If I Could Turn Back Time, Or, When Reality Intrudes...

The Mighty Kos commissioned a poll to tell us that Ned Lamont defeats Joe Lieberman in Connecticut.  Ooops!  Too bad the election is over!

In related news, the assembled staff at Just One Minute has decided to release the results of various polls we commissioned in while under the influence of... well, under the influence of a voracious thirst for alternative history.  Or something.

So to satisfy the insatiable thirst of others, I can now reveal that John Kerry defeats George Bush in a 2004 rematch.  However, such a rematch is unlikely since Al Gore already defeated George Bush in 2000. (He gets knocked down...)

In other excellent news, Hubert Humphrey defeated Richard Nixon in 1968, but it is not all grim for Republicans - in 1948 Dewey managed to defeat Truman in a poll we would have commissioned back in 1951 (had we been alive), when Truman's approval rating was at 23%.  Truman's backers can point to subsequent polls in which Truman managed to defeat Dewey again.

Meanwhile, one wonders - how much did the Kos Kids spend on this poll in Connecticut?  And isn't there a starving Dem politician, or even a starving village in Africa, where the money could go to better use?

Comments

[Cecil Turner]

And isn't there a starving Dem politician, or even a starving village in Africa, where the money could go to better use?

Based on their track record, they oughta give to their least favored rivals.

[SlimGuy]

The President In HD

A network insider tells TVNewser, tonight's Presidential address from the White House will be broadcast for the first time in high definition television. Previous events, including this year's State of the Union address, were in HD but now that the White House is wired, the networks can carry the speech in HiDef.

[BumperStickerist]

Did Kos determine if Lamont would win the primary?

[Sara]

Just goes to prove long time broadcaster David Brinkley's point - if you want to work in politics or comment on the political landscaape, the best preparation is not a degree in Political Science, Government or Journalism, but a degree in History.

[Rick Ballard]

Kerry could not possibly have beaten Bush in Koslandia. Dean won all primaries and carried fifty states in the general.

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

Kos is such a total douche. So what does that make the mindless morons who hang on his every vinegar-scented syllable?

[Sara]

Enema-atics? Full of sh!t.

[Scrapiron]

Sara went a long way around to get the point across. Kos is an anti-american (if he's even an American) ass kisser for Clintons Socialist dream.

[MikeS]

If Kos had his way, we would have had a different winner in WWII, Korea, Desert Storm, and Grenada.

[MarkJ]

I think this is Kos's favorite nursery rhyme...

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
If turnips were swords, I'd wear one by my side.
If ifs and ands were pots and pans,
there'd be no need for tinkers' hands.

If frogs had wings, and snakes had hair,
And automobiles flew through the air,
If a watermelon grew on a huckleberry vine,
Then we'd have winter in the summertime.

[MayBee]

I predict the people that give money to Kos when he begs for subscriptions will be upset this is what their money is going toward.

[Ann]

Another Republican stands up for General Patraeus in a full page New York Times Ad.

Joinrudy2008

[Jane]

I really liked The President's speech.

[Ann]

I really liked the speech,too. However, I found myself laughing OUT LOUD at the rebuttal
by whats his name.

[centralcal]

Jane, I like the speech too.

Ann, whathisname must have had his boxers in a wad. He had a grimace (sp) after every sentence.

Seriously, what has become of the Democrat party? I am tired of hearing it is all about politics. Where is their collective love of this country? I never see any "liking," much less love.

[Ann]

The following is a great example of the Democrat PartY. Nancy Pelosi said this TODAY:

““We need a new direction that redeploys our troops from Iraq, rebuilds our military and refocuses on fighting terrorism across the world,” Ms. Pelosi said.”

THE WOMAN IS NUTTERS.

[Syl]

Good for Rudy! He's my chioce to fight Hillary and he's showing his stuff!

[Sara]

I like the speech as well.

[trelane]

I woulda won! I woulda! I woulda!

[centralcal]

Syl: Tonight, I have to say I agree 100% It's about time somebody, anybody, on our side showed their stuff! And, I mean that from the depth of my being. I am so sick of namby pamby!

[Ann]

Centraical,

Another great example of the Democrat Party was John Edwards paid political rebuttal only seen on PMSNBC (Because he refuses to go on FOX because they are mean or something)

It was basically John Edwards stomping his foot saying we don't believe you, Mr Bush.

"NO TIME LINE, NO FUNDING, NO EXCUSES!!!!!!!!

(STOMP FOOT, STOMP FOOT)

Another laugh riot.

[Jodi]

Well it made Jane Hamser over at FDL happy. She really worked for Ned early on.

Loving Ned

(I do hope Jane continues her remarkable recovery from cancer, and maybe she could go back to the movies.)

[centralcal]

Ann: Thank you for the synopsis. I simply could not bring myself to tune in to PMSNBC and add to their ratings, nor do I give a damn what silky pony/Breck girl has to say about anything - and apparently, not too many idiot Democrats do either, judging by his standing in the polls.

I agree that he is probably the (sick) humor in the serious discussion tonight. Also, I think it is telling that he spent his money for air time on the absolutely LOWEST rated news channel! What a man!

[Clarice]

If I could go back in time, I'd do better in gym class so I could beat Jane in the big mud wrestle for HIT's affections. Unfortunately, kos has taken the time travel secret.

[Ann]

Clarice,

Speaking of Mr. Blue Eyes, is he off getting famous again? I miss him too!

[Clarice]

I'm the last to know, Ann.*sigh*

[Barry]

You girls kill me.

[Rick Ballard]

Last I heard, the chainsaw was out of gas and he was trying to get it to run on the last of the Wild Turkey. I told him it wouldn't work and to try Bacardi 151. Haven't had word back back yet on how it went.

[cathyf]

You are making that up, Rick. H&R would never waste booze on a machine!

Sheesh! How gullible do you think we are?!?

[Sam]

This site is unquestionably visited regularly by the most unpatriotic of americans - those willing to kick the chaos created by BushCo down the road to the next president. How unamerican and partisan can one get!?

[Topsecretk9]

don't question patriotism Sam - you hypocrite.

[buma]

Hey thirty-percenters! Your boy read a good speech off the teleprompter. Unfortunately his happy news was puffed full of air. The man has no serious plan for getting out of Iraq. He is leaving that task for his successor.

[Ralph L]

Sam, how dare you call Truman and LBJ unpatriotic!

[Extraneus]

Rudy is looking smart because this is the time to go after her. The others are pygmies compared to her, and if she can be taken out early, she should be. (Unlike last time around, when it might have been better to go easy on Dean until he won the nomination.)

Fred's guy Rich Galen went after her on the Hsu matter Tuesday. He should start pounding on that one, and the pardon stuff Rick linked to about her brothers, too. Romney could work the Sandy Berger angle for a trifecta, but he's less worried about Hillary than he is about Fred these days.

[Extraneus]

Also off-topic, but when I see the name JENNIFER LOVEN, I know what I'm in for. Can you imagine reading this if you thought it was straight news reporting?

Bush Preserves Big Troop Level in Iraq

[Jane]

You know the current crop of dems are like a bunch of Alzheimer's patients who have been left to wander around and ruminate. Last night Mr. RI spent his whole rebuttal talking about the "dem plan". By the end of it I was yelling: "What's the plan, what's the plan".

And of course there is no plan. There are no thoughts, there is just regurgitation of the kos inspired talking points. And since so few people pay attention, for lots of folks that's enough.

It's really sad.

[Jane]

So Hsu is saying Obama outed him? Since he was taking money from him, I wonder why? Was he jealous of the amounts that Hillary got?

[Extraneus]

Beastly pic on the front page at HotAir. Scroll down at your own risk.

[Extraneus]

Seems like a logical move for Obama, Jane. He knows there's no other way to take her out, and I bet he knows he's not getting VP, so going for the jugular is a reasonable strategy. Of course, she knows that, too, and probably dangles VP to try to keep him in line, but he probably also knows it's just a ploy, so why not pull out the stilletto and go for it? Hsu knows.

[ann]

Clarice is on "MUST READS of The Day" on Lucianne.com. Congrats!

Of course we already know she is a must read
anywhere, anyday :)

[kim]

The Dems are trying to promote the unconstitutional, and anti-democratic and illiberal, idea that the Department of Justice should be independent of the control exerted by the electorate through the regular election of a term-limited executive.

It's insidious, and very dangerous.
======================

[ann]

More on Norman Hsu:

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5657188

"Our sheriffs office tells me, the defendant had a checkbook in his possession when he was arrested that reflected a $6 million dollar balance in that checkbook at least," said Hautzinger.

[ann]

Kim, if you are referring to the nomination of Ted Olson I agree:

Borking Mr. Olson

[kim]

Yes, Ann. I originally got that argument from Clarice.
========

[kim]

I prefer 'come to think of it', but otherwise I agree to the end.
========================

[MayBee]

clarice- for you and fedora.

The other day I posted a link to an Ohio Group that listed the biggest individual donors for Ohio Proposition 2 to be George Soros, Susie Tompkins, and Norman Hsu (and some others). I don't know how to find another source on that.
Proposition 2 was in the 2006 election, and it was a fair wages law.

Norman Hsu and Susie Tompkins were proponents of making money off Chinese/Hong Kong/San Fran sweat shops. Their reasons for trying to pass a fair wages law in the US seems obvious- it would force their competition to pay workers more. The more US workers make, the more expensive the product, the bigger the demand for cheap-labor Chinese (or illegally made) product.

Buell, Hsu and Soros can back those kinds of laws looking altruistic toward American workers, while in reality they are boosting China.

I would love it if Fedora would look into that particular line more-- did Hsu contribute to pro-fair wages groups? Who else did?
It would also be interesting to know if he and his co-horts donated to pro-Kyoto type groups.

[Extraneus]

So, if he has $6M in his checking account, who's the genius that decided to set bail at $5M?

[Extraneus]

(Excellent line on motive, MayBee.)

[Extraneus]

The genius has been found.

“Two million wasn’t enough to keep Mr. Hsu from running. We’ll see if $5 million will do it.”

And his bank accounts haven't been frozen yet?

[centralcal]

Hmmm - didn't that NY "investor" of Hsu's claim that recent checks he gave them had bounced? How many checking accounts might he have?

[Topsecretk9]

So, if he has $6M in his checking account, who's the genius that decided to set bail at $5M?

In all fairness, it is the law in CO and in a display of remarkable PR acumen (I must say) the DA Hautzinger responded personally to an email asking if was crazy, displayed at Suitably Flip

Colorado law requires that bond be set in all cases but capital murder, and even then only when proof is evident and the presumptions great. I am sworn to enforce the law of Colorado. A $4,000,000 would quadruple the highest bond ever set in this jurisdiction.

That having been said, I am now in possession of a lot more information about Mr. Hsu and his history. I would very much like to ask for no bond, but such in illegal under the law of my state. Rest assured, however, that I now will be asking the judge to set it a goo[d] deal higher than the $4,000,000 I had earlier contemplated.

He asked for 50 mil.

[Extraneus]

Nobody has yet come out with the text of the suicide note(s)?

[Extraneus]

(Thanks, ts.)

[Extraneus]

Btw, I wonder what the word "cash" means in this report.

Hsu's Bail Set at $5 Million Cash

[RichatUF]

sam I am-

those willing to kick the chaos created by BushCo down the road to the next president. How unamerican and partisan can one get!?

Because this President had such a clean slate and so much to work with regarding the foreign policy of the previous President.

[RichatUF]

Maybee-

Hsu contribute to pro-fair wages groups? Who else did?

I can't find links yet [the afternoon coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet] but the initive here in Florida was pushed hard by SEIU (part of the shadow pary coalition that Soros put together-that was 2004). They were involved in another initive in 2006 and can't quite put my finger on it.

[RichatUF]

Maybee-

Kyoto was a dead letter by the time Bush got into office. Enron's collapase took a lot of wind out of its sails, so I doubt that Hsu money went in that direction. I hope Hillary! gets that list out, or that someone in her campaign leaks it on his way out the door.

[cathyf]

I'd like to take a short break to whine about the topic title. I've now had Cher's dulcet tones running through my head for nearly 24 hours. I think it rots your brain cells right out!

[Topsecretk9]

MayBee --- I posted this a few days ago

Warning-----> The link is a Word Doc

It is the text of Bill Clinton's words at some gala and NGO's

Kerry, Ethel, members of the Kennedy family. To all of you who have supported this evening, especially our friend Norman Hsu and I’d like to especially thank Harvey Weinstein and all of the people who’ve made Bobby into a movie...

...When I became president there were none of these groups in China. Today there are 250,000 registered with the government, and all my friends there believe there are at least half a million more. There must be a million non-governmental organizations in India alone and they are sweeping across Africa, sweeping across Southeast Asia, sweeping across Latin America. And they are being funded increasingly, not just by the very, very wealthy, but also by all the rest of concerned humanity...

...and USAID - ie taxpayers

anyways, it might be an angle

[Sue]

I've now had Cher's dulcet tones running

It must be Cher week. Rush just had a parody on Cher's Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.

[PMII]

This is as stupid as betting on Sunday's football games on Monday and losing.

After several years of calulating, the solution to global warming is to stop printing newspapers - saving those trees is all that is needed.

[Topsecretk9]

Did HSU help fund Schumer's illegal theft of Michael Steele's credit info?

HSU, NORMAN
NEW YORK,NY 10016
COOL PLANETS
6/9/2005
$26,700
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Cmte

HSU, NORMAN
NEW YORK,NY 10016
COOL PLANETS
9/30/2004
$12,000
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Cmte

that's 38,700 bucks

...According to the FBI, two Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee employees illegally obtained Steele's credit report.

Those familiar with the incident, say Katie Barge and Lauren Weiner were working on opposition research in July. They found Steele's Social Security number in a court document and used it to obtain his credit report...

-------

also Maybee---

Hsu, Norman
New York, NY 10012
NEW YORK STATE COMMITTEE OF THE WORKING FAMILIES PARTY $10,000
primary 09/14/06

[Syl]

re bail

To post bail, you must hand over 10% in cash.

I think there's a confusion between 'bond' and 'bail'. Not so clear on all this myself but I think it goes something like this...

His bail was set at $50,000,000 and in order to not sit in jail right now, he must post 10% of that in cash which would be $5,000,000.

OR, perhaps colorado law is different or the judge had leeway to require posting the entire amount of bail in cash. (Normally it's 10%).

[Sue]

Bail and bond are being used interchangeably, I think, though they really aren't the same. Bail is generally the amount that is set to be released from custody, pending trial, etc. A bond is what is posted to bail you out. In some instances a judge will order a cash bond only. If a bondsman is involved, 10% is usually required with the bondsman being the surety on the balance (the 10% coming from the "client" and isn't returned to the "client" when the case is over, the bondsman retains it). If a bondsman is not involved, the entire amount is required. Look at Hsu in California. He put up the entire 2 million in cash, didn't he?

[Sue]

If a bondsman is not involved, the entire amount is required.

I should say is usually required. There has to be some kind of surety for the balance, so I can't imagine they would allow you out posting 10% without a bondsman or some other collateral.

[Rick]

Am I the only one who wonders what Semanticleo thinks of the Kos/In-bred Ned thing? Or Hsu? Or anything on God green Earth, because goodness knows, 'cleo is one sunburst of insight, fer shur.

Cordially...

[Cecil Turner]

Well, the NY Times is predictable. In their editorial (No Exit, No Strategy), they echo their deeply discounted MoveOn ad, whilst simultaneously reiterating Mr Wilson's accusations of "twisted" intelligence:

Mr. Bush’s claims last night about how well the war is going are believable only if you use Pentagon numbers so obviously cooked that they call to mind the way Americans were duped into first supporting this war.

Nice to see the "big lie" technique still has its adherents on the left. Also, amusingly, they elide the obvious lack of a counterproposal from the Dems. Here, they manage to chide the Republicans for not having a counter to their own plan, and pretend the Dems are in the process of formulating one:

The presidential candidates, as well, have a duty to take Iraq head-on. Some Democrats have started to talk in some detail about how they would end the war, but the burden is not just on the war critics. Republicans like Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain, who love to proclaim their support for the president and hide behind the troops, need to explain their vision as well.

"Hide behind the troops"? Nice. And it's also nice to see the Dems are going to start planning now, four years on.

[Topsecretk9]

FYI...Wyatt's lawyers seek to block address book

Back in the spring of 2002, Houston oilman Oscar Wyatt's address book went missing while he was passing through Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Eventually U.S. Customs agents got hold of the book. And before returning it to Wyatt, they took the opportunity to photocopy it, lawyers in Wyatt's fraud and conspiracy case said in a court filing...

...One entry, labeled "Nigerian Scams," provides contact information for the Secret Service's Financial Crimes Division.

That notion, Wyatt's lawyers said, would "improperly suggest to the jury that Wyatt was involved in other wrongdoing."

"Evidence of Wyatt's contact with Secret Service agents responsible for investigating the 'Nigerian Scam' is not relevant to the charges," Wyatt's lawyers wrote. "At most it could prove that Wyatt had some familiarity with the 'Nigerian Scam' or the agents investigating it, but this fact is not one of consequence to the determination of whether Wyatt participated in prohibited financial transactions with Iraq."

The filing does not elaborate on the "Nigerian scam."

Another entry lists oil trader Marc Rich, who was indicted in 1983 on charges of cheating the government out of nearly $50 million in federal taxes. He also was accused of breaking the U.S. embargo against Iran by purchasing oil from that country while Americans were being held hostage there, between late 1979 and early 1981.

[PeterUK]

I'm sure Mr Hsu will not skip bail,but if his brother visits from the old country or he starts bathing unsupervised.....

[Extraneus]

Yes, Cecil, since the objective isn't to actually win, or stabilize, or secure, or anything else but but to end the battle for Iraq, unless there's a "strategy" to surrender, there's no strategy at all. Very logical.

Once again, it is clear that Mr. Bush refuses to recognize the truth of his failure in Iraq and envisions a military commitment that has no end. Congress must use its powers to expose the truth and demand a real change in strategy. Democratic leaders, forever parsing polls, are backing away from proposals to impose a deadline for withdrawal and tinkering with small ideas that mostly sound like ways to enable the president’s strategy of delay.

[Extraneus]

In case anyone missed this: General Lies and Power.

[MayBee]

good work, tops. That .doc link didn't work for me, but I know Bobby came out just last year. If he was facilitating movie parties, for the Clintons, he was certainly not a generic bundler to them. How fascinating.

The http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Families_Party>Working Families Party
Endorsed all the NY Democratic candidates this year, including Elliot Spitzer.
Shockingly, it was founded by someone from ACORN and two unions. It supports "well-paying jobs". Just like Hsu himself.

[MayBee]

Oh Tops- good for you. LA Times has that story now!

[MayBee]

Imagine if Hsu had been named Hillary's Ambassador to China or put in the Hong Kong Consulate.

[centralcal]

Drudge links to an item at MediaBistro citing a report by Andrea Mitchell that there is a lot of "in fighting" and even a shouting match going on among Hillary staff over the Hsu thing.

Golly, I wonder is Andrea was drinking before this report? (Didn't she use that lame excuse back in the day when reporting that everyone knew who Plame was?)

[Extraneus]

I was able to fix ts's link to the Word doc of Clinton's speech here.

[Sara]

A recommended read:

Why The Left Fears Petraeus

Snippet:

I do not know if there is really a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy or not, despite the constant admonitions from people connected with the Clintons. But this past week has certainly verified that the Left has such a machine. The New York Times breaks the law and its own policies in order to run a full-page character assassination on General Petraeus by a group known for its strong and increasing influence in Democrat affairs, and no leading Democrat is willing to denounce it for the vicious smear it so obviously is. Indeed, Schumer goes so far as to claim we must thank terrorist warlords for the decrease in violence, and Hillary Clinton states that it would take a “willing suspension of disbelief” (a phrase commonly associated with fiction) to accept the sworn testimony of a career military officer and combat veteran, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in his role. A certain duck colleague of Bugs Bunny will need a new stage name, because the Left has laid a firm claim on “Daffy”!

But aside from pointing out the obvious, what is the deal with the Left’s hysteria? Although it’s well known that they have a psychotic reaction to the President and anything he says or does, the Left usually lets the President speak before they blow up. Shoot, they hate Rove but don’t go out and campaign in the media against him, so there’s a special emotion going on in the hard little rocks which serve as hearts in the Left, where General David Petraeus is concerned.

That emotion is fear. Raw, powerful, growing fear.

Recognizing this fact, we would reasonably next wonder why the Left fears Petraeus so much. And I have an idea.

California.

...

It was far more expedient to the Democrats to sacrifice the last vestige of their honor, than to accept the consequences of their earlier deceit and treachery. Having subtly demeaned and maligned the troops already in many separate decisions, it was just one more step to take that step into public derision of the military.

Read it all. Very interesting.

[Sara]

Maybee, if you find more on the "fair wage" contributions, I hope you will post the info. I'm bored to tears with the Hsu story, but this twist might make it interesting.

[Rick Ballard]

Centralcal,

I doubt that Andrea was drinking. Imagine yourself a minion of the Beast in this situation. You know that she doesn't dare fire McAuliffe (the responsible party) for fear of losing the famed Rolodex. You know that someone will be sent to the headsman and you've heard the Beast screaming herself hoarse for a week now. There's bound to be some tension until the sacrifice is selected. It's undoubtedly worse than usual because the depth and breadth of the problem - and the totality of the public's reaction - remains an unknown.

The Beast is not fond of unknowns. She prefers the deck stacked to the fiftieth card.

[SlimGuy]

I would love it if Fedora would look into that particular line more-- did Hsu contribute to pro-fair wages groups? Who else did?
It would also be interesting to know if he and his co-horts donated to pro-Kyoto type groups.

Posted by: MayBee

Maybee it shows up in the FEC database as donations to a PAC for that issue.

I have been working the list of donors to that PAC and looking for same date donation patterns to that PAC as well as other donations by them to same candidates the Hsu people did.

It would be a whole lot easier if Hillary is to release the returned donor list to have names to work with.

Right now it is a matter of trying to reverse engineer the whole thing.

[Extraneus]

It's easy to forget just how nauseating Bill Clinton is, so I caution you not to read that speech immediately after eating.

I never will forget the heartbreaking conversation I had with Yasser Arafat begging him not to start the second intifada, telling him it would only start a reaction and break the peace process. When Ariel Sharon went on the Temple Mount, the first time any Israeli had done so in thirty-three years-- I said, ‘Do not do this, do not do this,’ and Arafat said, ‘I have to do it, we are being shamed.’ And I said, ‘No you’re not. You have to give somebody permission to humiliate you. He’s coming up here for domestic political purposes that don’t have anything to do with you.’

‘What would you do,’ he asked, ‘What would you do in the face of our shame?’ I said, ‘I would find the most beautiful Palestinian girl and when they come up there with 100 soldiers I would walk alone holding this child’s hand and I would give him a bouquet of flowers from her and have her welcome him and offer to tour the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock and tell him when it’s yours he could come back every day.’

[centralcal]

Rick, I very much doubted Andrea was drinking, too. My sarcasm was that this report is supposed to air on MSNBC (this weekend?) and the Hildebeasties might not be too happy about their "tensions" becoming so public.

I just wondered if, when pressured, Andrea will try to walk back her comments like she has been known to do in the past.

I think, also, that the surface of this Hsu story has only begun to be scratched. I hope the WSJ continues to dig and reveal.

[SlimGuy]

Btw, I wonder what the word "cash" means in this report.

Means I guess no 10% cash bond outs. Has to full 100% cash bond.

[SlimGuy]

Maybee, if you find more on the "fair wage" contributions, I hope you will post the info. I'm bored to tears with the Hsu story, but this twist might make it interesting.

Posted by: Sara

He also contributed with others of his group to that initiative Rob Reiner had out your way.

[SlimGuy]

I saw the same full cash thing mentioned today in a story over at Malkin's about 3 illegals arrested on a rape charge and the judge disallowed the 10% bond on their case forcing a full dollar amount bond.

[Sara]

He also contributed with others of his group to that initiative Rob Reiner had out your way.

Universal Pre-School at taxpayer expense?

[hit and run]

TM:
In related news, the assembled staff at Just One Minute has decided to release the results of various polls we commissioned in while under the influence of...

Despite the assembled staff's attempts, to date, Tom has suppressed the release of the TIME 2006 Man of the Year Readers' Poll...

[Sara]

Hmmm. Maybe.

Here’s the trouble with the Reiner Initiative, director Rob Reiner’s bid on the June California ballot to institute universal preschool. Actually, where to begin? Let’s start with an excellent and troubling story in today’s L.A. Times, by the paper’s shrewd Capitol and political reporter, Dan Morain. In it, he reveals something that looks more than a little like a Huey Long contraption; namely, the use of massive amounts of public money to fund campaign-related activities.

Rob Reiner is the eminent Hollywood filmmaker, the director of Sleepless In Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, The American President (starring Michael Douglas, a co-founder of the LA Weekly, and Annette Bening, a personal friend), and Primary Colors. A good guy and committed liberal, son of the legendary Carl Reiner of TV comedy and Ocean’s Eleven fame, best known as Archie Bunker’s “Meathead” son-in-law on the classic TV series, All In The Family. In 1998, he got a statewide initiative passed to raise the cigarette tax by 50 cents a pack to fund early childhood development programs. Then he got himself appointed head of the commission overseeing the fund, which amounts to $4 billion so far.

Some of what follows was previously known. What Morain and the Times added in terms of value, and it is a great deal, is the sheer breadth and magnitude of it all. It is breathtaking.

Out of that $4 billion total, according to the Times, the Reiner commission tossed nearly a quarter-billion dollars worth of advertising and PR contracts to firms that worked on Reiner’s campaign. Some of Reiner’s consultants went on the state payroll personally to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. And out of that total mentioned above, $23 million went into advertising for “Preschool For All,” one of the biggest governmental ad buys in California history, from November to mid-January. In January, Reiner’s new initiative, calling for a tax on the rich to fund universal preschool, not so coincidentally called “Preschool For All,” qualified for the June ballot.

Link

[SlimGuy]

YES ON 82 PRESCHOOL FOR ALL CA $10,000 07/28/2005

HSU, NORMAN

Total Given to Date: $17,300 (6 records)

Address: NEW YORK, NY 10016

Employer: BECAUSE/COMPONENTS LTD

Occupation: MANAGING DIRECTOR

[SlimGuy]

At first I thought it might be the other Norman Hsu out in CA who sits on a school board out there, but the address of the donation is our guy.

[PeterUK]

"‘I would find the most beautiful Palestinian girl and when they come up there with 100 soldiers I would walk alone holding this child’s hand and I would give him a bouquet of flowers from her and have her welcome him and offer to tour the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock and tell him when it’s yours he could come back every day.’"

That's how he landed in it the last time.

[Extraneus]

I see two links at Drudge, but I really don't get it. Does anyone know why we're supposed to listen to Newt Gingrich?

[Extraneus]

So Norman Hsu is "disgraced," as we've read in many AP stories, and we've also read that Hillary was planning to return the bundled contributions to the bundled donors (and we've pondered how that's legal if the contributions were made through straw donors). We've read that Hsu stole $40M from another lefty who wanted the money held for recovery for his investors, but from other reports it seems that he'd probably be happy to give it all to Hillary anyway. Now we read that the refunds have already been made.

John Catsimatidis, a longtime Clinton fundraiser, said many of Hsu's donors are probably legitimate contributors and said he would not have returned the money.

"I would have probably put it in escrow someplace."

[SlimGuy]

How will Hillary react to this

The former longtime mayor of the Dade County city of Hialeah, Raul Martinez, hosted Clinton’s fundraising bash at his home just hours before the New York Senator announced she would return nearly $1 million in campaign cash donated by Hong Kong fugitive Norman Hsu, a top Democratic fundraiser who was crowned “HillRaiser” for promising to bundle at least $100,000 for Clinton’s 2008 presidential run.

The burly and outspoken Martinez went into a profanity-laced tirade with a local newspaper reporter who dared to point out his shady past. Martinez was convicted of extortion and racketeering for accepting $1 million in cash and property from land developers in 1991. The conviction was reversed on appeal and in 1993 he supposedly won an election that a judge threw out because of voter fraud.

[SlimGuy]

Oh and a little more

In its announcement this week, the Clinton campaign promised to run criminal background checks on those who raise large amounts for it. Well, I suggest also scrutinizing those Bill Clinton raises money from. Three years ago at the Tavern on the Green, Bill was pitchman for a little-known Internet search engine founded by Marc Armand Rousso, a former penny stocks promoter who in the late 1990s pleaded guilty to stock fraud in the United States and was convicted of similar fraud in France.

[Topsecretk9]

Slim and everyone:

Three years ago at the Tavern on the Green, Bill was pitchman for a little-known Internet search engine founded by Marc Armand Rousso, a former penny stocks promoter who in the late 1990s pleaded guilty to stock fraud in the United States and was convicted of similar fraud in France.

I might not have the names precisely right and too tired to fetch them -- but wouldn't it be a hoot if this --little-known Internet search engine founded by Marc Armand Rousso - was where the Woodstock Rosenman employee met Hsu ?-- didn't he/she say they met Hsu at a little internet company they worked?

--

Maybee -- what did the LA time pick that you said good for me?

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Extraneus -- thanks for the link help - and that Clinton passage was soooo gagarama. Classic.

[Topsecretk9]

Novak:

Democratic insiders blame Sen. Hillary Clinton’s micromanaging for her presidential campaign’s acceptance of nearly $900,000 in contributions donated or raised by Norman Hsu, convicted for fraud and a former fugitive.

The Clinton campaign has insinuated that her financial aides dropped the ball in failing to vet Hsu before taking his money. But the senator is obsessive in running her own campaign, taking responsibility for details.

Hsu for many years has been well known in New York Democratic circles, appearing at events with $5,000 to $20,000 in contributions. Recipients were ignorant of his criminal background. Nevertheless, considering Clinton administration scandals about dirty money from Asian businessmen, Democrats are amazed that Sen. Clinton did not thoroughly investigate Hsu before accepting funds.

The biggest DUUUUUUHHHH!

A few days ago I linked to a page that detailed a few of her fundraiser heads and said you'd be hearing their names in the future because Hillary and Bill throw EVVVVVVVERYboby Under the bus!. Seriously, taking a position under them is the fricken kiss of death.

[Topsecretk9]

WOW -WOW- WSJ --- and warning -- PUT DOWN the drink before you read the last sentence

Democratic fund-raiser Norman Hsu gave $75,000 last year to the University of Arkansas's Clinton School of Public Service, as the financier extended his largesse beyond Sen. Hillary Clinton's political campaigns to charities associated with her husband.

Mr. Hsu, a top fund-raiser for Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign, had pledged a total of $100,000 to the Clinton School, after hearing about it last year at the annual Clinton Global Initiative, a star-studded conference in New York run by the William J. Clinton Foundation. Mr. Hsu was a "member" of the initiative, a status that requires a $15,000 annual donation. Late Friday, a school official said the funds would be returned.

Mr. Hsu paid two installments toward his pledge to the Clinton School before fleeing a hearing on 15-year-old fraud charges in California earlier this month. Mr. Hsu later was arrested in Colorado after falling sick on a train. Skip Rutherford, dean of the Clinton School and a long-time friend and adviser to the Clintons, said the donation from Mr. Hsu "came out of the blue" last year

Good friend of the family says -- he just came out of the blue -- those Clinton's and the journalist just keep buying bridge after bridge from them.

I sure hope Flip is keeping track of the totals that keep popping up with pacs and state initiatives and groups and crap---it's adding up- and looking like the democrat party has been funded on the backs of ponzi victims - isn't positively enron of them?

[Topsecretk9]

Mr. Lindsey, an Arkansan who splits his time between Little Rock and New York, passed Mr. Hsu's card to Mr. Rutherford. The Clinton School dean said he followed up with a letter asking for the donation. Mr. Rutherford said he never saw or spoke with Mr. Hsu directly. Mr. Lindsey didn't respond to requests for comment. Mr. Hsu committed to $100,000 over several years. On Oct. 25, 2006, he wrote a check for $50,000 on his personal account, made out to the University of Arkansas Foundation and earmarked for the Clinton School. He wrote another check in May for $25,000.

[MayBee]

Tops- the LA Times had the story of Hsu making the evening possible at the gala for the movie "Bobby".