1. Well, to start, Congress gave Alaska Senator Ted Stevens (R) $1.5 billion dollars to build two bridges to absolutely nowhere. After two years, the citizens of Alaska stopped one of them and Sen. Stevens is now subject of an FBI investigation targeting public corruption. (1) (2)Related Video: Daily Show October 10th 2005.
2. Right in the middle of this major war, Congress decided to give away hundreds of billions in tax cuts to major corporations. Isn't war supposed to be a time of sacrifice? Guess the big guys are too busy making money to sacrifice. (1) (2)Related Video: Bush Press Conference September 20th 2007.
3. Speaking of sacrifice, Congress continued its special retirement system where just five years of service gets you full retirement with benefits at age 62. Sweet! Where can we get that deal? (1)Related Video: This one was a little more difficult to find a video for, so while searching I found this Lemieux video from when he returned from retirement, my seach ended here. Hockey fans will appreciate this, others will skip.
4. One day Congress was feeling so powerful it decided to trash the great protection against unlawful imprisonment, the writ of habeas corpus. This dates back 800 years to the Magna Carta. You can now be arrested without a charge, denied a lawyer, and held indefinitely. They said it's just for terrorists but they lied. As a special bonus, those torture techniques for terrorists can also be used on U.S. citizens. More of that globalism business. Taser alert! (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)Related Video: Keith Olbermann comments on the loss of habeas corpus. October 2006.
5. But let's be fair, the U.S. Senate did take a firm stand on Iraq just recently. They took the time to vote 72 to 25 to condemn an anti war group for criticizing the testimony of one of the few generals who actually supports the war. At the same time they gave billions more to continue in Iraq. Attack an ad, fund a war. It's Congress in action. (1) (2)Related Video: Cenk from the Young Turks comments, September 21st 2007.
6. As if nuking a newspaper ad wasn't enough, Congress gave recently embarrassed Sen. Vitter, (R-LA), a big fat check for his pet project – "a Louisiana Christian group that has challenged the teaching of Darwinian evolution in the public school system and to which he has political ties." (1) (2)
Related Video: Penn and Teller Bullshit - Creationism er..Intelligent Design.
7.Meanwhile, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) got a 56 vote Senate majority to guarantee U.S. troops sufficient rest and leave to recover from the hardships of the Iraq war. But it needed 60 votes to pass! "It's a congressional thing, we wouldn't understand." (1) (2) (3)
Related Video:Youtube Video from Septeber 18th 2007 of Jim Webb making his case.
8.Congress made sure that seniors continue to pay top dollar for their medicine by refusing, that's right, refusing to let Medicare officials negotiate bulk discounts from big drug companies (Big Pharma). Why wouldn't they want seniors to get up to 60% off for vital medicines? Got me. (1) (2)
Related Video: Simpsons smuggling cheap pharmaceuticals from Canada.
9.Congress might be getting a little worried about us, the citizens. They passed a bill allowing the government to spy on our phone conversations and emails without a warrant "just because they say so." All it takes is the Attorney General and one intelligence official to say so and you're bugged. You'll never know it. They wouldn't want to upset us, would they? (1) (2) (3) (4)
Related Video: HBO Real Time NSA spoof, March 2006.
10.Not satisfied with screwing the seniors, the soldiers, and just about all U.S. citizens, Congress is now out to get the world by blocking any real action on global warming. Congress must be smarter than just about every scientist in the world. They're the "Brains." (1) (2) (3) (4)
Related Video: Global Warming will probably continue to be part of the political discussions in all countries. Here is a CBC report from Sept. 24th 2007.
Reprinted with permission from opednews.org, videos were added by myself for those who enjoy moving pictures.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. For someone who is supposed to be an internet researcher, you sure don't seem to do your homework. For starters, let's talk about your first point...the so-called "bridge to nowhere". Anyone who as actually studied it knows that the bridge was to connect the main part of Ketchikan to the island where the airport is. That's hardly "absolutely nowhere". It can be debated whether this bridge is worth the expense, but then many projects from before the period of the Iraq war could equally well be debated...and would be equally deemed as unnecessary by at least some people.
Wade at 7:38AM on Sep 25th 2007
2. So it's actually a bridge from nowhere to nowhere?
Sounds like two boondoggles - build an airport on an island near an obscure town - then build a bridge to it! Some area contractor must be very happy!
Robert E. Quillen at 10:17AM on Sep 25th 2007
3. Yea the prescription drug things sucks ass. Why doesn't the congress and senate come out and say, show some balls." Tell the old people, "hurry up and die." That's what they've been saying by blocking these negotiations. I'm gonna go look at Mars attacks a few more times and pause and rewind the scene where the green dudes frag congress over and over again
Logan at 12:55PM on Sep 25th 2007
4. Jeff, I hate personal attacks and insults in the place of reasoned argument. All the same, it has to be said: You're an ignorant fool.
Or are you? Your points are so uniformly stupid and yet conscientiously misleading that it has to be assumed you know better, and think we're even dumber and less informed than you present yourself as being.
Mike Crowley at 1:28PM on Sep 25th 2007
5. Congratulations Jeff you're on wikipedia! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Hoard
Tsar Nicholas II at 3:37PM on Sep 25th 2007
6. @5 I've never wikipedia'd myself before, how Bizarre, who the hell thinks I *like* Chris Matthews, I actually think the guys a douche.
Otherwise it sounds pretty accurate haha.
jeffhoard at 4:22PM on Sep 25th 2007
7. @4 - Maybe I am ignorant? I guess I wasted my time reading the 27 sources that went with the article.
Then again I think you believe I wrote the article, even after I link to the original article and mention that it was reprinted with permission.
jeffhoard at 4:25PM on Sep 25th 2007
8. Jeff,
You better be thanking your lucky stars that when and if Congress does all you have imagined that they have done, that there is still freedom of speech. How immature you are. These people were in the process of running the country, while you were just a gleam in someone's eye. (In case you don't get that one it's before you were born). Simply amazing how we have made it this far without you and your uninformed comments. Sorry, I didn't see you at the last session of congress so where in the world do you get your information? There are a lot of things wrong in this world, why don't you get out there and find something worth reporting on instead of Congress. We vote then into office, with our best conscience and then we offer a prayer and hand them over to our Heavenly Father. If they are honest men then we have done what we have be told to do as the bible instructs. If they are criminals or worst then again we have done what was our job to do. The rest is up to our Lord and Savior, you might just consider that one in your next column. We do not have the answers but, if we do as we are instructed to do then Our Heavenly Father will take care of the rest, make no doubt. Rita
Rita at 5:09PM on Sep 25th 2007
9. By the by Jeff, I wrote the article. You'll see two users: ALS Research Is Very Important, and Mdriver1981, I am both.
I don't know... I thought you liked Matthews, for you post a lot of his videos.
Matt
Tsar Nicholas II at 5:36PM on Sep 25th 2007
10. re: #10 No question that this Congress has been a joke. But backing off of Global Warming is one of the few smart things they have done. The best REAL
SCIENTISTS in the world, after looking
at 1500 years of cooling, warming, ice
and etc. and studying many periods of
"weather hysteria" in the 20th century
can prove that the so called Global Warming is not human caused. Al Gore
thinks it is (yuck, yuck)and we all know he is a world class scientist!
Norm at 5:55PM on Sep 25th 2007
11. Criminalizing people for trying to pay less for medications to keep them alive is aborrant and repugnant. Great Pharma does it all over the World to increase margins by volumn. This to pay for the lawsuits from chemicals rushed to market without proper oversight testing that has attributed to the deaths of thousands. They still lobby with amounts of money to put other industry wide lobbyists to shame. Splitting medicines, skipping medicines, selling some medicine to pay for others these "drug purveyors" are 70 - 80 years old. What's their choice? "Get a Job"? Someone said. These people worked harder than anyone does today - have the bodily fatigues and injuries but they don't have the technology we have today. While Senator's bowed in shame get passed over by the Ethics Oversight Committee - who looks out forthe elderly's "perks"? All we do for other nations and even Vladimir Putin remarks on America's double standard. Soon we'll start seeing younger people who must have medications, Seniors who need medications being arrested at the borders to have body cavity searches, walkers, O2 tanks, all other Durable Medical Equipment searched along with incontinence pads and urine testing next. Many or these Drug Conglomerates have now or have received outright funding, decade long tax breaks and grants from localities and federal tax receipts that have not encouraged research in basic cellular dynamics or for quality of life advances that better American lives unless they've received subsidies or allowed patent extensions that no one else is able to procure. Bush speaks of "children dieing from a mosquito bite" ~ which is ludicrous since Phat Pharma wouldn't know a plasmodium if it was 10 feet tall and blew out of Cheney's liver like Alien. Mission Statements ofthese Monolithic Conglomerates are so full of valorism and mentions of honorable ideas and intentions I can't think of anything more ignored hanging on their walls. Lighted and dusted often - they're only attempts at profound sounding words that are read by bored irrelvant wonks awaiting a meeting within the office next to where that copy resides. When so much could be attributed to them in goodness and alleviating the suffering of humanity, they don't only work against the very health they swear to uphold for this Nation and working alongside the World Wide entities they actually obstruct other endeavors for fear these "not profitable enough works" would expose them to the wrath of stockholders. If they'd merely put some of this obstinant energy into development of new beneficial products and advanced medicines that have more than a molecule's difference to one already on the market - trying to get another or renewed patents - the elderly of tomorrow (worker's today) will only suffer the same criminality espoused by their lobbyists and sales people when sickness and age catches up to them. Congress should be ashamed of their ignorance and gullibility as those expressed in votes purchased for a club sandwich and a nice pen. The 9 year old next door understands what's happening to our representatives. They have no ownership of this issue, so why upset the rich guy who gives me such meaningless trinkets? They don't even need anymore fat in their diet - but "I'm being treated special" so I'm liked and they don't control me - I control them. Until the people lose more of their benefits nothing will be done and the cards are stacked against that from happening. The rich get richer and the sick get sicker. Bet some retirees thought their healthcare was a lock. They're not so intelligent themselves thinking they worked 30 - 40 years for stress free retirement. Wake up! That American Dream is only true for the representatives you voted for. They just hope you won't notice. Trillions for Iraq, but not enough for American's who have sacrificed and suffered for Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation. There's no such thing.
John at 6:08PM on Sep 25th 2007
12. "Congress must be smarter than just about every scientist in the world."
Actually, in the case of 'global warming', they are. Humans are doing nothing to contribute to global warming, not in any noticeable way. What is making global warming happen is that the sun is putting out more energy than usual, heating up the planet for a short while, and it will go away when the sun goes through one of it's periods of lesser nuclear activity in a few years.
Christopher Kidwell at 6:55PM on Sep 25th 2007
13. Jeff:
What are you hoping to accomplish with this crap? First of all you make absolutely no distinction between what has happened this Congress under Democratic control and what happened in the last Congress under the Republican control. Both the corporate tax cuts and prescription drug bill took place under the Republican controlled congress. Second, the Webb amendment failed because as one of the article's states the Republicans' demanded that all Senate amendments relating to Iraq meet a 60-vote threshold. A number of high ranking Republican members including John Warner (R-VA) abandoned the Jim Webb proposal after initially supporting it. All of the Democrats in the Senate voted for it. And on the last point, where the heck do you get that this congress is blocking any real action on global warming? None of your articles, provide any evidence of the sort. If your intent was to further erode public confidence in Congress, then this is a perfect piece. But that's same reason were in this position now. If people actually paid attention and held politicians accountable then we would be a lot better off. But instead because of corporate media and articles like this, which provide no real information to actually form a decision, they tune out and give up. Thanks for perpetuating that cycle. No wonder AOL is paying you to be a blogger.
ben at 7:15PM on Sep 25th 2007
14. It's very amusing to watch Bush apologists try to spin their horrible judgement into something that they believe resembles logic. It must be terrible to have to back an immoral political party while claiming you are Republican based on morals LOL. And to the lady who believes once we've voted our conscience should be clear and then let God sort'em out? You voted with free will. You voted for a criminal with no sense of decency. THAT is on you, not God.
Carol W at 7:44PM on Sep 25th 2007
15. Re: #8
As far as I'm aware, nothing mentioned above has been "imagined," unless it was by the news sources cited. American free speech IS disappearing, thanks, in part, to your "Heavenly Father"-led Congress, who wasted time comdemning an ad that was published in the "free press."
"If they are honest men then we have done what we have be told to do as the bible instructs. If they are criminals or worst then again we have done what was our job to do." - are you saying that it is our job to elect criminals?
I understand that people are extremely sensitive about religion and faith, and I'm not trying to insult anyone here, but I can't help but wonder how wise it is to put America in the hands of those who take an over-2000-year-old parable literally and honestly believe in the apocalypse (wo are apparently, trying to bring it on) - what kind of world will this leave for future generations?
It seems to me that America has been ruled by reactionaries for too long, and although it may be easier to put difficult decisions into "God's hands," isn't that just another way of avoiding responsibilty for one's actions?
Elaine at 7:59PM on Sep 25th 2007