GOP lawmakers warned Foley in 2000

Report: GOP lawmaker warned Foley in '00 - Yahoo! News Report: GOP lawmaker warned Foley in '00 By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 1 minute ago A Republican member of Congress confronted then-Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record) about his Internet communications with teenagers as early as 2000, according to a newspaper report. The report in the Washington Post pushes back by at least five years the date when a member of Congress acknowledges learning of the Florida Republican's questionable behavior toward pages. It came as the Republican leadership attempted to present a united front on the congressional page scandal that has rocked the GOP a month before midterm elections and put House Speaker Dennis Hastert on shaky ground. Though Rep. Adam Putnam (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., insisted Sunday that "the dirty laundry in our conference is gone," that claim appeared to be premature. The Washington Post reported Sunday night that Rep. Jim Kolbe (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., confronted Foley about his Internet communications with teenagers as early as 2000. The Post said that a former page showed Kolbe some Internet messages from Foley that had made the page uncomfortable. Kolbe's press secretary, Korenna Cline, told the Post that a Kolbe staff member advised the page last week to discuss the matter with the clerk of the House. Hastert and his aides have been criticized for failing to act promptly after receiving warnings about Foley's questionable electronic communications with pages. Hastert since has insisted he was not aware of the communications until recently. But on the day after Foley resigned, New York Rep. Tom Reynolds said he had told Hastert months ago about concerns that Foley had sent inappropriate messages. Reynolds now says he cannot remember exactly when he learned of Foley's e-mails or when he told Hastert about them. Putnam sat in Sunday for Reynolds, who canceled an appearance on ABC's "This Week" because, said an aide, he was suffering from a "flu-like" ailment. Reynolds is facing a tough re-election fight against Democrat Jack Davis. Reynolds has been criticized by Democrats who say he did too little to protect a male teenage page from Foley who resigned Sept. 29 after disclosure of his inappropriate electronic messages to former congressional pages. Foley is now under investigation by federal and Florida authorities. Putnam, who heads the Republican Policy Committee, sought to make the case that Hastert's office "acted proactively, they acted aggressively, and within hours of the explicit e-mails coming to light, they demanded Foley's resignation." One Republican lawmaker said Sunday that those who participated in a cover-up would have to resign. "Anybody that hindered this in any kind of way, tried to step in the way of hiding this, covering it up, is going to have to step down. Whoever that is," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va. The House ethics committee is investigating the matter. If it finds evidence of a cover-up, the punishment could range from a mild rebuke in a committee report to a House vote of censure or expulsion. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said Democrats should be investigated to see whether they leaked the explicit e-mails to gain a political advantage before the elections, although the lawmaker acknowledged he had no evidence indicating that was the case. Responded Rep. Charles Rangel (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y.: "I think it's ridiculous. But if I was in a bind, as the Republicans are now, I guess I would be reaching for straws. But it's sad." Hastert, R-Ill., last week tried to blame the Democrats and the news media for leaking the story but then accepted responsibility. He's resisted pressure to resign his speaker's post over his handling of the scandal. "There's been a lot of ducking and dodging and diving and weaving," said Rep. Ray LaHood (news, bio, voting record), R-Ill. "There is a lot of fingerpointing that had gone on earlier in the week, but I do think people are behind the speaker now." Republicans have mixed views on the upcoming elections. "This is going to be the most difficult 30 days in the last 12 years that we've been the majority party," LaHood said. The GOP took power after the 1994 election. Almost half of Americans surveyed in a recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll said recent disclosures of corruption and scandal will be extremely or very important to their vote. Also, more than half of those surveyed in a Newsweek poll released this weekend believe Hastert tried to cover up news of Foley's messages to the pages. That poll gives Democrats the advantage on handling moral values, normally a Republican strong point. Reynolds began an ad campaign Saturday in which he apologized for not doing more. "Nobody's angrier and more disappointed that I didn't catch his lies," Reynolds says. "I trusted that others had investigated. Looking back, more should have been done, and for that, I am sorry." Putnam was on ABC, McHenry and Rangel appeared on CNN's "Late Edition," Davis and LaHood were on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Best MDP ad ever: Twins I knew Granholm and the Michigan Democrats were buying their time before hitting the Amway Dick with serious ads. They're building the final case against Dick DeVos how can he talks about jobs while supporting every job killing policy?

DeVos: Hurting Michigan Nice hard hitting ad from the Granholm camp. I like the direction the team is taking going after the Amway Dick only playing card of "creating" jobs.

The return of the Taliban: Frontline.

After the fall of the Taliban five years ago, some experts warned of a nightmare scenario in which the Taliban and Al Qaeda would escape from Afghanistan into neighboring Pakistan and set up new command centers far out of America's reach. That nightmare scenario has now come true. The Taliban controls large parts of the lawless tribal areas along the border. In a video obtained by FRONTLINE, the Taliban demonstrate their brutal brand of justice. After executing 17 people, said to be thieves, in front of a crowd of hundreds, they hung the bodies on poles for three days. "We have killed these people and sent them to God," a Taliban gunman says to the camera. "God will bring them to justice." (more ») FRONTLINE: return of the taliban: watch the full program PBS Think we're winning? Check this out.

Daddy DeVos: Dick knew about Alterra's abuse

Press Release Rich DeVos: Dick DeVos Knew About Alterra’s Abuse DeVos cover-up exposed: Alterra Chairman Tubergen briefed Dick DeVos on abuse LANSING- Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer pointed to an article by Rob Kirkbride in today’s Grand Rapids Press today that disproves GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos’ claim that he only “recently” learned of the abuse of seniors at the DeVos controlled Alterra nursing homes. The Press reported that “Richard DeVos said Wednesday his son, Dick, and the rest of the family were given only a short briefing about problems at the former Alterra Healthcare Corp. nursing home chain.” Kirkbride also reported that “Richard DeVos said [Alterra Board Chairman Jerry] Tubergen talked to the RDV Corp. board about Alterra and told the family he would ‘take care of it.’” The Board of Directors of RDV Corporation is composed Dick DeVos and his siblings and their spouses. (pp. 20-22 of RDV Altco LLP's June 12, 2000 Schedule 13D SEC Filing). “DeVos’ father’s statement is a smoking gun proving that Dick DeVos knew about the abuse at Alterra when it was occurring in 2000-02 and lied about his knowledge in the debate. The DeVos campaign has been engaging in a cover-up of DeVos’ knowledge of the abuse,” Brewer said. “DeVos lied because Alterra covered up the abuse every step of the way. DeVos does not want people to know that he and his closest friends and family did nothing when many seniors were being abused.” There are other instances of the DeVos campaign lying to the public about Alterra. DeVos flip-flopped on the amount that he invested, saying that he owned $20 million worth and then saying he owned $9 million worth. DeVos denied that Jerry Tubergen had control, but Tubergen was Chairman and led the search for Alterra’s President and CEO according the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Tubergen also appointed Alterra’s President according to Business Wire. DeVos’ campaign said there were no “special provisions” given to those in the DeVos investment, but the Detroit News reports “Brewer also provided a copy of Alterra bylaws that spelled out how DeVos and his group could hire top company officials, control the company budget and make decisions about corporate operations.” ###

The Greatest endorsed Granholm

Ali is in Granholm's corner - 10/05/06 - The Detroit News Online Ali is in Granholm's corner Boxing icon who rarely endorses candidates backs governor because of stem cell research. David Josar / The Detroit News DETROIT -- Dick Devos has Lee Iacocca. And now Jennifer Granholm has The Greatest. Muhammad Ali endorsed Granholm for re-election as governor Wednesday, applauding her support of stem cell research. Ali and his wife, Lonnie, were to attend a morning rally in Detroit with Granholm but weather grounded the plane they were taking from their Berrien Springs home. Lonnie Ali called Granholm during the event in a union hall to offer support. Her comments were heard by the crowd of about 150. "We believe in the governor and the agenda that she has for the state," Lonnie Ali said. Her husband, a boxing icon, rarely makes political endorsements but this was an important issue, she said. The Alis arrived in Detroit later in the day and spent an hour with the governor at a closed-door fundraiser at the tony Opus One restaurant In the 1980s, Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease -- one of the conditions that scientists hope to cure through stem cell research. Granholm has advocated lifting a ban limiting the use of stem cells and wants to expand that research in Michigan. Her challenger, Devos, supports state law, which allows the use of adult stem cells. But he opposes the use of embryonic stem cells because the embryo is destroyed. DeVos spokesman John Truscott said Granholm has not advocated pushing forward the stem cell research that is currently legal. "She hasn't been leading," he said. The Alis said they nonetheless were happy with what the governor had done. "She wants talented research and businesses around the world, who are working on cures for devastating and gut wrenching diseases right now, to relocate here to our great state, but she's been hindered in her effort to attract them because our laws are too restrictive," the Alis said in a joint written statement. Last month, DeVos was endorsed by Iacocca, the former Chrysler chairman, who cut a commercial on his behalf. You can reach David Josar at (313) 222-2073 or djosar@detnews.com. It's not about which big name each person got to endorse them it's what issues they back. Ole Lee Iacocca basically repeated water down Amway Dick talking points, "Others have given up on Michigan, I haven't" yeah Iacocca but you live in California and basically told a lie about Amway Dick job "creation" record which Amway Dick has none. As Ali knows the stakes if a anti choice, anti science prick like Amway Dick get elected therefore he's going to lean his star power to Granholm. And as for that two bit punk ass John Truscott you should work on your boy's debating skills cuz he sucks at it.

Things don't look good for MI GOP

Rasmussen is a Republican polling firm. But these #s still look great. MI-Gov Rasmussen 49% Granholm-D* 42% DeVos-R MI-Sen Rasmussen 56% Stabenow-D* 39% Bouchard-R It's seems there's still fallout from DeVos losing the first debate but than again he's been stuck at 42% for a while now as Granholm moves up and down from 50 to 49% but that's still good news for Guv Jen despite getting out spent and out gun in the ad wars, DeVos still can't grasp any real solid footing. As for Mike Bouchard people realize he's trying to play both sides one side he's anti Republican in his early ads he bash the spending of the GOP in Washington and he never called himself as a Republican and on the other side as trying to paint himself as this independent Republican he's taking money from Bush and Cheney.

Style, Substance not exclusive

Style, substance not exclusive Style, substance not exclusive Wednesday, October 04, 2006 Republicans predictably criticized Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm for putting style over substance Monday, but Republican challenger Dick DeVos' first debate performance lacked both style and substance -- meaning the Grand Rapids multimillionaire missed an opportunity to close the sale with undecided voters. Admittedly, both candidates were often vague and, in Granholm's case, sometimes long-winded. She dominated the debate with a strategy that put DeVos -- and the Bush administration -- on the defensive. DeVos at times looked lost, mumbling that he was disappointed in the governor's attacks on his business investments and history. His primary knock against Granholm is that she isn't creating an atmosphere for economic growth in Michigan. He says he would. Her response was that the U.S. auto industry, poor enforcement of international trade rules and former Gov. John Engler's policies put into motion the state's economic woes. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Otherwise, Granholm scored points by offering more specifics about her economic recovery plan, twice referring voters to her campaign Web site early in the debate. She was also more specific about her plan to replace the state's Single Business Tax, which the Legislature slated for repeal at the end of 2007. The governor has been more forthcoming about how the state could replace the $1.9 billion. The GOP-controlled Legislature doesn't intend to unveil a plan until after the election; DeVos only says he wants a profit-based business tax replacement and additional budget cuts. Apparently, DeVos would cut business taxes by finding some yet-unidentified budget cuts. "I think we can preserve essential services, as we reduce government spending," he said. Other issues -- tax returns, bad investments in assisted care homes, grave errors by employees in state Corrections Department and Child Protective Services -- didn't reveal much about the candidates. No one purposely invests in an assisted care company with the knowledge that it abuses patients. The governor's response to the mistaken release of an inmate who went on to kill three people was to fire employees in the Department of Corrections. And the candidates' stands on hot-button topics such as abortion and stem cell research already are widely known. The first debate clearly shows that the governor and her challenger have significant philosophical differences to governance. DeVos adheres to the notion that lower taxes and less government will get Michigan moving again. Granholm's philosophy rests on investing in education, high-tech industries and, in the short term, infrastructure such as bridges and roads. And the governor was better Monday at articulating what she has set in motion. No surprise there. No one denies that Michigan's economy is in the dumps. That would make the governor's office prime plucking for a challenger capable of explaining an alternative path to voters. DeVos touted his business experience and promised to provide leadership -- both claims that voters have heard repeatedly in his eight months of television advertising. The soap salesman needs to offer more suds if he intends to persuade Michigan to change leadership. He gets another chance in Grand Rapids, his home turf, during the second debate on Tuesday. ©2006 Saginaw News © 2006 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved. I knew the Michigan GOP and their supporters weren't the brightest light bulbs on the Christmas tree but their complaint proves it. For the GOP whining about the lack of substance is a joke, DeVos been running for govenor since last year yet he hasn't display a real plan that little turnaround plan he talked about was rip to shreds heavy with promises but light on substance even his buddy Timmy the Tool ripped him for not having a plan for replacing the SBT. Since going nasty back in mid-July the Amway Dick has blame Granholm for everything plants closing nevermind he built a plantin China and dump 200 million in the Chinese economy not here in Michigan. The DeVos team remind me of that person who sets a house on fire runs away then come back and says what happen? Most of the state problems traces back to bad policies from 12 years of John Engler and six years of bad policies of the Bush White House which Dick DeVos supports.

Ricky Santroum: tells the values of the GOP.

I usually don't agree with Man on Dog here, but at least he's telling the truth about the GOP values.

You don't know Dick

You don’t know Dick (Metro Times Detroit) You don’t know DickThe hard-right face candidate DeVos isn't showing voters by Curt Guyette10/4/2006 Even though he was under the gun, facing the pressure of an impending deadline, Russ Bellant agreed to meet for a talk about Dick DeVos. Bellant's been tracking America's arch-conservative movement for more than 30 years, producing three ground-breaking books that reveal how the leaders of the far right maneuvered this country's political agenda in their direction. And he knows the story behind the DeVos family as well as anyone. On the morning we met at a Royal Oak restaurant over a breakfast of Western omelets, Bellant was putting the finishing touches on an article delving into donations made by the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, a multimillion-dollar philanthropy controlled by the Republican candidate for governor and his politically active wife. Although he's written for this paper in the past, Bellant's piece this time out was for another publication. I, too, was looking at spending by DeVos' foundation, and wanted to tap into Bellant's expertise. Hooking up with me as a deadline loomed didn't provide him any personal benefit, in fact it was a real hassle, but he freely offered to help. "This is too important," he explains. "People need to know what Dick DeVos is really about." Bellant has been watching the gubernatorial race unfold with growing dismay. The GOP candidate has kept his campaign relentlessly focused on Michigan's sorry economic plight and incumbent Gov. Jennifer Granholm's inability to stop our slide to the fiscal bottom. The state's airwaves for months have been blanketed with DeVos commercials that talk about only one thing: the potential of DeVos the savvy businessman to bring those skills to government and revive the state's flagging economy. DeVos, who was president of Amway from 1993 to 2002, has so far spent $17.9 million on his TV campaign, according to an analysis released last week by the nonpartisan Michigan Campaign Finance Network. That campaign has been "80 percent self-funded," the watchdog group noted. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has spent $2.5 million on TV ads, while the state Democratic Party has spent $5.5 million on "issue" ads supporting the incumbent. DeVos has been focusing on the economy because that's the No. 1 issue facing a state that's in last place economically, and that's what voters want to hear about, says campaign spokesman John Truscott. But there's another side to Dick DeVos, the hard-right face of a social and economic conservative who, not all that long ago, would have been considered extreme even among Republicans. But his views have largely become part of the political mainstream; many of the causes supported by DeVos are championed by the man currently sitting in the Oval Office, and he is there, at least in part, because of the financial support provided by the DeVos family. (If that sounds like hyperbole, consider that DeVos was offered the ambassadorship to the Netherlands as his reward for the role he played in the 2000 presidential campaign.) This political shift is testament to the quiet efforts undertaken by the DeVoses and other extremely wealthy right-wingers for more than three decades. Using donations from private foundations they control, as well as personal contributions and money kicked in from their companies, these people have been funding conservative think tanks, activist groups and fundamentalist Christian organizations in an attempt to direct America's political mainstream further and further to the right. It is an effort that's been undeniably triumphant, according to the nonprofit National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). In a 2004 report titled "Axis of Ideology," the group noted: "The success of these organizations is not something that NCRP or its members would necessarily celebrate. But the manner in which foundations on the right support, fund, and relate to their grantees is certainly to be admired. With resources that pale in comparison to centrist and liberal foundations, conservative funders have supported public policies that now impact the entire nation." The agenda has been clear-cut: tax cuts that primarily benefit corporations and the wealthy, industry deregulation, school privatization, militarism, the promotion of so-called "traditional values" that cover everything from undermining the rights of gays to re-criminalizing abortion to breaking down the wall separating church from state, opposition to the environmental movement and organized labor and affirmative action, and cuts in funding to social services. The DeVos family has been at the epicenter of this movement. It started with Richard DeVos Sr., the candidate's father and co-founder of Amway (now renamed Alticor), a direct-marketing company decried by its many critics as a scheme that enriches those at the top while providing little to the legions of independent contractors who peddle soap and such, but more importantly, sell the supposed virtues of the company itself as they attempt to recruit even more people into the fold. That company spawned a vast fortune for its founders since it began in 1959. As of 2005, Richard DeVos Sr. was estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $3.4 billion. In 2004, the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation distributed $34.5 million to about 175 civic groups, churches, medical associations, activist organizations and other nonprofits. The foundation controlled by Dick and Betsy DeVos, though not as richly endowed, is nonetheless substantial, and its list of beneficiaries largely mirrors those receiving contributions from the foundation controlled by the elder DeVoses. Both are generous contributors to a range of causes, a number of which are completely within the mainstream. The American Cancer Society, museums and symphony orchestras are all recipients. For the past several years, the single largest recipient has been the Education Freedom Fund, which provides scholarships that allow needy kids to attend private schools. But of the $3.2 million doled out by the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation in 2004 — the last year for which financial statements filed with the IRS are available — the vast majority of recipients were overtly Christian groups. And mixed in with them are high-profile organizations that pursue a staunchly conservative agenda. You won't find any contributions to the Sierra Club or the ACLU or the pro-gay Triangle Foundation. Going through the foundation financial reports — known as 990 forms — Bellant points out the groups those on the left consider part of the hard right. Nationally there's the Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society, American Enterprise Institute and the Council for National Policy among others. Closer to home, there's the Michigan-grown Acton Institute, Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Traditional Values Coalition. As Craig Ruff, a senior policy fellow at the for-profit Public Sector Consultants in Lansing, pointed out, it is easy to take an individual's contributions out of context. As an example, he said if a Democratic politician wrote a check to the ACLU, and the ACLU defended the rights of someone accused of being a child pornographer, that wouldn't mean that politician advocated pedophilia. Truscott also says that its unfair to draw inferences on how DeVos will govern based on donations made as a private citizen. "On a lot of issues, you cannot impose your personal beliefs," says Turscott. "What you believe as a private citizen doesn't transcend into elected office." "The job of governor," he adds, "is turning around Michigan's anemic economy." Asked about the preponderance of giving to Christian groups, Truscott assures that "Dick believes in separation of church and state. He believes in freedom of speech. He believes in protecting the sanctity of the Constitution." Truscott says, too, that DeVos may often disagree with individual positions taken by a group but continue to provide support because of its underlying principles. It's in those philosophical underpinnings, though, that there is agreement among many of the nonprofits and politicians DeVos funds. There's a broad consistency to these groups that transcends individual issues. And examining a candidate's beliefs based on that giving is, as Ruff says, "fair game." Setting an agenda Don't try to convince Sean Kosofsky that DeVos will leave his belief system at the door if he makes it into the governor's office. As director of the political arm of Detroit's Triangle Foundation, which advocates for issues affecting the gay community, he sees DeVos as "zealot" committed to a "right-wing political agenda." Koskofsky points to the ballot measure last year to ban gay marriage in the state, and the money DeVos personally contributed to help it pass. "He spent a $100,000 to beat up on us with that when he didn't have to, because there were already five or six different laws on the books preventing us from getting married," Koskofsky says. "He's a demagogue." "If a candidate has a history of personal beliefs, and he's not going to act on those beliefs, then what will he act on?" asks an incredulous Bellant. As far as the candidate's belief in separation between church and state, Bellant asks why is it he supports an organization like Michigan's Foundation for Traditional Values. That group, according to its mission statement seeks to return America to "Judeo-Christian principles" embraced by our Founding Fathers. The group received more than $136,000 from the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation between 1996 and 2004. "It sounds to me," says Bellant, "like he's not being honest." Keeping focused Although DeVos has released a list of 449 charities he's contributed to — including both personal and foundation contributions — when pressed to reveal how they reflect his beliefs, and how those beliefs would affect his agenda as governor, the candidate has remained mum. For example, regarding the issue of abortion, DeVos has said only that he's "pro-life." When pressed by an AP reporter for the details of that position, DeVos campaign spokesman John Truscott said, "We're not going to get into parsing this a thousand different ways." Yet DeVos has contributed to the anti-abortion group Right to Life of Michigan Educational Foundation, which opposes abortion even in cases of incest and rape. The Detroit News columnist Laura Berman contacted the group and reportedly was told that to get its endorsement a candidate must be "pro-life with no exception other than the life of the mother." DeVos received the endorsement. And his foundation gave the group $125,000 from 1996 through 2004. When the Lansing State Journal editorial board asked the candidate about embryonic stem cell research, he reportedly "wouldn't even venture a viewpoint." And columnist Tim Skubick reported DeVos saying the issue was "very complicated" and declined to take a position. One of DeVos' beneficiaries, James Dobson, founder of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, based in Colorado with affiliates across the country, wasn't nearly so reticent on the subject of embryonic stem cell research. "You know, the thing that means so much to me here on this issue is that people talk about the potential for good that can come from destroying these little embryos and how we might be able to solve the problem of juvenile diabetes," Dobson said on an August radio broadcast. "There's no indication yet that they're gonna do that, but people say that, or spinal cord injuries or such things. But I have to ask this question: In World War II, the Nazis experimented on human beings in horrible ways in the concentration camps, and I imagine, if you wanted to take the time to read about it, there would have been some discoveries there that benefited mankind." Dobson's Focus on the Family received $570,000 from the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation from 1996 through 2004. Among those on the opposite side of the debate is U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz, a moderate Republican from Battle Creek. Last month, at a news conference by a new coalition dedicated to easing Michigan's laws regarding stem cell research, Schwarz, a physician, warned that the state's major universities could suffer as a result of the state's already restrictive policies. He also warned that other states were reaping the economic benefits associated with more enlightened policies. In regards to the deceptively named Michigan Civil Rights Initiative — which is on the November ballot and would prohibit state and local government entities, including public schools, from using affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity in areas of hiring, contracting and education — DeVos is on record opposing it. But when asked directly by Gov. Jennifer Granholm if he supported affirmative action during a joint appearance sponsored by the Freedom Institute, DeVos, according to the Detroit Free Press, responded, "If you define for me what affirmative action means then we can have that conversation. But do I believe that every one of our citizens should have equal opportunities? Yes. And should we assist individuals who can't get to the table by themselves? Absolutely." Or maybe not so absolutely. Among the groups receiving DeVos largesse is the Center for Individual Rights (CIR). On its Web site it boasts that, in 1997, it "filed two lawsuits against the University of Michigan challenging its use of racial preferences in admission. One lawsuit aimed at U-M's undergraduate college. The second challenged U-M's law school admissions system. Although the court imposed new restrictions on the use of race, the rulings did not achieve CIR's goal of eliminating racial preferences in admissions altogether." And when liberal activists challenged the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative in Court, CIR defended the initiative and successfully fought to keep it on the ballot. That group received $35,000 from DeVos' foundation in 2001. Only once in the campaign so far has DeVos let his guard down to provide a glimpse of an agenda that has otherwise been kept securely under wraps. That brief insight came a few weeks ago when DeVos, in an interview with the Associated Press, revealed that he supported the teaching of intelligent design in high school science classes. A revised version of creationism, intelligent design advocates claim that evolution is nothing but a theory, and that the development of new species is just too complicated to be explained by anything other than the work of a higher power. In other words, they imply, the hand of God. "I would like to see the ideas of intelligent design that many scientists are now suggesting is a very viable alternative theory," DeVos told the AP. "That theory and others that would be considered credible would expose our students to more ideas, not less." The problem is that, other than those on the religious right, there are few who find intelligent design to be credible science. As a federal judge declared last year in a case involving attempts to bring intelligent design to public school science classes in Dover, Pa., "To be sure, Darwin's theory of evolution is imperfect. However, the fact that a scientific theory cannot yet render an explanation on every point should not be used as a pretext to thrust an untestable alternative hypothesis grounded in religion into the science classroom or to misrepresent well-established scientific propositions." Even when disguised as science, attempts to bring religion into public school classrooms in that way would violate the constitutional principle of separating church from state, declared the judge. The fact that DeVos holds a contrary view comes as no surprise if you listen to the talking his money does. His foundation contributed $65,000 to the Thomas More Law Center from 2000 through 2002. The Ann Arbor-based organization, begun by Domino's pizza founder Tom Monaghan, describes itself as "a not-for-profit public interest law firm dedicated to the defense and promotion of the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life. Our purpose is to be the sword and shield for people of faith, providing legal representation without charge to defend and protect Christians and their religious beliefs in the public square." The center represented the Dover school board pro bono as it attempted to convince the court that teaching intelligent design wasn't unconstitutional. Civil rights and wrongs The Dick and Betsy DeVos foundation also provided support to the Institute for Justice, based in Washington, D.C. The liberal group People for the American Way had this to say about the nonprofit: "Litigation groups such as the Landmark Legal Foundation and Clint Bolick's Institute for Justice have eagerly sought out potential court challenges in lower-income urban communities and loudly claim the mantle of supporters of education for the disadvantaged. In the past, Clint Bolick's Institute for Justice was better known for his vehement animosity towards virtually every proposed civil rights bill. He even opposed those bills supported by Presidents Nixon and Bush. For example, he branded the 1991 Civil Rights Act as a 'quota' bill, even after it was supported by President Bush and 90 percent of the Congress." Bolick was also "one of the leaders of anti-affirmative action litigation work defending California's Proposition 209 in court." That measure, which was passed by voters, was the initial foray into the culture wars for Ward Connerly, who has become the nation's most visible anti-affirmative action activist. According to the A Job is a Right Campaign (AJRC), a Milwaukee-based, all-volunteer organization of labor and community activists, in 1998 testimony before a congressional subcommittee on the Constitution, Bolick "criticized attempts by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department to challenge employment discrimination in police and fire departments, to ensure bi-lingual education for Indian and Spanish-speaking students, as well as proportional representation." But sometimes a group's goals aren't so clearly defined. The Institute for Justice is an example. It has attempted to portray itself as a champion of minorities and the poor by representing them in a series of deregulation cases. But, as AJRC points out in a briefing paper, "In pursuit of its goal of a radical laissez-faire capitalism, the Institute has initiated a number of lawsuits aimed at ending government regulation of business. While the lawsuits generally involve small businesses, often in communities of color, the goal is to set a legal precedent for the deregulation of big business in general." "Activist groups like the Institute for Justice and the reactionary foundations that fund them have succeeded to a great extent in defining the public debate over issues of social policy as a choice between a racist status quo and a collection of 'reform' schemes designed to open the doors to widespread privatization and deregulation," argues AJRC. "As a result, organizations and individuals with histories of opposing every effort of the black and Latino communities to win basic civil rights have been able to project themselves as defenders and advocates of these same communities. If they succeed in winning their ultimate goal of a society with no restrictions at all on the corporations, those who do not control those corporations will be vulnerable to the same kind of exploitation and oppression that existed until relatively recently in this country's history." One of the more interesting of the groups supported by DeVos is the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids. According to the group Media Transparency, a nonprofit based in Wisconsin, the Acton Institute's central mission is to counter what the Institute calls "the clergy's disturbing bias against the business community and free enterprise," principally by convening three-day conferences for seminarians and divinity students in order to "introduce them to the moral and ethical basis of free market economies." The group Center for Media and Democracy describes it as a "libertarian think tank ... that promotes laissez-faire economics and public policy within a Christian framework." The institute argued mightily against America signing the Kyoto Protocol addressing global warming, saying in a commentary posted on its Web site, "Religious leaders are right to remain skeptical of this effort to transform unsound science and policy into a moral crusade ..." and contending that the free market will help ensure "that the good environmental steward is properly rewarded for his efforts." It is pro-SUV and concerned about "the cozy relationship developing between radical environmental groups and Christian churches. ... Investing the anti-human environmental agenda with ecclesiastical authority is very dangerous, even when it is done unintentionally." The Institute received $200,000 in grants from the ExxonMobil Foundation from 2001 to 2005. Betsy DeVos is the institute's treasurer. The foundation she and her husband control gave $269,000 to Acton from 1996 through 2004. Birch sprouts Between bites of omelet and hash browns, Bellant and I go through the DeVos foundation's 990 economic reports, focusing attention on the recipients. It's an exercise Bellant has gone through countless times with a host of foundations as he attempted to figure out the connecting threads of the right-wing web he's been investigating since the 1970s. Asked how he got involved in this, he says it started while covering a campaign appearance by racist Alabama Gov. George Wallace during the 1972 presidential election. Bellant, on assignment for his college newspaper, was surprised to see Wallace's advance team passing out literature from the John Birch Society, a zealous anti-communist group whose heyday came during the early 1960s. He began looking into the group, which led him to explore organizations Richard Nixon was working with to bolster support for the Vietnam War. "I never imagined I'd be at it this long," says Bellant, punctuating his comment with an ironic laugh. Now 57, his day job involves running a union skilled-trades apprenticeship school. Among the first groups to attract Bellant's attention all those years ago was the Council for National Policy, headquartered in Fairfax, Va. He wrote about the secretive council in his book The Religious Right In Michigan, published by the group Americans for Religious Liberty. He describes it this way: "The Council for National Policy (CNP) is not an organization many have heard of. Unlike many self-promoting groups in the religious right, the council wants to keep it that way. Although the fact of its existence is acknowledged, everything else is held secret: its meetings, political activities, and membership. Its membership comprises the elite of the radical right. Many CNP members would prefer that their participation not be known. "The Council's creation was inspired by business and political leaders of the John Birch Society." And that's the way it works — investigation of one group leads to another, and the threads are pieced together until the web takes shape. Richard DeVos Sr. has been "a member of the CNP almost since its founding," Bellant wrote. He twice served as its president, and was "one of the earliest backers of behind-the-scenes efforts in the mid-'70s to stimulate the religious right and make the U.S. a 'Christian Republic.'" Also members were the late Edgar Prince and his wife, Elsa, the parents of Betsy DeVos. Edgar Prince owned Prince Corp., an auto parts manufacturer he sold in 1996 for $1.35 billion. Betsy DeVos, former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, sits on the board of the foundation that bears her parent's names. Also on the board is Betsy's brother Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL who formed Blackwater, a company that supplies mercenaries to the U.S. government, with the company's hired guns sent to Iraq, Afghanistan and even New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. According to a recent article in The Virginia Pilot, Blackwater has "won $505 million in publicly recorded federal contracts since 2000. ..." About two-thirds of that was in no-bid contracts. The Prince Foundation supports many of the same groups receiving grants from the foundation Betsy DeVos and her husband control, as well as the foundation run by the elder DeVos. My exposure to the DeVos world first came in 1996, when I was assigned by this paper to look into then-Gov. John Engler's support network. What I found, among other things, was that the DeVos and Prince foundations were quietly funding an effort they hoped would culminate in changing the Michigan Constitution to allow public funding of religious and private schools through the use of vouchers. The plan was to first create a system of charter schools, and then build on that success to institute a voucher system. They did succeed in changing state law to allow for charter schools but, despite spending heavily, failed to sell voters on vouchers. A 2000 ballot measure they pushed went down in flames, garnering only 31 percent of the vote. At the time that was going on, I wrote that the privatization of education was a natural desire for the DeVos family because the effort entwined both threads that define the far right: strident social conservatism and an unfettered marketplace. The Prince and Devos foundations supplied funding for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which provides an academic grounding to arguments calling for privatization; at the same time, the foundations funded religious groups like the Michigan Family Forum, which drummed up support for the measure among Christians. Groups like the Mackinac Center — similar state-focused think tanks are part of a loosely affiliated network throughout the country — promote a free-market ideology by advocating measures like right-to-work laws. Such laws, which can now be found in 23 states, allow workers the option of not paying dues to the unions that negotiate their contracts and protect their rights at work. Currently, two right-to-work laws, one dealing with the private sector and the other addressing public employees, are languishing in the Michigan Legislature. The bills could pass if brought to a vote because both houses are controlled by the GOP, but Democrat Granholm has vowed to veto them should the come to the governor's desk. If Dick DeVos were sitting at that desk, those bills, say labor leaders, would become law faster than you can say "union buster." Conservatives argue that such laws help stimulate the economy. Union officials say they drive wages down. But as David Bonior, a former congressman from Macomb County who now heads the pro-labor group American Rights at Work, pointed out at a recent summit on the issue, there's another benefit to corporate America in these laws. Labor unions, he observed, have a tradition of educating their members in progressive politics. Weaken organize labor, and you will get a workforce that is less liberal. At the same time, as former presidential candidate and current head of the national Democratic Party Howard Dean pointed out in his book You Have the Power, by pushing the social buttons of working-class Christian fundamentalists — attacks on gay marriage, say, or school prayer — the Republicans can win elections and pursue an agenda that benefits the wealthy and the corporations through tax cuts and deregulation. All in the family By the time I'm putting toast on my jelly and finishing my third cup of coffee, Bellant is still connecting dots. Christian activist groups like Michigan Family Forum supported by the DeVoses and others put out "nonpartisan" voter guides that, although not advocating one candidate over another, make it clear which is the "Christian" candidate by saying which one is "pro-choice" or favors vouchers or abstinence-only sex education policies. As a a result, they're prompted to vote for those politicians, who also receive campaign funds from the same wealthy individuals. The DeVos family is also among this country's top contributors to the national Republican Party, state Republican parties and GOP candidates. The family's political contributions totaled more than $2.3 million in 2003 and 2004, including more than $1.8 million to party committees in Michigan, according to a report produced by People for the American Way. In the 2000 national election, Amway was the second-largest contributor of soft money to the Republican Party. No DeVos money goes to Democrats. But that doesn't seem to have hurt the family on Capitol Hill. In 1997, Molly Ivins of The Star-Telegram in Fort Worth, Texas, wrote a column that began: "My favorite tax break in the new budget package is worth $283 million to one corporation: Amway. The company and its top leaders have contributed at least $4 million to the Republican Party during the last four years, so that's a $4 million investment in campaign contributions with a $283 million payoff for Amway." Ivins went on to report that the break was inserted into the legislation "at the last minute" by then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Confronted with that during Monday's debate, DeVos denied the accuracy of Ivins' report. Of even greater significance is the payoff DeVos family members would enjoy if the estate tax repeal, which they're reportedly lobbying for, goes through. A study jointly produced earlier this year by the groups Public Citizen, Congress Watch and United for a Fair Economy reported that "members of a handful of super-wealthy families have quietly helped finance and coordinate a massive campaign to repeal the estate tax." The DeVos family, it's reported, would save an estimated $1.3 billion if the tax, dubbed the "death tax" by those who want to see it eliminated, is repealed in 2011 as backers of the effort hope. And so it goes. The DeVoses keep getting richer, giving them more money to fund the think tanks that provide the scholarly reports and position papers that support their free-market economic philosophy, and more money to fund the fundamentalist Christian groups that turn out the voters to support the hard-right conservative politicians whose campaigns the DeVoses also fund, gaining the sort of access and favors those voters can't even begin to imagine. Given the level of power he already enjoys, why is Dick DeVos even in this race? The noncynical answer is that DeVos is a good citizen, and believes that he has the skills needed to revive the economy of his native state. But Bellant has been following this crowd for far too long to accept an answer like that. "The governor of Michigan, it's not that great a job," says Bellant. "My guess is he wants to be president."

Survey USA debate results

Via:for my amusement only... Survey USA debate results- DeVos and cameras don't mixNearly 500 viewers said... Who do you think won the debate? Jennifer Granholm? Dick DeVos? Or was there no clear winner? 53% Granholm28% DeVos19% No Clear Winner0% Not Sure Did the debate give you a more favorable opinion of Granholm? A less favorable opinion? Or did it not change your opinion of her either way? 37% More Favorable30% Less Favorable32% Did Not Change Opinion1% Not Sure Did the debate give you a more favorable opinion of DeVos? A less favorable opinion? Or did it not change your opinion of him either way? 23% More Favorable48% Less Favorable29% Did Not Change Opinion0% Not Sure Ouch. That has to be... disappointing.

The Amway Dick sidekick came to visit

I attended a protest of the Amway Dick running mate Ruth Johnson today at Oakland university, to sum up the event it's clear Ruth got a personality of a cell phone battery going on and on about her past, I was at the point of standing up and saying get to the damn point you're boring as hell. So aside of being interesting as flies crashing into a zapper she went into recycling the single state recession myth and yes she blame Granholm for everything from jobs lost, college students leaving the state, Ben Wallace being a Bull not a Piston and why the Tigers lost their series against the Royals. But the highlight for me at least was when this dude had the chance to tell her many of the points she mention was the Granholm platform or the Granholm message ole Ruth didn't know what to say to that. And like her boss Amway Dick she lack any real information on what they would do if elected a lot of empty promises and mixing up the talking points. In Closing there were more protesters than DeVos backers at this event I mean you got a few stupid comments and questions from DeVos supporters but in a whole, Johnson didn't help the Amway Dick. Makes you wonder do these two ever talk to each other.

Foley IM transcript: warning some crazy ass stuff here

ABC News: READER DISCRETION STRONGLY ADVISED: Foley's Exchange With Underage Page READER DISCRETION STRONGLY ADVISED: Foley's Exchange With Underage Page BRIAN ROSS AND THE INVESTIGATIVE TEAM September 29, 2006 — - The following is an instant message exchange a former page says he had with Rep. Foley in 2003. Warning: sexually explicit language, reader discretion is advised. Maf54 (7:25:14 PM): hey Auto response from Xxxxxxxxx (7:25:14 PM): scrounging for food...brb Maf54 (7:25:25 PM): ok Maf54 (7:25:35 PM): kep scrounging Xxxxxxxxx (7:31:51 PM): boo Maf54 (7:32:13 PM): bo dude Xxxxxxxxx (7:32:17 PM): lol Xxxxxxxxx (7:32:26 PM): whered ya go this afternoon Maf54 (7:33:39 PM): i am in pensecola...had to catch a plane Xxxxxxxxx (7:33:47 PM): oh well thats fun Maf54 (7:34:04 PM): indeed Xxxxxxxxx (7:34:14 PM): what are you doing in pensecola Maf54 (7:34:21 PM): now in my hotel room Xxxxxxxxx (7:34:39 PM): well ..like why did you go there Maf54 (7:35:02 PM): for the campaign Xxxxxxxxx (7:35:29 PM): have you officialy announced yt Maf54 (7:35:45 PM): not yet Xxxxxxxxx (7:36:06 PM): cool cool... Maf54 (7:37:27 PM): how my favorite young stud doing Xxxxxxxxx (7:37:46 PM): tired and sore Xxxxxxxxx (7:37:52 PM): i didnt no waltzing could make you sore Maf54 (7:38:04 PM): from what Xxxxxxxxx (7:38:34 PM): what do you mean from what Xxxxxxxxx (7:38:42 PM): from waltzing...im sore from waltzing Maf54 (7:39:32 PM): tahts good Maf54 (7:39:32 PM): you need a massage Maf54 signed off at 7:39:37 PM. Maf54 signed on at 7:40:35 PM. Xxxxxxxxx (7:40:44 PM): got kicked off? Maf54 (7:41:24 PM): must have Xxxxxxxxx (7:41:57 PM): ugh tomorrow i have the first day of lacrosse practice Maf54 (7:42:27 PM): love to watch that Maf54 (7:42:33 PM): those great legs running Xxxxxxxxx (7:42:38 PM): haha...they arent great Xxxxxxxxx (7:42:45 PM): thats why we have conditioning Xxxxxxxxx (7:42:56 PM): 2 days running....3 days lifting Xxxxxxxxx (7:43:11 PM): every week Xxxxxxxxx (7:43:14 PM): until the end of march Maf54 (7:43:27 PM): well dont ruin my mental picture Xxxxxxxxx (7:43:32 PM): oh lol...sorry Maf54 (7:43:54 PM): nice Maf54 (7:43:54 PM): youll be way hot then Xxxxxxxxx (7:44:01 PM): haha...hopefully Maf54 (7:44:22 PM): better be Maf54 (7:46:01 PM): well I better let you go do oyur thing Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:07 PM): oh ok Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:11 PM): have fun campaigning Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:17 PM): or however you spell it Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:18 PM): lol Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:25 PM): ill see ya in a couple of weeks Maf54 (7:46:33 PM): did any girl give you a haand job this weekend Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:38 PM): lol no Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:40 PM): im single right now Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:57 PM): my last gf and i broke up a few weeks agi Maf54 (7:47:11 PM): are you Maf54 (7:47:11 PM): good so your getting horny Xxxxxxxxx (7:47:29 PM): lol...a bit Maf54 (7:48:00 PM): did you spank it this weekend yourself Xxxxxxxxx (7:48:04 PM): no Xxxxxxxxx (7:48:16 PM): been too tired and too busy Maf54 (7:48:33 PM): wow... Maf54 (7:48:34 PM): i am never to busy haha Xxxxxxxxx (7:48:51 PM): haha Maf54 (7:50:02 PM): or tired..helps me sleep Xxxxxxxxx (7:50:15 PM): thats true Xxxxxxxxx (7:50:36 PM): havent been having a problem with sleep though.. i just walk in the door and collapse well at least this weekend Maf54 (7:50:56 PM): i am sure Xxxxxxxxx (7:50:57 PM): i dont do it very often normally though Maf54 (7:51:11 PM): why not Maf54 (7:51:22 PM): at your age seems like it would be daily Xxxxxxxxx (7:51:57 PM): not me Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:01 PM): im not a horn dog Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:07 PM): maybe 2 or 3 times a week Maf54 (7:52:20 PM): thats a good number Maf54 (7:52:27 PM): in the shower Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:36 PM): actually usually i dont do it in the shower Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:42 PM): just cause i shower in the morning Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:47 PM): and quickly Maf54 (7:52:50 PM): in the bed Xxxxxxxxx (7:52:59 PM): i get up at 530 and am outta the house by 610 Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:03 PM): eh ya Maf54 (7:53:24 PM): on your back Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:30 PM): no face down Maf54 (7:53:32 PM): love details Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:34 PM): lol Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:36 PM): i see that Xxxxxxxxx (7:53:37 PM): lol Maf54 (7:53:39 PM): really Maf54 (7:53:54 PM): do you really do it face down Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:03 PM): ya Maf54 (7:54:13 PM): kneeling Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:31 PM): well i dont use my hand...i use the bed itself Maf54 (7:54:31 PM): where do you unload it Xxxxxxxxx (7:54:36 PM): towel Maf54 (7:54:43 PM): really Maf54 (7:55:02 PM): completely naked? Xxxxxxxxx (7:55:12 PM): well ya Maf54 (7:55:21 PM): very nice Xxxxxxxxx (7:55:24 PM): lol Maf54 (7:55:51 PM): cute butt bouncing in the air Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:00 PM): haha Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:05 PM): well ive never watched myslef Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:08 PM): but ya i guess Maf54 (7:56:18 PM): i am sure not Maf54 (7:56:22 PM): hmmm Maf54 (7:56:30 PM): great visual Maf54 (7:56:39 PM): i may try that Xxxxxxxxx (7:56:43 PM): it works Maf54 (7:56:51 PM): hmm Maf54 (7:56:57 PM): sound inetersting Maf54 (7:57:05 PM): i always use lotion and the hand Maf54 (7:57:10 PM): but who knows Xxxxxxxxx (7:57:24 PM): i dont use lotion...takes too much time to clean up Xxxxxxxxx (7:57:37 PM): with a towel you can just wipe off....and go Maf54 (7:57:38 PM): lol Maf54 (7:57:45 PM): where do you throw the towel Xxxxxxxxx (7:57:48 PM): but you cant work it too hard....or its not good Xxxxxxxxx (7:57:51 PM): in the laundry Maf54 (7:58:16 PM): just kinda slow rubbing Xxxxxxxxx (7:58:23 PM): ya.... Xxxxxxxxx (7:58:32 PM): or youll rub yourslef raw Maf54 (7:58:37 PM): well I have aa totally stiff wood now Xxxxxxxxx (7:58:40 PM): cause the towell isnt very soft Maf54 (7:58:44 PM): i bet..taht would hurt Xxxxxxxxx (7:58:50 PM): but you cn find something softer than a towell i guess Maf54 (7:58:59 PM): but it must feel great spirting on the towel Xxxxxxxxx (7:59:06 PM): ya Maf54 (7:59:29 PM): wow Maf54 (7:59:48 PM): is your little guy limp...or growing Xxxxxxxxx (7:59:54 PM): eh growing Maf54 (8:00:00 PM): hmm Maf54 (8:00:12 PM): so you got a stiff one now Xxxxxxxxx (8:00:19 PM): not that fast Xxxxxxxxx (8:00:20 PM): hey Xxxxxxxxx (8:00:32 PM): so you have a fetich Maf54 (8:00:32 PM): hey what Xxxxxxxxx (8:00:40 PM): fetish** Maf54 (8:00:43 PM): like Maf54 (8:00:53 PM): i like steamroom Maf54 (8:01:04 PM): whats yours Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:09 PM): its kinda weird Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:14 PM): lol Maf54 (8:01:21 PM): i am hard as a rock..so tell me when your reaches rock Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:23 PM): i have a cast fetish Maf54 (8:01:27 PM): well tell me Maf54 (8:01:32 PM): cast Xxxxxxxxx (8:01:44 PM): ya like...plaster cast Maf54 (8:01:49 PM): ok..so what happens Maf54 (8:01:58 PM): how does that turn you in Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:02 PM): i dont know Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:04 PM): it just does Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:08 PM): ive never had one Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:16 PM): but people that have them turn me on Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:27 PM): and if i had one it would probably turn me on Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:29 PM): beats me Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:32 PM): its kinda weird Xxxxxxxxx (8:02:50 PM): but along with that i like the whole catholic girl look....thats our schools uniform Maf54 (8:03:02 PM): ha thats wild Xxxxxxxxx (8:03:14 PM): ya but now im hard Maf54 (8:03:32 PM): me 2 Maf54 (8:03:42 PM): cast got you going Maf54 (8:03:47 PM): what you wearing Xxxxxxxxx (8:04:04 PM): normal clothes Xxxxxxxxx (8:04:09 PM): tshirt and shorts Maf54 (8:04:17 PM): um so a big buldge Xxxxxxxxx (8:04:35 PM): ya Maf54 (8:04:45 PM): um Maf54 (8:04:58 PM): love to slip them off of you Xxxxxxxxx (8:05:08 PM): haha Maf54 (8:05:53 PM): and gram the one eyed snake Maf54 (8:06:13 PM): grab Xxxxxxxxx (8:06:53 PM): not tonight...dont get to excited Maf54 (8:07:12 PM): well your hard Xxxxxxxxx (8:07:45 PM): that is true Maf54 (8:08:03 PM): and a little horny Xxxxxxxxx (8:08:11 PM): and also tru Maf54 (8:08:31 PM): get a ruler and measure it for me Xxxxxxxxx (8:08:38 PM): ive already told you that Maf54 (8:08:47 PM): tell me again Xxxxxxxxx (8:08:49 PM): 7 and 1/2 Maf54 (8:09:04 PM): ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Maf54 (8:09:08 PM): beautiful Xxxxxxxxx (8:09:38 PM): lol Maf54 (8:09:44 PM): thats a great size Xxxxxxxxx (8:10:00 PM): thank you Maf54 (8:10:22 PM): still stiff Xxxxxxxxx (8:10:28 PM): ya Maf54 (8:10:40 PM): take it out Xxxxxxxxx (8:10:54 PM): brb...my mom is yelling Maf54 (8:11:06 PM): ok Xxxxxxxxx (8:14:02 PM): back Maf54 (8:14:37 PM): cool hope se didnt see any thing Xxxxxxxxx (8:14:54 PM): no no Xxxxxxxxx (8:14:59 PM): she is computer dumb though Xxxxxxxxx (8:15:01 PM): it makes me so mad Maf54 (8:15:04 PM): good Maf54 (8:15:08 PM): haha Maf54 (8:15:11 PM): why Xxxxxxxxx (8:15:23 PM): cause she cant do anything Maf54 (8:15:31 PM): oh well Xxxxxxxxx (8:15:41 PM): she couldnt figure out how to download a file from an email and open it Maf54 (8:15:53 PM): haha Xxxxxxxxx (8:16:14 PM): and she only does it like a million times a day Xxxxxxxxx (8:16:16 PM): oh well Xxxxxxxxx (8:16:18 PM): whatever Xxxxxxxxx (8:16:53 PM): well i better go finish my hw...i just found out from a friend that i have to finish reading and notating a book for AP english Maf54 signed off at 8:17:43 PM.

GOP feeling the heat for Foley scandal

Pressure Grows for Republicans Over Foley Scandal - New York Times Pressure Grows for Republicans Over Foley Scandal By CARL HULSE and JEFF ZELENY WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 — Speaker J. Dennis Hastert faced intensifying questions on Monday about why Republicans had not reacted more assertively to Representative Mark Foley’s messages to a teenage page, as members of his party, fearing a political debacle, demanded a strong response. Straining to hold the party together five weeks from Election Day amid unfolding revelations about the case, Mr. Hastert and his leadership team held a conference call with House Republicans on Monday night and heard blunt advice and criticism from participants who pressed for further action to reassure voters. “This is a political problem, and we need to step up and do something dramatic,” Representative Ray LaHood of Illinois said afterward, adding that he had proposed abolishing the Congressional page program. Mr. Foley, 52, who resigned Friday after being confronted with sexually explicit instant messages he had sent to pages, released a statement saying he had entered a rehabilitation clinic for treatment of “alcoholism and related behavioral problems.” At a news conference in West Palm Beach, Fla., late Monday, Mr. Foley’s lawyer, David Roth, said that Mr. Foley had sent the inappropriate e-mail messages while under the influence of alcohol and that he had kept his drinking problem secret. A former aide and other associates said in interviews that they did not believe Mr. Foley had a drinking problem. ABC News, which first reported the sexually explicit messages on Friday, said Monday that additional messages suggested that Mr. Foley had met in person with a teenage page outside Capitol Hill and had sought a relationship. “I miss you lots since San Diego,” Mr. Foley wrote, using his screen name, Maf54, according to a transcript obtained and released by ABC. “Ya I cant wait til dc,” the page replied. Federal law enforcement officials said the F.B.I. in recent months had been given e-mail messages between Mr. Foley and a page but had found insufficient grounds to open a criminal investigation. A group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said Monday that it had forwarded the messages to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on July 21 and requested an investigation. The group would not say where it had obtained the messages; it made them public after the ABC report. Federal agents on Monday began contacting men who were in the Congressional page program in recent years, said government officials briefed on the matter, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to discuss the inquiry. The officials said the agents were trying to find any former or current pages who had had contact with Mr. Foley and to authenticate e-mail and instant messages attributed to the former lawmaker that had circulated on the Internet in recent days. The officials said that several pages who had received electronic messages from Mr. Foley had already been located. At the White House, Tony Snow, President Bush’s press secretary, initially characterized the scandal as “naughty e-mails,” drawing a blistering response from Democrats who said his words suggested that Republicans did not understand the gravity of the situation. Mr. Hastert, who returned to the Capitol to deal with the escalating scandal, was pressed by reporters to explain why the first communication between Mr. Foley and a page, which was brought to the attention of Republican leaders last year, had not led to more assertive efforts to determine if it was an isolated case. Mr. Hastert defended the Republicans’ handling of a parent’s complaint last year about communication from Mr. Foley to the parent’s teenage son. But he acknowledged that the e-mail inquiring about the boy’s well being and requesting a photo was potentially troubling. “I think that raised a red flag, raised a red flag with the kid, raised a red flag with the parents,” said Mr. Hastert, who repeated that he could not recall learning of the messages before news of them broke last week. But the speaker said he and others had been “duped” by Mr. Foley, who when questioned about the e-mail said it was an innocent effort to make sure that the young man, who was from Louisiana, had made it through Hurricane Katrina. Representative John Shimkus, Republican of Illinois, and the House clerk, Jeff Trandahl, instructed Mr. Foley to break off any contact with the former page. At the time, Republicans did not purse the matter further, considering the case closed. “Would have, could have, should have,” Mr. Hastert said, responding to questions about whether Republicans should have done more. In Florida, Republicans met on Monday and chose Joe Negron, a conservative state representative, as a replacement candidate for the 16th Congressional District seat held by Mr. Foley. The ballots, however, have already been printed, and Mr. Foley’s name will remain. If he wins, the votes will go to Mr. Negron. The House majority leader, John A. Boehner of Ohio, dismissed that possibility. “To vote for this candidate, you have to vote for Mark Foley,” Mr. Boehner said on a conservative radio program hosted by Sean Hannity. “How many people are going to hold their nose to do that?” The case has led to varying accounts from two members of the leadership. Representative Thomas M. Reynolds of New York, who runs the House Republican campaign effort and is in a close race, has acknowledged learning generally about Mr. Foley’s initial e-mail messages this past spring. Mr. Reynolds has said he raised the matter with Mr. Hastert, who said he did not recall the exchange but did not dispute that it happened. “I did what most of us would have done in the workplace,” Mr. Reynolds told reporters in Amherst, N.Y., on Monday night. “I heard something, I took it to my supervisor.” Across the country, in competitive and noncompetitive races, Democrats seized on an issue that they said was resonating with voters. In an effort coordinated in Washington by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party’s candidates urged their Republican opponents to call for the resignation of Mr. Hastert and other leaders. In Indiana, Baron Hill, a Democratic candidate for a House seat, asked the incumbent, Representative Mike Sodrel, a first-term Republican, to reject any financial contributions from the national party. In North Carolina, where Representative Robin Hayes, a Republican, is engaged in a tough campaign fight, the state Democratic Party issued a statement asking, “Who does Robin Hayes stand up for — Mark Foley and the Republican House leadership or under-age children?” As Congressional Republicans campaigned Monday in their districts, they responded to the Democratic criticism and distanced themselves from Mr. Foley’s behavior. “We need to admit that this was done on our watch,” Mr. LaHood said. He added that when he arrived home after Congress adjourned early Saturday, the page program was what constituents asked about. “The first three questions I was asked when I arrived in Peoria,” he said, “were not about immigration, the war or taxes. It was, ‘What are you going to do about the page program?’ ” The Foley case also drew criticism from conservative groups. “It’s one of the worst Congressional scandals ever,” Cliff Kincaid, editor of the conservative Accuracy in Media Report, wrote Sunday in an editorial circulated by Gopusa.com, a Republican Web site. “A top House Republican who denounced sex predators as ‘animals’ stands accused of acting like one.” At the news conference Monday night, Mr. Roth, Mr. Foley’s lawyer, denied that Mr. Foley had ever had inappropriate physical contact with minors. “Mark Foley has never, ever had inappropriate sexual contact with a minor in his life,” Mr. Roth said. “He is absolutely, positively not a pedophile.” Reporting was contributed by Abby Goodnough from West Palm Beach, Fla.; David Johnston and Anne E. Kornblut from Washington; and David Staba from Buffalo.

Open call to Republican, pro DeVos and right wing bloggers

The results are in and your guy Amway Dick got his rich booty kicked up and down the stage by Granholm. Since your great right wing hope got smoked I'm breaking my general rule and I'm going to ask the "best of the best" of the Michigan right wing blog world to defend their guy lackluster performance on Monday night.

Bustin up DeVos debate lies

Granholm For Governor: DeVos' Debate Distortions: Correcting the Record DeVos' Debate Distortions: Correcting the RecordMonday, October 2, 2006 By: Campaign Releases Correcting the record on DeVos' distortions during the debate 8:05 pmDick DeVos blames Governor Granholm for losing out on a Honda plant. This is disingenuous his own campaign team privately told Detroit News columnist Daniel Howes that Michigan was never really in the running for this plant. Governor Granholm did try to get Honda to come to Michigan and met with Honda executives in Japan, but it is silly to think that every new auto plant in the world will be set up in Michigan, especially when Honda had a long history of dealing with Indiana and had never before invested in Michigan. DeVos says Michigan is in a Single State Recession Michigan is actually getting a Single State Rejection from President Bush. His refusal to enforce trade agreements with China and others is ravaging Michigan’s manufacturing economy. President Bush has not found time to meet with the CEO’s of the Big Three automakers to discuss trade and rising health care costs, despite repeated requests. He has found time to meet with American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, though. 8:06 pmDeVos called Governor Granholm a liar for telling the truth about his jobs record. Here are the facts: He eliminated jobs in Michigan and created jobs in China. It’s Dick DeVos who is playing loose with the truth in his latest ad, which says the Governor did not meet with Honda while in Japan. This is wrong. 8:09 pmDeVos wants you to believe Michigan’s economic problems are Governor Granholm’s fault. Dick DeVos’ support for President Bush and unfair trade policies cause the pain our automakers , workers, and economy are feeling now, not Governor Granholm. Michigan lost 240,000 jobs during the last 2 _ years under Engler, and have gained 24,000 jobs under Governor Granholm. Michigan’s economic problems are a result of slow national economic growth under Bush; and more importantly, the slump in the U.S. auto industry and the fact that Michigan is far more dependent upon the auto industry than any other state, according to a recent report by the respected Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. 8:20 pmDeVos says Amway’s middle of the night tax break is untrue and it was not a tax break. The truth is that every major media outlet described it as a “tax break.” From the Associated Press: “Three months after the DeVos' $ 1 million GOP donation, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Newt Gingrich put a last-minute provision onto the compromise tax bill that gave Amway a $ 19 million tax break on its Asian branches, the magazine reported.” (Associated Press, October 28, 1998) 8:28 pmDeVos says the Governor should be accountable for Patrick Selepak’s release. Following this tragedy, Governor Granholm immediately ordered that tough new safeguards be put in place. The employees who were responsible for Selepak’s release were disciplined, and some were fired. The Governor ordered a major reorganization of the Department of Corrections. Governor Granholm has dedicated her career to keeping Michigan families safe from dangerous criminals. As a federal prosecutor, she put kidnappers, child pornographers, and drug dealers behind bars. As Attorney General, she convicted nursing home employees who abused our seniors. Governor Granholm has given the Michigan State Police the resources to apprehend more than 2,000 fugitive felons and ordered background checks for those who work in schools and nursing homes. Dick DeVos is trying to use a horrible tragedy like Ricky Holland’s death for political gain. As a former prosecutor, Governor Granholm has seen the effects of violence up close, and she will never stop fighting to protect Michigan families. Governor Granholm ordered the overhaul of the state’s Child Protection Services system to keep kids safe. She demanded criminal background checks on all foster parents not just once but four times a year. And she is giving state caseworkers the resources they need to focus on every child. 8:33 pmDeVos says Governor Granholm is disappointing on the Single Business Tax. Michigan currently has the 13th lowest business taxes in the country, and Governor Granholm has signed 72 business tax cuts since taking office. A recent study by the non-partisan Upjohn Institute found that changing the SBT would have very little impact, if any, on Michigan’s economic growth. Governor Granholm doesn’t want to give handouts to big corporations at the expense of everyday people, and unlike DeVos, she still the only candidate who has proposed a fair plan to replace the SBT. DeVos tells us to wait until after he’s elected to tell us his specific plan. 8:40 pmDick DeVos says he wants lobbying reform. While DeVos was President of Amway, the company lobbied for unfair foreign trade policies, including Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to pave the wave for China’s entrance in to the World Trade Organization (WTO). DeVos gave millions of dollars of personal political contributions to push the policies that have hurt Michigan so badly, which his wife admitted was to buy influence. In addition, the DeVos family is one of only a handful of super-wealthy families who are lobbying for the repeal of the federal estate tax. The tax affects only 8,200 families in the entire country, and the repeal would save Amway heirs approximately $1.3 billion. Amway first lobbied for the tax repeal under Dick DeVos’ presidency in 1998.

Truth squad don't even rest on debate night

The Granholm Truth squad punches out Amway Dick lies even during the debates these guys don't rest going after the lies and distortions laid out there by Dick " I didn't know what I was investing in" DeVos. Granholm For Governor: Debate Fact Guide Jobs and Economy Governor Granholm has created the most comprehensive jobs plan in the nation. Read about the details of the plan, the successes, the Governor's jobs missions abroad, Dick DeVos' jobs record, the real jobs numbers, the truth about how unfair trade is hurting Michigan's economy, and more. Health Care The Governor's plan will create universal access to affordable health insurance, and in her first four years she has extended coverage and reduced costs for thousands of citizens. Dick DeVos' health care plan? Get a job. Public Safety Governor Granholm has dedicated her career to keeping Michigan families safe from dangerous criminals. As a federal prosecutor, she put kidnappers, child pornographers, and drug dealers behind bars. As Attorney General, she convicted nursing home employees who abused our seniors. And as Governor, she has been fighting every day to keep our loved ones safe. Protecting pocketbooks Governor Granholm has raised the minimum wage, fought back against gas gougers and high gas prices, and she created a tax credit to put more money in the pockets of working families. Dick DeVos' supports the George Bush / Dick Cheney approach of protecting big business at our expense. Education Governor has increased K-12 funding, created tough new curriculum standards, and made our schools safer. She is working to make sure that every Michigan student has access to college or technical training. Dick DeVos fought to drain funding from our schools. Ethics Governor Granholm has proposed a number of lobbying and ethics reforms, while Dick DeVos has a long history of supporting and lobbying for the policies that hurt Michigan families, and he refuses to disclose his finances. Environment Governor Granholm is highly committed to protecting Michigan's environment, which is vitally important to our economy, to Michigan families for recreational activities, and to our unparalleled quality of life. Dick DeVos has funded people who support drilling in the Great Lakes and would hurt Michigan.

Caught the debate

Sorry folks I only caught the tail end of the debt due to I was studying for a exam. What I notice during the debate was this much like telling the truth public speaking isn't The Amway Dick strongest point. He sounded like a whinny ass that's me to you he could sound like a half wit jack ass. Since I only saw the few moments of it I'm only going to comment on that last 10 minutes despite Timmy the clown best efforts trying to trip Granholm on her personal belief regarding the 10 commandments and reparations( guessing Timmy is trying to drive a wedge between her and the city of Detroit and railing up the foaming at the mouth right) Granholm look cool explaining her stance on the matter as DeVos ramble RNC talking points regarding adult stem cells reporting the benefits that isn't backed up by any real medical group. In short order if Granholm kicked Amway Dude ass in the last couple of minutes and notice the "Thank God it's over look on DeVos face" I can easily say Granholm punked out the Amway Dick in the first debate.

Say no to 2 op ed piece from the freep

I would post what the yes on 2 crowd say but then again I have a policy of not giving a damn what conservatives, right wingers and Republicans opinions are. VOTE NO: Affirmative action aims for healthy, fair diversity, not quotas VOTE NO: Affirmative action aims for healthy, fair diversity, not quotas BY ANTHONY S. CHEN October 2, 2006 Anthony S. Chen Civil rights is never a straightforward subject, and Michigan is once again the site of a major controversy. In November, voters will decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment banning affirmative action. The debate is bewildering. Both sides claim the true legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Both sides lament the achievement gap. Both sides purport to cherish inclusion. What's really going on? That question is easy to answer. Voting for the amendment would get rid of affirmative action as it's practiced today by the State of Michigan. But what exactly is affirmative action? In higher education, affirmative action is a policy that gives universities the discretion to take race and sex into account as one "plus-factor" among many when making an admissions decision. That's pretty clear, whether or not you agree that it's right. But some supporters of the amendment have muddied the waters by insinuating that affirmative action allows a school to "pick winners and losers based solely on race and sex." Some have even claimed that affirmative action is basically a quota system. That makes everyone nervous. Nothing seems more alien to the American creed than a group quota that disregards individual merit. But it's important to realize that the charge of quotas is almost always leveled against a civil rights policy -- justified or not. It was justified in 1974, when Alan Bakke sued the medical school at the University of California, Davis. The school did actually reserve 16 places for minorities (out of 100) in the matriculating class. But the accusation of quotas was not justified in 1945, when New York power broker Robert Moses directed it against a proposed state law against discrimination. The law was simple; it prohibited discrimination in employment. For much of U.S. history, whenever a controversy over civil rights has erupted, "quotas" is almost always the first criticism to emerge. That makes it even more important for Michiganders to remain clear-sighted. The reality these days is that affirmative action is not a quota system. Instead, it's a highly restricted policy that must to adhere to tight constitutional boundaries. When the Supreme Court gave affirmative action a new lease on life in 2003, it set clear limits on what was permissible. The court ruled out racial quotas, set-asides, separate tracks, automatic point systems -- any setup in which race or sex was made the defining feature of the application. Only affirmative action of the kind implemented at the University of Michigan Law School was allowed by the court. There, every applicant was evaluated individually. Race or gender was only one of many factors that could contribute toward the diversity of the student body. That's the real policy at stake, and it's not radical at all. In fact, it seems rather mild. But it's most certainly a policy that the November amendment would end. I hope that Michigan doesn't end the kind of affirmative action the Supreme Court approved. As a college educator, I think there is value in having a diverse campus. I have seen it firsthand in the classroom, where students of different backgrounds have a chance to engage each other personally to learn about their differences -- and to see what they have in common. Affirmative action is controversial. But civil rights is always a tough issue, and progress has invariably required Americans to heed the better angels of their nature. I have faith in the people of Michigan; they've shown such mettle before. In 1955, Michigan became one of the first two states in the Midwest to strongly outlaw job discrimination. It beat Congress by nearly 10 years. By rejecting the proposed amendment in November, Michigan could act affirmatively again to support civil rights. I have great confidence that it will. ANTHONY S. CHEN is a professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Write to him in care of the Free Press Editorial Page, 600 W. Fort St., Detroit 48226 or oped@freepress.com.

The booze made him do it.. Foley goes into rehab

Ex-Rep. Foley checks into alcohol rehab - Yahoo! News Ex-Rep. Foley checks into alcohol rehab By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer 40 minutes ago Former Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record), under FBI investigation for salacious e-mail exchanges with teenage congressional pages, has checked himself into rehabilitation facility for alcoholism treatment and accepts responsibility for his actions, his attorney said Monday. The attorney, David Roth, would not identify the facility, but told the Associated Press in West Palm Beach, Fla., that Foley had checked in over the weekend. "I strongly believe that I am an alcoholic and have accepted the need for immediate treatment for alcoholism and other behavioral problems," Foley, a Republican, said in a statement, Roth told the AP. In scorching language, House Republican leaders on Monday condemned Foley's actions as they tried to contain the damage to the party five weeks before midterm elections. "Congressman Foley duped a lot of people ... He deceived the good men and women in organizations around the country with whom he worked to strengthen child predator laws," Speaker Dennis Hastert told reporters. "I have known him all the years he served in the House and he deceived me too." The Bush administration, meanwhile, sought to distance itself from the scandal and the increasing questions about when members of the House Republican leadership knew of the e-mail exchanges and what did they know of Foley's actions. Coming five weeks before the election, the scandal involving the Republican congressman could cost the GOP control of the House. "The House has to clean up the mess, to the extent there is a mess," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters at a briefing. Foley abruptly quit Congress on Friday after reports surfaced that he'd sent sexually charged electronic messages to boys working as pages. In the statement, Foley said the "events that led to my resignation have crystalized recognition of my long-standing and significant alcoholism and emotional difficulties." "I deeply regret and accept full responsibility for the harm I have caused," Foley said. He also expressed "gratitude for the prayers and words of encouragement that have been conveyed to me." The FBI, meanwhile, "is conducting an assessment to see if there's been a violation of federal law," according to FBI spokesman Richard Kolko. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Monday it was also investigating whether the e-mail communications violated state law. Spokesman Tom Berlinger called the state probe "a precursor to a possible criminal investigation." Florida Republicans picked state Rep. Joe Negron to replace Foley as its candidate in the West Palm Beach district, which is largely Republican. House Republicans went into damage control mode amid charges by Democrats that some House leaders may have known for months about Foley's inappropriate overtures toward the young pages. Hastert met with his staff, the House clerk and Rep. John Shimkus (news, bio, voting record), R-Ill., the congressman who oversees the page program, to review the procedures on protecting the teenage pages while they are working at the Capitol and after they finish their assignments. Hastert in a letter sent Sunday to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, asked the Justice Department to "conduct an investigation of Mr. Foley's conduct with current and former House pages," including "any sexually explicit communications between Mr. Foley and any former or current House pages and what actions such individuals took, if any, to provide them to law enforcement." Democrats demanded that investigators determine whether Republican leaders tried to cover up Foley's actions for political reasons. "The attorney general should open a full-scale investigation immediately," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a statement, including whether GOP leaders "knew there was a problem and ignored it to preserve a congressional seat this election year." FBI cyber sleuths are looking into the text of some of the Foley messages, checking to see how many e-mails and instant electronic messages were sent and how many computers were used, according to a law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. The FBI also was trying to determine if any of the teenagers who received messages are willing to cooperate with the investigation, the official said. Ironically, Foley, who is 52 and single, could be found to have violated a law that he helped to write as co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus. Rep. Thomas Reynolds (news, bio, voting record) of New York, head of the House Republican election effort, said he told Hastert months ago about the allegations involving a 16-year-old boy from Louisiana. Hastert acknowledged that his staff had been made aware of concerns about what they termed "over-friendly" e-mails Foley had sent to the teenager — including one requesting his picture — in the fall of 2005, and that they referred the matter to the House clerk. But Hastert said those e-mails were not viewed as "sexual in nature" and that he was not aware of "a different set of communications which were sexually explicit ... which Mr. Foley reportedly sent another former page or pages." ___ AP reporter Brian Skoloff contributed to this story from West Palm Beach, Fla.; AP reporter John Heilprin contributed from Washington

Amway Dick sure know how to pick em

First we find out he supported George Macca Allen now Mark Foley I heard of the odd couple but damn one is a biggot and the other writes XXX emails to a 16 year old boy. Democratic Underground - Start with anyone affiliated with Amway/Quixtar--Bring DeVos empire down This is the first of several items just posted today at my blog, MLM Liberal.Speading all this should at least help us save Michigan.UPDATE: AMWAY/QUIXTAR AND DEVOS GAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO SEXUAL PREDATORQuixtar PR campaign beginning on NBC tonight doomed to fail after ABC reveals teen sex scandal involving Amway's favorite CongressmenThe aftermath of the resignation of Congressman Mark Foley may be the one story that gets Amway/Quixtar/Alticor out of political arena once and for all.MLM Liberal cannot emphasize this enough.Florida Congressman Mark Foley, who resigned from Congress after ABC News revelations of sexually explicit online chat with a 16-year-old Congressional page, received $8,000 in campaign contributions from Amway/Quixtar, including $500 this election cycle, between 1989 and 2006, according to the Center for Responsive Politics Open Secrets website. Foley's total contribution receipts from Amway/Quixtar rank him 30th with four other politicians.A Florida resident himself, Amway founder Rich DeVos gave $7,000 to sexual predator Mark Foley between 1996 and 2005, according to NewsMeat.There (are) several posts here tonight regarding the developments of the last 48 hours, some of which are rather lengthy. These will include the role of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert covering this up. Hastert received $3,000 in total campaign contributions from Amway/Quixtar--all of it during this election cycle, according to Open Secrets.----------$15,000 from Amway/Quixtar and DeVos to a sexual predator. And that's only the beginning. My blog has also linked Rich DeVos and his foundation to gay escort turned White House "reporter" Jeff Gannon.My blog has further linked Amway/Quixtar and the DeVos family to forced abortions of women working in sweatshops in Saipan, made possible through former Amway distributor Tom DeLay and DeVos associate Jack Abramhoff.And my blog has discussed Amway/Quixtar's major support for George Allen, Dennis Hastert, Rick Santorum and Katherine Harris. The current President of parent company Alticor, Doug DeVos, and his wife have also given money to Ohio gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell.My posts on the rallying for the Iraq War by Amway/Quixtar, the DeVos family and the Distributor Kingpins (Dexter Yager, Bill Britt, Paul Miller, Ron Puryear, etc.) were found disgusting by one of the premiere critics of the business.As "Dateline" and "60 Minutes" reported, that is where the Kingpins have made the real money--their "systems" of motivational books, tapes and functions.However, while the Corporation's biggest critic found some of my posts disgusting, it's where the profits from the Corporation and the Kingpin's "business systems" are going that the real scam on the American people has taken place. While Dick DeVos is running (with his profits from the Corporation) for Governor of Michigan, his brother-in-law Erik Prince is a war profiteer as CEO/founder of Blackwater, one of a growing number of companies in the area of privatized military services.America has become one big Quixtar meeting, the effects of which go beyond sexually explicit chat with a 16-year-old Congressional page. It has resulted in the deaths of thousands of America soldiers, Iraqi civilians and victims of Hurricane Katrina.That is the REAL "Scamway."And as I've said at my blog, no bottle of LOC or box of SA8 can clean up this mess.

Debbie Stabenow new ad

Yes I know she voted the way we didn't like but look at our choices Debbie Stabenow with a Democratic majority or Mike "rubberstamp"Bouchard heaven help us with a Republican majority. The point is giving the Democrats the majority this election cycle so they can stop the Bush agenda. Anway here's the Debbie Stabenow ad via POHLITICS .

Fresh out of the oven new ad from MDP

I like the path the MDP and Granholm have taken with their ads, going after DeVos central piece of his "argument" that he can create jobs. Like the last ad "lobbyist" it manages to tries DeVos record of cutting jobs, getting tax cuts while he cut Michigan jobs and him funding the modern day GOP. Press Release MDP Unveils New TV Ad “Express” Ad shows unethical DeVos spent millions in contributions to get a “middle of the night” $19 million tax break for Amway in Asia LANSING- Today the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) unveiled its fourth statewide television ad on Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos titled “Express”. The ad, which begins airing today, shows how after DeVos and his family gave millions of dollars in political contributions to Republican leaders they slipped a last minute 19 million dollar tax break into a tax bill, designed just for DeVos and Amway. DeVos has a long history of unethical business and political practices. The Center for Responsive Politics reported that while Dick DeVos was President of Amway, the company gave nearly $7 million dollars to Republican candidates and organizations. Common Cause reported in 1994 that Amway made record-setting soft-money contribution of $2.5 million to the Republican Party. The DeVos family has poured millions of their own money on top of the Amway contributions. In 1997, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Newt Gingrich put a last-minute provision onto the compromise tax bill that gave Amway a $19 million tax break on its Asian branches. This tax break was designed specifically for Amway. DeVos has a history of unethical business practices: ● DeVos’ wife Betsy said that the family was buying influence. “We do expect some things in return,” she said.● DeVos has held large soft money fundraisers on his family’s yacht with indicted Rep. Tom DeLay.● DeVos has disingenuously said that he will not accept any money from Political Action Committees (PACs), but he operates the PAC “Restoring the American Dream” now, has operated several other PACs and the Republican Governors Association has started to spend three quarters of a million dollars on ads for DeVos with money from special interest groups and PACs. ● DeVos continues to hide financial information from the public by breaking precedent and not disclosing his tax returns.● When DeVos was president of Amway, Amway was forced settled a lawsuit with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)for $9 Million. Amway case was the largest civil suit in the RIAA’s history. “It wasn’t enough that Dick DeVos eliminated 1,400 Michigan jobs and invested $200 million in China, he had to get a tax break for it too,” said Brewer. “DeVos used his soft money influence to get a middle of the night tax cut for Amway’s Asian investments to the tune of $19 million. Betsy DeVos has said the DeVos family expects something in return for their multi-million dollar campaign contributions to Republicans and the Republicans exceeded even her expectations.” Text of “Express”: It’s no secret that Dick DeVos cut jobs in Michigan and opened a factory in China, creating thousands of jobs there. But now we find out, after Dick DeVos and his family gave Republican leaders millions of dollars…they slipped in a last minute 19 million dollar tax break, designed just for DeVos and Amway. Some called it a middle of the night deal. Great for Dick DeVos…and what did you get? The bill. “Express” will be available today at www.michigandems.com/express.html.

GOP knew of Foley's emails

GOP leaders knew of Foley e-mail in '05 - Yahoo! News GOP leaders knew of Foley e-mail in '05 Sun Oct 1, 8:00 AM ET GOP leaders admit their offices have known for months that a Florida Republican congressman was sending inappropriate e-mails to a boy who had worked as a page in the House of Representatives. The office of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who earlier said he'd learned about the e-mails only last week, acknowledged that aides referred the matter to the authorities last fall. They said they were only told the messages were "over-friendly." Rep. Thomas Reynolds (news, bio, voting record), who heads the House Republican election effort, said Saturday he told Hastert months ago about concerns that a fellow Republican lawmaker, Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record), had sent inappropriate messages to a teenage boy. Reynolds, a Republican from New York, is defending himself from Democrats who say he did too little to protect the boy. Foley quit Congress on Friday after ABC News questioned him about the e-mails to a former congressional page and about sexually suggestive instant messages to other pages. "The improper communications between Congressman Mark Foley and former House Congressional pages is unacceptable and abhorrent. It is an obscene breach of trust," Hastert, R-Ill., Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said Saturday in a written statement. The Republican leaders said it is their duty to ensure House pages are safe. They said they are creating a toll-free hot line for pages and their families to call to confidentially report any incidents, and will consider adopting new rules on communications between lawmakers and pages. The boy who received the e-mails was 16 in the summer of 2005 when he worked in Congress as a page. After the boy returned to his Louisiana home, the congressman e-mailed him. The teenager thought the messages were inappropriate, particularly one in which Foley asked the teen to send a picture of himself. I wonder what's the moral values crowd at on this one? A Republican congressman was sending XXX rated emails to a 16 year old boy and the Republicans knew for a year. Could you image if this was Harry Reid or Howard Dean was caught writing freaky emails to a underage dude the right wing media will be foaming at the mouth.