Lonstarnot, is this it?

[warrior1]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090803088.html?hpid=topnews

Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home
Taxpayers Also Funded Family's Travel

By James V. Grimaldi and Karl Vick
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, September 9, 2008; A01

ANCHORAGE, Sept. 8 -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.

The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show.

[MiniMe]

1. IMHO that may be enough to take Palin down, but not McCain

Actually, probably not even Palin. Doesn't sound like enough. And we pay for Chimpy's trips to Camp David and the pig farm. Hell, we pay for Chimpy's campaign excursions, which I think needs to be looked at.

[tekisui]

2. I don't think so.

The "down the pike" was going to put the attention squarely on mcPOW, and make everyone forget about Caribou Barbie.

[madrchsod]

3. cool ....a family of grifters running the country

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. Isn't that what the BFEE is, a family of grifters?

:evilgrin:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. Lonstarnot made it clear it had nothing to do with Palin but McCain. I think its Abramoff.

He talked to the Feds to make the deal he did for a reduced 4 year sentence.

[radfringe]

10. FOLLOW THE OIL SLICK

$182m bribery scam: FG, security agencies remain silent
Written by Hector Igbikiowubo
Tuesday, 09 September 2008
http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16492&Itemid=0

DESPITE last week’s admission of guilt by a former executive of Kellogg Brown & Root to having participated in a decade-long scheme to pay $182 million worth of bribes to contractors to build Nigeria’s premier liquefied natural gas plant on Bonny Island, the Federal Government and security agencies have kept sealed lips and taken no action, raising questions about commitment to probity and transparency.

----snip---

Albert “Jack” Stanley, 65, of Houston pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Houston last Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, the Justice Department said.

A one-time chairman of Houston-based Kellogg Brown & Root — now known as KBR — Stanley played a leading role in hiring so-called consultants to funnel bribes to top Nigerian government officials, Justice officials said.

---snip-----

As part of his plea agreement, Stanley faces a sentence of seven years in prison and the payment of $10.8 million in restitution. A sentencing date has not been set.

Stanley also reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission and will cooperate with the agency’s probe into the bribery scheme.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

15. That's interesting! This is one of the reasons why I think Abramoff with McCrash/Huff Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/12/mccain-received-100000-_n_86245.html

Sam Stein
The Huffington Post

McCain Received $100,000 From Firm Of Abramoff Notoriety

February 12, 2008 02:38 PM


On the stump, Sen. John McCain has touted his work tackling the excesses of the lobbying industry to bolster his reputation as a "maverick" reformer.

"Ask Jack Abramoff if I'm an insider in Washington," McCain often contends. "You'd probably have to go during visiting hours in the prison, and he'll tell you and his lobbyist cronies of the change I made there."

But how much change did McCain actually effect? And is he all that removed from Washington's special interests?

A review of campaign finance filings shows that the Arizona Republican has accepted more than $100,000 in donations from employees of Greenberg Traurig, the very firm where Abramoff once reigned.

continued at above link

[DemzRock]

5. Yeah, didn't Lonestarnot say it involved McCain? And...

BTW... I'm just wondering... How does Lonestarnot have inside knowledge? Does he work in the media/press or with the Obama Campaign or with the gvt?

Oh, well, in any case, I hope he's right and there's something BIG afoot!

:D

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

6. You guys must have to be taken to the hospital to be revived once a week

Everyone holds their breath around here waiting for some big scandal because someone on here claims they have inside information.

Sheesh.....don't get your hopes up. You are being trolled.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Per Diem...

Here's the rub on this one...

Alaska is not just a huge state, but its capital, Juneau is one of the most inexcisslbe places to travel to. It's a small hamlet hidden on an island closer to Vancouver than it is to Anchorage and Fairbanks. I would imagine many of the legislators in the state have similar per diems to travel back and forth for legislative business.

Here in Illinois, we have a governor who rarely spends a night in our state capitol...prefering to stay in Chicago with his family (young children) and "saving money" by doing so. 16 grand for household per diem is a bargain compared to the expense of having her live in the executive mansion with that large brood...security, housing staff and so on.

This is picking at the edges. Stick with the abuse of power and her radical agenda...the real "more of the same".

[warrior1]

8. yea but she's charging the state

to stay in her own damn house.

[KharmaTrain]

13. So Do Others...

I use my governor...Rod Blagoyovich (who most of us in Illinois would love to kick out...no matter if he's a Democrat)...who does the same thing. He used it as a campaign "asset" in showing how he saved the state money but doing this...rather than having tax payers foot the bill for the family living in the governor's mansion. Also, it can be argued that state business is being done in that home and thus justifies the expense. But let's see if this story gets any legs...if it does, I surely won't mind putting another milstone around her neck...force her out of her cocooon to address this issue.

Cheers...

[berni_mccoy]

9. That story was already out when lonestarnot made that post. I don't think this is it.

[warrior1]

11. ok

[EstimatedProphet]

14. Looks like she's a welfare mom after all...

Mooching off the government trough. Typical repub - gripe about people with no income or hope of income making $150 a month on welfare, while she takes $50 per day that she's not entitled to.

[libertypirate]

16. See if this one fits better...

Does McCain Campaign Chair's Lobby Shop Share Skybox with AT&T?

...

There’s no Beltway lobbying shop more closely associated with Senator John McCain than Davis, Manafort Inc. Rick Davis is on leave from the firm while he runs the senator’s presidential campaign. Davis was one of Washington’s most powerful telecommunications lobbyists and represented various firms that had interests before the Senate Commerce Committee when McCain chaired it. Christian Ferry, McCain’s deputy campaign manager, is also a former telecom lobbyist for Davis, Manafort, as is Timothy McKone, a McCain fundraiser and adviser who now lobbies for AT&T. Then there’s Charles Black, McCain’s chief political adviser and the “chairman of one of Washington’s lobbying powerhouses, BKSH and Associates, which has also represented AT&T.” John Timmons, a fundraiser for McCain, a former Senate staffer to McCain, and minority counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee, has likewise lobbied for AT&T. It’s one big, happy family.

...

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/09/hbc-90003510