The campaign ca$h behind the Afghanistan Escalation (surprise. not. Pfft.) Follow the effing money.

[Triana]

President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver a speech to the nation tonight from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in which he's expected to announce he's sending up to 35,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

•••

But while the president may be showing disloyalty to his political base, he's remaining faithful to the defense industry interests that so generously funded his campaign.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org database, the top recipient of defense industry money in the 2008 election cycle was Barack Obama, whose haul of $1,029,997 far surpassed Republican contender Sen. John McCain's $696,948.

During the 2008 cycle, the industry contributed a total of $23.7 million to federal candidates -- far more than the $17.4 million it invested during the 2006 cycle or the $18.1 million in the 2004 cycle.

The top five defense industry contributors during the 2008 elections were Lockheed Martin at $2.5 million, Boeing at $2.1 million, Northrop Grumman at $1.8 million, and Raytheon and General Dynamics at $1.7 million each.

And it appears their investment may be paying off: The Associated Press reports that analyst Howard A. Rubel of the global investment bank Jefferies & Co. sent out a client note today stating that the fiscal 2010 Defense Department Budget will likely boost demand for precision munitions, communications gear, helicopters, armor and surveillance systems.

Among the companies whose stock Rubel rated as "Buy"? General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman.

LINK:

http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/12/the-campaign-cash-behind-the-afghanistan-escalation.html

[grasswire]

1. sickening

there must be a better way for the world than this.

[laststeamtrain]

2. Just another whore. Oh well, what else is new? n/t.

[cowcommander]

3. Money talks

K&R

[Mari333]

4. Follow the Money indeed! knr

[avalonofmists]

6. indeed!!

[Triana]

5. Money...

•••

So you call it trust
But I say it's just
In the devil's game
Of greed and lust

They don't care
They'd do me for the money
They don't care
They use me for the money

So you go to church
Read the holy word
In the scheme of life
It's all absurd

They don't care
They'd kill for the money
Do or dare
The thrill for the money

You're saluting the flag
Your country trusts you
Now you're wearing a badge
You're called the "Just Few"
And you're fighting the wars
A soldier must do
I'll never betray or deceive you my friend but...

If you show me the cash
Then I will take it
If you tell me to cry
Then I will fake it
If you give me a hand
Then I will shake it

You do anything for money...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PifK5xx8lu4


Yadda Yadda Yadda (EDIT: "NOBEL PEACE PRIZE" eh? OH the utter IRONY of that....)

[tblue]

7. Chains we can believe in.

Not happy. He's breaking my heart.

[robdogbucky]

8. Can't forget that Unocal money in this

In campaign 2008 Obama was #3 on the list of most money received, about $650,000, from big oil. He was behind Romney #1 and McCain #2.

They are getting their money's worth out of him.

For the record I did hear Obama say he would escalate in Afghanistan during his campaign and I would scream at the TV during the debates every time he asserted it. My wife had to leave the room, she thought I was crazy for objecting to one little part of his platform when there was so much other stuff that was right.

I held my nose and voted for him, hoping we could change his mind on this when the time came. How can one sound so logical when describing one ME misadventure (Iraq) and then spout the Pentagon/MIC/Neocon crap about another (Afghanistan)?

Well I guess oil, heroin money, mercenary money, defense contractor money, corrupt elections, even more corrupt officials and mercenaries, and a few hundred Taliban as justification for this monumental failure trumps the lies used to catapult the last illegal war, the WMD, the nation-building, the bringing democracy one corpse at a time, etc.

Change, hope. Not so much anymore. Another year to change things? What then, another two years to change things?


Just my dos centavos

robdogbucky

[Triana]

11. I had to come around for Obama. He wasn't my first choice.

First was Edwards - thank Dog he didn't get the nod, disgraced as he is.

After that - ennie-meenie-mineee-mo... puh. I wanted Dean or Kucinich really. Obama's speech on race was great. That's what got me. But. Oh well. I still want a REAL Dem/Progressive President and still do NOT feel we have one.

[frylock]

9. knr

[frebrd]

10. K&R n/t

[nc4bo]

12. The more things change.......

the more they stay the same.

SSDD it makes me sad to say.

[Triana]

13. (completely off-topic) Geraldine...

...I LOVED Geraldine! :rofl: