So you say there WON'T be investigations? Kerry taps Douglas Frantz for SFRC chief investigator

[blm]

Nice to have someone who understands the historical import of BCCI matters in charge at SFRC....at long last.

Why Douglas Frantz?


A Full Service Bank: How BCCI Stole Billions Around the World
by James Ring Adams and Douglas Frantz




No more looking the other way - Kerry is the uncorrupted new sheriff in town - with subpoena power.

[Uzybone]

1. Kerry has never been one to look the other way

like "cough" Feinstein "cough".

[Jambalaya]

47. Double vision?

Why Has John McCain Blocked Info on MIAs? By Sydney H. Schanberg
This article appeared in the October 6, 2008 edition of The Nation.



Sydney H. Schanberg: The war hero has long sought to bury information about POWs left behind in Vietnam.
A Man Who Gets His Way Journalists & Journalism



"The sum of the secrets McCain has sought to hide is not small. There exists a telling mass of official documents, radio intercepts, witness depositions, satellite photos of rescue symbols that pilots were trained to use, electronic messages from the ground containing the individual code numbers given to airmen, a rescue mission by a Special Forces unit that was aborted twice by Washington and even sworn testimony by two defense secretaries that "men were left behind." This imposing body of evidence suggests that a large number--probably hundreds--of the US prisoners held in Vietnam were not returned when the peace treaty was signed in January 1973 and Hanoi released 591 men, among them Navy combat pilot John S. McCain.

The Pentagon had been withholding significant information from POW families for years. What's more, the Pentagon's POW/MIA operation had been publicly shamed by internal whistleblowers and POW families for holding back documents as part of a policy of "debunking" POW intelligence even when the information was obviously credible. The pressure from the families and Vietnam veterans finally produced the creation, in late 1991, of a Senate "Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs." The chair was JOHN KERRY, but McCain, as a POW, was its most pivotal member. In the end, the committee became part of the debunking machine."------the Nation------(The entire article can be viewed at the Nation website.We can hope that Kerry will be not prove to be ineffective,again.)

[TheWraith]

114. The noise from the POW/MIA crowd is nonsense.

There's practically a cult formed around the idea that there's really American POWs still alive in Vietnam. They're like the 9/11 Truthers or the UFO people; they invent their own reality where blurry photos are hard proof and hard proof is government propaganda. The fact that the Nation is giving any kind of credibility to them only lowers my opinion of their publication.

[Jambalaya]

118. Reality vs. Perception.

We are all entitled to our own opinions. NONE of us are entitled to our own facts. Exactly what FACTS do you proffer to DISPROVE that there were not American POWs that remained behind? The Nation website offers two versions of Schanberg's work. One is called a report-it is more a synopsis and abbreviated version . The second, lengthy,highly annotated and documented version is also available on the Nation website. The actual supportive docs are included in the second version. Now,once again, let's see your documentaion to substantiate your differing position.

[karynnj]

124. The fact is the Nation articles facts have been discredited years ago

The fact is that number of missing from Vietnam is smaller than in similar wars.

[karynnj]

123. This has been WIDELY discredited

The fact is that there are far fewer missing from Vietnam than from Korea or WWII. The fact is that many of the people who were pushing the idea that there were POWs left behind were people getting money from the families and friends - The Newsweek cover that raised the awareness was proven to be a fraud,

There was a long CSPAN documentary on one of the trips made - and it is clear that they were making a very serious effort to set up an investigation to look into all the areas where there were reports of Americans. Kerry used his history to push the Vietnamese into concessions that none of the Senators and diplomats thought possible - they were allowed to go by helicopter anywhere without giveing any advance notice. Kerry himself made 14 trips there.

The conclusion - that ALL the Senators, including Bob Smith, who was an ultra conservative who was the ranking member of the committee and the leading believer in POWs being left behind - agreed to was that though there could possibly be some Americans, there was absolutely no proof that there were big prisons holding people at that time. (Smith actually endorsed Kerry - because he thought he was a good person)

In addition, it was Kerry who pushed the Vietnamese and other South east Asians to make more serious efforts to find and repatriate remains - further decreasing the number of missing.

(Ironicly, in December 2003, that effort led to Howard Dean's family getting the body of his brother.

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[blm]

5. considered a great honor coming from you......grazie.

.

[Solly Mack]

10. I got a big grin on my face when I read the news

:)

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

3. K&R.

[90-percent]

4. At long last

That these criminal leaders are finally investigated like the rest of us are. NO MAN IS ABOVE THE LAW! We the People cannot allow our leaders to be mafia caliber criminal psychopaths! To let this go is to condemn future generations to even more totalitarian tyrannical fascism. No exactly what our Founding Fathers had in mind.

-90% Jimmy

[FirstLight]

6. can you elaborate> what;s SFRC?

securities & finance reform?

thanks :) duh! I guess my brain is fried after the week I have had!

[Uzybone]

8. Senate Foreign Relations Committee

One of the most powerful committees in congress.

[starroute]

7. BCCI is the model for so much that's still happening

The Madoff thing, for example -- there are a lot of questions about where the $50 billion really went.

Maybe it was all a scam and there was no $50 billion except on paper -- or maybe not. In either case, we need somebody who can track the money as it disappears into offshore tax havens and get a line on what's really happening.

[blm]

12. Wanna bet UBS knows what's up? They won't be able to scramble fast enough.

The fascist pricks.

[lonestarnot]

32. Tee hee

http://uk.reuters.com/article/marketsNewsUS/idUKL952266420090109

UBS closing U.S. clients' offshore accounts -NYT
Fri Jan 9, 2009 7:26am GMT

ZURICH, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Under pressure from the U.S. tax authorities, Swiss wealth management giant UBS (UBSN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) (UBS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is closing all the offshore accounts of its rich U.S. clients, the New York Times said on Friday.

UBS, which the U.S. authorities says helped wealthy Americans hide cash in offshore bank accounts, will shut about 19,000 offshore accounts, the paper said, quoting unnamed U.S. clients.

A UBS spokesman in Switzerland was not immediately available to comment on the report.

... many U.S. clients of UBS had started to voluntarily turn themselves in to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The clients have so far avoided serious punishment, the paper said.

[blm]

37. Believe it or not, some DUers still think this stuff isn't real.

They are part of the problem and why fascists in our government get away with so much.

[Jambalaya]

78. Is Shenzhen considered "Offshore"?

I have been following UBS and its ties to Shenzhen Bank in China for some time now. What is intriguing is one of the shareholders of Shenzhen Bank-namely Newbridge Capital. Dianne Feinstein's husband,Blum ,is on Board of Directors of Newbridge Capital. UBS has a long history with this Chinese bank. Apparently making some history with Newbridge Capital,also.

Thomson Reuters

UPDATE 1-China's Shenzhen Dev Bank sells 6.5 bln yuan bonds
Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:40am GMT

HONG KONG, March 24 (Reuters) - China's Shenzhen Development Bank 000001.SZ sold 6.5 billion yuan ($922 million) in 10-year bonds, sole underwriter UBS said on Monday, as local currency bond markets remain healthy at a time of global volatility.

The deal marked UBS's (UBSN.VX) first deal in the yuan bond market, which was done via its unit UBS Securities, the investment bank said.

UBS and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) are the only foreign firms with an underwriting licence for Chinese domestic markets, while other global lenders have used joint ventures to crack the country's capital markets.

Shenzhen Development Bank, which is nearly 18 percent owned by U.S. private equity firm Newbridge Capital , sold lower Tier 2 fixed-rate bonds with a 10-year maturity and not callable for five years at a 6.10 percent coupon, UBS Securities said in the statement.....

[bluesmail]

80. highly recommended

[Jambalaya]

113. Derivatives coming home to roost?

UBS obtains nod for financial derivatives　
Last Updated(Beijing Time):2005-03-10 11:13

Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) AG has won a license to trade financial derivatives in China, joining rivals including Citigroup Inc. as the market opens further to foreigners, according to a newspaper report.

The license allowed the Swiss bank to trade derivatives on interest rates and currency, the China Securities Journal said Wednesday.

Foreign players are now shut out of much of the domestic bank sector but will win nearly full access to its US$1.5 trillion in personal savings by the end of 2006.

The government had allowed trading in financial derivatives from March 2004, but had given licenses since 2003 to only domestic lenders such as the Bank of China (BOC) and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

Yet the government sees a growing need for hedging tools as it forges closer links with the global economy and moves toward more liberal interest rate and currency regimes. Foreign expertise can help.----(LOL!)


Source:Shenzhen Daily

[loudsue]

13. Exactly, starroute. The $750 billion we just spent on the banks was also

just smoke & mirrors, and not real assets. Hence all of the bonuses and long vacations taken by all of the principals concerned.

[glitch]

14. And Madoff scammed so many liberals. Almost as if they were targeted.

I believe his clients lost real money. Any way, K & R for Kerry thanks for posting blm!

[aquart]

63. He targeted the people he could reach and impress.

He's Jewish. His circle of acquaintance was Jewish. His pitch was that he could make more money for them to do good with. He "targeted" Jewish liberals because their tradition is one of generous giving and support for a wide range of causes.

[Raksha]

77. And Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize winner, was among those targeted.

I have a hard time forgiving Madoff for that. As a matter of fact, I DON'T!!!

[Lucky Luciano]

38. It is a Ponzi scheme...the vast majority of the money is therefore gone.

Early investors were getting paid by later investors until the gig was up.

[Baby Snooks]

48. You think we will ever know?

The reality is we will never really know who, what, and when with regard to Bernie Madoff. Except for the obvious fact that you don't run a Ponzi scheme for almost 50 years.

You not only have some of the investors "adjusting" their "losses" because apparently some of their "gains" were hidden away to evade taxes, not that anyone will investigate it any more than they are really investigating the UBS tax evasion schemes, but now you have investors who are having to have accountants "balance" out the "capital gains" since some of those gains will be seized if they apply for the compensation from the fraud reimbursement program. A sticky wicket for quite a few. And as with Enron, we will never really know who all the quite a few are. The few who will be named in whatever indictments are returned against any "co-conspirators" will be "unindicted co-conspirators" who mainly are unindicted to keep their mouths shut. They may find another "co-conspirator" or two to indict the way they did with Enron. But the real crooks, well, forget it.

The matter will be covered up the best it can be the way the BCCI matter was covered up the best it could be.

I still think someone set him up - he wiped out some very wealthy Jews who were very generous with liberal causes. I don't think that was just a coincidence. Many felt the same thing about the Helmsleys. And about Marc Rich. What did the Helmsleys and Marc Rich have in common? Their generosity to liberal causes. And of course Rudy Giuliani.

[Jambalaya]

56. Hail to La Komisar

Lucy Komisar writes about the criminal offshore bank BCCI and the way it connected the Bushes, the Saudis, Saddam and Osama bin Laden
in her chapter, “BCCI’s Double Game: Banking on America, Banking on Jihad,” in ”A Game As Old As Empire.”--------------Lucy Komisar is an unsung heroine in the reportage on offshore and shadow banking for some years now,yet I rarely hear anyone referring to her superb work,yeoman's research and reports,actually. I humbly and heartily recommend her website-especially her archived reports on AIG and the CIA connections. I believe its termed report #572,IF I remember correctly.

[leveymg]

95. Let me recommend someone who links to Lucy's work

This is some of the most outstanding P2P linkage work I've seen: http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2008/03/connecting-some-dots-between-candidates.html

If this drives up traffic to his site, I have to apologize to A Jacksonian.

But, I do wish he would highlight (specify) the precise link he thinks Auchi has to a certain party who shares a garden with a neighbor in Chicago. One too many degrees of separation?

[aquart]

59. BCCI is a model for Madoff? In what way?

[blm]

120. yeah...I don't see it, either. Madoff was stealing like Enron, not growing global terrorism

.

[UpInArms]

9. Kerry definitely understand the BCCI scandal

and I wish the rest of the world did also

thanks for the great post, blm!

k&r

[blm]

11. If Americans understood BCCI BushInc would've been jailed long ago, no 9-11, no Iraq war

no growing global terror networks.

This nation likely would have had President Quayle till 1996 when President Gore or Kerry would have won in a landslide. Imagine the difference in the world if ONLY the matters in BCCI were fully revealed to the world.

[UpInArms]

28. one of the best books I read was

The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI

http://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-Bank-Wild-Secret-Heart/dp/0679413847

I have bought and given at least 10 copies of this book to other people (hopefully they read it)

An unconventional but thorough audit of the failed Bank of Credit and Commerce International, by a pair of Time correspondents whose coverage of the stateless institution's scandalous collapse earned them a slew of journalism awards. Beaty and Gwynne (Selling Money, 1986) offer a four-part rundown on BCCI, the financial establishment of choice for arms dealers, drug traffickers, intelligence operatives, terrorists, Third World strongmen, and other scofflaws. The authors first recount how confidential sources tipped them on the biggest story of their professional lives. They then provide a concise, third- person briefing on the Arab-owned, Pakistani-run bank's origins and off-the-books operating procedures. Chartered in backwater venues like the Cayman Islands to evade oversight by regulatory authorities, BCCI (founded in 1972) resorted to money laundering, Ponzi schemes, secret ledgers, tax evasion, and allied misdeeds in catering to its criminal clientele. An accounting commissioned by the Bank of England finally exposed the extent of BCCI's deficits and offenses, impelling the bank's closing. Resuming the narrative as it unfolded from their points of view, the authors cover how they learned that BCCI was something larger and more sinister than a transnational depository institution. In conclusion, they address the failure of governments everywhere to clamp down on BCCI despite abundant evidence of its corruption. Throughout, Beaty and Gwynne make clear that the bank's capacity to suborn or use pillars of the political community played a crucial role in its success. The ranks of those tarnished include the prominent likes of Lord Callaghan, Jimmy Carter, Clark Clifford, and Bert Lance, while the much shorter list of good guys features Jack Blum (a former Senate investigator) and Gotham's D.A., Robert Morgenthau. The ringside format takes some getting used to, but it ultimately affords as vividly clear an explanation of the BCCI conspiracy as we're apt to get anytime soon. (Sixteen pages of b&w photographs--not seen) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

[blm]

39. NO investigator has still been allowed to piece together ALL of it because many documents have been

hidden and protected even by the last Dem administration who sided with the secrecy and privilege of Bush and his cronies involved in these matters all over the world.

[Jambalaya]

44. Big Bucks' " Club Safari"

One of the most encyclopedic compeniums of info on BCCI,Bushes,Bandar and Al Faisil is RIGHT HERE at DU -contained in the archives of leveymg Journals. This journal is PACKED with some of the best research and links I've ever come across. Here's a sample-but PLEASE check out the threads and archived material.AMAZING!


leveymg's Journal
We know, but it's good to be reminded of the original reports, every now and then. K&R
Posted by leveymg in General Discussion
Tue Jul 22nd 2008, 02:38 PM
REPLY TO POST: http://www.random-abstract.com/archives/00...
There's a wealth of detail here that's worth reconnecting with what we've learned since. For instance, it wasn't revealed until recent years that then CIA Director George H.W. Bush made a political deal in mid-1976 with the head of Saudi external intelligence, Prince Turki al-Faisal, to allow the Saudis to finance and run the sort of covert operations that the Democratic Congress banned after the Church Committee hearings. That deal with code-named, Safari Club. BCCI was the funding vehicle for that illegal operation. See, http://journals.democraticunderground.com/...

The result was a series of massive financial rip-offs, development of a Saudi paramilitary capability that became al-Qaeda, and the AQ Khan nuclear network, all of which the Bush wing of the CIA quietly facilitated. The Safari Club was also the start of Saudi penetration of the US political and banking systems, and huge support of the GOP.

What's useful is to look at the details of old news reports, since the corporate media used to actually report a lot of useful details. For instance, after he was fired as CIA Director by President Carter in early 1977, Bush was appointed Director of Houston-based First International Bankshares, owned in part by Joe Allbriton, with foreign offices in London and Luxembourg. BCCI had its major offices in the same locations. After Bush became VP, Allbriton sold out his shares in First Interbank to his crony, Jim Baker III, who owned Republic Bank. The merger went bankrupt a few years later, which became the largest financial bail-out in US history. That set the model for the S&L rip-off, which was also centered in Southwest bank chains in whch BCCI and the Bush clan had a vested interest. Allbriton went on to buy DC-based Riggs Bank, that along with UBS and other BCCI-linked banks, dispersed much of the funds held in diplomatic accounts by the Saudi Embassy in the name of the wife of Prince Bandar (an old friend of the Bush family) to support al-Qaeda cell members in the U.S. who attacked the US on 9/11. It's a small world, after all.-------------------

[blm]

50. leveymg and robertpaulsen deserve more eyeballs for their work...too many DUers take a pass

when they should be doing what they can to keep the historic record open and accurate, future generations will NEED what is discovered and preserved TODAY.

[leveymg]

15. Wow! That's GOOD news - right up there with Leon was appointed to head CIA

Bush will get has day in court. 41 and 43. So will Cheney, if he doesn't have a health emergency. I've said it all along.

I can't wait to dig into those case files!

[blm]

16. We have to keep pushing this....guys like Joe Klein are already writing 'Move on' stories

and they're the ones who get the ink and the mics.

[Jambalaya]

45. KUDOS

Just want to thank you for the incredible research you have done. Your journals are what brought me to this site. A real public service. Thank you,again.

[leveymg]

67. Thank you. Made my day to hear that.

Any particular articles stand out for you?

Again, sincerest thanks.

[Jambalaya]

75. So much info-so little time!

They are ALL outstanding. I feel like I have chanced upon the Rosetta stone! So far,the standouts,are,IMHO :

SENATOR McCOVER-UP: Abramoff & the GOP Foreign Money Machine
Posted by leveymg in General Discussion
Wed Jun 04th 2008, 05:04 PM

Partners In Crime: The Clintons,the Bushes & BCCI
Feb 11,2008

The CIA Officer Who Oversaw Torture: Cofer Black
Dec 23,2007

Prescott Bush was Key Liason with Nazis
Dec 01,2007

Treasury Dep't. Report:Foreign Companies Stripping U.S. Assets
Nov.30,07

[leveymg]

92. Please PM me. And, I almost forgot, Welcome to DU!

PM is the DU internal personal messaging system. Go into the Inbox (top of page), click the L category on User profiles (left panel), scroll down to leveymg, click on my name, and finally Send Private Message.

Cheers.

[MBS]

70. Yes, I have high hopes for Panetta, too. Used to be my congressman.

Good guy.

[leveymg]

93. Mine too.

His office door was always open. He's warm, friendly, and intelligent. He's also honest.

[leveymg]

17. Franz also knows BCCI was the funding vehicle for AQ Khan, part of Bush's deal w/ Prince Turki

In fact, Franz and his wide spent 4 years writing a 2007 book on AQ Khan. He also knows about Poppy's criminal arrangement with Saudi intelligence chief -- the Safari Club -- which set up BCCI to fund rogue CIA operations banned by Congress and the Carter Administration from which the AQ Network was also financed and organized. That should keep the cameras rolling, when it finally comes out.

The nuclear Jihadist: The True Story of the Man Who Sold the World's Most Dangerous Secrets ... and How We Could Have Stopped Him

By Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins

TWELVE BOOKS; 413 PAGES; $25

Upon hearing mention of people who have caused death and destruction in our world, such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, most decent people will react negatively. While Dr. Abdul Qadeer (A.Q.) Khan may not elicit the same reaction, it's high time to include him on that list.

Khan played a major role in constructing Pakistan's nuclear program, bringing atomic bombs to the Islamic world and to various rogue states. He's regarded as a hero by some in his native country, and a national disgrace by others. Time magazine dubbed him the "Merchant of Menace" in February 2005. And his controversial actions mark him as a real threat to liberty, freedom and democracy.

Two prominent reporters, the husband-and-wife team of Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins, spent four years examining Khan's life, views and possible reasons for selling nuclear secrets. Their efforts have yielded "The Nuclear Jihadist," which details Khan's rise in terror circles and points fingers at various sources, including U.S. government officials, for not stopping him earlier.

Khan was born in 1936 in India, where he was raised. His father, fearing there was no future for Muslims in their native country, sent him to Pakistan at 16. He was trained as a metallurgist, worked in Germany and Holland, and eventually married a Rhodesian-born woman, Henny Reterink, in Amsterdam.

Frantz and Collins believe the Pakistani army's failed attempt to liberate the country from Indian rule in 1965 "struck a chord deep within Khan, dredging up his old hatred of India and foreshadowing events in his own life." The metallurgist felt like an outsider in Europe in much the same way many Pakistanis felt about India. His frustration therefore mirrored Pakistan's frustration, and he wanted to help change Pakistan's political and geographic destiny. As Khan's biographers wrote, his ultimate goal "was to make Pakistan so strong that it would never have to face such a trauma again."

The timing of Khan's departure from Holland back to Pakistan unfortunately coincided with India's push for a nuclear presence. Once India went nuclear, there would surely be "no chance to stop Pakistan from matching its neighbor, bomb for bomb." But when Khan arrived in Pakistan, his country's budding nuclear program was a mess. Canada had cut off supplying parts for a nuclear reactor in Karachi, and France faced international pressure to back out of an agreement to sell Pakistan a reprocessing plant. It was the opening that Khan needed to advance Pakistan's interests and make him a hero in the process.

"The Nuclear Jihadist" details Khan's rise to prominence in Pakistan's scientific and intelligence circles. Frantz and Collins point out that Khan "thought of himself as a great scientist and a leader," and he set out to prove this. The book depicts in great detail the intense rivalry he had with Munir Khan, who is also regarded as one of the chief architects of the country's nuclear push. He also forced his way into President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's good graces, and eventually gained the respect of many politicians and military leaders.

Yet there was a deeper undercurrent to Khan's interest in nuclear weapons - especially in the area of nuclear trafficking. His ideological hatred for Western democracies such as the United States, Britain and Israel had gradually intensified, and he evidently wanted Pakistan to establish stronger links with like-minded nations. As the book describes, Khan created a black market network that was selling nuclear secrets and technology to countries such as Iran, Libya and North Korea for vast sums of money. This led Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to directly call Khan the "chairman of the board" of this network, which had become a one-stop shopping center, or a kind of "nuclear Wal-Mart."

The book's biggest revelation is Frantz and Collins' claim that Clinton and Bush officials knew about Khan's nuclear plans, and that the CIA had infiltrated his network with agent Urs Tinner. If that's the case, why didn't someone stop Khan? As the authors explain, the CIA and Bush administration "were employing the same passive response implemented in 1975 - watch and wait."

There were other threats to national security that were perceived to be more important, including the removal of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. This decision allowed Khan to continue his ideological mission to build weapons for his beloved Pakistan - and keep selling nuclear secrets to enemies of the West.

It's fair to say "The Nuclear Jihadist" has the potential to shake the foundations of the U.S. government and its intelligence operations. Many U.S. readers will be understandably frustrated by their country's failure to bring down Khan, because all threats to our safety and security must be dealt with in a timely fashion. In the war on terrorism, we should demand nothing less.

Michael Taube is a public affairs analyst, commentator and columnist in Canada.

This article appeared on page M - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle

[blm]

40. It has to be up to US to keep pressure on DC and the media or the story will be stonewalled.

We KNOW that, for sure. Look how DC powerstructure and their pals in the media circled the wagons on Downing Street Memos.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. I can't think of better people to be in these positions. n/t

[ProSense]

19. He also wrote a book on AQ Khan

Douglas Frantz

[YvonneCa]

27. Thanks for that link. n/t

[blm]

122. That is another KEY matter for future SFRC hearings and again part of BCCI big picture.

.

[robertpaulsen]

20. Excellent news!

Thanks for the heads-up, blm. Now that's change I can believe in!

[blm]

41. Seriously....Obama HAS TO LET this happen and COOPERATE in ways Clinton refused to do in the 90s.

DU can help, especially with posters like you, leveymg, Octafish, seemslikeadream, H2O, and others who refuse to let BushInc get away with their crimes against this nation and the world.

[AtomicKitten]

21. Whoa! That's great news.

:applause:

[politicasista]

22. K & R

:kick: :patriot:

[Starry Messenger]

23. Happy dance! k&r

[Forkboy]

24. Oooooooooooo

Me like!!!! :thumbsup:

[conscious evolution]

25. Sounds like good news to me.

K&R

[rosesaylavee]

26. Love it.

Thank you yet again Senator Kerry.

[bottomtheweaver]

29. Oh please let Sens Kerry, Kennedy and Kennedy shine some light

on the shithole that is the US federal government. PLEASE let it happen.

[MBS]

30. fantastic news! n/t

[pleah]

31. K&R n/t

[defendandprotect]

33. Dems signal CIA interrogators not held responsible

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090110/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_intelligence

[Jackpine Radical]

34. I gotta admit to a fear something like that of an abuse victim.

I keep turning in the abuser, but nobody will believe me. The investigators come, look, the abuser says I got all those injuries from falling down the stairs again, and the investigators go away. Or maybe this time the investigator believes me, but nobody will believe her. The evidence has been out there since 1986 of BCCI, and nobody has been able to take it all the way in all the years since then, even though new trails keep leading into that thicket. Bush I pardoned everybody, Clinton reburied everything in '92, Ollie is still smirking at us, and the new Bush gang has ridden through town like an 8-year Quantrill raid.

How dare I hope this time? BCCI seems just too big to prosecute--like it would reveal that half the world has been living under a Blagojovich/Cunningham/Cheney-style regime since Eisenhower.

[Greyhound]

71. A truth too big to see or acknowledge? It explains so much.

If the public at large knew what has been done and by whom, what would be the result? Revolution?

Ignorance is not bliss, but necessary to continue to function. How does one deal with the realization that they've had their life stolen, that's it's all a lie? The illusion of prosperity, the illusion of democracy, the illusion of freedom, the illusion that we matter at all.
:kick:

EDIT: I just posted this and went back to GD and, low and behold, http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4803877">TFC has posted this.

[blm]

87. heh...I know what you mean...even here some folks look away when BCCI comes up - it's unfathomable

to them and they cannot get past the fact that some of their favorite Democrats sided with the fascists and have protected them for years.

[MH1]

35. Great catch, blm!

Thanks for posting. This is really good news. I think Kerry will see that certain key things are investigated and documented. Hopefully it will go further this time then just documenting, but it will take people like Kerry and Frantz who know about this stuff, to get the ball rolling.

[seemslikeadream]

36. EXCELLENT

Thanks b

[ginnyinWI]

42. K&R

[MasonJar]

43. Kerry is going to be dynamite as the head of the Senate Foreign Relations

Committee. I never understood why DU was so lukewarm ro Kerry; he is a true liberal/progressive. He has always been a very strong advocate for the environment and as a former prosecutor is especially suited for this position. And as we all know, Kerry was a war hero of the most impressive kind...he risked his life to save his men and then came back to stand strong against the war, at a time when that stance was unpopular. Investigate, John. Put the whole slimy crew in prison.

[blm]

53. Why? Because establishment Dem powerstructure joined GOPs to neutralize Kerry and some DU Dems

are representative of that wing of our party that sides with the powerful on closed government - and they claim an air of sophistication about politics that is essentially 'That's the way it is' and that all of us should just go along with the fascists instead of trying to defeat them.

[jwirr]

73. Yes, even back in the Iran/Contra days they stuck Kerry and his drug

investigation regarding the CIA/sr bushie/reagan into the back room so that the cameras could not tape it. As I remember it the only way most of us knew what was going on in that room was the day a group of activist in the balcony screamed it out until they were removed. I for one want this followed up and cannot think of a better person than Senator Kerry. I will help if I can but seriously I do not understand everything that has gone down during the last 20 some years.

[politicasista]

91. It's because of 2004

Look at GDP. People can't help themselves to tear down a good Dem just to praise PE Obama.

I too hope those evil, slimy crooks go to prison.

[yellerpup]

46. Good news!

More hope for the future. K&R! :kick:

[windoe]

49. K & R!! Good news.

[proud progressive]

51. just an old-fashioned cynic here. what makes any of you think that a few good men can change a

corrupt, bullet-proof majority who have the power. pie-in-the-sky if you ask me. i hope that i'm proved wrong.

[Jambalaya]

57. "Pie in the sky" OR "Pie in the face?"

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does...Margaret Mead

[blm]

60. I'm a bit of a cynic myself, but, I'll be damned if I'll ever roll over for the fascists

and I hope MORE of you will use whatever platform or talent you have and grow the open government movement and OUR wing of the Democratic party.

[Twist_U_Up]

52. Skull + Bones

a dog and pony show is all we will get.

[blm]

54. You never read the BCCI report or you'd know that claim is immature, kneejerk horsepoo.

You can't name ONE OTHER LAWMAKER of the last 50 years who has uncovered more government corruption than John Kerry has.

If not for Kerry's work this nation would be in its second decade of full-on fascism by now. Try saying that truthfully about any other lawmaker - you can't.

The establishment has all its lies and straw men planted in the left as they laugh their asses off at those so easily manipulated.

You think Bushies or Clintonites WANT all these matters back on the burner again? Please tell us WHY on earth they would.

[jillan]

55. Thank you Senator Kerry!!!

I have been so upset - both Obama and Biden campaigned on looking into the war crimes that were committed, and now their official statement is that they are looking forward, not backwards.


If we don't act on the war crimes that were committed, we will leave the door open for history to repeat itself.

Godspeed, Senator Kerry:loveya:

[blm]

62. Their branch of government isn't supposed to investigate but they CAN cooperate with investigations

undertaken by senate and/or congress.

[wryter2000]

76. That's my feeling, too

To be perfectly honest, I don't understand all the details of the story in this thread. But, it seems to me that it's not realistic to expect Obama and Biden to do the investigation. It should really come from Congress with the active support of the DOJ. That's why all the R wailing of Holder encourages me so much. They know that with a good AG, they're in a sh*tload of trouble.

To tell you the truth, I LIKE the strategy of Obama taking us forward while people like Kerry, Conyers, and The Mustache of Justice investigating the crimes.

[machI]

58. I say 'Go for it!' n/t

[bertman]

61. Investigation=lots of federal money paid to Democratic cronies to dig up stuff and

write books about it, and get some TV exposure, WHILE LOW-LEVEL PERPS GET PUNISHED.

Anyone who thinks the big players in this heist will end up paying any price for it is deluded. Ain't gonna happen. There could be one sacrificial lamb but that's about the size of it.

[blm]

64. Baloney - anyone discouraging BCCI books opened up is a complicit fascist, imo.

Or seriously deluded. You think Kerry had cronies making money off BCCI investigation? That's cracked - those involved risked their lives and careers while the powerstructure lied their asses off and blocked the investigation - including powerful Democrats and continued to do so throughout the 90s.

[bertman]

65. Get back to me when we see the honchos in the hoosgow pulling hard time.

[blm]

68. The accuracy of the historic record matters - how much about BushInc would WE know today if everyone

had your attitude? The fascist wing of the Dem party always wants the rest of us to 'move past' the crimes of BushInc, but thank undergod a few lawmakers and some aware citizenry maintain our watchfulness.

I'd prefer hoosgow and even hanging death for the traitors to our country who cost millions of lives....but, having some accurate record of those crimes that the public can access in the future matters more than you are willing to admit.

[bertman]

90. First off, you don't know WHAT I think about having correct information on the

record. Second, who put you in charge of deciding who's in the "fascist wing" of the Democratic party? And third, you obviously have not been paying attention to anything that has happened for the last 60 years if you think any significant number of these criminals are going to pay for their crimes, regardless of what the historical record says.

[blm]

97. You are the one trying to discourage investigations of serious matters accusing any investigation of

being a way to funnel money to Democratic cronies. Pure BS - without BCCI investigations (that were UNDERFUNDED for 5 yrs) even most DUers wouldn't know how criminal BushInc has been over the decades. And, yeah, count me in as someone who prefers investigations and hearings and testimony that gets into the public record, even if there are no prosecutions....because that is the ONLY way the historic record has a chance at any truth.

Read what YOU said - it was a deliberate attempt to MOCK the usefulness of any fact digging. Try taking responsibility for what you wrote.

[bertman]

101. You are absolutely right that I was mocking the investigation. For good reason. It's

a charade if it leads to nothing but enlightenment. And that's where it's going to lead just like so many others before it.

I am totally in favor of investigating, gathering enough evidence to prosecute, then prosecuting, hopefully convicting, sentencing, and seeing the criminals pull hard time. And, in the case of those traitors like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Libby, Addington, Gonzalez, etc., seeing them hanging from the gallows for outing a CIA agent during a time of war.

We already know the crimes. What good is it to have all of the slimy details in the historical record if there is no punitive action taken to ensure that it won't happen again. That seems to be mental masturbation of the worst sort.

On the other hand, if we knew that President Obama and the Democratically-controlled Congress would actually fund the appropriate investigations, follow through with robust prosecutions, and see that punishments are meted out to the fullest extent allowed by law, yes, yes, yes, I would be in favor of the BCCI investigation and any others.

You seem to be blind to the concept that Democrats, like Republicans (and all politicians) "reward" those who support them and their political agenda with lucrative positions. This is a fact of life in American politics at every level. It's called patronage. Sometimes the people who get the rewards are professionals who are very good at what they do and could do good things for the country if they were given free rein. Whereas, many are individuals who through financial contributions, party affiliation, or family connections are given positions in government because they support "the cause".

I realize that this is not a reality of life that we pro-Change Democrats want to acknowledge; nonetheless, it's just one more of the 500-pound gorillas in the room.

[blm]

102. A fact I am well aware of as I always highlight the fact that powerful Dems deep-sixed BCCI and

were more than generally supportive of Bush's criminal operations.

That it was powerful Dems who worked to block Kerry's work then and even his presidency because they knew he would open the books on BCCI.

I am not WILLING to give up on the few Democratic lawmakers who respect the right of the American citizen to open and accountable government. Any citizen who gives in to closed government needs to get out of the way of those who are willing t stick to the fight - and, you actually sound like someone who has quite a bit of fight left in them so....grab a shovel. ;)

[Politicalboi]

66. You go (Mister Should have been picked for Sec.of State)

I hope they investigate all the way back to infamous "Missing W's"

[blm]

69. No....back to Jackson Stephens and GHWBush's dealings to bring BCCI into this country.

It was one of the firsy big steps taken, along with Stephens' staking of WalMart, to push the global fascist agenda on this nation.

[Jambalaya]

83. Market Oracle of the Ozarks

Thanks for bringing up Stephens' Brokerage of Arkansas. Their holdings are VAST-alleged to be the biggest brokerage firm that's NOT on Wall Street,but in WalMart country-Arkansas,that is. One of my favorite leveymg Journals Nov.30,2007 discusses the role of Stephens,WalMart and the tax dodges that have helped cripple this country's economy. That Stephens and the Rose law firm have some associations should not be news.There is an EIR paper on WalMart and Stephens .I'll try to find the link and post it. Pretty intrigiung.

[blm]

85. Which is why it's easy to see that Whitewater was used as cover to get INTO Rose Law Firm

and scrub Jackson Stephens' files. Yep - Stephens had his boy Bill ready to go when it looked like Bush would be impeached after the BCCI report's Dec 1992 release. Having a Dem administration willing to cover for BushInc worked out well for them. They could continue their fascist agenda without the scrutiny and oversight Bush was getting as president.

[Jambalaya]

88. Whitewashing with Whitewater?

January 23, 2004 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.
Wal-Mart's Walton Family:
The Beasts of Bentonville
by Richard Freeman --------------------------This is an intruiging article. The section on WalMart's earliestbanking partners, Stephens and White Weld,alleges that BOTH firms were used as conduits for BCCI enterprises...like laundromats for washing out dirty money. At least,that's what the article says.

[blm]

96. Whitewater was the smokescreen, the distraction, the excuse for Bush legal fixers to get into

Rose Law Firm and stay there till all the files of its LARGEST CLIENT, Jackson Stephens, were scrubbed thoroughly on his BCCI and WalMart dealings.

[Jambalaya]

107. Walton's ($$$) Mountain

It has struck me as odd how so much power and controversy has emanated from that little backward corner of that little backward state,Akansas. I recall reading about the Mena airport drug dealing-if I'm not mistaken, they had their own airstrip. This occurring contemporaneously with Stephens underwriting WalMart expansion program and initial IPO.The Rose Law Firm hires Hillary Clinton .Then a native son,her husband, becomes Governor,then President.Then along comes NAFTA.Sureseems like a lot going on in that little corner of the world.

[Jambalaya]

110. Taking a SwiftBoat to China

Is it just coincidence that the Waltons donated over a million bucks to the SwiftBoaters AGAINST John Kerry back in '04? That group Swiftboaters against Kerry was orchestrated in great part by Mike Connell -the GOP IT expert who crashed his plane before Christmas...shrtly before he was scheduled to provide testimony re: voter fraud in Ohio elections of 2000 and 2004.Here's a link :

The Donatelli Group, which produced the RNC website <56>, on July 30, 2004, registered the SWIFTBOATVETSFORTRUTH.ORG website with Connell Donatelli Inc. (a.k.a. The Donatelli Group) as registrant. Connell Donatelli Inc. also registered the SWIFTBOATVETSFORTRUTH.COM website on July 30, 2004, with CD, Inc. as both the website's administrator and tech organization.

[blm]

115. Yep - ALOT of people in Arkansas needed Kerry defeated.

Read these links - who were McAuliffe and Carville working for, anyway?

From historian Douglas Brinkley's observations April2004:
http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=13354


And Clinton's summer2004 book tour was 3weeks of vigorous defense of Bush on his terrorism and Iraq war decisions.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/06/19/clinton.iraq/

Carville's election night call to WH:
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2006/oct/07/did_carville_tip_bush_off_to_kerry_strategy_woodward


HRC siding with Bush and McCain's lie against Kerry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk1k0nUWEQg

Dems have reason to suspect Clinton's ongoing protection of GHWBush.
http://consortiumnews.com/2006/111106.html

[Jambalaya]

109. Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars

Interesting that the Rockefeller Familoy has a longstanding tie to Arkansas,also. Here is a thought provoking paper. It is worth review and reflection,imho.

Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars
An Introduction Programming Manual
Operations Research Technical Manual
TW-SW7905.1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following document is taken from two sources. The first, was acquired on a website (of which I can't remember the address) listing as its source the book titled Behold A Pale Horse by William Cooper; Light Technology Publishing, 1991. The second source is a crudely copied booklet which does not contain a copyright notice, or a publishers name. With the exception of the Forward, the Preface, the main thing that was missing from the first source was the illustrations. As we began comparing the two, we realized that the illustrations, and the accompanying text (also missing from the first) made up a significant part of the document. This has now been restored by The Lawful Path, and so far as I know, is the only internet copy available complete with the illustrations.

We have no first-hand knowledge that this document is genuine, however many of the concepts contained herein are certainly reasonable, important, and bear strong consideration.

If anyone has additional knowledge about the source of this document; has better copies of the illustrations than the ones posted here; has any missing pieces to this document, or has any comments which can improve upon the quality of this document, we will appreciate your comments.

The Lawful Path http://www.lawfulpath.com

[leveymg]

72. Go back to the early 1930s when Bush, Walker, the Dulles Bros., and the 5th Columnists

decided they wanted a more profitable investment environment than Weimar Germany and FDR's New Deal America. The Third Reich was engineered using Ford, DuPont, Morgan, Harriman and Standard Oil money. Prescott was picked to be the liaison with Nazi Germany after a planned fascist coup overthrew Roosevelt, but that plot was foiled by Gen. Smedley Butler. After WWII, they created McCarthy and Nixon to carry on with the project. When Nixon failed, the Inner Party decided to take power personally.

Everything that the Bush family, their wings of the GOP and CIA have done since has to be viewed in that historical context. Everything. The new investigations should expose the origins of American Fascism to the public so that the country finally understands what's gotten us into this mess.

[blm]

81. Getting American people, even DUers, to view Bushes in historical context is like pulling teeth

and I find that extremely sad and disappointing, but, not unexpected as corporate media has managed to avoid educating the general public on the seriousness of their criminality and too many powerful Dems were coopted to cover for the Bushes long ago. They don't WANT to know that.

[MinM]

74. BCCI Movie | The International (2009)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x257971

:kick: 'n R

[blm]

119. Saw thw ad for it last night - I hope it generates support for opening books on BCCI, at long last.

.

[fedupinBushcountry]

79. K&R

Thanks for keeping people informed with the facts and the truth.

:yourock:

:kick:

[bluesmail]

82. I admit to being confused about Kerry. He is skull & Bones and they

protect and promote their own using Loyalty. Dennis Kucinich I trust with my life. But further on, I hate to put my trust in Sen Kerry. Skull & Bones is there to protect and promote loyalty to other Bones. Period. I wish I didn't have the opposing emotions. Hopefully I'll still be around to find out who is who. Not to mention the people behind the curtain.

[blm]

84. Well, think it through...name one lawmaker who has uncovered and exposed more corruption

of government than Kerry has the last 50 years.

S&B was a club with its own set of cliques - those who were greedy about their privilege and men like Kerry who believed everyone should have access the opportunities that they had.

This nation would be in its second decade of full-on fascism by now if we didn't have Kerry's work exposing IranContra, BCCI, and CIA drugrunning operations.


Do you even understand that he pursued those matters even with the ENTIRE DC powerstructure working AGAINST him? They even tried to plant cocaine on his office staff investigating the IranContra cocaine connection.

Democrats in power ostracized him for years because of BCCI.

If Kerry was the S&B politician you think, he would have been made president long ago.

[bluesmail]

89. Once a S&Ber. Isn't that forever? Loyalty?

BUT/AND I am not saying he'll not betray the S&Bers. I'm just confused! You see more clearly. You are more confident than I am. You have way more information. I, like I wrote am feeling confused. Thanks for the reply. My head is stuffed. I suppose that's what they want. Confusion. Fascism. World Government.

[blm]

98. Cheney and Clinton weren't S&B - can you name anyone who protected BushInc more than them?

S&B was COLLEGE CLUB. Kerry would have been made president long ago if he had a shred of loyalty to the S&B clique that Bush belonged to.

And you never answered the question - who uncovered and exposed more government corruption than any other lawmaker? You really think Poppy Bush and his pals WANTED the world to know about IranContra, BCCI and CIA drugrunning? They'd have had their fascist government completely in place long ago if Kerry hadn't uncovered and reported their dealings for the historic, congressional record. Even though most of his own party worked AGAINST his efforts.

[bluesmail]

99. My point is that I am confused. Your replies have helped clear my head.

I just can't take any more ups/downs. Yes, Sen Kerry was the one who pushed for hearings. My psyche can't take any more subterfuge. I do however have hope for change.

[blm]

100. Kerry didn't just 'push' for hearings. He risked his life and career to investigate IranContra, BCCI

and CIA drugrunning - covert criminal operations and policies that many of the more powerful members of his own party agreed with at the time. At one point he had to wear bullet-proof vest - he was extremely unpopular in DC and many of the snarky rumors about him were planted at this time, with even Congressman Dick Cheney telling the press Kerry was a 'conspiracy theory nut' and RW journalists accusing Kerry of exaggerating his discoveries so he could get on TV. There were no Dem lawmakers backing Kerry up, but, there were plenty protecting Reagan and Bush, that is, until Kerry uncovered so much dirt that the other Dems couldn't ignore it anymore or keep it out of the press, which wasn't totally fascist back then.

[bluesmail]

103. I did not know about the bullet -proof vest.

Politics is dangerous/fatal. Whether it kills the body or assassinates the character.

[blm]

106. Assassinating the character has been the tactic of choice since the fascists bought control of most

broadcast and print media in the 80s and 90s.

[cadmium]

104. People need to familiarize themselves

with the Contra-Drug, BCCI, Noriega era to understand the machination of Washington and the press today. I believe that Kerry will always be subject to snide press, unflattering pictures, scared Washington insiders, and now with the internet anonymous hate mail. It is unfortunate that all the gossip and snark seeps so deeply into the public consciousness but that is the price a real reformer pays.

[blm]

105. Exactly - any citizen that joins in the dumping on Kerry is dumping on their own right to open

government and accountability, just as they've been manipulated and set up to do....even by some in their own party.

[JNelson6563]

86. Bummer.

It's too late for me to recommend this awesome OP. :patriot:


Julie

[blm]

121. long time.....nice to see you again and thanks.....

.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

94. Sunday Punt

Go to it Senator!! :applause:

[TayTay]

108. Frantz and new SFRC Chief of Staff McKean wrote a book together

in 1995. It was called (sort of ironically, given this hiring) Friends in High Places: The Rise and Fall of Clark Clifford.

The book is still available on http://www.amazon.com/Friends-High-Places-Clark-Clifford/dp/0316291625/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231695707&sr=1-2">Amazon

From the press blurb:

From Publishers Weekly

Born in St. Louis in 1906, Clifford ended up working at the White House during WWII as a naval aide and soon came to the attention of fellow Missourian Harry Truman. Though he started out by organizing the President's poker games, he was soon in the middle of major decision-making: implementation of the Truman Doctrine; recognition of the State of Israel; formation of the plan behind Truman's close reelection in 1948, which, the authors contend, was the brainchild not of Clifford but of political aide James Rowe. A relentless self-promoter, Clifford went into private practice in 1950, piously claiming, "I have no influence," but he soon garnered as clients the likes of Howard Hughes, Phillips Petroleum, RCA, Revlon, DuPont and JFK, whom he defended against columnist Drew Pearson's charges of plagiarizing in Profiles in Courage. His "tumultuous tenure" as LBJ's peacenik secretary of defense during the Vietnam War is closely chronicled along with, finally, the First American/Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) scandal, for which he was indicted and later acquitted in 1993. A juicy, eye-opening look at the fascinating life of the ultimate Washington insider. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
New York Times investigative reporter Frantz and McKean, who participated in the Senate's inquiry into the Bank of Commerce and Credit International scandal that brought Clifford down, here consider how a man with so much could lose it all.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bio on David McKean (From a http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=306414">Kerry press release)

David McKean, Staff Director

David McKean served as Chief of Staff in Sen. Kerry’s personal office from 1999 to 2008 and was a key player in laying the groundwork for the Senator’s presidential run in 2004. Raised in South Hamilton, MA, McKean graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1980 and went on to earn graduate degrees from both the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Duke Law School. He taught at the Waterford Kamhlaba School in Swaziland from 1981-1982 and served as Chief of Staff to Joe Kennedy from 1993-1994. He is the author of two highly acclaimed political biographies and coauthor of a forthcoming book on the early Supreme Court. McKean is married with three children and lives in Washington D.C.

Doug Frantz, Chief Investigator

Douglas Frantz, a former managing editor of the Los Angeles Times and former investigative reporter for The New York Times, has joined the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as chief investigator. Frantz was part of the team of NY Times reporters who won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2002 and he was a Pulitzer finalist twice for investigative reporting. Frantz was the Istanbul bureau chief for the NY Times from 2000 to 2002 and he was based in Istanbul as an investigative reporter for the LA Times from 2003 to late 2005 when he became managing editor. He is a graduate of DePauw University and has a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

[blm]

111. I always saw Clifford's involvement as one who was deliberately targeted by GHWBush and Stephens

because of his relationships with many powerful Democrats at the time. Poppy had a reputation during Nixon years for using the tactic of ensnaring lawmakers in business dealings that seemed legit at first and then when they went sour he'd use that as a threat to get them to vote with Nixon or support a policy, and he did so even with lawmakers of his own party.

Blackmail has long been a tool for Bushes and I don't doubt that they have increased their dossier files with the illegal eavesdropping that was done throughout the Bushboy's reign.

[blogslut]

112. This delights me.

When we were all playing "Fantasy Cabinet", I wanted John Kerry to be appointed Attorney General because I knew he would be the scariest AG these snakes had ever seen. I knew it was just a fantasy but it was fun to imagine.

What I didn't realize (because I am astoundingly uninformed about Senate committees) was how delicious it will be to have John Kerry as chair of Senate Foreign Relations. Now, knowing that Frantz will be SFRC chief investigator with Holder as AG...well, I am quite pleased.

[burythehatchet]

116. blm, I can guarantee you that whatever Kerry intends to do, if it is going to harm

powerful Republickan, Obama will kill it. I guarantee it.

[blm]

117. I hope that the strength of a growing open government movement will temper any inclination

a president might have to cooperate with the secrecy and privilege of the powerful.

Obama has promised transparency and open government - some of us will be reminding him of that as long as it takes.