Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton is focus of corruption probe

[PogueMoran]

Reporting from Washington - The Justice Department is investigating whether former Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton illegally used her position to benefit Royal Dutch Shell PLC, the company that later hired her, according to officials in federal law enforcement and the Interior Department.

The criminal investigation centers on the Interior Department's 2006 decision to award three lucrative oil shale leases on federal land in Colorado to a Shell subsidiary. Over the years it would take to extract the oil, according to calculations from Shell and a Rand Corp. expert, the deal could net the company hundreds of billions of dollars.

Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton is focus of corruption probe -- latimes.com

 

[F107HyperSabr]

Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton is focus of corruption probe -- latimes.com

So "What am " your special take on this? Are Republican and Republican appointed Czars and Czarinia's not capable of corruption ?

 

[PogueMoran]

So "What am " your special take on this? Are Republican and Republican appointed Czars and Czarinia's not capable of corruption ?

The Secretary of the Interior is not a Czar. Not much to comment on. She stepped down and went to work for the company she was supposed to be regulating. Also there's the part about drugs, sex, and toasters that stick out in regards to how her department was run.

 

[obvious Child]

Eh. That department is corrupt beyond corrupt. When oil firms were sending prositutes to sleep with the department members, you know that department needs a good cleaning.

Scandal At The Interior Department: Sex, Drugs, Corruption, and Golf

 

[American]

She may have broken employment rules, but I'd like to know why Congress prepared a bill that would allow oil companies to get multiple leases. Seems if there's corruption it's probably broader than one person.

 

[Catz Part Deux]

The Secretary of the Interior is not a Czar. Not much to comment on. She stepped down and went to work for the company she was supposed to be regulating. Also there's the part about drugs, sex, and toasters that stick out in regards to how her department was run.

It seems like a lot of the Bush appointees had difficulties with ethics. Here's another one I'm familiar with:

J. Robert Flores - Corrupt and Incompetent Bush Crony

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/j-robert-flores/2008/06/

 

[Truth Detector]

Eh. That department is corrupt beyond corrupt. When oil firms were sending prositutes to sleep with the department members, you know that department needs a good cleaning.

Scandal At The Interior Department: Sex, Drugs, Corruption, and Golf

Once again what we see from you are hysterical assertions not based on anything that could be considered rational or credible.

I have to laugh at your link as well; Jay Yarrow? :rofl

P.S. This story will end up in the same place as the other efforts to impugn Bush Administration officials; in the crapper because there is no substance to the asinine allegations.

Carry on your populist tirades about those evil corporations and corrupt politicians though; it is amusing at best. Not because they don't exist, but because to listen to you everything is corrupt and that there is some perfect mythical place where corruption doesn't exist, companies only do what is good for communities regardless of profits and Government officials are of the highest integrity and intelligence and money is not a part of any process.

 

[PogueMoran]

Once again what we see from you are hysterical assertions not based on anything that could be considered rational or credible.

I have to laugh at your link as well; Jay Yarrow? :rofl

P.S. This story will end up in the same place as the other efforts to impugn Bush Administration officials; in the crapper because there is no substance to the asinine allegations.

Carry on your populist tirades about those evil corporations and corrupt politicians though; it is amusing at best. Not because they don't exist, but because to listen to you everything is corrupt and that there is some perfect mythical place where corruption doesn't exist, companies only do what is good for communities regardless of profits and Government officials are of the highest integrity and intelligence and money is not a part of any process.

Excellent Satire truth. I was laughing as I was reading your comment. You're the next Stephen Colbert

 

[Truth Detector]

It seems like a lot of the Bush appointees had difficulties with ethics. Here's another one I'm familiar with:

J. Robert Flores - Corrupt and Incompetent Bush Crony

TPMMuckraker | Talking Points Memo | J. Robert Flores: June 2008

Aside from your comedic sources, I truly love this farcical story about Flores.

He awarded a $1.1 million dollar grant to an organization because they paid his green fees. :rofl

Though Flores reimbursed the organization for the $159 in green's fees, he did so only yesterday -- hours before his Congressional testimony.

Good lord, not only are we dumbing down the definition of what torture is, but now we are dumbing down the definition of corruption in an effort to continue to impugn political appointees because we disagree with their political affiliations.

I wonder what all the Libruls will think when the Republicans take back political power and take a page from the Democrat playbook are start smearing their political opponents with the same emotional hysterics we are seeing now.

Yep, Flores is going to risk indictment for a $159 green fee. :rofl

Meanwhile, the REAL corruption of Government power is ignored by those who prefer to wallow in denial. Obama's entire effort since coming into office has been corrupt; his appointments of Czars in an effort to bypass Senate scrutiny, his efforts to fear monger Americans into a $1.6 trillion deficit with more to come, his lies and distortions in the healthcare debate that will do NOTHING to reform but rather create another opportunity for a corrupt and inept bureaucracy all in the name of Socialist Community policies which basically profess that only Government can make society more fair, our lives safe and keep us healthy.

:rofl

 

[PogueMoran]

Aside from your comedic sources, I truly love this farcical story about Flores.

He awarded a $1.1 million dollar grant to an organization because they paid his green fees. :rofl

Though Flores reimbursed the organization for the $159 in green's fees, he did so only yesterday -- hours before his Congressional testimony.

Good lord, not only are we dumbing down the definition of what torture is, but now we are dumbing down the definition of corruption in an effort to continue to impugn political appointees because we disagree with their political affiliations.

I wonder what all the Libruls will think when the Republicans take back political power and take a page from the Democrat playbook are start smearing their political opponents with the same emotional hysterics we are seeing now.

Yep, Flores is going to risk indictment for a $159 green fee. :rofl

Meanwhile, the REAL corruption of Government power is ignored by those who prefer to wallow in denial. Obama's entire effort since coming into office has been corrupt; his appointments of Czars in an effort to bypass Senate scrutiny, his efforts to fear monger Americans into a $1.6 trillion deficit with more to come, his lies and distortions in the healthcare debate that will do NOTHING to reform but rather create another opportunity for a corrupt and inept bureaucracy all in the name of Socialist Community policies which basically profess that only Government can make society more fair, our lives safe and keep us healthy.

:rofl

But didn't you just say government officials aren't corrupt? Now you're saying they are. Oh I get it just republicans are pure but democrats are corrupt. Again with the "czars" several of which were confirmed by the senate, had been in prior appointments, are cabinet level positions or are in jobs that were created by previous presidents. Did you complain about Bush's 46 czars? Thought not. Socialist policies? Good lord you're just one big bucket of fear. As for the interior department this was a long time in coming. The Inspector General of the Department Earl Devaney revealed many of these problems last year in his report.

I didn't realize doing blow on the job was legal there truth. People at the interior department were consuming alcohol, doing drugs, and having sex with oil and gas company employees while on the job. Total ethical violations but yeah you brush it off.

 

[Truth Detector]

But didn't you just say government officials aren't corrupt? Now you're saying they are. Oh I get it just republicans are pure but democrats are corrupt.

Your reading dyslexia is only superseded by your inability to deal with credible facts and logical reasoning.

Why don't you post my words stating that Government officials are not corrupt so we can solve your issues with reading comprehension once and for all.

Again with the "czars" several of which were confirmed by the senate, had been in prior appointments, are cabinet level positions or are in jobs that were created by previous presidents. Did you complain about Bush's 46 czars? Thought not.

Only about 15 of those positions were from previous posts while Obama created about 15 new ones in an effort, as many Democrats are now concluding, are an effort to circumvent the Senate and the Constitution.

As for this internet fabrication of Bush creating 45 positions (they were counting the number of appointments and not the positions created in an effort at disinformation, which the Communists used extensively in their efforts to promote their ideology), that is a lie that cannot be supported by the facts being put out by this Administration in a desperate effort to counter their own incompetence and inter-party criticisms of those unconstitutional efforts.

What is fascinating in all your arguments is that you seem to assert that if the previous guys did it, it must now be okay; how trite.

Socialist policies? Good lord you're just one big bucket of fear.

I am amused that asserting that Obama is a Socialist engaging in Socialist policies now somehow equates to fear.

How do you logically connect those two?

As for the interior department this was a long time in coming. The Inspector General of the Department Earl Devaney revealed many of these problems last year in his report.

It is amusing at best to suggest that a highly placed individual can be swayed by the payment of $159 in green fees. But what is equally farcical in Liberal logic is that even though he paid this fee back to the company who invited him, it is only good enough when people like Ron Kirk, Dashle, Nancy Killefer's or Tim Geithner don’t pay their taxes then ask for forgiveness and still are nominated for high posts, and in some cases, getting them.

I didn't realize doing blow on the job was legal there truth.

What part of lying under oath do you continue to NOT get? I guess it only counts if your are a Republican like Libby who didn’t even commit the crime he was investigated for and a “perceived crime for which the original perpetrator was already known before spending millions of taxpayers money in fruitless investigations.

In Clinton’s case, he really did engage in extremely bad behavior using bad judgment and then compounded it by admittedly lying under oath about it, to the American people and his wife and kid. It is amazing that you and so many other Liberals defend such behavior.

People at the interior department were consuming alcohol, doing drugs, and having sex with oil and gas company employees while on the job. Total ethical violations but yeah you brush it off.

Once again, these are “allegations” but I have yet to see anything of substance suggesting that this behavior is more an anomaly that is typical with HUGE organizations rather than the assertion that this was common and rampant behavior condoned by evil Republicans.

Carry on; your trite attempts to downplay real corruption by your guys while attempting to fabricate it for the opposition, particularly where none exists is fascinating.

 

[PogueMoran]

Your reading dyslexia is only superseded by your inability to deal with credible facts and logical reasoning.

Why don't you post my words stating that Government officials are not corrupt so we can solve your issues with reading comprehension once and for all.

Reading dyslexia would entail reading words backwards or rearranging them in incorrect order. Wrong word usage here.

Only about 15 of those positions were from previous posts while Obama created about 15 new ones in an effort, as many Democrats are now concluding, are an effort to circumvent the Senate and the Constitution.

Incorrect there were 31 "Czar" positions in the Bush administration with 46 people filling them. Obama has 32 "Czars" according to the list being spread around.

Which meant Obama had to have gotten rid of some of Bush's "Czar" positions. Bush had an abstinence czar for crying out loud. Yeah presidential advisers which are long standing are efforts to circumvent the constitution. You obviously have no idea how our government is run. Bush had almost the same number of Czar positions but no whining on your part.

As for this internet fabrication of Bush creating 45 positions (they were counting the number of appointments and not the positions created in an effort at disinformation, which the Communists used extensively in their efforts to promote their ideology), that is a lie that cannot be supported by the facts being put out by this Administration in a desperate effort to counter their own incompetence and inter-party criticisms of those unconstitutional efforts.

Nothing fabricated about it this was the number of people who served in "Czar" positions. Lol Communists here we go with the red baiting. No one in are government is currently a communist were you raised in the 50s? Wow this number of Obama's "czars" is also an effort of disinformation as several have been confirmed by the senate and most are in long standing positions.

What is fascinating in all your arguments is that you seem to assert that if the previous guys did it, it must now be okay; how trite.

No just pointing out your rank hypocrisy. Your selective outrage is pervasive and lowers the debate. "Democrats are bad republicans are good" nevermind that having "czars" has been around for most of the last century. It must be wrong because Obama is doing it is your argument.

I am amused that asserting that Obama is a Socialist engaging in Socialist policies now somehow equates to fear.

How do you logically connect those two?

Well considering he's not a socialist engaging in socialist parties I'd say its pretty logical to connect your red baiting. It just goes to show how low you bring the level of debate here.

It is amusing at best to suggest that a highly placed individual can be swayed by the payment of $159 in green fees. But what is equally farcical in Liberal logic is that even though he paid this fee back to the company who invited him, it is only good enough when people like Ron Kirk, Dashle, Nancy Killefer's or Tim Geithner don’t pay their taxes then ask for forgiveness and still are nominated for high posts, and in some cases, getting them.

You obviously didn't bother to read the Inspector General Report. The green fees were a minor issue in comparison to what else happened in the department of interior.

What part of lying under oath do you continue to NOT get? I guess it only counts if your are a Republican like Libby who didn’t even commit the crime he was investigated for and a “perceived crime for which the original perpetrator was already known before spending millions of taxpayers money in fruitless investigations.

Why are you bringing clinton into this? I was talking about doing blow on the job not getting a blow job. You know blow as in Cocaine which members of the Interior Department were doing on the job. This wasn't a fruitless investigation officials have been charged and the inspector general completed his report last year. I suggest you read it before sounding even more ridiculous.

In Clinton’s case, he really did engage in extremely bad behavior using bad judgment and then compounded it by admittedly lying under oath about it, to the American people and his wife and kid. It is amazing that you and so many other Liberals defend such behavior.

Why are you bringing clinton into this? I was talking about Cocaine not blow jobs, learn to read.

Once again, these are “allegations” but I have yet to see anything of substance suggesting that this behavior is more an anomaly that is typical with HUGE organizations rather than the assertion that this was common and rampant behavior condoned by evil Republicans.

Carry on; your trite attempts to downplay real corruption by your guys while attempting to fabricate it for the opposition, particularly where none exists is fascinating.

Not allegations. Our guys? I never said I supported the democrats. There was an inspector general investigation which found pervasive wrong doing in the Interior Department. This is over a year old information. Try reading the report before making an ass of yourself

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

Your reading dyslexia is only superseded by your inability to deal with credible facts and logical reasoning.

Moderator's Warning:

Knock off the personal attacks, TD, or you will be removed from the thread.

 

[obvious Child]

Once again what we see from you are hysterical assertions not based on anything that could be considered rational or credible.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/14/business/14oil.html
AFP: Sex, drugs and oil: corruption scandal rocks US agency
Report Says Oil Agency Ran Amok - washingtonpost.com
http://media.mcclatchydc.com/smedia...OIG-Cover-Letter.source.prod_affiliate.91.pdf
http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/investigative/documents/mmsoil-081908.pdf

I hereby crown you Mr. Epic Fail.

I have to laugh at your link as well; Jay Yarrow? :rofl

P.S. This story will end up in the same place as the other efforts to impugn Bush Administration officials; in the crapper because there is no substance to the asinine allegations.

Come again? Did I explicitly state republicans? Besides, the Department of the Interior has a long and "illustrious" history of corruption. Warren G. Harding anyone? And interesting how you think that it will end up in the crapper when several interior department members are in jail. J. Steven Griles anyone?

Typical TD. Argument from position of absolute sheer ignorance.

Carry on your populist tirades about those evil corporations and corrupt politicians though; it is amusing at best.

And I said this where? You know, just because you're partisan hack doesn't mean that everyone who points it out is one as well.

Not because they don't exist, but because to listen to you everything is corrupt and that there is some perfect mythical place where corruption doesn't exist, companies only do what is good for communities regardless of profits and Government officials are of the highest integrity and intelligence and money is not a part of any process.

Gotta wonder where I ever said this. Could you please show me anything resembling this in any of my posts?

 

[obvious Child]

I didn't realize doing blow on the job was legal there truth. People at the interior department were consuming alcohol, doing drugs, and having sex with oil and gas company employees while on the job. Total ethical violations but yeah you brush it off.

But you forget. They were Republican appointed, therefore under TD's long history of endless free passes to Republicans for whatever they want, sleeping with company executives and then giving them sweetheart deals on oil leases is okay.

Remember, if Republicans do it, it's okay. Doesn't matter what "it" is.

 

[RightinNYC]

Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton is focus of corruption probe -- latimes.com

Seems troubling, and I hope for her sake that there's nothing to these allegations.

It seems like a lot of the Bush appointees had difficulties with ethics. Here's another one I'm familiar with:

J. Robert Flores - Corrupt and Incompetent Bush Crony

TPMMuckraker | Talking Points Memo | J. Robert Flores: June 2008

So that's two out of a couple thousand. This means...?

 

[apdst]

The Justice Department is investigating whether former Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton illegally used her position to benefit Royal Dutch Shell PLC

Oh, God!!! The horror!!!

Looks like a smoke screen to cover ACORN, to me. I mean, why investigate an orginization that was earmarked to receive 8 billion dollars of taxpayer money, so the staff members could advise prostitutes on how to set up leagal LLC's and evade taxes, when you can start a witch hunt about a government bureaucrat that used her position to help a private company? Because, we all know that no one has ever done anything that awful before.

 

[RightinNYC]

Oh, God!!! The horror!!!

Looks like a smoke screen to cover ACORN, to me.

The Interior Department's Office of Inspector General began the investigation during the waning months of the George W. Bush administration and more recently made a formal criminal referral to the Justice Department.

Yea, makes sense. The Bush adminstration probably began the investigation as a favor to Obama because they knew that 8 months into his presidency, he would be faced with a minor scandal involving a community organizing group that he once represented.

This investigation couldn't possibly have been started because someone thought someone did something wrong.

 

[apdst]

Yea, makes sense. The Bush adminstration probably began the investigation as a favor to Obama because they knew that 8 months into his presidency, he would be faced with a minor scandal involving a community organizing group that he once represented.

This investigation couldn't possibly have been started because someone thought someone did something wrong.

C'mon, man, is this the best they can do when digging up wrong doing? All the hoopla over this and not-a-soul has gotten curious as to why Feinstein's old man keeps getting all those sweet defense contracts?

 

[obvious Child]

Well, who are we going to trust. The guy who got Jack Abramoff or Apdst?

Real tough decision there. lol.

Earl Devaney with an impeccable service record or Adpdst/TD?

 

[PogueMoran]

Oh, God!!! The horror!!!

Looks like a smoke screen to cover ACORN, to me. I mean, why investigate an orginization that was earmarked to receive 8 billion dollars of taxpayer money, so the staff members could advise prostitutes on how to set up leagal LLC's and evade taxes, when you can start a witch hunt about a government bureaucrat that used her position to help a private company? Because, we all know that no one has ever done anything that awful before.

8 Billion dollar earmark? Where? Everytime I ask you you skirt around this. Where was Acorn set to receive 8 billion from the government where they've only received like 50 million over the course of 18 years?

This investigation has been in the works for over a year now try reading the inspector general's report before coming off as ignorant

 

[PogueMoran]

Well, who are we going to trust. The guy who got Jack Abramoff or Apdst?

Real tough decision there. lol.

Earl Devaney with an impeccable service record or Adpdst/TD?

No they're going to claim he's a czar appointed by Obama like they already have even though he's been serving as Inspector General for the Interior for a decade or that he was a special agent for the secret service and ended up as Special Agent in Charge of the Fraud Division by the time he retired. He's obviously gotta be an Obama plant

 

[apdst]

8 Billion dollar earmark? Where? Everytime I ask you you skirt around this. Where was Acorn set to receive 8 billion from the government where they've only received like 50 million over the course of 18 years?

This investigation has been in the works for over a year now try reading the inspector general's report before coming off as ignorant

Well, that impossible, because I haven't ever brought it up. If I had, I shurely wouldn't have skirted around it.

Michelle Malkin ACORN Watch: Left-wing fraudsters “could get billions” in stimulus money

 

[PogueMoran]

Well, that impossible, because I haven't ever brought it up. If I had, I shurely wouldn't have skirted around it.

Michelle Malkin ACORN Watch: Left-wing fraudsters “could get billions” in stimulus money

Malkin is your source? Jesus you're worse than I thought. Do you have any unbiased sources for the claim? I see she's working off a hypothetical. Do you have language in the stimulus bill that earmarks money for Acorn?

 

[apdst]

Malkin is your source? Jesus you're worse than I thought. Do you have any unbiased sources for the claim? I see she's working off a hypothetical.

Do you have anything to show otherwise? Perhaps that they aren't receiving anymore government money? I mean, there's a reason that Congress is voting to defund them. It's because Congress is funding them, to begin with.

Do you have language in the stimulus bill that earmarks money for Acorn?

If you bothered to open the link, you would see it.

“For a further additional amount for ‘Community Development Fund,’ $4,190,000,000, to be used for neighborhood stabilization activities related to emergency assistance for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes as authorized under division B, title III of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–289), of which—

“(1) not less than $3,440,000,000 shall be allocated by a competition for which eligible entities shall be States, units of general local government, and nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities[.]”

“(2) up to $750,000,000 shall be awarded by competition to nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities to provide community stabilization assistance […]”


The House Democrats’ trillion dollar spending bill also includes $1 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. CDBG funds are given by the federal government to state and local governments which often contract with nonprofits for services related to the purpose of the grant.

ACORN knows how to secure CDBG funds. Audit reports filed by ACORN’s headquarters with the Office of Management and Budget show that ACORN spent $1,588,599 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program funds from FY 2003 through FY 2007. It is not clear from these records when or from what source the funds were awarded to ACORN. It is also not clear whether ACORN chapters or affiliates have received CDBG grants on their own.

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) repeatedly urged President George W. Bush and other federal officials to withhold taxpayer funds from ACORN, including $17.2 million in federal grants awarded in December 2008 after numerous allegations of wrongdoing in connection with ACORN’s election activities were reported by the news media.