Kelly J
05-23-2008, 10:29 AM
http://patriotpost.us/
NATIONAL SECURITY
The terrorists’ man in Washington
Last April, in an attempt to kill the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Promotion Agreement, House Democrats removed a requirement that would have brought the bill up for a vote within a specific period of time. This underhanded method of keeping the bill from reaching the White House on President Bush’s watch was the brainchild of Rep. James McGovern (D-MA). Now, the capture of a terrorist’s computer has shed some light on McGovern’s possible motivation for stiffing the United States’ closest South American ally.
On 1 March, the Colombian Army attacked a camp in Ecuador belonging to FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organization that is trying to overthrow the capitalist government. FARC leader Raul Reyes was killed, and his laptop computer was captured. Colombia turned the laptop over to Interpol, whose computer forensics lab confirmed that the 37,872 files on the computer’s hard drive were legitimate and had not been tampered with or created by the Colombian government. The files were a veritable smoking gun, indicating that FARC had (among other things) bought 60 pounds of uranium; that they were interested in building a dirty bomb; that Hugo Chavez had offered $300 million and Russian weapons to the terrorist organization; that FARC was responsible for numerous assassinations and bombings; that FARC had met with “gringos” about Barack Obama; and that FARC had links with a certain Democrat from Massachusetts... named James McGovern.
Indeed, it seems that FARC was trying to do business with McGovern. At the time Reyes’ laptop was captured, McGovern was using a go-between to offer the congressman’s services to FARC as a person of influence in America. The intermediary admits that he wrote some of the letters found on the captured laptop, but he excuses his actions on the basis that it is “a mistake to isolate [FARC].” McGovern also attempted to excuse his treachery, saying that “we need to find an interlocutor who could discuss these things including the safe haven” for FARC. So there you have it: Representative McGovern wants to make sure that Colombia gives a terrorist organization “safe haven.” Not only that, but he did FARC’s communists a huge favor by masterminding the holdup of a capitalist free-trade agreement. While correlation does not equal causation, we don’t think it’s a stretch to say that at least some Democrats oppose the Colombia trade deal because they have more sympathy for terrorists than an anti-terror ally.
Medicaid fraud
Afraid to make waves in an election year, the Democrat-controlled Congress is overlooking Medicaid fraud—so long as the perpetrators are the states themselves. In a “fox guarding the henhouse” arrangement, the states determine citizens’ eligibility for the programs, while the federal government reimburses the states between 50 and 83 percent of the cost. This arrangement would work a lot better if the states ceased gaming the system. They deliberately overpay medical providers and then submit the overpaid bills to Uncle Sam for increased reimbursement. The state then demands refunds from providers for the overpaid amounts, thus providing the profit margin.
This arrangement is similar to insurance fraud involving staged injury accidents with a medical provider who is in on the con. Perversely, the federal government does not seek recovery of the billions in refunded overpayments each year, even though there is no political gain for Congress in allowing the graft to continue. Apparently, it’s just easier to look the other way. If congressional liberals were savvier, they would realize they are missing a golden opportunity to save money and cater to an important special-interest lobby. To rein in state fraud, Congress need only authorize trial lawyers to keep a percentage of the recovered proceeds by suing on the federal government’s behalf under a whistleblower law. The overpayment/recovery scheme would soon end. Then again, that might be a bit of a Pandora’s box.
And last...
It’s tough supporting the troops. This week, Rep. Fortney Hillman “Pete” Stark (D-CA) observed a group of high-ranking military officers in the Capitol gallery watching Congress do its thing. Apparently concerned that these flag officers were just lollygagging about and not doing their part for the war, Stark fired off a letter to Secretary of Defense Gates to express his concern that, “[a]t a time when our nation is at war, our troops are over-extended, and the Administration is literally asking for emergency military spending, what good to the ‘war on terror’ is having U.S. Generals and other top ranked officers spending hours sitting in the gallery of the House of Representatives?” And oh, by the way, get me their names, ranks and serial numbers, too. Unknown to Stark, who recently accused Republicans of sending our kids to Iraq “to get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement,” the officers were part of a class of senior Army War College officers. They were combat veterans all, and they were taking part in an officially approved tour of Congress as part their curriculum. You’re a class act, Fortney.
Meanwhile, fellow Left Coast fruit loop San Fran Nan Pelosi (D-Syria) was gallivanting about the Middle East, uninvited as usual, and undermining U.S. foreign policy. She got a chilly reception in Iraq, where the government kept her at arm’s length until she admitted that the state of affairs within the country had improved, and she stopped whining that U.S. troops must be immediately withdrawn. Then it was off to Israel, where she observed with Pelosian perspicacity that we must keep Israel secure.
And these are the people whose party stands to increase its majority in Congress come November.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The terrorists’ man in Washington
Last April, in an attempt to kill the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Promotion Agreement, House Democrats removed a requirement that would have brought the bill up for a vote within a specific period of time. This underhanded method of keeping the bill from reaching the White House on President Bush’s watch was the brainchild of Rep. James McGovern (D-MA). Now, the capture of a terrorist’s computer has shed some light on McGovern’s possible motivation for stiffing the United States’ closest South American ally.
On 1 March, the Colombian Army attacked a camp in Ecuador belonging to FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organization that is trying to overthrow the capitalist government. FARC leader Raul Reyes was killed, and his laptop computer was captured. Colombia turned the laptop over to Interpol, whose computer forensics lab confirmed that the 37,872 files on the computer’s hard drive were legitimate and had not been tampered with or created by the Colombian government. The files were a veritable smoking gun, indicating that FARC had (among other things) bought 60 pounds of uranium; that they were interested in building a dirty bomb; that Hugo Chavez had offered $300 million and Russian weapons to the terrorist organization; that FARC was responsible for numerous assassinations and bombings; that FARC had met with “gringos” about Barack Obama; and that FARC had links with a certain Democrat from Massachusetts... named James McGovern.
Indeed, it seems that FARC was trying to do business with McGovern. At the time Reyes’ laptop was captured, McGovern was using a go-between to offer the congressman’s services to FARC as a person of influence in America. The intermediary admits that he wrote some of the letters found on the captured laptop, but he excuses his actions on the basis that it is “a mistake to isolate [FARC].” McGovern also attempted to excuse his treachery, saying that “we need to find an interlocutor who could discuss these things including the safe haven” for FARC. So there you have it: Representative McGovern wants to make sure that Colombia gives a terrorist organization “safe haven.” Not only that, but he did FARC’s communists a huge favor by masterminding the holdup of a capitalist free-trade agreement. While correlation does not equal causation, we don’t think it’s a stretch to say that at least some Democrats oppose the Colombia trade deal because they have more sympathy for terrorists than an anti-terror ally.
Medicaid fraud
Afraid to make waves in an election year, the Democrat-controlled Congress is overlooking Medicaid fraud—so long as the perpetrators are the states themselves. In a “fox guarding the henhouse” arrangement, the states determine citizens’ eligibility for the programs, while the federal government reimburses the states between 50 and 83 percent of the cost. This arrangement would work a lot better if the states ceased gaming the system. They deliberately overpay medical providers and then submit the overpaid bills to Uncle Sam for increased reimbursement. The state then demands refunds from providers for the overpaid amounts, thus providing the profit margin.
This arrangement is similar to insurance fraud involving staged injury accidents with a medical provider who is in on the con. Perversely, the federal government does not seek recovery of the billions in refunded overpayments each year, even though there is no political gain for Congress in allowing the graft to continue. Apparently, it’s just easier to look the other way. If congressional liberals were savvier, they would realize they are missing a golden opportunity to save money and cater to an important special-interest lobby. To rein in state fraud, Congress need only authorize trial lawyers to keep a percentage of the recovered proceeds by suing on the federal government’s behalf under a whistleblower law. The overpayment/recovery scheme would soon end. Then again, that might be a bit of a Pandora’s box.
And last...
It’s tough supporting the troops. This week, Rep. Fortney Hillman “Pete” Stark (D-CA) observed a group of high-ranking military officers in the Capitol gallery watching Congress do its thing. Apparently concerned that these flag officers were just lollygagging about and not doing their part for the war, Stark fired off a letter to Secretary of Defense Gates to express his concern that, “[a]t a time when our nation is at war, our troops are over-extended, and the Administration is literally asking for emergency military spending, what good to the ‘war on terror’ is having U.S. Generals and other top ranked officers spending hours sitting in the gallery of the House of Representatives?” And oh, by the way, get me their names, ranks and serial numbers, too. Unknown to Stark, who recently accused Republicans of sending our kids to Iraq “to get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement,” the officers were part of a class of senior Army War College officers. They were combat veterans all, and they were taking part in an officially approved tour of Congress as part their curriculum. You’re a class act, Fortney.
Meanwhile, fellow Left Coast fruit loop San Fran Nan Pelosi (D-Syria) was gallivanting about the Middle East, uninvited as usual, and undermining U.S. foreign policy. She got a chilly reception in Iraq, where the government kept her at arm’s length until she admitted that the state of affairs within the country had improved, and she stopped whining that U.S. troops must be immediately withdrawn. Then it was off to Israel, where she observed with Pelosian perspicacity that we must keep Israel secure.
And these are the people whose party stands to increase its majority in Congress come November.