Armed with federal cash from Obama, labor unions touted work in Mideast—where are they now?

The AFL-CIO Solidarity Center chair, Richard Trumka, has good reasons to support President Barack Obama—more than $28 million of them actually. In an annual report covering fiscal year 2011, the center listed $28,602,918 in “federal awards” from the U.S. Dept. of Labor, the U.S. Dept. of State and US AID.

That's a big chunk of the center's funding; the total funding is listed as $30,549,977.

It’s useful to recall something I wrote in March, 2011 that virtually no other media paid attention to:

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Protesters cost N.Y.at least $2 million; park not cleaned since Sept. 16

I wrote this on Thursday as the lede to my column at Examiner.com:

“The gullible kids are in the park, in the hands of big union organizers, hatin’ on the rich and spreading any number of communicable illnesses. Don’t believe that last assertion? Watch a few videos of the protesters sharing food and alternative cigarettes. I predict a bedbug or lice outbreak any day now, followed by some strains of hepatitis, tummy bugs and respiratory illnesses. By the way, those fumes emitted from generators running all those pricey laptops aren’t good for your lungs.”

On Friday, media began to report on what I thought was obvious—the consequences of so many bodies in roughly 33,000 square feet of space.

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Despite hard times, US will spend $1 million to send 15 visual artists abroad

The public may be concerned about spending but the federal government apparently is missing the message. The US Dept. of State has announced the smARTpower program, funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.  An announcement at the State Dept. said, “The smARTpower program sends visual artists from across the United States to work with communities around the world to create new works of art.”

The NY Times said the program has $1 million in funding.

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House Republicans release video showing depth of Democrat propaganda

House Republicans have issued a video showing the depth of Democrat propaganda pitching issues like the Stimulus bill that is by most accounts a miserable failure. California congressman Darrell Issa (R) issued a report on Monday. The report addresses propaganda used to pitch issues like healthcare, education and even Justice Dept. matters.  

Issa is the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

In the report analyzing Obama's public relations and propaganda initiatives, Issa said, "Under one-party rule in 2009, the White House used the machinery of the Obama campaign to tout the President’s agenda through inappropriate and sometimes unlawful public relations and propaganda initiatives."

In Monday's column about Issa's propaganda report I mentioned the new Federal Trade Commission guidelines from the Obama administration. Democrats appear to have infracted their own guidelines, but that probably won't surprise many. The US Report received this video Tuesday morning. It illustrates how this Congress (who increased p.r. spending) and administration promote their candidates with taxpayer money and money borrowed from US Sugar Daddy China. Obviously the depth of propaganda is deeper than we realized.

(Commentary by Kay B. Day/Aug. 17, 2010)

Judicial Watch posts documents in ‘Pelosi Air Force Scandal’; travel tops $2 million

The government watchdog group Judicial Watch obtained documents from the Air Force detailing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s use of US Air Force aircraft for Congressional Delegations (CODELs). According to the documents obtained by Judicial Watch through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Speaker’s military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol.

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ACORN could still get taxpayer funds; whistleblower explains

by Chris Carter

Anita Moncrief is fighting for her first amendment rights, having spoken out about alleged misdeeds at ACORN. Like other whistleblowers, Anita has been targeted despite widespread acknowledgment there are complex problems in ACORN's complicated structure.Although Congress suspended ACORN's federal funding and the Census Bureau and IRS  severed ties with ACORN, the scandalized community organizing group could once again receive taxpayer dollars – and soon. In addition, the federal government is allegedly still sending money to ACORN through back channels.

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Judicial Watch finds Pelosi uses military as air taxi; $22,000 per hour for luxury jet

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced Tuesday that it has obtained documents from the Department of Defense (DOD) detailing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's multiple requests for military air travel. [Ed. Note: The Republican National Congressional Committee said the military "luxury jet" costs taxpayers $22,000 per hour. Watch the video below for more on Pelosi's first 100 days after the Democrats regained control of Congress almost three years ago.]

The documents, obtained by Judicial Watch through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), include internal DOD email correspondence detailing attempts by DOD staff to accommodate Pelosi's numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft as well as the speaker's last minute cancellations and changes. The following are a few highlights from the documents; links to the docs are available on the JW website:

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