Paul Luvera Journal

People who are elected to public office are accountable to the citizens and taxpayers for their conduct and for spending of tax dollars. The original motivation for running for public office was that of wanting to provide a public service, not personal financial gain. In recent years, however, scandals regarding public officials taking financial advantage of their position have become more frequent just as the reports of excessive payments to CEO’s have become commonplace. (See post 4/6/07) The Seattle PI…

Read More Read More

Gary Trudeau in his Doonesbury (R) comic strip this Sunday pokes fun at the Republican insistence their party and candidates stand for family values, but the Democrats do not. His character Michael Doonsbury in the comic strip notes that on the Republican side the three front runners, Giuliani, McCain and Ginrich have five divorces among them, and says "four of them were really messy and all of them involving adultery." He then notes that on the Democratic side the three…

Read More Read More

Arianna Huffington’s blog has the disturbing follow up to the scandal of Congress and big oil’s love affair. See my report of 2/19/07 for the original report of the huge gift the lame duck Republican congress gave big oil by not charging for their government leases. The Democrats promised to fix this outrageous $10 Billion dollar windfall the Republican Congress had provided. A bill was passed in the house which which would require the oil industry to pay royalties from…

Read More Read More

Susan Dudley is typical of George Bush’s nomination of anti regulatory and anti environmental zealots to head important agencies responsible to control big oil and big business in their greed for profit at the expense of our planet. His appointees are selected as people who are expected to undermine  the function of these agencies and allow industry to do what they want. This is a person who opposed EPA plans for tougher public health standards for smog; who opposed cleaner…

Read More Read More

My mother, Mary Babarovich, had an uncle John Babarovich who died in 1916 and is buried in the Anacortes, Washington cemetery with the rest of the family. His tomb stone stands out from the rest because of what is written on it. It says: "Known among men as Honest John." Truth and honesty is an important part of the American culture especially in the West. Standing up and being accountable, speaking out when things aren’t right, and taking the blame…

Read More Read More

The furor over the political hatchet job done to the fired U.S. Attorneys will not be swept under the rug like the previous Republican Congress was always able to get away with. Now that some balance of power has been restored the facts are going to be exposed. I’ve reported my views about this before. (3/17/07) but the facts keep creeping closer and closer to George Bush and Karl Rove. The Bush Administration supporters have made two excuses for their…

Read More Read More

Barack Obama is a hot political item these days. He seems to be taking the political scene with a tsunami like wave of public approval. But, should Democrats, and especially plaintiff trial lawyers, jump on his presidential band wagon? Rolling Stone Magazine, in an interview about him, pointed out: "What Obama stands for, if anything, is not yet clear. Everywhere he goes he is greeted by thrilled crowds, trailed constantly by a reporter from the Chicago Tribune who is writing…

Read More Read More

I’ve complained about the obscene plan to raise half a billion dollars for a George Bush presidential library before. See "A Five Hundred Million Dollar George W. Bush Library" But, now Congress appears to be doing something about it. Rep. Harry A. Waxman (D CA) and others have introduced HR 1254 the "Presidential Donation Reform Act of 2007" which would require disclosure of donors to presidential libraries. It is a bipartisan measure which should improve its chances of passing as…

Read More Read More

The jury may have convicted Scooter Libby, but they convicted the wrong man. Hiding behind his skirts were three of the real culprits. The undisputed evidence demonstrates that Dick Cheney was the real perpetrator, with the assistance of Karl Rove and the cooperation of George Bush as his accomplices. In spite of their conspiracy of action you knew they were never be held accountable given their political protection. In fact, the prosecutor never even called the key witness in the…

Read More Read More

It’s time for Senator Joe Lieberman to take off the mask and come out of the closet. He is not a Democrat nor an Independent. He is, and always has been, a Republican. The evidence overwhelming even though he caucuses with the Senate Democratic majority. President Bush has no stronger or more vocal supporter for his failed Iraq war policies then the good Senator. Of course, during the short time he was running for re-election and losing in the Democratic…

Read More Read More