Obama’s Second Term Goal Cut Social Security Jon Walker Thursday October 4, 2012 http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2012/10/04/obamas-second-term-goal-cut-social-security/ If President Obama behavior on the issue of Social Security and his willingness to offer up cuts to Social Security as part of a deficit deal left any doubt about his personal intentions for the program, last night’s debate should put those doubts to bed. One of the most telling moments regarding what Obama’s second term would be like was his answer to the question on entitlements. From CNN debate transcript: 21:39:56: LEHRER: All right? All right. This is segment three, the economy. Entitlements. First — first answer goes to you, two minutes, Mr. President. Do you see a major difference between the two of you on Social Security? 21:40:15: OBAMA: You know, I suspect that, on Social Security, we’ve got a somewhat similar position. Social Security is structurally sound. It’s going to have to be tweaked the way it was by Ronald Reagan and Speaker — Democratic Speaker Tip O’Neill. But it is — the basic structure is sound. This could have been a moment for Obama to try a sharp contrast with Romney and make a powerful appeal to swing voters. Obama could have made a simple and popular promise to protect the program from cuts. He could have said something like, “I consider Social Security benefits to already be incredibly modest. I promise to protect them as they are for all current future Americans. A small increase in revenue will be enough to make the trust fund stable for another 75 years.” The president didn’t do this. Obama actively choose to pass up this chance to score political points in the middle of a contested election. Instead, Obama decided to use a vague term like “tweaked” to give himself maximum flexibility in the future. The reason a candidate does this is because they want to do something and they don’t want campaign statements getting in the way. If Obama wasn’t planning to cut Social Security as part of “tweaking” it in a grand bargain, last night he would have promised not to do so. *** Anti-Islam film had 'nothing to do with' attack Full Article: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/26/14105135-libyan-president-to-nbc-anti-islam-film-had-nothing-to-do-with-us-consulate-attack In an interview with NBC's Ann Curry, Libya's president Mohammed Magarief said there's 'no doubt' the attack that killed four Americans in Libya was preplanned, and not a result of the controversial anti-Islam movie that sparked violent protests. An anti-Islam film that sparked violent protests in many countries had "nothing to do with" a deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi earlier this month, Libya's president told NBC News. In an exclusive interview with NBC News' Ann Curry, President Mohamed Magarief discounted claims that the attack was in response to a movie produced in California and available on YouTube. He noted that the assault happened on Sept. 11 and that the video had been available for months before that. "Reaction should have been, if it was genuine, should have been six months earlier. So it was postponed until the 11th of September," he said. "They chose this date, 11th of September to carry a certain message." Magarief said there were no protesters at the site before the attack, which he noted came in two assaults, first with rocket-propelled grenades on the consulate, then with mortars at a safe house. The attack took the lives of Ambassador Chris Stevens, as well as information management officer Sean Smith and security personnel Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Magarief told Curry that based on the accuracy of the assault, he believes the attackers must have had training and experience using the weapons. "It's a pre-planned act of terrorism," he said, adding that the anti-Islam film had "nothing to do with this attack." Though Magarief believes the attack was the work of Islamist fundamentalists, he dismisses any notion that Libya is in danger of becoming a theocracy. *** Arkansas Republicans' comments on slavery, Muslims stir controversy Suzi Parker Full Article http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/06/us-usa-politics-arkansas-idUSBRE8950FU20121006 Republicans in Arkansas are struggling to get past the controversy generated by a state lawmaker who wrote that slavery might have benefited blacks and a candidate who has advocated expelling Muslims from the United States. The Republican politicians' comments have been roundly criticized and have created an opportunity for Democrats ahead of the November 6 election. Arkansas has a Democratic governor but has voted Republican in the past three presidential elections. In his self-published 2009 book titled "Letters to the Editor: Confessions of a Frustrated Conservative," state Representative Jon Hubbard of Jonesboro, Arkansas, writes that "the institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise." Hubbard, a retired teacher and Vietnam veteran who was elected to the statehouse in 2010, also wrote, "Wouldn't life for blacks in America today be more enjoyable and successful if they would only learn to appreciate the value of a good education?" His book also says that blacks "are likely much better than they ever would have enjoyed living in sub-Saharan Africa." Charles Fuqua of Batesville, Arkansas, is currently seeking a House of Representatives seat. His e-book "God's Law: The Only Political Solution" came out in April on Amazon. "I see no solution to the Muslim problem short of expelling all followers of the religion from the United States," he writes in his book, according to The Arkansas Times newspaper. Fuqua, an attorney, served as a state representative from 1995 to 1998 before losing a state senate race. Neither Hubbard nor Fuqua could be reached for comment. Both are running for election in November... *** Chavez wins re-election according to electoral council SUNDAY, OCT 7, 2012 http://www.salon.com/2012/10/08/chavez_wins_re_election_according_to_electoral_council CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez won re-election on Sunday, defeating challenger Henrique Capriles, Venezuela’s electoral council said. With most votes counted, Chavez had more than 54 percent of the vote, and Capriles had 45 percent, National Electoral Council president Tibisay Lucena said. She said 81 percent of the nearly 19 million registered voters cast ballots. It was Chavez’s third re-election victory in nearly 14 years in office. The victory gives Chavez another six-year term to cement his legacy and press more forcefully for a transition to socialism in the country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves. Fireworks exploded in downtown Caracas, and Chavez’s supporters celebrated waving flags and jumping for joy outside the presidential palace. Chavez won more than 7.4 million votes, beating Capriles by more than 1.2 million votes, Lucena said. *** You Know You Are a Conspiracy Theorist If… September 22, 2012 http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2012/09/22/you-know-you-are-a-conspiracy-theorist-if/ You are capable of critical thinking. You distrust mainstream media. You like nature. You think it’s a good idea to spend the Friday after Thanksgiving with your family rather than camping outside Best Buy to get a cheap plasma television made in China. You think it’s a little strange that WTC building 7 came down at free fall speed on 9/11 yet it was never hit by a plane. You think that drones in America might not be for Al Qaeda. You would like to be able to get on a plane without having to engage in a mandatory radiation bath and digital strip search. You have read a book in the past year. You think you have the right to protest. You think the War on Terror is a scam. You think the War on Drugs is a scam. You think the anger directed at America from the Middle East could possibly be related to our foreign policy rather than hating how amazingly free we are. You think the Republicans and Democrats are exactly the same on the important issues affecting our country. You think believing in The Constitution does not constitute a terrorist act. You have heard of the Bill of Rights and can even name what some of them are. You question whether the government loves you. You think the right to bear arms is not for hunting, rather so citizens can fight back should the government become a bunch of tyrannical thugs. You don’t own a television, and if you do, all you watch is RT, especially the Keiser Report and Capital Account. You don’t think the NDAA is the name of Kesha’s latest single. You think rich, powerful and connected people should be subject to the rule of law and go to jail if they commit crimes. Even if they are bankers and work at JP Morgan or Goldman Sachs. You think corporations aren’t people. You think Warren Buffet is a phony and a crony capitalist. You don’t care that Warren Buffet likes cherry coke, hamburgers and ice cream. He’s still a bad guy. You know that gold was made illegal by FDR in 1933 and confiscated from the American people. You know that gold bullion remained illegal for Americans to own until 1975. You think politicians that push for war should be sent to fight on the front lines. If they are unable, their children should go. You want your food to be labeled GMO so that you can make your own decisions on what you are consuming. You grow your own food. You buy raw milk. You think food and energy should be included in inflation calculations. You are aware that the Department of Homeland Security has purchased 1.2 billion rounds of ammo in the past year. You question whether said ammo purchases are in anticipation of a Normandy beach style landing by Al Qaeda. You think allowing a small group of unelected people (The Federal Reserve) to print unlimited amounts of money and distribute it as they please might not be a good idea. If you answered yes to more than five of the above, you might be a conspiracy theorist. You also may be on the government’s terror watch list. Be very alarmed and report it to the authorities immediately should you discover your neighbors engaged in such uncivilized thought. *** Vanished Hoffa still fascinates after almost 40 years Todd Leopold, CNN Sat September 29, 2012 http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/28/justice/hoffa-fascination/index.html STORY HIGHLIGHTS Former Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa hasn't been seen since July 30, 1975 Theories swarm around the whereabouts of him, or his body A new search has refueled our fascination and more theories (CNN) -- His middle name was Riddle, and that's what his whereabouts have been for the last 37 years. Maybe, the story went, Jimmy Hoffa was disposed of under the old Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Or perhaps he was buried in a Michigan horse farm. One colleague said his body had been incinerated. Still another theory was that he was taken to a Florida swamp as alligator food. Or, as one person said at the time of his disappearance, he wasn't dead at all. He'd taken off to South America in the company of a go-go dancer. To date, none of these theories have panned out. But wherever the truth may lie, one thing is for certain: Jimmy Hoffa -- former Teamsters leader, convicted felon, Kennedy enemy and alleged mobster cohort -- hasn't been seen since July 30, 1975. On Friday, police again looked for the union boss, who was declared dead in 1982, under the driveway of a house in Roseville, Michigan, just outside Detroit. A tipster told police that a body was buried at the spot around the same time the Teamsters head disappeared. Police found no "discernible remains" in the search, police Chief James Berlin said. It's a disappearance that has held on to the public's imagination far longer than Hoffa was in power -- a testament both to Hoffa's high profile and the power of mystery, says pop culture expert Robert Thompson of Syracuse University. "In this world of enlightenment and science and blogs and the Internet, there are still a few mysteries," he says, ticking off the Loch Ness monster and the questions surrounding the Kennedy assassination as other examples. A bad boy with a lingering legacy Indeed, Hoffa's disappearance seems ready-made for such speculation. He was an incredibly influential figure, perhaps the most famous union leader of his time -- a time when labor presidents such as the United Auto Workers' Walter Reuther and the AFL-CIO's George Meany regularly commanded headlines. He maintained a base in Detroit, blue-collar home of the brawny auto industry. And he had a bad-boy aura, both for his pugnacious leadership and his alleged ties to organized crime. In fact, some Kennedy conspiracy theories tie Hoffa to the president's assassination. Part of the Hoffa fascination certainly comes from the attention his disappearance earned at the time, says Thompson. But it's the organized crime touch that gives the story a jolt of electricity. "You get the voltage that comes from the media coverage that turned this into a myth," he says, "(as well as) what it was he did, which is not only the stuff of news, but the stuff of 'The Sopranos' and 'The Godfather.'" There are also the circumstances leading up to his death. Two weeks before Hoffa's disappearance in 1975, federal investigators discovered that hundreds of millions of dollars had been stolen from the Teamsters' largest pension fund, Time magazine points out in its list of the top 10 most famous disappearances. Hoffa was last seen at Machus Red Fox restaurant in suburban Detroit, ostensibly to meet with reputed Detroit Mafia street enforcer Anthony Giacalone and Anthony Provenzano, chief of a Teamsters local in New Jersey, who was later convicted in a murder case. Hoffa believed Giacalone had set up the meeting to help settle a feud between Hoffa and Provenzano, but Hoffa was the only one who showed up for the meeting, according to the FBI. Giacalone and Provenzano later told the FBI that no meeting had been scheduled. Both men have since died. The current tipster used to do business with a man who had ties to Giacalone. It's no wonder that Hoffa has inspired several Hollywood films, including "Blood Feud" (a 1983 TV movie about Hoffa, the Kennedys and gangsters that starred tough guy Robert Blake), "Hoffa" (a 1992 feature starring Jack Nicholson and written by David Mamet) and "F.I.S.T." (a 1978 film about a fictionalized Hoffa, starring Sylvester Stallone). Let missing union leaders lie? The appeal of the unsolved mystery runs deep, of course. They're the bread and butter of police procedurals: There's a reason that such shows as "CSI" and "Bones" have had such long lives (never mind the enduring attraction of Sherlock Holmes, who's also the subject of a new TV series). Such mysteries also touch on our interest in the supernatural, whether it's over religious icons, ghosts or visitors from outer space. And, like an audience pondering a well-executed magic trick, there's something to be said for our inability to simply figure something out, despite having all the clues at our fingertips. "For years now, we have had the sense that stuff is provable and solvable. Whenever anything defies that, it naturally becomes the stuff of extreme curiosity," says Thompson. Of course, these stories tend to have an expiration date, and more than a generation after his disappearance, Hoffa's may be nearing his. Before Hoffa, one of the most famous missing-persons cases was that of New York Supreme Court Justice Joseph Crater, who disappeared in 1930 -- like Hoffa, he was last seen in a restaurant -- and inspired years of speculation and pop culture references ("Judge Crater, call your office" was a popular one-liner). Though the Crater mystery has yet to be solved, few people are even aware of the judge anymore. Why should they be? It was a lifetime ago. Besides, if the Hoffa mystery is solved, that fascination will likely be replaced by letdown. Sometimes it's better -- at least for the sake of pop culture riffs -- to let missing union leaders lie. "This idea that nobody knows what happened to Jimmy Hoffa represents something I think we need and hold on to," says Thompson. "The inability of the human mind to solve the Jimmy Hoffa disappearance story was actually important to our collective soul in a weird sort of way." *** Vote counting company tied to Romney Gerry Bello & Bob Fitrakis September 27, 2012 http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2012/4725 Several Tanker trucks full of political ink have been spilled on Mitt Romney's tenure as a vulture capitalist at Bain Capital. A more important story, however, is the fact that Bain alumni, now raising big money as Romney bundlers are also in the electronic voting machine business. This appears to be a repeat of the the infamous former CEO of Diebold Wally O’Dell, who raised money for Bush while his company supplied voting machines and election management software in the 2004 election. In all 234 counties of Texas, the entire states of Hawaii and Oklahoma, half of Washington and Colorado, and certain counties in swing state Ohio, votes will be cast on eSlate and ePollbook machines made by Hart Intercivic. Hart Intercivic machines have famously failed in Tarrant County (Ft. Worth), adding 10,000 non-existant votes. The EVEREST study, commissioned by the Ohio secretary of state in 2007, found serious security flaws with Hart Intercivic products. Looking beyond the well-documented Google choking laundry list of apparent fraud, failure and seeming corruption that is associated with Hart Intercivic, an ongoing Free Press investigation turned its attention to the key question of who owns the voting machine companies. The majority of the directors of Hart come from the private equity firm H.I.G. Capital. H.I.G. has been heavily invested in Hart Intercivic since July 2011, just in time for the current presidential election cycle. But who is H.I.G Capital? Out of 49 partners and directors, 48 are men, and 47 are white. Eleven of these men, including H.I.G. Founder Tony Tamer, were formerly employed at Bain and Company, and two of those men, John P. Bolduc, Douglas Berman, are Romney bundlers along with former Bain and H.I.G. manager Brian Shortsleeve. Additionally, four of these men were formerly employed at Booz Allen Hamilton. Booz Allen, now owned by the Bush family friendly Carlyle group, also made voting machines for the United States military. Booz Allen was also the key subcontractor for the controversial PioneerGroundbreaker program, an NSA data mining operation that gathered information on American citizens until it was shut down and replaced with even more invasive successor programs like MATRIX and Total Information Awareness. H.I.G. Capital employees have given $338,000 to Mitt Romney's campaign. That amounts to over $1500 per employee. Bain Capital, Mitt's former company, by comparison, only gave him $268,000. H.I.G. is the 11th largest donor to the Romney Campaign. Clearly they are working really hard for their man. It appears that they will work even harder on election night. Although not boisterously promising to deliver states where their machines are to Romney as Wally O'Dell of Diebold did for Bush in 2004, they can launder hundreds of thousands of votes and swing the vote in the crucial swing state Ohio. Will Mitt's cronies steal our democracy the way they stole our jobs? Time will tell, but they have certainly positioned themselves to do so if they choose. In our first investigative article Who owns Scytl? George Soros isn’t in the voting machines, but the intelligence community is. the Free Press revealed that Scytl, a Spanish-based company now contracted to count 25% of the U.S. presidential vote, has ties to Booz Allen. Scytl's start up funding comes from three European Venture Capital Firms, Balderton Capital, Nauta Capital, and Spinnaker SCR. The director of Nauta's American operations is Dominic Endicott, who went from Cluster Consulting to Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH) where he oversaw wireless practice. He then rejoined his former colleagues from Cluster Consulting at Nauta. In his capacity as a Nauta partner Endicott also sits on the board of CarrierIQ. Scytl has emerged as the most mysterious election counting company in this presidential election. Scytl claims to have a Scytl USA division located in Glen Allen, Virginia. The following is a photo of the Scytl USA national corporate offices at 6012 Glen Allen Drive. The land deed records show that the ownership of the property at that address is Hugh Gallagher, now listed as the managing director of Scytl USA. The deed, which was prepared in Ohio by a relocation firm in 2002, pre-dates the creation of Scytl USA. A Scytl USA sales office is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and appears to be a Rent-an-Office, often referred to as a “virtual” office with a shared secretary that serves as a mail drop. The ties of Hart Intercivic to Romney fund-raisers and Bain alumni should cause concern in the Obama re-election campaign. So, should the mysterious Spanish owned company, Scytl, with a U.S operation that seems to be an illusion.