The ties that bind. Remember Rahm Emanuel's rent-free DC apartment? The owner: A BP adviser

Forget about Obama's promise to "kick someone's ass". Obama's ass-kicking is much more experienced at kissing ass, as long as a fat campaign contribution is involved. According to the Los Angeles Times of June 7, 201o, BP and its folks were "significant" contributors to the record $750 million war chest of Barack Obama's 2007-08 campaign. Now, we learn the gory details of a connection of Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago mayoral wannabe, currently Obama's chief of staff, ex-representative, ex-Clinton money man and ex-Windy City political machine go-fer. Shortly after Obama's happy inaugural, eyebrows rose slightly upon word that, as a House member, Emanuel had lived the last five years rent-free in a DC apartment of Democratic colleague Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and her husband, Stanley Greenberg. For an "ordinary" American, that would raise some obvious tax liability questions, but like Emanuel, the guy overseeing the Internal Revenue Service now is another Obama insider, Tim Geithner, who had his own outstanding tax problems, but skated through confirmation anyway by the Democratic-controlled Congress. Remember this was all before the letters BP stood for Huge Mess, and even before the Obama administration gave BP a safety award.

Obama is NOT going to "kick anyone in BP's hierarchy's ass!!

Forget what "our President" says on the airwaves for public consumption. Instead of kicking anyone's ass, right now he is more concerned with covering his own. By the way, I did NOT vote for him, so don't blame me for his abuse of the Americans on the Gulf Coast, who are now reduced to poverty, and who now also have to watch while their entire ecosystem goes down the tubes. Wayne Madson, who issued a report: "The Cover-up: BP's Crude Politics and the Looming Environmental Mega-Disaster", and NOT our "President", is now my hero, even though he does not use deceptive rhetoric, like promising to kick a mega-company's "ass". Apparently BP, the polluter of our former pristine Gulf Coast, are still covering up the magnitude of the volcanic-level oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, and are trying very hard to limit BP's liability for damage caused by what can only be called a "mega-disaster". According to FEMA and Corps of Engineers sources, the White House has been resisting releasing any "damaging information" about the oil disaster. They that if the ocean oil geyser is not stopped within 90 days, there WILL be irreversible damage to the marine eco-system of the Gulf of Mexico, north Atlantic Ocean, and beyond. At best, some Corps of Engineer experts say it take two years to cement the chasm on the floor of the Gulf. Please go to Wayne Madsen's Report for Oilprice.com to read the rest of this important story!

Where is the American Freedom Flotilla?

Dr. Sama Adnan wants to know! While eight other countries summoned their Israeli ambassadors, only silence emanates from the Obama Presidency. His response was painfully muted and embarrassingly awkward, regretting the loss of life without assigning blame or responsibility. However, Israel's continuing defiance in the face of American pressure, given the billions of dollars, military technology, and diplomatic cover at the UN from our United States, how can Israel display blatant contempt for American security needs and foreign policy priorities with such impunity? Does the Israeli government have a dirty secret on every American official, blackmailing them into silence? The reality is, unfortunately not much different: AIPAC has been able to threaten every elected government official with an electoral loss, if he, or she criticizes Israel - It is thought to be one of the most powerful lobbies in Congress. Congressional support for Israel plays more to domestic concerns such as desperately needed campaign funds for tight races, rather than American security concerns in the Middle East. Congressional silence about Israel's excesses guarantees campaign contributions from AIPAC! Please click on the headline of this article for the rest of the story by Dr. Sama Adnan !

Joshua's Questions for those who Defend Israel's Inhumane Siege of Gaza

There is NO connection between keeping the desperate Palestinian hungry and keeping weapons out of the hands of Hamas! UN officials have called the food situation in Gaza "grim", "deteriorating", and a "medieval siege". According to the World Health Organization, one in ten Gazans suffer from chronic malnutrition, and six in ten are "food insecure". Israel attacked Gaza's main power plant in 2006, and won't let the Gazans bring in the parts needed to restore service. Power outages last at least 8 hours each day, but some have on electricity for 12 hours a day. 95% of the water in Gaza is not healthy for consumption, and significant amounts of sewage constantly seep into Gaza's aquifer, its main source of water. The World Health Organization says private enterprise is at a standstill, and 98% of industrial operations have been shut down. Why won't Israel allow medical equipment, spare parts, and the necessary building materials to enter Gaza, in order to rebuild the health-care infrastructure that was devastated in the 2008 war? Israel mistakenly appears to believe that her security is enhanced by keeping the Gazans jobless, hungry, and in poor health. That is the definition of collective punishment, which was blamed on Adolf Hitler during World War II.
Please click on the heading, to read the rest of this story by Joshua Holland on alternet.org.

US Reacts to Jewish Temper Tantrum!

Anthony H. Cordesman, who holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, tells us that America's ties to Israel are not based primarily on US strategic interests, since any benefits to the US are negligible. On the other hand, the United States has provided Israel with massive amounts of economic aid, and still provides enough military assistance to its unruly friend to preserve Israel's military superiority over its neighbors. At the same time, the depth of America's moral commitment does not justify or excuse actions by an Israeli government that make Israel a strategic liability, when it should remain an "asset". These would include the strategic bombing in Lebanon during the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, escalating its attack on Gaza long after it had achieved its key objectives, embarrassing the US president by announcing the expansion of Israeli building programs in East Jerusalem at a critical moment in US efforts to put Israeli-Palestinian peace talks back on track, or sending commandos to seize a Turkish ship in a horribly mismanaged effort to halt the "peace flotilla" going to Gaza.
Please click on the headline to read the rest of this story.

Was the Obama Administration involved in Planning the Israeli Attack on the Gaza Flotilla

According to Michel Chossudovsky, whose web site you can read by clicking on the heading of this post, the Israeli Commandos had prior knowledge of those on the doomed Turkish ship, including the precise location of its passengers. Swedish author Henning Mankell, who was on board, "the Israelis attacked sleeping civilians". The Israelis targeted Journalists, immediately confiscating their audio and video recording equipment and tapes. "We were witnesses to premeditated murders," said historian Mattias Gardell, who was on board the doomed vessel. Press TV commented: "They even shot those who surrendered". Apparently the Israeli Commandos had explicit orders to kill, and there were handcuffed people who were shot, in order to trigger a response by Palestine resistance forces. There are indications that the US was consulted at the "highest" level - read "Obama", and both the US and the UK were consulted before the Israelis decided to murder the occupants of the doomed Turkish ship, sent by an "ally" of our United States. At this very moment, many of our other "Allies" in this troubled world are questioning what having the US as an "Allie" really means, when a crisis evolves which threatens their citizens to whom they are responsible! Several high level US-Israeli meetings were held in the months prior to this brutal attack by our "allie". Rahm Emmanuel, Obama's White House chief of staff was in Tel Aviv a week prior to the attacks. Confirmed by press reports, he had meetings behind closed doors with Prime Minister Netanyahu on May 26, as well as a private visit with President Shimon Perez on May 27.