Burris Tripped Up in Blagojevich Timeline
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A quick trip around Hannity's America...
Temp Job?
Just when you thought the Blagojevich scandal was over, it got new wind in its sails over the weekend thanks to Illinois Senator Roland Burris.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}During Blago's impeachment hearing, Senator Burris testified that he was not aware of any pay to play scheme in the governor's office. On February 5, Mr. Burris amended his testimony just slightly, indicating that he was not only aware of such a scheme, but that the governor's own brother tried to solicit $10,000 from Mr. Burris in connection with his interest in the Senate seat he went on to fill! Oh, details!
Despite Mr. Burris's stunning dishonesty, he maintains he has been clear all along:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TIMOTHY WRIGHT, ROLAND BURRIS' LAWYER: I thought we'd been absolutely transparent in this matter. Everything we've done has been transparent. We've answered every question at each point in time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Asked whether he'd been in touch with the FBI in connection with these new revelations, Mr. Burris and his lawyer responded in their completely transparent manner:
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WRIGHT: He said there may have been some contact, and they haven't asked us for anything.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Can you tell us when that nature of that contact is?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WRIGHT: No, I can't. That's — no, I cannot.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Can you tell us what...
WRIGHT: No, I cannot.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Have they informed you that you were caught — picked up on a wiretap?
WRIGHT: No, they have not, and we cannot speak to that. OK?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Why not?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WRIGHT: Well, because I said we can't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Looks like Mr. Burris has been taking cues from the Obama administration on that one.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stimulating Stuff!
We continue on the subject of transparency with senior presidential adviser David Axelrod, who made the talk show rounds yesterday, defending the Democrats' pork bill. For his unique ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth, Mr. Axelrod comes in for our Liberal Translation treatment:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DAVID AXELROD, SENIOR ADVISER TO OBAMA: Obviously, this is a complex task administering this program and we're going to devote significant resources to making sure that it's done right in terms of oversight, transparency.
LIBERAL TRANSLATION: You know, the same kind of transparency the stimulus bill had… none!
AXELROD: People will know what's happening, and we'll know what's happening.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LIBERAL TRANSLATION: People will know, and those of us in the administration who are better than people will also know.
AXELROD: That there are a lot of projects all over this country that are ready to go, that have been vetted and cleared and we're just waiting for funding that will begin very quickly.
LIBERAL TRANSLATION: We've done such a good job vetting so far, THIS should be a cinch.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(END VIDEO CLIP)
Best of luck with that vetting, Mr. Axelrod.
Grace Under Fire
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One Democratic congresswoman does not need the government's economic stimulus package. California Representative Grace Napolitano has found a way to beat these tough economic times on her own.
According to Bloomberg News, since 1998, Representative Napolitano has made over $220,000 from interest payments on a loan that she made to her own congressional campaign. Although the original loan was only $150,000, Napolitano has been able to accumulate nearly a quarter of a million dollars by charging as much as 18 percent interest on the loan and it's still not paid off.
Napolitano has argued that the excessive interest rate is justified because she had to pay penalties for using stock from her Ford Motor Company retirement fund for the original loan.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}We now know that Napolitano is making out like a bandit. The stock that she sold to make the loan was worth $40 a share in 1998 and is now worth less than $2 a share.
Gwyneth: Not Green
Monday night's Meltdown is brought to you by Hollywood enviro-expert Gwyneth Paltrow. The actress, environmental activist and Learjet liberal was called out by The Times of London newspaper after infrared pictures taken of her home revealed that it is leaking energy at an alarming rate.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The vocal supporter of the Act Green Energy Conservation Initiative was one of 10 high-profile green advocates in England to be targeted in the investigation. Paltrow's husband Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay, is also an active environmentalist and in order to offset the CO2 emissions created by his band's second album, planted a forest of mango trees in India.
The Hollywood power couple better get their shovels ready. Another mango farm looks to be in their near future.
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