Did telco money inspire Congressman Engel to spit on the Fourth Amendment?

by: cliffweathers

Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 22:06:41 PM EDT

The ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other civil rights and privacy advocates are upset by the ramifications of such as measure, which was conjured up behind closed doors in negotiations among centrist Democrats, Republicans, the White House and telecommunications lobbyists.

And unfortunately for us, today's vote is the beginning of the end in the battle against the Bush's warrantless wiretapping program set in motion by the White House soon after 9/11. It also rips right into the Constitution, making a mockery of the Fourth Amendment, which protects United States citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures.

But why did Engel vote the way he did? Was he motivated by lobbyist money? Is this quid pro quo? Let's check it out!

McCain's top fund-raiser hugs Bush

by: devtob

Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 11:13:17 AM EDT

And it's no surprise, really, since multi-millionaire lobbyist Tom Loeffler, McCain's campaign general co-chairman and finance chairman, has been a Bush gang profiteer and fund-raiser for 20 years or so.

For example, Loeffler presumably has other oily clients, but his Wikipedia page lists just one - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Loeffler was in the Albany area to raise some money for Rensselaer County Republicans (whose Boss Bruno is facing a probable federal indictment and practically certain loss of his state Senate majority this year).

Whatever Loeffler said to the boss' kickback crowd was evidently off-the-record, since there's no story in any of the local papers (online anyway).

But Loeffler could not hide his Bush-love under a barrel, so he stopped by the Albany Times-Union before the dinner.

Details of unabashed Bush love, below.

Spitzer nails Bush on predatory lending

by: devtob

Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 20:40:58 PM EST

There was appraisal fraud, Wall Street fraud, and, for millions of homeowners facing economic devastation, predatory lending fraud.

Eliot Spitzer has an op-ed in the Washington Post today that convincingly argues that Bush protected predatory lenders against state-level regulation that would have lessened the economic catastrophe ahead.

How Spitzer nailed Bush, below.