VECO Investment in Ted's Kitchen Returns Lucrative Contracts

Senator from Alaska gets a neat new addition to his home, and an oil firm gets a few lucrative contracts directed their way from a certain legislator in Congress. Does this news really surprise anybody?

For those of you who aren't familiar with this story, take a look here.

Ted Stevens Bribed by Big Oil

The collusion between politicians and corporations is nothing new inside the Beltway, and this development is nothing different. Lobbyists secure lucrative government contracts for public services and projects by swooning senators and congressmen with expensive steaks and "business vacations" to exotic destinations. The two parties that engage in this less-than-noble activity are the only ones to benefit from the practice. Constituents often are shortchanged, with less-qualified companies taking contracts from other firms that would likely perform better for less tax dollars. Is it any coincidence that politicians often live in more luxurious abodes than many of their voters? I think not, considering that the addition to Ted Steven's home funded by the oil firm VECO more than doubled his home, already located on a remote golf resort. I'm sure VECO's investment in Ted Steven's newly expanded kitchen and game room was a smart business decision, otherwise they wouldn't have done it.

Considering the symbiotic relationship between large companies and politicians, it is no wonder that the demands of the middle class are repeatedly ignored.

On another note, The Wall Street Journal was acquired by media tyrant Rupert Murdoch. I suppose offering $60 a share for a stock that was trading at $33 dollars per share was too much for the Bancroft family.

Rupert Murdoch's acquisition of various news media outlets is nothing new. He loses millions of dollars a year owning the New York Post. However, that paper gives him a great pulpit from which to preach his conservative views, which clock in just a little to the right of Attila the Hun.

Objective journalism took another hit today, I just hope people can tell the op ed pieces from the sliver of news that will remain between the lines. But the American people have failed themselves before, and it's doubtful that this they will pass this test either.

Reviewing the CNN*YouTube Democratic Debates

Just givin' ya the broad strokes, folks. It's late and I'm kind of tired.

First off, it feels really good to see normal people airing their grievances through a mainstream media outlet. The candidates performed well, and there were a few questions that I thought penetrated through their usually thick armor of bullshit and empty promises. However, I did notice they often resorted to a time-tested tactic, changing the question. Usually going with a seemingly harmless phrase, such as, "The real question/problem/issue here is (fill in prepared Q/A here)", so in some ways this novel debate got us nowhere fast.

I think that the memories of the Bush administration will steer the public clear of any but the most charismatic Republican candidates, especially those that don't openly declare their dissatisfaction with the current president. Hopefully if a Democrat is elected, they will engender cooperation between ethnic, economic, and party lines, as so many of them promise to do.

Big issues included the Iraq War (unexpectedly), healthcare (or the lack thereof), the lackluster and achingly slow response to Katrina, and restoring the respect and prestige that America only recently lost worldwide, despite carrying out policies in Central America and other regions that clash strongly with American values and border on complicity with genocide for decades previous to Dubya.

But I digress, I'm getting off topic.

I think this debate cleared a few questions people may have had, and I saw afterwards on FOX that based on a 30 person focus group, people walked in the room pulling for Hillary in 1st place and Obama in 2nd place. They left with the opposite views, with Obama taking the most favorable position at the top spot and Hillary losing a few people.

Overall, I think that Kucinich, Obama, and Hillary came out smelling like sunflowers. The other candidates performed well, but lacked something that these three candidates showed plenty of.

Comments are welcome.