"My career is not a big payoff; it's a series of bribes"

From the LA Times: Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens indicted on corruption counts

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator and a storied figure in Alaska's political history, was indicted today on seven felony counts of making false statements in a corruption case.

Prosecutors said the 84-year-old Stevens, required to file financial disclosure forms with the Senate on gifts greater than $10,000, had accepted innumerable gifts valued at $250,000 from the oil services company VECO and its CEO from 1999 to 2006 without reporting them. The gifts included material and labor used in the renovation of Stevens' private vacation home in Girdwood section of Anchorage, including a new first floor, a garage, a wraparound deck, plumbing and electrical wiring, as well as a Viking gas grill, furniture and tools.

For the few who don't remember, Ted Stevens is best known for his famous description of the Internet as "(N)ot a big truck. It's a series of tubes." He's also known for his fairly heavy stances in favor of logging and pork barrel projects.

Now, I know in the past I've been quick to judge on matters like this, but I think I can be fair here. He's been indicted, yes, but this doesn't necessarily mean he's guilty. I figure he deserves a fair shake.

Anonymous vs. Scientology

Have you seen this? This is just one story out of many from yesterday, when masked groups of protestors picketed Scientology centers all over the world.

Global protest? There's something you don't see happening often, at least not on any real scale. And the fact that it stayed peaceful proves that maybe all these "I'm going to throw rocks at police and martyr myself" protestors are doing something wrong.

Mine Owner Blames Miners' Union for His Failures

From Crooks and Liars: CNN Softballs Bob Murray…What about those documents?

This interview is one of the reasons why America is so uninformed about serious issues in our country. Kyra Phillips is really engaged in the Utah mining disaster and has a genuine passion about the story, but instead of asking the real questions to Murray about the dangerous mining conditions he promoted after he denied them—she treated him like a folk hero. The Huffington Post has more…

Murray: A rumor was started by the United Mine Workers. It’s false statements they have made. False statements from the beginning. But I’ve watched them for 50 years and they have preyed on the tragedy of miners and their families to put out false information to organize their union.

Murray always has the time to bash the United Mine Workers as much as he can and then he praises CNN for the wonderful job they are doing.

Follow the link to watch video of the so-called interview.

I saw this at work and I nearly punched the TV. That slave-driving scumbag kept acting like he was about to cry over the people he's essentially murdered. Worse yet, he made it a point to smear the UMW like a good little shill, proving once again the hostility of business owners towards any opportunity for workers to gain leverage.

But the most stunning part of all is that it isn't some nasty rumor started by those awful non-rich working-class people that's hounding him... it's the truth.

Robert Murray insists that his company did not change the mining plan at Crandall Canyon after purchasing a joint interest in the mine last August.
But documents obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune clearly contradict Murray's assertion, and show that Murray's company sought and received approval from federal regulators to make a significant, and, experts say, risky change to the mining strategy.
Records of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) show that, after Murray acquired a 50 percent ownership in the mine on Aug. 9, 2006, his company repeatedly petitioned the agency to allow coal to be extracted from the north and south barriers - thick walls of coal that run on both sides of the main tunnels and help hold up the mine.

The Conservative News Network, of course, wouldn't dare ask a real question of someone like Murray. After all, he's a business owner, and thus his decisions are perfect, no matter who's hurt, no matter who dies, no matter how much suffering is caused.

Pumping us full of lies! LIES!

Yes, I'm well aware gas prices are "low" now.

I'm one of the many who thinks it's a big scam by you-know-who. Hey, they're all in cahoots, so why not make one of the largest complaints disappear?

Let's not fool ourselves into thinking these prices are "cheap", though. As my roommate pointed out, there was a point when $2 a gallon was considered highway robbery. Oddly enough, who was President then? Just asking.

Enron Chief Thief Lay Dead

From CNN.com: Enron founder Ken Lay dies

Kenneth Lay, who rose from a poor preacher's son to become a millionaire before being convicted of corporate fraud, died early Wednesday in Aspen, Colo., a family spokeswoman said.

Lay, 64, was awaiting sentencing after being found guilty of conspiracy and fraud in the Enron trial in May.

In a statement, spokeswoman Kelly Kimberly said, "The Lays have a very large family with whom they need to communicate, and out of respect for the family we will release further details at a later time."

Lay "suffered a massive coronary and died," according to his pastor, Dr. Steve Wende of Houston's First United Methodist Church. "Apparently, his heart simply gave out."

What heart? This guy was one of Dubya's closest friends and a massive thief who screwed his employees over by torpedoing his company after getting as much as he and his rich-boy buddies could out of it.

Well, I guess it was either this, or he spend no time in jail and be pardoned by his good friend, President Bunnypants, when Bunnypants was on his way out of office. This way, it seems a little like justice.

So there is justice.

From CNN.com: Lay and Skilling's day of reckoning

Enron former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling and founder Kenneth Lay were both found guilty Thursday of conspiracy and fraud in the granddaddy of all corporate fraud cases.

On the sixth day of deliberations, a jury of eight women and four men convicted the former executives of misleading the public about the true financial health of Enron, whose collapse in late 2001 symbolized the wave of corporate fraud that swept the United States early this decade.

Skilling was found guilty on 19 counts of conspiracy, fraud, false statements and insider trading. He was found not guilty on nine counts of insider trading.

Lay was found guilty on all six counts of conspiracy and fraud. In a separate bench trial, Judge Sim Lake ruled Lay was guilty of four counts of fraud and false statements.

I guess there is some small measure of justice in this world. Bunnypants will probably pardon them in his last days in office, if he gets the chance (read: doesn't get thrown out on his ass), but for now, I'd say this at least shown that there's accountability for being a greedy bastard.

This is their solution?

From CNN.com: Senators to push for $100 gas rebate checks

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Most American taxpayers would get $100 rebate checks to offset the pain of higher pump prices for gasoline, under an amendment Senate Republicans hope to bring to a vote Thursday.

However, the GOP energy package may face tough sledding because it also includes a controversial proposal to open part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil exploration, which most Democrats and some moderate Republicans oppose.

Yes, this is their solution to the fact that Bush's oil-man buddies are gouging people - kickbacks to the people. The oil companies pay off the legislators, and the legislators pay off the citizens.

You know what'd be a better solution? Telling the oil companies to either stop gouging people or get fined. And while they're at it, they can break up that whole "near-monopoly" thing they've got going. In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd almost think the oil companies were making sure there was no actual competition.

"Our plan would give taxpayers a hundred dollar gas tax holiday rebate check to help ease the pain that they're feeling at the pump," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced Thursday. "It also includes strong federal anti-price gouging protection to protect consumers against anti-competitive behavior by oil companies or other suppliers of gasoline. Our free market system works, but it works best when there's full accountability and full transparency."

Why don't I believe him on this? Then again, this is the man who lied about an essentially-dead woman's condition because he was shilling to the anti-choice, pro-torture lobby.

And lemme tell you something, you hack: The free market isn't working. The free market causes shit like this when it's not regulated, and right now, the market's a hyperactive kid without a parent.

"A lot of these other things we're talking about today, supply, like ANWR, have had Democrats oppose them in the past, when gas was $1.25, $1.50. Gas is now $3," said John Thune, R-South Dakota. "I would expect that there would be a lot more bipartisan support for proposals that would increase supply in this country."

Yeah, because we're going to support something that's not going to help at all simply because your masters are trying to extort every cent from us. How dumb do you think we are?

People, this just isn't an idea. This is a distraction. "Party of ideas", my fat white ass.