Further inspection into McAuliffe Increases Concerns

After reading a new diary today concerning the latest FL/MI debacle, and Terry McAuliffe's involvement both as DNC Chair and Clinton's campaign advisor, I began a casual search which lead me to the most unexpected information.

In the span of about an hour, I went from DNC Regulations to insider trading to Pentagon Contracts, FBI investigations, Golf with Bill Clinton and the padding of his empty Library to Saudi ties, Bush ties, campaign oddities and a cameo appearance by John McCain, in which his only line is, "I'm tainted." No kidding!

I didn't know I was going to write this diary today when I decided to do a little research into Terry McAuliffe's years as DNC Chair.
Because of his intensely strong political ties with the Clinton's, his time at the  DNC (which he chaired starting in 2001), a position he left in 2005, something just made me uneasy about his jumping on board with Clinton '08, and my initial concern was conflict of interest.

What I found was much more interesting.  

Following are some quotes from articles I found, as well as the links to the full articles.

The information in these pieces is just a fraction of why I am so uneasy, but add that much more fuel to the fire.

Discovering Terry McAuliffe Today

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DNC Chair: 2001 - 2005:

A year before he left, (2004) he created, proposed and implemented the amended DNC Rules concerning the rescheduling of the "pre-window" primary schedule for 2008.  The final proposal was made in December 2005, and the new schedule was adopted in August 2006.

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SO?

I think these dates are important considering Hillary Clinton's Presidential intentions. Nor have I ruled out the outlandish question: Is there any possibility this FL/MI disaster could have been less than random? This sort of doubt is the very reason anyone under such a cloud cannot be Commander in Chief. Period.)

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ARTICLE 1: GLOBAL CROSSING MAKES TERRY VERY RICH:

Contract Offers Look at How Global Played Influence Game
By JOSEPH KAHN, New York Times/Business
February 28, 2002
link

Just as the Enron investigation was becoming fully engaged, Terry Auliffe began to taking a low profile because the  FEC and the FBI had begun an investigation on his company for "questionable accounting and investing practices."

Global Crossing, which went bankrupt on in Jan 2002 after McAuliffe's $100,000 investment in the company earned him a return of $18 million in about 18 months which also earned him the attention of many raised eyebrows.

10,000 employees lost their pensions, benefits and jobs, and investors lost over $50 million.  Shortly before the GC inquiry, McAuliffe was using Enron to blast Bush, which could effectively weaken the incumbent for the 2004 election, perhaps even render him "unelectable". Clearly that plan didn't turn out as planned, but it could offer insight into the inner workings of Mr. McAuliffe.

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The Library, Golf and the Pentagon:

McAuliffe's political work at the time was for Global Crossing's CEO, Gary Winnick.  McAuliffe arranged a golf trip for Winnick and President Clinton, and Winnick subsequently gave 1 million to the Clinton Legacy Building Library.

in July 2001, Global Crossing was awarded a Pentagon contract worth between $137 and $450 million dollars, under significant protest from other bidding companies such as AT&T and Qwest who had a longer-standing relationships within the military industry. The losing companies complained of inappropriate actions in the bidding process, raising the concern that the contract may have have led
to an unfair advantage for GC, awarding them the contract improperly.

Interesting side note - McCain joins the fun, too!:

"Global Crossing has given John McCain (R-AZ) $31,000 since 1998, more than it contributed to any other member of Congress. Mr. McCain, who has led the effort to overhaul campaign finance laws and ban soft-money contributions from corporations, acknowledged last week that he was 'tainted' by Global Crossing's giving."

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It Gets More Complicated:

With the length of this diary already concerning, I am cutting out the rest of my synopsis concerning the second article, but here are the titles, links and updates. It's a convoluted but interesting read. Articles like this tend to increase my sense that we are even more blissfully (maybe not) ignorant of what some leaders really do, as opposed to what we think they do. For some reason the bipartisan thread in these articles does not make me feel like one big happy family...

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ARTICLE 2: BRING IN THE GOP (And more money):

Bush's mystery money man becomes Hillary's
Russ Baker and Adam Federman, World Prout Association (updated 10/2007)
link(Note: This Article can also be found on the RCP blog)

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UPDATE: As soon as I posted this diary, I immediately received a comment warning me to check my sources. I did, and corrected my error.  I used a link that I thought was valid, but had more of an agenda than I realized.  The basic facts were accurate, but I learned a valuable (but embarrassing) lesson.

Thanks bunches, Setrak.

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mishte
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•  Some of your sources..

  ..should be double-checked.  I wouldn't use Judicial Watch.

  by Setrak on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 10:16:04 AM PDT

  •  really? wow = I thought they were legit...

    should I unpublish?( I've never done this before.)

    by mishte on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 10:21:38 AM PDT

•  Another citizen doing better investigations

  than our paid media "journalists."  Thanks for the update, it was news to me and creates a lot of questions, that don't necissarily surprise me, but just reiterates why we need to seperate oursleves from the established elite within both parties.

  The Clintons and their advisors represent politics as usual and I've had enough.

  Is Obama free of all political game playing and  secret hand shakes?  No, but he's not entrenched in years, and years of DC games and back scratching.  That's enough for me.

  by gchap33 on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 10:38:48 AM PDT

  •  you're right, but sometimes we get caught up in

    defending our candidate of choice.

    I was actually thinking about writing a diary about just that, because I am fascinated (and appalled) that people have such passionate hatred for Obama equal to that of the hatred others have for Clinton.

    The difference is Clinton animosity has had years to develop and Hillary is generous in feeding it.  

    Obama was basically unknown to most of us a  year ago, perhaps less... the level of hostility really baffles me. I think I may be more cut out for more "opinion" diaries that no one reads <g>, but research is my favorite hobby and the questions of McAuliffe just alarmed me.  IT seems they are all in bed with each other (metaphorically - yeek.)

    and thanks : )

    by mishte on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 11:45:36 AM PDT

    •  I hope you write that diary...

      That issue about the hatred on both sides has fascinated me as well.  I admit my own bias towards Obama, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why the hatred and hostility is so high for him.  Like you said, it just doesn't add up.  The Clintons, just by being around longer and being in the public eye for so long, rightfully have those that can't stand them.

      But what has Obama done that is soooo wrong or unfair?  

      I hope someone could speak of this and look into it more.

      THANKS!

      by gchap33 on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 09:46:24 AM PDT

•  privately published men's magazine?

  Links, please.

  Preferably with pictures.

  by Joe Beese on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 10:44:45 AM PDT

  •  ha! no pix, sorry... just the "link" link.

    ...and the blurb.  I was hoping someone might be more familiar with the vague language in the description...

    lifestyle magazine gave me pause, as did a

    by mishte on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 11:31:12 AM PDT

•  I have been looking at Bill Clinton's prolific

  speech giving career since leaving the White House..correlate the timing of the McAuliffe rules changes with Clinton's speeches and I think you will find it interesting...I am going to try to do a diary on his speeches coupled with his investments.  People have been looking at the tax returns without looking closer at the investments..the speeches are a method for foreign governments to skirt our campaign finance laws..it is also a means by which Clinton has been maintaining connections in foreign countries or with groups hear at home in anticipation of his wife's run for the White House.  

  What is startling about the Clintons and everyone around them is the conflicts of interest and the potential for selfdealing much like what we see with Bush and Cheney..

  by RubyGal on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 11:17:59 AM PDT

  •  oops..here is the link to the speeches

    http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...

    by RubyGal on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 11:18:27 AM PDT

  •  Great! Speaking of speeches, HRCs '92 Health

    Care speech is online (and many more, as well as her weekly (monthly) First Lady articles on various subjects.

    I have a penchant for transcripts and documents (one of the more interesting ones  is the transcript in the Congressional Record titled "Air Hillary".  Apparently there was a lot of displeasure at her using AF1 or military aircraft to campaign for her senate seat, to the tune (don't quote me) of 700,000 I think.

    I've got to look that one up and post a link. The CG is FILLED with Clinton sagas,almost daily.

    OF course it is all GOP generated, so that may matter.  I don't know.  I have a problem with the fact that Dems aren't allowed to challenge Dems (or vice versa) without being called Republican or conspiracy nuts or some such.  

    Its ridiculous and, I think, in large part has given the Clinton's a free pass when that might not have been appropriate.

    by mishte on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 11:53:00 AM PDT

    •  I agree with you..after reading some of these

      speeches, I have learned that he has renamed globalization, interdependence..nice liberal word, don't ya think..friendly even...

      wonder how much focus study that took...

      by RubyGal on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 05:54:50 PM PDT

•  Fox Loves McAuliffe

  by GW Chimpzilla on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 12:25:45 PM PDT