Barack Obama has built his whole campaign around change. But he has not yet explained why we need that change. You might think that's a strange criticism because he has theoretically been talking about why we need change this whole time. But in fact, he hasn't; not real change. What do I mean by that?

Why you want to join:

Since its inception in 1995, the United States - Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) has been a vital resource for American companies seeking to establish long-term business ties with Azerbaijan. Its deep membership pool consists of a diverse group of businesses from all sectors of the economy, including Fortune 500 companies.

.... The USACC was a key driving force behind two of the world’s most strategic and ambitious regional energy projects, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline, both of which are operational today.

.... The USACC organizes an impressive annual schedule of trade missions and conferences, and arranges business meetings where key government and business leaders from both countries can meet, share ideas and forge partnerships.

Members of the USACC enjoy high level access to key contacts and are invited to a host of invitation-only events in both countries each year.... flagship annual publications, the USACC Investment Guide to Azerbaijan and the USACC Business Directory.

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Of course Iraq has a surplus . . . .

It looks like Hillary has decided on her new role in the Democratic Party, that of Leftwing pamphleteer.  The Wall Street Journal today has published an article by Hillary putting a spotlight on the corrupt and venal spread of private contractors such as Blackwater and Halliburton for projects and jobs that were once handled by government institutions.

Excerpt below the fold from the WSJ article entitled, No Crisis Is Immune From Exploitation Under Bush

For those of us who are sick and tired of so much of this country's resources going to fight the War in Iraq - a new article in the New York Times will make your blood boil.

Here's the uptake:

Soaring oil prices will leave the Iraqi government with a cumulative budget surplus of as much as $79 billion by year’s end, according to an American federal oversight agency. But Iraq has spent only a minute fraction of that on reconstruction costs that are now largely borne by the United States.

The unspent windfall, which covers surpluses from oil sales from 2005 through 2008, appears likely to reinforce growing debate about the approximately $48 billion in American taxpayer money devoted to rebuilding Iraq since the American-led invasion.

It's bad enough over 4,000 U.S. soldiers have died.

It's bad enough tens of thousands of troops have been injured.

It's bad enough the hundreds of billions we have spent on this war which should have gone to more important national priorities.

But we're spending money like a drunken sailor when the Iraqis are sitting on lottery money?!?!

WTF?!

More after the jump

I had another visit with my iconoclastic friend Ike yesterday, and he was, shall we say, pleased to hear about Ted Stevens.  "Hand in the till.  Couldn't have happened to a stupider kill-and-drill numbskull.   At least he was living his ideals.  'Greed is good,' my ass."  And, Ike said, Democrats should be all over it.  

"This guy under indictment is one thing.  But it connects to a whole lot more.  Big tax breaks for the richest one percent.  No-bid contracts to campaign contributors, to Cheney's old buddies at Halliburton.  Do you know how many American soldiers have died because they got electrocuted on-base in Iraq? From shoddy contract work, non-union of course, sponsored by your favorite neocon administration."  He shook his head and muttered:

"Kill and Drill, meet Theft and Greed.  Really.  That's the Republican brand."

"What the democrats ought to do," he said, "is hand out bumper stickers:  'It's the Kleptocracy, Stupid!'"  

"I don't think a lot of Americans know what the word "kleptocracy' means," I said.

"They damn well ought to learn."

Two weeks ago, when I first posted my interview with Ben Carter, many people applauded him for having the courage to come forward and talk about his first-hand experience in Iraq with Halliburton subsidiary KBR. He described, in great detail, KBR's negligence in their contract to provide safe non-potable water to the troops. Hundreds and hundreds responded by e-mailing DoD Chief Financial Officer Tina Jonas, telling her not to give KBR another penny of thegovernment's money until a full public investigation was fulfilled. Note: After receiving an influx of emails from activists, Ms. Jonas blocked her email address. We have now made the action into a petition which will be delivered to her.

We also shared Ben's testimony on the Brave New Films documentary, Iraq For Sale

Not everyone was supportive though...

As I was doing some research for my main side project, a website on apocalyptic scenarios, I ran across a story that, as I read further, deeply troubled me. It was from a small paper in Colorado, the Durango Herald. Colorado is home of many natural-gas wells, and energy is a big part of Colorado's economy, so they pay attention to a different set of issues than the national news sectors do.

Ooooh, did they have you all worried about tomatoes and salmonella?  Have you been all upset the FDA couldn't track down the culprits?  Were you assiduously following the tomato trail, wondering where it would lead?  And did you find that suddenly, it was jalapenos all along?  Geez, It's like tracking Osama and next thing you know, we're in Iraq after WMDs, and no one can find either.

Actually, it's very much like that.  Fear, fear, fear.  Upsetting the public, so everyone will be eager for a push for ... war.  So, when it comes to tomatoes - scratch that, jalapenos - the public is scared again, and the government suggests more FDA power to track better those enemy germs and more regulations, it just like more troops and extensions of FISA.  

WMDs.  Oh my gosh.  Rev up the military.  

Salmonella.  Oh dear, oh dear.  Rev up the FDA.  

Only ... didn't we get set up about WMDs, if I remember correctly?

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Your Brother is The One Who Thinks Like You

The raging controversy over Barack Obama addressing the issue of irresponsible fathers in the Black community, clearly demonstrates that many of the old-school thinkers in the community are living in a time warp. We now have a Black man who is very likely to be the next President of the United States, yet there are those in the community who want him to keep quiet about the fact that we have soiled toilet paper hanging from our inaugural tux. Instead of saying, "Thanks, let me clean up my act", they're saying, "Why are you picking on me–I saw a White boy with do-do on him too–why didn't you say something to him?"

Shoddy, incompetent electrical work by KBR and its subcontractors has killed and injured far more Americans than previously admitted by the Pentagon. 13 electrocutions, 283 fires and untold minor electrical injuries have occurred in miswired American facilities in Iraq.

By

The military found serious problems with shoddy KBR electrical work but tried to cover up the problems rather than fix them. A $10.00 GFI outlet is all that's needed to prevent accidental electrocution.

From the Toxic Sludge is Good For You camp, as reported in today's Rocky Mountain News:

Energy giant Halliburton, which owns a proprietary drilling technology frequently used in Colorado, on Wednesday questioned a proposed rule that would require oil and gas companies to identify and list all the chemicals used at a well site.

"The rule would need us to identify the chemicals (used in drilling), the volumes and concentrations," said Ron Heyden, a Halliburton executive, while testifying at a hearing before the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in Denver. "It is much like asking Coca-Cola to disclose the formula of Coke."

The issue came to the forefront yesterday before the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, when a nurse exposed to the unknown proprietary toxins, used by an unknown company, and who--after treating an unknown person--had to be admitted to the ICU, was refused the ability to provide testimony to the COGCC.  

The sordid tale follows after the jump. (cross posted at www.ColoradoPols.com)

Update: After receiving an influx of emails prompted by this story, the Cheif Financial Officer, Tina Jonas, took down or blocked her email address. This may cause you to get an error message. We are now compiling signatures for a petition, which will be sent to her: http://progressivefuture.org/...

[cross-posted from www.progressivefuture.org]

Ben Carter is a water safety expert and a caring family man. Passionate about his work, Carter went to Iraq to support the troops and reconstruction efforts. Yet soon after he arrived in Iraq he found KBR/Halliburton cutting essential corners, resulting in U.S. troops being forced to shower in wastewater. KBR’s indifference to the contaminated water led Carter to resign. Since leaving Iraq he’s spoken out about Halliburton, was one of the subjects of Brave New Films' "Iraq For Sale," testified before the Democratic Policy Committee and worked to warn soldiers of the dangers of contaminated water.

The Preamble of The Constitution of the United States of America is:
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice,insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Bush Preamble:

We the corporate powers of the United States, in order to form a more perfect bottom line, establish injustice, insure slave labor and free trade, provide our corporate friends large defense contracts, destroy the middle class, and secure the belssings of liberty to the mighty dollar and our personal prosperity, as we ignore and walk all over this
Constitution of the United States....

Charles M. Smith, the Pentagon official in charge of the Halliburton Iraq contract, uncovered a billion dollars of unjustified spending by the Texas company. As James Risen reported in the NYT, he was fired for his pains. And so he should have been. The story recalls the time when Pentagon auditors called Halliburton’s charge of $27 million for fuel that cost the company $82,000 "illogical." As if we needed more evidence that auditors are mere bean counters.  Unimaginative drones, they lack the vision, imagination, and talent essential in the world of modern business.

Call it a qualified victory.

On July 1, the Pentagon agreed to investigate the showers built by KBR, a private military contractor in Iraq. More than a dozen U.S. soldiers have been fatally electrocuted by faulty wiring in the showers. There has been a lot of blogger commentary and reporting about the electrocution, including several items I wrote for Progressive Future.

And while I think we certainly helped push this issue into the mainstream, I'm pretty sure all the blogger activism in the world would not have made a bit of a difference without the efforts of Cheryl Harris.

Every once in a while, I like to find out what the wingnuts are saying.  I used to put on Limbaugh once in a while if I drove to get lunch, or Hannity on the way home for work now and again.  It helps because I when I engage a wing-nut (aka visit my dad) I know what the arguements will be before he opens his mouth, and I have my answers already worked out.

Cross posted at Turn Maine Blue

In light of recent reports in the New York Times and the BBC Jonathan Kaplan has this in today's Portland Press Herald reporting on Rep. Tom Allen's renwed criticism of Susan Collins' work as chair of the Senate committee tasked with overseeing all Federal contracts:

Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, on Friday used the recent reports to renew his accusation that Republican Sen. Susan Collins did not conduct sufficient oversight of private contractors providing services to U.S. troops in Iraq when she chaired the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee from 2003 through 2006.

"Sen. Collins should have been doing investigations, holding hearings and calling contractors on the carpet," Allen said in a phone interview that his campaign initiated. "These horror stories would be very much minimized if she had done her job."

More on the flip: