Sen-Elect McCaskill: "People Have Gotten Rich Off This War"

[CatWoman]

And I Want To "Put A Stop To That"...

Senator-Elect Claire McCaskill (D-MO) appeared on CBS Face The Nation Sunday morning. Among the many topics covered, McCaskill discussed her position on the Iraq war in the context of her recent appointment to the Senate Armed Services Committee. McCaskill strongly questions the role of money in the war, both in terms of the money the US government is putting into the war, as well as the money contractors and others are making in the rebuilding of Iraq.

Partial transcript:

"But I know as a new member of the Senate, and as a new member of the Armed Services Committee, I want to ask some questions, because this supplemental appropriation of $150 billion the President is going to ask for, clearly we need to have some accountability. People have gotten rich off this war, and I want to make sure we put a stop to that."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/11/26/senelect-mccaskill-peo_n_34916.html

[patrice]

1. The Death and Destruction Industry bribes Americans to be "patriotic".

Where are Saddam Hussein's papers?

[MadMaddie]

2. I think Claire is going to be a power to be reckoned with...

if the Repugs are not burning and paper shredding their documents they will be.....

I am liking her more and more..

[Monkeyman]

5. She is when we ran the Veteran Convoy for her

I found her to be a true hard hitting Lady. She will take no bull and she will defend the good ones in the Military. She is one person this Veteran trust and I trust very few.

[MadMaddie]

8. Glad to hear it...if she has your endorsement than I know

our military is in good hands....January can't come soon enough....

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Go get em Claire!!

You guys are going to love her. She is a tiger.

[madokie]

9. I would trade an inhoff and a coburn for one Claire

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Oh Inhofe is so bad

But we have Brownback here. He's just as bad and he wants to run for president. :puke:

[patrice]

15. Cool card game idea!

[XOKCowboy]

19. Maybe something can be done about that in a couple of years...

They are both an embarassment to Oklahoma. In my recent trips back home I've seen a lot of Dem and progressive yard signs.

[grasswire]

4. thank you very much

Including some of those very talking heads who keep showing up on news shows. McCaffrey, Perle, Gaffney, etc.

But first, I want you to study the finances of Ledeen and his daughter Simone.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Ah sayh we go GIT 'EM!

[malaise]

7. You go girl!! n/t

[gulliver]

10. That's my Senator!

She was a state auditor. I wish I had seen this show, because she is both charming and tough as nails. We're lucky to have her.

I actually had the privilege of speaking with her twice on the phone during the early days of the campaign. She was calling for contributions herself. Both times she was personable and lucid. That floored me, because I can imagine how many of those calls she must have made. I contributed both times (and a couple more besides).

[Sherman A1]

38. Mine as well

I saw her at one of the last campaign appearances in Forest Park with Obama. Excellent speaker and she mentioned war profiteers at that speech. Following the money could be a very interesting means of nailing these "charming" fellows. I have great hopes!

[I_Make_Mistakes]

41. You can watch it online. Go to the cbs.com website and click

news and then Face the Nation. I just thought you'd want to know. They probably have a pod cast as well, I actually like to see the body language of the person speaking so I watch the video.

[gort]

52. She sounds a lot like another great Senator from Missouri

Truman went after WWII war profitteers during his tenure as Senator. Here's hoping we see a McCaskill Comittee formed in the near future.

[JNelson6563]

11. To the Greatest Page with Sen Elect McCaskill!

:toast: :kick: :toast:

[gordianot]

13. I hear she is making a conscious effort of modeling after Senator Truman.

His trips to bases and manufacturers are legendary. At last there is more oversight coming to the military industrial complex as long as McCaskill stays off small aircraft (in Missouri think Jerry Litton not necessarily Mel Carnahan) and avoids exotic food. I think she has also heard of Halliburton.

[IndyOp]

14. I just LOVE Rush Limbaugh!!

I never liked him until he insulted Michael J. Fox, which caused a ton of people to decide to vote for and donate to Claire -- and NOW look what Claire is doing!

Claire -> :yourock:

END DEATH PROFITS!

[patrice]

16. McCaskill is the real deal.

What you see is what you get.

[IndyOp]

17. Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler - "WAR is a racket. It always has been."

WAR is a racket. It always has been.

It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.

In the World War a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted their huge blood gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows.

How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it meant to go hungry in a rat-infested dug-out? How many of them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried a bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?

Out of war nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few – the selfsame few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general public shoulders the bill.

More...

[stevietheman]

18. What if we taxed war profits at a 100% rate? Just a thought.

Might be a way to pay for Bush's War and also stave off future adventures.

[valerief]

20. As long as Congress can be bought, it'll never happen. nt

[QuestionAll...]

24. or have the arms merchants donate their stuff like the pleebs

donate their tax dollars and kids.

hahahha. what a silly thought.

[NewJeffCT]

27. How does one define "war profits" vs regular profits?

Not saying I disagree with your idea, but it's not an easy task to define some things as strictly war-related.

[bluesbassman]

30. No bid contracts.

You bring up a good point. I think the place to start would be with all of the no bid contracts we the people are footing the bill for. Every last one of these needs to be scrutinized and reviewed until the ink starts wearing off the pages.

As for what's war related and what's not, let the ceos who run these companies squirm in the witness chair under a Henry Waxman subpoena and justify their profits.

[whistle]

51. I think the tax on war profits under FDR during WW II was 95%+

[DemReadingDU]

21. I like McCaskill

"we need to have some accountability"

[stepnw1f]

22. Excellent (nt)

[and-justice-for-all]

23. Kick ass!! Take no more shit DEMS are in the house! nt

[usregimechange]

25. Go Claire!

http://www.claireonline.com/

[The Anti-Neo Con]

26. Claire's my senator too.

& I'm proud of her!

[mzmolly]

28. She is one helluva Senator "elect" already.

I am impressed with her as a national spokesperson as well.

[savemefromdumbya]

29. Can we have a refund?

it's our money they have been siphoning off

[Radical Activist]

31. Just like every other war.

It's a shame such a simple and obvious truth is controversial in this day.

[Minnesota_Lib]

32. I like Claire more and more...

[Radical Activist]

33. The only way to stop people from getting rich off war

is to stop war. War and war profiteering are inseparable.

[wake.up.america]

39. I agree. So, I am a bit perplexed about her intentions. At what point ...

is one getting "rich" as a result of war?

Perhaps she should have said she wants enforcement of laws governing price gouging and/or new rules for defense contracts.

[antiimperialist]

34. It's an unjust war, PERIOD

Unjustified, immoral, unilateral and illegal.

Out of Iraq now.

[proud2BlibKansan]

49. And Claire does not support immediate withdrawl

[Bernardo de La Paz]

35. Right On! ... and not a moment too soon.

[Fovea]

36. I felt guilty about not donating to my DINO rep for a day or two

but man do I feel good about my little donation to Claire.

[sakabatou]

37. There is always going to be someone who profits from war

[Jacklyn75]

40. Go Claire!

I'm very, very proud that she's my senator and that everyone in my house voted for her! She's going to be GREAT and thank God we don't have Talent anymore! Now if only Bond would retire...

[katinmn]

42. McCaskill should pay Norm Coleman a visit

as chair of the permanent subcommittee on investigations he blocked http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Subcommittees.Home&SubcommitteeID=11&Initials=PSI
investigations into war profiteering as well as the missing $9 billion. Instead, he chose to fight with international peacekeepers and bully George Galloway (which backfired).

Levin is likely the new chair of that committee. Buh-bye, Norm! I hope McCaskill and Levin whip up a shitstorm of investigations.

PROVE to us that the Bush Cabal isn't getting rich off the war!

[Philosoraptor]

43. MY GIRL! I voted for a winner!

war profiteering used to be a crime, or so I've heard.

[LynneSin]

44. Thank you Missouri - for getting rid of No-Talent

and putting the real talent to work - Claire McCaskill

[whistle]

45. This book should be required reading in all schools

<snip>
WAR IS A RACKET

Smedley Darlington Butler

Major General - United States Marine Corps

Born West Chester, Pa., July 30, 1881

Educated Haverford School

Married Ethel C. Peters, of Philadelphia, June 30, 1905

Awarded two congressional medals of honor, for capture of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1914,

and for capture of Ft. Riviere, Haiti, 1917

Distinguished service medal, 1919

Retired Oct. 1, 1931

On leave of absence to act as director of Department of Safety, Philadelphia, 1932

Lecturer - 1930's

Republican Candidate for Senate, 1932

Died at Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, June 21, 1940

For more information about Major General Smedley Butler, contact the United States Marine Corps.

Chapter One

WAR IS A RACKET

WAR is a racket. It always has been.

It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.

In the World War a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted their huge blood gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows.

How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it meant to go hungry in a rat-infested dug-out? How many of them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried a bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?

Out of war nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few – the selfsame few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general public shoulders the bill.

And what is this bill?
<MORE on line full text>
http://lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm

[woodsgirl]

46. Just finished

reading Smedley Butler's book myself. Agree it should be required reading in high school.It would do a lot to change the culture of glorifying war, death and destruction.I'm passing it around to friends. Is he southern ? The name sounds like old South Carolina.

[moondust]

47. Investigate, prosecute, name names. n/t

[Marie26]

48. She's a former state auditor

And she's going to find out exactly how much government money was wasted thanks to fraud, incompetence & rampant corruption. McCaskill said that she wanted to investigate Iraq contracting practices often during the campaign, & that's one reason why I'm so thrilled she was elected. I think, w/her on the committee, we'll finally find out the truth about what happened during the Iraq invasion.

[FraDon]

50. Charles Barsotti cartoon caption in New Yorker

(Two men talking. )

“Oh, that’s good, sir, that’s very good —
‘What if they gave a war and nobody profited.’ ”

Search war profit @ <http://cartoonbank.com/>

[Nevernose]

53. New rule: anyone profiting from a war

Should be dragged out into the street and beaten. And then given a fair trial before we convict them of the all-new crime of "war profiteering."