Judge Who Vacationed With Massey CEO Now Running For Congress

By GottaLaff

Justice Elliott E. Maynard, left, and Don L. Blankenship, chief executive of Massey Energy in Monaco

See that photo? That's Massey Energy's Don Blankenship living it up on the French Riviera with his buddy, his pal, his good ol' boy "Spike".

And who is this Spike we speak of? Why, he's none other than former State Supreme Court judge Elliot "Spike" Maynard who is all about pallin' around with the coal industry. And now he's running for a seat in Congress against a Democrat.

Don'tcha just love when friends help friends? It's just so cozy and... cronyish:

These aren't the best of days for Don Blankenship, whose systematic downplaying of safety concerns as the CEO of Massey Energy helped lead to last week's deadly mining disaster, and got him named the "seventh scariest person in America." But by next January, things may be looking up for the hard-charging coal boss: He could have a very close friend in Congress.

Spike the Friend will be facing off against Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.V.). That would be in the very same district that one might refer to as "coal country". How convenient.

And just for good measure, Spike the Friend has accused Washington Democrats of "declaring war on the coal industry." That is some great friend... if you're not a Democrat. Or into coal. Or black lungs. Or lax oversight. Or mining disasters.

You can read the rest here.

Obama's Best and Brightest

YEAH!!!! "Best and Brightest" instead of "Cronier and Croniest". Via Taegan.

David Brooks notes that nearly all of President-elect Obama's appointments went to the nation's most prestigious schools.

"This truly will be an administration that looks like America, or at least that slice of America that got double 800s on their SATs. Even more than past administrations, this will be a valedictocracy -- rule by those who graduate first in their high school classes. If a foreign enemy attacks the United States during the Harvard-Yale game any time over the next four years, we're screwed."

Another AP investigation: IWRC* Palin's Big Important Pipeline

By GottaLaff

ADVANCE FOR OCTOBER 26; map locates TransCanada proposed pipeline project that will run from Alaska to Alberta, Canada;

Poor perky Palin's pitiful, problematic pipeline pipe-dream plunges precipitously, proving her propensity for predicaments:

Gov. Sarah Palin's signature accomplishment - a contract to build a 1,715-mile pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska to the Lower 48 - emerged from a flawed bidding process that narrowed the field to a company with ties to her administration, an Associated Press investigation shows.

Problem.

Beginning at the Republican National Convention in August, the McCain-Palin ticket has touted the pipeline as an example of how it would help America achieve energy independence.

"We're building a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline, which is North America's largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever, to flow those sources of energy into hungry markets," Palin said during the Oct. 2 vice presidential debate.

Despite Palin's boast of a smart and fair bidding process, the AP found that her team crafted terms that favored only a few independent pipeline companies and ultimately benefited the winner, TransCanada Corp.

Predictable.

And contrary to the ballyhoo, there's no guarantee the pipeline will ever be built; at a minimum, any project is years away, as TransCanada must first overcome major financial and regulatory hurdles.

Picky, picky, picky.

The leader of Palin's pipeline team had been a partner at a lobbying firm where she worked on behalf of a TransCanada subsidiary. Also, that woman's former business partner at the lobbying firm was TransCanada's lead private lobbyist on the pipeline deal, interacting with legislators in the weeks before the vote to grant TransCanada the contract. Plus, a former TransCanada executive served as an outside consultant to Palin's pipeline team.

Painful.

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

Crony baloney: IWRC* Palin appointed friends and donors to key posts

By GottaLaff

And the Crony goes to....

Among The Times' findings:

* More than 100 appointments to state posts -- nearly 1 in 4 -- went to campaign contributors or their relatives, sometimes without apparent regard to qualifications.

* Palin filled 16 state offices with appointees from families that donated $2,000 to $5,600 and were among her top political patrons.

* Several of Palin's leading campaign donors received state-subsidized industrial development loans of up to $3.6 million for business ventures of questionable public value.

* Palin picked a donor to replace the public safety commissioner she fired. But the new top cop had to resign days later under an ethics cloud. And Palin drew a formal ethics complaint still pending against her and several aides for allegedly helping another donor and fundraiser land a state job.

Most new governors install friends and supporters in state jobs. But Alaska historians say some of Palin's appointees were less qualified than those of her Republican and Democratic predecessors.

My stars! IWRC*'s approach to government seems to be-- What's it called again? Oh yeah-- business as usual! And now, for the winner of the Understatement of the Year Award:

Terrence Cole, an Alaska political historian, said Palin had in some cases shown "a disrespect for experience."

Oh, it gets better:

In a little-noted sequel to Palin's controversial dismissal of her public safety commissioner, the governor replaced Walt Monegan with former small-town Police Chief Charles Kopp of Kenai. The appointment unraveled almost immediately in what Cole called a vetting catastrophe.

A previous sexual harassment complaint came to light and Kopp had to resign two weeks after taking over. Alaska paid him $10,000 in severance.

So Kopp the Cop got thousands in severance after leaving in disgrace. Sounds almost Wall Streetian. Nothing inspires confidence in IWRC's promise to reform Washington like rewarding corruption.

And Palin's choice for attorney general, Talis Colberg, stirred considerable puzzlement: He was virtually unknown beyond her circle near Wasilla. Colberg, who had a solo law practice and little management experience, now oversees 500 professionals.

Colberg was criticized by both Republican and Democratic legislators for his handling of the recent investigation of Palin's actions in [TrooperGate].

There are lots more gory details here. And just in case you forgot, IWRC and "her guy" are being deposed today. Yep, she's the "most qualified of any candidate who has recently run for vice president".

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

IWRC* Palin = Bush III: Vendettas, power plays, cronyism, lies, corruption

By GottaLaff

Via TPM, some good analysis of the TrooperGate scandal and what it says about IWRC* Palin:

But this is an opportunity to refocus our attention on something that has been lost in the nonstop coverage of Palin's campaign trail lies and botched interviews: her record in Alaska strongly suggests she lacks the character to be trusted with high office. Though the troopergate scandal is tied narrowly to Palin's firing of Alaska's top cop, Walt Monegan, the heart of the story is about a private vendetta that Palin tried to settle using her new powers as the chief executive of the state of Alaska. Thwarted in doing so, all evidence suggests she fired the public official who refused to execute her plan.

Nor is it the only example. Both as mayor and governor, Palin has shown the tell-tale signs of a politician who hires cronies and fires or blackballs critics. This part of Palin's record gets deep in the weeds. So it's not as flashy as the boffo interviews or and irresistible as the straight-up lies she's been caught in. But we need no closer example than the Bush administration to know that people like this are dangerous and corrosive to our public institutions.

To repeat, Bush III, Cheney II.

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

13 Americans, not 12, electrocuted in Iraq

By Paddy


Oh gee, so what's another life lost to incompetence when our best buddies the contractors are raking in the big bucks? Can't have them held to any standards now can we.

PITTSBURGH—Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, says 13 Americans were electrocuted in Iraq since September 2003 and a contractor has been ordered to inspect the facilities it maintains there for electrical safety hazards, a Pennsylvania senator said.

The military had acknowledged that 12 Americans died in Iraq from accidental electrocution. Sen. Bob Casey said he learned last week from Petraeus that 10 soldiers, one Marine and two private contractors died. Casey said he was not given details on the 13th fatality.

(snip)

One of the soldiers killed was Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh, who died Jan. 2 in his barracks in Baghdad. An Army criminal probe blamed improper grounding of an electric pump that supplied water to the building.

Maseth's family has sued KBR Inc., the Houston-based contractor responsible for maintaining Maseth's barracks.

Petraeus said KBR received $3.2 million for maintenance services as part of a February 2007 contract modification. According to Petraeus, KBR had previously provided "only limited technical inspections" at Maseth's barracks.

John Sidney McNeocon's Friend List

By GottaLaff

Just in case someone still thinks McBushOnSteroids is a "maverick", here's a short list of Friends of Sid's:

• Randy Scheunemann, McCain's chief foreign policy spokesman, in 2002 founded the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, which agitated for the US invasion that was launched in 2003.
• Robert Kagan, another McCain advisor, and Scheunemann, head the neoconservative Project for a New American Century, which takes a hawkish line on foreign policy issues.
• Senator Joe Lieberman, supporter of the Iraq war.
• Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former Director of the Congressional Budget Office, who takes a stringent view on budgetary matters and is quick to denounce the social programs promised by Democrat Barack Obama.
• Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard who oversaw the complicated merger with computer maker Compaq, and supports tax cuts.
• Rudolph Giuliani, promotes "war on terror".
• Fred Thompson, promotes "war on terror," is committed to naming right-leaning Supreme Court justices to the bench, similar to conservatives John Roberts and Samuel Alito chosen by Bush.

Please feel free to add on to the list. I'm sure Raw Story missed a few.