Scandals to the Left, Scandals to the Right

In January, I wrote an Austrian economic proof that the Obama stimulus plan would fail, I noted that one of the many symptoms would be inevitable, unstoppable corruption. Well, I suppose it’s no surprise to any American that corruption in our government is already widespread. And it’s pretty sad to see the mainstream media freak out over a case of the flu.

As fellow columnist Jonathan Cymberknopf writes in “Swine flu make for great ratings“, 36,000 died due to influenza in 2008, so there is no need for a mass freak out. (And yes, there is a possibility that it could become serious. A small possibility.)

After returning to the USA last month, I found that, perhaps paradoxically, the best news is being reported on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, a comedy show. Check out the “Your Government NOT at Work” excerpt from the April 28 episode 07:45 to 12:00. Stewart outlines a scandal involving my former Congresswoman, Jane Harman, of California. My residence used to lie in Harman’s district, she failed to reply to a single one of my attempts to write or be heard.  I contacted her over one hundred times over two years without reply, but perhaps she was busy covering up.  In Harman’s defense, she would like to release all of her wiretapped conversations to the public.

FACT: In 2005, AIPAC (aka The Israel Lobby) lobbyists Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman were charged in 2005 with conspiring to obtain classified documents dealing with Al-Qaeda, the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, and, perhaps most importantly, Iranian foreign policy. They are still awaiting trial. (Huffington Post, 4/21/09)

FACT: Representative Harman (D-CA) was under wiretap for suspicion of covertly aiding Israeli spies at this time. Recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) revealed she had known for over 3 years that Harman was being wiretapped and kept it secret. (Politico, 4/23/09)

CONTESTED: Two former senior national security officials, one read the transcript and were briefed on its contents, said Harman agreed during the conversation to “waddle into” the AIPAC case “if you think it’ll make a difference.” This was confirmed by a third source from the current national security administration. Harman allegedly hung up the phone after saying, “This conversation doesn’t exist.” In exchange, the sources reported, the suspected Israeli agent pledged to lobby Pelosi, who was then the House minority leader, to appoint Harman chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee if Democrats won control of the House in the 2006 elections. (Congressional Quarterly, 4/19/2009)

CONTESTED: The Israeli agent allegedly mentioned that Haim Saban, a dual citizen of the USA and Israel and wealthy creator of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, would withhold campaign contributions from Pelosi unless Harman was named chair of the Intelligence Committee – which ironically meets to discuss federal wiretap results. (LA Times, 4/22/2009)

FACT: Haim Saban financially supports Pelosi and the DNC through AIPAC. Pelosi said this week that “Haim Saban has been a friend of mine for many years… Many, many, many of Jane’s friends talked to me about her being named chair of the committee.” (Politico, 4/23/09) Last month, Saban held a cocktail reception and dinner for Pelosi and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at his home. (LA Times, 4/22/2009)

CONTESTED: Then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales allegedly prevented the CIA director to hold off on making the wiretap information public to the House and initiating a formal FBI investigation since – get this – he allegedly wanted to return a favor to Harman for suppressing a NY Times article about warrant-less wiretapping on the eve of the 2004 election, and allegedly still needed Harman’s help defending the Bush administration’s warrant-less wiretapping policy (in blatant violation of the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment.) (NY Times, 4/24/09)

FACT: Alberto Gonzales stated he has no comment at this time. (Congressional Quarterly, 4/19/2009)

As Jon Stewart laments, the NY Times still printed the article, Harman didn’t get her coveted chairwoman status, the Israeli spies are still on trial, and Saban still donated to Pelosi. Not quite like NCIS, CSI, or any other of those twenty-plus cop programs on TV, but… this is your government. Not at work.

In other news, evidence is rapidly accumulating that have implicated James Biden and Hunter Biden, Joe’s brother and son, in a possible Madoff-Ponzi scheme. The facts are that the SEC has frozen the assets of hedge fund Ponte Negra Group LLC. Ponte Negra was marketed under Onyx Capital, which is owned by a hedge fund of funds, Paradigm Capital, where Hunter Biden was CEO. The Biden Boys were sued by Anthony Lotito of Ponte Negra Group, and James Biden gave a sworn affadavit. The relationships between Ponte Negra, Onyx, and Paradigm are entangled, but they all refer to the same office on the 17^th floor of 650 Fifth Avenue in New York City, and callers have reached voicemail boxes of all three companies. I highly recommend this well-documented synopsis from “Tyler Durden.”

The Bidens do not appear criminal at the moment, but the James Biden’s sworn affadavit from April 2007 reveals that:

• The Bidens were aware that funds under their control had less than 20% of the assets they publicly claimed they had.
• The Bidens were aware that the funds’ returns were misrepresented.
• The Bidens were aware that Ponte Negra’s fund manager had “an apparent substance abuse problem” and had not reported to work for years.

The kicker is that after becoming aware of these details, it appears the Bidens failed to complete due diligence after buying in, they let this hedge fund continue business for another 2 years until the SEC closed it down on April 27, 2009.

Somewhat ironically, their father and brother, Joe Biden made a big deal on the campaign trail last fall that he and his wife are the second poorest family in the Senate, earning “just” $2.5 million over the past 10 years and having a net worth no higher than $220,000. “I make a good salary, although I am listed as the second-poorest man in this Congress. I’m not proud of it. I’m not proud of it. But that’s what happens when you get elected when you’re 29 years old.” Well, hopefully the hedge fund trader branch of the family has done better!

I’d rather not dwell on the fact that I’ve begun quoting Soviet dissidents. I’ll leave you with two simple quotes from a couple Americans.

“Discussion in America means dissent.” – James Thurber (1894-1961)

Silence can be the equivalent of acquiescence. In a free and open society, dissidents should be welcomed, never feared, and their evidence coldly subjected to the discerning blaze of truth itself.

“Silence is violence.” – song by Aimee Allen.

Indeed, sometimes this is true as well, the worst possible consequence for inaction. All actions – including inaction – have consequences. Such is life.