On the day the new Congress convened this year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to route $25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband’s real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms.
Mrs. Feinstein’s intervention on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was unusual: the California Democrat isn’t a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with jurisdiction over FDIC; and the agency is supposed to operate from money it raises from bank-paid insurance payments – not direct federal dollars. Documents reviewed by The Washington Times show Mrs. Feinstein first offered Oct. 30 to help the FDIC secure money for its effort to stem the rise of home foreclosures. Her letter was sent just days before the agency determined that CB Richard Ellis Group (CBRE) – the commercial real estate firm that her husband Richard Blum heads as board chairman – had won the competitive bidding for a contract to sell foreclosed properties that FDIC had inherited from failed banks.
About the same time of the contract award, Mr. Blum’s private investment firm reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission that it and related affiliates had purchased more than 10 million new shares in CBRE. The shares were purchased for the going price of $3.77; CBRE’s stock closed Monday at $5.14.
Mrs. Feinstein and Mr. Blum, a wealthy investment banker, are a power couple in both Washington and California who sat behind President Obama during his inauguration in January. Mrs. Feinstein also is mentioned as a candidate for California governor.
Is “conflict of interest” a term that’s observed in politics anymore? I know, I know, it’s a stupid question.
Even if she was caught raping and setting them on fire she would still be reelected because of the moronic mentality of Kalifornia. (Not all, just enough to get her sorry ass elected.)
I used to live there and I am glad I don’t (as I’m sure the other residents are as well).
Hell, I can’t believe I agree with bobbo on something…..
#31–Diesel==hah, hah. Reelecting Bad Politicians==the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result.
Comes down to: who REALLY wants to run for office? Some “do-gooder” for the public weal, or someone looking to line their own pockets?
History concludes pretty firmly on this. IN FACT, if it were possible, it would be “nice” to not vote any of these sleaze bags into office to begin with. We need intelligent people identified in the womb to be raised from day one to “lead” us. That would remove a lot of the corrupt bias==but would they be taught evolution or ID?
Times have changed . . . draw your own conclusions.
____________________________________
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
. . . when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
_______________________________
Why does this seem so applicable today? Agree or disagree – think for yourself. Do not be a puppet.
Wow, I was hoping that the Dems would keep this kind of crap down, but I should have known better. I have two jobs that both require random drug testing. I was talking with someone at work the other day and we both thought it would be a great idea that politicians started getting random drug tests. You know half those f#ck$ would be quaking in their boots.
On a recent Bill Maher episode, he asked Gore Vidal if we were on the back end of the “bell curve of power and influence” compared to the Roman Empire. $h!t like this REALLY makes me wonder…
Another proof that corruption is at it’s height in Washington and nothing will ever be done to bring the Bride of Frankenstein to justice. This is why she did it and knew that she would get away with it in the first place.
Yeah, we should give more power to government or more accurately stated allow them to steal more power while we just sit back and watch.
Once again the plebian members of society are more than willing to accept any garbage thrown them. The mere suggestion that The Washington Times might not habitually slant their reporting escapes all. I believe they are still denying there are no WMDs in Iraq or that the Bush Administration tortured prisoners.
Doing a quick search of this story, since the Times article itself requires a paid subscription, the only ones falling for this story are those quoting the Times or blogs. Feinstein’s office has vigorously denied the accusations. The contract was awarded by non-political staff after a competitive process. This is an area that her husband’s business regularly engages in.
It’s the Dems turn to cheat and steal. Since the percentage of crooked Dems is higher, we’ll see more of this kind of thing.
Dems==Repubs, Repubs==Dems – Change we can believe in. Ca-Ching!
#36–Fusion==”The contract was awarded by non-political staff after a competitive process.” /// A non-political staffer? What kind of garbage is THIS that you are accepting?
“This is an area that her husband’s business regularly engages in.” /// Irrelevant even if true, or with a history showing a pattern of influence and corruption?
Yep==its just a coincidence my husband got rich off of areas that I happened to fund. Just a coincidence!
Wait..that’s Feinstein in that picture? I thought it was the California Raisins…..I think it was the white gloves that threw me…
#39. Just a Co-inky-Dink. It WAS I’m tellin’ ya.
I’m told when Jackson was elected President his supporters more or less looted the White House. One was quoted as saying, “To the winners go the spills!”
Nothing has changed. That much you can believe in.
It’s all Bush’s fault that Feinstein funneled money to her husband.