"No financial interest in Halliburton for the last three years.." Dem ad

[buycitgo]

Video image of Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) in a campaign ad for Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), D-Mass., released Friday, Sept. 17, 2004. (AP Photo/Kerry-Edwards 2004)

story; don't forget to rate it

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/adwatch_kerry

ANALYSIS:


This hard-hitting ad is Kerry's latest effort to turn up his criticism of the Republican ticket and question the character of both Bush and Cheney. Kerry aides say polls and focus groups suggest the Democrat can't win unless he undermines Bush's credibility. So, that's exactly what this ad tries to do.


Cheney has received tons of criticism for his ties to his former company. The ad accuses the vice president of conflicts of interest stemming from money the vice president still receives from the company under a deferred compensation agreement, which isn't tied to the company's profits.


.........


The ad suggests bribery, although there is no proof that Cheney orchestrated no-bid contracts for Halliburton in exchange for his deferred compensation. The Bush campaign says Cheney has had no influence on contracts awarded to his former employer.


The commercial also contends the company wasted taxpayer money that could have been used in the United States. In fact, several investigations have found evidence of overcharging or raised questions about the company's performance.

[DrFunkenstein]

1. Wasn't There An E-Mail From A Cheney Aide About Coordination?

Mr Waxman asked Mr Cheney to hand over any records of meetings or discussions his office might have had in which the contract was discussed. He also asked for clarification on an email that recently surfaced from Stephen Browning, of the Corps of Engineers, to Mr Feith on March 5 2003, which said the contract "has been coordinated with VP's (vice-president's) office".

http://www.independent-media.tv/gtheme.cfm?ftheme_id=35

More detail here:

http://216.109.117.135/search/cache?p=cheney+halliburton+feith&ei=UTF-8&u=english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/64473AA3-A99B-44D7-B009-EC7E0D235A44.htm&w=cheney+halliburton+feith&d=E22C1BC286&icp=1&.intl=us

[buycitgo]

4. yeah...they tried to sidestep that one, saying that they were just

keeping him informed; that he had NO decision making influence on that one

it was very reminiscent of the excuse about the PDB back in Aug of 2001: that it was purely "historical" in nature

sure

amazing how the MSM just swallows all that stuff whole

[MasonJar]

2. No? Only 400,000 plus stocks and a big paycheck.

[PurityOfEssence]

3. He still has stock options, so HE HAS INTEREST

Besides all that, he's feathering the nests of his friends and paying them back for his cushy ride as a shockingly incompetent CEO. HE was the guy who bought Dresser, even though he was warned about all of the pending asbesteosis cases. HE was the guy who presided over an organization that deliberately infringed on a patented anti-corrosion system for pipelines, resulting in a $93 million dollar settlement. HE was the CEO who defrauded his investors by listing planned overcharges (let's just call them highway robberies planned to fleece clients) as income, when they weren't anywhere near a given. HE was the CEO who sold sensitive nuclear production equipment to Libya and oil production equipment to both Iraq and Iran, evading U.S. law by using foreign subsidiaries.

Okay, so he bought insurance on his payment plan, but if he has stock options, he has a stake in the success of the business. Regardless of that, he's paying back endless favors, so it's cronyism at the worst.

[partygirl]

5. I love it !

This is exactly the kind of ad we need to be running I hope that we see more of them.

Technically, I don't think either one has any control over their money though--FDR (I think) made it the law that presidents and vice presidents have to put it in a blind trust--so it is taken care of by a 3rd party and they have no control over it while they are in office. It could be invested in Heinz--Chimpy and Crashcart have no control whatsoever over their money--and no knowledge of how it is invested etc.

But SO WHAT!!! I love the ad!!! This is what we need. More More More

[samtob]

6. I would love it if it were

true!!!

Pension, you know, retirement income.... This is so easy to dispute, it is a very bad attempt at slandering. Man, why the hell can't this campaign come up with something ROCK SOLID!!! I am frustrated beyond explanation with all of this crap.

Stop with the smear tactics that end up easily discredited. Just get to the damned point already!

Tell us, and everyone why they need to get Bush out of office due to policy, not $hit that happened when he was a snot nosed kid, or the company Cheney used to work for that was awarded huge contracts under Clinton. GOD!!

Why aren't the Kerry people listening???? Every time this happens the party and Kerry loses another swing vote.... AARRRGGGGGHHH

[buycitgo]

7. get your facts straight, then come back under another pseud

buh bye

from Lautenberg's office; press release, so showing it all

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Frank R. Lautenberg released a CRS Report today that confirms that receiving deferred salary and holding stock options in a corporation does constitute a "financial interest" under Federal ethics standards. This finding directly conflicts with statements released by the Vice President's office after it was revealed that the Vice President continues to receive deferred salary from Halliburton and holds 433,333 Halliburton stock options. The controversy arose when Vice President Cheney made the following statement on the September 14th edition of Meet the Press:

"And since I left Halliburton to become George Bush's vice president, I've severed all my ties with the company, gotten rid of all my financial interest. I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind and haven't had, now, for over three years."

After the Vice President was confronted with information to the contrary, his office continued to deny any financial tie, arguing that by taking out an insurance policy on the deferred salary and assigning his after-tax proceeds from the sale of unexercised options to charity, a financial interest no longer existed. The CRS Report explicitly rejects this dubious line of reasoning, finding that financial ties continue despite those steps.

Another important issue explained in the CRS report is that the President and Vice President are both exempt from the enforcement of the ethics laws. The reason they are exempt is because forcing the President or Vice President to disqualify themselves from certain duties or recusing themselves from certain issues could interfere with the President and Vice President's Constitutionally required duties. The Constitution provides its own remedies against the President and Vice President for ethical breaches.

"This report makes clear that Vice President Cheney does indeed have financial interests in Halliburton under Federal ethics standards," said Senator Lautenberg. "I ask the Vice President to stop dodging the issue with legalese, and acknowledge his continued financial ties with Halliburton to the American people."

DEFERRED SALARY

* Deferred salary paid by Halliburton to Vice President Cheney in 2001: $205,298 * Deferred salary paid by Halliburton to Vice President Cheney in 2002: $162,392

Halliburton paid "deferred salary" to Vice President Cheney in his first two years in office and is scheduled to make similar payments to him in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Deferred salary is not a retirement benefit or a payment from a third party escrow account, but rather an ongoing corporate obligation paid from company funds. If a company were to go under, the beneficiary could lose the deferred salary. The Vice President's disclosure forms also describe the deferred salary payments as "elective" without defining this term.

In an attempt to mitigate the Vice President's continuing financial interest in Halliburton with respect to the payment of this deferred compensation, the Vice President's financial disclosure form states that that the Vice President "acquired" an insurance policy "to ensure that he will receive the equivalents of his remaining deferred compensation account with Halliburton." The terms of this insurance policy, its cost, and who paid for it are unclear.

STOCK OPTIONS

At the end of 2002, Vice President Cheney's financial disclosure form stated that he continued to hold 433,333 unexercised Halliburton stock options, with exercise prices above the company's current stock market price. The Vice President has signed an agreement to donate any profits from these stock options to charity, and has pledged not to take any tax deduction for the donations. Should Halliburton's stock price increase over the next few years, the Vice President could exercise his stock options for a substantial profit, benefiting not only his designated charities, but also providing Halliburton with a substantial tax deduction.

Halliburton Stock Options Held by Vice President Cheney (current to end of 2002):

* 100,000 shares at $54.5000 (vested), expire 12-03-07 * 33,333 shares at $28.1250 (vested), expire 12-02-08 * 300,000 shares at $39.5000 (vested), expire 12-02-09

The Vice President's deferred compensation and stock option benefits are in addition to a $20 million retirement package paid to him by Halliburton after only five years of employment; a $1.4 million cash bonus paid to him by Halliburton in 2001; and additional millions of dollars in compensation paid to him while he was employed by the company.

HALLIBURTON'S CONTRACTS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION

WHILE OFFICIAL WASHINGTON SHUT DOWN PREPARING TO RIDE OUT HURRICANE ISABEL HALLIBURTON ENLARGED ITS NO-BID CONTRACT WITH THE BUSH-CHENEY ADMINISTRATION BY AN ADDITIONAL $300 MILLION LAST WEEK. THIS SPIKE BRINGS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS PAID TO HALLIBURTON TO $2.25 BILLION – OF WHICH $1.25 BILLION IS FROM THE NO-BID, EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT.

Negotiated in secret, this no-bid contract was originally intended for the sole purpose of extinguishing potential oil fires that could result from the war, but Halliburton's sole-source contract extended with the Army last March and April to include the reconstruction and repair of Iraq's oil infrastructure. Lautenberg has called on the Government Affairs Committee to hold hearings on Halliburton's no-bid contract.

"While the lights were out, Halliburton billed the American people $300 million over the hurricane weekend," said Lautenberg. "Congress has the responsibility to look into this immediately before more taxpayer money is placed in Halliburton's bank accounts

[samtob]

8. Pardon me

for not jumping on the Kerry campaign cheerleader wagon! I have been busting my butt for this party, and this campaign since it was clear Kerry was the nominee.

It is damned hard to keep up the morale when this $hit keeps coming out!!

I don't know what you are doing for this campaign, as far as I know, posting here could be it. But, for those who are out knocking on doors, talking to people, debating the issues, this kind of kicks our ass.

I don't have a "psued" I may be new here, and I may not fall right in line with everything you post, but come on, tell me this last week would not have been a HELL of a lot easier on us without the CBS crap, having to defend the moveon add. And this is coming from OUR PARTY!!! This following the swiftie $hit.

Excuse me for not having the rosey glasses you must be wearing, but I feel like I have been in freaking labor for 30 days with no delivery in sight!!

[buycitgo]

9. good for you, if that's true, but why do you post such ignorant BS?

answer me that one, please?

I'm VERY suspicious of your MULTIPLE RW talking point/buzzwords

even moreso after rereading your post

smear?

bad attempt at slandering?

contracts under Clinton?

since when is the TRUTH as smear, or slander

you're not very convincing at all, but

like I said, buh bye

[samtob]

10. You are amazing

Look, I am out knocking on f'n doors every spare minute I have, volunteering MY TIME to help this campaign see victory come Nov.

This means I talk to conservatives that are disgruntled with Bush and want to find a reason to vote for Kerry.

Independent voters that are wondering if their vote is better placed with Nader, or if I can possibly dig them out of this media cess pool Kerry has landed in to sway them to our side.

I am frustrated!! What are you doing?? Besides monitoring your post and insinuating people are not genuine because they don't drool over your opinion.

Over and over and over there have been people on here with my opinion, GET TO THE REAL POINTS MR. KERRY....PLEASE!!! Help us out with the swing voters and the pissed off republicans. DAMN!

[jefferson_dem]

11. You feign concern man. Your posts reek of repuglican talking points

One wonders what you really mean when you say "knocking on doors, talking to people, debating the issues..."

[buycitgo]

12. zackly

those points went WAY too far for me to believe the handwringing, self-congratulatory paeans to the hard 'hard work' it's done for a party that resorts to slander and smears

why would it want to 'work' so hard for a party like that?

sounds like it would want to work for the REPBUBLICANS, doesn't it

nice try, though

how dumb does it take people here to be, anyway?

if it's working so hard all the time, what is it doing up so late?

huh?

[samtob]

14. Nice

Do you treat everyone with an opinion this way?

"IT" "he" "man" which you have called me thus far, is a woman thank you. (first three letters of first name, first three letters of last name....no real mystery)

[samtob]

13. I give up.....

here, go beat the hell out of all these people

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=834459&mesg_id=834459

By the way, knocking on doors would be going into neighborhoods, knocking on doors, talking to the residents. I am working with a local legislator candidate on his campaign, as a way to get out and talk to people on his behalf, and on the behalf of the Democratic party. Yeah, it is a little underhanded, but this candidate is going house to house in his entire district.

I was not aware there were certain words or phrases that were off limits for me to use on this forum without being called a "psued"

[buycitgo]

15. get real.....you're digging yourself in deeper every time

slander and smear are not just certain words or phrases that are off limits

your usage gave you away

not even a good attempt

if, on the off chance you ARE authentic, you're going to do more harm than good, by

ONE) being so ill-informed about real issues

TWO) using terms like that to describe the FACTS surrounding the likes of Cheney's venal pursuits

again, I'm not buying what you're selling, so you are welcome to give it up

C Ya

wouldn't wanna B Ya

[samtob]

17. Truly,

you are closed minded. Rigid in your view. Sad really, it is your way, or branded a traitor. Not good, frankly that is what I am the most sickened by with the current freak we call president. No dissenting view points allowed, war is good, the world is evil. PUKE


Thanks for the welcome.

[buycitgo]

18. look, if you can PROVE you're what you say you are, I will

apologize

abjectly

OK?

if you can't figure out a way to do it, I will ignore whatever else you have to 'contribute', and you become an EC

get it?

[rumguy]

16. you didn't back up your initial post - knocking on doors is not an answer

so go for it - try and debate the issue - I dare you.

[buycitgo]

19. you realize he looks like a wizened Vincent Price now, don't you?

great picture, though

nose dripping with nostalgia for my own youth

find that Bryan Ferry "Hard Rain" yet?

[rumguy]

22. Is that a cover of Dylan's "A Hard Rain's a Gonna Fall"?

[buycitgo]

25. of course....I'm too lazy to type the whole thing

lots of vibrato

cool and funny at the same time

[rumguy]

27. Cool - I bet it is good - I'm gonna try and find a copy of it...

Ever hear Dave Mathew's version of Watchtower?

[buycitgo]

28. no.....and, here we go.....somewhere along the way, I've

become very irritated with his voice....seems a bit forced, almost a parody

but that's my opinion

he's a cool guy, etc, but I don't care for his stuff much, lately

now, Justin T....he's THE MAN!

ha

[buycitgo]

29. Ever heard of Leon Thomas?

[rumguy]

30. I like his voice

even though it's not what it used to be - he knows how to use what's there - most of the time - I'll admit sometimes it doesn't always work...

[jefferson_dem]

23. Love it when i can bridge my two fave (non personal) subjects --

Politics and Dylan. I'm a rabid Dylan collector and have heard my share of covers but never Ferry doing "Hard Rain." Is it on a commercial release, do you know?

That is an awesome pic indeed!

[buycitgo]

26. I HAVE the tape....it's a Bryan Ferry solo

it's in the car, or I'd let you know what else is on it

Eight miles high, for sure

"what have you done, my darling young one," etc. is that hard rain, too?

memory lapse

[jefferson_dem]

32. That's the one. Seems that it was a single for Ferry in '72

but has since appeard on a few compilations. I'll definitely seek that one out. Thanks.

[buycitgo]

33. I found it...see below....it's the album I have

Foolish Things

didn't realize how old it is

[samtob]

20. I am not debating for the jerk

cheney!!

Somehow you think that is what I am doing.... This has been all over the news all day, I have heard all the rebuttals.

The public namely, the swings are looking for information, not just buying into a commercial they see on television.

Why is that hard to understand. The people that are going to push Kerry over the top are not dedicated democrats. They are watching, reading, listening to every scrap of information they can find (the ones that are actually going to vote)

One commercial, one news article just isn't going to convince them it is true without question.

Who the hell do you think watches Faux news? if you think it is just the repugs, you are sadly mistaken.

[rumguy]

24. Cheney has the lowest approval rating of any national politician

Attacking him is a good strategy - most people don't trust him.

[jefferson_dem]

21. Nice try. That thread you link to includes an honest discussion

about campaign tactics and how to squash the Chimp-in-Chief. There you see an argument about how JK should get tougher and really nail *. You, on the other hand, suggest we soften up and steer clear of confrontations with Chimp, the media, and conservatives.

It's not about differing viewpoints and you know it.

Why are you a Dem? Why do you support Kerry?

[samtob]

34. Honestly

I support Kerry because Gephardt did not make it. Kerry was not my first second or third choice. But he is the nominee, I am and will support his campaign. Granted, more for the party than for the man.

Why am I a "dem" call me old fashioned, but I call my self a Democrat.

I will try not to go to far into my history...but here goes.

I could have cared less about politics, or voting until I was in my late 20's. I actually voted for the first time when Perot was running, and I voted for Perot (waiting for your hammering buycitig)

I was married, two kids, pretty much listened to my husband for his opinion and followed suit.

A little over eight years ago, darling hubby took off without much notice, cleaned out the bank account and left me with a bunch of bills and two little kids. With that slap in the face, I was forced to start thinking for myself. I needed help, I worked, but did not make much money, could not make it on my own. I went to my church, the very conservative bishop basically scorned me for not being a good enough wife to keep my husband home. The church paid for one month of my house payment and bills, and either make it, or work for the church.

I lost my house, and had to file bankruptcy and felt very ridiculed by my fellow church members for failing. I quit my job, moved in with my dad and went back to college.

It all comes down to this, I started thinking for myself. I had been through my own personal hell and the so called people of christ treated me not with kindness but with scorn. I found I related to the students at college, even though they were quite a bit younger than me, so much better than I ever had the people in my church.

THEY taught ME!

I met incredible people there, even met my first gay (gasp) friend. I could go on and on and on if you wish. In short, I realized there was life outside the strict boundaries of my church, my former marriage and all that I had thought was real. How much more do you want?

[jefferson_dem]

36. Thanks for the thoughtful reponse. I appreciate that.

[buycitgo]

37. sorry,....can't get past your 'smear', 'slander' post

if what you say is true, sorry, but I'm still having trouble buying

too tired to deal with this anymore

will wait to see further input

get up early and hit those doors a runnin'

hear?

nytol

[buycitgo]

31. Here it is///////These Foolish Things

A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL (Bob Dylan) 5:20
RIVER OF SALT (Brown/Zachery/Zachery) 1:48
DON'T EVER CHANGE (Goffin/King) 2:15
PIECE OF MY HEART (Berns/Ragavoy) 3:06
BABY I DON'T CARE (Lieber/Stoller) 1:52
IT'S MY PARTY (Wiener/Gold/Gluck) 1:58
DON'T WORRY BABY (Wilson/Christian) 4:13
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (Mick Jagger/Keith Richard) 5:51
THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS (Robinson/Tarplin/Moore) 3:05
YOU WON'T SEE ME (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) 2:32
I LOVE HOW YOU LOVE ME (Kolber/Mann) 3:02
LOVING YOU IS SWEETER THAN EVER (Hunter/Wonder) 3:06
THESE FOOLISH THINGS (Marvell/Strachey/Link) 5:42

Eight miles high is from another album of his

I met him in London at a bar, when 'Do the Strand' was a hit

he bought me and my friend a bunch of drinks....had no idea who he was at the time....just happened to be there and started talking

he had an afro then

[jefferson_dem]

35. Very cool! Ferry really is one cool guy. I love the way he plays up

suave-ness cooooool. That first Roxy album is a knock-out. Do the Strand, Virginia Plain, If there is something, etc. Eno is out of his mind. Pure unadulterated glam!

[buycitgo]

38. you got it

went by the Hammersmith Theater the same night

Bowie was giving his first ''farewell'' concert

should have seen the crowd

lots of silver lame outfits

faces with lightning bolts painted across them

talked with quite a few as they were queuing up

some fun!

night