Report: Congresswoman's Family Profited (Rep. Maxine Waters)

[Khephra]

LOS ANGELES -- Rep. Maxine Waters' family members earned more than $1 million in the last eight years doing business with candidates, companies and causes she helped, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Waters' daughter and son pocketed fees from campaigns endorsed by the congresswoman while her husband worked for a bond underwriting firm that received government business from her political allies, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Waters, an influential Democratic lawmaker since 1990, whose district includes parts of Los Angeles, would not answer detailed questions on the business dealings, insisting her family's fortunes were kept apart from her political activities.

"They do their business and I do mine," said Waters, 66. "We are not bad people."

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-congresswoman-family,0,7583184.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Leilani]

1. Would not answer questions?

I thought she worked FOR the people.

[matcom]

16. NONE of them work "for the people" anymore

"Son, we don't actually READ the legislation......." F9/11 - Conyers

if you think ANY elected official actually cares about you and me, your mistaken

sorry for the glum statement but they can ALL suck off

[Leilani]

21. Ain't that the truth!

EOM

[anarchy1999]

34. Thank you Mat.

They all really suck, don't they? Who wants to join us in a co-op in South America? There is a movement starting here.

[Swamp Rat]

44. Verdade?

Eu quero associar-me ao este grupo! Falo portugës muito bem y el español muy bien. Can I join? :)

[anarchy1999]

47. You are welcome and yes please join us, Canada is just too cold.

PM us.

[anarchy1999]

55. Bienvenidos a todos amigos en DU!

Hablamos poco espanol pero no es necesario para salir.
Es mas importante que puedemos vivir en paz en este mundo.

Escrita en ingles para mas informacion.

Y Mais um Brasil!

[Swamp Rat]

56. Você fala portugües também?

Estoy de acuerdo que tenemos que vivir en paz - probalmente será muy mal aquí en pocos años: menos derechos, más guerra, un gobierno militar...

¿Prefieres que yo escriba en ingles? Entonces...

Where do I PM? I looked but I didn't see a forum group on this topic.

[anarchy1999]

58. PM here:

anarchy1999

on edit: we are a small group.

[Algomas]

48. Great minds...

I have been thinking along the lines of a DU safe-house in Mexico where American political refugees could find shelter.

[w4rma]

43. Beware of smear campaigns. Don't get sucked in by nasty synonyms.

I assure you that you don't want the requirement for being a Democratic politician that one must be a chaste poverty-sworn monk.

[SharonAnn]

18. Hmmmm, she sounds like a Bush, like a Republican. Doesn't

all his family benefit from his position? And didn't they all benefit from his dad's position?

Maxine must be making DeLay really nervous so he's out trying to twist this into something.

DeLay, oh wait a minute, his daughter is a highly paid consultant of the family firm that runs campaigns for him and other Texas Republicans, isn't she? Yes, she is.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. Who does she think she is?

Dick Cheney?

[The Backlash Cometh]

19. They all need to be investigated.

First a dem, then a rep, then a dem, then a rep, then another dem, then another rep. Right now it's all partisan selective targeting. The Republicans are making blood sacrifies to warn the dems off any investigations.

[Nite Owl]

3. All I can say is so what.

Let's spend some time examining the *co profits. This is nothing more than a way for them to say 'see they do it too' while Repukes in congress and the WH walk off the loot.

[goclark]

17. Exactly let's check on Halliburton

[Judi Lynn]

4. She's had their number a long time.

Not at all surprised to see them working on her now, not one bit.
She's been a consistant pain in their necks, going back as far at least as the Iran/Contra/cocaine investigations, and most recently as _Bush's filthy, immoral sneaky assault on Haiti using monsters connected to the previous, US-supported Duvalier nightmare.

[The Backlash Cometh]

20. More the reason to keep your nose clean.

If she knew they were coming after her, I would assume she made sure her relatives were extra careful.

[anarchy1999]

36. Kerry led the charge on Iran/Contra. What happened? Why is he

not more vocal now more than ever? Every Iran/Contra criminal given a pardon are now back running it all. The most affrontive of all is Negroponte, 1st Ambassador to the UN and now running it all in IRAQ.

THIS IS NICARUAGUA all over again.

[Swamp Rat]

45. Yeah, and Gary Webb was just found dead... n/t

[Gloria]

5. Is this report out now because she has stated she will challenge

the election results?

[eleny]

8. So now they'll be going after those members of Congress

Okay, time to circle the wagons. Let them cast the first stjne and then stand under the hot light of scrutiny.

[Solly Mack]

6. Go after Delay...and they'll go after you.

It's the message being sent.

Congress has long protected it's own and conducted matters "in-house"

Until it doesn't...

[DeepModem Mom]

7. NOTE: Both Dems and Repubs have been the subject of LA Times stories...

in a continuing series about families benefitting from political influence.

[Solly Mack]

10. Thank you!

[Yupster]

11. Expose it all

If she has family members shaking money out of businesses she works with or regulates, expose it.

It will discourage other congresscritters from getting involved with this kind of stuff.

There was a guy named Boss Plunkett of Tammany Hall fame who wrote a famous newspaper response once about "good graft". I don't believe in good graft.

Expose them all.

[patdem]

9. Okay, if we take 1 million spread it across 8 years and three people we

get an average of $41,666.67 each per year...not exactly enrichment from what I have heard of cheney and bush**??? :grr:

[Robbien]

15. Yes, these relatives got salaries, Tom Delay's brother get a million

or so thrown at him every time Tom Delay's campaign/gambling slush fund has a million to give away.

[AliciaKeyedUp]

22. I'll take $41,000 any day

It would almost double my salary.

[Robbien]

29. It didn't double her relative's salary. It WAS their salary

So by your statement you are being paid more to do your job then they were to do theirs.

[proud2BlibKansan]

42. My thoughts exactly

Is this really that big of a deal? It's not that much money and they did earn it.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

12. Psy-ops smear. Attacking a whistle-blower. Classic Orwellification tactic.

Maxine Waters has been one of the Dem party's most active opponents of corruption and fascist murder. No wonder they're going after her with this crap.

There is a distinct ramping up of neutralizing those who oppose the current regime-the murder of journalist Gary Webb, the smearing of the ACLU, etc.

Here is my standard rap on Orwellification (turning everything exactly backwards to confuse, 'war is peace,' 'tyranny is freedom' etc.) and what to do about it-
------------------------------

I hope this makes sense to the many new DU-ers who are only just starting to try and understand why so many good people embrace terrible things as 'morality' and what to do about it or what we even can do about it. Below I explain what is really going on, how it is sold to Americans, and then how to respond.

Psychology is the most important tool for understanding how we got into this mess and why.

The political terms of ‘Left, Right, Center’ comprise a FALSE VOCABULARY TO CONFUSE THE REAL ISSUE: KILLING PEOPLE FOR MONEY, A SCAM CALLED FASCISM.

Fascist is what the corporate-owned US government and its military have been for at least one hundred years but this has been hidden by their fighting against competing fascists in other countries like gangsters battling for turf.

General Smedley Butler warned of this in his 1937 essay ‘War is a Racket.’ General Dwight Eisenhower also alerted us in 1961 when he left his presidency with a warning against what he called the ‘Military-Industrial Complex.’ Congress helps the fascist alliance of business and government for a cut of the loot for their part in the scam of turning our children-as-soldiers into hit-men to steal from other people around the world and calling it ‘economic policy’ or 'defending freedom' or 'the war on terror.'

A good red-white-and-blue advertising campaign called 'patriotism' sells American fascism quite effectively.
Consequently, the idea that corporate-sponsored war is moral and people-desired peace is immoral has taken firm root in the USA. Orwellification works and crime DOES pay.

Some people get this big scam and some don't and enable it creating a very confused American public split into
1) Those who kill people for money and hide the evidence
2) Those who don't and fight to expose the evidence

This polarity of awareness within the two main political parties alienates some who choose to sit between murder and justice and call this 'Centrism.' But denying murder is not moderation, it is STILL INJUSTICE.

"Because I don't relate to the 'radical fringes' who want to either
1) throw all the Jews in the oven (right wing)
OR
2) throw none of the Jews in the oven." (left wing)

"Yes, all things in moderation. So the right answer is in the middle. See? Politics is all about...compromise.
-Compromising your values." (DLC/DNC)

The Tactic We Must Deal With Or Die: 'Orwellification' or Lying and Getting Away With It
Psy-ops culture war tactics of Orwellification='Weaponize the good, demonize the outraged liberals who protest.'

This is the way the domestic culture war (psy-ops propaganda to intentionally stir people up divisively and chill dissent) works:

First, take something, like the US government, do terrible things with it.
Then, when liberals criticize the terrible things, claim they are criticizing the good part and so 'liberals must be bad.'

"They hate us for our freedom."
"They are jealous of our virtue because they are so bad and tools of the devil to boot. So boot them."
Amazingly, this really resonates in A CHOSEN FEW/MASTER RACE MENTALITY that has been intentionally nurtured in the American public.

More examples of Orwellification:

Neo-cons put a baby in hot water.
Liberals accuse them of abuse.
Neo-cons claim that 'liberals hate babies.'

*Christmas has been weaponized the exact same way.

Neo-cons use religion to kill people with the New Crusades For Oil.
Liberals cite First Amendment separation of church andstate.
Neo-cons claim that 'liberals hate God, Jesus, Santa,etc.'

Neo-cons use our children as troops to kill for oil.
Liberals scream bloody murder.
Neo-cons claim 'liberals hate our troops.'

That last one is the most dangerous because it can lead to a Tienanmin Square situation where our own troops will be called in to stomp on 'enemies of the state' or PROTESTERS.
http://museums.cnd.org/June4th/massacre.html
(Photos of Tienanmin Square Massacre of Protesters)

The Inaugural parade will see Bush* literally hiding behind our troops so that the hostility of the protesters will be used to claim that liberals are against the troops 'just like the Fallujan insurgents.'

Unh-oh.
Orwellification of 'save our troops from war' into 'kill our troops by not supporting the war.'

January 20, 2005 is the next big psy-op event to create a Brown Shirt movement in this heavily armed and polarized country.

SO...

Re-Orwellification OR Flipping the Polarity on Evil Back to Good:

The Master Race mentality of American Exceptionalism Saving the World and the Christian-Inanity of being the wrathful smiting 'Chosen Few' are the binary agents of American Fascism.

There's no time to back up 358 degrees to explain to the public how the democratic humanity of 'We the People' + 'All God's Children' has been perverted into American fascist 'Divine King Stomping out Satanic Infidels.'

SO FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE! CHANNEL THE PASSION FOR VENGEANCE INTO
A PASSION FOR JUSTICE! People WANT to be part of a dramatic movement in their lives which TV has turned into a movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Indiana Jones, and Mel Gibson fighting anti-American evil-doers.

Fight propaganda with...PROPER-GANDA!
I recommend pushing forward just 2 degrees USING those so so deeply entrenched-through-propaganda attitudes with a campaign of renewed reverence for

1) The Bill of Rights and US Constitution (“Yes, Americais great because of…”)
2) Jesus' teachings about caring for the poor and needy.(“…is moral because of…”)

These are the tenets of The American Revolution AND Christian values which define liberalism!
This is the ‘Just Father’ model of government that replaced the ‘Strong Father’ dictator hundreds of years ago.

I just told a Navy recruiter standing in line for lunch all about Operation Vigilant Warrior, Peak Oil, Bush/Saudi-financed terrorism etc. in a friendly way and concluded "I know people like you are trying to do the right thing but you're being given bad info."

He was friendly and seemed interested saying "Thanks, I'll go look that up when I get back to my computer."
People want to dothe right thing based on what they hear.

We must flip the polarity of these ideas back to caring for ALL people instead of Republican Eugenics that justifies death by both poverty and war as being necessary 'collateral damage' for the greater good of the herd.

Don't let the American fascists push us back into the bloody past. They have used propaganda to push us back to a 1930s Germany-mentality on the way to an 1850s-styled American economy that includes slavery once again.

Help guide your neighbors towards the Evolving Door so they aren't part of the murder-for-profit scam of American fascism. Tell them how it works and has deceived them despite their good intentions.

[anarchy1999]

54. Where is Traficante? Spelling ?

He is a hero, "beam me up".

On edit:

Never, no never, speak truth to power.

[bones_7672]

62. Prison hospital. n/t

[baby_bear]

13. But no legal or ethical breaches

<snip>
The Waters' close financial ties are not expressly prohibited by state laws or congressional ethics rules.
</snip>

Sounds like a politically motivated, retributional witch hunt to me.


b_b

[Perception]

35. But no legal or ethical breaches

All politicians in this day should understand that they would be exposing themselves to scrutiny and questions at the appearance of whatever leads the competition to raise a question.

This would lead to mud slinging at best. However if a question of real significance arises where it directly affects the citizens of the USA in such a way that undermines their understanding of the Constitution, then that is the issue that requires intense investigation.

Frivolous-issue-hype bleeds time from our elected officials being to do really important things like read the Intelligence Reorganization and Terrorism Act before signing it. How many congresspersons can sign a statement today saying they read it and understood it completely before they voted on it? And if they can, will they declare to us that it meets all the requirements of the Constitutions Articles and Amendments on behalf of 'We the people'

[Goldeneye]

14. He says we won in Iraq

A quick question:

What did we win? I still don't know what we were fighting about...

[xxqqqzme]

23. a million dollars

over 8 years? spread out among family? That is a very small amount. If that is all roach man has on Waters - nothing!

[Judi Lynn]

24. But spread out over 160 years, could be excessive! n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

25. Will anyone cheer for Maxine when she boldly walks - again - into the ....

.... Senate to challenge yet another theft of yet another presidential election?

If I am a group of one, I will stand and cheer for this fine lady.

This is politically motivated bullshit. And even if it isn't, she has earned my respect and admiration. Would that other Democrats had her dignity and bravery.

And when she **does** walk onto the Senate floor, will there be one democrat senator to stand beside her? Will there be even one?

God Bless You, Maxine Waters.

[joanski01]

26. I will also cheer Maxine.

I agree that this is politically-motivated bullshit. Time to get Maxine for being such a pain in the butt to Repukes.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Robbien]

31. She was so great on Democracy Now during the Aristide crises

Just hearing the dedication and caring in her voice gave me hope in our representatives. And later she had the guts to try and demand justice from the guys (BushCo) who were taking away Haiti's independence.

[susu369]

41. Count me another cheerleader

for the strong and brave voice of Maxine Waters.

[catzies]

51. Thank you for standing up for us, Maxine, and I stand with you

and I stand with everyone else who supports you too.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TahitiNut]

30. "pocketed fees"?? Do they mean 'were paid for their work'?

How is that worse than the graft and corruption of Delay, Frist, and (especially) Kay Bailey-Hutchison's husband who raped the citizens of Arlington on the Ranger Stadium and then went to work for Enron's law firm? (Bottom-feeding septic tank scum.)

[SoCalDem]

32. And this is surprising because???????

Family ties are the strongest and ANYONE who manages to get themselves into a position of power will (almost always) toss some choice goodies to family members.. That's just how the system works.

This is precisely why we need to have ALL elections publicly financed with NO..ZERO...ZIPPO "alternative financing".. Who in their right mind thinks that a congressperson's salary is sufficient to live in DC AND maintain a family home in the district...and send kids to college?? Or..why would a job that pays around 100K cost 10 MILLION to get???

Would a sane person spend $1M to get a job that paid 50K a year???

THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS PERKS THAT GO ALONG WITH BEING A CONGRESSPERSON AND/OR SENATOR.. That's why they do it.. A few years after being in DC, the "family wealth" is HUGELY affected..

The prized connections, and "deals" they work, are "family-first" in nature, and if they happen to help some "little people" too, then all the better..

Do ANY of us still think that they do it for US???? No Way!

[Perception]

38. And this is surprising because???????"

Have the lawyers in the three branches gotten real good at hijacking all of our rights while making us believe they are doing a great job?

If when you vote someone into a position of representing you aren't you sending them to work for you, making them in essence your employee? Does your employer wait four or six years to terminate your relationship should you fail to work for them?

The answer is clearly no. Neither should we. Especially if the person in the position makes mistakes that will have a profound impact on our survivability.

[SoCalDem]

40. Sadly, MOST people are not paying attention

and once someone gets in (from either party) they are as good as there forever, unless they have a sex scandal..

They can always wiggle their way out of financial scrapes.:grr:..

Term limits and public financing is the ONLY way to stop the graft..no matter the party..

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[caligirl]

37. Ca democrat Perata office searched, Pelosi targeted by Repugs in

the house, Waters investigation. seems like a pattern of Repug harrassment of democrats in the house and in our state.

[Sara Beverley]

39. Prosperity envy again (new name for racism). 1 mil (peanuts) compared

to what the rest of Congress makes. Because she is Congressperson her family should not do business with political allies? Give me a break! Worry about some real sleaze. Start with Cheney, Bush, and the cabal now running the government. Nobody said much about Keriks 6 million on the back of 9/11.

[TankLV]

46. Ummm - HELLO? WHAT ABOUT FUCKING HALLIBURTON & THE DICK?!?!?!?!

It's amazing what they choose to report.

Good for Maxine - Now investigate the REPUKES - CHEENEY - in particular!

I could care less about Maxine.

[Rose Siding]

60. And Carlyle and the Bushes

Poppy quit the board just last year but did he divest?

[WCGreen]

49. It doesn't surprise me...

Waters comes from a very poor area of LA, an area where there are not that many opportunities for people to make a lot of money. Graft and corruption become part of the system.

Here in Cleveland, several politicians "of the people" just went down or will be going down because they couldn't keep their hands off the easy money...

What bothers me most, if this case is true, is that this usually comes at the expense of constituents who need all the help they can get.....

In Cleveland and East Cleveland, the people are facing jail time, serious time.....

does it surprise me, no

Does it disappoint me, YES!!!!!!

But I am willing, as should we all, give her the benefit of the doubt.

BTW, anyone who is facing allegations or potential charges would be a fool to make any statement other than one in the presence of an attorny...........

[Barkley]

50. This is to keep her from running for U.S. Senator (DiFi's seat)

DiFi won't get my vote in the next election; she's turned off a lot of people in California.

Profited a million over eight years ... puhleeze!

[0007]

63. You got that right! Diane is a real turn off these days, eh?

[still_one]

52. isn't newsday a murdock rag?

[sled]

53. Big Deal

1) I'm not a Dem.

2) Sounds like a hatchet job.

3) Not a lot of money, considering it's spread over a number of yrs., & a number of people, & firms.

4) I've met her, & thinks she's pretty credible, considering the slime, in DC. Welcome to federal politics, where very few, if any, are clean as the driven snow. Maybe I'm cynical, but it sounds like small potatoes, compared to the majority, of the hacks, in Washington.

5) Considering the Rather debacle, I think she deserves the benefit, of the doubt, until more is known. It's not a "liberal" media, it's a screwed up media.

[Liberty Belle]

57. The GOP is targeting her because she may contest the election.

Watch--Barbara Lee and Congressman Conyers will be next.

[The Judged]

59. They are ashamed of her because her family didn't make as much as theirs?

Is she lowering their standard of living?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

61. The Waters' close financial ties are not expressly prohibited by state law

That's all you need to know. Waters broke no laws and the issues her family worked on were mostly issues pertaining to state government, hardly any mention of federal government.