Bad Deeds for 7-19-2008

Anti-Terror Money Sought for Luxury for Senior Officers and Civilian Leaders – The top Air Force leadership sought for three years to spend counter-terrorism money on “comfort capsules” for military planes to ease the travel of senior officers and civilian leaders — with at least four top generals involved in design details such as the color of the capsules’ carpet and leather chairs — according to internal e-mails and budget documents.

 

But for the rest of the troops…
Americans Die in Iraq From Electrocution Due to Shoddy Workmanship – Among the seemingly innumerable scandal-worthy stories which have so marked the war in Iraq is one growing tragedy which has been largely ignored: shoddy electrical work by U.S. contractors at military bases leading to numerous electrical fires, troops receiving painful shocks, and even death by electrocution. Army Times reports that the shoddy wiring and electrical risks have brought about the deaths of 11 service members and two U.S. civilians.

However, a follow-up report by James Risen in the New York Times on July 18 states that the problem is far worse than General Petraeus stated, and the military has known about the systemic problems since 2004. Since the invasion, over 283 electrical fires on US bases have been reported, along with two deaths in 2006 at a base in Tikrit, the death of Sgt. Maseth, and innumerable painful shocks dealt to Americans. A log of complaints compiled early in 2008 found soldiers living in just one Baghdad building complex were complaining of painful electrical shocks ‘on an almost daily basis.’

 

And as for the victims of natural disasters…
Katrina Trailer Contractor Failed to Act on Known Health Risks – Gulf Stream Coach — the politically connected company handed a $500 million federal contract to manufacture trailers for Hurricane Katrina victims — knew its product was contaminated with dangerous levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde in early 2006. But it failed to notify residents or take any action to protect them. Gulf Stream’s founding family and employees contributed at least $81,650 to political candidates and groups, with 94 percent of that going to Republicans.

 

McCain Attended ZERO Afghanistan Hearings Over Past 2 Years – John McCain., the top Republican on the Senate Armed Service Committee, has attended zero of his committee’s six hearings on Afghanistan over the last two years.

 

Karl Rove Tried to Fire Prosecutor During Plame Leak Investigation – In a supplement to his responses to the House Judiciary Committee, Patrick Fitzgerald confirms what we’ve always suspected: Karl Rove was trying to have Patrick Fitzgerald fired while Fitzgerald was still investigating Rove for his role in leaking Valerie Wilson’s identity–and the timing lines up perfectly with the Administration’s efforts to fire a bunch of US Attorneys.

 

Special Counsel Deputy Boss’ Political Agendas and Personal Vendettas – The second-in-command at the government’s top whistle-blower office has quit in a dispute with his boss, whom he accused of putting “political agendas and personal vendettas” ahead of the agency’s mission and independence. James Byrne’s resignation as deputy to U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch is effective Saturday. Bloch is under federal investigation, accused of destroying evidence potentially showing he retaliated against his own staff.

 

ABC News/Wash. Post Withheld Results of Poll Favorable to Obama – ABC News and The Washington Post issued staggered releases of the results of their latest poll, withholding from their first release results favorable to Sen. Barack Obama, including the finding that 50 percent of registered voters would vote for Obama for president versus 42 percent for Sen. John McCain. The next day, the Post ran an article headlined “Poll Finds Voters Split on Candidates’ Iraq-Pullout Positions,” which did not mention Obama’s 8-point lead over McCain.

 

Oil and Gas Drilling is Destroying Wildlife Habitats – Take a look at what oil and gas drilling does to the land. It’s not just a rig or a pump. It’s pipelines, sludge ponds and roads… lots of roads. Some of this activity is in wildlife migration routes. Is this what you think of when you hear, “America the beautiful?”

Regards,

Jim