Headlines - Monday

A charity founded by a senior Republican lawmaker who was a key ally to the pharmaceutical industry received more than $170,000 in 2007 from drugmakers, far in excess of campaign finance rules had the money been donated to him directly, leaked documents show.

The senator, Orrin Hatch (R-UT), founded Utah Families Foundation, the recipient of the gifts, though he doesn't serve on the foundation's board. But his son is now the chief lobbyist for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry's lobbying group.

Hatch has received more money from the pharmaceutical industry than any other group, raking in $1.25 million since 1998. The latest sums, however, dwarf that of previous donations from individual corporations. In 2007, the foundation received $25,000 from Eli Lilly, $30,000 from Barr Pharmaceuticals, $25,000 from AstraZeneca and $40,000 from PhRMA.

Keep reading: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/GOP_senator_Orrin_Hatchs_charity_tied_0302.html

 

###

 

Obama Please Note: Those Who Fail to 'Master the Past' Are Guilty, Too: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/03/01-3

 

###

 

And they wonder why I drink: http://www.cogitamusblog.com/2009/02/and-they-wonder-why-i-drink-blogging-20.html

 

###

 

AIG, who already got $150 billion (and has announced $60 billion in quarterly losses) is getting ANOTHER $30 billion from the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/01/aig-to-get-new-30-billion_n_170898.html

###

 

Not counting any loss to businesses, Israel recently destroyed more than 2,800 homes completely, and 1,900 partially, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. In addition to that, many symbols of government were damaged, from the parliament building to ministries to police stations.

Now, Israel is refusing to allow building materials into Gaza: http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0302/p01s02-wome.html

 

Meanwhile in America, Yoel Oberlander, a convicted sex offender, has succeeded in challenging prohibitions on where he is allowed to live under a local law that created "pedophile-free child safety zones" in the county after 15 locations were rejected by the probation office. Oberlander previously lost a case in which he argued that prohibitions were unconstitutional because as an Orthodox Jew he needed to be walking distance from a synagogue.

It appears that his devout faith did not prevent the crimes Oberlander pleaded guilty to in 2002 to second-degree sexual abuse, second-degree unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child, all misdemeanors. http://jonathanturley.org/2009/03/01/orthodox-jewish-sex-offender-prevails-in-seeking-to-live-near-synogogue/

###

Employees of the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Manchester, New Hampshire are no fools. Sure, a hoax caller who said he was from corporate convinced all three of them to discharge the fire extinguishers in the restaurant and then convinced them to strip. However, when they were told to urinate on each other, they suspected something was not quite right. The Colonel, it seems, rarely asks for employees to urinate on each other during business hours. That is when the Hazmat unit was called in. Story here.

###

One of our drones killed another 8 people in Pakistan: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Eight_killed_in_U.S._missile_strikes_0301.html

###

UBS is increasing the base salary of senior investment bankers after reducing many bonuses sharply and to align overall compensation more closely with other financial services jobs, like consulting, said these people, who spoke anonymously because the bank has not decided to publicly disclose the changes. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/business/worldbusiness/02ubs.html?_r=2&hp

###

From ThinkProgress - The Nation's Katrina Vanden Huevel rips Karl Rove 
ABC's THIS WEEK yesterday:

VANDEN HEUEVEL: But, Mr. Rove –

ROVE: Call me Karl.

VANDEN HEUVEL: It's laughable for you to talk about fiscal responsibility from someone who helped plunge this nation into trillion dollars of debt, through tax cuts for the very rich and a war we never should have fought. And also starving the beast. Starving government has been a Republican role in terms of government. And, therefore, when George asks why government hasn't functioned, people have not seen the role of government improving the conditions of their lives for decades.

###

(Washington, DC) The Vice President today commended the new owners of Republic Windows and Doors, a Chicago window manufacturing plant that was shuttered late last year, resulting in the lay-off of its 250 union workers. Republic was purchased in bankruptcy court last week by Serious Materials, a California-based company that makes energy efficient windows. Serious Materials has announced plans to reopen the Republic factory and to eventually rehire all 250 of its laid-off workers at their former pay levels. Serious Materials said it purchased Republic because the stimulus plan will increase demand for its products.

"The reopening of this factory and the rehiring of these workers provide an excellent example of how the money in the Recovery Act is targeted to spur job creation quickly," said Vice President Biden. "These workers will not only earn a paycheck again; they will go back to work creating products that will benefit America's long-term economic future."

Keep reading: http://theygaveusarepublic.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=4C39C38FEEFA0CABE48317317E9C2B9D?diaryId=2330  

That sound you hear is wingnut heads exploding.  They are the people who would rather see the entire country go down in flames than do anything that might help someone who needs it instead of rewarding someone who doesn't.  The malkinite types would rather live under a bridge and roast roadkill on a curtainrod - so long as the person huddled by the next oil-drum-fire over doesn't even have a curtainrod.  

###

Why does CNN hate America? 

As if airing Rush Limbaugh's speech to CPAC in its entirety, without commercial interruption, wasn't bad enough:

Nice try, CNN. People aren't buying it:

###

'Fair and balanced' Fox news allows only Republicans to debate Obama's budget

This morning on Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace welcomed Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) to discuss President Obama's budget plan — with not a single congressional Democrat or White House representative present to defend it. Predictably, Kyl and Ryan attacked Obama's budget (Kyl called it "terrifying"); Fox News gave Obama's critics an 15-plus minute opportunity to slam the budget without interruption.

 

Later in the show, Fox News panelist Juan Williams defended parts of the plan — but only after Bill Kristol, Brit Hume, and Chris Wallace alternated taking shots at it.

### 

4,253 soldiers killed in Iraq; 660 in Afghanistan.