Jindal's Anit-American ranting is about waking up the base.

By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune 
May 13, 2014 at 9:17 PM, updated May 14, 2014 at 1:07 PM

WASHINGTON -- A new poll gives (click here) Gov. Bobby Jindala positive job performance rating by 48 percent of Louisiana voters, up 11 percent from one year ago.

The Southern Media & Opinion Research Inc. poll, released Tuesday, also shows Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu tied at 28.9 percent in a poll of candidates and possible candidates for the 2015 Louisiana's governor's race.

Vitter, now in his second term as Louisiana's junior senator, has already announced that he'll run. Landrieu, who was elected to a second term as mayor Feb. 1, with 64 percent of the vote, said during a mayoral debate that he would serve the entire four-year term if re-elected. But he wouldn't be the first candidate to reconsider a run for higher office after a re-election victory....

His approval rating in February was 35 percent. The Rebel Cry is the only means the Republicans have to achieve popularity. The sad truth is the base they wake up and the popularity they rant do want a violent revolution in the country. They do want to kill other Americans.

2.25.14 (click here)

What other news organization would be carry this trash, but, FOX? 

Published June 22, 2014

Associated Press

WASHINGTON –  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (click here) on Saturday night accused President Barack Obama and other Democrats of waging wars against religious liberty and education and said that a rebellion is brewing in the U.S. with people ready for "a hostile takeover" of the nation's capital....

What would happen if a governor of any state started a violent rebellion in his state? The closest the USA ever came to fighting a state's uprising occurred in Utah.

The Utah War, (click here) also known as the Utah Expedition, Utah Campaign, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between Mormon settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857–July 1858. There were some casualties, mostly non-Mormon civilians, and the war had few notable battles, generally being resolved through negotiation.

There was never a shot fired.

The difference between then and now is we know the right wing extremists mean it and have demonstrated their strategy and willingness to kill other Americans. 

This is unsustainable debt.

Every hour taxpayers in the United States are paying $365,297 for Cost of War in Iraq Since 2003. (click here)

If there was a single word describing The "W" years it is hubris. He not only lied about the invasion into Iraq and it's promise to stabilize the region, but, he also cut taxes and increased spending astronomically. If the USA was to have a credit rating change it should have occurred as soon as the agencies realized how completely out of control the country had become.

But, all the unregulated and undisciplined Wall Street wanted to do was to ride whatever bubble presented itself.

"Dream On"

Where does any journalist get the idea the USA is returning to a country undefined by ability to support their own military?

The USA entered Iraq illegally to carry out an immoral oil war on March 19, 2003. We weren't invited to fight for an established democracy. "W" then went about PRETENDING he could establish a democracy and a Iraq military. It was the biggest joke going. He was hubris. Pure unadulterated hubris.

Where does this idea come from that states, "Oh, no, they ain't doin' so good and the USA has to back." That is not the deal. It was never the deal.

The reason Baghdad is still standing is because the USA built six barrier walls around that city. THAT WAS A CLUE as to what was coming.

Understand these words. 

"Bush lied. He lied alot. When Bush lied people died."

"We don't belong in Iraq."

"We never did."

And now there is proof.

June 22, 2014
By Peter Baker

...But as 2011 opened, (click here) the war had quieted down. After a troop increase ordered by Mr. Bush, a strategy shift by Gen. David H. Petraeus and a change of sides by Sunni militias, Mr. Maliki’s government seemed in a strong position. Gen. Lloyd Austin, the commander on the ground, developed proposals for keeping as many as 24,000 troops in Iraq after 2011, only to run into instant resistance.“The White House looks at the 20,000 number and was like, you’ve got to be kidding,” Mr. Kahl recalled. “This looks like a permanent Korea-style presence in Iraq, which nobody supported.” Mr. Obama’s appointees concluded that the military was trying to still do everything it was doing before, just with fewer troops, rather than changing the mission to reflect a more reduced role. At a meeting in the White House Situation Room, Robert M. Gates, then the defense secretary, made clear that was not acceptable....          

Totalitarianism

Get used to seeing this throughout the world. Russia is spreading totalitarianism in regions of turmoil. The best reaction to such oppression in the world is to send humanitarian aide and be sure those imprisoned have their health attended to by medical professionals. Imprisoned populations will grow with Russia promising what it has to in support of such regimes.

Take to Russia. The USA isn't looking for a global war with repressive governments.

Patrick Kingsley in Cairo
23 June 2014

Egypt's judiciary (click here) has dealt a shocking blow to the principle of free speech after three journalists for Al-Jazeera English were sentenced to between seven and 10 years in jail on charges of aiding terrorists and endangering national security.

The former BBC correspondent Peter Greste, from Australia, the ex-CNN journalist Mohamed Fahmy, and local producer Baher Mohamed were jailed for seven, seven and 10 years respectively. Four students and activists indicted in the case were sentenced to seven years.

The judge also handed 10-year sentences to the British journalists Sue Turton and Dominic Kane and the Dutch journalist Rena Netjes, who were not in Egypt but were tried in absentia.

The courtroom packed with journalists, diplomats and relatives erupted at the verdict which came despite what independent observers said was a complete lack of evidence.

Shouting from the defendants' cage as he was led away, Fahmy, a Canadian-Egyptian citizen, said: "They'll pay for this." Greste's reaction could not be heard, but the faces of his two younger brothers – both present in court – were grim....

Iraq is a lesson to the USA. There is no way of INSTILLING democracy and freedom in a country. Democracy is developed over time. Nation building is a completely bizarre idea.

The concept of nation building is hubris.

The Iraqi Army didn't learn a thing.

I happen to agree, the USA is meddling where it doesn't belong. How is it every time fighting somewhere in the world breaks out the USA and Russia stick their noses in it. Without fail. China never enters the military fray, it simply sends it's economic team to set up trade relations in the face of war.

After spending billions upon billions on training an national army for Iraq, this technique is nonsense. No USA soldier would stand in full exposure of their bodies to any enemy fire. No wonder the Iraqi units are going down like dominos. The USA is not to spend another dime on this. 

Iraq was never a sovereign country following the fall of Saddam Hussein. The country is divided into religious regions. It has been divided into religious regions since the beginning of time. Saddam oppressed the Kurds and Shia regions of the country with WMD and building mass graves. Once he was gone from power the country simply returned to it's ancient status.

Leave them alone. It will be what it will be.

June 23, 2014
By Kamal Namaa

ANBAR Iraq (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader (click here) accused the United States on Sunday of trying to retake control of Iraq by exploiting sectarian rivalries, as Sunni insurgents drove towards Baghdad from new strongholds along the Syrian border.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's condemnation of U.S. action came three days after President Barak Obama offered to send 300 military advisers to help the Iraqi government. Khamenei may want to block any U.S. choice of a new prime minister after grumbling in Washington about Shi'ite premier Nuri al-Maliki....

Ever since Russia began it's war on the Ukraine, it has returned to the old world paradigm.

2012 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor (click here)

In 2012, the Federation of Russia made a minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The Government approved a National Children’s Strategy until 2017 that covers issues such as child protection and access to quality education, and contains a listing of responsible agencies and timelines for its implementation. Russian law, however, still lacks provisions that criminalize the possession of child pornography. Russia also continues to lack a mechanism to coordinate nationwide efforts to combat the worst forms of child labor. Children in Russia continue to be found in the worst forms of child labor, including in work on the streets and in commercial sexual exploitation, and many of these children are victims of human trafficking.

When Russia becomes a place where children are safe it can start to offer residency to those abandoned by parents. USA does not permit child labor. Even the children of illegal immigrants are required to attend public school.

By Kateryna Choursina and Daria Marchak
June 22, 2014

...Putin said (click here) that while he supports the week-long truce that President Petro Poroshenko announced on June 20, the move shouldn’t be an ultimatum to militia groups and won’t be “viable or realistic” without “constructive steps” to start negotiations with rebel leaders  in southeast regions.

In regard to any child death in the Ukraine, Russia has the power to decent on the violence by the insurgents in Eastern Ukraine. Russia has not endorsed the current cease fire Ukraine has entered unilaterally. Russia has called for the insurgents to remain as a unified force.

That is double talk by Russia. It give permission to ignore the ceasefire. There was no ultimatum called by the Ukraine. Ukraine declared a unilateral ceasefire in order for the area to cool down, but, there was no ultimatum made by the Ukraine.

MOSCOW, June 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Children’s Rights Ombudsman Pavel (click here) Astakhov said Friday at least five children had lost their lives as a result of the extensive military operation in eastern Ukraine.

“We know about five confirmed cases of children being killed [in the military operation] in the southeast of Ukraine. But there are probably more. All of them are casualties of Ukraine’s aggression and inhumane policies,” the rights activist wrote Friday on his Instagram page.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported in early June that seven children had been injured in clashes in eastern Ukraine since May 9. The watchdog organization said the crisis was having an increasing impact on children and urged all parties to stop the violence.

Astakhov has said Russian orphanages are ready to accommodate children trapped in war zones in Ukraine.

Since mid-April, Kiev authorities have been conducting a special military operation in the east of Ukraine to suppress the pro-independence movement. The violence intensified after the people’s republics of Luhansk and Donetsk declared their independence from Ukraine after holding referendums on self-determination. Hundreds of people, including civilians, have died in both regions over the past months.

"I was the youngest...I was the oldest...:

This is a bit of a primer to what sincerely is the status in the USA.

He has an addiction there is no cure for and that is the addiction to power. I am sure the taste is rather sweet, but, in Cheney's hands it spells death. There IS no such thing as a war on terror. The Mideast is a frustrating place unless one TRYS to understand it.

I did see this special on Mr. Cheney when it aired on Showtime. Maybe I was one of the few, but, it validated everything I have thought about his focus and very lengthy career. Sometimes I think those that make it into elected office believe it is possible to have a lifelong career, but, this is a democracy where power changes hands regularly under the US Constitution.

December 19, 2013

Dubai: Two Al Qaida supporters (click here) in Qatar and Yemen have been added to the US Treasury Department list of terrorists.

Abdul Rahman Bin Umair Al Nuaimi, 59, and Abdul Wahab Mohammad Abdul Rahman Al Humaiqani, 41, were designated global terrorists for allegedly being “at the centre of global support networks that fund and facilitate terrorism.”

“Al Nuaimi was designated for providing financial support to Al Qaida, Asbat Al Ansar, Al Qaida in Iraq, and Al Shabab, and Al Humaiqani was designated for providing financial support to and acting on behalf of Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP),” the Treasury said in a statement released on Wednesday in Washington.

“Al Nuaimi is a Qatar-based terrorist financier and facilitator who has provided money and material support and conveyed communications to Al Qaida and its affiliates in Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen for more than a decade. He was considered among the most prominent Qatar-based supporters of Iraqi Sunni extremists,” the statement said...

While The West has a sincere objection to this type of generosity, it is cultural dating back centuries. Within the Muslim faith there is an understanding of 'need' vs 'greed.' It is understood the talented often find themselves with exceptional wealth. It is also understood through their morality wealth has a responsibility to others. Where that form of generosity draws fire from The West is illustrated with Abdul Rahman bin Umair al Nuaimi and Abdul Wahab Mohammad Abdul Rahman al Humaigani. 

December 16th of 2013 is not that long ago, haven't these men heard of "The War on Terror?" Don't they have reverence for life and don't they know the people receiving those monies will kill others?

Yes, they do know. They don't worry about it because that is not their responsibility. Their responsibility is defending the faith. No, they are not running terrorist networks nor are they interested in running terrorist networks. But, they do recognize someone coming to them deeply worried about the faith and honoring Allah. 

Takbīr is an Arabic phrase otherwise stated as Allāhu Akbar.  It is usually translated as "God is [the] greatest," or "God is great".  It is a common Islamic Arabic expression, used in various contexts by Muslims; in formal prayer, in the call for prayer, as an informal expression of faith, in times of distress, to express celebration or victory, or to express resolute determination or defiance.

It is safe to say this is an expression that takes on many definitions, but, it is similar to a short prayer.

Jihad is part of the faith. It is a legitimate word in the Quran. 

Each of the 164 Jihad verses (click here) in this list was selected based on how clearly and directly it spoke about Jihad, at least when considered in its immediate context. Most of the listed passages mention a military expedition, fighting, or distributing war spoils....

Unless there is a second coming of Mohammad it is a safe bet the word Jihad it not going to disappear from the Quran. And the Quran is not like Hebrew text where by Rabbis write commentary about modern ideas and applying them to Jewish life or as in Midrash which assists in explaining the text of the documents. The Quran to my knowledge is set in stone. Not very different than Christian text whereby the only change in belief/culture of the teachings in the Bible is through a Roman Catholic Pope or a convening of a council such as Vatican 2. As a side note I have been wondering if Pope Francis ever contemplated another ecumenical council. 

But, the point here is Jihad is a valid word in the Quran. It isn't going to disappear simply because The West wishes it so. The entire definition of "The War on Terror" depends on the definition of Jihad. The war of and on the individual. If there was ever such a thing as The War on Terror it would be a permanent aggression by The West of the Middle East Arab nations. It would never relent. 

The best way I can think of to illustrate this is with John Walker Lindh. He was in the right place at the wrong time. He didn't go to Pakistan and ultimately Afghanistan to kill Americans, however, he did to for the practice of Jihad. It was a spiritual journey for him. Unfortunately, when he met bin Laden in a meeting little did he realize there were attacks planned against the USA using passenger jets. He was in Afghanistan for his own reasons, not to wage Jihad against The West.

John Walker Lindh is not that unusual. There are many young men of the Muslim faith that seek their spirituality through such missions as Jihad. This isn't really a war on terror because The West finds killing an abhorrance in the manner of a suicide bomber. It is a war on extremists that carry out Jihad as it is asked of him in defense of their faith. 

At one time within the Israel-Palestine conflict it was known the families of suicide bombers have received substantial financial support after the death of their son in his devotion to his faith. That is all part of the generosity of the faith and not simply a pay off. It is more spiritual than that. 

The USA has to close the door of citizenship behind citizens that leave the country to fight Jihad in a foreign nation. The USA has to stay out of countries where it has aggressively killed indiscriminately for the sake of faux priorities. If the USA were to deploy again into Iraq it might be the forces on the ground would simply focus on destroying us and not each other. It is over for the USA in the Middle East. Support allies such as Jordan and Israel. 

So, close. So, very, very close. (click here)

In 105 degree heat.

Iraq can wait until later. No one is rolling out the welcome sign for the USA. It's all good.

Job Security Alert !

..."We have a feeling (click here) and an understanding of each other and we back each other up and I think that is reflected in the nature of the relationship."

The US-led TPP led their agenda and Obama set a specific goal of getting a TPP deal to the US Congress before November.

Key announced yesterday Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would visit New Zealand soon and TPP was bound to be top of the agenda.

He also indicated on The Nation yesterday that New Zealand would not oppose US air strikes in the growing Iraq crisis.         

These wonderfully brave men of god are worth more alive than as suicide bombers.

RPG. Rocket Propelled Grenades are better at targeting the correct people than the randomness of a suicide bomb. I am certain if these men wanted to be trained with sophisticated weapons, such as body armor and shoulder borne rocket launchers, the USA advisers would be happy to train them correctly.

It is better to live and fight another day than abandon those you love in a single act of devotion.

June 21, 2014
By C. J. Chivers
...As their numbers grew, (click here) they swelled into a seemingly unending procession of volunteers with rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, backed by mortar crews and gun and rocket trucks.
The Mahdi Army, the paramilitary force that once led a Shiite rebellion against American troops here, was making its largest show of force since it suspended fighting in 2008. This time, its fighters were raising arms against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, the Qaeda splinter group that has driven Iraq’s security forces from parts of the country’s north and west.
Chanting “One, two, three, Mahdi!” they implored their leader, the cleric Moktada al-Sadr, to send them to battle....

Central and South America are among the favorite spots for gun sales with the NRA marketing of "personal safety." No lie.

Small Arms Survey (click here)

The estimated total number of guns (both licit and illicit) held by civilians in Honduras is 500,000

The population of Honduras is slightly less than 8 million. 

That means there is a one gun for every sixteen people.

In 2008, Honduras held the second highest rate of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants with 78.6 percent of these committed by firearm. As of 2012, Honduras holds the highest homicide rate in the world and San Pedro Sula holds the country's highest homicide rate with 137.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants.

It is estimated the current child immigrant crisis at the USA southern border contains at least 19,000 Honduran children.

One of the reasons there is such high crime numbers in these countries is because the police are intimidated by the 'guns on the street.' There is little law enforcement in areas of the country. Most of the law enforcement occurs in areas where tourism brings in revenues.

This 'permissive gun environment' is exactly the reason so many people in the USA oppose loose gun laws. Central and South America is real world proof that the more guns there are in a country the higher the crime and homicide rate. There is no valid reason for any country to have citizens armed for their own protection. 

Don't give me testimonials as to the people that saved their own lives because of carrying a gun. Don't try to begin to state that guns actually reduce crime. Those gun-crime statistics exist BECAUSE there were guns in circulation in the first place and there is no other reasonable way to reduce those once very high statistics. The statement fewer guns = fewer deaths is absolutely correct. In the USA with the number of 'guns on the street' the statistics speak for themselves with tens of thousands of dead Americans annually due to gun violence.

The more guns there are the more gun deaths exists and guns are very effective killers whereby other weapons diminish the capacity for violent deaths. Bullets work and they work extremely effectively which is why the USA military issues guns to soldiers.

The estimated rate of private gun ownership (both licit and illicit) in Honduras is 6.2 firearms per 100 people.

In a comparison of the number of privately owned guns in 178 countries, Honduras ranked at No. 81

In a comparison of the rate of private gun ownership in 178 countries, Honduras ranked at No. 88

The number of registered guns in Honduras is reported to be 

2012: 280,305
2006: 151,003

The rate of registered guns per 100 people in Honduras is 

2012: 3.38
2006: 2.05

Unlawfully held guns cannot be counted, but in Honduras there are estimated to be between 420,000 and 850,000

I had to take pity on the right wing.

John Bolton was on a radio show and he found amusement in the fact President Obama was asking for regime change of Maliki no different than Bush wanted regime change with Saddam.

That is pathetic.

One liners is what John Bolton hands out on radio shows to listeners. And the talk show host that it was funny. A joke. 

Is there any time when right wing radio listeners are treated as though they are thinking people rather than morons without a clue?

6/20/14
Daily Sabah
The government (click here) is doing its best to bring back 80 Turkish citizens abducted by ISIS, said the PM and also called on the U.S. to beware of launching airstrikes in Iraq for fear it would lead to civilian casualties

ISTANBUL – Speaking at a press conference at Ankara's Esenboğa Airport before his departure to Austria, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the Turkish government sent a delegation to northern Iraq in an effort to secure the release of Turkish citizens abducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). 

Erdoğan, who is scheduled to deliver a speech to a crowd of Austrian Turks at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD) on Saturday, answered questions regarding the latest developments in Iraq. Responding to questions about 15 Turkish workers who were allegedly abducted by ISIS on Wednesday, Prime Minister Erdoğan said the reports are not true and his government is working carefully to bring back a total of 80 abductees to Turkey in good health. He added that a delegation went to northern Iraq on Wednesday to hasten their return and flew back to Turkey during the late night hours....

I don't think anyone needs the politics.

It is interesting to realize the strength of character the leaders of these nations have and their fearlessness in which they face these circumstances. The leadership that emerges when the USA isn't screaming Bomb, bomb, bomb is far more interesting than 'one liners.'

Why do the Koch's want to control the USA and it's energy choices? Set the military aside for a moment (Bush)? Why Energy?

No one 'gets it.' Some of this is about ALEC, isn't it? The organization that homogenizes USA law to remove States Rights and promotes Wall Street interests. There is something to not understand about a blanket concern in the trend of Republican governors? ALEC sets up a parallel government.

ALEC is responsible for all the violent gun laws in the country. It takes the interest of Wall Street and makes the states perform to that standard.

12:33 PM
By Meg Kissinger and Bill Glauber
Journal Sentinel

Gov. Scott Walker (click here) said Friday the "incredible abuse of power by a partisan prosecutor" in the John Doe probe of his campaign should frighten everyone in Wisconsin, regardless of their political affiliation.

"There is nothing wrong with what we did," Walker said.

He made his remarks on "Midday With Charlie Sykes" on WTMJ-AM (620).

Asked how the news accounts of him at the center of a criminal scheme might hurt his political career, Walker said he "could care less about the national scene."

Earlier Friday, Walker appeared on the Fox News Channel to say that the John Doe had "been resolved" by two judges who blocked the investigation and asked for grass-roots conservatives around the country to back him....

Walker's conversation with Faux Koch was proof of the 'linked arms' of his political donors and his scheme for government power. There is a lot wrong here. Just because the conversation was with "Faux Koch" doesn't mean it didn't happen.

All these schemes, "Faux Koch" and ALEC are national schemes to remove democracy from the citizens and place it in the hands of a few. Why? Why would any governor put the power within the state in the hands of a few? 

It insures his financial backing and control of the economy to weaken democracy and 'over time' build 'economic monopoly.' 

That is what is so dangerous about all this. It is a scheme. Across the board the Republicans HAVE homogenized the American economy to the point of breaking in 2008. It is consolidated power in the influence of a few. The 'scheme' is defined not by the fact citizens can't vote or make choices in a market; it is defined by the very real fact their choices in voting or choosing products for their homes or otherwise are prescribed and limited. When the same economic dynamics are viewed as the only solution for an entire country and a 'certain set of values' are the only ones available through any power structure it is called a Plutocracy, not a democracy.

It is a scheme. It is a national scheme that ultimately impoverishes the citizen unless they are within the 'power structure' that controls EVERYONE'S outcomes.

Wall Street likes 'certainty.' It doesn't get more certain than that. In 2008, was there any doubt the US Secretary of the Treasury would bailout all the FEW banks and AIG, too? That is CERTAINTY.

One for all and all for one. I don't doubt the entire dynamic is difficult for a court to get their minds around. The Justice System doesn't like to call it what it is because the idea of 'freedom' in the USA is to provide a platform FOR ANYTHING to happen that the people want. But, what the Justice System doesn't like to admit is that this 'scheme' is real and it victimizes and literally makes those in control of the political funding the defacto leaders of the country when those in government bow to cronyism.

..."Bottom-line: R.J. helps keep in place a team that is wildly successful in Wisconsin. We are running 9 recall elections and it will be like 9 congressional markets in every market in the state (and Twin Cities)," Walker wrote to Rove on May 4, 2011. Rove runs American Crossroads, which backs Republican congressional and presidential candidates....

That is not a sales pitch or a 'reporting in' to instill faith in government performance to American Crossroads standards?

Would RJ be able to run successful schemes without intimate relationships with Big Money? We know for a fact in all the elections Walker refers to were heavily funded and that the funding eliminated the possibility of EQUITY to the 'level playing field' of the other candidates.

The average voter doesn't have a chance.

Are wars suppose to be engaged for profit? But, they are. We know they are. That is not a clear understanding to a financial outcome? 

At the peak of its production (click here) during World War II, the Willow Run Plant employed 42,000 workers, as much as one third of whom were pioneering women industrial workers, collectively nicknamed “Rosie the Riveter.” Willow Run produced more aircraft every month on its mile-long assembly line than Japan did in a year, earning it, and the area surrounding southeast Michigan, worldwide fame as “The Arsenal of Democracy.” The nationwide American “Production Miracle,” of which Willow Run was the finest and most ambitious example, was a critical factor in ending the deadliest conflict in history.

Sequence of events. Was Willow Run (click here) built before World War II to a prescribed outcome by government in relation to profits? 

No. Ford Company built the Willow Run facility in request by the country to assist with the war effort. 

That is not a scheme. The USA went into significant debt to be sure all those companies involved in tooling up the country to win WWII. There is a big difference between Wall Street profits AFTER the fact as opposed to 'the scheme' in how to achieve the profits BEFORE the fact.

No, Mr. Death by Mining the EPA is not breaking the rules, it is enforcing them.

Robert Murray, center, chairman of Murray Energy Corp., embraces Dave Canning, left, and Mike Glassom, right, two miners in charge of drilling bore holes into the Crandall Canyon Mine, during a news conference northwest of Huntington Utah, on Sunday, Aug, 26, 2007.

By Associated Press business staff 
on March 09, 2012 at 4:19 PM, 

updated March 09, 2012 at 5:59 PM

...In documents (click here) filed in federal court in Salt Lake City Friday, attorneys for Genwal Resources Inc. noted that while it agreed to plead guilty to two counts of violating mandatory health and safety standards and pay the fine, the company can withdraw the agreement should the court not accept the plea....

It doesn't get worse than Murray Mining. He has been paying off Republicans for decades to effect federal law. Boo, hoo, boo, hoo, hand the man a crying towel.

...Government mine inspectors have issued 325 citations against the Utah mine since January 2004, according to federal Mine Safety and Health Administration online records. Of those, 116 were what the government considered "significant and substantial," meaning they are likely to cause injury....

...Murray Energy Corp.'s political action committee has been an active contributor to GOP candidates.

The Murray Energy Corp. Political Action Committee has given more than $155,000 to Republican candidates, including $30,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, since 2005, according to Federal Election Commission records.

The committee donated to Republican Senate candidates such as George Allen in Virginia, now presidential candidate Sam Brownback of Kansas and Katherine Harris of Florida. It also gave to Ohio Republican Reps. Deborah Pryce and Patrick Tiberi, and Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich. The committee did not give to any Democrats during the same period, FEC records show.

In 2004, Murray gave $15,000 of his own money to the NRSC, and he gave $10,000 in 2006. Among other donations in the last election cycle, he gave $2,000 to Ohio Republican Sen. Mike DeWine's unsuccessful re-election campaign....

...The companies controlled by Murray Energy include The Ohio Valley Coal Co.'s Powhatan No. 6 mine in Ohio. The Ohio Valley Coal PAC also gave thousands of dollars to Republican causes, including $10,000 for Bush-Cheney election in 2000....

You scratch my back, I scratch yours. That is how it works in 'real life' ya know. When I say corruption, I mean corruption. With 325 safety violations Murray Mining should have been shut down a long time ago and Crandall wasn't the only one. 

...Six miners died at Crandall Canyon in central Utah in the August 2007 collapse so powerful that it initially registered as a 3.9-magnitude earthquake. Another cave-in 10 days later killed two rescuers and a federal inspector. The operation was eventually called off after drilling into the mountain found no sign of the trapped men. Their bodies remain deep in the mine's catacombs....

Would anyone expect anything less from Murray Mining. It has been a corrupt and dangerous business from the day it opened. The "Rap Sheet" is as long as a mine shaft.

Prior to the collapse, the Crandall Canyon Mine had received 64 violations and $12,000 in fines

Has Murray Mining paid all their fines yet? WITH INTEREST?

Murray's meltdown: Angry, rambling briefing draws rebukes (click here)

...It was a public relations meltdown that prompted the chairman of the U.S. House labor committee to demand that federal officials take the helm of all future briefings on the cave-in that trapped six men in the Crandall Canyon coal mine.

But in many ways it appears to have been Murray being Murray - an eccentric, passionate, politically connected coal executive who has never shied from speaking his mind.

In his briefing, an update of the Crandall Canyon mine collapse that was carried live on national television, Murray defended the coal industry, attacked the media and railed against what he called a foolhardy crusade against global warming that jeopardized his industry and America's economy....

Murray has severe emotional problems. He turns on the anger in public to draw attention away from gross mismanagement. He is histrionic and a drama queen. His public meltdowns are suppose cause political damage to anyone that should have protected him from financial losses and from being blamed for deaths. After all he is just trying to make a living.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) -- He's a bulldog in a 5-foot-11 frame, bellowing about earthquakes, global warming, helicopter noise and traffic on national TV as six of his miners lay trapped underground. (click here)

Bob Murray, though, prefers another description for himself: underdog.

A fourth-generation miner who grew up poor in the hills of southeastern Ohio, Murray chose mining over medical school and says he has the scars -- which he readily displays -- that come from years of toiling underground.

A simple miner, he considers himself, ("That's all I am. That's all I am.''), despite rising through the industry to become chairman of the nation's 12th-largest coal company, Murray Energy Corp. of Cleveland.

What he has become this week is the very public and complex face of the nation's latest mine disaster -- so belligerent at times that he has drawn criticism from members of Congress....

Bulldog? He reminds me of a sick cow. Tantrums. No leadership. Tantrums and handing out paychecks to make sure the mines are making as much money as possible everyday.

June 19, 2014

By Joanna M. Foster

Ohio-based Murray Energy, (click here) the nation’s largest privately owned coal company, has made good on its threat to sue over the EPA’s proposed new carbon emission rule.

On Wednesday, as the rule was being published in the Federal Register, the lawsuit against the EPA was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The suit requests that the Court issue a writ to prevent the EPA from implementing the “disastrous” carbon-cutting rule.

“This is clearly an illegal attempt by the Obama EPA to impose irrational and destructive cap-and-tax mandates, which Congress and the American people have consistently rejected,” Gary M. Broadbent, assistant general counsel and media director for Murray Energy, said in a statement. “These proposed rules will cause immediate and irreparable harm to Americans, including our citizens on fixed incomes and our manufacturers of products that compete in the global marketplace.”

I want to know if any of Murray's fine and/or lawsuit settlements have been paid along with interest that has accumulated all these years? Why do I want to know? Because he is about to begin a new set of violations and fines. He may as well get the first bunch cleared up before he starts the next set.

BY MIKE GORRELL THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 3:24 PM

Thursday's $950,000 fine (click here) to end the disaster investigation itself was almost twice as big as the fine Murray Energy Co. paid earlier to end a criminal probe into the 2007 Crandall Canyon mine disaster.

That provided some consolation to loved ones of eight miners and the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspector who were killed in two implosions 10 days apart at the Emery County coal mine.

But there was continued aggravation, too.

Most stemmed from the fact that, in addressing a settlement reached with MSHA to end the civil case, Murray Energy still proclaimed it was not responsible for the disaster that began Aug. 6, 2007, when the mine's walls blew in on a six-man crew deep underground. The disaster worsened Aug. 16 when another implosion ripped into rescuers clawing their way toward the trapped miners through rubble-filled tunnels, killing three more men and injuring six others.

"Had the matter gone to a hearing," said a Murray Energy statement Thursday, "[we] would have presented evidence that the alleged violations did not contribute to the cause or effect of the 2007 accidents."...