BEST GOVERNMENT MONEY CAN BUY

THE INFLUENCE AUCTION

By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER/Senior Editor

Does our political system only pretend to have two sides, the imaginary Conservatives and the "would be" Liberals?  As most Americans can’t fail to notice, our "new broom" is sweeping up loose cash just like the old one, new pockets maybe but the same old sweeping action. Our "make believe" government makes noises that sound like "politics" but all we are hearing is pork on the hoof nosing up to the trough for a lifetime of gluttony while everyday Americans head straight to the slaughterhouse.

Who is filling the trough and why?  Anyone listening to the constant doubletalk, the right telling us to look at one set of theives and the left screaming about another.  One point is clear, if you see lips moving, you are probably hearing lies, if it is in a newspaper or on TV, the lies come from two primary sources that control our media:

1. Defense and Financial Services industries that live on bilking the government, bailouts, fat contracts, wars and regulators paid to look the other way.  They own TV networks, most of the internet and lots of newspapers.

2.  Foreign governments, Israel, China, Russia, , Saudi Arabia and the world’s biggest thieves and war criminals, some with more power over American government than our political parties themselves.  Half our leaders, even the ones not working for them yet, pass off a resume every time they shake hands.

What kind of things are done?  How brazenly can you buy and sell Washington DC?  Lets look at a few examples:

• One day after the 2000 election, son of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia, whose vote put George "W" Bush into office by stopping a recount later to have been proven to have gone against Bush, got his son John a job with Greenburg Traurig, LLC, the firm representing Bush in the recount, representing Governor Jeb Bush personally and, most frightening of all, representing Dibold, the company that made the voting machines now proven to have been hacked in both 2000 and 2004, switching millions of votes.
• Michigan Representative Peter Hoekstra, then Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and wild eyed believer in dozens of now debunked intel reports received the following payments from companies that profited on his bad judgement, judgement that cost the lives of 5000 American soldiers.  Brace yourself, your won’t believe this one:
•  

  • 2008 Election Cycle

    1. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $5,000
    2. LOCKHEED MARTIN EMPLOYEES’ POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $5,000
    3. SAIC VOLUNTARY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $4,000
    4. WASHINGTON GROUP INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEEDefense $1,000
    5. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    6. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    7. UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    8. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    9. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    10. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    11. SWALES AND ASSOCIATES INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    12. GOODRICH CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    13. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $1,000
    14. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $1,000
    15. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $1,000
    16. SI INTERNATIONAL INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    17. SI INTERNATIONAL INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    18. SAIC VOLUNTARY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    19. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    20. BAE SYSTEMS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BAE SYSTEMS USA PAC) Defense (British Defense Contractor accused of “longstanding, widespread pattern of bribery allegations.”) $1,000
    21. EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC Defense $1,000
    22. Soimar, Michael
    Muskegon, MI 49441
    L3 Communications/PRESIDENT (Defense) $500 07/31/2007
    23. Meade, Richard
    Falls Church, VA 22042
    BKSH & Associates/Director (Lobbying firm for Blackwater USA) $250 03/31/2007
    24. Bos, Lisa
    Washington, DC 20003
    Cassidy & Associates/Senior Associate ( Lobbying Firm for Phillips Morris and Pakistan) $250 03/31/2007
    25. Bos, Lisa
    Washington, DC 20003
    Cassidy & Associates/Senior Associate ( Lobbying Firm for Phillips Morris and Pakistan) $1,000 09/30/2007
    26. Shields, Mary
    Chevy Chase, MD 20815
    Cassidy & Associates/Executive VP ( Lobbying Firm for Phillips Morris and Pakistan) $500 09/30/2007

    2006 Election Cycle

    27. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $5,000
    28. LOCKHEED MARTIN EMPLOYEES’ POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $5,000
    29. LOCKHEED MARTIN EMPLOYEES’ POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $5,000
    30. EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC Defense $5,000
    31. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $4,000
    32. EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC Defense $4,000
    33. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $3,500
    34. FRIENDS OF ISRAEL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE – FRIPAC Foreign Lobby $2,500
    35. ITT INDUSTRIES PAC (ITTPAC) Defense $2,500
    36. SAIC VOLUNTARY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $2,000
    37. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $2,000
    38. SAIC VOLUNTARY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $2,000
    39. BAE SYSTEMS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BAE SYSTEMS USA PAC) Defense (British Defense Contractor) $2,000
    40. GREENBERG TRAURIG LLP PAC Lobbying Firm $1,000 (Bush/Abramoff Lobbying Firm Abramoff worked at Geenberg Traurig.)
    41. EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC Defense $1,000
    42. UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    43. UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    44. UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    45. LORAL SPACECOM CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY FUND Defense $1,000
    46. LORAL SPACECOM CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY FUND Defense $1,000
    47. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    48. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $1,000
    49. SAIC VOLUNTARY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    50. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $1,000
    51. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $1,000
    52. ITT INDUSTRIES PAC (ITTPAC) Defense $1,000
    53. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    54. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    55. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    56. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    57. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    58. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    59. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    60. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    61. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    62. GOODRICH CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    63. GOODRICH CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    64. GOODRICH CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    65. BAE SYSTEMS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BAE SYSTEMS USA PAC) Defense (British Defense Contractor) $1,000
    66. BAE SYSTEMS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BAE SYSTEMS USA PAC) Defense (British Defense Contractor) $1,000
    67. BAE SYSTEMS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BAE SYSTEMS USA PAC) Defense (British Defense Contractor) $1,000
    68. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    69. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    70. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    71. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    72. DIGITALGLOBE PAC INC Satellites/Defense $1,000
    73. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    74. ADCS INC. PAC Brent Wilkes’ Company $1,000 (Money given to charity a year after the donation was made.)
    75. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    76. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    77. SI INTERNATIONAL INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    78. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $472
    79. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $472
    80. Gray, Charles
    Huntsville, AL 35802
    R&G International Inc./Defense Sale $500 07/26/2005
    81. Bauer, Fred
    Holland, MI 49424
    GENTEX/CEO (Defense) $1,000 04/26/2006
    82. Bauer, Fred
    Holland, MI 49424
    GENTEX/CEO (Defense) $1,000 11/03/2006
    83. Bauer, Fred
    Holland, MI 49424
    GENTEX/CEO (Defense) $1,000 08/23/2005
    84. Bauer, Lois
    Holland, MI 49424
    HOMEMAKER/HOMEMAKER Defense (Wife of Gentex CEO) $1,000 08/23/2005
    85. Bauer, Lois
    Holland, MI 49424
    HOMEMAKER/HOMEMAKER Defense (Wife of Gentex CEO) $1,000 11/03/2006
    86. Bauer, Lois
    Holland, MI 49424
    HOMEMAKER/HOMEMAKER Defense (Wife of Gentex CEO) $1,000
    87. Soimar, Michael
    Muskegon, MI 49442
    L3 Communications/PRESIDENT (Defense) $500 04/10/2006
    88. Weinberg, Bruce
    Spring Lake, MI 49456
    L3 Communications/Vice President (Defense) $500 03/14/2005
    89. Allen, Terry
    Fairfax, VA 22032
    Alexander Strategy Group/Partner (Blackwater USA Lobbying Firm) $1,000 02/15/2005
    90. Behrends, Paul
    Sterling, VA 20165
    Alexander Strategy Group/EXECUTIVE (Blackwater USA Lobbying Firm) $500 03/31/2005
    91. Behrends, Paul
    Sterling, VA 20165
    Alexander Strategy Group/EXECUTIVE (Blackwater USA Lobbying Firm) $500 07/26/2005
    92. Hall, Gary
    Alexandria, VA 22309
    The Potomac Advocates/Partner (Defense Industry Lobbying Firm) $1,000 11/08/2005
    93. Nichols, William
    Fairfax Station, VA 22039
    Potomac Advocates/Partner (Defense Industry Lobbying Firm) $1,000 03/31/2006
    94. Palowitch, Andrew
    Mc Lean, VA 22102
    SAIC/EXECUTIVE (Defense) $500 12/31/2005
    95. Thomas, John
    Reston, VA 20190
    SAIC/EXECUTIVE (Defense) $500 12/31/2005
    96. Prince, Erik D.
    Mc Lean, VA 22102
    Blackwater USA Business Owner $1,000 03/31/2005
    97. Sojka, Gary
    Springfield, VA 22150
    Potomac Advocates/Partner (Defense Industry Lobbying Firm) $1,000 03/31/2006
    98. Bos, Lisa
    Washington, DC 20002
    Cassidy & Associates/Senior Associate ( Lobbying Firm for Phillips Morris and Pakistan) $500 09/30/2005
    99. Mihalke, Michael
    Washington, DC 20007
    Alexander Strategy Group/Partner (Blackwater USA Lobby Firm) $1,000 02/15/2005
    100. Neal, Laura
    Washington, DC 20016
    Cassidy & Associates/VP ( Lobbying Firm for Phillips Morris and Pakistan) $250 10/21/2005
    101. Smith, Duncan Campbell
    Washington, DC 20037
    Blank Rome LLP/Associate (Defense Industry Lobbying Firm) $500 04/26/2005
    102. Prior, Lawrence
    Poway, CA 92064
    SAIC/EXECUTIVE (Defense) $500 12/31/2005
    103. Shea, K. Stuart
    San Diego, CA 92121
    SAIC/SENIOR VP (Defense) $750 11/30/2005
    104. Wilkes, Brent
    Poway, CA 92064
    Group W Advisors/PRESIDENT (LOBBYIST) $1,000 02/15/2005 (Duke Cunningham defense industry briber)
    105. Buckham, Edwin
    Frederick, MD 21702
    Alexander Strategy Group/Partner (Blackwater USA Lobbying Firm) $1,000 02/15/2005
    106. Cox, Larry
    Harwood, MD 20776
    SAIC/EXECUTIVE (Defense) $500 12/31/2005
    107. Flajser, Steven
    Bethesda, MD 20817
    Loral Space & Communications/Vice P (Defense) $500 06/30/2006
    108. Ford, Carl
    Germantown, MD 20874
    Cassidy & Associates/Executive VP ( Lobbying Firm for Phillips Morris and Pakistan) $500 09/30/2005
    109. McNamara, Dan
    Silver Spring, MD 20904
    Cassidy & Associates/VP ( Lobbying Firm for Phillips Morris and Pakistan) $500 10/21/2005
    110. Shields, Mary
    Chevy Chase, MD 20815
    Cassidy & Associates/Executive VP ( Lobbying Firm for Phillips Morris and Pakistan) $500 09/30/2005

    2004 Election Cycle

    111. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $5,000
    112. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $5,000
    113. LOCKHEED MARTIN EMPLOYEES’ POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $4,000
    114. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $3,000
    115. EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC Defense $3,000
    116. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $3,000
    117. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $3,000
    118. SRA INTERNATIONAL INC FUND FOR BETTER IT GOVERNMENT Defense (Data Mining) $2,000
    119. EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC Defense $2,000
    120. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $2,000
    121. EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC Defense $1,000
    122. HALLIBURTON COMPANY PAC Defense $1,000
    123. EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC Defense $1,000
    124. EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC Defense $1,000
    125. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    126. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    127. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    128. ITT INDUSTRIES PAC (ITTPAC) Defense $1,000
    129. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    130. BAE SYSTEMS NORTH AMERICA INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BAE SYSTEMS USA PAC) Defense $1,000 (British Defense Contractor accused of “longstanding, widespread pattern of bribery allegations.”)
    131. BAE SYSTEMS NORTH AMERICA INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BAE SYSTEMS USA PAC) Defense $1,000 (British Defense Contractor accused of “longstanding, widespread pattern of bribery allegations.”)
    132. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    133. BOEING POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    134. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    135. RAYTHEON COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    136. LOCKHEED MARTIN EMPLOYEES’ POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    137. LOCKHEED MARTIN EMPLOYEES’ POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $1,000
    138. DYNCORP FEDERAL PAC – AN AFFILIATE OF COMPUTER SCIENCES CORPORATION PAC Defense (Military Contractor and competitor to Blackwater USA.) $1,000
    139. ALLIANT TECHSYSTEMS INC EMPLOYEE CITIZENSHIP FUND Defense (Weapons manufacturer) $1,000
    140. EARTHWATCH INCORPORATED D/B/A DIGITALGLOBE PAC (DIGITALGLOBE PAC) Satellites $500
    141. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $500
    142. GENERAL DYNAMICS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION PLAN (GDVPCP) Defense $500
    143. LOCKHEED MARTIN EMPLOYEES’ POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Defense $500
    144. Doyle, Frederick
    Evergreen, CO 80439
    Space Imaging Corp/EXECUTIVE (Satellite Imaging) $250 09/27/2004
    145. Nichols, John
    Washington, DC 20002
    The Potomac Advocates/Partner (Defense Industry Lobbying Firm)$769 09/30/2004
    146. Bauer, Lois
    Holland, MI 49424
    HOMEMAKER HOMEMAKER $1,000 06/09/2003 (Wife of Gentex CEO)
    147. Babiak, Nicholas
    Arlington, VA 22205
    Skylet Inc. PRESIDENT (Defense Industry Lobbying Firm) $250 10/31/2003
    148. Dodd, Joseph
    Mc Lean, VA 22102
    Space Imaging Corp EXECUTIVE $500 09/27/2004
    149. Prince, Erik D.
    Mc Lean, VA 22102
    Blackwater USA BUSINESS OWNER $1,000 08/24/2004
    150. Jacques, Steven
    La Plata, MD 20646
    Jacques and Associates CONSULTANT $500 11/10/2003 (Defense)
    151. Lawrence, Taylor
    Annapolis, MD 21403
    Northrop Grumman Vice President $250 06/30/2004
    152. Peckham, Gardner
    Chevy Chase, MD 20815
    BKSH & Associates Managing Director (Lobbying firm for Blackwater USA) $500 09/27/2004
    153. Wilson, Thomas
    Clarksville, MD 21029
    EXECUTIVE Swales Aerospace $200 10/05/2004
    154. Wilson, Thomas
    Clarksville, MD 21029
    EXECUTIVE Swales Aerospace $500 10/07/2003
    155. Allen, Terry
    Fairfax, VA 22032
    The Alexander Strategy Group (Blackwater USA lobbying firm) $250 07/27/2004  (HOW MANY WAR PROMOTERS HAVE PAYOFF RECORDS AS BAD OR WORSE?)

• Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert is now a registered agent of Turkey.  In sworn testimony by one time FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, Hastert, Undersecretary of State Mark Grossman, former Ambassador to Turkey and many others in our government were involved in with a spy ring that sold, among other things, nuclear secrets on the open market. 
• Attorney General John Ashcroft, when he learned of this spy plot against America, ordered all investigations halted and used the Patriot Act’s super secret "National Security Letters" to keep spy operations against the United States by Turkey and Israel going for years and silence Sibel Edmonds.  The end cost of this?  Just hope we never find out.

Adding to this the endless litany of charges brought up by Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Oliver North, Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly and others, assuming they refer to things as bad, maybe worse and knowing that these people are, in themselves, propagandists for the exact same things they warn us about, it is impossible to make a case in favor of any genuinely independent, genuinely American political movement.

If anything, the willingness to damn others and totally ignore or even obfuscate for the worst pigs of all, obliterates the credibility of every voice we hear. 

Every thief has an powerful set of accusers.  Every thief has a powerful group of defenders.  There are no accusers of all thieves but there are some defenders of all thieves.  What would Lincoln say about this?  Would he laugh?

With nearly every regulator, key committee member in Congress, Pentagon official, diplomat, law enforcement or Justice Department official going into lobbying or law practices that represent the same groups they were hired to protect us from, regulate the excesses of or watch over, why should be even bother with any of it?

With a government on the auction block, there can never be an honest days work when protecting America takes a distant second to pleasing our enemies who may soon the next employer.  What, to most Americans, millions of whom have been impoverished by a government that has displayed wanton irresponsibilty over the past few years, is huge salaries and incredible benefits, the money we pay our elected officals and army of bureaucrats, is to them nothing.

What has it cost, in poverty, in respect and in the lives of our children to enrich a generation of public servants?  Even a bloated tick will let go eventually.

VT Senior Editor Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran and regular contributor on political and social issues.

Gordon Duff

Gordon Duff posted articles on VT from 2008 to 2022. He is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. A disabled veteran, he worked on veterans and POW issues for decades.

Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of the top global intelligence specialists. He manages the world’s largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues.

Duff has traveled extensively, is published around the world, and is a regular guest on TV and radio in more than “several” countries. He is also a trained chef, wine enthusiast, avid motorcyclist, and gunsmith specializing in historical weapons and restoration. Business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology.

• Gordon’s Archives:  2008-2015
• Gordon’s Archives:  2016-2022