Katrina Reconstruction = Rove 2006 GOP Congressional Slush Fund?

[McCamy Taylor]

Forget the theories about Rove having been named head of the federal Katrina Reconstruction so that he can use the Gulf Coast as a testing ground for conservative ideology. This would assume that the WH has some ideology beyond covering its ass, making a quick buck and keeping its hands on the reins of power in DC--which it doesnt.

Karl Rove has control of the Katrina Reconstruction for one very important reason. He can now direct which GOP fat cat donors get lucrative contracts. Many of these Pioneers will not even be from the devastated area. They will be from districts where GOP Congressmen are in tight races with Democrats in 2006. The lucky recipients of the Katrina largesse will turn around and kick back part of their ill earned gains to Republican candidates. They will make sure that locals know that the BUSH ADMINSTRATION is the reason the local economy of Podunk, Ohio or Deerspit, Nebraska is doing so well off Mississippi's misfortune.

Democratic business need not apply. That goes double for democratic businesses in the devastated area. They might as well just close up shop. And democratic voting areas in the devastated area will be the LAST to be rebuilt, as Karl uses the Reconstruction to Gerrymander by Disaster for 2006. Keep the Dems in trailer parks divided up in GOP strongholds, in other states if at all possible. That should keep them from voting.

Big Oil will get yet another windfall as it writes off its losses while getting huge government assistance, enabling it to keep the dollars pouring into the Republican Congressional Election Fund.

Watch the money. There will be pattern to how it is spent, but it wont be about ideology. It will be about election 2006 and keeping the House under GOP control so that * cant be impeached.

[ewagner]

1. (sorry for the cliche)Ding, Ding, Ding

WE have a winner.....

This whole funding scheme is designed to serve as a "piggy bank" for the Republican party....contractors will be used to launder the funds back into GOP congressional/senate campaigns....

watch it happen right in plain view....stealing in plain sight again.

[KittyWampus]

6. and it's in plain sight. Thank God, THE DEMOCRATS ARE INVESTIGATING!

there will be an accounting.

The Senate Dems aren't playing dead this time.

[seafan]

2. This is EXACTLY what is happening.

The power grab by Rove and Co. is an addiction.

It needs tremendous amounts of money to sustain itself.

They are going after Social Security money.

They are going after Medicare money.

They have misappropriated and made off with $8.8 Billion dollars in the Iraq fiasco.

The Pentagon mysteriously cannot account for billions over the past 3 years.

They have engineered major no-bid contracts out to their friends, who, in turn, give that money right back to BushCo.

FEMA is a giant slush fund, particularly in Florida last year, an election year by the way, when Miami-Dade County was given ~$28 Million for areas not affected by Hurricane Frances.

Now, Bush has given Rove complete control over the New Orleans *reconstruction* money, and the intent is to dole out money as he sees fit. And *how Rove sees fit* will be to divert this money to electioneering tactics (just like Tom Delay) to keep themselves in power for the duration.

Millions will be spent on illegal redistricting, media propaganda, and for vicious personal smear campaigns against their opponents. The Gulf coast reconstruction will have absolutely NOTHING TO DO WITH IT aside from billions being paid to mercenaries and crony contractors who, like their benefactors, are only interested in economic cleansing of the area.


The American people no longer have any excuse for ignoring and denying all of this any more. People must awaken from their paralysis.

It is time to throw these criminals out of power, indict, convict and imprison.

[Coexist]

3. great analysis - they are very good at disappearing money...

how much is missing in Iraq? It went from 7 million to 1 billion.
as Barak Obama said, "this requires some adult supervision".

[emulatorloo]

4. Rove Gulf Reconstruction also a 2006 "Democrat Trap"

Dems who oppose Rove's Reconstuction will be painted as uncaring, obstructionist, anti-Gulf and Racist, etc etc,

See DU thread here:

TPM Cafe: Rove + Gulf Coast reconstruction + Dems + 2006 Elections

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2097579&mesg_id=2097579

[seafan]

7. Very true.

And what all Dems should be screaming right now is why Karl Rove has the purse strings for these billions for *reconstruction* when he is under investigation for endangering national security by outing Valerie Plame's identity.

And, unbelievably, with no accountability. With no transparency.


We need to get out in front of this Rovian talking point you just illuminated.

Let's dismantle this spin machine once and for all.

[Brother Buzz]

5. Don't forget to factor in "Faith Based" money

You and I shouldn't, for one moment, believe Rove won't be spreading around a ton of dough to the churches to shore up the base. Expect an army of preachers to be stepping up and expousing the virtues of the GOP during the run up to the midterm elections.

[Robertwf]

8. What was Babykarl's first word?

M-o-n-e-y

[satya]

9. No wonder Operation Blessing was on the FEMA-recommended list.

Surely this will get the Dems attention -- even if they don't believe the voting machines are a problem, they've got to realize that Rove will milk this cash cow for all it's worth.

Brilliant observation, McCamy Taylor!

[OneTwentyoNine]

10. And as USUAL are the Dems in power going to sit on their collective ASSES?

And let all this go down?? Actually it would surprise me if they didn't...

[Robertwf]

11. Didn't J*sus Ride a Donkey into Jerusalem?

[McCamy Taylor]

12. Comic strip version of above at Grand Theft Election Ohio "Slush Fund"

For those who like the classic comics version of the news:

http://www.grandtheftelectionohio.com/050919.htm

[iconoclastNYC]

13. Exactly.

If we had a DNC with any balls we'd have a team of PI's on the ground in NOLA waiting to catch these fuckers. I sure hope Howard Dean is a fighter in action as well as in speech.

I hope the next Attoney General is Elliot Spitzer.

[Digit]

14. This will bite * in the butt

Hmmmm, let's see if we can find someone who has already demonstrated very questionable ethics....