Thursday Open Thread
I’m traveling this week. I’m in Boston so this page may be intentionally left blank.
This is not from The Onion: John Ashcroft is joining Blackwater as an ethics advisor.
The consortium in charge of restructuring the world’s most infamous private security firm just added a new chief in charge of keeping the company on the straight and narrow. Yes, John Ashcroft, the former attorney general, is now an “independent director” of Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater.
Ashcroft will head Xe’s new “subcommittee on governance,” its backers announced early Wednesday in a statement, an entity designed to “maximize governance, compliance and accountability” and “promote the highest degrees of ethics and professionalism within the private security industry.”
In other words, no more shooting civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan; no more signing for weapons its guards aren’t authorized to carry in warzones; no more impersonations of cartoon characters to acquire said weaponry; and no more ‘roids and coke on the job.
Ashcroft’s arrival at Xe is yet another clear signal it’s not giving up the quest for lucrative government security contracts now that it’s no longer owned by founder Erik Prince, even as it emphasizes the side of its business that trains law enforcement officers. In September, it won part of a $10 billion State Department contract to protect diplomats, starting with the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem. Ashcroft, a U.S. senator before becoming attorney general in the Bush administration, is a very known quantity to the federal officials that Xe will pitch. Even if he’s not lobbying for Blackwater, Ashcroft’s addition on the board is meant to inspire confidence in government officials of its newfound rectitude.
I assume this means Blackwater will make sure to cover all naked women with expensive drapery.
Tags: Open Thread
The bogusity of charter schools:
http://www.tnr.com/book/review/charter-school-experiment
So with bin Laden out of the way, the Senate can vote on the Ryan budget any day now, right?
Gail Collins has an excellent piece on the hypocrisy of Daniels from Indiana and the uterus police at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/opinion/05collins.html?_r=1&hp
Yea, expensive drapery….but see through.
I bet dollars to donuts these guys carry heavier weapons in their hands than in their pants.
The core competency of the GOP on display — BushCo didn’t go to Ground Zero with the President because his feelings are hurt.
He didn’t get enough credit, so he stays home? Seriously guys, you were much better off when the invite turn down looked like a self-effacing bit of grace.
I am so over Jack Markell!! Tax cuts for the rich and tax breaks for the banks. How about giving me a break?
Here’s a fun link. I got ‘solid liberal’ shared with 14% of the population.
http://ht.ly/4NQw5
Hey, I’m a “solid liberal,” too! Thanks for the link, ek. I love those fun, silly tests!
“Solid Liberal” is the best category. “Best educated of the groups: 49% hold at least a bachelor’s degree and 27% have post-graduate experience.” Also, highest passport ownership.
I answered the questions but initially forgot to select Democrat and Male and Age, and it called me “Post-Modern.” Then when I went back and checked Democrat and Male and my age, it called me a Solid Liberal. Go figure. “Pretty liberal for an old guy…”
I liked “Post Modern” better.
General Motors boasts a $3.2 billion profit. Guess those government bailouts paid off after all. Where are all the Libertarian and GOP voices decrying the bailouts now? LOL. http://aol.it/jQR6WT
Being handsome yet dim, my question is where does the House go after all the (R)ats abandon Ryan’s ship? I know they double down but this ain’t backgammon.
I’d like to ask another question as an idiot Adonis: is it acceptable to unemploy all the data entry “talent” when we achieve single payer?
Will the administration release photos of the death panels from blue cross and united and the rest of the healthcare network swindlers?
This is a great story — the WVA school where Jamie Oliver brought his Food Revolution is apparently still serving up good food and still trying to be committed to his principles.