Hoekstra isn't going to investigate sh#t. Blackwater ties:

[EFerrari]

Hoekstra Admits Close Ties With Blackwater's Erik Prince

October 11 2007


In column printed in Sunday's Grand Rapids Press, editor Mike Lloyd mused on the role of private security firms in Iraq. The column, titled "Debate on private security in Iraq hits home," is notable not so much for Lloyd's comments on Blackwater and his paper's coverage of it, but rather for his interview with Holland representative Peter Hoekstra and Hoekstra's discussion about his connections to Blackwater founder and Holland native Erik Prince.

At one point in Lloyd's column, Hoekstra says "we're all connected in Holland Bingo" after responding to questions about his connections with the Blackwater founder. Hoekstra told the Press that his connection goes "way back," explaining that he attended the same Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church as the Prince family, that Erik Prince is related to Hoekstra's best friend from high school, and that Prince is friends with Hoesktra's in-district director, Bill Huizenga. Hoekstra says that he has talked to Prince regularly, stating "I've called him, and he's called me. Erik has people on the ground all the time. I get a different perspective from him than I do from our own military."

Not surprisingly, Hoekstra says nothing ill of Erik Prince. He criticized the recent hearing at which Prince testified about the role of Blackwater in Iraq, arguing that Prince was unfairly targeted. Hoekstra said that the hearings "set up a situation where the media coverage made Erik the poster child for a war policy run amok. It was unfair." Hoekstra--who has been protected by Blackwater each of the nine times that he has visited Iraq--says that Blackwater is very good at providing security. He says that it is worth the money and that the United States is "not using these private contractors because we want to. We are using them because we have to." He further says that Prince is "professional" and "intense"

Beyond this, it worth thinking about what is excluded from Lloyd's comments on Blackwater. Lloyd--the editor of West Michiga's largest and Grand Rapids' only newspaper--essentially gives Hoekstra space to defend Blackwater. Hoekstra is never challenged by Lloyd, nor are any of his claims about Blackwater. Instead, his claims go unchecked and Lloyd never asks the big questions--why it is acceptable for the chair of the House Intelligence Committee to be getting intelligence information from or why Hoesktra claims that Blackwater's mercenaries are "needed" in Iraq. Similarly, Lloyd never takes the time to disclose the fact that Prince--not just his family--is a significant donor to the Republican Party. In fact, Erik Prince himself gave $1,000 to Hoekstra's campaign in both 2004 and 2005, and $500 in 1999.

http://www.mediamouse.org/features/101107hoeks.php

Hoekstra is a red herring, folks. He's not going to investigate anything that chokes off business to Blackwater.

[begin_within]

1. God Rest Ye Merry, Blackwater!

[MikeNearMcChord]

2. LOL! Anyway I am in the middle of Jeremy Scahill's book

Blackwater: The Rise Of The World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army. This book is a call for the abolition of private merc armies and I agree.

[EFerrari]

4. When hip boots are too short!

:wow:

[EFerrari]

3. And Mr. Reyes also has ties to a dirty security contractor:

Eyebrows Raised over Reyes' Ties to Troubled Contractor
By Justin Rood - December 4, 2006, 9:05AM

The melee over who would be the next House intelligence committee chairman made our head spin. In fact, in our excitement over Reps. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) and Jane Harman (D-CA), we all but overlooked a bit of muck that attached itself to the man who was tapped to fill the post.

But the Washington Post helpfully reminded us on Saturday of a scandal from last year which threatened to tarnish the reputation of Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), the former border patrol agent and Vietnam gunner whom House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi has chosen to lead the intel panel.

Shortly after getting elected to Congress in 1996, Reyes began pushing for a pricey program to install surveillance cameras along the northern and southern U.S. borders. He also pushed for a certain business, International Microwave Corp., to win that contract, according to the Post, who broke the story in April 2005. The paper gave no details on how Reyes is said to have supported the company's bid.

In 1999, IMC won the contract, worth over $200 million. And at the advice of the Immigration and Naturalization Service official who was managing the operation, the company hired Reyes' daughter, Rebecca Reyes, to be his liaison at the company, the Post reported.

* * * *

I'm still checking on possible ties to JOSE RODRIGUEZ. But, holy cow, do any of us expect these two to head up an investigation on the CIA tape destruction? Anyone who thinks so, I have a bridge for sale.

:crazy:

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002069.php

[L. Coyote]

5. I fail to see how this bears on the torture tapes investigation.

It just seems like reaching for a way to bash another Dem. In science, this is termed pseudo-science, and it is characterizes by having a pre-disposition, and then weaving whatever information on can find into the conclusion dictated by the prejudice, without regard for method, logic or reason.

[EFerrari]

6. Really? You see no problem with a congressman in bed with

slimy security firms claiming to investigate the CIA, in bed with slimy security firms?

It's not going to happen. It's bad for business.

And, btw, Hoekstra is a Republican. Thak you for playing.

[KoKo]

8. You do know that Hoekstra is a Repug? His Bio from WIKI...

(born October 30, 1953) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. A Republican, Hoekstra has represented the Michigan's 2nd congressional district (<2>) since taking office in 1993 following his win in the 1992 election.

Born in Groningen in the Netherlands, Hoekstra emigrated to Holland, Michigan, U.S., at the age of three with his family. (Hoekstra's district has the largest concentration of Dutch-Americans in the country.) Hoekstra attended Hope College, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975 and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in 1977.

Prior to running for Congress, Hoekstra worked for office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, eventually rising to vice president for marketing. In 1992, he ran in the Republican primary for the 2nd District, which had been renumbered from the 9th district after the 1990 Census.

The district had been held for 26 years by Guy Vander Jagt, longtime chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Hoekstra rode his bicycle across the district, charging that Vander Jagt had served in Congress for too long. He promised to serve no more than six terms (12 years) in the House, and not to accept any money from political action committees. He scored a monumental upset, winning by almost six percent. This primary win was tantamount to election in the 2nd district, the "most Republican" district in Michigan (Republicans have held the district for all but four years since it was created in 1873).

In 2004, Hoekstra broke his term limits pledge by announcing that he would run for a seventh term, citing his membership on the Select Committee on Intelligence. By this time he had also accepted a considerable amount of money from political action committees; in 2006 alone, Hoekstra had accepted more than $160,000 (<3>).

Despite these revelations, Hoekstra faced no significant opposition in the Republican primary or in the general election (as in his previous five reelection campaigns) and went on to secure his seventh term. Shortly after the primary, he was named chairman of the committee, succeeding Porter Goss, who became Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Hoekstra has a very conservative voting record, which is consistent with the tendency of the 2nd to elect some of Michigan's most conservative state and federal legislators. However, he opposes amending the Constitution to prohibit flag desecration.

Hoekstra is thinking about running for governor of Michigan in 2010.<4>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hoekstra

[vanboggie]

23. West Michigan Dutch Christian Reformed. Mafia

The Dutch Christian Reform elite in the W. Michigan area are bound by not only religion, but by power and money. Their ties to the radical (faux) Christian Right and BushCo are legendary in these parts. Don't "misunderestimate" what they will do to protect each other, their power structure and $$$$$.
'

[amandabeech]

37. Thank you for saying it.

I'm originally from the northern part of Hoekstra's district. We are just north of the heavy Dutch settlement line.

My mom grew up Roman Catholic in Fremont, and I have non-Dutch relatives who live in Spring Lake. It was really bad for them.

I thought that things were getting a little better for outsiders, but it sounds like it's the same-'ole, same-'ole.

Don't forget Scamway! Uh, Alticor.

[EFerrari]

38. What do you mean by Scamway? Amway? n/t

[amandabeech]

40. Yes, Amway. n/t

[EFerrari]

41. Thanks. I didn't want my @SSumptions get ahead of me. n/t

[amandabeech]

42. Happy to be of help. n/t

[KoKo]

7. All in it together......more bad news. They (Repug & Dems) will NEVER do the investigation

necessary and if one get's news only from cable they could never know of the tangled web of connections that run through both parties...but stronger in Repugs to all the Crime & Corruption we are witnessing every day that is tearing our country apart.

[EFerrari]

9. There's too much money on the line. That's what's been bugging me

through out this whole flap. When BushCo privatized intelligence and operations, they opened a big fat freeway to corruption. And now, the chair and ranking member that are all over the press claiming they're "defying" Bush, well, they're fixing to do damage control so their business friends don't lose any business.

I need a shower.

[KoKo]

10. and...who could have figured we'd

be "drowned in the bathtub"..."thrown under the bus" and chastised for hanging laundry in Pelosi's Landscaping....

Maybe some knew...but many didn't until they showed their true feelings and loyalties. Now it's clear....but still devastating to those of us who didn't get it during Clinton when we were fighting to save him from what we "thought" were his "enemies." HA!

[donkeyotay]

26. I have a wealthy friend who travels to all kinds of places

(She was apologetic that her bush tax break was bigger than my income, but I digress.) Her standard for whether she's comfortable in a third world country is that she draws the line when they start throwing laundry over bushes instead of having clotheslines.

Maybe that's where we went wrong, throwing our laundry over Miss Pelosi's proper bushes in front of the big house, and worst yet, it wasn't even laundered laundry, it was dirty, dirty, naughty laundry. Hang it up proper on the nice clotheslines out back, whitewashed, so that no one sees it, and maybe the dems will like us again. You know, we can complain, just so long as we don't expect anything to come of it.

[EFerrari]

28. As long as we don't make laundry waves.

lol

Let's GO, my Code Pink Sisters!

[slipslidingaway]

11. K&R thanks n/t

[donkeyotay]

12. I think I'm detecting a pattern here. The junta breaks the law and then claims

it shouldn't be investigated or prosecuted because the culpability is deflected onto those that carried out the junta's policies.

He criticized the recent hearing at which Prince testified about the role of Blackwater in Iraq, arguing that Prince was unfairly targeted. Hoekstra said that the hearings "set up a situation where the media coverage made Erik the poster child for a war policy run amok. It was unfair."

So, the CIA interrogators shouldn't be held accountable for carrying out bush's torture.

The telephone companies shouldn't by held accountable for carrying out bush's domestic spying.

The Dept. of Justice shouldn't be held accountable for carrying out bush's obstructions of justice.

And, the defense contractors shouldn't be held accountable for bush's "war policy run amok."

This list is by no means exhaustive, but the point being is there anyone who should be held accountable. Anyone? Names? Suggestions? Anyone spring to mind?

[EFerrari]

13. There is no such thing as Executive responsibility, only Exec privilege.

Didn't you get the memo? :)

/oops

[donkeyotay]

24. I am memoless. And loopless, and even if I did get one, I can't recall remembering recollecting it.

Holland, again. Interesting. I remember the Abramoff investigation had a Holland connection. The Boston Globe, Feb. 23, 2006, "Abramoff ties to Russians probed: US inquiry widens to energy concerns" by Michael Kranish mentioned "an obscure Dutch firm called Voor Huisen."

Voor Huisen has been shrouded in mystery, and is rarely mentioned in the thousands of articles about Abramoff. A Dutch magazine, Vrij Nederland, reported last month that Voor Huisen was a shell company that had no activity and no assets. Dutch records do not list any shareholders.<end>

But we don't have to worry about any of this because all the agencies and the Department of Justice are working night and day to get to the bottom of it all. If we need to know anything, they'll tell us, although I'm pretty sure they've already decided that we really shouldn't know anything about what our government is doing.

:hi:

[EFerrari]

25. "If we need to know anything, they'll tell us".

You Bingo bastard!

:rofl:

[Kurovski]

14. K&R. (nt)

[EFerrari]

15. I want to call someone but I don't know who to call.

Can't call Nancy. Her people hate me because they know I'm with that evil Code Pink. Boxer can't really help although, her people would likely agree that this investigation is compromised going in.

Who then? Waxman? Woolsey is just over the bridge. So is Barbara Lee. I thought of calling Reyes office. But, they'd just CYA in advance. Thought of calling some reporters who wrote stories about this over the weekend, but after reading the same, that looks like a stenographic dead end.

Palast?

I dunno. :shrug:

[Kurovski]

16. Keith Olbermann?

Waxman might at least file it.

[EFerrari]

17. KO is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that because I don't watch

any more -- those two headed kitten stories were keeping me awake at night.

I will call Waxman's office. Later today or early tomorrow because no one really takes new business on Monday. Thanks!

:loveya:

[spanone]

18. why doesn't that investigation go to a democratic senator?

[EFerrari]

19. Dupe.

[EFerrari]

21. I don't know. There's no reason for the Senate NOT to open

an investigation. Maybe it's a political calculation? The Senate seems to have so much trouble functioning at all, it isn't surprising that the Democratic leadership wouldn't route this issue there at this particular point.

If we don't let them steal it, this will change in 2008. At least we have that to look forward to.

[Rex]

20. Cleanup man. Will whitewash all the crimes for Blackwater.

Maybe a token court case, just for the crowd.

[EFerrari]

22. Theater, as far as I can tell. I hope I'm wrong. n/t

[Rex]

27. We've watched this particular act for 7 years

can't see it ending soon. Too many actors. These guys have money invested into this working for them! What do we have?

[EFerrari]

29. I don't want to be unfair to the Democrats that have been fighting off

the Bush corruption. And that have little control of the members in their ranks that succumb to it.

Our new Democratic Executive will have a real job on his hands. I wish him well.

[Rex]

30. I can't see a pardon in the works by our next Dem leaders.

True, the GOP is really leaving them in a horrible mess. But hey, that is what the Dems do best, fix the horrible messes the GOP makes when they steal elections and destroy countries.

[EFerrari]

31. Isn't that the truth.

I only hope that my attitude doesn't get too bad between now and then.

So many Bush years, so little to look forward to.

I bet these @ssholes count on us burning out. We have to find a way to outlast their @sses.

:grr:

[Disturbed]

32. Isn't Hoaxtra the same Asshole that found WMDs in Iraq?

Didn't he make that claim?

This "Investigation" of his would be a farce.

He broke two of his pledges. Oh, I am shocked!

[EFerrari]

36. I don't know. But, I haven't heard anyone bring up the fact

that he has every reason not to find anything in this "investigation". :shrug:

[Kurovski]

33. Kick.(nt)

[EFerrari]

34. Skinner is going to make a dungeon just for me.

lol

:)

[Kurovski]

35. Oh, fark!

:rofl: :rofl:

You ain't nothin' but trouble. :rofl:

You're such a goddam cutie.

[suffragette]

39. Both a red herring and an interesting media gambit

Or at least that's what struck me first when I saw the article in the newspaper about Hoekstra saying he wants this investigated. The focus was on Hoekstra, with the article all about his pushing of this. House Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes is mentioned briefly and only in conjunction with Hoekstra. The article really makes it sound as if Hoekstra is taking the leadership role on that committee and Reyes is just there hanging out - that's if you even read closely enough to see him mentioned. Talk about a reallocation of power and influence. It makes it sound like the Republicans are the ones taking charge and leadership of committees.
It's far from the 1st time I've noticed this. It seems to be occurring more often. They've been doing it a lot with Specter as well. Of course, we all know how his demands for investigations go - the loud start, then the quiet sound of a broom sweeping it all under the rug.

Here's an example:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153ap_cia_videotapes.html

[EFerrari]

43. Yes! There was a similar article in the SF Chronicle.

Hoekstra making a lot of noise with a lot of attitude.

Exactly. If you didn't know he was close to Prince and that whole crew, you'd swear he was a crime fighter.

[suffragette]

45. Yes, I think that these articles are purposefully painting them

as the tough leaders and the Democrats as the ineffective and weak followers. Bad enough that the Democrats have indeed been acting weak too often for my preferences, but worse that this disempowers them further. And it's subtle enough that many people won't catch it. they'll just think the Republicans are the ones fighting for them when we know it isn't the case.
In addition, you have to seek out the info about the Prince connection (and a big thank you for doing that).
I put Hoekstra and Blackwater into the Google news search box and know what I got - nothing, not a single hit, not one article.

[KharmaTrain]

44. Wasn't He Searching For Able Danger With Weldon?

Here's a man with an agenda against the CIA for motives the corporate media just can't seem to get their conflicted heads around. damn straight he wants to destroy the CIA...he's got a lot of reasons for it...and Blackwater fits right in. It goes to the right wing mantra that the CIA set up boooshie with false intel that created the messes we're in now and the agency needs to be "reshaped" in a more "effective manner"...just like how they "fixed" the Justice Department. "Fixing" of course means more outsourcing to Blackwater and other contributorscontractors who grease the GOOP wheels.

If we see an investigation, it'll be a wild goose chase...trying to revise history and make the CIA the losers here. This battle has been ongoing between the Executive (and the GOOP) and the CIA and many on the right think the Plame investigation, the revelation of spying, black sites and now this are efforts from inside the CIA to discredit the booooosh regime. They tried to "fix" things with Porter Goss, but that game came to an end right about the time word came out about Goss' poker games with Dusty Foggo and prostitutes nearby. Hayden's been a bust as well...leaks are still coming out. Hoekstra's job is to shut it down...divert and confuse.