Another Republican Sen. has a Dirty Little Affair

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Would have been funny if his mistress got preggers.

The Libertarian party makes me a little sick and here's why. David Brudnoy once said that adults who had bad childhoods were basically throw-away people who were pretty useless and you can't expect them to be anything. He said something like this on his radio show. Now this was (RIP) his personal opinion but I can't help but extrapolate that much of the party might see it that way. It sounds to me like a party for the privileged who believe they deserve to have everything (entitled) and the scraps (underprivileged) shouldn't be helped because they are useless anyway. I think that's a crappy stance on your fellow man.

It does fort of come off that way, esp. when, in a true Lib. system, only the well off will have the power to get rights. In a way, it is sort of like Communism in that it is great on paper, but will never work in the real world because people are too greedy That is why I say I am for less govt. in general, but I am also for a Fed. Govt. that guarantees rights for all. Imagine how much real work the govt.'s could get done if they just gave people basic rights currently demanded and moved on to relevant things like North Korea. But, there is FAR more money to be made demonizing people - so there you have it.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

It does fort of come off that way, esp. when, in a true Lib. system, only the well off will have the power to get rights. In a way, it is sort of like Communism in that it is great on paper, but will never work in the real world because people are too greedy That is why I say I am for less govt. in general, but I am also for a Fed. Govt. that guarantees rights for all. Imagine how much real work the govt.'s could get done if they just gave people basic rights currently demanded and moved on to relevant things like North Korea. But, there is FAR more money to be made demonizing people - so there you have it.

Seriously. Can we cut it with these bull**** distractions?

[strandinthewind]

^^

What I think is loopy is - Why wouldn't you want a right to privacy over your own life and body?

[David]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Oh and marijuana should be legalized and taxed accordingly.

Legalization is the only moral position. What I choose to ingest or inhale is no one's bidness but mine. But why taxed? You want to see 14 million busybody bureaucrats performing even more ineptly & shiftlessly, & made even wealthier by the money you yourself earn? How about a system of taxes to reasonably, judiciously, and efficiently fulfill the social contract and provide a safety net for the downtrodden and disadvantaged?

The proceeds should be used for health care and education.

Used how? And by whom? And to what end?

Those who are interested in liberty and morality might want to read any of the great tracts of Classical Liberalism, from Locke's Two Treatises of Government to the Hamilton/Madison/Jay Federalist Papers to Friedrich Hayek's The Road to Serfdom.

It's fertile soil for planting the seeds of discussion.

[LikeAWillow]

Originally Posted by David

Those who are interested in liberty and morality might want to read any of the great tracts of Classical Liberalism, from Locke's Two Treatises of Government to the Hamilton/Madison/Jay Federalist Papers to Friedrich Hayek's The Road to Serfdom.

Aaron Burr was such a b*stard.

I would add that getting farther in The Wealth of Nations then the invisible hand would also add to any discussion of the role of government in economics.

[LikeAWillow]

Originally Posted by David

. But why taxed?

Because smoking imposes a negative externality on the public and taxing helps make the market efficient

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by LikeAWillow

Because smoking imposes a negative externality on the public and taxing helps make the market efficient

It is a little acknowledged fact that many state govt.'s and the Fed. Govt. derive billions a year via direct and other taxes on the tobacco industry. It has been suggested that the Fed. could not operate without that tax. Ergo, cigs will never be banned.

As for the govt. involved in business. To some extent, business must be regulated to prevent theft. Theft comes at many levels including safety, which the govt. must also regulate. History has repeatedly taught us that the greed of men makes a truly free market impossible to sustain. I get the idea. But, drug companies need to be regulated to some extent. Ditto for the airlines, makers of automatic weaponry, etc. Do we really want hospitals and/or medical care essentially only for the rich (with the poor taking a scrap here and there), which is what will happen if history teaches us anything?

I suppose like in all things, the trick is to find a balance.

[strandinthewind]

Not only was he hypocritical and self-righteous scum, but she really was a whore
________________________________________________________

Ensign helped mistress's husband get jobs

By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY, Associated Press Writer Kathleen Hennessey, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 29 mins ago

LAS VEGAS – Sen. John Ensign helped his mistress's husband get two jobs during the time the rising Republican senator acknowledges carrying on an extramarital affair, an Ensign spokesman said Thursday.

"Just as he has done for many other staff members, Senator Ensign made recommendation calls for Mr. Hampton," Ensign spokesman Tory Mazzola said in a statement. Mazzola was responding to questions about the employment of Doug Hampton, a former aide to the Nevada senator.

Ensign on Tuesday admitted having a nine-month affair with Doug Hampton's wife, Cindy, who also worked for the senator. Ensign's office has said that both Cindy and Doug Hampton left their jobs in May 2008, and the affair ended in August 2008.

In the months after leaving his post, Doug Hampton quickly landed two positions with companies connected to Ensign.

One, a consulting firm that ran Ensign's 2006 campaign, acknowledges the senator encouraged the company to hire Doug Hampton.

A Las-Vegas based airline whose executives have contributed money to the senator declined to comment on whether Ensign was involved in Doug Hampton's employment.

Doug Hampton's easy transition from the political to corporate worlds isn't unusual. It does, however, raise questions about to what extent Ensign used his influence to assist two former employees who could have done damage to his career.

Mazzola did not respond to requests for more detail on the senator's involvement.

A lawyer for the Hamptons declined to comment Thursday. The couple released a statement Wednesday criticizing Ensign's disclosure of the affair, saying they "did everything possible to keep this matter private."

Ensign's office disputed the account and said Doug Hampton had approached a television media organization.

On Thursday, Mike Slanker, a longtime Ensign campaign adviser, told The Associated Press that Ensign was "supportive" of plans to hire Doug Hampton through Slanker's government affairs firm, November Inc., in May 2008.

Slanker said he was not aware of Ensign's relationship with Cindy Hampton at the time. He said the senator did not pressure him to hire Doug Hampton.

"To be fair, (Ensign) was supportive, but there was no pressure," Slanker said.

Slanker said Doug Hampton worked for the company from May to August in 2008 and received some fees from a client in 2009. In the first four months of this year, Ensign paid the firm and its fundraising arm more than $52,000. Federal campaign records show Ensign made no payment to the firm from May 2008 to August 2008.

November Inc. issued a statement Thursday, saying, "No Ensign-related entity paid November Inc. for (Hampton's) services. Doug serviced new clients, but no existing clients of the firm ... he does not currently work for us, or have any affiliation with our company."

While at the firm, Doug Hampton secured a consulting contract with Allegiant Air, a small airline currently run by Las Vegas businessman Maurice Gallagher.

In August 2008, Allegiant Air hired Doug Hampton as the vice president for government affairs, according to Tyri Squyres, a company spokeswoman.

"He was hired based on his experience and credentials," she said. Squyres would not comment further on Hampton's employment and denied a request to interview Gallagher.

Gallagher has contributed to Democrats and Republican in Nevada. He and his wife have given more than $20,000 in political contributions to Ensign and his related committee.

Allegiant Air executives based in Las Vegas have paid $14,300 to Ensign's campaign committee and to his political action committee.

Doug and Cindy Hampton's son, Brandon, also works for the airline, Squyres confirmed. She would not say how he got the job in the company's call center.

Brandon Hampton also previously worked for Ensign, the former chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Records show the committee made twice-monthly payments, generally $500 apiece, to Brandon Hampton. The payments began in March of last year and ended in August, when Ensign's office says the affair ended.

Federal records also show that around the time of the affair, Cindy Hampton, received a promotion and a pay raise at one political entity controlled by Ensign, as well as a pay raise at a second.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090618/..._ensign_affair

[strandinthewind]

Yet another right wing holier than thou lunatic who likes to wank to pics of underage children Wonder if any of it was little boys - what a pathetic individual, but, sadly, indicative if not dispositive of many of the far religious right who think there is something wrong with an America that tolerates deviants, which they themselves are.

__________________________________________________________

BI: Child Pornography Found on Alleged Museum Shooter's Computer

Thursday , June 18, 2009

AP
ADVERTISEMENT

WASHINGTON —

Child pornography was found on a computer belonging to the white supremacist charged with shooting and killing a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the FBI said in court documents.

Agents found the material on a desktop computer seized from the apartment in nearby Maryland where 88-year-old James von Brunn lived with his son and son's fiancee, FBI Special Agent Ronald Farnsworth said in an affidavit filed Wednesday to support a search warrant. Investigators searched the home last Thursday, taking more than 30 items, including ammunition, computers, thumb drives, CDs, memory cards, cell phones and videos.

Authorities will analyze who had access to the computer to determine whether the pornography was von Brunn's, or if it could have belonged to someone else, prosecutors said. No decisions on charges have been made.

The documents did not say what form the pornography was in, or how much of it was there.

In separate documents filed on Wednesday, the FBI said it found 35 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition in a search last Thursday of von Brunn's car, which was parked outside the Washington, D.C., museum during the shooting a day earlier.

Investigators said they also found a notebook in the car with handwritten notes saying, "The Holocaust is a lie. Obama was created by Jews. Obama does what his Jew owners tell him to do. Jews captured America's money. Jews control the mass media."

Von Brunn faces murder charges in the death of Stephen T. Johns and remains hospitalized after being hit in the face by guards who returned fire.

The FBI has said he is likely to survive. A hearing is set for Monday for an update on his condition. No date has been set for von Brunn's initial court appearance.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_frien...527252,00.html

[Moz]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Why not? They make wonderful companions.

Dogs are man's best friend after all.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by David

Legalization is the only moral position. What I choose to ingest or inhale is no one's bidness but mine. But why taxed? You want to see 14 million busybody bureaucrats performing even more ineptly & shiftlessly, & made even wealthier by the money you yourself earn? How about a system of taxes to reasonably, judiciously, and efficiently fulfill the social contract and provide a safety net for the downtrodden and disadvantaged?.

Sure.

Originally Posted by David

Used how? And by whom? And to what end?

Public education is a mess (with some exceptions) in this country right now. I'm sure the Obama administration could find someone more than qualified to come up with a plan on how the tax revenue could be applied to create better school systems. The cookie cutter approach ain't cutting it.
It is also said we have the best health care in the world. Bull****. My personal experience of late has been that you have to be proactive in your care otherwise it is mediocre at best. Hospital staff seems to be completely over worked. I broke my finger a couple of weeks ago and the PA in the emergency room (I never even saw a doctor) basically told me my finger wasn't broken before they x-rayed it. He then proceeded to give me a splint akin to a popsicle stick and some tape, told me to ice it, go home and cry about it and take some Advil. WTF? Post x-ray he returned to tell me that much to his surprise my finger was broken (no ****?). But hey, at least they got me "in and out" fast (his words, not mine). The follow up care has been okay but not stellar. They didn't x ray because the doc said they didn't want to expose me to more radiation.: shrug: I will have an x ray sometime next week at my next appointment. Meanwhile, someone else from the same office has been calling me to schedule physical therapy but I don't really understand that when I haven't even had a new x ray to see what is healed. Also, there is a bump on the finger next to the broken one which has been addressed by no one yet. Perhaps it's just me but this doesn't seem like the gold standard of care.

Originally Posted by David

Those who are interested in liberty and morality might want to read any of the great tracts of Classical Liberalism, from Locke's Two Treatises of Government to the Hamilton/Madison/Jay Federalist Papers to Friedrich Hayek's The Road to Serfdom.

It's fertile soil for planting the seeds of discussion.

Thanks for the rec. I have a rare case of insomnia this evening and I'm sure any one of those would put me right out. I should probably start with the Magna Carta.
Just kidding. Sort of.

[David]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Sure.

Chris, I'm gonna bop you one!!

Public education is a mess (with some exceptions) in this country right now. I'm sure the Obama administration could find someone more than qualified to come up with a plan on how the tax revenue could be applied to create better school systems. The cookie cutter approach ain't cutting it.

The best education -- the only education, in fact -- requires reading books and thinking about what you've read.

Financially, it costs practically nothing! It certainly doesn't cost the billions spent on schooling infrastructure, administration, policymaking, childcare, social engineering, hardware & software, travel, R&D, teacher unions, public relations, & all the other crap the DoE buys.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by David

. . . Financially, it costs practically nothing! It certainly doesn't cost the billions spent on schooling infrastructure, administration, policymaking, childcare, social engineering, hardware & software, travel, R&D, teacher unions, public relations, & all the other crap the DoE buys.

It's a fine line though. In Utopia, education is free and great. However, in places like the poorer parts of the inner cities, that goal mostly in unobtainable because the many parents (if one or both are still around) are likely working two jobs and/or are drug addicts or in jail for some other crime. That is a very sad statistic, but it is a reality. So, what happens to these kids if the state does not take care of them and expose them to some kind og reading and thought? I think that if they survive, then they will have even less of a chance than they have now to better themselves.

But, I do agree with you on the larger point that the education system in the US needs a vast overhaul and that gearing it toward literacy and thought provoking discussion is the way to go.

[David]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

It's a fine line though. In Utopia, education is free and great.

Education is always free & great. Schooling always costs money. Education is not synonymous with schooling.

However, in places like the poorer parts of the inner cities, that goal mostly in unobtainable because the many parents (if one or both are still around) are likely working two jobs and/or are drug addicts or in jail for some other crime. That is a very sad statistic, but it is a reality. So, what happens to these kids if the state does not take care of them and expose them to some kind og reading and thought?

What happens to them now?

But, I do agree with you on the larger point that the education system in the US needs a vast overhaul

Public schooling doesn't need an overhaul -- it has been overhauled hundreds of times in a thousand different ways since the 1960s. What it needs is dismantling altogether. It is a byzantine bureaucracy that sucks up more & more money every year (at the insistence of the very people who fail year after year to teach reading, writing, & ciphering to millions), & turns out failed "experiments" in social engineering & groupthink.

Public schooling is the Wall. Education is the chink in the wall. It is a fierce beast broken into the fold, as Richard Mitchell once described it. Education takes hold in a person's mind or doesn't take hold, irrespective of what public schools do or don't do.

and that gearing it toward literacy and thought provoking discussion is the way to go.

You'll be right back to Square 1 if you let the silly school bureaucrats define "literacy" for you.

discussion? Education needs no such discussion (nothing more than a rap session) to take hold, other than the discussion inside a human being's own mind.

Education doesn't occur when you look down at the page in the book. It occurs when you look up immediately afterward.

[strandinthewind]

^^^

Well, the inner city kids (and I submit the poor minorities in rural areas) get a public education, which, in many areas is not enough. In the end, racism cannot be overcome if we do not educate/school/whatever the poor blacks and hispanics. Interestingly, the Asians, for the most part, are more go getters than the former. Who knows why.

In the end, if you get rid of public education/schools/whatever - only the well off are going to get an education/school/whatever.

In a perfect world - the parents would supplement the inadequacy of the public schools (really all schools) -- and many of them do. However, many do not.

But, how would you structure the school/education systems?

I would make state colleges free for those who could not afford them - interestingly, in GA, they are for GA kids who maintain a B or better average. I would then make the school day last longer. Then, the curriculum would vastly change in the ways discussed above. But, I would not get rid of the entire system.