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Friday, November 21, 2003

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Oil lobbyist to replace Oil lawyer as ambassador to Saudi Arabia

New York Sen. Charles Schumer asked Bush to withdraw his nomination of James Oberwetter, a Dallas lobbyist for Dallas-based Hunt Oil Co. Oberwetter's nomination was announced Monday.

"It sort of says our entire relationship with Saudi Arabia is a three letter word: o-i-l," Schumer said. "He has oil lobbying experience he doesn't have diplomatic experience. This should go to a top person in the State Department." Schumer said he didn't have anyone in mind for the job.

Oberwetter, 59, is senior vice president for governmental and public affairs for Hunt Oil, an independent exploration and production company started by legendary Texas wildcatter H.L. Hunt.

If confirmed by the Senate, Oberwetter would replace Texas oil lawyer Robert Jordan, who resigned in October.

Oberwetter also was Texas campaign chairman for the first President Bush in 1992. He was thrust into the national spotlight when the FBI, in an undercover scheme, offered to sell Oberwetter wiretap information on Ross Perot, a Texas billionaire who was then an undeclared presidential candidate. Oberwetter refused the offer. Oberwetter and Perot sparred openly at the time.

More.

posted by Jenny at 3:02 AM |

From the Cursor:

A Los Angeles Times poll finds that those who drink wine with dinner prefer a Democrat over Bush for 2004 by 7 percentage points, and those who drink beer back Bush over a Democrat by 23 points.

I know many a Bush apologist who would use this statistic (listed here) to claim that Bush really does represent the will of the "common, working man"...the only problem is, I know plenty of common working folk who drink wine. And what about those of us who drink both?

posted by Jenny at 2:57 AM |

Sadly, I never thought I'd see the day when people would be incinerating their AARP cards...and with good reason.

posted by Jenny at 2:51 AM |

I must once again extend my gratitude to skippy for drawing my attention to David Letterman's latest lefty rhetoric...I have got to be more diligent in getting my streaming top tens everyday. My dad still quotes that list of Gray Davis advice to Ah-nold every time we talk! Wednesday's list is particularly awesome:

Top Ten George W. Bush Complaints About England

10. "Clocks are five hours fast"

9. "Everybody's speaking some crazy foreign language"

8. "Harry Potter won't return phone calls"

7. "So touchy about minor things...like going to war under false pretenses"

6. "They don't know where Saddam is either"

5. "Queen Elizabeth not half as funny as 'King of Queens'"

4. "Disappointed to learn 'Big Ben' is just a giant clock"

3. "Pack a gum costs 2 pounds -- who carries two pounds of money?!"

2. "I've been here for 36 hours and Prince Charles hasn't made a single move on me"

1. "Driving on the left reminds me of my drinking days"

posted by Jenny at 2:44 AM |

Potpourri from Dubya's British adventure

During George Bush's visit, the Mayor of London is using its City Hall to throw a "peace party" for antiwar groups. Here's what he has to say about the Bushies, and AWOL himself:

Mr Livingstone recalled a visit at Easter to California, where he was denounced for an attack he had made on what he called "the most corrupt and racist American administration in over 80 years". He said: "Some US journalist came up to me and said: 'How can you say this about President Bush?' Well, I think what I said then was quite mild. I actually think that Bush is the greatest threat to life on this planet that we've most probably ever seen. The policies he is initiating will doom us to extinction."

While Dubya may not be doing much to boost employment at home, he's giving British police officers plenty to do.

One in nine police officers in England and Wales will be protecting George Bush on his state visit to Britain, which begins today.

Ten thousand more police officers have been drafted in amid rising concerns about the threat from terrorists and the scale of anti-war demonstrations. That brings to 16,000 the number of policemen and women who will be deployed during the four-day trip.

The bill will run to at least £7m, and the British taxpayer will pay for it.

The Metropolitan Police announced that it was boosting the numbers of officers on duty in London from 5,000 to 14,000.

The unprecedented security operation, which begins when the President arrives in London this evening, is partly in response to new intelligence that indicates violent anti-Bush demonstrators are travelling from continental Europe to protest in the capital.

Police also believe the national rally through London on Thursday will be far bigger than previously thought, with in excess of 100,000 now expected. Anti-war protesters were yesterday given permission by the Met to march down Whitehall, close to Parliament, having been earlier denied that route by Scotland Yard.

How come the Brits always throw the best protest parties?

posted by Jenny at 7:42 AM |

GOP "children's charity"

From Bob Harris, recent guest blogger at This Modern World.

Oh, this is just whole new levels of unexplored wrongness: according to the New York Times, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Innovative Corruption) has set up a charity for abused and neglected children -- which will funnel at least some of the money to the 2004 GOP convention.

... aides to Mr. DeLay... acknowledged that part of the money would go to pay for late-night convention parties, a luxury suite during President Bush's speech at Madison Square Garden and yacht cruises.

-- snip --

"They are using the idea of helping children as a blatant cover for financing activities in connection with a convention with huge unlimited, undisclosed, unregulated contributions," said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a Washington group that helped push through the recent overhaul of the campaign finance laws.

The donors not only get a tax break, but they also get to make a massive, unlimited political contribution in a manner that will never be accounted for publicly.

And apparently the idea is catching on. Senator Bill Frist (R-Slaughtering Cats) is planning to do the same thing, staging an event at Rockefeller Center for six-figure Republican donors... and calling it an AIDS charity.

posted by Jenny at 7:37 AM |

...in the grove of the temple and in the shadow of the citadel I have seen the freest among you wear their freedom as a yoke and a handcuff.

--Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Feel free to email me at JennyDC-at-AOLdotCom, but if I don't know you and you don't say otherwise, I assume that what you send is open to be quoted at this blog. :-)

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Friday, November 21, 2003

Oil lobbyist to replace Oil lawyer as ambassador to Saudi Arabia

New York Sen. Charles Schumer asked Bush to withdraw his nomination of James Oberwetter, a Dallas lobbyist for Dallas-based Hunt Oil Co. Oberwetter's nomination was announced Monday.

"It sort of says our entire relationship with Saudi Arabia is a three letter word: o-i-l," Schumer said. "He has oil lobbying experience he doesn't have diplomatic experience. This should go to a top person in the State Department." Schumer said he didn't have anyone in mind for the job.

Oberwetter, 59, is senior vice president for governmental and public affairs for Hunt Oil, an independent exploration and production company started by legendary Texas wildcatter H.L. Hunt.

If confirmed by the Senate, Oberwetter would replace Texas oil lawyer Robert Jordan, who resigned in October.

Oberwetter also was Texas campaign chairman for the first President Bush in 1992. He was thrust into the national spotlight when the FBI, in an undercover scheme, offered to sell Oberwetter wiretap information on Ross Perot, a Texas billionaire who was then an undeclared presidential candidate. Oberwetter refused the offer. Oberwetter and Perot sparred openly at the time.

More.
posted by Jenny at 3:02 AM |

From the Cursor:

A Los Angeles Times poll finds that those who drink wine with dinner prefer a Democrat over Bush for 2004 by 7 percentage points, and those who drink beer back Bush over a Democrat by 23 points.

I know many a Bush apologist who would use this statistic (listed here) to claim that Bush really does represent the will of the "common, working man"...the only problem is, I know plenty of common working folk who drink wine. And what about those of us who drink both?
posted by Jenny at 2:57 AM |

Sadly, I never thought I'd see the day when people would be incinerating their AARP cards...and with good reason.
posted by Jenny at 2:51 AM |

I must once again extend my gratitude to skippy for drawing my attention to David Letterman's latest lefty rhetoric...I have got to be more diligent in getting my streaming top tens everyday. My dad still quotes that list of Gray Davis advice to Ah-nold every time we talk! Wednesday's list is particularly awesome:

Top Ten George W. Bush Complaints About England

10. "Clocks are five hours fast"

9. "Everybody's speaking some crazy foreign language"

8. "Harry Potter won't return phone calls"

7. "So touchy about minor things...like going to war under false pretenses"

6. "They don't know where Saddam is either"

5. "Queen Elizabeth not half as funny as 'King of Queens'"

4. "Disappointed to learn 'Big Ben' is just a giant clock"

3. "Pack a gum costs 2 pounds -- who carries two pounds of money?!"

2. "I've been here for 36 hours and Prince Charles hasn't made a single move on me"

1. "Driving on the left reminds me of my drinking days"
posted by Jenny at 2:44 AM |

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Potpourri from Dubya's British adventure

During George Bush's visit, the Mayor of London is using its City Hall to throw a "peace party" for antiwar groups. Here's what he has to say about the Bushies, and AWOL himself:

Mr Livingstone recalled a visit at Easter to California, where he was denounced for an attack he had made on what he called "the most corrupt and racist American administration in over 80 years". He said: "Some US journalist came up to me and said: 'How can you say this about President Bush?' Well, I think what I said then was quite mild. I actually think that Bush is the greatest threat to life on this planet that we've most probably ever seen. The policies he is initiating will doom us to extinction."

While Dubya may not be doing much to boost employment at home, he's giving British police officers plenty to do.

One in nine police officers in England and Wales will be protecting George Bush on his state visit to Britain, which begins today.

Ten thousand more police officers have been drafted in amid rising concerns about the threat from terrorists and the scale of anti-war demonstrations. That brings to 16,000 the number of policemen and women who will be deployed during the four-day trip.

The bill will run to at least £7m, and the British taxpayer will pay for it.

The Metropolitan Police announced that it was boosting the numbers of officers on duty in London from 5,000 to 14,000.

The unprecedented security operation, which begins when the President arrives in London this evening, is partly in response to new intelligence that indicates violent anti-Bush demonstrators are travelling from continental Europe to protest in the capital.

Police also believe the national rally through London on Thursday will be far bigger than previously thought, with in excess of 100,000 now expected. Anti-war protesters were yesterday given permission by the Met to march down Whitehall, close to Parliament, having been earlier denied that route by Scotland Yard.

How come the Brits always throw the best protest parties?
posted by Jenny at 7:42 AM |

GOP "children's charity"

From Bob Harris, recent guest blogger at This Modern World.

Oh, this is just whole new levels of unexplored wrongness: according to the New York Times, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Innovative Corruption) has set up a charity for abused and neglected children -- which will funnel at least some of the money to the 2004 GOP convention.

... aides to Mr. DeLay... acknowledged that part of the money would go to pay for late-night convention parties, a luxury suite during President Bush's speech at Madison Square Garden and yacht cruises.

-- snip --

"They are using the idea of helping children as a blatant cover for financing activities in connection with a convention with huge unlimited, undisclosed, unregulated contributions," said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a Washington group that helped push through the recent overhaul of the campaign finance laws.

The donors not only get a tax break, but they also get to make a massive, unlimited political contribution in a manner that will never be accounted for publicly.

And apparently the idea is catching on. Senator Bill Frist (R-Slaughtering Cats) is planning to do the same thing, staging an event at Rockefeller Center for six-figure Republican donors... and calling it an AIDS charity.
posted by Jenny at 7:37 AM |

Monday, November 17, 2003

Have you seen...the Meatrix?
posted by Jenny at 2:51 PM |

Curioser and curioser: Rush speaks.
posted by Jenny at 10:22 AM |

Even the Queen is not amused about AWOL's shenanigans. Via Hesiod:

"[T]here was more controversy yesterday over the preparations for his arrival.

It was claimed White House requests for extra security at Buckingham Palace, where Bush is to stay, had infuriated the Queen.

The requests, which were turned down, included rebuilding part of the palace to blast-proof it and having a heavily armed Black Hawk helicopter hovering overhead."

Does anyone else get the feeling that Bush sees himself as a figure in an action adventure film???
posted by Jenny at 3:18 AM |

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Have you seen...the Meatrix?

posted by Jenny at 2:51 PM |

Curioser and curioser: Rush speaks.

posted by Jenny at 10:22 AM |

Even the Queen is not amused about AWOL's shenanigans. Via Hesiod:

"[T]here was more controversy yesterday over the preparations for his arrival.

It was claimed White House requests for extra security at Buckingham Palace, where Bush is to stay, had infuriated the Queen.

The requests, which were turned down, included rebuilding part of the palace to blast-proof it and having a heavily armed Black Hawk helicopter hovering overhead."

Does anyone else get the feeling that Bush sees himself as a figure in an action adventure film???

posted by Jenny at 3:18 AM |