Selling Judgeships for Healthcare Vote?

[LineDoggie]

Obama Now Selling Judgeships for Health Care Votes?

Tonight, Barack Obama will host ten House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he's obviously trying to persuade them to switch their votes to yes. One of the ten is Jim Matheson of Utah. The White House just sent out a press release announcing that today President Obama nominated Matheson's brother Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

More at the Link






SOURCE:
http://weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-now-selling-appeals-court-judgeships-health-care-votes



This does beg the question is this a Quid Pro Quo?

[Imp]

Sometimes the appearance of impropriety is just as importance as actual impropriety. And hell, after the Cornhusker Kickback, the Louisiana Purchase and the Florida deal, this is really small fry in the hideously corrupt healthcare process.

[LineDoggie]

Well Arlen Spectres democratic primary opponent says he was Offered a Job if he dropped out of the race.

Sestak sticks by claim of White House job offer

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak said Tuesday he stands behind his contention that the Obama administration offered him a federal job if he would back away from a Democratic primary race against Sen. Arlen Specter.

"Yes, I was offered a job," Sestak said.

But the Delaware County Democrat won't say who made the offer or disclose the position offered.

Sestak last week made the revelation while taping Comcast Network's "Larry Kane: Voice of Reason," a public affairs show aired in Philadelphia.


SOURCE:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_668649.html

[wotsnext]

I thought this sort of thing only happened in the UK.

[deagle]

c'mon, what can't be bought these days ?

[seraosha]

c'mon, what can't be bought these days ?

My virginity.

[LineDoggie]

My virginity.Your fault for giving it away at the Million man march.....:)

[Lazy Lob]

I thought this sort of thing only happened in the UK.

I've lived and worked in some "gucci-socialist" shyteholes and they all believe they know want you want better than you do, and they'll do anything to have that power. A few cvnts in our sceptered isle have just cottoned on.

[Chulo]

Well Arlen Spectres democratic primary opponent says he was Offered a Job if he dropped out of the race.

Sestak sticks by claim of White House job offer

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak said Tuesday he stands behind his contention that the Obama administration offered him a federal job if he would back away from a Democratic primary race against Sen. Arlen Specter.

"Yes, I was offered a job," Sestak said.

But the Delaware County Democrat won't say who made the offer or disclose the position offered.

Sestak last week made the revelation while taping Comcast Network's "Larry Kane: Voice of Reason," a public affairs show aired in Philadelphia.


SOURCE:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_668649.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4
Bill Clinton talked to Sestak about unpaid job if he dropped bid


At the request of President Obama's chief of staff, former President Bill Clinton (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4#) asked Joe Sestak if he would drop out of Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate primary if given a prominent but unpaid advisory position within the administration.
That's what sources told (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ynews/pl_ynews/storytext/ynews_pl2305/36331745/SIG=13gldj8s9/*http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/white-house-used-bill-clinton-to-ask-sestak-to-drop-out-of-race/) the New York Times' Peter Baker (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4#) on Friday morning, as the White House prepared to release its official response to Sestak's claim that a White House job was dangled before him as inducement to pull the plug on his primary challenge to incumbent Arlen Specter (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4#). The White House has since released its counsel's findings (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ynews/pl_ynews/storytext/ynews_pl2305/36331745/SIG=140p42jam/*http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/memorandum-white-house-counsel-regarding-review-discussions-relating-congressman-se) on the matter, confirming that Clinton spoke to Sestak.
Baker describes Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel as having personally asked Clinton last summer to be an emissary to Sestak. Emanuel — a former chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4#) who actually recruited Sestak to run for the House back in 2006 — didn't want Sestak to drop out of the House. So, according to Baker, White House officials considered several unpaid positions, including a spot on the independent President's Intelligence Advisory Board. But that position wouldn't work because Sestak couldn't take the job while still serving in Congress (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4#).
If Baker's account is accurate, did Sestak exaggerate this job business (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/news/ynews/pl_ynews/storytext/ynews_pl2305/36331745/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100521/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2183) a little bit? Back in February, Sestak replied "yes" when a Pennsylvania TV reporter asked if he had been offered a "high-ranking" administration job (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4#). An unpaid advisory role, while perhaps important and influential, isn't exactly "high-ranking."
The wild card here, which administration officials will no doubt play up, is that evidently no one except Clinton and Sestak know exactly what Clinton said. Sestak (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4#) still isn't talking, though he did confirm to reporters (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ynews/pl_ynews/storytext/ynews_pl2305/36331745/SIG=12mm1mipm/*http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/27/AR2010052705245.html) Thursday that his brother, Richard, who is also his chief political adviser (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4#) and campaign attorney, spoke with the White House Thursday about the matter.
Republicans — including every GOP member of the Senate Judiciary Committee (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/news/ynews/pl_ynews/storytext/ynews_pl2305/36331745/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100526/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2272) — have asked Attorney General Eric Holder to bring in an outside prosecutor to investigate, alleging that if the White House tried to influence Sestak to drop out, it may have violated federal law. But if it was Clinton who did the talking, were any laws broken? One thing is clear, though: If White House officials weren't at least a little worried, they would have released this information at some other time than the Friday before a holiday weekend.
— Holly Bailey is a senior political writer (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100528/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2305_4#) for Yahoo! News.

[sgt_G]

^^^^ somebody fix that

[Mastermind]

Hell, Yes it is! It's politics! It's a witness to one of the two things in life no one should ever see being made....Politics is one and the making of sausage is the other.

A good friend of mine, some years ago, came up with a new method for processing milk. it was desperately needed in the dairy industry...and would save consumers billions of bucks a year. yet, he could not get the FDA to approve it....two years and thousands of dollars in testing and reports on his process later, and still no FDA approval came forth. Finally, a guy at the FDA office told my friend, he needed to just take fifty thousand bucks to Senator "X"....in cash. So, my friend did this...cash in a gym bag...got an appointment with Senator "X"...The Senator was completely uninterested in the meeting as my friend tried to tell the Seantor about the process...but he only had 15 minutes. The Senator sat there reading a sheaf of papers and never once looked up at my friend as he frantically told his tale. Finally, in the 14th minute, the senator looked up and point blank said..."Did you bring the 'donation'?" My friend quickly handed over the gym bag...the senator got up, picked up the bag and left the room...My friend then left...not knowing what to expect...the very next day he received an over night FedEx with all the proper approvals...all signed and completed...some had been approved for months....all held waiting for the Senator's phone call. It was a direct extortion. Now, my friend gets all sorts of approvals for his food processes...almost over night...well, on the next day after visiting with his Congress people and Senators.

That's the reality of how it works...that's why Senators and Congresspeople who go to Washington almost paupers are millionaires in a few years....every fking one of them!

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Hell, Yes it is! It's politics! It's a witness to one of the two things in life no one should ever see being made....Politics is one and the making of sausage is the other.

A good friend of mine, some years ago, came up with a new method for processing milk. it was desperately needed in the dairy industry...and would save consumers billions of bucks a year. yet, he could not get the FDA to approve it....two years and thousands of dollars in testing and reports on his process later, and still no FDA approval came forth. Finally, a guy at the FDA office told my friend, he needed to just take fifty thousand bucks to Senator "X"....in cash. So, my friend did this...cash in a gym bag...got an appointment with Senator "X"...The Senator was completely uninterested in the meeting as my friend tried to tell the Seantor about the process...but he only had 15 minutes. The Senator sat there reading a sheaf of papers and never once looked up at my friend as he frantically told his tale. Finally, in the 14th minute, the senator looked up and point blank said..."Did you bring the 'donation'?" My friend quickly handed over the gym bag...the senator got up, picked up the bag and left the room...My friend then left...not knowing what to expect...the very next day he received an over night FedEx with all the proper approvals...all signed and completed...some had been approved for months....all held waiting for the Senator's phone call. It was a direct extortion. Now, my friend gets all sorts of approvals for his food processes...almost over night...well, on the next day after visiting with his Congress people and Senators.

That's the reality of how it works...that's why Senators and Congresspeople who go to Washington almost paupers are millionaires in a few years....every fking one of them!What method of processing was approved?

[Mastermind]

The method was for removal of water from milk in order to condense it without heat or vacuum...essentially, reverse osmosis. This was the first time RO was used in milk processing. he and his partner developed the initial process in his home garage...took quite a bit of engineering, filter design and consideration for milk handling to FDA rules and reg. They were able to patent the process. The importance of it is that milk can be transported with only 1/3 the water, then completely reconsituted in perfect fresh milk status at the receiving end. It cuts the cost of transport of fresh milk by thousands of dollars per load - In essence, shipping three truck loads of milk in a single truck.

edit...(more). The importance of this is viewed only when you understand the regional pricing imposed on US dairies across the nation. for example, one region in the SW may be allowed price 'A' and region on the Atlantic coast may be able to get price 'A+22%'. then, shipping three thousand gallons of milk to that region allows a higher pricing with a much lower cost of milk....especially when the cost of shipping is drastically reduced, as with this process. So, the cost of the process is suddenly a very viable part of dairy business. It helps the consumer by alleviating fluctuations in supply and demand, short curcuiting (in a manner of speaking) the government price fixing process.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

The method was for removal of water from milk in order to condense it without heat or vacuum...essentially, reverse osmosis. This was the first time RO was used in milk processing. he and his partner developed the initial process in his home garage...took quite a bit of engineering, filter design and consideration for milk handling to FDA rules and reg. They were able to patent the process. The importance of it is that milk can be transported with only 1/3 the water, then completely reconsituted in perfect fresh milk status at the receiving end. It cuts the cost of transport of fresh milk by thousands of dollars per load - In essence, shipping three truck loads of milk in a single truck.

edit...(more). The importance of this is viewed only when you understand the regional pricing imposed on US dairies across the nation. for example, one region in the SW may be allowed price 'A' and region on the Atlantic coast may be able to get price 'A+22%'. then, shipping three thousand gallons of milk to that region allows a higher pricing with a much lower cost of milk....especially when the cost of shipping is drastically reduced, as with this process. So, the cost of the process is suddenly a very viable part of dairy business. It helps the consumer by alleviating fluctuations in supply and demand, short curcuiting (in a manner of speaking) the government price fixing process.Interesting stuff MM I never thought much about how RO in milk processing came about in the US. I know someone who did a lot of work in enzymes used in US cheese production and he said milk production was a touchy subject in some eastern states after some tinkering with water content and pricing issues.