Specter wants outside probe of Spygate
In advocating for an independent inquiry, Specter cited what he called a conflict of interest for the NFL. He said the league and its owners have a financial incentive to put the scandal behind them because “the core of their game is integrity.”
Sen. Specter is right, even the appearance of a conflict of interest damages ones integrity and leads to questions about their motives. He should know.
As we noted before, Sen. Arlen Specter is doing the bidding of Comcast in his battle against the NFL. It has been my contention all along that this isn’t really about Spygate at all. Why? The league and the cable companies are in a billion dollar fight over the future of the NFL Network. Comcast lines Sen. Specter’s pockets more than any other corporation in America.
See what he means, conflicts of interest are bad, bad, bad.
“If the public loses confidence in professional football, it will be like wrestling. They’re not going to have the gates. They’re not going to have the TV. It’s going to be a totally different thing.”
Again, Sen. Specter (R-Comcast) is exactly right. Once the public loses confidence in an admired institution, it may never come back.
Those who criticize the good senator for focusing on Spygate when there are allegedly more important issues are missing the point. There are major benefits to Specter’s Spygate fetish, he continues his long and storied history of focusing on the issues that keep Americans up at night,
S.RES.43 : A resolution honoring the important contribution to the Nation of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on its 150th Anniversary.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.83 : A resolution to amend the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit filling the tree.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.95 : A resolution designating March 25, 2007, as “Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy”.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.451 : A resolution honoring the achievements of Rawle and Henderson LLP, on its 225th anniversary and on being recognized as the oldest law firm in continuous practice in the United States.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.452 : A resolution commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Naming of Pittsburgh as the culmination of the Forbes Campaign across Pennsylvania and the significance this event played in the making of America, in the settlement of the continent, and in spreading the ideals of freedom and democracy throughout the world.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.476 : A resolution designating March 25, 2008, as “Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy”.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.484 : A resolution designating March 25, 2008, as “National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day”.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.529 : A resolution commemorating the 110th anniversary of the founding of the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.697 : A bill to establish the Steel Industry National Historic Site in the State of Pennsylvania.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
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The REAL BENEFIT of Sen. Specter’s Spygate fetish is that it is distracting him from wasting millions of dollars of our money on pork projects. As Comcast well knows, the senator does his best for his donors, er, constituents. Which would you prefer, Spygate press conferences, or Specter focusing on the next appropriations bill? Here are a couple of Sen. Specter’s Greatest Hits in terms of wasting our money,
Arlen Specter’s Tangeled Web of Pork
Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, used this “emergency” spending request as an opportunity to insert a provision into the “emergency” bill which directed that a $40 million grant to the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority “be used solely for the purpose of construction, by and for a Philadelphia-based company.”
Stick with me here; the story is about to take some wild turns.
Here’s how Sen. Specter explained the earmark to his colleagues on the Senate floor last April: “This money is being allocated to develop the port facilities in Philadelphia to accommodate a very new kind of ship which will compete with air travel and which has very substantial military as well as commercial purposes.”
Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Well, maybe. Until pork-buster Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, took to the floor and blew the whistle.
McCain informed the Senate that he had been in a meeting with the Secretary of the Navy, along with Sen. Specter, to discuss this matter. He noted that he was very proud of the Navy chief “because unequivocally the Secretary of the Navy said: No, we do not want this money, we do not have the technology, we do not have the design for this, this is not one of our requirements, and we do not want to spend $40 million in this fashion.”
McCain added, “It was as strong a statement as I have ever heard from the Secretary of the Navy. This is basically a $40 million giveaway of the taxpayers’ dollars to a private corporation that has nothing to do with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has nothing to do with it.”
Sen. Arlen Specter is October Porker of the Month
Senator’s Trick Is No Taxpayer’s Treat
(Washington, D.C.) — Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today named Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) its October Porker of the Month for stuffing the fiscal 2003 Emergency Supplemental portion of the fiscal 2004 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act with pork-barrel projects that benefit his home state. President Bush submitted a request for $1.9 billion in emergency funding to help cover natural disasters, homeland security, and costs associated with the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Signed into law on Sep. 30, the supplemental stirred up a witch’s brew of $65 million for extraneous projects, including $1.4 million for three projects in Pennsylvania.
Where the President sees flood victims in need of relief, Sen. Specter sees another chance to serve federal treats to his constituents back home. The supplemental contains $1 million for the Geisinger Health System to establish centers of excellence for the treatment of autism, $200,000 for the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, and $200,000 for the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine for a minority outreach oral health initiative.
When it comes to pork, Arlen Specter has nothing in common with his favorite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. After all, Arlen Specter wins championships!
Citizens Against Government Waste: Senator Arlen Specter is Porker of the Year
So Pats fans, which would you prefer, Sen. Specter spending his time on Spygate, or focusing on appropriations bills. I say, bring on the Congressional hearings! Keep him away from our money.