TimesUpDon

Not so quick Don

2008-04-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

Don is just chomping at the bit to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Repeat those last two words - wildlife refuge. To him its ugly and remote. It perhaps hosts 15 billion barrels of oil. Don wants to suck up to you to "get us off foreign oil" (not a bad idea) and to lower gas prices (again not a bad idea), but he's going about it wrong headed as usual. First. ANWR has an estimated 10 years worth of our consumption under it. Like comparing one tankful to what you use all year. Not much. It will take years to get it out and into our tanks. It will do little to reduce the current price (see below) and little to wean us off foreign oil. Only reduced consumption will do that. I say, save what is there for the future. When we done used up all the easy to get at stuff, and we still need some bubbling crude, perhaps. Won't need a pipeline, as the Artic Ocean will be ice free and tankers can pull right on up to the well.

On top of that, in his recent newsletter, he throws in partisan politics to blame the Democrats for the recent surge in gas prices. Oh - please! Here's a snip from MSN.com

"It's not the demand from average Joes, but demand from hedge funds, banks, commodities pools and so forth that's responsible for taking crude oil from $70 to $110 a barrel. There are a lot of huge funds that are invested in commodities, and one of their favorites is crude oil."

There ya go. The money changers are the ones screwing it up. How many are Democrats? A few perhaps. Whose policies for the last 12 years or so been running the show. Republicans. Come on Don. Get real. Supercapitalism is in effect, nobody is in control.

Oh, and Don's all good to go in support of renewable energy and conservation. Un huh, that's why he was always against increased CAFE standards for the automakers - because he was FOR better conservation. What Don say don't = how Don vote when it comes to the environment.

For good entertainment, go to Don's website and sign up for his e-newsletters.

Enviro Don

2008-03-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday March 25th, Don Manzullo spoke to the Green Communities Coalition about his environment and energy related positions. He brought along his wife, Frieda, two staff members and three handouts. All was polite and cordial. To hear Don tell the tale of his record on the environment, he's virtually a tree hugger. His record belies his dialogue. Nonetheless, for this particular blog, I'll say that I agreed with Don on the issue of not debating whether global warming climate change is happening or not and just proceed with reducing "air pollution." Reducing carbon dioxide will come along for the ride - and is apparently Don's way of appeasing the skeptics while still endorsing whatever can be done to reduce air pollutants. I'll accept that. I've said the same in print previously. It's not very brave - but understandable. There were a number of other issues I'd liked to have debated in depth, but the short time available and consideration of other's questions did not allow for it.

GCC President, Rev. Jim Roberts, did blast Don for Don's position that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was an ugly out of the way place that no one goes to so you might as well mess it up sucking the oil out up there. Rev. Roberts said, "It's a theological flaw that everything is all about us." In other words, why does the human need for oil override concerns about habitat destruction.

Also, Don was not apparently aware that the East Dubuque Rentec coal gasification plan is dead. He also confessed he'd never heard of the new technology that uses algae to produce veggie oil that is a very promising source of fuel in the future. Don said he spends, "75 percent of my time on manufacturing." That's been apparent all these years.

We'll continue to examine Don's record and see where the walk meets the talk. He's been slow to catch on to the demand by business to go green to improve the bottom line, but apparently the message has finally sunk in and we're seeing a somewhat greener Don.

The myth of the surge working

2008-03-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

Our Congressman has been a staunch supporter of the occupation of Iraq. As a consequence, his is among the many voices incorrectly calling "The Surge" a success. This link is to a Rolling Stone article (issue: March 6, 2008 #1047)titled "The Myth of the Surge." http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/18722376/the_myth_of_the_surge

The myth that the surge is working will only perpetuate the never ending violence we have unleashed. John McCain is promising staying in Iraq a hundred years. That's insane. Do your best to elect Democrats in November to bring this insanity to an end. Will Iraq collapse with us gone. Probably. Can we do anything that will fix this mess. Not likely. Read the story to see why. Foreign intervention for economic gain never works out or lasts. Get out, stay out. Conserve and don't give a damn about oil. Saudis are funding the "terrorists" - we've still not adequately dealt with the proximate cause of the terrorists ability to take up arms - the oil soaked Wahabi shieks in our "friendly" wacked, Saudi Arabia. Hey Don - what you done about THAT besides give our money to the oil companies to explore for more oil in sand land.

Manzullo Supply Core Connection by Dan Kenney

2008-02-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

This is a reprint of Dan Kenney's column which appeared in the Rock River Times on August 22, 2007. Posted with Mr. Kenney's permission.

Guest Column: Profits from private military contractors help finance Manzullo

By Dan Kenney

The 110th Congress started the New Year with new rules intended to curb the influence of lobbyists. The new rules cut out such perks from lobbyists as free meals, trips, stadium box seats and discounted use of private jets.

However, some lawmakers, such as U.S. Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-16), quickly found ways to continue their fun at the expense of corporate lobbyists. They have found ways for lobbyists to pay within the new rules. Just goes to show you can change the game, but not the conscience of the players. After all, rules were meant to be broken, or at least bent. Any lawmaker will tell you that.

Now, instead of paying for the bill directly, the lobbyists pay a political fund-raising committee and, in turn, the committee pays the Congressman’s way.
According to the New York Times, lobbyists say the rules might even increase the volume of contributions flowing from K Street.

Manzullo made the New York Times’ list of events at which corporate lobbyists mingle with members of Congress with his sixth annual Valentine’s Day reception at Landini Brothers in Alexandria, Va. The price of admittance was $1,500 and a significant other was free.

This is not new for Manzullo. He has had many cozy meetings with influence-pushers since his first trip to Washington, D.C., in 1992. He has been right there with his Republican colleagues during the many ethics violations. Manzullo has been one of the many benefactors of K Street’s booming influence business.

Take, for example, his contributions from private Pentagon contractors. From 1992 through the 2006 election cycle, Manzullo has received more than $190,000 from defense contractors. Listed here are some of his biggest campaign contributors who benefit from the war in Iraq. Top contributors to his campaign since 1992:

United Technologies, $50,893
Caterpillar Inc., $43,500
AT&T, $32,000
Boeing Co., $26,200
DaimlerChrysler, $23,880

Also, his largest single contributor to his 2006 race was Supply Core, Inc., which contributed more than $14,000. Supply Core, Inc., is in Rockford at 303 N. Main St., Suite 800, near the Rock River, in Manzullo’s district. It has earned more than $100 million dollars from 1998to 2003 with defense contracts.

Supply Core is an example of war profits turning a young, small company into one of the fastest-growing companies in America. Supply Core is just one private contractor like hundreds of others collecting billions of taxpayer dollars. In December 2003, Supply Core, Inc., was awarded the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Maintenance, Repair and Operation (MRO) Prime Vendor Contract for Iraq. It was then, of course, that Supply Core’s profits started to go through the roof. Then, in January 2005, it was awarded the MRO Prime Vendor Contract for The CENTCOM Region, supporting U.S. activities deployed in 24 countries in Northern Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia. According to their press release in May 2006, “Supply Core Inc. has steadily become one of the leading integrated suppliers offering integrated logistics, supply chain management, and Web-based procurement of MRO material for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines as well as other federal government organizations.” For example, in May 2006, they were awarded a defense contract (in addition to many) for the Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) Warehouse Operation.

Perhaps Manzullo knows why—since Supply Core, one of his largest supporters, is in charge of body armor—it is that Army and Marine Corps commanders have reported a shortage of body armor, among many other necessary supplies such as guns, ammunition and trucks. Maybe that $14,000 could have been put to another use to ensure our troops were adequately protected? It would seem that since Manzullo is a staunch supporter of President George W. Bush’s policy in Iraq he would at least want to see the troops adequately protected. Maybe he will be checking into this “dire situation.”

Manzullo was picked to serve on the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, despite his grade of “F” on the Citizens for Global Solutions Report Card in 2005 and 2006. The nonpartisan organization grades representatives on how they voted on global issues that range from climate change to nuclear proliferation, torture and peacekeeping funding. Maybe Manzullo will work to raise his grade.

However, if his new interpretation of the rule changes is any indication, I expect he will earn a failing grade again. I also suspect that since he seems so dependent upon the financial support of war profiteers that he will be voting for a continual increase in military spending. Even though the war has already cost the taxpayers of his district well more than $200 million.

Of course, like Major General Smedley D. Butler said more than 70 years ago: “War is a racket. It always has been.”

We all pray that it will not always be so.

Funny video explains Congressional Vacation Days

2008-01-11T21:58:00.000-08:00

Could this be why Don has done nothing in Washington? He's never there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0FJhOMc-vA Title: Uncle Jay Explains Congressional Vacation Days.

Surprising we don't see more of Don with all these days to be back in the district.

Don's endorsement of Thompson

2008-01-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

Ah, my work is becoming easier.

Journalist Pat Cunningham has a blog going at the Rockford Register Star website, and has posted a letter about what he thinks of Don Manzullo's endorsement of lazy loser Fred Thompson. Visit his blog "Applesauce" at: http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2008/01/10/open-letter-to-don-manzullo/#comment-46

See you there.

Broken Promises

2007-12-25T07:02:00.000-08:00

Wonderful idea! [the blog]

Sign me up.

Don is on his eighth term, I believe, so he is still renigging on his biggest promise.

He also promised to vote against the School of the Americas, which trains Latin American soldiers at Fort Benning, Georgia. But he renigged on that promise this year, when the vote was so close to finally close that training ground for future military dictators.

He promised us he would vote against the Cuba embargo. But Dennis Hastert talked him out of that.

He said he was against going to war with Iran, but voted against that resolution as well.

Two items: he told our little peace group he would vote for more counselling for soldiers returning to Iraq, and he would support Waxman's investigations of cost overruns. I've heard he blew us off on these , but I don't have the specifics.

Stanley Campbell, Rockford's only paid peace activist.

(Stan Sent this in as a comment. I've upgraded it to a post.) One of our key means of ridding ourselves of Don is by exposing his many broken promises. PLEASE comment and add to this list. Allen

Don and Fuel Economy

2007-12-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

I was attending a news conference that Don Manzullo was giving in Rockford about an upcoming energy bill. Before the start, Don was telling someone that he drove a Chrysler Mini-Van without working airconditioning in Washington D.C. (come on Don loosen up the purse a bit eh). Then he went on to say that small cars that get the kind of economy that higher mandatory gas mileage would require the auto makers to build were not good cars. Don said, and this is a direct quote, "They get blown all over the road whenever a truck goes by." Well, as the owner and driver of Honda Civics for 30 years, I can state flatly that they don't get "blown all over the road" when trucks go by. This kind of statement by Manzullo is the sort of prejudicial narrowmindedness that typifies conservative thinking. Bigger is better. Not so much. Don did not mention at the press conference why the energy bill gave Billions of our tax dollars to oil companies making record profits - and to this day still supports legislation giving the oil companies tax breaks - while supporting a billion dollar a day war being waged on credit from China. Where is the small government and fiscal prudence the Republicans always campaign on???

Round One

2007-12-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

This blog will be devoted entirely to the end of U.S. Congressman Donald Manzullo's reign over the 16th U.S. Congressional District of Illinois.

Not only did Don not step aside after 6 terms as he said he would (he's been there since 1993), but has proven to be more than a standard conservative Republican by being a staunch supporter for any and every pet project of the Bush administration - despite whatever impact those decisions have had on the district and the people he supposedly represents.

The only opinions that matter to Don are his own and those of his major campaign contributors - oh, and those above him on the Republican ladder. A cornerstone of democracy has been for constituents to advise their representatives of their concerns. If you are of the liberal leaning sort, all you can expect from Don Manzullo is to be blown off. You'd be lucky to get a form letter back from him on an issue - and I can guaranty it will not be to your liking. As Don is a far right winger, he cannot see the need to represent any of the rest of the 75% of the people in his district. He has no need to suck up to any voter. He has a substantial campaign war chest and there is plenty more where that came from if there is any serious threat to his tenure as the king of District 16. Since outside the city of Rockford IL the district leans right and has handily re-elected him - he moves with confidence in his little D.C. circles doling out money to rich corporations and stifling environmental legislation with little fear that the district will notice or care enough to vote him out.

This blog will continue to document Don Manzullo's many sins against the citizens of our district, the nation and indeed the planet. One of his greatest sins is that his voting record is 100% against environmental protection according to the League of Conservation Voters analysis. How can you lobby for change with a man in power who does not give a damn about the planet on which we all depend. It is time for Don to Go. He has a true challenger in this upcoming election cycle in Robert Abbound, a successful businessman, nuclear engineer, and village president of Barrington Hills, IL. Visit his website: http://www.robertabboud.com/

At this point, where some might defend some of Don's anti-tax votes, and "bringing money to the district" actions - I say, you could probably expect the same from whomever is our representative - Don is not remarkable at all in what he has done for the people of this district - in fact he's quite the opposite. Don't get us started on our jobs to China thing just yet.

Feel free to join us in making sure Don's nice big warm leather chair in his palatial colonial office in the capital is vacated in 2009. If you care to defend Don, please do. We'll see where the facts face the ideology.