Government Revolving Door Research Project

Hey everone. Thanks to DeltaChaos and Advisor for the ability to help with this. I've decided to do some research on Tom Ridge, secretary of the homeland security department. I have a long list of basic facts at my website on 250free (here), so I'll just point out a few things I've found out and some new stuff that I havent put on the site yet. Here goes:

Drafted from college to be an infantry staff seargent 1969-70 (Vietnam)

Graduated from Harvard in '67 (I've looked for the other people in that graduating class, but it doesnt seem to be publicly available)

Tom is VERY tough on crime. He restarted the death penalty as governor for the first time since 1962.

Supports:
international trade
competition between electric companies
Children�s Health Insurance Program
Land recycling
Welfare reform that forces every able bodied person receiving welfare to attend educational services or to work
Vouchers
Right to choose in abortion (pro-choice)

Opposed by conservative republicans as a running mate to George W. Bush

He was a Staff Sergeant in Vietnam, which means he is experienced leader of soldiers.

He is a roman catholic, and supports moderate gun control.

Stuff thats not on the site:

"More evidence of a new mood on the Hill: a growing movement to give Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge broad powers

and budget authority. One convert, Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Me.), says Cabinet-level status is needed "to prevent the type of bureaucratic snafus and failed coordination that have hampered our efforts to protect the homeland." from Buisnessweek

The Homeland Security Department is composed with former FEMA, as well as other government organisation, employees.

Friendly to Corporations
A History of the Financial Supporters of John Ashcroft

Schering-Plough

"But a company didn�t have to be from Missouri to get some attention from the senator. Ashcroft was one of only a handful of senators sponsoring a bill that extended the patent on Schering-Plough�s ultra-profitable allergy pill, Claritin. Extending the patent, which expires in 2002, would save the company billions of dollars in potential revenue. The bill died in committee, but Schering-Plough still gave Ashcroft $50,000 for his failed 2000 Senate bid. Schering-Plough donated the money to Ashcroft�s joint fundraising committee, which Ashcroft set up with the National Republican Senatorial Committee to encourage unlimited soft money contributions from corporations that could not legally contribute to his main campaign committee." - taken from Open Secrets

"Ashcroft has said that one thing - the campaign money - had nothing to do with the other - the sweetheart legislation for the drug company. That shows good judgment. Otherwise, Ashcroft would have been selling himself cheap.
The bill he carried would have been worth $9.64 billion to Schering-Plough, just for the additional exclusive sales of Claritin. One pill costs $2.66, so many insurers refuse to cover it - meaning that the consumers would have to keep paying through their stuffy noses." Daily News (New York) January 4, 2001 - Jim Dwyer

"But while Sen. Ashcroft was a mere co-sponsor, Sen. Robert Torricelli wrote the bill. Mr. Torricelli represents New Jersey, where Schering-Plough is based. He also happens to be chairman of the Democratic group that launched the ad campaign against Mr. Ashcroft. And he received $ 50,000 in soft-money from Schering-Plough -- one day after introducing the bill.
Does that make Mr. Torricelli a hypocrite? Absolutely. Should it shield Sen. Ashcroft from criticism? Not by a long shot. He backed a corporate welfare bill at the expense of his constituents. Now he's being called to account."
"For Senate Republicans upset about the Democratic ad campaign, and for Senate Democrats upset about previous Republican ad campaigns, there is a simple solution. To short-circuit the offending advertising -- and undercut a cynical belief that the American political process is for sale -- all they need do is to outlaw soft money." St. Louis Dispatch September 25, 2000 - Editorial pg. B8

-this was by and large the most suspicious of Ashcrofts Campaign donations. It sparked a major controversy over whether soft money contributions should be allowed. Ashcroft made his opinion known on this subject during the debate of the:

The McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill

"By signing McCain-Feingold, President Bush has recognized the need to end the worst abuse in our political system -- the unlimited contributions from corporations and unions," Common Cause President Scott Harshbarger said. - www.commoncause.org...

Ashcroft voted NO on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance. (Oct 1997) -www.issues2000.org...

Miscellaneous Contributors

These are all the contributions made to Ashcroft that are $3,000 and above and represent a organization intent on policy change:

• Americans for Good Government (Pro-Israel) - $3000
  
• National PAC (Pro-Israel) - $5000
  
• Women's Pro-Israel National PAC - $3000
  
• National Assn of Chain Drug Stores - $3000
  
• National Rife Association - $4950
  
• Christians and Jews for Life (Pro-Life) - $5000
  
• Republican National Coalition for Life - $5000
  
• Restoring the American Dream (Pro-Con) - $10000
  
• Eagle Forum (Pro-Con) - $6000
  
• United Seniors Assn (Pro-Con) - $7000
  
• Campaign for Working Families (Pro-Con) - $7000
  
• American Conservative Union - $3000
  
• Ann Arbor National PAC (pro-Con) - $3000
  

All of these numbers were take from Open Secrets, view the link above.

Ok this post is getting loaded as it is and the next section on Contributions made by corporations will have to be a post on its own given the wealth of data available and the necessity to post most of it for the sake of consistency. But I hope this post gives an inkling of an idea where some of Ashcroft's money comes from and why.

This is the opening quote of a website:

"George W. Bush officially selected Dick Cheney to be his running mate. But who is Dick Cheney? Simply put, Dick Cheney is a Jesse Helms Republican who has voted repeatedly against working families. Bush and Cheney are a perfect fit. Both are covered with money from Big Oil. Both are anti-choice. And both put the special interests above working families. In fact, the Cheney pick shows Bush's true colors. While Bush tries to distract from his conservative record with compassionate rhetoric, Dick Cheney has one of the most conservative records in Congress."

One of Only 12 House Members to Oppose Older Americans Act Amendments in 1984.

One of Only 8 House Members to Oppose Renewing the Older Americans Act Providing Nutrition and Support Services for Elderly People in 1987.

One of Only 33 House Members to Vote Against Reauthorization of Head Start Plan in 1986

One of Only 25 House Members to Vote Against a Bill to Reauthorize College Student Aid in 1986.

One of Only 8 Members to Vote Against Reauthorizing Both the National Health Service Corps and the Federal Immunization Program in 1987.

One of Only 25 House Members to Vote Against a Bill to Reauthorize College Student Aid in 1986.

One of Only 16 House Members to Oppose 1983 Crime Bill Designed to Help States Fight Crime.

One of Only 31 House Members to Oppose Family Violence Prevention Program in 1984.

One of Only 9 Members to Vote Against Allowing Federal Employees to Take Time Off for Sick Family Members in 1988.

One of Only 39 House Members to Vote Against Hunger Relief Plan in 1984.


As you can clearly see, Dick Cheney isn't the nice guy some thought of him as.

Jim

Would it be possible for someone to check up with everyone on the project via U2U's to see how they are doing in terms of how close they feel they are to completing their chosen topic, or if they need to drop a topic or if they can take one on? It just seems important to get an accurate account of where we stand in terms of progress of the project.

I am almost done with Ashcroft and will soon be able to take on another name. Probably one more post for Ashcroft, pending no further enlightening information that might come my way.

But it seems like it is moving a bit slow, or maybe I'm just moving too fast. I don't know, but a good account of where everyone is would be nice, so we could re-assign and re-distribute names that have not been taken up yet. I would love to see this project continue until its fully completed, but that might take a long time. We'll see. But if anyone wants to take the task on of figuring all this out, just post the results, or U2U everyone else on the project.

Yeah sure, I'd be happy to ask for everyone's status. I've still got a good bit more to do on Cheney, I'm acutally at my school library doing some research now.

Jim

Here's a bit more info on Tom Ridge:

Almost half the duct tape sold in the U.S. comes from a company whose founder gave more than $100,000 to Republicans in 2000. �New York Times

He sought and won new anti-crime laws early on, though some were ruled unconstitutional �TomPaine.com

Ridge also made juvenile justice a theme of his campaign. He urged that all juveniles, not just those accused of murder, be tried as adults and do adult time in adult prisons. � TomPaine.com

Tom Ridge's treatment of political protesters is also noteworthy. State police treated death penalty opponents very harshly during the governor's conference in State College in 2000. Similarly, state police used questionable surveillance tactics, including pre-emptive strikes against protest headquarters during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 2000. City prosecutors failed to sustain most of the almost 500 criminal charges in subsequent court proceedings that resulted from the convention demonstrations. � TomPaine.com

This may not help much, but he also helped establish the Cyberspace Security Advisor position. As you can see, he isn�t much for civil liberties, so it will be interesting to see how this turns out.

George John Tenet

Born January 5, 1953 in Flushing, New York

The son of a restaurateur and a homemaker, both of whom were Greek immigrants, has a fraternal twin brother, Bill.

Married to A Stephanie Glakas-Tenet; they have one son, John Michael.

BA International Affairs, Georgetown University, 1976
MA International Affairs, Columbia University, 1978

George Tenet, contrary to most other key players in the Administration, did nothing to distinguish himself from anybody else in the years following his graduation from Columbia. He was a research director for the American Hellenic Institute from 1978 to 1979. To date, the American Hellenic institute has not appeared to have made any large contributions to the Bush campaign, or to White House interests. He then worked for the Solar Energy Industries Association from 1979 to 1982. It is important to remember that this was immediately following the energy crisis of the 70�s, and Tenet probably saw it as a way to hop onto a burgeoning industry. In hindsight, it did little to aid him.

Following his tenure under the Solar Energy Association, he worked as a legislative director to Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania from 1982-1985 specializing in national security and energy issues. He was then designee to vice chairman of the Senate Select committee on Intelligence from 1989-1993. He was then a staff director to the intelligence committee from 1989-1993. From 1993 to 1995 he served as a special assistant to the president and a senior director for intelligence programs. He then advanced to Deputy Director of the CIA, and eventually Director of the CIA. He was sworn in on July 11, 1997, 3 years before Bush junior even set foot in the White House.

What is most important to realize about Tenet is what he is not. He was never elected to Public Office, like his many bosses were. In fact, he seems to not have done anything worthwhile throughout his entire stay in public service, even in his present position as Director of the CIA. His work history reads consistently, George Tenet has almost been the man down on the rung. He was always a designee, or a special assistant. He held no important public office in his interim years, and because of his low political stature, he had no major contacts with special interests, namely corporate ones. He has always stayed low on the radar, and it seems that he did so by choice.

He worked closely to men who were always on the forefront of politics, and yet he remained largely uninvolved with politics in general. He worked on many intelligence boards, yet his own skills in handling intelligence seem sub par, to say the least. George Tenet has always remained in the background from choice, until events decided otherwise.

As Deputy Director under Jon Deutch, Tenet did everything to reinforce his boss�s position, pat his back, and shine his shoes. He even shaved his beard at the behest of his boss. However, Deutch was a horrible director who actively undermined the power of the CIA. When it came time for Deutch to be replaced, Tenet was tapped instead of the popular favorite, Tony Lake. Tenet was tapped not because of his experience or connection; he was tapped only because of his lack of anything resembling ties. Tenet is a man with no real backing or powerful friends. He is the Director of the CIA as a matter of convenience. This raises some very interesting questions, and does not bode well for the future of the CIA, or the true worth of a position as high as that of Director of the CIA.

I will post my theories and conclusions within a day. I just wanted to get this out here.
BTW, I�m Dreamstone, smooth, sassy, and a Highlands Man. For the last, if you know what it means your OK in my book.

Employment Update
Institutional Affiliations
� Project for the New American Century: Signed PNAC's founding statement of principals as well as several other sign-on letters (3)
� Heritage Foundation: Paid speaker (2)
� Hudson Institute: Paid speaker (2)
� Rand 2001 Transition Panel: Member (4)
� Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS): Dean (1994-2001) (1)
� Yale University: Professor (1970-1973) (1)

Corporate Connections/Business Interests
� Northrop Grumman: Former consultant (2)

War Profits

Fact:

While Paul D. Wolfowitz was working on his �pre-emptive strike� position paper he was being paid by Dreyfus to sit on their board of directors for various mutual funds. In 1994 his compensation was $32,631 but by 2000 it was $47,000 a year. Today he is Secretary of Defense and that position paper, penned while he was a trustee, serves as the blueprint for the Iraq war.

Hypothesis: As a multi-million dollar organization the Dreyfus Fund would see substantial gains from a sucessful military operation.

Fact:

As a former consultant to Northrop Grumman, Wolfowitz has various connections to the military industrial complex. As the third biggest defense company in America, Northrop Grumman has a vestiged interest in a war in Iraq. As a member of the PNAC, Wolfowitz has helped craft the policy of a 5-8% increase in defense spending. This has been achieved under the Bush administration.

Northrop Grumman hopes to help build 3,000 new F-35s for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force and Navy. Meanwhile, Northrop is busy working on low-volume initial models of the Global Hawk, expected to enter full-scale production in 2004.
The new aircraft are part of a major "transformation program" by the Defense Department aimed at enabling the military to deter and preemptively strike forces inimical to U.S. interests around the world. "Over the next five years, we plan to invest more than $136 billion in transformation technologies and systems," says Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense.

Hypothesis: Northrop Grumman has made billions not only from the increase in defense spending, Long advocated by PNAC but the Iraq War. As a former consultant Wolfowitz has time and again advocated Northrop Grumman in context of the defense build up.

Fact:
As a former paid consultant to Hughes Electronics, Wolfowitz cemented more ties to the Military Industrial Complex. Hughes Electronics provides key military components to the American armed forces.

In radar systems, Hughes provides the APG-series of airborne fire control radars for the F-15, F-18, and AV-8 Harrier. Ground-based radar programs include the TPQ-37 fire direction radar and the Ground Based Sensor.

Hughes' missile programs include Maverick, TOW, MEADS, Tomahawk, Stinger, RAM (Rolling Air Frame Missile), AMRAAM, Sparrow, Evolved SeaSparrow, Standard (as part of Standard Missile Company, a wholly owned Raytheon-Hughes subsidiary),and the new AIM-9X Sidewinder.

Hughes is also a provider of tactical communications and military radios, including the U.S. Army's Tactical Command and Control System, AFATADS (Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems) and a wide array of tactical radios. Hughes also provides trainers and simulators for helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft.

Hypothesis: Hughes Electronics is another company who profits from the ongoing conflict in Iraq. The components that Hughes provide are key to the current war effort, and Wolfowitz knew this in the ramp up to the war.

Future Focus: The earnings Hughes and Grumman have generated in context of the Iraq War. More of Paul Wolfowitz's unlisted employment history.

Overall Hypothesis: Wolfowitz may be secretly receiving kickbacks from Hughes Electronics and Grumman in return for his services in creating the Iraq War and furthering the goals of the PNAC, in relation to a 8% increase in defense spending. Paul Wolfowitz is creating global conflict for personal gain.

Sources:

Wolfowitz Employment

Dreyfus Connection

Grumman Contract

Hughes Military Production Sector

Hi everyone!

Im new here.. so a little background about me first-I'm currently working on a book regarding Think Tanks and the outsourcing of our Government to these organizations. I have a little bit of information on Elaine Chao due to her participation with the Heritage foundation. I abhor Elaine Chao, she is an insidious threat, along with the rest of her right wing cronies.

First, a quote about Mrs. Chao:
"I have served on the AFL-CIO Executive Council for 22 years. I have met and worked with every Secretary of Labor over those 22 years ... I have never met a more anti-worker, anti-union Secretary of Labor than Elaine Chao"- John Sweeney of the AFL-CIO

Personal Info:
Born: 1953: Born in Taipei, Taiwan to James S. C. Chao (Zh��o X��ch��ng), a Shanghainese businessman, and Ruth Mu-lan Chu (Zh�� M��l��n), a historian.

-Immigrated to America at age 8

-Married to Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), the Majority Whip of the Senate and the leading defender of special interest campaign money in congress.


Educational Bio: Secretary Chao received her M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and her undergraduate degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College. She also studied at M.I.T., Dartmouth College, and Columbia University. Active in many volunteer activities, Secretary Chao has received numerous awards for her professional accomplishments and community service. She is the recipient of 20 honorary doctoral degrees from colleges and universities across the country.
www.whitehouse.gov...


Employment History:

After a brief stint as a banker with Citicorp, she was selected as a White House Fellow in 1983, working in the Office of Policy Development.

*(unknown dates) Vice President of Syndications at BankAmerica Capital Markets Group

*1986-1988: Deputy Maritime Administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation

*1988-1989: Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission

*1989- 1991: Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation

*1991-1992: Director of Peace Corps - She established Peace Corps programs in the Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union

*1992-1996: President and CEO of United Way. United Way of America hired her to clean up its wreckage in ��92, after charges that her predecessor spent $600,000 of charity funds on himself and a teen-age girl friend. Chao restored credibility but stumbled over her exit. Some board members offered her a goodbye gift of $292,500 out of their personal funds to supplement Chao��s $195,000 salary. She did not refuse the money until the media cried foul. (source: www.tpj.org...)

*August 1996 - January 2001: Distinguished Fellow at The Heritage Foundation where she chaired the Asian Studies Advisory Council.

During her tenure at Heritage, Chao reportedly pushed the conservative organization to view China as a prime economic prospect rather than a threatening U.S. competitor. In a 2000 article for the New Republic titled "Sullied Heritage: The Decline of Principled Conservative Hostility to China," John Judis documented how this change in perspective coincided with an expansion of James Chao's--Elaine's father--shipbuilding business with the red menace. Judis also contended that Elaine Chao pushed out former Reagan official and Heritage scholar Richard V. Allen as part of an effort to transform the think tank's perspective. Judis claimed that the Heritage metamorphosis was symptomatic of the right wing in general, arguing, "Over the last few years, as Beijing has opened itself to trade and investment, the corporate interests that populate the conservative movement have moved to take over its policy toward China. The moral fire that animated the conservative movement for close to 50 years shows signs of extinguishing itself." (Source: rightweb.irc-online.org...)

January 29, 2001 - Became Secretary of Labor
*First Asian American Woman appointed to a President's cabinent
*Opposes Affirmative action
*As Labor Secretary, Chao authored and published proposed regulations that would raise the minimum salary for automatic overtime eligibility from $8,060 to $22,100, while exempting almost all white-collar workers earning more than $65,000. The changes would be the first since 1975. Anyone in the armed services would not qualify for overtime. On January 20, 2004, the overdue 2004 spending bill Chao's proposals were attached to failed to get the 60-vote supermajority in the United States Senate needed to end debate and allow a second vote for final passage. (source: en.wikipedia.org...)

Additional info:
*Sat on the corporate boards of:
Dole
Clorox
CR Bard
HCA

Additional Links:
Elaine Chao Hosts "Ask the Whitehouse" -
www.whitehouse.gov...

Labor Secretary Chao: U.N. a Threat to U.S
www.newsmax.com...

Thirty Minutes with Elaine Chao-
www.asianweek.com...

Judicial Watch request regarding Chao's knowledge of John Huang and his involvement with the Clinton-Gore fundraising scandal
www.judicialwatch.org...

Chao's ties to communist China's President Jiang Zemin
www.worldnetdaily.com...

Some Probing Questions About Bush Cabinent Nominee Elaine Chao
capmag.com...

The Real Elaine Chao-
www.worldnetdaily.com...

Elaine Chao (Indepth biography)
www.edwardsly.com...

Elaine Chao flap: What does it mean?
www.pww.org...

Elaine Chao's personal stake in the longshore dispute-
lists.iww.org...

Additional Supporting links:
www.factmonster.com...
www.whitehouse.gov...
www.opensecrets.org...&e=7317
www.mediatransparency.org...


[Edited on 15-3-2004 by GanjaGoddess]

I'm also new here, but am glad for the chance to help out with this project. I wanted to do old Spence, since he and I are both Michiganders.

Department of Energy (DOE)
Secretary SPENCER ABRAHAM

Confirmed by voice vote in the Senate and sworn in as secretary of energy January 20.
Background Information
Edmond Spencer Abraham
Current Office: Secretary of Energy
Party: Republican
Family: Wife: Jane Hershey
3 Children: Julie, Betsy, Spencer Robert.
Birthdate: 06/12/1952
Birthplace: Lansing, MI
Home City: East Lansing, MI
Religion: Eastern OrthodoxChristian

Education:
JD, Harvard Law School, 1979
BA, Michigan State University, 1974.

Professional Experience:
Consultant to Denfield, Timmer, and Taylor law firm, 1981-1983
Counsel to Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, Detroit
Assistant Law Professor, Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Political Experience:
Secretary of Energy, 2001-present
Appointed, Secretary of Energy, 2001
Member, United States Senate, 1995-2001
Co-Chair, National Republican Congressional Committee, 1991-1993
Deputy Chief of Staff to Vice President Dan Quayle, 1990-1991
Chairman, Michigan Republican Party, 1983-1990.

Organizations:
Founder/Board Member, Federalist Society
Founder/President, 'Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy'.

Caucuses/Non-Legislative Committees:
National Republican Senatorial Committee
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
CSCE commissioners
www.csce.gov...
"Function and duties of Commission
The Commission is authorized and directed to monitor the acts of the signatories which reflect compliance with or violation of the articles of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, with particular regard to the provisions relating to human rights and Cooperation in Humanitarian Fields. The Commission is further authorized and directed to monitor and encourage the development of programs and activities of the United States Government and private organizations with a view toward taking advantage of the provisions of the Final Act to expand East-West economic cooperation and a greater interchange of people and ideas between East and West."

www.usembassy.de...
gw.vote-smart.org...

That's all for now. I look forward to delving further in Mr. Abraham's background. I've found some possibly interestin stuff already.
Later!

[Edited on 21-3-2004 by DontTreadOnMe]

[Edited on 25-3-2004 by DontTreadOnMe]

More on Spence:
politicalgraveyard.com...
Some other familiar names in the federalist society:
# Edward Spencer Abraham (b. 1952) -- also known as Spencer Abraham
# Robert Heron Bork (b. 1927) -- also known as Robert H. Bork
# Linda Chavez Republican.
# John M. Engler (b. 1948)
# Orrin Grant Hatch (b. 1934) -- also known as Orrin G. Hatch # Stephen J. Markman U.S. District Attorney for the Eastern
# Edwin Meese III (b. 1931)
# Kenneth Winston Starr (b. 1946) -- also known as Kenneth W. Starr

More on the Federalist Society
www.mediatransparency.org...
"Another charter member, Spencer Abraham, Michigan Law '86, is running for re-election to a second term as Republican senator from that state. He sits on the Senate judiciary Committee under Hatch. All three are founder/directors of the Federalist Society, with Otis and McIntosh as co-chairs. (Editor's note: McIntosh lost the race for governor in a landslide. Abraham lost by one percentage point to Democrat Debbie Stabenow.)"

Who are they?
With 25,000 members plus scores of close affiliates nationwide--including Supreme Court justices Thomas and Antonin Scalia, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, and University of Chicago brainboxes Richard Epstein and Frank Easterbrook (also a federal appellate judge)--the Federalist Society is quite simply the best-organized, best-funded, and most effective legal network operating in this country. Its rank-and-file includes conservative lawyers, law students, law professors, bureaucrats, activists, and judges. They meet at law schools and function rooms across the country to discuss and debate the finer points of legal theory and substance on panels that often include liberals--providing friction, stimulus, and the illusion of balance. What gets less attention, however, is that the Society is accomplishing in the courts what Republicans can't achieve politically. There is nothing like the Federalist Society on the left.

Corporate Connections
www.opensecrets.org...
'General Motors; Ford Motor Company; Lear Corp.; DaimlerChrysler

A one-term senator from Michigan, Spencer Abraham was the No. 1 recipient of campaign contributions from the automotive industry, receiving more than $700,000 for his failed Senate run in 2000 from contributors like General Motors, Ford and Lear Corp. One of his top contributors, DaimlerChrysler, is introducing an extra large SUV to the U.S. market this year. Daimler�s SUV, considered a "military spin-off," is a foot longer than the SUVs currently on the road and will only get about 10 miles per gallon. The debate over whether to raise or lower fuel economy standards is expected to surface again this year, especially as the country struggles with an energy crisis. Daimler is one of 139 companies that joined the Coalition for Vehicle Choice, a lobbying group that opposes setting fuel economy regulations. (The current standard for SUVs is 20.7 miles to the gallon.) The coalition gave Abraham $178,674 in 1999-2000. For Abraham�s full money profile during his service in the Senate, click here.
Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. "

This is good!!!
www.infoplease.com...

As a senator from Michigan, Abraham on three occasions proposed eliminating the department he is now slated to head, saying it had "no core mission." Energy was not the only department on his hit list; he also suggested the Commerce Department be eliminated.

www.csmonitor.com... from a Monitor breakfast on energy, an energy bill, and the recent blackout.

www.pbs.org... Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham discusses the initial findings of a U.S.-Canadian task force that has been investigating the massive electricity blackout on August 14. He also explains how measures in the energy bill being considered in the Senate would help prevent future blackouts

Remarks by Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham

Thank you and good afternoon. I am pleased to be here today to give you an overview of the Department of Energy�s budget for the next fiscal year.

Remarks by Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham
At $24.3 billion, the FY 2005 budget request is the largest in the history of this Department. This year�s budget proposal represents a nearly 4 percent increase over last year�s submission, and an increase of more than 27 percent since we took office. Those figures reflect President Bush�s confidence in our work and the importance he attaches to this Department�s mission.
� and providing for the national, energy, and economic security of the American people.
Y-12 National Security Complex Oak Ridge, TN

[Edited on 18-3-2004 by DontTreadOnMe]

[Edited on 21-3-2004 by DontTreadOnMe]

Initial infor on :
L. Paul Bremer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lewis Paul Bremer III, also known as Jerry Bremer, (born September 30, 1941) was named Director of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for post-war Iraq following the 2003 invasion of Iraq to replace Jay Garner on May 6, 2003. He arrived in Iraq on May 11.

Biography
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Bremer was educated at Phillips Academy and at Yale University (earning a B.A. in 1963) and went on to earn a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard University in 1967. That year he joined the Foreign Service as Officer General in Kabul, Afghanistan, later continuing his education at the Institute d'Etudes Politiques of the University of Paris, where he earned a Certificate of Political Studies (CEP). He was also assigned in Blantyre, Malawi as Economic and Commercial Officer from 1968 to 1971.

During the 1970s Bremer held various domestic posts with the State Department, including posts as assistant to Henry Kissinger from 1972-76. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Oslo from 1976-79, returning stateside to take a post of Deputy Executive Secretary of State where he remained from 1979-81. In 1981 he became Executive Secretary and Special Assistant to Alexander Haig.

Ronald Reagan appointed Bremer as Ambassador to the Netherlands in 1983 and Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism in 1986. Bremer retired from the Foreign Service in 1989 and became managing director at Kissinger Associates, a worldwide consulting firm founded by Henry Kissinger. More recently he has been employed as Chairman and CEO of Marsh Crisis Consulting, a risk and insurance services firm which is a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.

Bremer was appointed Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorism by House Speaker Dennis Hastert in 1999. In late 2001, along with former Attorney General Edwin Meese Bremer co-chaired the Heritage Foundation's Homeland Security Task Force, which created a blueprint for the White House's Dept. of Homeland Security. For two decades Bremer has been a regular at Congressional hearings and is recognized as an expert on terrorism and internal security.

Bremer is married to the former Frances Winfield, and they have a son and a daughter. In addition to his native English, Bremer speaks French, Norwegian, Farsi, and German.

Administrator of Iraq
Following the removal of Jay Garner as civilian administrator of Iraq, Bremer was appointed as the chief U.S. executive authority in the country. Unlike Garner, Bremer was not a military man, and as a result was expected to bring unique political and diplomatic skills that many had accused Garner and other military leaders of lacking. Though Garner's experience was largely praised, Bremer's appointment was criticized by some human rights groups, who note that while chairing the National Commission on Terrorism, Bremer advocated relaxation of CIA guidelines which restrict working with individuals and groups who have a record of human rights abuses. [1]

As administrator of Iraq, Bremer's job is to oversee the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq until the country is deemed to be in a state in which it can be once again governed by Iraqis. Upon the advice of his subsidiaries, Bremer is empowered to issue decrees to modify Iraq's society and infrastructure. Some notable decrees have included his outlawing of the Ba'ath Party, removing all restrictions on freedom of assembly, and establishing a Central Criminal Court of Iraq. [2]

On July 13, 2003 Bremer approved the creation of an Iraq Interim Governing Council as a way of "ensuring that the Iraqi people's interests are represented." The council members were appointed by Bremer, and were chosen from prominent political, ethnic, and religious leaders who had opposed the government of Saddam Hussein. Though the council was given several important powers (such as the appointment of a cabinet), Bremer retained veto power over their proposals.

Bremer's office is a division of the United States Department of Defense, and as Administrator he reports directly to the United States Secretary of Defense.

en.wikipedia.org...

Andrew H. Card Jr.

After being elected to the presidency of the United States in 2000 George W. Bush appointed as his White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card. This important post that includes access to the president was now filled by a longtime, and loyal, Bush family supporter. Card has spent almost 30 years in government, and government related posts. He has worked under Regan, Bush Sr., and George W.. Card is described as a unifier and peacemaker, being able to bridge the differences between political parties. Dedicated and honest.

A brief but thorough biography on Card can be found at-
www.ksg.harvard.edu...

Also- political.lifetips.com...

Cards political life started in 1975, being elected to the House of Representatives in Massachusetts. While serving at this post he helped form the bi-partisan Ward Commission. This commission looked into the corruption of state spending to contractors and sub-contractors, wasting government funds. This corruption was a result of existing legislation that enabled the entrenched contractors to gouge prices, use inferior materials and gain selective bids that minority groups couldn�t have access to. These issues were addressed by the commission.
More at- www.pioneerinstitute.org...

In 1982 he was appointed by President Regan as Deputy Assistant to the president and Director of intergovernmental Affairs. His duties here were to be a liaison between the White House and all other levels of government. When George Bush Sr. succeeded Regan Card was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff. His duties included daily operation of the White House staff, but he also participated in developing economic, foreign and domestic policy.

In 1992 President Bush appointed Card to Secretary of Transportation. One of the major problems to be address by Card in his 1+ years at this post was push for privatization of airports which was in contrast to the existing government policy.
Details at- www.rppi.org...
After this Card directed the transition from the Bush to the Clinton administration.

Once the Democrats won the White House in 1992 Card found a lobbying post with the American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA). This association represented G.M., Ford and Chrysler. While lobbying for the Big Three he pushed for more involvement of industry in setting safety standards and testing proceedures of products to ensure safety. Until this point it was government standards. Issues put forth by Card included proper use of seatbelts, improved airbag technology, zero tolerance for impaired driving, and a move to stricter adherence to safe driving.
Statement by Card (AAMA) at- www.house.gov...

After serving with the AAMA until 1998, Card accepted a post at G.M. as Head of Governmental Relations in Washington. His position here was to develop and represent G.M.�s positions with regards to government policy, ranging from bankruptcy laws to clean air policies. It must be noted that he was lobbying against lower emissions. After accepting, but two months prior starting with G.M., Card, as member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was pushing for the release of funds from the Aviation Trust Fund to strengthen the infrastructure of airports and boost the airline industry. This was a continuation of the work he was doing as Secretary of Transportation.
Statement at- www.house.gov...

The Bush family called on him once again with the election of George W. And Card was appointed the post of White House Chief of Staff. While this post may not carry the apparent weight of Vice-President or Secretary of State it would be foolish to think that Cards input would not be heard or considered by the President. Card is a man that has a 25 year relationship with the Bush family. Card , in fact, helped coordinate the campaign for the invasion of Iraq. He stressed the necessity of timing, to persuade the public, Congress and allies that Saddam had to be ousted. Bush also give Card credit for coming up with the idea of Bush dropping in briefly on troops stationed in Baghdad last Thanksgiving. It has also been shown that he is a loyal individual, so it is only logical to assume that he will continue to have a voice for the transportation industry.

Postscript:
As with all things, there are two sides to each coin. With my research of Andrew Card, and reading his statements, I came to like him. I do not subscribe to Bush�s policy and I don�t want to color this with unintentional personal bias. Posted here are some critics of Card.

Tom Paine- www.tompaine.com...
www.tompaine.com...
Angrycalifornians- www.change-links.org... Info on other Bush cabinet members as well.

Delta, thanks for this opportunity, I hope I did it justice.

[Edited on 21-3-2004 by intrepid]

Negroponte Update, let me know if You all feel I should go into any more detail. Overall I think its pretty good for an amateur effort without real ties into the media and research facilities.

John Dimitri Negroponte

Personal Information

-John D. Negroponte was born in London on July 21st, 1939.
-John is married to Diana Negroponte (Diana Mary Villiers 1976), and has five children: ---Marina, Alejandra, John, George, and Sophia.
-John graduated from Yale in 1960 with a BA

Professional background/Timeline
1960-1963- Hong Kong
1964-1968-Vietnam -"Mr. Vietnam" of the National Security Council�
1968 � 1969- Member of the U.S. delegation to the Paris peace talks on Vietnam
1970-1973- Staff Member for the National Security Counsel
1973-1975-Ecuador- Counselor for Political Affairs in Quito, Ecuador
1975-1977-Greece- Consul General in Thessaloniki, Greece
1981-1985-Hondorus -Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Honduras
1985-El Salvador
1985-1987- Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and Environmental and Scientific Affairs
1989-Mexico-Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Mexico
1994-Phillipines-Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Philippines
1997--joined The McGraw-Hill Companies as Executive Vice-President, Global Markets
2001- September 18th, sworn in as United States Ambassador to the United Nations by President George Walker Bush

�From 1960 to 1997, Negroponte was a member of the Career Foreign Service.� Starting in 1960 and through 1963, Negroponte was stationed in Hong Kong as a foreign representative, and then in 1964 went to Vietnam, where he became known as �Mr. Vietnam� of the National Security Council. Beginning in 1968, Negroponte became a member of the United States delegation to the Paris Peace talks on Vietnam, as one of Henry Kissinger�s aides. During the period of 1970-1973, Negroponte was a staff member for the National Security Council, leaving for Ecuador in 1973, where he became a Counselor for Political Affairs in Quito. In 1975 he became the Consul General in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Negroponte became the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary during his reign in Honduras, where he became infamous with his involvement in the Iran Contra Scandal, and immortalized in the Baltimore Sun article stating that "hundreds of [Honduras'] citizens were kidnapped, tortured and killed in the 1980s by a secret army unit trained and supported by the Central Intelligence Agency," curiously the same time he was Ambassador to Honduras, but who are we to make connections�� "The intelligence unit, known as Battalion 316, used shock and suffocation devices in interrogations. Prisoners often were kept naked and, when no longer useful, killed and buried in unmarked graves. Human rights workers and officials including former Honduran Congressman Efrain Diaz Arrivillaga pleaded with Negroponte and other U.S. officials to stop the abuses committed by the U.S. controlled military but, Diaz told the Sun, "Their attitude was one of tolerance and silence. They needed Honduras to loan its territory more than they were concerned about innocent people being killed."
"At the time the U.S. was engaged in a war in Nicaragua. Washington funded, organized and armed the Contras, as the surrogate force was dubbed, to overthrow the democratically elected Sandinista government of Nicaragua. Honduras became the U.S. staging ground for the war. Military aid to Honduras jumped from $ 3.9 million in 1980 to $ 77.4 million by 1984. � �In an interview with In These Times, Negroponte's predecessor as ambassador, Carter appointee Jack Binns, tells a different story: "Negroponte would have had to be deliberately blind not to know about human rights violations. ... One of the things a departing ambassador does is prepare a briefing book, and one of those issues we included [in our briefing book] was how to deal with the escalation of human rights issues."

During the mid eighties, Negroponte could be located in El Salvador in 1985, and became the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and Environmental and Scientific Affairs during 1985-1987. In 1989, Negroponte was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, in Mexico, and in 1995, became the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the Philippines.

In 1997, Negroponte joined The McGraw-Hill Companies as Executive Vice-President, Global Markets. (COULDN�T FIND TOO MUCH INFORMATION HERE, LET ME PROBE A LITTLE MORE LATER, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD)

On September 18th, 2001, Negroponte was sworn in as the United States Ambassador the United Nations, with George Walker Bush swearing him in. Negroponte also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), as well as the American Academy of Diplomacy.

3/31/1999- Diana gave $1,000 George W. Bush as a Homemaker
3/31/1999- John gave $1,000 George W. Bush as an employee of McGraw Hill Companies
3/14/2000- Diana gave $500 to John McCain
9/30/2003- John gave $2,000 to George W. Bush as an Ambassador
9/30/2003- Diana gave $2,000 to George W. Bush as an employee of Fordham University

Some interesting Quotations

DIA Interview Diplomacy in the Information Age 1997
�Q: Is it in our national interest to do so, that is to tax American citizens to help strengthen global civil society?

A: Negroponte: Well, I certainly think it's in our national interest.�

War on Iraq
�Negroponte said in a question-and-answer session that America was justified in going to war with Iraq without the U.N. resolution.

"(The resolution) did not say if we were to use force we have to go back for yet another resolution, it simply said that we would have to come back to consult the Security Council,"
Negroponte said. "As far as we were concerned, there were more ways than one that Iraq continued to not be in compliance."

Negroponte said that although no weapons of mass destruction were ever found, Iraq had missiles that were prohibited.

"I don't have any doubt in my mind that we were justified for what we did," he said.

Negroponte said U.S. troops that are now in Afghanistan and Iraq are defending the U.S. Constitution as well as democracy all around the world.

"We believe that not only is the national security of the United States good for us, it's good for the world, because we think democracy, modeled on our own constitution or not, is the best
guarantor of national security," Negroponte said.�

July 12, 2002 "The American system of justice can be trusted to punish crimes, including war crimes or crimes against humanity, committed by an American - and we pledge to do so. But we do not believe the International Criminal Court contains sufficient safeguards to protect our nationals, and therefore we can never in good conscience permit Americans to become subject to its authority.�

--October 1st, 2001- �Yes, Resolution 1373 will impose on all of us the highest standards of vigilance, but vigilance is the price of freedom. And freedom, the first value of the new millennium, is worth the price of vigilance and more.�
---- �You, too, have seen this disaster with your own eyes, and you know there is no way to prevent such a thing happening again unless we make common cause. Justice demands that global terrorism be silenced so that the Millennium Declaration of the United Nations can be heard. Through shared responsibility, the last of the Millennium Declaration's fundamental values, I am sure that goal will be achieved.�



Bibliography

mypage.uniserve.ca...

www.namebase.org...

www.weforum.org...

www.un.int...

www.yale.edu...

CTC (Counter-Terrorism Committee) Report

www.derechos.org...

www.state.gov...

www.opensecrets.org... txt2000=Y&Order=N

www.fpif.org...

www.sfcall.com...

www.disinfopedia.org...

www.google.com...:V1ZXqWnjvNUJ:bushlibrary.tamu.edu/papers/1989/89022105.html+John+Negroponte+%2Blondon+%2B1939&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

www.newsmax.com...

www.diplomaticplanet.net...
archive.webactive.com...

www.inthesetimes.com...

www.thebatt.com...

translate.google.com...://www.elpais.es/suplementos/domingo/20010225/perfil.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522%2BJOHN%2BD. %2BNEGROPONTE%2522%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN

www.yale.edu...


[Edited on 3-22-2004 by slugfast]

[Edited on 3-22-2004 by slugfast]

[Edited on 3-22-2004 by slugfast]

Richard Clarke


Background

� Grew up in Boston, son of a nurse and a chocolate factory worker
� Attended Boton Latin School, University of Pennysylvania (political science), and MIT (enlisted in a program on arms control)

Pre- Cyberspace Political Career

� 1973: nuclear weapons analyst for the Secretary of Defense.
� 1979: moved to the State Department where he worked on NATO-Warsaw Pact policy and European security issues.
� 1985: appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence by President Reagan.
� 1986: Clarke�s plan on inciting a coup against Muammar Qaddafi, dubbed �stupid and venal� by the New York Times, leaks. An embarrassed Reagan administration ditches the idea.
� 1992: joins National Security Council (NSC) staff
� 1992: more disrupt by Clarke in the first Bush administration. Department�s inspector general accuses Clarke of �willfully ignoring� intelligence reports on Israel�s sale of US military technology to China. Exiled from State Department.

Cybersecurity Political Career

� 1998: appointed by President Clinton as the first National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism
� 1998: Clarke accused of playing a �key role� in the Clinton administration�s misguided attacks retaliating from the US Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. The bombings targetted bin Laden's terrorist camps in Afghanistan and a pharmaceutical factory in Sudan.
� 2002: September 18, releases first draft of the "National Strategy for Securing Cyber Security" 65-page PDF file.


Sorry, I�m still in school and we�ve been doing a lot of testing recently. I should get further in this soon.

I suggest visiting the link for the "National Strategy for Securing Cyber Security" (they could have made the title a little more interesting, don�t you think?) And the Freedom of Information Act, which Clarke added an exception to for corporations, thought of as a silly idea until 9/11 happened, then it was embraced. But I plan to dig into this issue specifically very soon, after I get a run down of the basics.

Here�s my plan of action:

Basic Biographical Information (above) finished within the end of the week

High Points and Low Points of Richard Clarke�s Career

Richard Clarke�s Effect on the Freedom of Information Act

Basic Rundown of the "National Strategy for Securing Cyber Security"

Richard Clarke�s Resignation and Replacement

And any other interesting topics that pop up along the way. Sorry for the delay!

-scat

Resources for above bio-

"Cybersecurity: No Mandates, Only Ideas" By Roy Mark and Michael Singer

"Richard Clarke's Legacy of Miscalculation," by George Smith

"The Sentinel" By Declan McCullagh

It seems that finding much info on Richard Clarke has been a pretty arduous task.Most news sources only give information on his resignation and his replacenment, but it seems as if before that he's invisible! I checked with Open Secrets, and they didn't have anything on him, however, my computer might have just been messed up.

Does anyone have any other sources on the web which I could possibly find some information?

I even tried the White House's website in the executive officials section...He's not even listed.

But then again, that might be my computer's problem.

I just submitted a bunch of questions to an interview with Don Evans, Commerce Secretary. Hopefully they will be answered...I will update this tomorrow when the interview is completed!

John Ashcroft

Soft Money

During his campaign for re-election to the Senate, Ashcroft and his opponent Carnahan used a loophole in the federal campaign finance laws to receive much more money for their campaigns via �soft money� which should only be used by the Republican or Democratic senatorial committee. Here are a few excerpts from that story:

�Sen. John Ashcroft and Gov. Mel Carnahan have seized on a little-known fund-raising maneuver that critics call the latest tool in evading the intent of federal campaign finance laws.
Special fund-raising committees that Ashcroft and Carnahan quietly launched last year have already taken in over $ 1 million, according to the most recent disclosure reports. The committees were set up to help their competing campaigns for Ashcroft's Senate seat, which will be at stake in November's elections.
The tally includes checks for $ 50,000 for Ashcroft from Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. and $ 10,000 checks for Carnahan from high-profile St. Louisans, such as Mercantile Bank President John Dubinsky and Bryan Cave attorney Veryl Riddle.
Federal campaign laws restrict contributions to $ 2,000 per candidate from individuals and $ 5,000 from political action committees. Ashcroft's and Carnahan's ability to legally draw contributions above those limits is a testament to both the ingenuity of their campaigns and the loopholes in federal law.
Here's how it works: The Republican and Democratic Senate campaign committees in Washington set up "joint fund-raising accounts" with Ashcroft and Carnahan respectively.
If a donor gives $ 10,000 to one of the accounts, the first $ 2,000 is transferred to the candidate's campaign - the same amount he could get through a regular fund-raising event. Known as hard money, the $ 2,000 donations, or $ 5,000 in the case of a PAC, are made in compliance with the federal election limits and can be spent directly to help a federal candidate.
The other $ 8,000, known as soft money, goes to the Democratic or Republican senatorial committee. Under federal election law, the Senate committees can't spend the soft money they get through the joint accounts directly on Carnahan or Ashcroft. Soft money, which is unregulated and unlimited, can be used only for general party activities, such as get-out-the-vote efforts.�

Some of the other major contributors to Ashcroft�s campaign were Shering Corp. (read previous post) - $50,000, CNS Corp. of Kansas City - $25,000, Emerson Electric Co. - $10,000, SBC Corp. - $10,000, and Microsoft - $5,000.

Soft Money, while illegal to be used for the campaign of one candidate, is often used in a not so subtle way that can still keep them out of trouble:

�In the 1996 election, both the Democratic and the Republican national committees used soft money to run television ads that closely dovetailed with their presidential candidate's campaign messages. While the spots didn't explicitly tell viewers to support either the Democratic or Republican nominee, critics argued that they were closely coordinated with the candidates.�

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri) February 24, 2000 � Deirdre Shesgreen
(pulled from Lexis Nexis)

--that completes my profile of John Ashcroft. If anyone has an inquiry into my findings or brings up new information, please be sure to tell me. Thanks.


[Edited on 23-3-2004 by meddled]

its looking good guys, how exactly do we plan on finalizing this report? I wouldn't mind proof reading other peoples reports and having the same for me, I know if we want to get this published or put up somewhere, I want someone else to go through my data to check on accuracy, and to make sure noone has inadvertantly plagurized (it can happen if
you didn't rephrase it with quotations)?

Well hit us back up with some info guys.


Also how should we submit the finalized reports? I know I will edit mine a few more times as time allows me.




Guys Im not 100% satisfied with my investigation of NEgroponte, do you feel I should go into further detail? I wasn' t sure about any sort of constraints in length or time... also I didn't want to make it too conspiracy biased, even though alot of his actions have had negative consequences, especially the time in HOndoras.

Does anyone have anything to add to mine? any thoughts since I am finished so far? Do we want to archive these finished reports in a new post?

[Edited on 4-1-2004 by slugfast]

Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in quite a time...I've been on an elctro-fast. No TV, computer, video games, none of it.. Ok, I still use my cd player and I still blow out the speakers on my bass....but that's music, different story.

On Richard Clarke-
I have more infor coming, but recently (last week) Clarke literally "came out of obscurity," as one newspaper article put it. Every day there were at least 3 articles in my newspaper alone on the september 11 hearings and Clarke's new book. The hearings were on TV, Clarke was on tv giving countless interviews...and look at me, over here at an electro-fast, miissing all of it!

so i should update my posting within the week. sorry for my horrible attempts at stopping watching the tv, ill revise my fast to allow news channels