tea Party had to PAY the media to advertise their rallies. The Occupiers got that publicity for free.
It just goes back to the liberal media bias.
With a unbiased media, they would figure out who the donors are themselves.
apparently you were hiding under a rock while Bush was in office.
NO, I was watching the economy sink like a rock, while he and his cronies pushed two unfunded wars on the people of this country. It was you folks who voted him a second term so he could continue his reckless destruction which we haven't yet pulled out of.
IOt's true, OWS is the new Libtards vibrator but it's used anally for a truly politically correct siutuation. President Obama and the Dems are just as many, if not more Multi Millionaires than anyone else, also Wall St? What about the Chicago Exchange and other financial centers? If we cut back the Unios power and ability to wreal mayhem, we would all do better! Portland is a case in point, the Uniopn doesn't support OCP, they used them to damage the Port which uses non ILA Union Labor, ANOTHER Unoin no less! There are going to be severe pressuree on CA Ports from the Panama Canal enhancement, Cardenas in Mexico and Prince William in Canada which will severely damage employment in CA but these shi*head Unions gangsters dont care, it's a turf battle for thousands more in money to launder tio the DEMS Get Real!
Republicons are owned and manipulated by Corporate Interests....just look at the Republicon puppets that are running for President for proof! LOL The higher they climb the harder they fall!
OWSers need to stay on Wall Street because that's who owns our 3 branches of government!
Power to the People!
I've been thinking, that the Tea Party protestors and the OWS protestors should rent a hall, or church, some sort of venue, and convene a conference of ideas in various States welcoming all Americans. Then send delegates from each group at a larger more national convention to come up with a national platform of ideas to present to congress. Not only that but we could encourage people at these groups to run for office as well. Far to many millionaires in the Gov. as it is, on both sides of the isle.
For too long our country has been divided, and I think it's been a concerted effort of the global 1% to get us infighting. The American people are weaker when divided. Divide and Conquer, ring a bell? Our Fore Fathers understood this, and that is why they made the effort to unite the individual colonies into one united country. They had many arguments regarding how to go about their dilemma with King George. They came together understanding they were all unhappy about the crown, but they had different ideas of how to go about it. They argued their points fiercely, but still they were mature enough to argue logically and to the point.
We do have a fracture in this country with those of a more liberal ideology and those with a more conservative ideology. So we must understand we are all individuals with our own opinions, and come to the table with this in mind, and an understanding that our opinions are not evil, just a differing ideology. We need to come together with open mindedness, understanding, and a willingness to hear each other and work together. It's easy to find the common ground if there is a willingness to do so. Both groups of protestors are unhappy with Washington and the money changers, but they have different ideas of how to go about it. And instead of being mature and coming together recognizing as Americans we need to unite, they bicker and call each other names. The deep level of immaturity among average adult Americans is staggering. Newsvine is absolute proof of this; 98% of comments are more filled with emotion and name calling than logical mature discussion. But I think we can do this. OWS will get hardly nowhere without the other 49.5%, and vice versa. It could take a long while to iron out our differences, but to get rid of the global elite and their stronghold on this planet we must unite.
One way to do this is to stop watching the MSM. There are great non partisan alternative media out there, like Alex Jones, who talks about what is going on in this country without the left/right paradigm infecting the news. Take the opinion of Soros & GE funded left media and Murdoch funded right media with a grain of salt. They're there to manipulate and push social ideas, not critical thinking. We also need to understand that one side of the isle is no more evil or benevolent than the other in Washington. They fight with each other on camera, then go into the back room joking and laughing with each other in their millionaires club. We also need to look at our local level of politics. So much crap goes on in the city and county level. Selling water rights and roads to foreign countries etc.
People in America UNITE, it's really the only way to save our country from total enslavement!
Renee R,
If ignorance is bliss I would venture to guess you are one very happy person. You dont think that the left has the very same operation in place to do ther very same thing? You may want to look into who gives what in campiagn funding during elections. You dont think that the unions are not doing everything they can to undermine the right, the unions that are the largest contributors to teh DNC? And just because you agree with one side versus the other does not make one more correct than the other.
Did anyone notice that the memo is dated November 24, 2011?
ModerationInAllThings
This 'leak' or what have you should be the beginning of the end to lobbyism, '.... reports of substantial bonuses while millions of Americans do with less this Christmas' (or something close). That speaks volumes as to the seperation seen , SEEN to be the case by this lobbying firm.
I'm completely with LMarcT on this; remember, capitalism is barely contained greed and I, too, believe in Real American Capitalism.... not this bastardization that hasn't been watched nor contained.
==========
.....Amen, and I believe a certain Thomas Jefferson expressed the same opinions, although perhaps in a different way (he disliked and mistrusted big banks, big business and big government). There's capitalism, and then there's capitalism. The same could be said for socialism. The problem comes into play when either is used to an extreme (extreme is never good, that's why it's called extreme), when what we need is (excuse the expression) "moderation". Capitalism unfettered by any form of regulation works fine as long as it is run by those with honestly, integrity, and a commitment to the overall welfare of the country. Unfortunately, as we have recently seen (financial derivatives, default credit swaps, Enron, Worldcomm, etc.), that type of capitalism, human nature being what it is, is a Utopian pipe dream. People need to take the time to evaluate their available candidates for 2012, see who are the obviously bought and paid for shills, and vote accordingly. If you feel you have no good choices, then write in someone, just to show your displeasure, Soupy Sales comes to mind. No, that is not a wasted vote. A wasted vote is one you don't cast when you sit at home on your lazy butt and complain on election day.
jwight01
"No, the majority of voters in Ohio aren't listening, in spite of the Kasich/Boehner death grip on Ohio politics. Outside of the larger cities Ohio is a very conservative state and the Republicans have played to the fears of their base to stay in power."
I really wish that I could argue otherwise, but I'd be wrong. You are completely correct. Case in point, one of my aunts is like a billboard for the stereotypical liberal. She's been a professional fundraiser for various non-profit organizations and causes for over 30 years. Her interest in Eastern influenced dietary medicine grew so much that she got a degree in that field. All things considered, she is a self-empowered and intelligently open minded woman.
However she also lives about 30 minutes outside of Columbus. What does that mean? In the 2008 election, she voted for McCain because her preacher told the congregation that McCain was "God's choice". If she believed in McCain for specific reasons that she could explain, then I could respect that choice. Yet that wasn't the case. Then she became a card carrying Tea Party member once it got absorbed by the Republican party. She can parrot sound bite talking points about needing smaller government, yet is incapable of having an intelligent discussion about how these beliefs should be implemented or what they will result in. Nor does she want to have a real discussion. For all of her intelligence, world travel, and open minded views, she completely shuts down mentally when it comes to politics and religion.
That is Ohio in a nutshell. To be honest, it's really kind of disappointing and frustrating at times. I'm fine with agreeing to disagree. Yet it's hard to respect the thoughts of others when it's clear that they haven't even really thought about what they're saying.
tonybeerm,
I hate to be the one to tell you this but "we folks" could not vote Bush in ourselves for a second term. THere are not enough Republicans in the country to vote any GOP member in, it took moderates, independatns and yes ... DEMOCRATS!
I however did notice that you neglected to reference the hatred that was spewed form the left while Bush was in office. You made claims that the right started the hatred, we didnt, we just began to RETURN IT!
------- The Good, the Bad --- and the Ugly American! ---
---- Marching Song for Johnny America in year 2006 --- (Just for Fun)
Lighten up says he,
Lighten up says he,
Lighten up says Johnny Carree
Look at how happy I am --- to be and on a role,
For life is cheep and so much fun on Rent-control
And the 2011 update for the OWS by the “Texas-Police associations”
Lighten up says he,
Lighten up says he,
For now we’re coming for Yeh ---
Mr. American Johnny Carree ,--- He, He, He.
We too need all the fun you predict
and now we will have it on Yeh ---
in your own Rent –- control district
He, He, He !
ZEN: BODHISATTVA (by Dick Suthpen).
The silence is broken by the s-s-wish of the Samurai sword severing illusions
and it rolls across the floor leaving a bloody trail of -- ~--~~-_~~ -- ~--~~-_~~ truth
Wow! I have to ask;
why is there absolutely no mention, just for the sake of transparency etc... that the current president who swore on the campaign trail not to allow Lobbyists in his whitehouse or in his administration?
And my next question; will panty-waste, sissy Chris Hayes look into what democrat leaning lobbying firms are doing to undermine and discredit TEA party members?
Sorry wealthy elite, there is a lot more of us than you. We'll win. You'll lose.
google ows backers...the movement is financed by soros and adbusters (anticapitalist group out of canada). you can bet soros is somehow going to make a fortune on this. he always does when he brings down an economy. it must be a real thrill for him to have so much power. i wonder how much insider info he gets and legislation designed to help him out.
Want to know who owns your candidate?
http://www.opensecrets.org/
@Jarhead In WI
Who shot Gibson in the head in public? It was not a liberal or OWS movement participant. They also did not bring any weapons to political town halls just because they were upset.
The people who died in OWS rallies were unfortunate accidents. They were NOT due to deliberate acts of violence (whether the person is crazy or not is irrelevant).
This is an important contrast that is missed all of the time. This tells me a lot about the type and psychology of people in both movements.
This thread is hysterical! The vast majority don't get the obvious.
Why waste the money?....OWS has been doing an excellent job conducting their own "negative narratives." A few more weeks of this crap and no one will be left to support them except those who are as clueless as OWS. I do agree it needs to be told who exactly is funding them, that says alot about the protests. I'm sure you will find those supporting these sheeple are the same people who've been destroying our economy. That alone should cause you to turn your back on them. To date they've accomplished nothing except waste taxpayer money on increased police presence, paying others to clean up after them and to restore the property they've damaged. The biggest offense is their attempt to keep the average Americans from pursuing their livelihood. How intelligent can it be to financially hurt the very people they are claiming to represent? That goes to show just how stupid this movement is.
Additionally, they are absolutely correct about 2012 Democratic victories. But they will hurt the American Public the most of all. If we put Obama back in the White House, I can guarantee 1 of 2 things will happen, either things will get much worse if Obama gets his way. Or little will happen as the Congress will keep the President from doing so much harm. Both will not be the solution to fix the economy.
ModerationInAllThings -- I agree we need politicians who will put country first, not only before Party, but even before their own seat. Really, these representatives care more about keeping their own jobs, and that's why terms need to be limited in some way along with the revolving door.
The divisiveness started the same time as cable news, the first being FOX. When an Echo Chamber and Cone of Silence is created, it will in turn create extremism.
The other related problem is lack of education in k-12 on research methodology including what is a credible source, as well as critical thinking (also due to sports being more important than the arts). There are too many low-information voters and lack of Rule of Reason in our citizenry. WTF -- Look at the candidates, for example Herman Cain who doesn't even read the news and follow current events, and he's running for POTUS and leader of the free world!
BTW folks, OWS has already planned a march on the Hill. If you want to join in, go to the occupytogether website to learn details.
To those who already responded to Spider (one of the regular trolls) a study was done that showed the media has attacked President Obama at record levels--more than anyone else. Puleeze stop with your 'liberal media" "gotcha" BS.
And stop with the Soros crap too. Every time this comes up and I challenge the posters to prove their claims, they never can. One provided a Wiki quote about an organization Soros donates to (can't remember the name). I went to the website and saw it was small and very transparent with NO promotion of any candidate or "contract on America" -- Nothing per the many right-wing Astro-Turf organizations from the Heritage Foundation to American Crossroads to American Prosperity and the many derivatives thereof to fake think tanks like the Cato Institute. So once again, about Soros, PROVE it or STFU. Conspiracy theories should not and cannot be tolerated.
If the American people want real change we must: 1) End money in politics by reforming campaign finance. Since free government money is how un-vetted Tea Party candidates got in the door, I don't recommend this. Rather enforce true transparency and limits, and 2) Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine:
FOX Noise and Hate Radio need to clean up their act or be shut down.
Mark A. Adams JD/MBA, I mentioned that also a few dozen posts before your post.
I guess that we are the only 2 smart people in the room today ;)
I don't know what everyone is talking about. I never, ever, heard a politician who said that he was influenced by a lobbyist. ;-)
Satanick,
"Sorry wealthy elite, there is a lot more of us than you. We'll win. You'll lose."
I hope you're right, but at least this memo shows who is really running this country, and it isn't "We the People" either. Maybe we need to establish the guillotine as our method of capital punishment so "We the People" can gather and watch as the heads of the wealthy elite start rolling. Women can bring their children and knitting materials and watch like they did during the French Revolution.
7 of the 10 wealthiest members of Congress are Democrats, not Republicans. They are: Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), Jane Harmon (D-Ca.); Jay Rockefeller (D-WV.), Mark Warner (D-VA.), Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and Jared Polis (D-Co.). If Democrats really want to make things right, they need to clean house. If Lobbyists are undermining the "movement", it because that's where all the money is. Can you say Plutocracy? Sure, I knew you could.
So,according to the dear Bolshevik comrades who wrote this article,( and are apparently the makers of the rules), the way it is supposed to work is that the "occupiers" can get support from each and every unknown shadow radical/left wing/ socialist/ communist / labor union/ progressive, that they want, and the people and system they are attacking, (and want to destroy), are not allowed to do anything to defend themselves nor try to find out the names of the marxist heroes behind the movement,(that just wouldn't be fair! and anyway, as Comrade Dunn explained, their donations are just soooooo small, like the millions of dollars of still unaccounted for funds from overseas donors from the 2008 election, it would hardly be worth the trouble to find out , so, ..............just move on)................I see,...................well, good luck with that, but somehow I think You have aroused a clear majority of the nations interest, they do not like what they have seen so far,are wondering what You are hiding and why, and are kinda interested in finding out.
Abraham Lincoln was right. You cannot make the poor rich by making the rich poor.
When I read such words as "communists", I smell right wing lobbyists. The GOP will do anything they are told by the Koch Brothers and baggers tell them to. When a lobbying firm tries to silence democracy, they should be tried in a criminal court.. Fix this broken system or face the wrath of the people.
Kyot, MAW-1297690, willowbrook, et al-- Read other posts instead of just shooting your mouths off.
1) That President Obama's "war chest" consists primarily of small individual donations has already been addressed not only in the article but also in one of my posts. Second, President Obama required all his staff to adhere to a "conflict of interest" for two years after leaving his administration. Wall Street has contributed FAR mor to Romney, Scott "Centerfold" Brown, and always hedges with some donation to Democrats.
2) Anyone who spews the Soros conspiracy theory is probably also a Birther, and heck let's throw in the hybrid seed BS too. It's conspiracy theory! What IS true is the propaganda desiminated from criminals like Rupert Murdoch, and money from the Koch brothers, and machinations from the many right-wing Astro-Turf organizations already listed, not to mention the right-leaning legislation from the bench on Citizen's United. Why, oh why don't you conservatives get your panties in a wad about legitimate problems?
3) The Tea Party wanting our nation to default on our good faith and credit, and cheering when S&P downgraded our credit rating is only one of many despicable acts that have resulted in REALLY low approval ratings in polls. The OWS is being smeared by FOX, for example the false report that the loony who shot at the White House was part of OWS.
The right-wing propaganda machine that is FOX Noise and Hate Radio needs to be shut down for the sake of what's left of a free press that plays a watch dog role and educates the population per the definition of democracy.
sandtrich -- Exactly, why is free speech being suppressed yet again in the USA, the so-called model of democracy? I joked about the Arab League condemning the US along with Syria, but it isn't really that much of a joke. This business of using traffic laws, parade permits, denying use of a bull horn, and wost of all militarizes police brutality is unacceptable. May we remember Kent State and the Civil rights movement, which were sad moments in our history.
True...
You complain about this nation's "lack of education K-12" and you are right...however that educational system is turning out those "low information voters" and they are voting for your candidates, so you should be happy.
How big was Mr. Obamas victory margin anoung 18-22 year olds ??? Those folks are the most recent crop of poorly educated voters and Mr. Obama cleaned that demoographic right up !!!
And how about Mr. Obama's victory margin in the nation's urban centers...man oh man, Mr. Obama hit a grand slam in our cities, winning some with up to 95% of the vote. And those very same cities are the places we keep hearing about having the worst educational environment in the nation...with many cities having school dropout rates up and over 50%. Yup...Mr. Obama vacuums up those votes like taking candy from a baby...make that "like candy from a 'low information voter' baby".
Do you actually think the country's school systems are turning out Republican voters ??? If so, you'd be the only person alive who would say so.
Tony, are you kidding me. Yes they are!! They can't read,write, or think for themselves. Sounds like a Republican VOTER to me!
let the games begin..
Keith Wishful-- The richest 1% consists of various industries, with Wall Street, Big Oil, and Big Business--primarily Insurance and Big Pharma being with Republicans. Silicon Valley and Hollywood tend to be Democrats. You might have noticed the Multi-Millionaire group that spoke to Teapublican leadership (including the dweeb Norquist) about supporting a raise in taxes for the rich were from the Left Coast. (And NO, telling them to "send a check" is asinine since government is not a charity.)
But you are correct that the rich, and the blue states are not the ones who receive more from the Feds than they send in (historically). It is the red states, particularly the south that are on welfare yet love to rant about liberals wanting "hand outs." The right-wing propaganda machine is churning fast, but try to keep up.
tony-268769 -- I see your posts all the time so already know you don't have a clue. Prove your claims with credible sources or step off and save space for real conservations in this forum. Thanks.
Kate Indigo -- Just as FOX claimed to be the answer to the "liberal" [SIC factual] media, MSNBC is the answer to FOX. However, just like candidates, pundits need to be evaluated based on merit. Do some homework -- Read the bios for people like Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Hal Lindsey and you will see they are anything but impressive. Then read bios for people like Lawrence O'Donnell and Rachel Maddow and it will knock your socks off. I'll never understand why conservatives worship Hannity and other FOX personalities who lack any merit or life's achievements.
Also, look at things like retracting incorrect statements, rules against financial donations to campaigns, etc. and you will see that FOX never retracts and openly donates to campaigns ($1 million to governor races in 2010). FOX also hires ex-politicians at record levels in comparison, as well as every single Republican candidate running for office or in office being on their programs repeatedly. President Obama has never been on MSNBC nor most of his staff.
Get real. During Bush, FOX was state news getting talking points from Karl Rove.
Could this just possibly be some liberal/ows dirty trick and a smear campaign?????? Sure smells like one...Is it ACORNS I smell?
And one of the BIGGEST GOP Lobbyist just came out of the closet, NEWT.
Wait he wasn't being paid millions of dollars to be lobbyist, but as a historian. Real expensive historian!!!
Or may be for one of his books
Jarhead said:
"I hate to be the one to tell you this but "we folks" could not vote Bush in ourselves for a second term. THere are not enough Republicans in the country to vote any GOP member in, it took moderates, independatns and yes ... DEMOCRATS!"
No, all it took was Diebold...
Ryan in Texas said:
"
Bill Ayers (Obama friend and fundraiser - convicted terrorist).
Tony Rezco - (Sold Obama the lot next to his house at a discount - convicted of Felony corruption)
Rev. Wright (Obama's pastor for 17 years with anti American rhetoric)
If the media wasn't interested in these juicy stories simply because of Obama's position on the left of politics, why would they go after the Occupiers who are also leftists?"
Ummmm, I hate to be the one to point out the obvious here, but if the media "wasn't interested," how did you hear about it?! Oh, yeah, that's right ... these were leading headlines on all the network news sites ... of course, Fox pounded them to death, but ALL the media outlets were all over them ... the "liberal media" that the right loves to rant about is a fiction; media is after one thing ... one upping the competition by breaking that juicy headline first. You just want to claim it's liberal so you can scream bias when the headlines don't suit you....Take the blinkers off, stop making critical decisions based on hollow labels, and think for yourself ... you might even discover you like it!!
Hey guys, I can do it for much much less! Call me!
Hilarious.
Like this is a surprise? Why wouldn't people who are being vilified fight back?
Not saying they are right, wrong, or both, but geez, of course they are going to do what they can to change the narrative.
Do you think liberals don't target conservatives and spend all kinds of money to defeat them whether or not there is any mud to dig up?
Class warfare, pure and simple.
If anything can tear this country apart this is it. On such things rebellions are started and that most horrendous specter, CIVIL WAR. I am very old and i will not see the culmination of these peoples greed and indifference but my great grand children will and it will not be a pretty sight. The turmoil will last for years and the present will be known as the good old days. Can it happen here? One only needs to look at history to find the answer. The rich and the powerful never remember the past and keep repeating it.
Mark Adams- Yes, I downloaded the PDF and read the actual so-called memo. Interesting a news report could come out on the 19th of Nov. about a memo penned in the future. LOL... I'm guessing it wasn't meant for distribution till Thanksgiving Day. And how many people are even at work on Thanksgiving? Seems to me a Monday would be better than a Thursday. And how did MSNBC get their hands on a future memo? OR it could be a typo, and was really released Mon. Nov. 14th, not next week, Thurs. Nov. 24th. This memo seems to be the pipe dream of every liberal OWS person out there. -See we told you Republicans are evil!-
I think the biggest telling thing in that memo is in the first few paragraphs. First they talk about the Democrats concerted effort to take political advantage of the OWS movement. This is very reminiscent of what happened to the grass-roots Tea Party movement and the Republican establishment, Dick Armey et al. Then they talk about how Obama is using this movement for his re-election bid. This also reminds me of how certain Republican establishment politicians pandered to the Tea Party movement in order to garner more support in their political careers, like Boehner. But the third paragraph is the most telling. This is what Washington, Lobbyist/Corporations and Wall Street are most afraid of, and I quote,
"Well-known Wall Street companies stand at the nexus of where the OWS protestors and the Tea Party overlap on angered populism. Both the radical left and the radical right are channeling broader frustration about the state of the economy and share a mutual anger over TARP and other perceived bailouts. This combination has the potential to be explosive later in the year when media reports cover the next round of bonuses and contrast it with stories of millions of Americans making do with less this holiday season."
The memo also points out that the Democrats are employing tactics such as testing messaging options to use in ads, speeches and using social media etc.. to make Wall Street look bad, and get the OWS support for the 2012 elections. That is all in the 4th and 5th paragraphs. Then later they discuss using these same tactics to gain support for them, W.S., by discrediting the OWS movement.
I think it's funny that so many NV posters seem to think only the right employ such tactics. Both the Tea Party movement and the OWS crowd have been heavily demonized by media groups.
No one has made any comments regarding my idea. I guess it's too radical for most. -You mean come together in one accord? Preposterous!!-
However it seems that the powers that be, find this the most concerning. That's because there is strength in unity. One just has to be careful not to let that strength turn into a dictatorship.
for you delusional idiots who think because you're losers and rather than work you can take from others... the second ammendment is waiting for you at all of our houses so go ahead make my day!
What with Fox News vilifying everyone that participates in the 99 Percent OWS as, "criminals," these lobbyists' efforts should be a shoe-in for this channel's dishonest and Machiavellian news programming.
Steve Jobs told Rupert Murdock that Fox News is a 'destructive force' in society
Read more: #ixzz1eBeDcBNb
Harry Winter
ZEN: BODHISATTVA (by Dick Suthpen).
The silence is broken by the s-s-wish of the Samurai sword severing illusions
and it rolls across the floor leaving a bloody trail of -- ~--~~-_~~ -- ~--~~-_~~ truth
That's EXACTLY what it feels like....and it aint pretty either :(
Left, right or indifferent we all need to realize that even if this lobby group doesn't get the deal, someone else will. They will find a way to get big money behind an attack on OWS. And when or if the Democrats get into office, they will be under the same pressure as the Republicans. It's safest to not believe in EITHER. Corporate America has mastered the art of Divide And Conquer and will bend whichever party is in power to their side.
That's why this needs to be a fight against corporate greed and corrupt politics. It's no longer a left or right issue. EVERY AMERICAN HAS A STAKE IN THIS.
Believe it or not folks. OWS and the Tea Party are fighting the same fight!!
Aggie-345886, et al -- How could I leave out ACORN? Once again, prove your claims with credible sources or step off. Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright? Really, seriously?
A date on a memo would be a legitimate question. But based on MSNBC and Chris Hayes as a seasoned reporter, could it possibly be that the Lobbyists post-dated the memo originally intending to send the letter later and forgot to change it, or that it's just a typo either by them or the article? Everything has to be some dark deep conspiracy with you folks.
If it is a conspiracy, the date/memo will grow legs in the mainstream media, unlike the crap you people believe in that is spewed by the likes of Glenn "False Prophet" Beck and his chalk board of fallacious argumenataion and illogical deductions. Your first clue that something is a lie is when it is not reported by legitimate journalists--Oh but then that's your other conspiracy theory, the vicious cycle.
How does one go about undermining a collection of idiots? How will anyone ever know if they were successful?
Some days I wish I were blind, deaf and stooopid.
Kate Indigo -- If only we could leave your lies for the casual reader to stumble upon...
Several studies have been already been done on the Tea Party. This from the Pew Research Center:
This from the American Sociological Association:
This from a Harvard/Notre Dame study:
Not only is OWS a global movement, it as already grown faster and larger because it is a real movement of supporters from all ages, races, and walks of life. This is what always happens when the disparity between rich and poor become too great. The millionaires who support taxes being raised on the richest 1% understand that if the middle class and their disposable income continues to be decimated, the entire economy will collapse.
The Occu-tard movement doesn't need anyone else trying to discredit them.
The occu-tards are doing it themselves by throwing feces and urine on buildings, by deficating in the parks, by littering everywhere, by stealing others property, by not sharing their food with homeless people who are obviously also a part of the 99%, by threatening to blow up Macy's, by threatening to burn down wall street and NYC, by threatening the police.
These -tards are discrediting themselves. They don't need any outside lobbying firm PROPOSING to see if someone else is interested in doing research on these -tards.
Another myth about - and unfortunately perpetuated by - OWS is this 1% vs 99% stuff. The 1% are not all greedy crooks. Annual income of the top 1% starts at $375,000 and includes successful and ethical small business people, professionals, entertainers and others who are simply not part of the problem. That top 1% is melting away like arctic ice and is as much at risk as the rest of us.
We need to focus on the problem, not a statistic. The problem is greed and corruption. The statistic is merely a catalyst for further division at a time when we need to be united.
True Patriot,
I really don't care what a personal bio says about a media personality. I've a degree in journalism, and I know how it works from the top down. TV personalities, read teleprompters. Editors control content, and that content comes from the board who are nothing but corporate masters. George Celente calls the MSM Presstitutes. But to humor you I read most of the bios recommended.
Rachel Maddow is okay. Only real impressive thing was she got a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford as a graduate student. Big deal, much ado about nothing. I work for a Rhodes Scholar, and he's no smarter than anyone else I know, and especially not as smart as my father, who never got anything higher than an AA degree. Although my dad is currently working towards his bachelors and masters.
Lawrence O'Donnell also just an Ivy league grad. Big deal, so was Bush Jr. I don't put a whole lot of stalk in a "degree".
I tend to stay away from using the fallacious argument of Appeal to Authority. Especially since opinions stem more from the emotional side of things rather than base facts. Note I said, "facts", not "truths". And that's what she does, she opines on politics. Just because Maddow studied politics at prestigious *snobby* Ivy League schools doesn't mean she is always correct in her political analysis or opinion. Her personal bias, could distort facts creating her own truths, and she can argue those truths with an air of authority in order to sway minds to accept her truth. Nor does her Rhodes Scholarship mean she is in complete control of what she is allowed to say on air. The same goes for O'Donnell. The same also goes for Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh et al. They are all political commentators who work for International Corporations, called the media cartel.
I look at the message. What are these political commentators saying, and how are their opinions swaying public thought? What's being said is important, not who's saying it.
As for Hannity, Beck, and Limbaugh, they might not be Rhodes Scholars, but their career paths are just as impressive. Limbaugh's is very impressive. He was a college drop out, but got into radio at the age of 16, and now has a contract with clear channel up to the year 2016 for 400 million dollars. A record for broadcasting. I call that a great feat in ones career.
Sean Hannity was also a College drop out, but got into radio early. His first gig was cancelled after airing 2 shows on a book called The AIDS Coverup: The Real and Alarming Facts about AIDS by Gene Antonio. Interesting since Maddow did her thesis on AIDS/HIV in American and British prisons. Hannity worked his way up, till he's now practically a household name. I find that impressive, same goes for Maddow.
Beck is impressive as well, for he came over many personal hardships, to get where he is today. He has also dropped FOX News and has created his own online tv show.
Alex Jones is my preferred choice for news and opinions.
As for FOX retractions, there have been some. I don't watch FOX news, but I googled it.
Instead of trying to make me seem as though I don't know what I'm talking about. Why don't you give me your opinion on my idea. I think it's the best solution I've seen out there so far. America needs to come together, not bicker and fight.
What you call Glen Beck conspiracies are easily verifiable in the internet, the always says do not believe what I say to his listeners , check yourself and that is what those who listen do. Liberals do not want the truth to be discovered and the media to reveal exception of Fox, that's what most hate and fear. The truth of Soros and its network of organizations, the Wall Street relataionship with the Democrats and the influence of lobbyists in the approval of the financial reform bill where, Wall Street donated more money to the democratic than the Republicans and during the approbation of obamacare the large pharmaceutical, hospitals, and also health insurance have donated millions of dollars to be favored by the new law.
Recall Scott Walker! Show these Koch Brother's lobbyists that their money doesn't buy them control of America!!!
Kate Indigo-- While I applaud you for doing the homework, though not fully because Lawrence O'Donnell's life achievements, for example, are impressive far beyond his education. Your rationalization is par for the course that makes my case that ultimately conservatives do not care about qualifications, only ideology.
oskar-1391552-- One problem in this country is the idea that everyone's opinion is equal. No, everyone has an equal right to express their opinion, but some are BS like yours. Glenn Beck is nothing but a drop out, recovering alcoholic, half-baked Mormon who has gotten rich with Jerry Springer-style hyperbole. Prove your claims or step off.
Here's another exercise for the intellectually dishonest -- This is from an article the other day in the business/money section:
Please tell us what part of the above you disagree with and then back it up.
Toasty McGrath
"Sorry Spider, but if you don't like your frontrunners getting media coverage for sexual harassment... Try picking one that hasn't sexually assaulted women. Don't blame it on the media, who are just doing their jobs."
Toasty, as usual you have convicted someone who has never been charged. Do you feel the same way about the allegations against Pelosi and Baucus? No charges have been brought there either but will you assume they are guilty regardless, or just assume they are innocent because you like them?
Please grow up and try to be consistent.
Meanwhile, the Democrats are destroying American cities with their followers:
OWS is receiving support, financial contributions, advice and/or counsel from: George Soros, Van Jones, SEIU, Teachers' Unions, Media Matters, Moveon.org, ACORN, ACLU, AFSCME, Rebuildthedream.com, Progressive Democrats of America, Congressional Black Caucus, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Communication Workers of America, NY Communities for Change, PowerPac.org, et al.
True Patriot - What part of your post refers to anything I posted? Not a thing from what I've read of your post. But I will say, your post is a bit odd, and definitely #3 is a whole load of crap you pulled out of your butt. Considering the Tea Party stands for fiscal RESPONSIBILITY, defaulting on the debt we already have is pretty stupid. And no, I'm not a Tea Party member, but as a conservative, many of their goals are right and good. And for d**n sure, since I had an Ex who fiscally operated exactly like the US govt. I can tell you, without a doubt, it doesn't work. We need to stop and should have stopped a long time ago. Supporting the OWS will not make fiscal responsibility a reality.
What? Wait. What was the question again... Seriously?! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I love it. Who's BANKROLLING the OWS movement?! SERIOUSLY?!! Pop-up tents can run upwards of $50 some places. Unless you borrow one from a friend. Huh. Guess it's free, then. Then there's the question of who is payig for the toilet... Ooops, THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ANY FREAKING TOILETS. Short version of the story is that I guess none of you morons asking the bankrolling ('Scuze me, I had to stop typing because of laughing so hard.) I guess none of you morons asking about the bankrolling didn't live through the 60's and didn't see how movements back then, like the OWS movement today, didn't NEED no steeenking bankrolling.
workhorse2010
7 of the 10 wealthiest members of Congress are Democrats, not Republicans.
==========
.......but have no fear, the GOP/TP is busting its butt to catch up.
Sign this petition to BAN LOBBYING!!!
http://www.getmoneyout.com/
TruePatriot-445959
Keith Wishful--
But you are correct that the rich, and the blue states are not the ones who receive more from the Feds than they send in (historically). It is the red states, particularly the south that are on welfare yet love to rant about liberals wanting "hand outs." The right-wing propaganda machine is churning fast, but try to keep up."
=====
...True guy, a link to back you up:
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/fed-tax-sentspent-by-state/
Notice that Sen Slick McConnell's small government state of KY gets back $1.51 for each dollar sent in, and St. Sarah's anti-socialist state of Alaska gets back $1.84 (and these people want to secede and give that up, what idiots, do their brains get frozen up there.....well, there was Sarah!). Haley Barbour (MS) gets $2.02! And look at those Farm Belt Red states! Iowa, the state that all GOP POTUS hopefuls crawl to on their hands and knees as supplicants, home of the evangelical Christian, small government, anti-socialists, is the biggest recipient of Farm Subsidies (the purest socialist handout we have) in the US of A (look it up in Wikipedia). Hey GOP/TP, do you know what a hypocrite is? No! Well, go look in the mirror.
True Patriot, Did I hit some raw nerve or something? My first post was about unity, and coming together to face the problems we are having today, and you jump all over me, calling me a liar, but without telling me what I lied about. I'm guessing it's about the part of how the Tea Party movement was co-opted by the Republican establishment. Oh and I don't think you liked the whole, don't listen to the Soros, GE liberal media. LOL I also said don't listen to the Murdoch right leaning media either. I'm guessing you brought up Maddow and O'Donnell cause I mentioned GE. You make a lot of assumptions about me, and use those assumptions as passive aggressive insults. You seem very angry.
You see, I do have more of a libertarian leaning ideology, than anything else, but that's because I'm an individualist, who believes everyone should have choices in life and that the Federal Gov. should adhere to the Constitution. *sorry if I offend any friends on here* I'm also a 9/11 Truther. I'm also a Ron Paul supporter, and an avid Alex Jones listener. Although I do have Sirius in my car and listen to the Patriot Channel and the Sirius Left Channel, if not the Alternative Rock Channel, while driving. I live in Canada, because I married a Canadian. Because of this I didn't get to go to any rallies or protests as I would have liked. I knew about the Tea Party movement before any news outlet was talking about it. Mainly because it was small and consisted of mainly independents and libertarian Ron Paul supporters. The only media person talking about rallies, like End the Fed rallies and Boston Tea Party rallies was Alex Jones. Most mainstream news talks about how the movement began in 2009. But that's just not true. 2009 is just when it grew so big it finally got media attention and had, by then been firmly co-opted by the right wing establishment. One of the first Tea Party Rallies, was back in 2007 as a Ron Paul fundraiser. In late 2007 in over 50 cities, there were Boston Tea Party Rallies. I might not have been physically there, but I was in spirit, so I don't care what your un-linked third party sources have to say about the Tea Party movement. I was involved and aware, they were not. As an original activist, mostly through the internet, it really sucked seeing the movement being co-opted by politicians I couldn't stand. And to hear Hannity say he's a part of the movement makes me sick.
http://www.infowars.com/yahoo-news-rewrites-history-of-tea-party/
Now to address your many accusations...
There is only one way to end this type of lobbyist interference. Go to www.faircampaignreform.us and get involved in the Popular Amendment Movement's drive to pass two constitutional amendments. The first and most important one is the Election/Campaign Finance Reform amendment. The second is the Term Limits amendment. Don't just complain, get involved.
hardwood1 Comment collapsed by the community
Okay. You people need to start at least considering something different than FOX news. Here's a challenge... we all know that FOX has demonized Soros for years... here's the challenge: research Soros, the Koch brothers, and Murdoch. Do a thorough job. See what motivates them, if you can. You will find Soros landing on the side of "people" more often than not and the Kochs and Murdoch of the side of pure greed and manipulation. Do the research. I promise the results.
The left has most U.S. media outlets, virtually all foreign media outlets, credible historians, legitimate scientists, and raw numbers of people supporting what they are trying to do... the right has bought-and-paid for FOX news and it's associated all-media 24/7 propaganda machine whose only real argument is a massive conspiracy theory as it's main source for "facts".
Seriously? We all need to open our eyes to the manipulation we have been subject to. Do the research... but this time check your sources. At least give truth a chance.
Kate Indigo: What you probably realize by now is how many people follow a brand. Obama is a brand. The Obama brand is thinly veneered on the outside with a liberal/progressive patina but the inside is pure Washington DC insider trader. Note how similar the Obama brand is to the Bush brand. The government elite are a type and they have the media hype down to a science. They also have the manipulation and propaganda machine working overtime with lies, innuendo, talking heads spouting their scripted 'dialogues' and narratives. One group talks 'liberal' and the other side talks 'conservative' but the reality is that they are a Janus face.
As to the attention paid to both the teaparty and OWS, both groups are conscripted into the polarizing camps and it is done on purpose. As the 'memo' stated, if the OWS and Teaparty were to come together as a populist and unified force, the powers that be in DC would be toast. Sadly, that will never happen becuase the media propaganda machines work overtime and people are stuck clinging to belief systems which they are loathe to part with.
T Patriot
Thank you, most of the opinions are bias, reading your opinions there is no doubt.
Everyone's done a great job as usual of ignoring the memo itself to jump on the bandwagon of whatever Fox News indicates to be the contents. For those who are a little less lazy it's four pages! I realize that's a lot of words, but reading them makes it clear that the financial world sees OWS far more clearly than the Conservative rhetoric wants the rest of us to understand it.
-The memo states that the Democratic Party MAY embrace the OWS movement. That indicates this isn't a Right vs Left issue, it's a Big vs Small issue, or Wall Street vs Main Street.
-Again, according to the memo the "too big to fail" firms realize that many Tea Party supporters share the SAME CONCERNS ABOUT THE POWER AND INFLUENCE WIELDED BY BIG BANKS. Again, Wall Street vs Main Street, NOT Right vs Left.
-Parties to the memo are concerned that Republicans won't be able to protect the interests of Wall Street if sufficiently pressured by their constituents. That's the first place where this turns Republican/Democrat. Wall Street believes the GOP to be in their back pockets for now but are afraid Republicans might become responsive to their constituents. Even at this point it isn't a Conservative vs Liberal agenda, but a 1% over the 99% agenda.
Even this memo supports the beliefs and and goals of OWS as well as those among the Tea Party whose primary motivation is "too big to fail." The Occupiers are winning.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
Mohandas Gandhi
I never imagined just how BRAINWASHED the liberals in this country are, the rhetoric and the name calling does not earn you credits for intelligence, it does however show how small your capacity for thought is. to be educated is one thing you can buy that, to be intelligent is another. yes R R you fit the mold.
"You people need to start at least considering something different than FOX news."
NBC, MSNBC, CNN?
However , Fox is one of the most trusted news, this is a fact , like it or not , actually I don't need to tell you, is all over the internet.
Chance Dahlgren-- Soros, ACORN, blah blah blah, oh we forgot Planned Parenthood, where is the rant about Planned Parenthood?
willowbrook-- It is YOU who pulls stuff out of your butt by trying to disparage OWS like these Lobbyists and the rest of the right-wing propaganda machine. Just because you claim something doesn't make it so. I rely on facts -- try debunking anything I've posted.
Roadhouse Blues -- Excellent information.
Kate Indigo -- Actually your posts are superior to the rest of the right-wing in here, but as you can see from my posts, I'm not "obsessed" with your posts only.
John B, Des Moines, IA-- Awesome points about how the memo was about retaining money and power, not about ideology per se. Getting rid of this corruption is exactly what OWS is all about.
Some Ron Paul supporters, who are not the Tea Party (not social conservatives obsessed with abortions, gay marriage and legislating morality) and who are anti-war, etc. have joined OWS. Rock on.
Everyone's done a great job as usual of ignoring the memo itself to jump on the bandwagon...............
-The memo states that the Democratic Party MAY embrace the OWS movement..................
Des Moines
Democrats embrace OWS since the first day, Democrats want to have their own "tea party" the same people that works with Obama is helping OWS . OWS do not represent the 99% they only represent a minority , socialist, communist, antisemitic . I'm happy that Democrats have OWS a violent group that have only 33 % of approval, it really helps.
Hmmm...?
First off, the majority of Americans in this country happen to be white and Protestant, such as the nature of the first Europeans to settle in the New World.
http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/natproj.html
So for the Tea Party to be mostly white Protestant is not a sign of anything. In fact it would be impossible for the OWS crowd to not be majority white as well, since all minorities combined make up just a little over 1/4 of the population. In fact most pictures I've seen so far of the OWS movement in NY, have been majority white. I know that's not proof of anything, yet that's how most categorized the Tea Party movement. "I didn't see any minorities in those pictures. It's just a bunch of white racists." Couldn't tell you how many times I saw something like that on NV. It also doesn't surprise me that when polled many minorities say they don't have much in common with the Tea Party. Is this because they even know a lot about the movement? Or is it because the television tells them the Tea Party is an astro-turf white racist Republican movement? Thereby implanting the idea, that anyone leaning more Democrat and a minority would not find the movement appealing. And so when asked minorities think they don't have anything in common with the Tea Party. One of the things the MSM excels at is swaying public opinion.
Also, just because many Tea Party activist, mostly after 2009, happened to be registered Republicans, does not mean it wasn't grass roots. I bet the majority of the OWS crowd happen to be registered Democrats and more than likely voted for Obama. Does that mean the grass roots of this OWS movement has no validity? Not only that, but there are many Ron Paul Tea Party types also at these Occupy protests, and have been there early on. I know this cause Alex Jones was rallying people to meet at different Occupy movements, like the one he went to in Dallas. This is because us original Tea Party activist see much in common with the grievances of the OWS crowd, and hence are also a part of the OWS movement. Funny thing about the Dallas one. When people started setting up their own movements in other cities, those who showed up in Dallas, saw that there were libertarians, Independents and Republicans already there for End the Fed rallies. The head of the Dallas End the Fed rallies, told Alex on the radio, that people seemed shocked to find protestors already there. She laughed and told them, "Welcome, thank you for joining us. We've been here since 2008."
http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/dallas-end-the-fed-tea-party
Ron Paul at End the Fed rally in Houston back in 2008,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3tzda8SLJ0
Alex Jones at End the Fed rally in Dallas back in 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFEr0tNMEQg&feature=related
http://www.infowars.com/dallas-observer-reports-on-occupy-fed-rally/
Just because there's Occupy movements in a dozen cities around the world and in every State in the union doesn't mean it has more validity, nor larger than the Tea Party movement. One thing about the Tea Party movement is that it was more concentrated on American politics, centered around the federal government and the constitution, and so didn't have as much of a global appeal. Where as the OWS movement was called into action by a Canadian group. And it's concerns of the poor against the rich have a much greater global appeal.
So don't be such a hater. Instead reach out and try to show all those white Protestant Republicans, that you seem to detest, that there is common ground.
True Patriot- LOL... Right wing. I don't subscribe to the false left/right paradigm. Seeing you do it is sad and cute, like watching a toddler play in daddy's shoes. I know, kinda snarky, sorry. I just really hate the partisan "branding". (You're right mygirl1.) I'm not a right-winger, nor a left-winger. I'm an individual with independent thought. I'm so far outside the left right paradigm, I find myself mostly not agreeing with neither right nor left political pundits.
I never said you were obsessed with my posts... ROTFL. I was just noting how you seemed to come at me with a fierceness, that's all. Thought maybe I hit a nerve. I bet we have more in common than you think. However I must admit, I'm not a fan of abortion. It makes me sick to my stomach. But at the same time, I don't push my own beliefs on people. I even went with a friend to Planned Parenthood, for emotional support while she was getting an abortion. Get this, she got an abortion because after she and her boyfriend got pregnant, cause they were actually trying to have a baby, he decided he'd changed his mind, and so got her to abort it. Boy did I hate that guy. He also beat her sometimes.
But other than disagreeing about abortion, we might just get along, after all, we are both just humans in this world.
This is shocking news!! ;-)
"CLGC’s memo proposes that the ABA pay CLGC $850,000 to conduct “opposition research” on Occupy Wall Street in order to construct “negative narratives” about the protests and allied politicians. The memo also asserts that Democratic victories in 2012 would be detrimental for Wall Street and targets specific races in which it says Wall Street would benefit by electing Republicans instead."
Well I guess now we all know where the Tea-trolls on newsvine got all those talking points from.
Here's an interesting article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/15/occupy-global-elite
WOW!!!!!
We all know this MUST be propaganda right? I mean, the very next statement disproves it right here and now.
There it is,,,PROOF!!!
No one can dispute Anita Dunn can they? NO WAY!!!!!!!!!
Oh wait, Looky, looky what I found!
TOP PAC CONTRIBUTORS TO BARRACK OBAMA IN 2008.
Golden Sacks (Goldman Sachs)------------$1,012,091
JP Morgan Chase & Co-----------------------$808,799
CitiGroup Inc-----------------------------------$736,771
Skadden, Arps et al (Intl. Lobbyists)------$543,539
UBS AG------------------------------------------$532,674
Morgan Stanley--------------------------------$512,232
Rut Roh! I smell deception Ms. Dunn.
The reason there was party line opposition to the SHAM Dodd-Frank financial reforms is because all it does is put more regulations on small banks and does absolutely NOTHING to the fat-cat “Too-Big-To-Fail” bankers! As a small businessman, just try and get a loan or an increased line-of-credit from ANYONE today. Not to mention that other criminal den of thieves, Fannie-Mae and Freddie-Mac was left virtually untouched as it continues to collapse around itself. The $13 million dollars in salaries and bonuses the executives received this year and this is on top of $35 million dollars the top 6 executives received over the past 2 years is disgusting! In the meantime more than $141 Billion dollars have been pumped into it to "save" it.
Of course our criminals in Washington called them in for a House hearing to “investigate” this. This is nothing more than a photo-op for the politicians as they “scold” the mean nasty executives and while you’re not looking they give them the old secret “wink-wink” as they all leave having fulfilled their obligations.
Remember the outrage in January of last year when the “Captains of the Banking Industry” were paraded in front of Congress for another set of “hearings”? Jaime Dimon, John Mack, Brian Moynihan, Lloyd Blankfein and company were grilled for hours. They expressed sincere regrets for their poor business judgments. And what exactly have any of you heard about this since then?
NOTHING!!!!!!
Because they got the same “wink-wink” from our politicians. Hearings were supposed to continue. Have you heard of anymore hearings? I haven’t.
The biggest failure of the banking system is that we allowed the buffoons in Congress to bail them out. Even Jaime Dimon of Golden Sacks stated;
VOILA!!!
Here’s the regulatory system you wanted Jaime;
PERIOD!
If we had this simple regulation in 2008 a severe and unarguable message would have been sent.
Look, the banks are to blame, but even more blame must go to the 545 criminals in our Capitol, White House, the Supreme Court and the thousands of Lobbyists in Washington. Until we purge that mob of its criminal corruption all we’ll keep getting are empty promises and realities that they can use insider information to create their millions as we,,,Hope for Change.
Good luck with that!
serment du jeu de paume (1789)
To "AnIndividual:" Boehner is not a Senator, but from the House, from a gerrymandered district that purposely took every home where there were registered Republicans in his area to make a voting district. He certainly does not represent this state. In 2010, the census took 2 House seats from Ohio: guess who they have gerrymandered out of a job? Dennis Kucinich and Betty Sutton, the two most progressive Representatives in Ohio. Kucinich worked to keep a steel mill in Cleveland, and has done tireless work for this area, and Sutton, though much more junior, has also worked hard. But the new gerrymandered state map takes away representation from this area: districts are long and narrow, giving rural areas more say than cities, and taking away any ability of Representatives to travel to visit. Ohio needs help people: we are losing population because of job losses, and we have money poured into the state from Republican lobbyists like the ones in this article; these aren't the only lobbyists by far. Almost instantly after the 2010 census numbers were in, the Republicans in the Ohio state house had a gerrymandered map drawn up: that was not done by them, but by some kind of lobbyist group. They are working overtime on this, but what are we doing?
Everybody else: Of course this should make us all sick, wake us all up, make us work harder to beat these goons in elections, etc. But as long as America lets the states with the smallest populations rule the rest of us in the Senate (Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, the Dakotas, etc.), the more likely that Wall Street will get away with anything they want to do, because these states support the banks and insurance companies in return for any favor they ask. Just think of where Sen. Baucus is from, and all his campaign money comes from the health insurance industry. The "super-committee" is made up of these kinds of people. Do the people in those states actually support banks and insurance? Probably not, but as long as the campaign dollars come from the banks and insurance, that's the kinds of Representation they will get; so guess where the Tea Party comes from? Washington state, Alaska, Wyoming...
Yes, Washington D.C., the Capital, is where the regulations should be made, and who needs to listen.
Much like Hitler, right? He knew the buttons to push and the audience to, so as to influence those of lesser intellect to convince themselves that they were, (in some insane way), superior. If you consider these slanderous, racist, ignorant men acceptable in any way---it speaks to where a person is on the food chain.
Rupert Murdock, a true son of a beach, will pass the torch to that weasel son when he dies and goes to imaginary hell.
Huh? Are you calling them Hitlers?... lol... I might think Beck is a putz, but come on, some rational, logical dispute please. LOL
Elizabeth - actually, Boehners used to represent my area of Ohio too, but redistricting due to population changed the District. I now have Jim Jordan who is even more conservative than Boehner, and our Districtis just fine with him. Boehner does represent Ohio. Just because there are city "cells" of whining Democrats doesn't make it not so. The rest of your post is Democratic whining. By the way, I sent a scathing letter to Kuchinich when he sold Ohio out by voting for Obamacare. The vast, vast majority of Ohioans didn't want Obamacare before the bill was signed, and they definitely don't want it now, since the increases in cost and reduction in availability to care is already happening. The Republicans have been struggling to increase jobs in Ohio, but are stopped time and again by the Unions, and their lackeys, the Democrats who represent Ohio. It is their fault Ohio is where it is now, too bad you have their blinders on and can't see that. I've personally talked to Jordan 3 times in the last 2 years while he is home in the District speaking to his constituents. And he holds phone town halls as well. There is no problem seeing or contacting our Representatives, maybe it's a problem with your lack of desire to get out there and see/contact them. You live in a district with a Democratic representative? Maybe that is your problem. I will not vote for anyone who voted for Obamacare, and I know a ton of others who will be doing the same.
True Patriot - said:
It is your responsibility to provide your proof to back up your posts, not me. I'm not doing your work for you. You are a typical Liberal, personal attacks when you have no facts to back up your post. Considering everything that has been on all the Media outlets about OWS, there is no doubt as to what they are. You go ahead and support people like that, it is your right. But don't be surprised when the rest of us keep working to make things better and ignore you. OWS are not the solution to our problems and neither are you. Ows are their own worst enemy, they will self destruct all on their own, sooner if the Unions and other Liberals who are supporting them get out of the picture. If only they were smart enough to realize they are being used as tools by others, it would be really helpful.
Kate---they stir the ignorant masses, have shown continuos racial bias, use Christianity as a sales tool, (when their acts are the opposite of "Christ-LIke"). Women as Femmo-Nazis? Jews are "incomplete Christians?" These guys---ya think they appeal to intellectuals? They despise science, and intellectual leaders, etc. Tell me that they don't play to the same mindset.
And he has. True Patriot has been taking it to any and all throughout the day, putting up facts over and over. The fact that you won't address that, choosing to deal in attacks and baseless counterclaims just underscores his excellent work.
Kate Indigo, Willowbroo, Elizabeth, Freedom Ring
Good posts, excellent well informed , this is what liberals hate, people that reveal the truth, this is why they call you ignorants , they only wants people know what is convenient for them.
oskar-1391552
The most amusing aspect about reading the Liberals denouncing the wealth disparity in America is they really don't research anything, they just spew their indoctrinated Liberal talking points from Obama, Chris "Tingles up my leg" Matthews, Richard Maddow, Keef Olderman and others.
In 1998 four percent of U.S. households, had net assets of at least $1 million.
Today, 3.4% of households have net assets of at least $1 million.
Where was all the outrage in 1998? Could it be this ratio has been consistent but now Obama and the Liberals need to create a crisis to campaign on? We all know there is nothing, that Obama has accomplished to help Americans, for him to run on.
The simplicity of the Liberal mind continues to confound.
@LMarcT: Very well said, my friend.
@ Jarhead: Gollllly, Gomer! As a veteran, I appreciate pretty much anyone who wears the uniform. However there's more to it than yelling "UHRAH!" and killing people. You should realize that Wall Street and corporate America don't really like you and are not going to hire you. Sure, they'll sing your praises as you ship out, but you scare them when you come home. You're not one of "them." You should have learned something about pride. Don't be their bitch.
Willowbrook I did a little investigation of Jim Jordon's district 4 in Ohio. I see that plans of redistricting will put him in a difficult situation as he will then have a more equal distribution of Dems and Repubs and he probably won't make it back in. I also noticed that the district he is now in has a median annual income of $40,000. That's the median! Now since you live in that area I can safely assume you don't have anywhere close to a 1%ers income and in fact probably fall into the 50%ers.
With that kind of info on hand I have to ask myself "Why would Willowbrook vote Republican?" The only thing I can come up with is that you are paid to be in here OR that you have some kind of evengalical religious leanings.
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!
Hey all you 99er's, here's a little bit of reality to your "CAUSE",
nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/wall_street_cra_pad_s31YWPjPTt0TYuxLGnu7IK
The hypocrisy of this sham mob never seems to end.
99% my a$$.
@ FreedomRingsLoud. Change your moniker for Christ's sake. You're such a freaking hypocrite.
Then you immediately speculate on the basis of an isolated statistic with no back up to even prove the reliability of THAT claim. So here's the research you accuse Liberals of not doing;
http://www.epi.org/publication/ib239/
It should be noted that the information above was from 2007 numbers. Income disparity, the difference between the wealthy elites and the rest of us, actually ACCELERATED through the Great Recession.
Your post was meant to imply (without proving) that this is the way things have always been, so we should just give up trying to change it. That's a deceptive argument;
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/29/business/29tax.html
The information I've bolded above is particularly significant, and goes to the heart of the reason why OWS speaks to a broad swath of Americans. The Conservative war against the middle class has been a disaster for average citizens...and we're not going to put up with it anymore.
so longhair and marc adams, it appears that we three are the only ones that read the pdf file on the memo. A memo dated Nov 24 2011. All these posts amd time spent writing them. LOL!
Regardless, I wonder why a lobbying organization would be so concerned with a movement that can't focus on specific issues and whose supposed supporters carry a myriad of signs espousing different ideals.
Not to long ago news sources reported on over $500,000 in donations were sitting around because no one could agree on what bank to deposit or keep them in. No wonder the OWS protesters don't like to see their tents and sleeping bags confiscated. I guess a sleeping bag stuffed with money is as good as a mattress stuffed with money. lol!
And I keep pointing out it was leaked before its scheduled release date.
Ignoring that fact, or are you just posting instead of reading?
Never mind, either way it all comes to the Conservative penchant for running multiple narratives without regard for fact, or even if the different stories disagree with each other. You point out you were whining about Occupiers not agreeing where to put their funds. Once they did Conservatives whined about a straw man assuming the Occupiers believed ALL banks to be evil, and ignoring the evidence before your eyes that your meme was false.
Conservatism, after all, isn't about consistency of thought or principle. It's a series of talking points designed to sell policies beneficial to the wealthy elites...which is why we have an Occupy Wall Street.
It is almost funny how OWS tries to attack big business by occupying subway stations hurting the people they supposedly represent. Destroy parks that everyone pays for, except them. They are a joke and everyone knows it. They break the laws. They cost taxpayers millions. And for what? Do tell.
They are nothing like the TEA Party who did all of its protesting legally, didn't leave a mess behind, caused no violence and cleaned up after itself. OWS is just a bunch of pathetic whiners who want someone else to pay their way and have no regard who they trample to get what they want, which they will never get by the tactics they use.
They aren't trying to attack big business. They are trying to call attention to the unjust laws and regulations that favor corporations over the 99%.
Where do you get that ridiculous idea? They pay taxes too. The only difference between them and you...is they see a problem and are willing to put themselves on the line to have it corrected.
For $850,000 this firm promises to make "everyone know it" even though they have admitted they will have to lie, misrepresent and deliberately manipulate the facts to do it. A bargain for CEO's making tens of millions a year and not wanting the 99% to question why they work twice as hard and can't afford to feed their kids.
And corporations don't break laws??? When caught they simply buy politicians to change the laws they don't like...you know...the ones about fair business practices, not producing unsafe products, providing fair wages and working conditions, not poisoning our air and water....they just have them all changed so they can do whatever they please and never be held accountable. They cost us BILLIONS. Please provide any link that shows that OWS has cost "millions"....
To get back what was supposed to be the "American Dream". That hard work and effort will lead to the ability to adequately care for yourself and your family, to the ability to own your own home and pay for it, to the ability to provide a decent education to your children, the ability to afford and access medical care and the ability to live in a country that doesn't allow poisons in the water and air, and "acceptable levels" of toxins in everything we eat. None of that is possible now....because all of our laws favor corporate interests over those of the 99%. The "excuse" was that corporations provide jobs....but they aren't exactly doing that any more...or anything else that would justify handing over our country to them.
No kidding.
And accomplished....nothing.
And immediately sold out to the very same interests that they were "protesting" against. They were a sham from the beginning...all they seem to care about is dominionism.
Why are they willing to brave the freezing cold for their ideals if they are just lazy whiners? Seems to me...that you, sitting in your warm, comfortable home, insulting and berating people who are willing to fight so hard for what they believe in, willing to risk jail, willing to face the ignorance and insults of people like yourself who can't be bothered to even understand their purpose before @!$%#ting all over it....are the lazy whiner.
You have demonstrated that you have no idea what they want...and the only information you have is the worst of the worst...you are either completely unaware or deliberately ignoring all the legal, safe, clean and orderly OWS protests that have taking place all over the country. Their tactics WILL work...they already have people like these lobbyists maneuvering to try and discredit them....and why bother doing that if they weren't seen as dangerous to their corporate interests?
rico - interesting analysis.....
1. I never claimed to be a 1%er. In fact, I've made it known that I worked hard to make it INTO the Middle class, and how poor decisions in Washington has made hard for me to stay in the Middle class. So, no news there.
2. Our district if currently a primarily rural district. Rural folks tend to be more conservative, just as I am, and tend to vote more Republican or we will vote for honest, conservative Democrats. (Which I have, by the way, if they are the best candidate in the pool.)
3. Jim Jordan has been in Public service for a long time. I remember, 20 years ago when he was starting his career running for an Ohio seat in Columbus. Hitting the trail, attending events in towns you've never heard of, getting to know the people. He has been in many elections, and has many supporters. Mainly because he listens to his constituents, and doesn't vote by who donates the most to his campaign.
4. No one has ever paid me to be on a blog. I follow my conscience and speak accordingly. I have lived on both sides of the philosophical fence, so to speak, when it comes to our current economic woes. I know, from this experience, Washington is dead wrong to continue to spend $1.40 for every $1.00 it brings in. It is possible to correct this, but it take discipline and sound decision-making. Something I've yet to see in the OWS group.
These "lazy whiners" are disciplined enough to sit in peaceful protest, exercising their First Amendment rights while an officer casually douses them in pepper spray. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ84yTHqsZ8
Are you?
P.S. to rico $40,000 goes a lot further in Ohio than it does on the East or West Coast. I know you can't live on that in NYC.
But then, I can't fathom why anyone would pay a million dollars for a 800 square foot apartment.
Theoverlord 1.121
What do you mean that money doesn’t buy control of America? The unions certainly think it does.
True...
I need to supply you with a link to prove that Mr. Obama overwhelmingly won the 18-22 year old and urban vote ?
Thanks for the insult, by the way. I guess that all of mankind should just stuff their opinions in a jar and sit back and get informed by you ! No reason for any of us mere mortals to do otherwise.
Monkey@Keyboard, What?-3106699, don't accuse other Viners of being shills, don't attack each other personally. Not restoring.
hardwood1 banned, rereg of multiple accounter bill-3045616.
Kyot, don't Internet Tough Guy about violence. Keep it about the discussion. Last chance. You're suspended for a month for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
This bit O' news dizinfo/info, or whatever one wishes to call it matters little as does the OWS movement,left v right, rep v dem, blue v red, et.al. What is truly lacking is the knowledge of real truthful knowledge of your country's history. Not that public fool system tripe, I mean the truth. In addition none of you have a clue as to your status at LAW!!! Who and what you are in relation to what you think is a lawful de jure government. If I may offer a few areas to examine it will act as though you have placed straight and true arrows of truth light and love into your quivers. Prior to the founders and the attempts at ratification of the Articles of Confederation no one ,other than monarchs held private land ownership in fee simple/allodial title period! So our well learned founders knew history and P.Henry said of the Articles " I smell a rat!" There were no bill of rights provisions, and so phooey on that we'll start over until we get it right as can be. There are 2 Constitutions operating in this country. One is ordained and established as a common law trust by the sovereign de jure PEOPLE's authority a republican/elected representative form of government.Its primary purpose being TO PROTECT THE UNALIENABLE INDIVIDUAL GOD GIVEN RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE by limiting the power of those elected to the provisions set forth in The Constitution FOR the united states of America by way of requirement of the swearing an oath of fidelity and an oath of office to be filed and held as record of an offer to contract with the Secretary of State. Requiring only the the lawful elector accept the offer by a vote in public, not in secret ballot to validate the contract between the elected and the represented at law. If you declare/consent to swear that you are a U.S. citizen this Constitution I am speaking of does not apply to you. You Constitution is entitled thusly: The Constitution OF the Untied States of America and was a corporate charter established under the Organic Act of Washington D.C. 1871. G.Washington, J.Adams, A.Hamilton, A Lincoln et.al were NOT U.S. citizens! They were citizens of their Republic of the respective State. If you are so inclined and wish to have the information with which to be able to have remedy and recourse and hold those you elect to task you had better know who and what you are.You all need to know how you waived a God given right for a benefit privilege/opportunity, charged a tax/fee and issued a license for the benefit which was a right to begin with. HOWEVER, he who is ignorant ,let him remain ignorant. You who wish to leave the bankrupt de facto corporation operating in receivership to which all of your public, private, biological property as well as wages have been used as collatteral by the ancient system of pledging,registration/regis/royalty/ownership can do so by application of due dilligence while visiting the following internet sites: www.republicfortheunitedstates.org , www.1215.org , www.freedom-school.com , www.state-citizen.org , for those of a weaker nature you may examine the Youtube videos of the following named scholars: Bill Foust, Mark Hafner, Carl Miller, and Winston Shrout. A recommendation by way of caveat which is a warning is made here! You had better learn a few words of English and the defined uses at law! They do not mean what you think they mean. I will provide a few examples paraphrasing of brevity. The word apply,application at law means to beg, and as such a presumption in law exists that the beggar knows what he is begging for. The word register,registration means to give up ownership of an item of intrinsic value or real or fictional to the entity to which it is registered. Regis/royalty/ownership. The word person means fictional entity, ens legis, a corporation. In closing I will suggest to all of you, stop the name calling and focusing on the factors which serve to divide us and seperate us from one another, rather go an educate yourselves and each other, operating from truth and love and the elements you see before you which are loathsome and frightening will in the immediate vanish. know this as well, there is but one common link in humanity, nationality, culture, creed, gender, notwithstanding that unites us all under one cause above all others, it is called FREEDOM. The only important thing that matters with regards to our actions is that our children remain forever free. A man that overcomes another man is strong, but the man who overcomes himself is mighty.
Pax aut bellum...
Looks like I may need to apologize for criticizing the Conservative Movement as a bunch of crazies now that an authentic Sovereign Citizen has left his manifesto on First Read...
Then again 1.171 illustrates just how the GOPTP has emboldened all manner of fringe elements to declare themselves mainstream.
Thanks for showing us REAL crazy.
This guy probably doesn't get a lot of eye contact as he walks around town talking to himself.
Dear MSNBC,
Awesome article. Thanks!
Not going away, not shutting up,
99%
This article is the smoking gun. I also suspect that the group "53%" might be part of this Lobby's Plan. Very shameful of the 1%. But also this tells us that the 1% is afraid of the 99%. Also I think I see a hint that the Banks really are with-holding loans and money in order to defeat Obama.
In any case they are exposed.
And that's my Opinion.
It's not a smoking gun. This lobby firm is doing what special interests groups do, looking out for themselves. It's not illegal, just disgusting.
Aligning their actions to any other group of Americans is unfair. Plenty of 1% and 53%-ers support what OWS stands for. Painting entire demographics with the same brush is generally called bigotry.
Why would the banks want to defeat Obama when he (and bush before him) have given the banks so much of our money? If anything I would think they'd want him to stay in office...
Who is funding the protests? Union lobbies....
This was an "offer" or "proposal" dreamed up and written by a lobbying firm. Nobody on wall street solicited this, it was a proposal dreamed up by a
REAL PIECE OF SCUM..... being scum and selling out our country for their personal interests is what lobbying firms do for a living.
At this rate, OWS will soon be 99.9%
R. Scalzo no it's not the union funding the protest it the people and the union join in.
bilss,
Totally agree.
This is not about Dem vs Repub. This is about power of the elites of Walls Street and political connections in Congress.
Both the OWS and Tea party have changed the narrative about government, big business and special interest that blocks anything meaningful on behalf of the 99% of the citizens.
This article speaks to the very real threat that special interests are afraid of losing control.
Keep the pressure on, don't be sidetracked into partisan name calling.
I think it is time to bring our voices to the halls of Congress in massive waves.
Politics as usual can be overcome...
Can anyone tell me how lobbying went from being a bribe paid in cash at the lobby of the hotel across the street from capitol hill to being something that is now a Constitutional act?.... What lawyer scum twisted the words of our Constitution and made this act of bribery ok over the last few decades?..... We need to get back to our Constitution..... It was not written by lawyers..... It was understood well even by the uneducated for the first 150 years.... Why can't we get a leader who promises to uphold the easy to understand and true meanings.?...... Oh yeah, Americans do not read their contract of freedom..... Never mind.
flbikerchick (#2.6) It already is the 99.9 percent. That top 1 percent is made up of a lot of people who work hard for their money. Doctors, small business owners, etc.. If you look at the statistics it's the top 1/10th of 1% that has seen all the gains. The people who work for their money aren't gaining, but the people who's money works for them are. They've twisted the system to their own ends and are reaping all the benefits of our labor. Then they are using that increased amount of money/power to further influence the government to make it even easier for them to increase their wealth.
R. Scalzo no it's not the union funding the protest it the people and the union join in.
C'mon Palmquist. R. Scalzo looked it up in his "Karl Rove's Response to Liberals" manual.
Northstar.. please don't put the Tea Party which is an entity unto itself as the same as the OWS. The TP has its own agenda and would love nothing better then to turn back the hands of time to where women didn't have any rights.. Don't confuse them with the OWS who are a combination of Americans who have united to bring attention to the fact that Wall Street has ruined our Country. And Yes it is ruined. When the kids can't afford an education, when your homes value has dropped to nearly half of what it was, When your retirement fund has almost been wiped out. Lets also add the absence of manufacturing jobs that went overseas because of the free trade agreement that enabled them to profit much more by moving to another country. I can go on and on.. but if you haven't paid attention to what has been happening and cannot follow the money, then no one will be able to explain it to you.
You'd have to be delusional, naive, or both not to recognize what OWS signifies. So for those of you obsessed with "Communists" who don't share your views, here is what being a "Communist" looks like for many of us OWS supporters:
My husband and I work hard in difficult fields, and have had the sheer good fortune to dodge the worst of the financial collapse -- which started 30 whole years ago, when St. Ron began to deregulate the banks. What do you think happens when you let foxes guard henhouses?
Li'l' Bush pulled the final trigger on this deeply warped economic system: tax breaks for the wealthy during two ill-conceived, pointless wars, anybody? Banks cynically giving mortgages and loans to people whom they should have discouraged? What do you expect from a spoiiled, clueless frat boy?
As libtards, Communists, or name-your-favorite-dopey-epithet, we actually don't like sleazy Democrats anymore than we do sleazy Republicans. There should be strict, even punitive limitations on lobbying and campaign finance, and zero-tolerance on the acceptance of gifts and favors. I wouldn't mind cutting elected representatives' paychecks, because high-level government jobs are the biggest welfare scams on the planet.
What we "Communists" can't stomach is the Republican Base's tail-wagging worship for corporate demigods who don't care at all for their constituents, employees, or fellow Americans in general.
Then there's the one-sided religious agenda, which is nothing better than the Taliban dressed up in the toupes and big bleached hair of Fox News.
This country was born from rebellion. It's falling apart in sleaze, greed, and a culture war that began with Republicans and their lobbyists cynically pitching to a "Base" of fearful, less-educated, generally rural Caucasian voters. We don't live in Mayberry. Stop defending a vision of America that existed mostly in advertising.
Just for information, while you guys are blogging to death about this article. The most interesting part of the story is this: The article was pulled permanently from googlenews at 12:17 PM on 11/19/11. I guess it was a little too disturbing ....
Fight the power. Use total-Viking warfare, too. Run naked through the snow with a broadsword and axe and take no prisoners.
If you go back to the story and read the date on the memo you will see the date Nov 24, 2011, suggesting it has not been written yet so why get so excited, this forgery was not supposed to be introduced for another 5 days someone jumped the gun. libs can't do anything right.
Capitalism benefits the privileged, while the working mass and poor are forced into poverty, debt, and added stress with their health.
It has been known for awhile now that the corporate (along with their lobbyists, etc.) and wealthy elite have sent some of their paid people and volunteers to go to the various sites to create disturbances with inappropriate behavior for the specific purpose of making the O.W.S appear bad to the general public. Once again, they are throwing their money around for fear of losing control rather than playing fair and balanced, or creating new jobs. Another name for these planned manipulative actions is called, "Confuse to Diffuse".
Inflation doesn't hurt the elite at all. Rich daddies can afford to pay their children s' increases of $500 for college tuition per semester in CA. For all others they either don't continue with school, or else pay an additional interest fees on the student loans on top of the increased tuition. Republican Tea Party Governors have gone out of their way to create Gerrymandering and making voting much tougher to suit their their Republican Party needs. Remember that when it is time for the next elections. Let them know and hear your voice that the 99% have the control of elections rather than the rich elite, businesses (Chamber of Commerce, etc.). Vote the Republicans and Tea Party out of office to let them know that they can't buy the elections, and are accountable to the 99%. Insist on honesty, integrity, and far less greed, like they did for the last election. Then, if there are any elected officials with ethical issues( no matter how big or little the offense), they should be automatically dismissed from office immediately along with a fine rather than receiving just a slap on the wrists. Start limiting their benefits as has been done with the public working sector. Then we'll see just how many are really there to serve for their Country. Finally, and most importantly limit the length of time any congressional person may serve and mandate that they display a certified copy of their personal income status and taxes paid to IRS.
No DB, it shows that the memo was leaked before its scheduled release date. Nice work MSNBC.
Well isn't that lovely. Outright stating they want to spend almost a million dollars to conduct a smear campaign.
I guess the current attempt to portray OWS as a bunch of dirty hippy lazy entitled spoiled kids isn't working.
The real trick is how they intend to divert tax dollars to pay for this.... that's the memo I want to see.
Unfortunately, the big banks already have enough taxpayers money. The irony is that the banks will be using the money "we the people" provided during the bailouts. There has to be laws re: financial exchanges between our politicians and lobbying groups. I intend to spread this memo as far as my reach can take it and hope the rest of you do the same. Thank God OWS started this movement, but I believe the great percentage of those who will be benefiting from this "awakening" will be joining them soon. It's time to make specific demands, and one of those should be the end of lobbying money going to our political representatives. I propose a felony charge for any politician who takes money from lobbyists. That should seriously curtail this kind of BS. We need to write letters, send e-mails, and make phone calls demanding these laws be put on the books. I intend to...please join me.
Well now hold on a second, didn't Obama state in his campaign (first time around) that he was going to address the issue of Lobbyists? Oh wait, that was just for practice. I'd say by now he has the broken promise thing down pat. So where does that leave him this time around? There would be no market for Lobbyists if there were no need for defamation, smear campaigns or undermining needed by the 1%.
MSSpielman, exactly. I'd like to know where the justice department is and why there hasn't been a call for an investigation? Republicans didn't think twice in the past about going after Dems and spending voters hard earned dollars. Those named in relation to the memo is merit for an investigation by an independent prosecutor. I'll go so far as to wager the memo is just one of the ingredients to a bigger pot of trouble for the GOP/Tea Party and their insatiable longing for power. All one has to do is look at the states targeted whose voters have or are initiating recalls. I wouldn't be surprised that the GOP/Tea Party is engaged in a lot more then what this memo alludes to.
Skepticalvoter..... Obama has had his hand full... anything he proposes has to follow the right channels and the house wouldn't even put something like this through.. The congress is a joke. They are all paid for by corporations... both sides republicans and democrates.
Lobbying, although distasteful to many, is not illegal. Furthermore if you're inferring that only one party engages in listening to lobbyists you'd be wrong. We'll wait for the other shoe to drop .. this is all pre election 2012 gamesmanship and will continue on both sides for the next yr.
Hey Skeptical, Obama has made efforts on every single issue he detailed during his campaign, the fact that the republicans have fought him tooth and nail on every single issue ( including lobbying) is why we have gridlock and nothing is getting done, they have dug their heels in on every issue, damn the consequences and would rather see the whole country go down in a ball of flames before witnessing him succeed, please keep in mind these were not stealth issues or policies that he came up with after being elected ,they were explicately explained to the voters , we voted ,and he won, he is attempting to carry out his campaign promises because that is what we( the voters of the united states) elected him to do, if he(we) succeed it will not be because of constructive and reasonable input and debate from the other side of the aisle, it will be despite subversion ,lies and inaction from the other side of the aisle, and their barely vailed contempt for the citizens of this country, the letter and spirit of the law and their refusal to dispatch their duties as elected officials of this country in the interest of this nation, rather than their own interest and that of their corporate masters.
I am feeding several “partly wild” animals at my house. There are several deer, a dozen raccoons, some possums and a skunk and all of them are Republicans! (Especially the skunk) - How do I know that? --- It’s very simple, I have tried to teach them some English over the years, but they have learned only one single word --- NO!
"History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance.” James Madison, 4th President (1809-1817) and principal author of the Constitution of the United States.
They will stop at nothing to maintain control, this has been obvious for a long, long time.
Well said Mspielman, you've gotten right to the nugget of the issue.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
Mohandas Gandhi
John B,
Since you seem to approve of OWS and the means of protesting I will ask you the same as I asked AnaBanana (post 1.34, which was collapsed by the community). Are you o.k. with the destruction of property, interfering with people making a living, assaulting people on their way to work and assaulting police officers, closing down businesses forces people to be laid off, urinating and defecating on the streets and sidewalks, rape, murder (Oakland, CA), drug use and distribution, disrespect for other peoples rights to use parks and sidewalks? The idiots at OWS have no idea of what they want or how to get it. The OWS is being used by the unions, especially SEIU and the Teachers Union) and liberal democrats (Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren and others). Anarchy will not work in the United States, you want something you work within the system of our government, organize, pick candidates, vote and monitor the actions of those you elect.
BTW, I read your Open letter to OWS, maybe you should go and join them in NYC since you seem to think they represent you and you ideals. Why encourage them if you are not willing to join them in person.
That's a lot of accusations, sfcret. Can you prove any of them? Find me a legitimate news source (not The Blaze) and we'll talk.
Meanwhile you've only proven Mspielman's point.
John B,
I guess you don't even watch your local news where you live. The proof is every major news station and every major news paper and every major resource. I'm not going to play your silly games because when you can't prove your statements you deflect. Why don't you provide a legitimate news source that proves my statements are false? Besides you never answered why don't you join them in NYC if you are so thrilled by their protest, but then maybe you just like to sit at home and play on your computer and pretend you are knowledgeable when you really don't know crap.
Sorry sfcret, it's YOUR job to make your case, not mine. I have no problem proving that Conservatives have an intense smear campaign against the Occupiers, however;
http://news.yahoo.com/top-five-lies-occupy-wall-street-200100769.html
John B.,
Sorry for the late response, but I disagree with your opinion that I must prove anything to you. First, I don't cut and paste or even provide links (mainly because I don't know how) since they are only opinions of the person who blogged the information. I find it entertaining that most of you on the left keep posting links, cut and paste, or quote information from left wing news sources and try to pass them off as gospel. I do not consider news.yahoo to be an legitimate news source so your response has no value to the conversation. Second, in my post I asked you a question, which you did not answer either because you can't or won't. You have access to as many search engines as I have, so if you are serious about the conversation you should verify what I posted and rely on me. If I gave you my sources you wouldn't believe them anyway.
BTW, I get most of my news from the local news channels in my area, and I do watch nightly news at NBC. I occasionally watch the cable channels but not to a big extent. I find local news more unbiased than the national news, since local news is usually one to two hours and has much more coverage.
Quit publishing other peoples opinions and give your own based on research or even gut feelings.
OK, you got nothin'. Thanks for playing.
John B,
No, it's you that don't have nothing, that's why you like to play games. You have no facts that are legitimate, no opinions of your own, and can only cut and paste. Get a life and when you can answer questions instead of playing silly games, get in touch with me.
On the contrary. I have you, who've allowed me to use you as a contrast of approach. You've stated you have no need for facts or back up, and your opinion is opinion only. I've presented my opinion with full back up to justify it, in a public forum for others to examine completely and explore for themselves. It's an approach that does exactly what you've accused me of not doing;
Remember when the teacher marked down your math test because you failed to show your work? I've shown my work. Anyone who wonders if my statements are credible can determine that for themselves. Anyone who's intrigued by something I've said can explore the issue beginning with resources I've shared with the Newsvine community.
P. S.; I don't move to NYC because I have a job that requires me to be in Des Moines every single day. MSpielman's point at the top of the thread stands. OWS resonates with the public because the their concerns are those of a multitude of Americans, concerned that the greed of Wall Street is stealing the American Dream from all of us. That's why they're more popular than the Tea Party.
You failed. Bye.
It's happening all over the world. The 1% has the money & they want more. Mr grover & the gop & the soviets will tell you greed is good. But the occupy has the 99%. They want to keep social security & democracy. It's the same power struggle happening everywhere.
It is amazing how all the actors in this melodrama are playing down to their stereotypes.
Boehner: you need to find smarter friends; anybody dumb enough to put this in a memo or an email is not competent to pull this off.
And someone inside obviously is one of the 99%, and leaked this- Great!
Correction: Ohioans need to elect smarter representatives, who actually work for their constituents.
Boner isn't the sharpest tack in the box.He only employs those that he's told to employ,thus you get idiots that couldn't get a job the right way so he will never be able to surround himself with more intelligent people. Besides an intelligent individual won't want anything to do with Boner.
flbikerchick: Ohioans elect a lot of different Representatives: Boehner is from a gerrymandered district that selects houses where people have registered as Republicans. Remember, Ohio is also the home of Dennis Kucinich. However, Republicans, with big lobby money, took over the Ohio statehouse and governorship, and then in 2010 redrew the map. Ohio lost 2 Congressional seats because people moved away after losing jobs. Who did the statehouse turn away? Dennis Kucinich and Betty Sutton, the most progressive 2 Representatives. It isn't Ohio that you should blame, but those who sent tons of money to lobby here: every election sees everything from billboards to T.V. ads all paid for by G.O.P. lobbyists. Ohio is a "swing state," so the gerrymandered Representational districts matter a whole lot to the G.O.P. We also have a very strange connection here: some of the most extreme of the televangelists have outposts in Ohio, set to tell the locals that their worship and their votes are connected, in a cynical but effective attempt to sway the rural votes. Hence, "Focus on Family" that is based in Colorado has a branch, "Emerge Ministries," that does phone pep talks to ministers all over the U.S.A., based in Ohio. Same with "Infocision." Then there are those voting machines: 2000 and 2004 Gore and Kerry WON in Ohio, as analyzed by Robert Kennedy Jr. and Bob Fritakis in a careful study of every polling place in every country in Ohio. Some places had about 200 registered voters, but 300 votes for Bush (for example). But the vote in both elections was certified for Bush, and the fairly large number of Ohio Electors sent along to crown him, with the Supreme Court's divine anointing. Those of us in Ohio want to know where our jobs went, and where did our population go? Were the billionaires replacing manufacturing and inventive jobs with fake think tanks, right-wing lobbies, and manipulated voting machines? It is beyond strange, but the billionaires seem to be able to turn off their supposed sources of income entirely, replace them with a whole fake lobbying and voting machine industry, and then destroy a state, and by doing so, a nation. If we don't get real jobs in Ohio, it will continue to be bad for the whole country, because when the billionaires have finally won completely, they won't have any more reason for those fake jobs either: they will just move on to some other poor country and destroy it too.
I have seriously mixed emotions on this. For one, this is a very sleazy effort to try to delegitimize a movement that needs to have their voice heard. However, the fact that this became public is good news, because it suggests that someone inside the ABA realizes how sleazy it is and is more than willing to let the public know.
BTW, if the lobbyists care so much about taking on the OWS movement, why don't they do it on their own dime instead of trying to finagle $850 Grand from the banking industry?
BTW part 2: If anyone was funding the OWS movement, wouldn't you think the movement would be a lot more organized, and would have some serious goals?
.
You really doubt they aren't being funded.
They have to power their generators with exercise bikes. Yeah, that looks like a well-funded group...
Trying to look "self-funded" while sitting on $500,000.00 in OPM (Other People's Money) in the bank!
R.Scalzo, I haven't seen a shred of proof that they are being funded. Grass roots is messy, it is chaotic and it's hard to organize.
Grass roots doesn't have rented venues and well organized busing of participants. (TEA Party)
This is a free country where people and groups have the right to influence the outcome of elections, whether through personal actions, such as putting signs on their lawy, or by contributions to those favorable to their point of view that are made in accordance with law. I mean do we really want to tell AARP they can't take positions favorable to seniors???
The CEO of AARP has taken positions favorable to Obama when they ran ads touting Obamacare attempting to draw support from seniors. Thousands other AARP members terminated memberships because of political partisnship and biased views.
All brone and NO brain??????????????
Need they say more?
I am a Democrat and I am suspicious of OWS. I think the movement may have been started by followers of Ron Paul.
OWS is too organized to be associated with Ron Paul's followers.
I am a Democrat and fully support Ron Paul this time around.
Started by Ron Paul supporters? Seriously? You must be nnothing more than a Government troll trying to stir things up or you might just be a idiot. This movement was started by and backed by the Democrats. Don't believe me? Go down to the protests and ask 10 people who they plan to vote for ext year. The answer will be Obama not Ron Paul nice try.
Jane in TN: OWS started rag tag, as did every other protest group, but they have a focused cause and will build a focused platform over time. If you're truly a democrat (small "d"), they'll you'll let democracy have it's run.
The pendulum is swinging back to center.
Give me a break. "It was written on lobbyist letterhead?" Couldn't be a Democrat plant or anything could it.l No mention of the author? God, some people will believe the moon is made of green cheese if some political operative plants the story. There really is a sucker born every minute. MSNBC specializes in this kind of no basis, no names so called reporting.
Most Sucky of the National Bama Channel
Shaking - Why are you trying to defend the lobbyists? Do you actually think they give a crap about us common people? All they care about is getting more dollars into their own pockets by any means necessary. Even if this memo IS a fake, that doesn't change the fact that "lobbying" and rulings like "corporations are people" undermine our democracy and need to be outlawed.
If Ron Paul would openly and publicly come out and officially renounce his opposition to the Civil Rights Act, THEN I'll start listening.
no, "the movement" was started by adbusters, a anti-capitalism, anti-consumerism, anti-semitic group in canada. they just passed down their orders for "the movement" to stop their camp outs and protest for the winter, lay low and work behind the scene to garner more support so they could come back strong in the spring
"Anti-capitalism?" "Anti-semitic?"
Man, these lobbyists went off the deep end when they got caught last night...
@Shaking my head - guess you didn't actually READ the article before you posted your comment. It actually did mention that 2 of the authors of the memo were Sam Geduldig and Jay Cranford.
# 9.5
denial of reality is obvious to everyone but the one denying...it can spill over into every aspect of anyone's life - if they let it - it is thier choice.
Lobbyists and Bankers -or- street walkers, how do you tell the difference?
Price.
... and some would argue that at least street walkers appear to have a moral code and provide a demonstrable service.
I think the Bankers are the johns.
The difference is that the street walkers business plan is, "first your money and then your clothes". Bankers and lobbyist on the other hand are not as fussy and unlike the street walkers, the bankers and lobbyist just might steal your clothes after the act.
I'm pretty sure a streetwalker leaves you smiling. Bankers? Not so much
Stop insulting street walkers!
Street walkers often have hearts and souls. They are people to.
--- The Good, the Bad --- and the Ugly American! ---
---- Marching Song for Johnny America in year 2006--- (Just for Fun)
Lighten up says he,
Lighten up says he,
Lighten up says Johnny Carree
Look at how happy I am --- to be and on a role,
For life is cheep and so much fun on Rent-control
And here is the 2011 update by the “American State-Police associations”
Lighten up says he,
Lighten up says he,
For now we’re coming for Yeh ---
Mr. American Johnny Carree,--- He, He, He.
We too need all the fun you pre-dict
and now we will have it on Yeh ---
in your own Rent –- control dis-trict
ZEN: BODHISATTVA (by Dick Suthpen).
The silence is broken by the s-s-wish of the Samurai sword severing illusions
and it rolls across the floor leaving a bloody trail of -- ~--~~-_~~ -- ~--~~-_~~ truth
At long last the truth is comming out !!!!!!!!
OWS has gone on just long enough to bring the RATS out of the wood work . Could it be congress has begun to baulk at it's masters ???? Something is going on that is for sure. The kid gloves have come off. From here on out it will get verry verry ugly . Watch the news coverage from now on . The pro agitators will be call in verry soon . The riots , burning , and looting will start . The spin will be to blame the OWSers , and nothing will be further from the truth .
bob
Gee bob, are you always this stupid?
bob's comment is not stupid at all. I fully agree, we will start to see sporadic acts of violence instigated by a few, which we be used to smear all.
What most here fail to see , is that the pacs , special interest groups , and wall street are in full damage control . Their very fondations are beginning to crack . Their bag of dirty tricks has just been opened.
bob
Very true Bob..but when the violence gets bad let it be them not the OWS crowd swinging the sticks. Keep it peaceful as much as possible.
Maybe Wall street is reacting to full damage efforts of the OWS. It is still a free country, or would you want to shut up all who don't agree with you?
I do not try to shut up any one . I just call it the way I see it .
bob
Has any major political change EVER happened without VIOLENCE?
Unemployment is now at 15%, (real total, 40 Million?) and it will soon out number the National Guard and the regular Army --- and these will not shoot at their own families and other civilians anyways --- ( Only the, totally out numbered, “Police” might do so initially.)
In a few years the US will break-up and the politicians will try to flee the country. The ones who are a little late for that will be hung on the many tall street lamps circling the Washington Beltway. (What a site that will be for the news media?) The “States” will then be run by Street and Country-gangs, which you might have to join to feed your family.--- Most of the readers here have never seen REAL violence, which is apparently needed to bring about any significant Change and Justice for our country.
I disagree with you completely . We are not a violent society at heart. True we do have violent radicles amonst us .
What I said was that the big boys will stop nor stoop at nothing to keep their control over us . First we must get the money out of polotics then vote thoes who are crouppt out. The media is controlled by big money there fore their storries will be spun and slanted to their favor.
bob
barnyfife, this doesn't address the comment at all. You're suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
Opps! I guess that plan's out the window. (Not that most of the country is stupid enough to have fallen for it.)
If you read through posts on blogs and listen to conversations, you will know the unfortunate truth: Most of the country is - if not stupid - ignorant and lazy enough to fall for anything the media says often enough and loudly enough.
You hit it right on hwilson - can you imagine casting a vote without having a clue as to what is really going on in this 'media / money manipulated country? Stupid, ignorant and lazy may be putting it on the mild side hwilson....Hell is on it's way!
Two of the memo’s authors, partners Sam Geduldig and Jay Cranford, previously worked for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio
It is time for Speaker Boehner to come clean ..... and then fade into the sunset.....
He can take Inside Trader NANCY with him.
And I hope to God, when Boehner goes, he takes out the trash in the White House with him on the way out.
I think 99% of us can agree, Republican or Democrat, that we need to pull all of our money out of the big banks and put it into your local credit union. If you are worried about ATM fees because of the lack of credit union ATM systems, just think about all the other nickle and dime crap that has been pulled on you and the amount of your tax dollars that have gone to bailing these A-holes out. And if if you think the term A-hole applies to individuals and not corporations tell that to the A-holes in Washington that corporations are not individuals.
I have not used an ATM in 20 years, I am getting along just fine with all my extra cash from not paying fees. 20 years ago, before direct deposit existed in my area, I used an ATM machine to deposit my paycheck. The envelope was stuck in the machinery and the bank did not acknowledge my deposit. When the ATM machine was opened for inspection six months later, they found my check and finally credited my account. Goodbye ATM forever.
Smaller local banks and credit unions are the best.
Utilize grocery stores and Walmart to circumvent ATM fees they give you money back without a fee. Credit Unions are the best. My local one is giving back $10 million to its shareholders (ie. account holders) this November. Ever hear of a bank giving you some of your money back?
I'm all for free enterprise. Yet I'm certain huge sums of money utilized to rationalize rampant greed which will doubtlessly be glossily packaged in with a shiney red bow in hopes that the 95% of us without umpteen million dollar year end bonuses and perk packages will leap at it and buy it is in the makes. The vast majority of people have become smarter now than the tiny perk packed few would care for us to be.
When the public puts their money in local credit unions there will be ATM machines at special fire-sale prices as the banks close.
It is nice to know that at least the 1% is taking OWS seriously even if they don't want to admit it.
Anita, No Lobbyist in the World can stop the OWS MOVEMENT!
-------- The SIGNIFICANCE of the Word-wide OWS demonstrations ------
Prophetic words by Tom Friedman, the famous journalist with “The New York Times”:
“Now let me say that in English: the European Union is cracking up. The Arab world is cracking up. China’s growth model is under pressure and America’s credit-driven capitalist model has suffered a warning [major] heart attack and needs a total rethink. Recasting any one of these alone would be huge. Doing all four at once — when the world has never been more interconnected - is mind-boggling. We are again present at the creation - but of what?
[ Never in the history of modern man has such a global event ever happened ]
As for America, we’ve thrived in recent decades with a “credit-consumption-led economy”, whereby we maintained a middle class by using more steroids (easy credit, subprime mortgages and construction work) and less muscle-building (education, skill-building and innovation). It’s put us in a deep hole, and the only way to dig out now is a new, hybrid politics that mixes spending cuts, tax increases, tax reform and investments in infrastructure, education, research [innovation] and production. But that mix is not the agenda of either party. Either our two parties find a way to collaborate in the center around this new hybrid politics, or a third party is going to emerge — or we’re stuck and the pain will just get worse”. ----
Now THIS is what true journalism is all about. Bringing to light the shenanigans that go on that can destroy a democracy.
Thank you Jonathan Larsen and Ken Olshansky as well as MSNBC for giving me hope that there are still those that continue the tradition of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
Keep up the good work and encourage others to follow your lead. This country truly needs it NOW!
These names will be important to the "Street and Country Gangs", which will be running our States after the US Union collapses. (Let's write them down for history and for the tall lamp-posts circling the Washington Beltway.)
Great news. They are scared to death. Now the Occupyers need funding of their own. Hire some lobbyists.
We don't need lobbyists, we need democracy.
Real, direct, non-representative democracy.
Occupy K street- show the jerks out of their jobs!
trying to post this on FB and being blocked what gives ?
If OWS is just a bunch of dirty, lazy entitled spoiled kids, then why do banksters need to spend $850,000 on opposition research to undermine the OWS movement? Sounds to me the 1% are scared to death that what these lazy kids are doing is catching on with the public and that we will actually show up with pitchforks and torches at their front door. What these bankster-lobbyists don't know, because they live in that DC bubble, is that the dirty, lazy kids have been handing out pitchforks to some really angry people and the punks of K-street are about to find out first hand what damage a pitchfork can do.
It could be because it is costing them, and us, money when commerce is interrupted by mindless scum who block streets, destroy public and private property. When you have a quarrel with a neighbor across the street, you do not march in front of another neighbor's house down the street. The government caused their problems because the companies are operating under policies instated by politicians.
Dasvet.. the OWS didn't start the fights ect. Problems didn't start occuring until the mayor decided (or was warned or paid) to interrupt the protesters. And as far as protesting is concerned what would you have them do? Be spineless and just walk away? Isn't it strange how the government in these cities want to all of a sudden want to disband the protesters?
I would have them crapping in the proper place, not raping, not burning, not selling dope, and whatever else unlawful, they are doing. There is a decent, lawful, way to protest, but that doesn't seem to be the aim of the OWS.
No Lobbyist in the World can stop the OWS MOVEMENT!
-------- The SIGNIFICANCE of the Word-wide OWS demonstrations ------
Prophetic words by Tom Friedman, the famous journalist with “The New York Times” are.
“Now let me say that in English: the European Union is cracking up. The Arab world is cracking up. China’s growth model is under pressure and America’s credit-driven capitalist model has suffered a warning [major] heart attack and needs a total rethink. Recasting any one of these alone would be huge. Doing all four at once — when the world has never been more interconnected - is mind-boggling. We are again present at the creation - but of what?
[ Never in the history of modern man has such a global event ever happened ]
As for America, we’ve thrived in recent decades with a “credit-consumption-led economy”, whereby we maintained a middle class by using more steroids (easy credit, subprime mortgages and construction work) and less muscle-building (education, skill-building and innovation). It’s put us in a deep hole, and the only way to dig out now is a new, hybrid politics that mixes spending cuts, tax increases, tax reform and investments in infrastructure, education, research [innovation] and production. But that mix is not the agenda of either party. Either our two parties find a way to collaborate in the center around this new hybrid politics, or a third party is going to emerge — or we’re stuck and the pain will just get worse”. ----
Has any major political change EVER happened without VIOLENCE?
Unemployment is now at 15%, (real total, 40 Million?) and it will soon out number the National Guard and the regular Army --- and these will not shoot at their own families and other civilians anyways --- ( Only the, totally out numbered, “Police” might do so initially.)
In a few years the US will break-up and the politicians will try to flee the country. The ones who are a little late for that will be hung on the many tall street lamps circling the Washington Beltway. (It’s a tradition of the ancient Roman Empire, but they had to use tall trees. What a great photo opportunity for the news media?) The “States” will then be run by Street and Country-gangs, which you might have to join to feed your family.--- Most of the readers here have never seen REAL violence, which is apparently needed to bring about any significant Change and Justice for our country.
When the peanut farmer was defeated soundly, there was no violence. And that was truly major political change. Our only hope is, in 2012, Obama wins three states. That would be the most far-reaching political change of our lifetimes.
Dasvet,
Do you really care about a bunch of punks vandalizing property more than you care about the massive fraud perpetrated by the collusion of all the investment firms at the expense of the world economy? That a few well connected individuals benefited handsomely while telling the rest of us that these mortgage backed securities were as good as treasury bonds? I'm not even being hyperbolic when I describe it that way. It was fraud that crashed the economy of the entire western world. And all you can do is complain about is college kids doing very stupid things that do not directly impact you. Wow.
Pragmatic, I cafe about lawlessness, and I also care about the fraud perpetrated by members of Congress even more. With that aside, Congress (Barney, and Chris Dodd, mainly) created the chaos with their shenanigans with Fanny Mae, and Freddie Mac over a period of years. Marching in the streets, raping, robbing, burning, blocking normal commerce by a bunch of thugs that have taken over the OWS, does nothing to remedy the problem. A better target would be Congress and the White House. Even that should be done non-violently. I am trying to as pragmatic as I can, in honor of your moniker.
Not really . Just wanted to put a different spin on things . Just like the lobbiests and the media will.
bob
MSNBC spends far more than $850,000 trying to explain the total stupidity of the Obama regime. Maybe it is time for a little payback for electing the socialist/communist in 2008.
Dasvet: Nice use of the "Deflection" debate method. Have you ever tried using the "Facts" or even "Direct" methods?
My point is bitching about a lobbyist influencing a politician, and ignoring a lobbyist (MSNBC) who somewhat caused the joke of a presidential administration who created much of the problem, dilutes the message..
Dasvet, at the same time Fox news was doing the opposite of MSNBC, who was right and who was wrong. And tell me please where are all these socialist programs you all keep talking about.
real world Joe, are you seriously asking where all those socialist programs are? Not to be condescending, but that is a ludicrous question. Well maybe I am being condescending...sorry. Fox at least has left wingers on their analysis program, unlike MSNBC who very, very infrequently has any view unless it is a left wing socialist view.
Why don't you just answer the damn question? What socialist programs?
Dasvet, you're really that fooled by Fox? Who do these people hire? Palin, Rove, etc. there is no fair and balanced when you employ people like that. Come on, Fox tells outright lies without ever retracting.
When the WI protests were going on the polls showed that 60% of the people polled were behind the teachers, Fox just reversed the numbers when they put it out and said that 60% were against the teachers. Outright lies.
These lobbyist should be --------- on site, they are totally subverting and over throwing our government To create a NAZI state. I will never stand for this TREASON AND NETHER WILL THE OTHER 99% ALLOW THE 1% TO DRIVE US INTO SLAVERY. hell no we will not go. POWER TO THE PEOPLE.
Why should I list them, they are all there to see if you want to see them? Denying there are socialist program is akin to calling the dark light. One more unread listing would be pointless.
You don't list them because they don't exist.
If you want to see the phony, manufactured videos that Fox Propaganda produces, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9oMS_ooUiY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS1NWYV1i_E
See how easy that was?
Why should I do your job? If you don't believe there are socialist programs in America, then you didn't attend school beyond the third grade. Reading is fundamental, comprehension is important also.
I comprehend that you want people to verify your fantasies for you. That is a waste of time.
I also comprehend that you put a lot of effort into not listing these programs, but no effort into doing so.
Making accusations is easy, proving them is not.
Here's a socialist program: the military. It is a mandatory state run service that we all pay for. No free market competition whatsoever.
Again, why should I reiterate the welfare state operations of this government? You know them as well as I know them. The military is more like a dictatorship. I knew that and adhered to it for quite a few years.
I see the manipulation of a Sith lord working all sides here, we need to get the lobbyists out of the process. I think we need to vote every Democrat and Republican incumbent out of office until they get the message that the American people have had enough. I am looking for American Statesmen in Congress doing what is in the best interest of the American people not Democrats or Republicans doing their parties and the corporations bidding.
Ron Paul? Are u serious? You must be a governement troll. This movement was started and backed by the Democrats! Wake up!
You've posted this twice now, I guess you're looking for a response. Ok, here you go. What Democrats are you talking about? If you mean the ows people, yeah, they are predominantly democratic just like the tea party is predominantly republican. so what? If you mean Democratic politicians, cite a link that shows that.
But I don;t think there is a link or even one iota of evidence showing that government trolls exist outside of your imagination? Is there?
are_u_serious apparently isn't.
Then why are Occupiers demonstrating even at Obama campaign offices?
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/10/22/occupy-iowa-protesters-demonstrate-at-obama-campaign-office/
http://plainsdaily.com/entry/occupy-protesters-to-rally-against-keystone-pipeline-in-fargo/
OWS isn't Democrat vs Republican. It's Main Street vs Wall Street.
Lobbyist's in my opinion do nothing more than offer a Bribe to lawmaker's. Lobbyist's should be arrested and thrown in prison. I think we have the most Corrupt Government in the World, bar none. And to think they used to call Al Capone a Crook.
Without a corrupt politician, a lobbyist would be paralyzed. We are all lobbyists if we petition Congress, if you think about it.
Thsi is true . BUT WE DON'T GREESE THEIR PALMS !!!!!
bob
We, essentially, are promising our vote if the politician does as we wish, and vice versa. That IS a form of greasing their palms (re-election). My point is that all lobbyists aren't crooks, if that was so, all of us would be/are crooks. Cure the crooked politicians, and the crooked lobbyists would be no problem. I know it isn't going to happen, one way or the other. I can always hope.
Dasvet,
I agree with you, the problem with the left is they think their liberal representatives are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Both parties should vote out all incumbents but the voters will just keep reelecting the same politicians and nothing will change. The only way congress will change is to get a completely new congress, and a new President at the same time. Remember the United States is a Republic and we the people control who runs the government by getting out and voting, we have allowed corporations, lobbyists and unions to take over the government. Demonstrating in the streets will not change anything.
I agree, sfcret.
Dasvet, BS if lobbyists aren't crooks. Our votes as individuals have no where near the weight and influence of a lobbyist with millions of dollars to offer a politician. The concentration of money and influence is the real root of the problem.
michigan, one cannot be a little pregnant. Some lobbyists are crooks, some are not. I did not say all lobbyists are not crooks, nor did I say all politicians are crooks. The real root of the problem INMHO is dishonest politicians, until that is taken care of, nothing can work. Same thing as passing a new law and never enforcing it. I think you or anyone would try to lobby Congress if an issue of yours needed legislative help.
Dasvet ,your assertion that we are all lobbyists because we would petition our representatives is crap and absurd beyond reason, these guys only months ago were on Boenhers staff! They are not representing clients to congress, they are selling their influence of congress to these banking executives(for $850,000.00) they make a mockery of our system,if this is legal activity it must be outlawed, what hope do you or I have of ever getting fair representation if the time effort and vote of our representatives can be sold as a commodity...tell me...please, GET THE MONEY OUT OF THE CONGRESS and SENATE!!!! Institute TERM LIMITS!!!
Kayphoban,
We have term limits, it's called voting out those you don't want representing you. Get out and organize for those who you think will do what is best. Quit whining and start participating in the process through the ballot box.
Kay would rather deny someone the right to do what is legal, as long as it fits her idea of fairness. Voting is the proper way, not crapping on police cruisers. Lobbying is not illegal, if it were, the left wing AARP should be prosecuted. Harry Bellyacre, the anti-american singer on the front cover criticizing Americans.
No surprise there. But FOXnews will continue to do it for free.
desktop, just like MSNBC?
typical of right wing, don't like the news, blame it on the media !!!
Typical of the left wing, hate any left wing opposing media, while glorifying the left wing media news.
it's not the liberals whining about the media all the time, it is the right wing
Corporate, are you kidding? Look back on the posts here, and count the anti-Fox comments? Just saying.
Fox is not news, just propaganda. There is no real journalism there. So I wouldn't count that as part of the media. Just sayin....
And Msnbc isn't?
I have never seen Fox recant a story, while I have seen recants from all the others. Fox is only interested in spreading the false reports.
$16 cupcakes anyone ???
"In Washington, the contracted breakfast included fresh fruit, coffee, juice, muffins, tax and gratuity, for an inclusive price of $16 per person," Hilton Worldwide said in a statement.
"Dining receipts are often abbreviated and do not reflect the full pre-contracted menu and service provided, as is the case with recent media reports of breakfast items approved for some government meetings," Hilton Worldwide's statement added.
Moneyed interests fighting to keep their wealth. power and privilege, at the expense of the middle class.
The middle class, kept conveniently distracted with gawd, abortion, gay marriage, stem cells, conception life, and fearing gays and brown people.
Whew! Good thing that their energies are thus occupied. Can you imagine what would happen if they cared about this nation and their fellow man?
Losers and unions trying to keep their freebies and power.
How big is your bonus going to be or are you still blinded, working your ass off and getting no where in the process. Can you keep your head above the debt level by more than a notch or two. Or are you one of them, screw everybody and steal their money. If you have a 401k how is that working for ya! We have all those things too, but we are no longer blinded to their game as you are.
My 401k is working quite well, when one considers the alternative, which is no 401k. I wish it were working better, just as I wish my lottery numbers were better. Life has no guarantees, even if the OWS crowd thinks the government should provide all of their needs, and requiring nothing of them.
moneymadness, how have you become uninterested in money? If one makes a living he is a money interest.
Dasvet--Sound like a 12 year old repeating only what you heard mommy and daddy ( faux news and hannity) say. 401k doing well? hahahahahah Hogwash. You are just greasing wall streets palm.
No silly one, I am just spending my 401k money, and I know where it is coming from because I managed it myself. What about you? What would I do without it? Not very much. If you have a better idea, clue in all of us who are living on our 401ks. People need to know your expertise. Mommy and Daddy have been gone a long, long time.
Dasvet... You sound like a paid blogger.. The OWS isn't about what you seem to indicate.. What they are about is the amount of control that Wall Street seems to have on our government. That Wall Street and big banks got bailed out and then gave themselves huge bonuses while giving the taxpayers the middle finger. I could go on and on.. So just where does your loyalty lay? Just who are you DASVET?
That is how I make a living :-) OWS is in the wrong place. In front of Congress and the White House is the proper place. There is the problem, no one made the laws other than policticians, laws are made in Congress.
I believe you're a paid right wing troll, Dasvet, but I don't believe you make much money in this @!$%# job! What do you get anyway, 10 cents per posting? 25 cents? Aren't you qualified to get a real job?
Well, whatever it pays it's not worth it having to tell lies all day long. And very few are buying the crap trolls write, if any one does. I'm pretty sure most readers just think "oh, what an @!$%#." But I guess trolls must feel ok with that.
benji, ever hear of sarcasm? Obviously not. I put a smiley face on the post, just for you. Now thank me.
I guess it's time for Anonymous to take action against this firm.
We can only hope.
The MATRIX is real:
It is the world pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. Google for "How do banks create money" and understand how deep the rabbit hole goes. Understand how bankers create money and demand interest for it while you and I work for every penny. Understand how we all are slaves, yet some of us are not even aware of it.
Morpheus: I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice…tumbling down the rabbit hole? I can see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he's expecting to wake up. Ironically, this is not far from the truth.
Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain. But you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. Like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Neo: "The Matrix"
Morpheus: Do you want to know what it is?
The matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: That you are a slave Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind.
Morpheus: The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwYwHZ7aNS0
My thoughts exactly!
This firm is no more than a WWII SS group without black raincoats and german shepards. Occupy-destroy the enemy!
Karl Marx and Engel stipulated that eventually the masses of people would become very angry and disillusioned about the very powerful and wealthy being the minority in numbers but in control of the masses. That the masses would eventually rebel and riot. We are going full circle here.
We can correct the problems without the extremes of Marxism and the dictating of communism. We can keep controlled capitalism with good social support and things will be much better for everyone except the very few at the top..they may have to step down a notch but they will not become impoverished, angry and upset maybe but they will never live with the pain they have inflicted on the rest of us and that is a shame really.. Keep the ball moving, we are headed in the right direction. Be prepared to fine tune as we go.
crone, communism seems to be the goal of the OWS financial backers, Soros for example. When the masses are angry, some stupid ideologies, such as Marxism, have taken over countries. Capitalism will always have those who have more, naturally, because some of us work smarter and harder than others. Destroying the only system that has ever worked for the most people of a country, would not bode well for that country. Absolute government control of an economy has always resulted, mostly, in making a far larger proportion of the population poor, while still having a much smaller proportion of the population (communist party) being the only ones living above poverty stages.
Controlled capitalism, regulations strongly enforced, and decent social programs. This is what is needed. I seriously doubt that you worked harder than my husband or myself or the thousands of others that are protesting and angry. We may not all be paper pushers or bankers but with out what we do you would have a very difficult life. Without mill workers you'll have problems building your home, not to mention the plumbers and roofers. Without nurses and housekeepers, you may run into problems when you want to use public facilities or become ill. The everyday worker fills a vital role in any country, don't sell us short, I'm pretty sure you would hate if if you had to do the real work yourself.
Total government control capitalism is facism, such as Nazi Germany. Different than Marxism, but each destroy natural market forces. Profit is not a four letter word, as OWS supporters say in their protest marches.