Grand master blackbelts on both sides.

 

Someone on FOX yesterday actually said "I wonder what Joe the Plumber thinks about all this." True story.

 

edit: anyone know if he Joe the Plumber won his lawsuit against the state of Ohio for illegally searching his private records and handing them over to the media and all the other pro-Democrat organizations?

That was publicly available information wasn't it?

 

I think we need to hear more of Joe's uninformed, irrelevant opinions. America clearly cares what he thinks.

On 2, I have a hard time believing that Obama's team would have missed that. I think its simple - its a federal investigation, and Obama's team couldn't have found out unless they got lucky. That's not information that is out there, unless the feds want it out there, usually.

I'd say the same thing...except for the overwhelming evidence that it actually got to this point. Which is why I said that it reflects poorly on them that either they didn't look in to it on their own or they took Richardson at his word that it wasn't a problem.

And to bolster my case...here's a few articles on the company that's at the other end of the richardson investigation and the not-so-nice things they've been involved with in the past.

In 2002, Bank of America fired an employee in its municipal derivatives department after he told his manager that he paid $182,393 to CDR and two rival banks and another adviser on transactions in which they played no role, according to records from the NASD and North Carolina’s state court in Mecklenburg County.

 

Bank of America said in February 2007 it would cooperate with the Justice Department in its national investigation of bid-rigging and price fixing in the municipal derivatives market.

 

CDR also advised states and local governments on the purchase of interest-rate swaps.

 

In April 2001, CDR hired Ron White, a bond lawyer and chief fundraiser for Philadelphia Mayor John Street, as a consultant, paying him a $5,000 retainer to help the company win business with the city. Rubin donated $15,000 to Street between December 2000 and June 2003, according to Pennsylvania state filings.

CDR also ran into controversy in Philadelphia. In April 2001, the firm hired Ron White, a bond lawyer and chief fund-raiser for Mayor John Street, as a consultant, paying him a $5,000 retainer to help CDR win work with the city, according to court documents from a federal corruption trial.

 

Rubin donated $15,000 to Street's election committee from December 2000 to June 2003, the records show. In addition, CDR gave White three tickets to the 2003 Super Bowl game in San Diego and also provided a limousine ride to the stadium. White brought Philadelphia Treasurer Corey Kemp to the event.

 

White also asked Rubin to donate money to the 2004 presidential campaign of Reverend Al Sharpton. Public disclosure of a contribution to Sharpton "would destroy me personally," Rubin said, according to telephone transcripts from the Philadelphia trial. White suggested sending the money to White's federal political action committee. On April 4, 2003, Rubin donated $5,000 to the PAC. The same day, the PAC wrote a $1,000 check to Sharpton.

That was publicly available information wasn't it?

 

I think we need to hear more of Joe's uninformed, irrelevant opinions. America clearly cares what he thinks.

 

the information definitely wasn't supposed to be publicly available, it was private and actually illegal to put out like they did; the lady who searched it and gave it up to the media was suspended without pay for a month.

 

poor joe and his irrelevant opinions. oh well, maybe he can get a permanent spot on the 'Huckabee' show.

the information definitely wasn't supposed to be publicly available, it was private and actually illegal to put out like they did; the lady who searched it and gave it up to the media was suspended without pay for a month.

 

poor joe and his irrelevant opinions. oh well, maybe he can get a permanent spot on the 'Huckabee' show.

Which information was it? The part about him being a licensed plumber seemed legit to be found, the part about the tax lien not so much. If someone gave out private information like that then yeah, I hope he wins his lawsuit. Even though I think he's a f***ing moron and this is confirmed every time I hear him open his mouth.

That was publicly available information wasn't it?

 

I think we need to hear more of Joe's uninformed, irrelevant opinions. America clearly cares what he thinks.

 

With people like Rush, Olberman, Maddow, and Hannity with shows, why not?

With people like Rush, Olberman, Maddow, and Hannity with shows, why not?

Ha. Good point.

 

Honestly I would rather see mr. genius's opinions on TV than Joe the Plumber.

Like one party is somehow more or less corrupt than the other...

 

And even if that were the case, how the hell would make that kind of evaluation? By how often somebody from either party is caught? That's a very accurate way to come such a conclusion!

So why did you appoint him again if you couldn't get an answer out of him?

Barack Obama’s transition team pressed Bill Richardson about a federal probe into “pay-to-play” allegations against his office – the same investigation Richardson cited Sunday in withdrawing his name as commerce secretary.

 

But a Democratic source said Obama’s questioners came away empty handed. “Those guys were pressed for information and they gave nothing,” the source said.

 

Now some Democrats are questioning Obama’s vetting process —- and asking whether Obama’s team went far enough in pushing the New Mexico governor for information in face of the federal grand jury probe that has been public since August.

 

It's the first high-profile stumble for an Obama transition that generally has run smoothly so far—and it deprives Obama of the highest-ranking Hispanic member of his Cabinet, already prompting cries from Latino groups for a prominent replacement.

 

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama learned Friday that Richardson planned to withdraw. He also defended the vetting process, saying, "The totality of our cabinet picks, it’s impressive, and I think our vetters have done a good job."

Like one party is somehow more or less corrupt than the other...

 

And even if that were the case, how the hell would make that kind of evaluation? By how often somebody from either party is caught? That's a very accurate way to come such a conclusion!

Dude I thought you were dead or something, you don't have internet outside of school?

With people like Rush, Olberman, Maddow, and Hannity with shows, why not?

 

I wouldn't lump Maddow into that group. She's not angry and irrational.

I wouldn't lump Maddow into that group. She's not angry and irrational.

Yeah I meant to post that. She's obviously partisan but she is nowhere near as over-the-top and rant-prone as Olbermann, not as absurd and borderline hateful as Hannity, and not idiotic like Rush.

So why did you appoint him again if you couldn't get an answer out of him?

 

There really is a big pattern of protecting the top man in the very short time that the Obama team has been on the stage. He wouldn't answer them? Seriously? And then they nominated him anyway? That makes zero sense to me. Kinda like no one ever talked to Blago about the Senate seat.

Yeah I meant to post that. She's obviously partisan but she is nowhere near as over-the-top and rant-prone as Olbermann, not as absurd and borderline hateful as Hannity, and not idiotic like Rush.

I don't get home in time to watch her show but I would have expected her to be different also. If nothing else, she has a legitimate background, political science degree, and such.

Which information was it? The part about him being a licensed plumber seemed legit to be found, the part about the tax lien not so much. If someone gave out private information like that then yeah, I hope he wins his lawsuit. Even though I think he's a f***ing moron and this is confirmed every time I hear him open his mouth.

 

i pretty sure the plumbers license stuff was legal to bring out.

 

there is a lot of information in state databases that are not supposed to be made public, let alone handed over to the national media like what happened in this case. i believe the search alone was an improper inquiry into a state database as the employee did not have a legit reason to access the information. even as annoying as Joe was during the election, no one should have their privacy violated like that.

i pretty sure the plumbers license stuff was legal to bring out.

 

there is a lot of information in state databases that are not supposed to be made public, let alone handed over to the national media like what happened in this case. i believe the search alone was an improper inquiry into a state database as the employee did not have a legit reason to access the information. even as annoying as Joe was during the election, no one should have their privacy violated like that.

Yes, agreed.

 

IMO if you can find it on the internet without any special access (e.g. Lexis Nexis for law enforcement) then it's fair game. If it's something in a state database that isn't public, or violates the Privacy Act (which should be obvious) then that's over the line.

Dude I thought you were dead or something, you don't have internet outside of school?

Nah man you were right, I'm f***ing dead.

Honestly I would rather see mr. genius's opinions on TV than Joe the Plumber.

 

I definitely need a FOX news show. I would let Joe the Plumber on once just to ban him.

I definitely need a FOX news show. I would let Joe the Plumber on once just to ban him.

You would fit in better on CNN where you wouldn't be overshadowed.

I really dislike that society demands he appoints based on some balance of race, religion, and gender.

So why did you appoint him again if you couldn't get an answer out of him?

Says an unnamed source.

 

I liked Richardson for the Prez job, but if I had to guess who holds the blame here, I go with Richardson. I really doubt this source's story. But, we'll see as time goes on.

 

 

Says an unnamed source.

 

I liked Richardson for the Prez job, but if I had to guess who holds the blame here, I go with Richardson. I really doubt this source's story. But, we'll see as time goes on.

FWIW, ABC ran an identical story citing unnamed sources.

Also, Blagojevich Richardson gave a press conference today on his withdrawal from the nomination and refused to take questions on the investigation.

 

It's my understanding that the investigation had been out there since August and didn't seem like anything was going to come of it, until the Blago indictment which kind of changed things.

 

Tapper was on GMA this morning and talking about how the Richardson nomination was kind of forced because the Obama camp was feeling pressure for a prominent role for a hispanic in the administration.

 

It sounds like this cabinet appointment was given, mostly to mollify latino interest groups.

nonetheless, it's not like Richardson was unqualified.