Terror Alert Manipulated Under Bush....Shocking.

WhatsHisNuts

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Ex-DHS chief links politics to terror alerts

<cite class="vcard"> By DEB RIECHMANN and EILEEN SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writers Deb Riechmann And Eileen Sullivan, Associated Press Writers </cite> <abbr title="2009-08-20T17:03:57-0700" class="recenttimedate">13 mins ago</abbr>
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WASHINGTON ? Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge claims in a new book that he was pressured by other members of President George W. Bush's Cabinet to raise the nation's terror alert level just before the 2004 presidential election.
Ridge says he objected to raising the security level despite the urgings of former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, according to a publicity release from Ridge's publisher. He said the episode convinced him to follow through with his plans to leave the administration; he resigned on Nov. 30, 2004.
Bush's former homeland security adviser, Frances Townsend, said Thursday that politics never played a role in determining alert levels.
Two tapes were released by al-Qaida in the weeks leading up to the election ? one by terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and the other by a man calling himself "Azzam the American." Terrorism experts suspected that "Azzam the American" was Adam Gadahn, a 26-year-old Californian whom the FBI had been urgently seeking.
Townsend said the videotapes contained "very graphic" and "threatening" messages.
Townsend said that anytime there was a discussion of changing the alert level, she first spoke with Ridge and then, if necessary, called a meeting of the homeland security council comprising the secretaries of defense and homeland security, the attorney general and CIA and FBI directors. The group then made a recommendation to the president about whether the color-coded threat level should be raised.
"Never were politics ever discussed in this context in my presence," she said.
Asked if there was any reason for Ridge to have felt pressured, Townsend said: "He was certainly not pressured. And, by the way, he didn't object when it was raised and he certainly didn't object when it wasn't raised."
Ridge's publicist, Joe Rinaldi, said Ridge was out of town and was not doing interviews until his book, "The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege ... and How We Can Be Safe Again," is released on Sept. 1.
In 2004, Ridge explained why he didn't feel the alert should be raised. "We don't have to go to (code level) orange to take action in response either to these tapes or just general action to improve security around the country," he said then.
In 2005, months after he resigned, Ridge said his agency has been the most reluctant to raise the alert level. "There were times when some people were really aggressive about raising it, and we said, 'For that?'" he said during a panel discussion in May 2005. But his book appears to be the first time he publicly attributes some of the pressure to politics.
The Homeland Security Department, which Ridge was the first person to lead, faced criticism in 2004 from Democrats who alleged that raising the alert level was designed to boost support for the Bush administration during an election year.
Ridge, a former Republican congressman and governor of Pennsylvania, was widely named as a potential running mate to John McCain in 2008 before the GOP candidate choice Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
 

Lumi

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All of these past and upcoming revelations about the Bushy/DICK Oligarchy are no suprise :scared Our corrupt government has a history of wagging the dog to manipulate voters.

Next we will find out there were gay porn stars posing as reporters in the White House Press Corps. Oh wait... that did happen.
 

THE KOD

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Probably one of the most pathetic things I have read about politics.

To make a concerted effort to get Ridge to raise the level is beyond incredible. Only Cheney could have thought of that one.

Glad that adm is over with.

How did we ever make it through that 8 yrs.

I just hope Obama can dig us out of the pit Bush left .
 

THE KOD

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PitMine_Russia.jpg


thanks George

hope your billionaire status serves you well in your retirement.
 

The Sponge

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I think when i said they were doing this bullshit back in the day the righties said i was delusional. Right, left, or middle if this doesn't piss u off what does? This is about as depicable as it gets. Nah these guys wouldn't ty to rig an election. Nah it isn't possible. Out a CIA agent. Nah impossible.
 

THE KOD

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Yeh then we had the hanging chads and election is decided by Supreme Court who was pretty much influenced by the Bush family .

:scared :scared

I have alot more respect for Ridge that he resigned over that situation.

At least he has morals.
 

Lumi

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They really are a horrible bunch goons.
I am embarassed as an American to have had these crooks and liars running this country. The audacity of that administration to judge other countries leaders is laughable. And the most disgusting thing is, that nothing will be done, the pundits will talk about it, the politicians will castigate them, but absolutely nothing will be done. Hell, they can't even get Turdblossom into court under suubpeona !
 

THE KOD

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AP: Sanford didn't disclose dozens of flights
S.C. governor says friends provided private planes for personal use

He admitted his political ambitions were finished, his wife and kids moved out of the governor's official residence and now, The Associated Press has reported that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford took 35 plane flights without disclosing who piad for the travel.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford took dozens of undisclosed flights on private planes since taking office in 2003 despite a state law requiring him to report who paid for the travel, an Associated Press investigation has found.
:scared
The AP discovered 35 flights Sanford took on private planes that he did not list on state ethics forms or campaign reports. The flights are noted on Sanford's official calendars, obtained by the AP through a Freedom of Information request.

State law requires elected officials to disclose gifts received in a day worth $25 or more and "anything of value" over the course of a year worth at least $200 "if there is reason to believe the donor would not give the thing of value" but for the public official's position.:scared

Sanford, under scrutiny since announcing an affair with an Argentine mistress, didn't report the flights because the trips were paid for by longtime friends or political groups, spokesman Ben Fox said. "That was our standard operating procedure," he said.

However, state ethics officials said Sanford should report all use of private planes, even if friends pick up the tab, just as any other public official is required to do under the law.

Cathy L. Hazelwood, the state Ethics Commission's general counsel, said such flights "need to be disclosed somewhere."

"To the extent friendship is a reason not to report something is fascinating to me," she said. "There is no private Mark Sanford at this point."

Sanford not too frugal to fly first class
July 17: An Ed Show political panel talks about the top headlines of the day including news that Gov. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., known for being frugal, often flew first class on taxpayers? dollars.
:SIB

Sanford used the private planes, including some owned by supporters, to fly around the state for political functions, to attend sporting events with supporters and, at times, to go on vacation with his family, the calendars show. In one 2005 trip, the family took Sanford supporter J.T. Gandolfo's Cessna to the Bahamas for "personal time" and returned on a King Air whose owner was not identified in the governor's records.

Sanford already is facing scrutiny after the AP reported his use of state aircraft for personal and political trips, and charges to taxpayers for more expensive first-class and business-class flights on state business. Attorney General Henry McMaster and legislators have called on the South Carolina Ethics Commission to investigate the state plane use. And a Republican state senator chairing a budget committee concluded from his own review that Sanford violated state law with the more expensive commercial flights.

Sanford has argued that his critics have misinterpreted state law. He has said he has gone out of his way to save the state money on his travels and to uphold the law.

The governor's use of private planes falls under state ethics laws requiring disclosure. Hazelwood said each of Sanford's trips needs to be looked at with one question in mind. "Are you being asked to attend this function because you're governor? If the answer is yes, there needs to be disclosure there," she said.

Butch Bowers, a Columbia lawyer who advised Sanford during his campaigns, contended if Sanford can show that he believed those trips were provided because of his friendship with the owners of the planes, he didn't have to disclose them. "That's inherently subjective, and that subjectivity is necessarily grounded in the person doing the reporting," Bowers said.

Sanford frequently used Gandolfo's planes, records show. In November 2003, he used the King Air to travel to Clemson and Spartanburg for county political events; in August 2005, he used Gandolfo's Cessna to return from Atlanta after a family vacation, according to Sanford's office calendars.

Sanford considers Gandolfo, a prominent businessman who owns car dealerships in the state, a close friend, and isn't required to report such flights when they involve friends' aircrafts, Fox said.

Gandolfo was on vacation Friday and not available for comment, his secretary said
..................................................................

So even though there is a disclosure law, Sanford beleives in his heart that if a private plane is provided by one of his friends :SIB

then thats a gift and it dont have to be reported as required by law.

Wonder how many of these flights he was doing the nasty with his honey from South America

When will it stop

Politicians over and over again prove their worth.

And this was a Presidential hopefull.

He should have talked to John Edwards involved in a paternity battle :shrug:
 

THE KOD

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Palin discloses gifts in amended report
Juneau Empire

ANCHORAGE -
A personalized gun case, a Bible bound in goat skin and a hand-painted plate featuring Sarah Palin's likeness were among gifts the former governor received this year.

The gifts have been included in an amended disclosure form filed with the Alaska Public Office Commission.

State law requires politicians to list gifts with a value of $250 or more, but Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, included gifts with unknown values in case they exceed the threshold.

The gifts were delivered to the governor's offices in Juneau or Anchorage, to the governor's mansion and Palin's home, and to the homes of her parents and in-laws.

Among other gifts reported were a glass elephant, jewelry, books, CDs and an Army flag.

The former Republican vice presidential candidate resigned as Alaska's governor July 26
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Why did this have to be amended ? Because she wasnt saying shit about it before forced to.

And anyone who thinks this is all she received.

Come on get a life. Too many people and companys trying to influence future favors to stop this crap. The temptation is too great even for Sarah.

A theif without opportunity calls himself a honest man/ woman.

And this is who the GOP is trotting out in 2012

:142smilie :142smilie

Good luck with that RAYMOND and hedge.
 

Lumi

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Kind of a "HARD RIGHT" from the topic

The Dems in the house and the Senate putting in Req Orders for 200mil dollar Jets, Bill Blasting Powdered Milk Factories to cover up a BJ...

Don't get me wrong they are all scum bags and I would piss on their faces if it was on fire., but the topic at hand is enough material to cover 3-7 pages?

You start tearing apart Dead Eye Dick and his companies that benefited....shit, he just made more money in the time it took me to type this sentence, than I will make in a year
 

THE KOD

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You start tearing apart Dead Eye Dick and his companies that benefited....shit, he just made more money in the time it took me to type this sentence, than I will make in a year

...........................................................

ok here is a question I have for you.

what do you think that George W and Dick Cheneys net worth are today ?
 

Hard Times

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Kind of a "HARD RIGHT" from the topic

The Dems in the house and the Senate putting in Req Orders for 200mil dollar Jets, Bill Blasting Powdered Milk Factories to cover up a BJ...

Don't get me wrong they are all scum bags and I would piss on their faces if it was on fire., but the topic at hand is enough material to cover 3-7 pages?

You start tearing apart Dead Eye Dick and his companies that benefited....shit, he just made more money in the time it took me to type this sentence, than I will make in a year

it's i WOULDN'T piss on their faces, i'm sure that's what you meant....of course you must be a fast typist in order for your comment about lord darth vador to be true, if you type as slow as i do , oh well that's a life time of earnings... you are right on, when you say that it is both parties, why the sheep don't see it i'll never understand.... this forum is alot like the media channels on the boob tube... FOX vs MSNBC... divide and conquer
 

Lumi

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Yeh then we had the hanging chads and election is decided by Supreme Court who was pretty much influenced by the Bush family .

:scared :scared

I have alot more respect for Ridge that he resigned over that situation.

At least he has morals.

ULCERS THE SIZE OF GEE WIZ'ES FAKE 10 GALLON HAT :scared
 

THE KOD

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30 to 50 bil combined:mad:

............................................................

I would agree with those figures since I do not know.

So lets look at this then . Both men go into office worth 7-12 million dollars.

And they come out at the end of 8 yrs.

with 30 to 50 billion

seriously - wtf :scared

are Americans total fools
 

DOGS THAT BARK

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Appears what we have here is one side trying to exploit the other sides weakness--DEFENCE--and the other side getting "wee-weed up" over it. :)

--of course Dems have advantage when it comes to tax and spend and redistribute the wealth with their base--so to each their own.
 

THE KOD

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Appears what we have here is one side trying to exploit the other sides weakness--DEFENCE--and the other side getting "wee-weed up" over it. :)

--of course Dems have advantage when it comes to tax and spend and redistribute the wealth with their base--so to each their own.
.............................................................

eddieMGumby.jpg


Your Gumby dammit !
 

Lumi

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............................................................

I would agree with those figures since I do not know.

So lets look at this then . Both men go into office worth 7-12 million dollars.

And they come out at the end of 8 yrs.

with 30 to 50 billion

seriously - wtf :scared

are Americans total fools

You are way off about their net worth when they went into the White House. The Dick had Stock Holdings in KBR-Haliburton worth that much to begin with and who knows what else? Gee Wiz's Net worth is impossible to calculalte.
 

StevieD

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When we pointed all this crap out about Bush and his boys when they were in power we were called Kooks and worse. Yet, now that it is slowly coming out that we were right the dopes that called us kooks are still at it. These people have destroyed our country. I don't so much blame Bush but I blame those that not only supported him but still do even after the truth comes out. Pathetic.
 

Lumi

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I dislike them all ! !

They are all dirtbags, No offense to the Long Beach State Baseball Team.

SteveD, and others who were pounding Bushy, I wasn't here during the debacle, I was kicking him in the nuts at other sites and taking hot rounds for it. I hope you are prepared for the shitstorm on the horizon and ready to frag the turd in the WH today? There really aren't 2 parties, although Barry is doing his best to draw a very wide line in the White House Lawn, shit, he is using a back hoe to do it. :scared One party, seperate ideals, yet one goal.
 
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