Lady Victoria Eclectic Pagan's blog: "Political Ramblings & FYI's"

Do you know the middle names of some of the major-party presidential contenders, declared and undeclared, for 2008? Well, since so many made such a big fuss over the obvious first, I just thought I'd take the time and fill in the rest of the blanks... Barack Hussein Obama Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton John Sidney McCain III Joe Robinette Biden Rudolph William Louis “Rudy” Guiliani III John Reid Edwards (Born Johnny) Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel Samuel Dale Brownback William Blaine “Bill” Richardson III Willard Mitt Romney Christopher John Dodd Tommy George Thompson Newton Leroy Gingrich Charles Timothy "Chuck" Hagel Dennis John Kucinich Fred Dalton Thompson (Born Freddie) Duncan Lee Hunter Ronald Ernest Paul Wesley Kanne Clark Michael Alan Weiner aka Michael Savage Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee Alan Lee Keyes Please excuse if I forgot any of the other candidates, as I mainly focused on the Republican and Democratic parties here just as a case in point.

Same-sex couples win the right to marry in California! Today, California's highest court ruled that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is unconstitutional, granting loving, committed gay and lesbian couples the dignity and support their relationships have so long been denied. Two words sum up how I feel at this moment: proud and determined. I'm proud of Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, who argued this case, and all the advocates who worked tirelessly to make this day possible. More than anything, I am proud of all of HRC's supporters who, rather than backing down in response to bigotry and hate, have continued this fight. And I'm determined to make this win stick. The right-wing opponents are using this moment to build a war chest for an amendment this November to ban same-sex marriage in California. (Florida's Amendment 2 is going to be on this November's ballot as well). I would love to tell you to take a day to sit back and enjoy this momentous victory. While this win is certainly a reason to celebrate, this is not a day to rest easy. In fact, sitting back is exactly the reaction the right-wing is hoping for. We can't afford to let them turn HRC's success into their win. Focus on the Family, the National Organization for Marriage and their anti-gay friends want to write discrimination into the constitution of our country and undo what they have achieved today. The National Organization for Marriage's own web site is calling on their supporters to donate so they can blanket the state with anti-gay messages in the coming months. They think you'll be too busy celebrating to notice as they amass their millions. I think they're wrong. HRC is a member of Equality for All, the coalition of groups working together to defeat the marriage ban in California. HRC will continue to support Equality for All's efforts. This is a momentous day. Let's make sure it doesn't become a piece of history this November. Vote NO on Amendment 2 in Florida and spread the word for equality.

Recent news just sent to me from Josh Silver, Executive Director, Free Press Action Fund: Just moments ago, by a near-unanimous vote, the Senate stood up to Big Media. They voted to throw out the FCC decision to let the largest media companies swallow up even more local media. This is simply an astounding victory, and it would not have happened without the massive grassroots effort by you and thousands of others who called their senators, sent more than a quarter million letters, posted thousands of pictures and stories on StopBigMedia.com, and testified at public hearings held by the FCC. It was your dedication that made today's Senate win possible. Today was a huge step forward, but there is still much to do. The fight against the FCC now moves to the House, where our elected representatives need to hear from us. President Bush has promised that he will try to veto this bill. But tonight the Senate and the American people have spoken with one voice. This historic vote sends a clear message that the only people who support more media consolidation are Big Media lobbyists and the White House. We are in this struggle to bring more minority ownership, diverse perspectives and independent voices to the media. We need to make media consolidation an election-year issue. And we need to start talking about how to break up the giant conglomerates. Corporate news today -- with its propaganda pundits, horse-race election coverage, and celebrity gossip -- undermines our democracy. We must continue to speak out and demand that the public airwaves be used to actually serve the public. In just three weeks, thousands of people will be gathering together in Minnesota to build the movement for better media. You can join them at the National Conference for Media Reform, just visit www.freepress.net/conference. For today, know that you played a key role in the fight for better media for all.

This week, Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Richard Burr offered a watered-down substitute to the 21st Century GI Bill, which was introduced by Senators Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel. We need you to write to your Senators telling them that the McCain bill is unacceptable. The Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act (S.22), the Webb-Hagel bill that we support, now has 57 supporters in the Senate, from both sides of the aisle. With three more supporters, this bill would be filibuster-proof, and guaranteed to get to the President's desk. Senator McCain's bill could split the Senate, undermining the common-sense legislation that Senators Webb and Hagel offered. In doing so, it also undermines America's veterans. Here's how. 1) The McCain-Graham-Burr legislation creates a flat education benefit, not taking into account the cost of state colleges where veterans live. This would mean veterans in states where the cost of education is higher than the benefit would have go to into debt to get an education, or uproot themselves and their families to move to a place where the benefit would cover college. In many cases, the McCain bill won't even cover half the cost of college. The Webb-Hagel Bill determines the education benefit based on the highest state college tuition in a veterans' home state, allowing veterans to come home and attend college, without upheaval in their lives. 2) The McCain-Graham-Burr legislation creates second-class veterans, by offering those who serve in the military for 12 years the chance to transfer their education benefits to their children. This says to a veteran who serves for two years and loses both of his legs in combat that his service isn't as valuable as someone who has served for longer. 3) The McCain-Graham-Burr legislation leaves the National Guard and Reserve out in the cold. In the current conflicts, the National Guard and Reserve have served faithfully alongside their active duty compatriots, and deserve equal benefits. Yet, the McCain bill does nothing to reward our Guard and Reservists for their cumulative service. Under the McCain bill, over 160,000 members of the Guard and Reserves who have done more than one tour in Iraq or Afghanistan would get no credit towards an education for their additional sacrifice. WRITE TO YOUR SENATORS, TELLING THEM THE MCCAIN BILL IS UNACCEPTABLE A fair education benefit is a sacred promise made to America's military after World War II. That promise has been allowed to become outdated and tarnished. Only the Webb-Hagel bill will restore its luster. And, for that reason, it is the only acceptable bill to America's veterans. Any Senator who joins Senator McCain on his bill does not support our veterans, and it is important that you let your Senator know that, right away. Thank you for your support. Jon Soltz Iraq War Veteran Chairman, VoteVets.org

110th CONGRESS House Resolution 888 - "American Religious History Week". Another Religious Right attempt at putting words in the Founding Fathers' mouths and rewriting the U.S. Constitution. Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as `American Religious History Week' for the appreciation of and education on America's history of religious faith. Whereas religious faith was not only important in official American life during the periods of discovery, exploration, colonization, and growth but has also been acknowledged and incorporated into all 3 branches of American Federal government from their very beginning; Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed this self-evident fact in a unanimous ruling declaring `This is a religious people ... From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation'; Well it looks at first like the House of Representatives is feeling bad about H. Res. 847 and going to make things right by giving U.S. citizens a week to celebrate our religious heritage no matter what it may be. American Religious History Week would be a great time for all Americans to celebrate our religious diversity. Shall we take our hats off to the House or Representatives and apologize for the out cries of over 2,000,000 Pagans around the nation. Not so fast! Whereas political scientists have documented that the most frequently-cited source in the political period known as The Founding Era was the Bible; Whereas the first act of America's first Congress in 1774 was to ask a minister to open with prayer and to lead Congress in the reading of 4 chapters of the Bible; Whereas Congress regularly attended church and Divine service together en masse; Whereas throughout the American Founding, Congress frequently appropriated money for missionaries and for religious instruction, a practice that Congress repeated for decades after the passage of the Constitution and the First Amendment; Followed by 72 more Christian little tidbits of pure unfounded or highly exaggerated pieces of information! The 110th Congress are making themselves the joke of the millennium! Man do I hate being right all the time. In previous writings I have informed you all of the roadmap that the Christian Right (formerly known as the Religious Right) is using to overturn our nation's government, core beliefs and our blessed Constitution. This is yet another landmark resolution in their strategy. Again let me paint the picture as it has been happening. Step #1 - Make it so that only the rich can defend their religious liberties. PERA H.R. 2679 (House) and S. 3696 (Senate) The full name of this Bill is H.R. 2679 (House) and S. 3696 (Senate) and called PERA for short, is: "Veterans' Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2006." Of course later it was turned into H.R. 725 and a shell game. Which shell is it under?! Did it protect anything? Yes it protected the government and rich religious leaders like the Religious Right. Now if any U.S. Citizen feels that their religious liberties are being violated they have to pay in the area of $100,000.00 in legal and court fees to have their case heard by the Supreme Court. Should the Supreme Court rule in their favor, they still have to pay it. There is NO LONGER ANY REIMBURSEMENT and there are no longer any AWARDS to the victims whose rights were violated! Step #2 - Scare the Christian masses and pump them up. Present it as doing something good and open the door to further resolutions. H. Res. 635 was passed in the house recognizing the importance of Ramadan for the Islamic faith. The history of this resolution shows that it was a way of cleaning up the mess that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused for our Islamic American Citizens here in the U.S. Was this a noble act? Was it a political cleanup to get those 2008 voters? Or was it the door to Separation of Church and State being slammed shut? SLAM! Step #3 - Pump up the heads of the congregations with H.Res. 847 Bouncing back from the last resolution H.Res. 847 in short declares the U.S. a Christian founded country, thanks the masses of Christians for their alleged contributions and offers them their "deepest respects". (1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world; (2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide; (3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith; (4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization; (5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and (6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world. Step #4 - Now that the roadmap is underway lets take the ultimate shot and declare that the U.S. is a Christian Country founded on Christianity and nothing more. While we are at it force the word "religion" to mean only Christianity. This document is going to make you want to toss your cookies. My apologies but I didn't write it. The Religious Right did and they used the Speaker of the House's pen to do it. Take your time and read it in it's entirety. Keep an eagle eye for laws that are written between the lines of this House Resolution. Here is one of the most obvious: (3) rejects, in the strongest possible terms, any effort to remove, obscure, or purposely omit such history from our Nation's public buildings and educational resources; and They are obviously trying to overturn Justice decisions and put the Ten Commandments and bibles back into public buildings. Don't get me wrong American Religious History Week is a great idea, but not if it is tailored in this way to meet the agendas of the Religious Right. Ask your Congress to vote NO on H. Res. 888. Step #5 - Overturn the Supreme Court and Justices. Well this is about all that is left and we will no longer have Freedom of Religion in our country. The First Amendment as we know it will be thrown out and rewritten. Am I paranoid. Yah maybe I am, or maybe I am just cautious. The U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment are under attack. Why? Quite simply they think we attacked Christmas. HOUSE RESOLUTION 888 HAS NOT BEEN VOTED ON YET - Act today and write your congressman. Tell them you want to see the Separation of Church and State enforced and not dissolved! OR you can use the form provided by Americans United for Separation of Church and States fill in form which will send your message directly to your local congressman. One more thing you can do is to take advantage of this year's Religious Freedom Day on Wednesday, January 16th. Allow your child to wear their symbols to school. They can also take altar materials, though we advise against anything burning or sharp. That means no lighting of incense or candles and no athames. Parents, you too have the right whether it be to work or market to display anything pertaining to your religion. This is the presidential designated Religious Freedom Day. Use it! Scream, "We are Pagan, we are Proud, we are UNITED so we are Free!”

I must say that I am just completely CHILLED TO THE BONE in regards to "H.Res. Bill 847 - Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith" which was passed on December 11th, 2007. This bill and its H.R. passing have brought a tear to my eye for my fellow Pagans and our continuous struggle towards equality under the U.S. Constitution. Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world; (2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide; (3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith; (4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization; (5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and (6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world. My points shall follow: (1) How can ANY religion be recognized as being a "great religion of the world" when the word "great" itself is determined only by ones own perspective? I for one think that haggis is great, but does that mean that it is a "great food of the world" and should be considered so to the entire planet as dictated by the U.S. Government? Yes, a large portion of Ireland still thinks haggis is great, but Ireland is but a small portion of planet Earth. (2) How can the House express continued support for Christians when there was no support in the first place? When did the House vote on the initial support of Christians in the United States and worldwide? It didn't happen, because it would be a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment and Separation of Church and State just as this bill is a violation. (3) What are the criteria being applied here to the word "religious and historical importance" and who wrote and voted on those those criteria? And what does Christmas have to do with Christians anyhow. Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem when the shepherds had their flocks in the fields. They would have turned to sheep-sicles in December. Christ was most likely born around April, with September being the last possible month with enough warmth. (4) How absurd! The US was founded on religious freedom. That doesn't mean religious freedom as long as it is a Christian denomination. It means FREEDOM to choose whatever religious path fits your spiritual needs period. (5) So we Pagan and other non-abrahamaic folks can continue to be attacked by bigots and persecuted for our beliefs, but the House will defend any Christian from bigotry and persecution. What a wonderful bill and resolution this is. (6) American Christians and Christians throughout the world are deserving of the House's deepest respect, BUT THE REST OF US AREN'T?! I will be back shortly to finish this article. I think I smell smoke, probably from the hordes burning down my house! The one I own and pay taxes on! How can the House not equally extend respect to all religious preferences? THIS BILL IS AN UTTER SHAM AND AN ILLEGAL ACTION BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES! HERE IS WHY! Declaration of Independence and (yes I'll say it) our Pagan country: Our forefathers desired freedom from of the laws of both English Monarchy, the Catholic Church and any other form of organized Christianity. They wanted freedom from taxation and freedom to worship in their own places in their own ways. This is EXTREMELY obvious and evident in our Declaration of Independence. "When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." Natures God and Natures Laws. Not laws as dictated by any church nor laws passed by the House which dictate that one religion is better than another. They wanted equal station Pagan and Christian alike, so that no single dictating God or church thereof could establish power over the people of America. Christianity of Early America: There was none! Ok, "none" is an extreme word here and just a byproduct of my extreme frustration of H.Res. Bill 847. I'll stick to the facts in hopes that they may be enlightening enough. 1565 - 1700: The Colony of Virginia initially settled Jamestown between 1565 and 1607 and they were not of any Christian faith but many rather of Pagan variety. The Hudson River, New Amsterdam, Manhattan Island and later New Sweden Colonies settled between 1614 and 1638 all following the old European faiths and religions and again not Christian. It wasn't until the Pilgrim's Plymouth Colony in 1620 that Christianity set foot on U.S. soil and they were in very small percentage. 1700s: John J. Robinson, "Freemasonry had been a powerful force for religious freedom." Freemasons took seriously the principle that men should worship according to their own conscious. Masonry welcomed anyone from any religion or non-religion, as long as they believed in a Supreme Being. Washington, Franklin, Hancock, Hamilton, Lafayette, and many others accepted Freemasonry. 1800: Robert T. Handy, "No more than 10 percent-- probably less-- of Americans in 1800 were members of congregations." I don't really think anything after the first 250 years can be considered Early America. The U.S. Constitution: The Constitution holds no reference to any religion in particular and appeals to no God, Christianity, Jesus Christ, or any other supreme being for that matter. Nothing; Nowhere; Zilch! The Constitution was derived For The People and By The People and again no God was ever indicated. The only time that religion is brought up was here in our 1st Amendment rights. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Founding Fathers, Patriots and Governmental Purpose: The U.S. Founding Fathers and Patriots were NOT primarily Christian. The U.S. Government was not formed for Christian goals. Ethan Allen, whose capture of Fort Ticonderoga while commanding the Green Mountain Boys helped inspire Congress and the country to pursue the War of Independence, said, "That Jesus Christ was not God is evidence from his own words." In the same book, Allen noted that he was generally "denominated a Deist, the reality of which I never disputed, being conscious that I am no Christian." When Allen married Fanny Buchanan, he stopped his own wedding ceremony when the judge asked him if he promised "to live with Fanny Buchanan agreeable to the laws of God." Allen refused to answer until the judge agreed that the God referred to was the God of Nature, and the laws those "written in the great book of nature." "The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter." -- Thomas Jefferson (letter to J. Adams April 11,1823) The early presidents and patriots were for the most part Deists or Unitarians. Most believed in some form of impersonal Providence and rejected the divinity of Jesus Christ and considered the Old and New testaments "absurd". George Washington, the first president of the United States, never declared himself a Christian according to contemporary reports or in any of his voluminous correspondence. Washington Championed the cause of freedom from religious intolerance and compulsion. When John Murray (a universalist who denied the existence of hell) was invited to become an army chaplain, the other chaplains petitioned Washington for his dismissal. Instead, Washington gave him the appointment. On his deathbed, Washington uttered no words of a religious nature and did not call for a clergyman to be in attendance. John Adams, the country's second president, was drawn to the study of law but faced pressure from his father to become a clergyman. He wrote that he found among the lawyers 'noble and gallant achievements" but among the clergy, the "pretended sanctity of some absolute dunces". Late in life he wrote: "Twenty times in the course of my late reading, have I been upon the point of breaking out, "This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!" Thomas Jefferson, third president and author of the Declaration of Independence, said: "I trust that there is not a young man now living in the United States who will not die a Unitarian." He referred to the Revelation of St. John as "the ravings of a maniac" and wrote: The Christian priesthood, finding the doctrines of Christ leveled to every understanding and too plain to need explanation, saw, in the mysticism of Plato, materials with which they might build up an artificial system which might, from its indistinctness, admit everlasting controversy, give employment for their order, and introduce it to profit, power, and pre-eminence. The doctrines which flowed from the lips of Jesus himself are within the comprehension of a child; but thousands of volumes have not yet explained the Platonism engrafted on them: and for this obvious reason that nonsense can never be explained." James Madison, fourth president and father of the Constitution, was not religious in any conventional sense. "Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise." "During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution." Upon the passing of this Bill the Separation of Church and State just about ceases to exist. With the passing of H.R. Bill 2679 last year we are no longer able to defend our religious constitutional rights unless we can carry fully the financial burden of attorney and court costs. Under 2679 even if we were to win the civil liberties case we would still be liable for over $100,000.00 in fees. Our ONLY course of action: Contact your Congressman and Senators and let them know you will not stand by and watch as your rights are ripped away and the Constitution is rewritten. H.Res. 847 MUST GO AWAY or we will become a nation our Founding Fathers certainly didn't want. Sources: Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin /query/D?c110:3:./temp/~c1103HikbU:: Religion of the American Enlightenment by G. Adolph Koch, p. 40 (1968, Thomas Crowell Co., New York, NY.) quoting preface and p. 352 of Reason, the Only Oracle of Man and A Sense of History compiled by American Heritage Press Inc., p. 103 (1985, American Heritage Press, Inc., New York, NY.) George Washington and Religion by Paul F. Boller Jr., pp. 16, 87, 88, 108, 113, 121, 127 (1963, Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas, TX) The Character of John Adams by Peter Shaw, pp. 17 (1976, North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC) Quoting a letter by JA to Charles Cushing Oct 19, 1756, and John Adams, A Biography in his Own Words, edited by James Peabody, p. 403 (1973, Newsweek, New York NY) Quoting letter by JA to Jefferson April 19, 1817, and in reference to the treaty, Thomas Jefferson, Passionate Pilgrim by Alf Mapp Jr., pp. 311 (1991, Madison Books, Lanham, MD) quoting letter by TJ to Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse, June, 1814. Thomas Jefferson, an Intimate History by Fawn M. Brodie, p. 453 (1974, W.W) Norton and Co. Inc. New York, NY) Quoting a letter by TJ to Alexander Smyth Jan 17, 1825, and Thomas Jefferson, Passionate Pilgrim by Alf Mapp Jr., pp. 246 (1991, Madison Books, Lanham, MD) quoting letter by TJ to John Adams, July 5, 1814. The Madisons by Virginia Moore, P. 43 (1979, McGraw-Hill Co. New York, NY) quoting a letter by JM to William Bradford April 1, 1774, and James Madison, A Biography in his Own Words, edited by Joseph Gardner, p. 93, (1974, Newsweek, New York, NY) Quoting Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments by JM, June 1785.

Money as Debt
Paul Grignon's 47-minute animated presentation of "Money as Debt" tells in very simple and effective graphic terms what money is and how it ... all is being created. It is an entertaining way to get the message out. The Cowichan Citizens Coalition and its "Duncan Initiative" received high praise from those who previewed it. I recommend it as a painless but hard-hitting educational tool and encourage the widest distribution and use by all groups concerned with the present unsustainable monetary system in Canada and the United States. Monopoly Money (Federal Reserve Fraud)
The Federal Reserve, or the Fed as it is lovingly called, may be one of the most mysterious entities in modern American government. ... Created during Wilson's presidency to protect the economy in times of financial turmoil, its real business remains to be discovered. During the Wilson presidency, the U.S. government sanctions the creation of the Federal Reserve. Thought by many to be a government organization maintained to provide financial accountability in the event of a domestic depression, the actual business of the Fed is shrouded in secrecy. Many Americans will be shocked to discover that the principle business of the Fed is to print money from nothing, lend it to the U.S. government and charge interest on these loans. Who keeps the interest? Good question. Find out as the connective tissue between this and other top-secret international organizations is explored and exposed. The Money Masters - How International Bankers Gained Control of America
"The powers of financial capitalism had a far-reaching plan, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private ... all hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole...Their secret is that they have annexed from governments, monarchies, and republics the power to create the world's money..." THE MONEY MASTERS is a 3 1/2 hour non-fiction, historical documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure that rules our nation and the world today. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money. The development of fractional reserve banking practices in the 17th century brought to a cunning sophistication the secret techniques initially used by goldsmiths fraudulently to accumulate wealth. With the formation of the privately-owned Bank of England in 1694, the yoke of economic slavery to a privately-owned "central" bank was first forced upon the backs of an entire nation, not removed but only made heavier with the passing of the three centuries to our day. Nation after nation, including America, has fallen prey to this cabal of international central bankers. Segments: The Problem; The Money Changers; Roman Empire; The Goldsmiths of Medieval England; Tally Sticks; The Bank of England; The Rise of the Rothschilds; The American Revolution; The Bank of North America; The Constitutional Convention; First Bank of the U.S.; Napoleon's Rise to Power; Death of the First Bank of the U.S. / War of 1812; Waterloo; Second Bank of the U.S.; Andrew Jackson; Fort Knox; World Central Bank; Loose Change 911 truth police state globalists NWO New World Order Federal Reserve Alex Jones Aaron Russo America From Freedom To Fascism zionist IMF BIS John Perkins 911 911 Globalism bilderberg Rothschild Rockefeller Schiff Warburg illuminati bohemian grove idi amin freemason...

Summary of eRumor: When George W. Bush took over the presidency in 2001, his new staff arrived in the offices of the White House to find that there had been widespread pranks and vandalism by the departing Clinton staff. Published reports said computers were left unusable, pornography was found on both computers and walls, and telephone systems were trashed by the cutting of cables and wires. bullet The Truth: The final, official report from the Government Accounting Office was released on June 11, 2002. The 220 page document says there was damage, although not as much as some of the early reports had suggested. The GAO says the damage included 62 missing computer keyboards, 26 cell phones, two cameras, ten antique doorknobs and several presidential medallions and office signs. The damage estimate was about $20,000. Clinton critics say the report proves that the departing Clinton staff members acted recklessly and disrespectfully. Clinton supporters say the report shows that the allegations of vandalism were exaggerated and that there were similar incidents when Clinton took over the White House from the staff of George Bush. The GAO report concludes that even though damage was verified and that some of it appeared to have been intentional, there was not clear evidence of who was responsible for it. This has been a subject of contention since President Bush took office. There were reports of vandalism, graffiti, and obscene messages in White House offices by outgoing Clinton staffers. Bush downplayed the reports saying he wanted to move on with the presidency. Clinton supporters, however, charged that the story was not true and that the Bush forces had made up the story to make Bush's staff look better than Clinton's. Former President Clinton offered to pay for any damage and his supporters called for an investigation. May 18, 2001 the General Accounting Office issued a three-page letter that said that it was unable confirm the damage largely to a lack of records from the White House. The letter also said that the condition of the White House offices was "...consistent with what we would expect to encounter when tenants vacate office space after an extended occupancy." As to any details of damage, the GAO letter said For supporters of former President Clinton, that seemed to end the matter. They proclaimed victory, called the whole story an urban legend, and asked the White House to apologize. In response, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer outlined the details of the damage, most of which was in the Eisenhower Execitive Office Building adjacent to the White House. On June 3, 2001 The Washington Post quoted Fleischer as saying that the damage included the removal of the letter "W" from 100 computer keyboards, five missing brass nameplates with the presidential seal on them, 75 telephones with cover plates missing or apparently intentionally plugged into the wrong wall outlets, six fax machines relocated in the same way, ten cut phone lines, two historic door knobs missing, overturned desks and furniture in about 20 percent of the offices, obscene graffiti in six offices, and eight 14-foot loads of usable office supplies recovered from the trash. According to Fleischer, there was one incident in the White House itself, a photocopy machine that had copies of naked people hidden in the paper tray so they would come out from time to time with other copies. Critics of the Bush administration said they didn't trust the White House report. On June 5, 2001, the General Accounting Office announced that it had launched an investigation into the matter, which was released on June 11, 2002. There was a companion story that Air Force One had been the victim of the outgoing Clintons and that numerous items from aboard the plane had been pilfered. President Bush himself told reporters aboard Air Force one on February 12, 2001, that the report was not true. According to Salon Washington correspondent Jake Tipper, Bush brought up the subject because the chief steward aboard Air Force One told him the allegations were false. Source: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/t/trashingthewhitehouse.htm

TRIPP: ''Most [White House gifts] didn't make it to the gift unit" Report claims Clintons took White House furniture a year ago. February 9 - One Clinton critic says the former president will become a 'poster child on how not to leave the White House.' NBC News' Lisa Myers reports. By Lisa Myers NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 - Twenty days after he left the presidency, there were new questions Friday about whether the Clintons removed even more government property from the White House without disclosing it. The new questions come to light from a government list of furniture the Clinton's returned to the White House on Wednesday night. IT INCLUDES not only $28,000 in gifts listed on their financial disclosure sheet but also six new items that the Clintons had not even reported taking with them: a gaming table inlaid with the presidential seal, a television armoire, two prints and two more tables. The Park Service says virtually all the items taken and returned are in fact government property. A spokesman for the former president says the gifts were given to the Clintons when he was president-elect, before he officially took office, so they didn't have to be disclosed. She says the Clintons considered them personal gifts but sent them back "just to be safe." However, The Washington Post reported Friday that the Clintons started shipping White House furniture to their new home in New York more than a year ago, without revealing it. Clinton critics see a pattern. "We have never seen a president leave office in a more tawdry fashion," said Chuck Lewis of the Center for Public Integrity. "In fact, Bill Clinton will go down as the poster child on how not to leave the White House. I mean, you cannot top what he has done in the last few days, the last three weeks - it's beyond the pale." There was also more uproar about the pardon of fugitive billionaire Mark Rich. Time magazine reported Friday that Rich's ex-wife, Denise, gave the Clinton presidential library at least $400,000 and, sources said, pledged even more. "We need to find out why," Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, "and I don't think Bill Clinton has given a proper explanation as to why he pardoned Marc Rich." Rich pardon probe widens GOLF CLUB CONTROVERSY And if that weren't enough, there was also a new controversy over the fact that Clinton played golf Wednesday at what many say is a segregated golf club - exclusive Indian Creek Country Club in Miami. The Democratic mayor of Indian Creek Village, Len Miller, said Clinton should not have played there. "This club does not like people like me," he said, "people who are Jewish or people who are of color." Clinton spokesman Jake Siewert said that the president doesn't condone discrimination and that he pardoned Marc Rich on the merits of his case. He also said the former president deserves some space. "I think he has a right to a little bit more of a life as a private citizen now," Siewert said. "And it might be time for the media to lighten up a little bit." But even the president's friends complain that he keeps giving ammunition to his enemies. Said one embarrassed Democrat: "This is a nightmare. It will never end." Link: http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a850f2246fd.htm