Now That I'm at Liberty, Here's More of the Halliburton Story III

[CorpGovActivist]

Part I: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2498181&mesg_id=2498181

Part II: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2516441&mesg_id=2516441

A quick overview:

August 2001: One month before the 9/11 attacks, I started working in Halliburton/KBR's Federal Practice, in the Government Proposals Group - located in Arlington, Virginia.

April 2003: I stopped working there, one month after we invaded Iraq.

During my time at Halliburton/KBR, I received a series of mis-directed e-mails that were intended for David R. Smith, VP of Tax at Halliburton. These e-mails pertained to Federal investigations into allegations that top Halliburton executives participated in - and then covered up - violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act during Cheney's tenure as CEO.

Questions are welcome.

- David A. Smith, Editor of www.HALwhistleblowers.org and www.BushBunglesBrigade.org
(never to be confused, ever again, with the as-yet-unindicted David R. Smith, VP of Tax at Halliburton)

[LA lady]

1. I read about you on MSNBC! n/t

[CorpGovActivist]

3. How're You Faring in LA?

My younger brother was heartsick when New Orleans flooded (as we all were).

I have lovely pencil sketchings of St. Louis Cathedral and Pirates Alley he brought back from one of his trips.

He swears the city practically begs you to create something.

: )

- Dave

[LA lady]

7. I am in north LA now

All is well except it is so damned RED!!!

[CorpGovActivist]

8. Your Little Drop of Blue...

... made it a shade more purple.

: )

- Dave

[SharonRB]

2. Wow -- thank you for your partiotism and honesty

I can't wait for this to blow sky high.

Have you thought about going on Olbermann's show?

[CorpGovActivist]

6. I Haven't Been Invited...

... but yeah, I'd go on his show in a heartbeat.

Tim Russert's MTP, too.

- Dave

[SharonRB]

9. This is just the kind of story I think KO would love to cover

I don't know how you get invited,but it might be worth you contacting his producers.

[CorpGovActivist]

10. Anyone with an "in" with KO...

... is welcome to make introductions.

That's usually how this sort of thing breaks through.

- Dave

[Buttercup McToots]

11. Last week

I sent him a story I have about Edward Murrow...
He hasn't answered back yet, though...

[CorpGovActivist]

12. I'm Sure They Have Their Pick and Choice...

... of good stories, right now - especially with the election one week away.

That's one of the reasons why it's so hard to break through. Even assuming sharp, well-meaning producers, they're flooded with good stories.

- Dave

[stop the bleeding]

4. All 3 of these threads along with the new ones that will come out

all need to be stored in the DU Research Forum -


We can only hope that this will take the cake as far as "corruption scandal(s)" go



torches and pitchforks anyone?

[CorpGovActivist]

5. That Is One Reason...

... I decided to post here. I hope that other DUers find it helpful for their own endeavors.

- Dave

[havocmom]

13. .

[gully]

14. David, would you mind posting a quick story about your situation?

I've read bits/pieces but can't make sense of what the implications are. It would be nice to have a collective statement in one place.

When/if you have time of course.

Thanks for your patriotism!

[CorpGovActivist]

15. Please Bookmark...

... these two sites:

http://www.HALwhistleblowers.org AND

http://www.BushBunglesBrigade.org

Those sites will lay it out in sequence.

- Dave

[gully]

20. Thanks, what a compelling story. I'm reading the Byrd letter now.

Wow!

I'm honored that you are sharing with us, thank you.

[CorpGovActivist]

21. Love Your Avatar...

... would love to meet them, wouldn't you?

They "hung in there," and look where they are now! In the "We told you so position," looking down at Shrubya!

- Dave

[gully]

31. Thanks, tahitinut made it for me.

I wasn't able to id the chicks via the DU avatar, so I had one made - custom.

Feel free to use it if you like. Indeed, I'd love to meet them. You all have something in common - perhaps you will meet them someday?

Best wishes and again, thanks!

[CorpGovActivist]

33. Stranger Things...

"Feel free to use it if you like. Indeed, I'd love to meet them. You all have something in common - perhaps you will meet them someday?"

For this coal miner's son and grandson to have lunch with George Lucas was once unbelievable. So, who knows?

: )

- Dave

[gully]

43. Wow.

Who knows indeed!

Best wishes in all of your goals. ;)

[CorpGovActivist]

46. As If That Weren't Enough...

... I also got to meet Chuck Jones!

Chuck friggin' JONES!!!

: )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Jones

This is an incredible program: http://www.achievement.org/

- Dave

[gully]

49. Wow.

You're definitely on your way!

[bigtree]

16. you're rolling Dave

thanks for these :kick:

[CorpGovActivist]

17. Sure Thing!

As for rolling, he's spinning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Atwater

Just like John Gotti, Jr., Shrubya screwed things up.

- Dave

[G_Leo_Criley]

18. UP!

Up you go Dave!

glc

[CorpGovActivist]

22. Now, about Those Cambridge Eateries!

I'm sure Ides would agree that these "scene of the crime" eateries from days of yore are still worth a visit:

1. Pinnochio's (or, simply, "Nokes"): Everything is good; everything is cheap. Learn the ropes, though (it's kinda like the Soup Nazi in Seinfeld): 1. bring at least three friends (one to stake out the first of the few tables that becomes available, another to jump to the end of the line and grab the drinks - they'll "honor system" your drinks when you pay - and one to stand in line with you to carry back the feast); 2. get a slice (try one of the more exotic types), but do yourself a favor - get a large sandwich (steak & cheese is my favorite).

2. Mr. & Mrs. Bartley's Burger Cottage: The Kennedy and Beatles memorabilia - crap, all the people who've ever visited Harvard memorabilia - on the walls is worth it alone. But then! The BURGERS! Named after famous people, with tongue-in-cheek ingredients that "fit" their personas. Wash it down with a homemade lime rickey.

3. The Kong: drink a scorpion bowl, and know that many have killed their own brain cells in those very booths (often after Undergraduate Council meetings).

What're your favorites?

- Dave

[G_Leo_Criley]

126. charlie's kitchen ain't bad and pj osullivan's is amazing

hey dave...

Charlies's Kitchen is really excellent and is right in the square. (They share the kitchen (and chef) with that fancy dan restaurant on Winthrop St.)

Just across the line in Somerville, you'll find PJ O'Sullivans(?) on Beacon St. Excellent burger. Both serve pitchers of brew.

I'd slide outta my seat with a scorpion bowl at this point! (where's the emoticon with the lampshade on its head anyway?)

Grendel's Den still has that incredibly cheap daily lunch special too.

Bartley's Burger Cottage is, of course, still great.

We'll figure out where and when. Brew's on me.

Here's to you Dave -- :toast:

glc

[CorpGovActivist]

129. Next Time I'm in the PRC*...

... you're on!

"Charlies's Kitchen is really excellent and is right in the square."

I know it, but have never been.

"Just across the line in Somerville ..."

Some great holes in the wall there. Inman Square, too (there used to be a place there where you could get authentic Southern fare - Earl's?)...

"I'd slide outta my seat with a scorpion bowl at this point! (where's the emoticon with the lampshade on its head anyway?)"

'At this point'? I thought that is the point of a scorpion bowl! LOL.

"Grendel's Den still has that incredibly cheap daily lunch special too."

I always check to see if it's still there.

After The Tasty's demise, I don't take those landmarks for granted anymore: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasty_Diner

"Bartley's Burger Cottage is, of course, still great.

We'll figure out where and when. Brew's on me."

We can toast to The Tasty! I look forward to a fun evening, swapping notes on hidden PRC* spots.

- Dave

* People's Republic of Cambridge

; )

[G_Leo_Criley]

144. Next Time I'm in the PRC*...

dave...



"... you're on!"

Excellent! :-)

By the way, you'll be thrilled to know that the Abercrombie's was a complete and utter failure. Had to close down.

Still plenty of "music in the cafes at night and revolution in the air" too. What's your choice in music? Think I read Old Timey or Bluegrass?

glc
ISFP
prc
;-)

[CorpGovActivist]

146. Eclectic and Varied...

... everything from 80s stuff I'd be ashamed to admit to, to alternative, to classical, to - yes, most definitely - Celtic-influenced American strains (bluegrass, folk, etc.).

- Dave

[acmejack]

19. You're the man, Dave!

Thanks for your efforts of America!

[CorpGovActivist]

23. Where from?

How are things looking one week out where you're located?

Give us the "weather"?

: )

- Dave

[troubleinwinter]

24. Where's Part III?

[CorpGovActivist]

25. Stay Tuned...

... it'll be up within the hour. But the II thread was getting long in the tooth for those with dial-up.

- Dave

[troubleinwinter]

52. A 'traditional' way to avoid confusion

is to name this thread "Part II, thread 2" and put a link at bottom of thread 1 to thread 2 (and a link at top of thread 2 going back to thread 1).

THEN start new Part III with links to previous threads.

Wow! Confusing way to avoid confusion!

[CorpGovActivist]

26. Brought Over from Blackhatjack's Post in II

This is from memory, so forgive me if the details are not sharp.

Cheney receives a 'request' from Fitzgerald that he turn over all emails related to the Plame leak. I believe that request occurred after he was questioned with Bush, and their counsel, in the Oval Office by Fitz.

The emails turned over were incomplete. Notice is given by Fitz that they believe some emails were erased. Rove is rumored to be 'indicted' or on the verge of being indicted. At the last minute, Rove through his attorney is reported to have 'thrown Cheney under the bus' to save himself, by detailing for Fitz an off-site repository of White House emails, where it is located, and what emails might be 'saved' there of interest to Fitz.

Fitz shows up and gets electronic copies of the emails, compares the list with what Cheney's Office turned over, finds discrepancies and notifies Cheney's counsel. Miraculously, Cheney and his counsel 'find' emails that somehow had been deleted by accident, including a certain memo drafted out of the State Department regarding intentional acts leading to Plame being outed.

Here is the question: How long has Cheney been under surveillance and did the recovered emails referenced above yield valuable information that ties in with the Halliburton corruption probe?

Followup: Why is there not an all out war going on in the White House between Rove and Cheney? And if so, who is Bush supporting in this conflict?

I anticipate that Bush is supporting Rove, since Rove has retained his position in the WH even though Rove should have been gone long ago. Bush cannot jettison Cheney without placing himself in jeopardy for what he knew and when he knew it. And no one wants to be a scapegoat --not Libby, Cheney, Rove, etc. I suspect there are many guns aimed at each other just waiting for the next shoe to drop. All just speculation.

[stop the bleeding]

27. sounds kinda like a circular firing squad - question

would these electronic copies/emails had been obtained back in the late winter / early spring of this year?

The missing 200 emails that barely made the MSM?

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Roves_cooperation_seen_to_advance_inquiry_0327.html

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Fitzgerald_discloses_White_House_recently_turned_0224.html

[CorpGovActivist]

29. Just Wait and See What Happens...

... when the full cc: list of the mis-directed e-mails intended for David R. Smith gets out, along with the forwards of those e-mails that were made to Bush/Cheney officials.

- Dave

[stop the bleeding]

30. well that isn't a NO answer

so I am left to conclude.........


thanks again Dave keep on rocking in free world

[CorpGovActivist]

32. "The E-Mail" Is This Administration's Achilles' Hell (Not a Typo)

Whether we're talking about the KKKarl Rove Hail Mary Pass to save his own skin, or the mis-directed e-mails that were intended for David R. Smith, this Administration's "Achilles' Hell" is e-mail.

: )

- Dave

[G_Leo_Criley]

133. Achilles Hell sounds like just desserts!

dave --

"this Administration's "Achilles' Hell" is e-mail."

This would explain why Bush inexplicably knows nothing at all about "the email," eh? Email is, after all, EVIDENCE.

I remember listening to him and thinking, jeez... even my 84 year old auntie knows how to take care of her own email....

Thanks Dave.

glc

[CorpGovActivist]

135. That, Plus in Prior Interviews...

... he very clearly stated that he did use "the e-mail," while his daughters were in college.

"The transcripts" of those interviews are still available, Mr. President!

Dumbass.

- Dave

[G_Leo_Criley]

142. That, Plus in Prior Interviews...

Dave,

"... he very clearly stated that he did use "the e-mail," while his daughters were in college.

"The transcripts" of those interviews are still available, Mr. President!..."

Woot! Can you cite them? The media has to know!

glc

[CorpGovActivist]

145. I Stand Corrected

"You've got mail," won't be a message that President Bush will be getting much these days. Bush told newspaper editors last week that while he used to love e-mailing his father and daughters, he has stopped the practice since moving to the White House because of fear that legally they could be made public.

"I don't e-mail anymore out of a concern for the freedom of information laws, but also concern for my privacy," he said.

Of course it was Congressional Republicans investigating Bill Clinton who set the precedent for making White House e-mails public by regularly issuing subpoenas on such electronic communications.

***************************************************************************

Houston Chronicle, April 8, 2001, p. 29: Washington Notebook section.

What stuck out in my memory was his saying he had e-mailed them. When I heard his interview with Maria Bartiromo, that immediately fired the memory of his saying he'd e-mailed with his daughters. But the timeframe of the above suggests he pretty much cut it out upon his swearing-in.

- Dave

[Tuesday_Morning]

124. So those incriminating emails

meant for David R. were sent to Bush/Cheney officials as well. How very interesting...

[CorpGovActivist]

131. Halliburton Was in Full-Blown Panic...

... mode.

There was a no-holds-barred strategy for dealing with the FCPA investigation.

No-holds-barred included involving Cheney and others in the EOP, to try to get the DOJ and SEC to back off.

- Dave

[CorpGovActivist]

28. Here Goes...

"The emails turned over were incomplete. Notice is given by Fitz that they believe some emails were erased. Rove is rumored to be 'indicted' or on the verge of being indicted."

First, let me just say that I think some on here gave William Rivers Pitt a raw deal earlier this year: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rivers_Pitt#Controversy

Second, let me say that my understanding is that the West Wing of the White House is nothing if not "Balkanized" at this point, thanks largely to the "every man for himself" mentality that emerged during the first phase (<--------emphasis) of Plamegate. It is not a happy place to be working right now, Tony Snow's chipper demeanor notwithstanding.

"Here is the question: How long has Cheney been under surveillance and did the recovered emails referenced above yield valuable information that ties in with the Halliburton corruption probe?"

My grandfather had a saying: "Give an idiot enough rope, and he'll hang himself with it."

Cheney is an idiot. He's been given plenty of rope, and plenty of time to fashion it. Fitzgerald and others have let Cheney twist the rope, while they've been busy building the gallows to put Cheney's handiwork to good use.

"Followup: Why is there not an all out war going on in the White House between Rove and Cheney? And if so, who is Bush supporting in this conflict?"

Maybe if Bush had actually managed a succesful enterprise in his life, he'd have the management tools necessary to referee. He never did - and accordingly - doesn't.

The name of the game in the EOP, right now, at this literal very moment, is to protect the President. You may have noticed that Bush lied through his teeth when he said that he doesn't use e-mail, when he was interviewed with Maria Bartiromo for CNBC: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=maria+bartiromo+bush+interview. They're already trying to position this as if Bush doesn't even have an e-mail account.

"I anticipate that Bush is supporting Rove, since Rove has retained his position in the WH even though Rove should have been gone long ago. Bush cannot jettison Cheney without placing himself in jeopardy for what he knew and when he knew it. And no one wants to be a scapegoat --not Libby, Cheney, Rove, etc. I suspect there are many guns aimed at each other just waiting for the next shoe to drop. All just speculation."

You keep missing Andy Card.

- Dave

[bleever]

34. This is much more delicious than anything I'll find in

my kids' trick-or-treat bags.

Thanks, Dave. You have a very interested group of discussants here.

:thumbsup:

[IdesOfOctober]

35. And honest to God...

... you'll never meet a nicer person.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2516441&mesg_id=2525010

Ides

[bleever]

51. Someday I hope to buy you guys a round of drinks,

maybe in Cambridge. When I spent time there, I wasn't yet drinking age. But I remember some great pastrami sandwiches!

[IdesOfOctober]

73. A round sounds nice...

... but pace David. When he senses he's getting buzzed, he clams up.

Ides

[IdesOfOctober]

78. The laugh lines tell it all...

Bio sketch/picture of David: http://www.shareholdersonline.org/proponentbios.htm

See this, for sure: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2505106&mesg_id=2512217

In spite of the cruelly painful symptoms of Crohn's (not to mention the timing of diagnosis - senior year of high school) - he is kind, upbeat, optimistic, funny (hilarious, if you really get to know him well), and just an amazingly "good egg".

And if the KKKarl Rove machine tries to attack him, there is a whole army of David's former teachers, classmates, friends, etc. who will go on the counterattack.

Ides

[CorpGovActivist]

36. I'm Pleased...

... to meet so many passionate people, fighting the good fight!

: )

- Dave

[bleever]

53. Just let me know

if I can help with the screenplay, when the time comes.

;)

[IdesOfOctober]

74. The poor bastard...

... first he had to live it, and we keep telling him he's going to have to re-live it - by making sure that it's told correctly.

Ides

[IdesOfOctober]

LAURAB!!! Where are you? I have pictures...

... of David, circa Halloween, senior year, Harvard!

BWA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ides

P.S. Tsk, tsk. Someone had a pint too many in him that night. Rarely - RARELY - does one get this sort of snap. Adams House's Halloween party must have brought out the "pool party" hedonist that we all knew David had trapped inside!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_House_%28Harvard_University%29

(the old pool is an interesting feature...)

[Buttercup McToots]

37. Tell me

Andy Card...

[CorpGovActivist]

40. Ides Got This ...

... here: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/IdesOfOctober/15

- Dave

[LunaC]

42. the first phase (

That pesky "other shoe" continuing to dangle over their heads makes me smile. Act Two's gonna' be doozy!

[CorpGovActivist]

48. The Ginsu Knives of Damocles...

... is more like it!

: )

- Dave

[Blackhatjack]

45. Help me fit Card into the ongoing daily scandal/coverup...

... I am sure I am missing a big piece here, but the State Street Bank connection and Andy Card is difficult for me to put in the proper perspective when examining the Halliburton corruption scandal/coverup.

I can see the massive financial fraud on employees, pensioners, and shareholders, the nefarious transfer and use of funds thought to no longer exist, and the role of the WH in keeping a lid on Enron wrongdoing, and the bad actors behind it.

I am having a hard time seeing the connection between Card and Halliburton wrongdoing, and those covering up for Halliburton all the way to the WH. When in the dark, I usually go back to 'following the money' and asking "Who stood to benefit from this relationship? Who suffered as a result of it?"

One further question, IF Card was a ticking time bomb for the EOP --was it not too late to benefit from Card resigning? At some point, would BushCo not have come out better if Card had remained in place and Bush been 'surprised' to learn Card had acted improperly and with such disloyalty to the President?

Thanks

[CorpGovActivist]

57. Blackhatjack...

... damn, but you get right to the heart of the matter. When did you pass the bar?

; )

You hit me on this line of questioning yesterday, and I had to answer with a "prudent punt," so to speak. While maintaining prudence, let me see if I can at least kick a field goal today.

Let's start with this: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=card+christening+laura+bush

If you take those reports as true, then it begs the question: "why are Shrubya and the Grinning Hobgoblin (as one friend calls her, which is especially fitting today) so peeved at Card?"

Also, why did Andy Card go from cultivating - and indeed, encouraging - the media stories about how he was set to break Sherman Adams' record for longest-serving Chief of Staff, to total flameout, all within a matter of days?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/IdesOfOctober/15

"I am sure I am missing a big piece here, but the State Street Bank connection and Andy Card is difficult for me to put in the proper perspective when examining the Halliburton corruption scandal/coverup."

Assume, for one moment, that the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations *did* take place, both in Nigeria and elsewhere.

Assume, for one moment, that the size of the bribes paid in Nigeria and elsewhere are *at least* as sizable as reported so far (we're already into the hundreds of millions of dollars on what's been reported publicly, so far): http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=halliburton+bribes+tksj

Setting aside the question of whether or not these bribes were paid with or without Dick Cheney's full knowledge and personal authorization, the bribe payers would need a place to store those funds, let them earn interest while being trickled out to the right corrupt leaders overseas, and be drawn upon, right?

Halliburton subsidiaries, with locations listed (note the Caymans): http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/45012/000004501206000124/exhibit21.htm

State Street subsidiaries, with locations listed (note the Caymans): http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/93751/000114544306000351/d18466_ex-211.htm

If State Street was the "go to" Bushy Bank for Enron, and Resolution Trust Corp., and Halliburton's own pension plans (see FreeERISA.com), why not for handling Halliburton's FCPA money?

After all, Andy Boy Card, Ronny Boy Kaufman, and Ronny Boy Logue go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=logue+kaufman+card+holbrook

"I can see the massive financial fraud on employees, pensioners, and shareholders, the nefarious transfer and use of funds thought to no longer exist, and the role of the WH in keeping a lid on Enron wrongdoing, and the bad actors behind it."

As if that weren't bad enough!

; )

"I am having a hard time seeing the connection between Card and Halliburton wrongdoing, and those covering up for Halliburton all the way to the WH. When in the dark, I usually go back to 'following the money' and asking 'Who stood to benefit from this relationship? Who suffered as a result of it'?"

Cui bono and follow the money are the two best questions in cases like this.

Cui bono? State Street, for damn sure.

Follow the money? Right through State Street's recordkeeping systems (note those subsidiaries again, and find out what each does for its specialty).

"One further question, IF Card was a ticking time bomb for the EOP --was it not too late to benefit from Card resigning? At some point, would BushCo not have come out better if Card had remained in place and Bush been 'surprised' to learn Card had acted improperly and with such disloyalty to the President?"

Fitzgerald and some true journalists spooked them.

: )

- Dave

[stop the bleeding]

60. spooked is right

Card's exit was WAY too fast to be burnt out or to "wanna spend time with the family"

there were so many things going on this spring involving the Cheney/OVP, Rove, Card stemming from the reports put out by Murray Waas, Leopold, Schuster and others - that me thinks Card and Rove have turned over evidence to Fitzy - or at least that is what I am dreaming - I expect to see Card and Rove testify on behalf of Fitz in the upcoming Libby trial slated for January 07,


I can dream can't I?


you guys keep it coming

[CorpGovActivist]

64. Andy Card's Whimpering, Fawning...

... suckup to Bush during that press conference turned my stomach.

Andy Card belongs behind bars.

- Dave

[Blackhatjack]

81. OK, now we are in an area fraught with danger .... thinking.....

....thanks, you filled in the gap for me regarding Card. It was there all the time, but I needed a guide. Just when I think I have established the boundaries of this thing, it gets even bigger...

Now I have questions I do not think I can ask here. I will try to figure out a way when I return.

ANSWER: 1982.

This may be 'left field' stuff, but let me throw it out there --respond if you like.

"Oil for Food"
Paul Volker
Unreleased list of European/US violators
Koffi Annan and family connections

Unmetered oil
No-bid Oil services contract

John Bolton

..... more later.

[CorpGovActivist]

85. Lots of Dings...

... one in particular:

RIO II: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22rio+ii%22+halliburton

- Dave

[stop the bleeding]

94. hammer meet nail

shotgun meet fish - this is going to go down as the biggest scandal in the history of scandals.

Watergate who?

Iran-Contra who?

Jack who?

Libby who?

we have always known that Iraq was an excuse to rape the country of it's natural resources but could we actually be treated to the truth via a Waxman hearing?


Pretty please let it be so???

[CorpGovActivist]

98. Waxman Has So Much Data...

... there will be plenty to go around for other committees, too!

: )

- Dave

[Buttercup McToots]

59. Boy

I do like that BlackHatJack:)

[CorpGovActivist]

61. Me Too!

I told ya! Q & A is a good format.

- Dave

[Buttercup McToots]

69. Sooo

All that Enron $ got funneled into secret SS accn'ts
and is/was being used for Hal bribery payments...?

[CorpGovActivist]

71. Not As Linear As That!

LOL.

Everyone involved had to get "their cut," too!

; )

- Dave

[Buttercup McToots]

72. I sure you spoke of this b/4

but my head is spinning from runnin` behind ye
keepin` up...but can that $$ be gotten back
for the Enron folks who lost all?

[CorpGovActivist]

76. Yes, Thanks to RICO...

... which is truly designed to restore the victims of racketeering, make them whole, and root out the mafioso at the heart of the enterprise.

In this case, many of them occupy choice office space within close proximity to the Oval.

Others are on K Street.

- Dave

[stop the bleeding]

62. ditto - between Ides, the OP, BHJ and

a few others - I could spend all night digesting the information they discuss and link to.

[CorpGovActivist]

65. Well, It's Just Nice...

... to finally be able to get some of this stuff out there in the public domain.

Anyone who was tough on William Rivers Pitt back in the Spring: he had it more right than not.

- Dave

[hootinholler]

82. You mean Pitt???

Not Jason Leopold? (or both)

BTW, ya bastid, you're gonna make me work tonight ;)

-Hoot

[CorpGovActivist]

86. Howso?

"BTW, ya bastid, you're gonna make me work tonight"

How's that?

"Not Jason Leopold? (or both)"

I think that they will both be vindicated in the final analysis.

- Dave

[hootinholler]

88. In order to get my head around this kind of stuff...

I need a program. Since there isn't one, I'll have to put one together, but these facets are many because the jewel is large. I'm not sure I'm equal to the task, but I do know it's gonna be work ;)

I have a few crumbs from the one I did with the Plame players that will give me a small leg up.

-Hoot

[stop the bleeding]

90. what do you mean when you say program?

I am curious now

[CorpGovActivist]

92. Relational Databases and Such, I'm Guessing

... but I'm intrigued, too.

- Dave

[hootinholler]

97. lol...

While I am a programmer for a living, I meant it in the sporting events meaning. Getcher Programs here!

I should do a DB for these guys someday, but, that's *real* work.

BTW, if you know anyone who needs a sharp programmer who's working on bringing these ****s to justice, I'd like to work for them.

-Hoot

[CorpGovActivist]

99. Good to Know...

... if you wanna send me a PM about where you're willing to do the work, feel free.

(A lot of that work can be done remotely.)

- Dave

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

95. I think he means a program, like you get at a play or sporting event.

You know, like "you can't tell the players without a program".

[CorpGovActivist]

101. Mayberry: How..

... am I doing? Some of this making more sense now?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=benjamin+franklin+critics+friends

- Dave

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

102. Dave, I'm waiting until such time as information from independent sources

outside of your threads and sites, links you to ongoing investigations, before I spend much more time reading about this.

Nothing personal.

I mainly glance through these now to see who's posting. I thought I understood the one poster's comment about "program" better so I made a brief comment.

I hope all is well and you are having a fun Halloween and voting for Democrats in the current election.

[IdesOfOctober]

104. When does skepticism yield to facts?

"I'm waiting until such time as information from independent sources outside of your threads and sites, links you to ongoing investigations, before I spend much more time reading about this."

http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=5446521

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14959097/

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=5446521

http://www.kiplingerforecasts.com/apnews/XmlStoryResult.php?storyid=237913

http://www.wallst.net/news/news.asp?Source=APNEWS&id=33956

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2006-09/artikel-7033766.asp

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20060922-1313-halliburton-whistleblower.html

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8KA49DO2.html

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5446521

http://www.team4news.com/Global/story.asp?S=5446521&nav=0w0v

http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=5446521&nav=3w6y

http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=5446521

http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=5446521

http://www.ktre.com/Global/story.asp?S=5446521

http://www.progressiveindependent.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=23584

"Nothing personal."

Because of David "putting it out there," other whistleblowers have now come forward. I hope that they encounter less skepticism.

Ides

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

105. Thank you for these.

[IdesOfOctober]

106. Hey, you bet!

That story literally went around the world. That's a very small cross-sample.

Note all the TX stations/outlets that picked it up - lots of Halliburton employees in those media markets saw this.

Ides

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

110. Why are these links not at the halwhistleblowers and bushbungles sites?

Why does one have to express skepticism before these links to the AP story about you (meaning Dave Smith) are provided?

If you look at what you post, you always link to these two sites, along with the .pdf of your letter to the Senate. And a lot of the links on those sites are to SEC sites.

In my view it is normal to be skeptical of the claims of people you know only through the internet. I'm sorry if this offends you.

I do appreciate you providing the links to the AP story. Featuring one of these links on your sites wouldn't be a bad idea, or perhaps a separate linked page of media coverage.

[IdesOfOctober]

113. It's easy to miss...

... in the deluge of all the good stuff here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2525814

"Why does one have to express skepticism before these links to the AP story about you (meaning Dave Smith) are provided?"

David has collected many friends over the years. Perhaps you're familiar with this group of friends?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Lee_Jones#Early_life

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=tommy+lee+jones+speech+convention+gore

"If you look at what you post, you always link to these two sites, along with the .pdf of your letter to the Senate. And a lot of the links on those sites are to SEC sites."

David invited you - multiple times - to ask questions. You declined. If independent news sources would have been a salve for your skepticism, all you had to do was ask the question.

"In my view it is normal to be skeptical of the claims of people you know only through the internet. I'm sorry if this offends you."

But not sorry for not asking the question, when David invited you?

"I do appreciate you providing the links to the AP story. Featuring one of these links on your sites wouldn't be a bad idea, or perhaps a separate linked page of media coverage."

In case you missed it, David has said - repeatedly - that those are placeholder pages. No good deed goes unpunished. While the placeholders are up, he pointed others to the "fine work" of HalliburtonWatch and other groups.

I'm sorry that David and I somehow got off on the wrong foot with you. But - as Blackhatjack's insightful questions (and others') have shown - the Q&A format works. In typical fashion, David has tried to reach an olive branch out to you, repeatedly inviting you to ask questions that would dispel your remaining skepticism.

Frankly, I think this is about your last chance to say, "Hey, I stand by my original skepticism, but I'm beginning to see that there may be something to all this."

Did you read the threats David received? The last thing he (or his family) needs at this point is for someone to pile on; so please - lighten up.

Ides

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

122. It's all very good to be "sorry" to get off on the wrong foot, when I gave

Dave the "last word" on the other thread only to have the two of you (if there are in fact two) "pile on" for several posts worth of snark.

How was I supposed to take that? Very classy.

I think you should lay off the "expos" BS too. Harvard was over a decade ago for Dave (and you?) and much longer for me. There's been a lot more in my life since then, and yours too apparently. Move on already.

[IdesOfOctober]

123. From the word go ...

... from your very first post, you came in and took shots. Then, you got mad when - after repeated efforts to get you to lay out your questions and criticism - you finally got some shots fired back.

"I gave Dave the 'last word' on the other thread ..."

1. Your parting shot, I believe, was that David could have the last 1000 words.

2. You "gave" David the "last word"?

"... only to have the two of you 'pile on' several posts worth of snark. How was I supposed to take that? Very classy."

Given your "parting shot," (the last 1000 words crack) I'm surprised that you're surprised that I would jump to a friend's defense. I believe David merely gave you a Ben Franklin quote. You may want to go back and check your facts.

Your very first post to David was full of class. Maybe you should go back and re-read that, too.

"I think you should lay off the 'expos' BS too."

You criticized David's writing, his narrative style, and his clarity, from the word go. People who get A's in Expos (the only class benchmarking all frosh against one another) don't suddenly lose their touch. Under the stringent grading criteria (and with only 15% of any given class getting A's), David got an A. He also had a very irritating ability to procrastinate on a paper until the last minute, and still crank out anywhere from a B+ to an A. He said while he was "out and about" he was thinking over the paper and organizing it in his head - while others went through the whole draft and re-draft process.

"Harvard was over a decade ago for Dave (and you?) and much longer for me. There's been a lot more in my life since then, and yours too apparently. Move on already."

I'm sure your reunions are enthralled with your exploits. I suspect David's classmates will be with his, at his next one.

You've established yourself as a critic. But assume, for one moment, that David is telling the God's truth about all this. Is your purpose here to help or hinder? If it's to help, and you have legitimate questions, I'd almost guarantee you: David will go out of his way to answer them.

If your purpose is to hinder, then I imagine sniping is your best course of action.

Either way: form follows function. The form of your participation in this thread will reveal your function, either way.

Ides

[IdesOfOctober]

149. Typical...

... David, when faced with a fuller set of facts, says, "I stand corrected."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2525128&mesg_id=2533514

I thought the sciences were supposed to be even better than the humanities at that.

Ides

[CorpGovActivist]

118. Mayberry: Thanks ...

... for your continued feedback and critiques.

You wrote: "I do appreciate you providing the links to the AP story. Featuring one of these links on your sites wouldn't be a bad idea, or perhaps a separate linked page of media coverage."

What's up there now is nothing more than a placeholder. Think of it as a "virtual tarp," behind which the work to be unveiled is being readied.

The site that will go live will be much more navigable. My partner's site, for instance, compartmentalizes media coverage: http://www.ShareholdersOnline.org

I sincerely welcome your questions, your critiques, and your comments.

- Dave

[meuniermr]

127. Yeah, Im going to need a scorecard to put all this toghether.

[DemReadingDU]

130. I need a spare brain!

Way too much info for the brain I have...to sort thru, process, and keep track of all these scandals!

[CorpGovActivist]

134. Wetware...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetware#Science_Fiction_Usage

; )

Would the "afterlife" be a big blue screen of death?

- Dave

[CorpGovActivist]

132. How Do You Learn Best?

I've asked this of a lot of my friends, and have gotten some fantastic ideas.

But I welcome suggestions from all quarters. The kernel of an idea you suggest may find fertile ground in another person's suggestion - or be the "missing piece" to a solution for another way to present the data.

Not everyone learns the same way, and I want to make sure that I've developed as many different ways of conveying the data as possible, so that many learning types are taken into account.

- Dave

[DemReadingDU]

138. I was being a bit facetious, lol

Truly, there is an overwhelming wealth of information. And DU is great for bookmarking threads to research and read thru several times to pick up additional information. We do appreciate all the knowledge that is being deposited in the DU databases to cross-check as these scandals unfold.

:patriot:

[CorpGovActivist]

139. Hey, It's Still a Valid Question...

... I'd rather this data be accessible to others in a format that works for them. I genuinely welcome suggestions; good ideas often come from the "quietest kid in the room," I've learned.

- Dave

[CorpGovActivist]

91. The Anti-Racketeering Tools Got Better...

... while the racketeers themselves, got sloppy.

- Dave

[G_Leo_Criley]

140. Jason Leopold and William Rivers Pitt

dave --

Just a quick note to say that it was reading Jason that got me starting to put things together. His stuff really gave me hope that there was something really solid that was visible/quantifiable by other people! ;-)

Very heartening to read your words that they'll be vindicated. :-)


glc

[CorpGovActivist]

141. They Were Largely Right...

... and if the prosecutors gave KKKarl a pass, you can only imagine what "big fish" they're going after.

- Dave

[DemReadingDU]

143. I read Jason Leopold & William Pitt too

It got real nasty here last spring when it looked like Rove was going to be indicted, then wasn't. I hope one day to see them vindicated.

Oh, do you know anything about that Sealed vs. Sealed filing?

[CorpGovActivist]

147. I Liked That Link, Too!

"Sealed v. Sealed"

LOL.

Like I said, I really do think the Truthout folks will be vindicated, in the final analysis. Prosecutions can be very fluid things. At the last possible minute, a deal can be cut - especially when "bigger fish" are involved.

Not many bigger than KKKarl, though.

; )

- Dave

[Blackhatjack]

84. Thanks

:)

[Tuesday_Morning]

125. Never emails...sure

Bush: “I tend not to email or — not only tend not to email, I don’t email, because of the different record requests that can happen to a president. I don’t want to receive emails because, you know, there’s no telling what somebody’s email may — it would show up as, you know, a part of some kind of a story, and I wouldn’t be able to say, `Well, I didn’t read the email.’ `But I sent it to your address, how can you say you didn’t?’ So, in other words, I’m very cautious about emailing.”

None of that nasty emailing habit for him, huh? I think he protests a bit too much.

[DemReadingDU]

128. Nah, Bush uses "THE Google"

One of the things I've used on THE Google is to pull up maps. It's very interesting to see that. I forgot the name of the program, but you get the satellite and you can -- like, I kind of like to look at the ranch on Google, reminds me of where I want to be sometimes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/10/23/president-bush-i-dont-_n_32344.html

[CorpGovActivist]

137. That Was Just Sad, Huh?

Less than one month to go until the mid-terms, and he confessed to Maria Bartiromo that he was pining for time on the ranch.

How many vacation days has he taken again?

- Dave

[CorpGovActivist]

136. Inconsistent with His Past Statements, Too...

... not that that is anything new for him, but he clearly stated in prior interviews that he made a point of learning how to use it when the daughters headed off to college.

Can you imagine the poor IT support guy who got tagged for that tutorial? Poor bastard!

: )

- Dave

[PerfectSage]

38. Oh Happy Day

when Jesus RICO washed Dick Chenny away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ggiKmg2Ek&mode=related&search=

Skimming through your threads I got the impression Chenny might get charged under RICO law?

http://graham.main.nc.us/~bhammel/INS/RICO.html

[CorpGovActivist]

39. Cheney's Ties to David R. Smith, VP of Tax at Halliburton

http://contracts.corporate.findlaw.com/agreements/halliburton/smith.emp.1998.09.29.html

: )

[Buttercup McToots]

41. Wow

Sure wonder what those HAL code of ethics say...

[CorpGovActivist]

47. The COMINTERN Had Policies Too...

... that, on paper, looked great: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comintern

Halliburton's Code of Business Conduct is a farce worthy of a Politburo's Pravda ad: http://www.halliburton.com/about/board_gov.jsp

- Dave

[PerfectSage]

56. Halliburton is going to IPO KBR soon

Does that smell fishy to you. ie KBR gets stuck with lawsuit liabibilites and HAL sells all their KBR stock?

http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=newIssuesNews&storyID=2006-10-31T124620Z_01_N31480741_RTRIDST_0_ENERGY-HALLIBURTON-IPO-UPDATE-1.XML


Thank you sooooooo much for all your efforts for justice.

[Buttercup McToots]

63. mmmmmm

:o

[CorpGovActivist]

66. Not If I Can Help It, They're Not!

The registration statements (notice BakerBotts' fingerprints all over these filings; James Addison Baker, III is right there in the thick of this): http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?company=kbr&CIK=&filenum=&State=&SIC=&owner=include&action=getcompany

My SEC filings so far (read them from the bottom up, since they're reverse chrono), including the ones about the KBR Texas Two-Step: http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?company=smith+david+allen&CIK=&filenum=&State=&SIC=&owner=include&action=getcompany

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1269476/000126947606000005/0001269476-06-000005-index.htm

- Dave

[PerfectSage]

77. Take a look at the risk factors for the KBR ipo HaHa

<snip>• Potential consequences arising out of investigations into United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters and antitrust matters could include suspension or debarment by the DoD or another federal, state or local government agency or by the MoD of us and our affiliates from our ability to contract with such parties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and cash flow. Please read “—Risks Relating to Investigations.” <snip>


http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1357615/000119312506218385/ds1a.htm#rom71894_2

<snip>Risks Relating to Investigations

The SEC and the DOJ are investigating the actions of agents in foreign projects in light of the requirements of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and the results of these investigations could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow.

The SEC is conducting a formal investigation into whether improper payments were made to government officials in Nigeria through the use of agents or subcontractors in connection with the construction and subsequent expansion by TSKJ, a joint venture in which one of our subsidiaries (a successor to The M.W. Kellogg Company) had a 25% interest at September 30, 2006, of a multibillion dollar natural gas liquefaction complex and related facilities at Bonny Island in Rivers State, Nigeria.<snip>

<snip>Information has been uncovered suggesting that former employees may have engaged in coordinated bidding with one or more competitors on certain foreign construction projects.

In connection with the investigation into payments relating to the Bonny Island project in Nigeria, information has been uncovered suggesting that former employees may have engaged in coordinated bidding with one or more competitors on certain foreign construction projects and that such coordination possibly began as early as the mid-1980s. <snip>

<snip>Potential consequences arising out of the investigations into FCPA matters and antitrust matters could include suspension or debarment of our ability to contract with the United States, state or local governments, U.S. government agencies or the MoD, third party claims, loss of business, adverse financial impact, damage to reputation and adverse consequences on financing for current or future projects.

Potential consequences of a criminal indictment arising out of any of these investigations could include suspension of our ability to contract with the United States, state or local governments, U.S. government agencies or the MoD in the United Kingdom. If a criminal or civil violation were found, we and our affiliates could be debarred from future contracts or new orders under current contracts to provide services to any such parties.<snip>


<snip>Our indemnification from Halliburton for FCPA Matters may not be enforceable as a result of being against governmental policy.

Our indemnification from Halliburton relating to FCPA Matters (as defined under “—Risks Related to Our Affiliation With Halliburton”) may not be enforceable as a result of being against governmental policy. Under the indemnity with Halliburton, our share of any liabilities for fines or other monetary penalties or direct monetary damages, including disgorgement, as a result of U.S. or certain foreign governmental claims or assessments relating to FCPA Matters would be funded by Halliburton and would not be borne by us and our public stockholders.<snip>

[IdesOfOctober]

79. What it doesn't say...

... is that one whistleblower, in particular, helped undo their "best laid escape plans," and rendered them useless.

Ides

[Peace Patriot]

103. This reminds me of Enron. Where did all that money GO? The $9 billion

they stole from California--the entire California budget surplus--gone, gone--and that was just one piece of it. How much did Ken Lay really dish out to Bush-Cheney and subsidiaries before the shit hit the fan? As I understand it, Enron was an empty shell by the time Lay was found dead of a heart attack this year.

Greg Palast figures the Schwarzenegger/G. Shultz/Ken Lay meeting in Los Angeles in May 2001 (after Cheney's infamous secret energy meetings) was to lay (...ahem) out a strategy for preventing the Calif Davis/Bustamante administration from investigatin'. And from getting any of the money back. CA Sec of State, Repub Bill Jones (now gone to greener pastures with Sequoia) had introduced Diebold/ES&S/Sequoia election theft technology prior to the weird '03 Recall election, which had 125 candidates on the ballot (easy shuffling of votes around in that field). Time mag and Larry King helped, with zillions in free campaign publicity for "The Terminator." The NEW Sec of State, Democrat Kevin Shelley, elected in '02, began smelling something rotten, started looking into Diebold--and in May '04, sued them for their lies about the security of their machines, demanded to see their source code, de-certified the worst machines (the touchscreens), denied HAVA funds to corrupt county election officials to purchase this crapass, hackable technology, and provided Californians with a paper ballot option at the polls--all prior to the 2004 election. He was in the early stages of this pursuit of bad actor Diebold, when the Recall hit ('03), and in full blown pursuit when the '04 election hit.

I think there was a 5% to 10% shave of Kerry's votes in Calif, which occurred only in Republican counties--he still won the state by a 10% margin, but should have won it bigger, closer to Barbara Boxer's margin of 20%. The difference is found entirely in Repub counties, which makes no sense, politically (large numbers of people voting for Boxer...and Bush?). The shaved votes were no doubt used to pad Bush's national popular majority. Ergo: The corruption was already system-wide, and involved Diebold's central tabulators, and corrupted county officials. THEN, just after the 2004 election, Shelley gets a 1,000 lb. weight dropped on his head--he is "swift-boated" out of office on what appear to me to be entirely bogus corruption charges. (The A.G. declined to prosecute.) And Schwarzenegger APPOINTS a Sec of State, Diebold shill Bruce McPherson--no doubt to cover Diebold's tracks in '03 and '04. He is also undoing all of Shelley's reforms, made the lawsuit go away, and RE-certified Diebold's touchscreens (illegally!).

Upshot: Calif gets none of its money back, not with Schwarz in charge. Everything--this grand theft, and rampant vote theft in two elections--gets all covered up. And Calif starts having a rash of weird election results--as in CA-50. More looting to come.

So, take Enron as a prototype. They use some entity to cadge billions, then hang its people out to dry. In Enron's case, they steal billions from "Aunt Tillie"--civilian energy users, and taxpayers--funnel some of the money in Bush/Cheney campaign coffers, and the rest, who knows where?, and the CEO's/managers take the rap. In Halliburton's case, they use KBR to funnel billions to Halliburton, then hang KBR out to dry. Repeat this over and over.

But what is this stolen money FOR? Where did it GO? Billions and billions. I don't know that much about Enron finances, but I'm inclined to believe that large chunks of that money has also gone the Cayman Islands route, into real dirty, real big slush funds--actually "slush funds" doesn't adequately describe it--I think we're talking about vast treasuries of cash and other assets--but for what?

I'm thinking about this 200,000 acre property the Bush Cartel is purchasing in Paraguay--where they've already created a U.S. military air base (supposedly for the US "war on drugs"), with OUR money. Plan Columbia ($600 million this year alone, of our money, for the "war on drugs"--read war on peasants and leftists) has become Plan Paraguay (US/Columbian military/paramilitary on the move there), and Paraguay is right on the Bolivian border. Is this Bush Cartel Paraguayan ranch a small kingdom that Bushite criminals intend to flee to, and from which they intend to mount operations to topple the leftist democracies in Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador, and reclaim So. America for brutal dictatorships, death squads and the Corporate Rulers? There are boffo natural resources to extract--water, oil, gas, minerals--in the Andean region. (We know about Venezuela's oil, but there is much more--and of course Bushites can't abide these resources being used to help the poor, via democratic governments.)

The U.S. is $10 TRILLION in debt. Where's it all gone? Figure the Bushites have pocketed about half that--leaving the poor and middle class in the U.S. to pick up the tab. And with that much money, they could buy half the planet--not just a small kingdom in Paraguay. The Iraq War contributes about $1 trillion of the debt. But there has been much more going on than this--most gov't services privatized and contracted out, with lots of padding. Imagine $1-5 trillion of the U.S. debt, stolen on our credit, and funneled into all sorts of rightwing corporations for ostensible services--which could thereby be laundered to outside accounts, leaving these "shells" to collapse behind them. They could be setting up a full-blown Global Corporate Predator army and a free-floating "government," with which to bribe, bully, blackmail and create chaos within every government in the world.

It's a whole lot to expect that American democracy--or any democracy--could catch such thieves and bring them to justice (let alone get our money back, or even part of our money. California hasn't been real successful at it. The money is all gone, and the poor are paying for it.) We have never seen theft on this scale--theft so big that the thieves could buy whole armies and whole governments. The possible scale of it--even a scaled down, less fantastic version--makes the Mafia look like a kindergarten. I will be surprised if there is any justice in the case of the Bush Junta. And I don't think we really know who's in charge of it--that is, who holds the keys to the stolen trillions. For all we know, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are just as expendable as Ken Lay. (Is it the Saudi sultans, maybe? The secretive bin Laden family? Who and what is behind the faces we are permitted to see--the ones we imagine we have the power to put behind bars?) I repeat: The money's gone. We cannot get it back. It will be used against us, and against all good people everywhere--and no doubt is already being so used. It's just as if a thief stole an individual's credit card, and got $50,000 cash out of it, and absconded. But we have no insurance against White House theft of our future. And the magnitude of it is, of course, off the charts.

I've laid out a worst case scenario. But you've got to admit, there's truth in it. And I don't know what the remedy is, except to pick up the pieces of our tattered self-respect as a people, prosecute whichever of these S.O.B.'s can be caught, try to put our broken country back together again, and do everything we can to prevent it ever happening again. That's a best case scenario, in my opinion. And we have quite a number of S.O.B.s to deal with (and not all of them are Republicans), before the best case scenario can get going. I think we're doing pretty well on the first part--our self-respect as a people--amazingly. We KNOW that, as a people, we deserve better than George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and their henchmen in the executive branch, in the Congress, in places like Ohio, Florida and California, and in the corporate news monopolies. We are a good, and progressive, and generous, and highly competent people, and we're beginning to see this clearly--that they DON'T represent us. It's a start toward recovering our democracy.

[CorpGovActivist]

108. The Two Senators from CA ...

... have been kept apprised of Congressman Waxman's "discoveries" with respect to Enron. Believe it or not, the statutes on that have still not run - meaning there is still hope of a massive recovery.

That, plus they will get lots of (continuing) help from counterintuitive quarters.

: )

- Dave

[nashville_brook]

44. did we forget to put Part III in the post??

[Catherine Vincent]

50. Kicking and learning!

I've always said Fitzgerald is not done yet. :)

[CorpGovActivist]

67. Fitzgerald and the Wilsons ROCK!!!!!!!

Note the Armitage stuff in this filing I made: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/45012/000126947606000011/shameonvirginiasenators.htm

; )

HINT: Halliburton/KBR and Armitage Associates LC were in the same building in Arlington, Virginia.

- Dave

[Swamp Rat]

54. I suppose Cheney can't shred those.

HAHA!! :D



Thank you CorpGovActivist. :hi:

[CorpGovActivist]

68. "The E-Mail" and "The Google" Got Em!

LOL.

- Dave

[Swamp Rat]

96. Btw,

:D

[CorpGovActivist]

100. I Just Noticed...

... that you have the copyright on that image.

What other graphics programs are you adept in?

- Dave

[Swamp Rat]

107. Hmm...

I'm a broke grad student who can learn to use whatever is available. :D

The pix that I post here are done using Photoshop Elements 3.0, a pared down version for poor folks. Before obtaining PS Elements, I used free programs for Mac OS X that I found on the Internet. Over the years I have used Illustrator and other graphics programs for Apple OS, as well as programs like Corel for Windows (its been many years). Other than PS Elements, I mostly use GIS programs at school for making maps to display data and statistical analysis (ArcGIS for Windows, GRASS for UNIX).

[CorpGovActivist]

109. A Few Observations ...

1. Your stuff is very good, especially given that you're doing it on feature-limited versions.

2. If you donate time to a non-profit of your choice, you can persuade them to purchase the software you really need - through the non-profit purchase programs that many major software manufacturers have (but don't often advertise). At the very least, an authorized purchaser of that non-profit can use the tax letter to at least purchase it off the shelf, tax free.

3. Do you have an online portfolio of your favorite pieces?

- Dave

[Swamp Rat]

111. No online portfolio of my favorite pieces, but someone made one for me

(only about 1/3 or less than my over all output). Many of these are old or draft versions: http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/swamprat/index.htm

I appreciate the compliment, especially since I do this simply as an exercise in catharsis, and for fun (I'm really a musician studying to be a scientist). I do not sell my work - I just post it here so anyone can download it for free. Some call it "art," but I call it fotovandalism. :D

Here's a few recent ones:

[CorpGovActivist]

115. Who Are Your Favorite ...

... political cartoonists?

I miss Herblock!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herblock

- Dave

[Swamp Rat]

116. Helmut Herzfeld AKA John Heartfield

Herblock was great too.



"John Heartfield was a German artist whose politically charged photomontages were banned in his home country during the Nazi regime.

Heartfield was born in 1891 as Helmut Herzfeld. He changed his name in part as a way to protest World War I; he even feigned madness to avoid returning to the service. During the Weimar period he became a member of the Berlin DADA group. He used his collage work as a political medium, incorporating images from the political journals of the day. He edited "Der DADA" and organized the First International DADA Fair in Berlin in 1920.

Sharply critical of the Weimar Republic, Heartfield’s work was banned during the Third Reich, then rediscovered in the Democratic Republic in the late 1950s. Since then, his art has influenced generations of artists and graphic designers.

This section of the site contains three major components: Heartfield's art, Heartfield's life and world events. Heartfield's art contains detailed information about his photomontage work and examples of his art. Heartfield's life contains a theme-organized timeline of his life, highlighting his major events and connected to related pictures. The section of the site on world events is organized graphically by decades starting with the 1890s and concluding with the 1960s. The section on world events highlights major historic events during Heartfield's times."

http://www.towson.edu/heartfield/art/art.html
http://www.brasscheck.com/heartfield/gallery.html

[CorpGovActivist]

117. I See the Influence!

Nice derivation!

: )

- Dave

[Swamp Rat]

119. Funny thing

My work has not been derivative of Heartfield because I did not know about Heartfield until recently. I would gladly say so if it were true because I really like his work. The DUer Octafish told me about him because he, too, thought my work is similar, which it is... well, I suppose he has influenced me by demonstrating that what I do has already been taken seriously by an earlier generation of art critics. Our themes are certainly similar. I fancy the thought that Heartfield would like my work and consider me a colleague. :blush:

So, if there was an influence, it has been through osmosis. :D

My main influences have been Bosch, Bruegel, Grunewald, Dürer, et al and my mother, who is a fantastic professional artist, and sci-fi novels and movies. When I was an infant, my mother read to me Asimov, Poe, Heinlein, and H.P. Lovecraft, among others, until I could read them on my own. I moved on to Kafka by the time I was 8.

[CorpGovActivist]

120. Subversive Moms...

... ain't they the best?!?

I'm sure Heartfield would be glad to see that there's a great mind, thinking alike, today.

: )

- Dave

[Swamp Rat]

121. I just noticed your link to BushBunglesBrigade.org

:rofl: :applause:



And thank you for sharing your letter to Senators Byrd and Rockefeller. :yourock:

[radfringe]

55. I promise to read all the links and stuff...really

I've bookmarked it all... and although it's of little comparison of what you've been going through...

I have a humongus headache from spending 3-1/2 hrs giving a deposition on a product liability case at my workplace...

I'm a tiny little coglet in this thing, and felt like Sgt. Shultz for most of the deposition... I don't know, it's not my job, I have nothing to do with that, I don't know, it's not my job, I have nothing to do with that...

HOWEVER - having that little taste of dealing with lawyers - I feel I am compelled to read everything so I can ask more intelligent questions...

and thanks for answering everyone's questions...

[CorpGovActivist]

70. Sounds Like You Did the Right Thing...

... when I got that very first phone call from the DOJ on the morning of Friday, July 23, 2004, I told them then:

1. I won't embellish.

2. I won't hesitate to say, "I don't know."

3. I won't hesitate to say, "I don't know, but here's who might just know - and be willing to tell you."

- Dave

[IdesOfOctober]

75. He should be ...

... reimbursed for the days of his life - literally - he's given, going over the evidence with investigators.

Ides

[bigbrother05]

58. Kick and Rec.

bookmarked

[IdesOfOctober]

80. Fahrenheit 9/11 - watching it with David

I think others might like to know that watching Fahrenheit 9/11 with David is a treat.

Know the scene with the Halliburton/KBR execs? David knew some of them, including "George," who worked in David's office.

Ides

[stop the bleeding]

83. another question if I may,

has Bunnatine H. (Bunny) Greenhouse been discussed in these threads and if no/yes - is she relevant to this topic? Me thinks she may be, but I haven't had enough time to go through all of this information.

thank you in advance

[CorpGovActivist]

87. She Should Be Considered to Be ...

... in the pantheon of Halliburton whistleblowers, as far as I am concerned!

: )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnatine_greenhouse

- Dave

[stop the bleeding]

89. I have always found her role in this to be VERY IMPORTANT

I would very much like to have dinner with her and "chat" about what she saw going on behind the closed doors when all of these contracts were being pushed through.


a star witness and a fine American that stands up for what is right.


Dave - this is starting to look like the "Prefect Storm" - it is critical for us to win on 11/07/06 more than ever now, so that Waxman and others can crack the whip.


thanks again

[CorpGovActivist]

93. She Played the "Other" Critical Insider Role ...

... inside the Government agencies that were rubber stamping the bids.

- Dave

P.S. One of my college jobs was interning in the Contracts & Bonds Division of the West Virginia Attorney General's Office. We had to approve all state contracts. We were pretty good at spotting fraud.

[Buttercup McToots]

112. David

you and Ides help me, as I sneak in and out due to Halloween.
There was something I saw on one of the threads and rememember also...
About companies being allowed to bring in money/profits from others countries w/o paying tax...
A one shot deal?
Am I rembering right?

[CorpGovActivist]

114. American Jobs Creation Act of 2004

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=american+jobs+creation+act+2004+repatriate+earnings

"you and Ides help me, as I sneak in and out due to Halloween.
There was something I saw on one of the threads and rememember also...
About companies being allowed to bring in money/profits from others countries w/o paying tax...
A one shot deal?
Am I rembering right?"

See above. That's just about right.

The new Democratic Congress could revise this.

: )

[DemReadingDU]

148. Good Morning!

I was thinking, if Bush/Republicans can use Kerry's botched joke as fodder against the support for our troops, I'm thinking some more scoop about these scandals should come out!

[IdesOfOctober]

150. I like your style of thinking...

... David, and/or the investigators, should help change the subject back to where it belongs: this Administration's misconduct.

Ides

[Blackhatjack]

151. Giving it another try..... issues raised from previous post

From my previous post "Now I have questions I do not think I can ask here. I will try to figure out a way when I return.

This may be 'left field' stuff, but let me throw it out there --respond if you like."
*************************************************************************************
Q- If you were involved in highly partisan corruption, would it not benefit you to involve members of the 'other political persuasions' in the corruption, in hopes of fending off the partisan nature of the activity?


Q- Is this tactic likely to be exposed in this Halliburton/Enron/State Street Bank corruption scandal and coverup? If so, will it result in the public perception that "the wrongdoing" should be assigned to both major political parties?

Q- In regard to the 'left field' stuff, is it likely that the 'prewar' Iraq corruption laid the foundation for the initiation, continuation and exploitation of the Iraq War corruption?

Q- If Wolfowitz held the purse strings and Bolton 'the muscle', would that not be a powerful combination that could be used to influence other countries to 'cooperate' with the 'friends' of this Administration? And grease the tracks for 'Halliburton and others' to gain contracts for all manner of 'services' from these other countries?

[CorpGovActivist]

152. Put That in IV, please ...and

I'll start working on the answers.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2536384&mesg_id=2536384

Thanks!

- Dave

[leveymg]

153. A few questions, if you please, Mr. Smith.

David -

I am a bit late into the game, as I was alerted to the existence of your extraordinary series of postings only this morning. Thus far, have only had time to read only this thread and some of the links, and plan to read the others later. I'll likely have more questions for you.

What stands out, so far:

Page 3, para 3, of your 09/20/2006 letter to Sens. Byrd and Rockefeller:

"After all, a dirty foreign bribe is usually paid with dirty, offshore, untaxed money, right?"

Was that a rhetorical question, or did you actually see reference to such offshore account(s) in any of these e-mails? Did you hear anyone within the company make reference to such? Has any USG officer or elected official or staff, confirmed the existence of such account(s), or that there is an ongoing investigation into the same?

The e-mails you did read reference bribes allegedly paid by the company to officials in Nigeria. You also reference "other" countries you believe are involved in the slush fund. What other countries? Is this something you just intuit, or know?

What has been the reaction of the WV Senators? May we see Rocky and Byrd's written response, if any?

Below is your account of the ground rules you placed on yourself in your dealings with DOJ:

CorpGovActivist (1000+ posts) Tue Oct-31-06 02:45 PM
Response to Reply #55

70. Sounds Like You Did the Right Thing...


... when I got that very first phone call from the DOJ on the morning of Friday, July 23, 2004, I told them then:

1. I won't embellish.

2. I won't hesitate to say, "I don't know."

3. I won't hesitate to say, "I don't know, but here's who might just know - and be willing to tell you."

- Dave



Did you raise the offshore slush fund allegation with DOJ? What was their response? Can you share any of your correspondence with them?

Do you have copies of company e-mails that discussed such a slush fund? If not, how did you make that leap? Was it something discussed with others within the company who steered you? Is there anyone else who you are aware of who has also made public similar allegations about offshore slush funds?

I'm neither a skeptic nor an enthusiast, at this point, but am trying to gauge the solidity of these allegations.

Please feel free to PM your response to me, if you prefer.

Sincerest thanks for bringing this to our attention.

- Mark

[leveymg]

154. Will also repost this at IV. eom

[CorpGovActivist]

155. For the Benefit of Dial-up DUers...

... please repost in part IV.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2536384&mesg_id=2536384

Thanks!

- Dave