Corbett and the healthcare reform suit: another political link

It may seem to be nitpicking, but Keystone Progress has found another instance of Tom Corbett the candidate and Tom Corbett the Attorney General overlapping.

The judge in the case where Corbett is challenging healthcare reform regularly receives dividends from Campaign Solutions. Bush appointee District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson has received between $5,000 and $15,000 in dividends annually from Campaign Solutions since at least 2003 according to documents received posted by Judicial Watch.^1,2

Campaign Solutions is a communications firm that works primarily for Republican candidates and causes. One of their clients is Friends of Tom Corbett.³ They have also done work for the Republican State Committee.

While the Corbett payment is small (only $400), it once again shows a pattern of behavior that blurs the role of Corbett the candidate and Corbett the Attorney General.

Same Stein, writing for the Huffington Post, provided the initial research that led us to investigate Corbett’s ties to Hudson and Campaign Solutions. Stein’s article focused on another Attorney General in the healthcare reform case, Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli, who has spent at least $9,000 with Campaign Solutions.

Again, the amount of money may be small, but as Stein writes, “The nexus between the chief lawyer and the judge spurs questions about judicial objectivity. At the very least, it shows how tightly connected the legal and political worlds can be and how difficult it is to remove the partisan threads from the heath care related lawsuits.”⁴

¹http://www.judicialwatch.org/jfd/Hudson_Henry_E/2003.pdf

²http://www.judicialwatch.org/jfd/Hudson_Henry_E/2008.pdf

³http://www.campaignfinance.state.pa.us/ExpenseSearchResults.aspx?RequestID=39662&StartRow=1&RowsPerPage=10&SortOrder=0

⁴ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/30/henry-hudson-judge-in-hea_n_665240.html

Corbett campaign lit displayed on AG booth at county fair

(From PA2010.com)
Campaign materials for Republican Tom Corbett’s gubernatorial campaign were displayed at a booth set up by the attorney general’s government office at a recent county fair in Troy. Read More

Don't let Lancaster County turn back the clock on civil rights

Lancaster County is about to turn back the clock on civil rights-back to 1964!

Two Lancaster County Commissioners, Scott Martin and Dennis Stuckey, are trying to close down the Lancaster County Human Relations Commission, the body responsible for enforcing civil rights since 1964.

If they succeed, they will eliminate the ability of the county to enforce civil rights protections. This would be the first step of its kind to roll back civil rights in Pennsylvania's history. We can't let this happen!

This will be devastating to people who are victims of discrimination in Lancaster County. It will also send a message that discrimination is once again acceptable in the county. This will have a chilling affect on tourism and new business development in the region.

The vote to eliminate the Human Relations Commission will take place this Thursday night, July 29.

We are asking people of goodwill to send a message to the Lancaster County Commissioners: Don't turn back the clock on civil rights! Keep the Human Relations Commission! http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/speakout/palabchrc

You can send your message in two ways:

First, Click here to send an email to the Commissioners. You can use our pre-written email or compose your own.

Second, if you live near Lancaster, come to the Unity Rally to Defend Civil Rights. It will be this Thursday, July 29 at 5:30pm at
Binn's Park, 100 N. Queen Street, Lancaster. There will be great inspirational speakers representing the diversity of Lancaster County, all testifying to the importance of keeping a strong Human Relations Commission.

This will be followed by the Lancaster County Commissioners meeting at 7:00pm at the County Administration Building, Room 102, 150 N. Queen St., Lancaster, PA 17603.

Please do all you can to help protect civil rights in Lancaster County. We can't let hate win the day!

Keystone Progress files appeal of Office of Attorney General denial of healthcare reform lawsuit Right to Know Request

Calls OAG’s reasoning “bizarre,” for claiming this information could create a “risk of physical harm” to Corbett; asks for immediate release of documents.

(HARRISBURG)—Keystone Progress (KP) has filed an appeal of Tom Corbett’s Office of Attorney General denial of its Right to Know request. KP filed its request seeking information on correspondence concerning Corbett’s politically motivated suit to overturn the federal healthcare reform legislation. This is the second request for this information by Keystone Progress and its second denial.

The appeal by Keystone Progress rebuts each of OAG’s reasons for denying KP’s appeal.

The first reason given by OAG for denying this information is that it “would compromise the personal safety and security of not only the Attorney General and his security personnel but other staff acting on behalf of the Attorney General in the furtherance of the responsibilities and law enforcement duties of this agency. Additionally, the dissemination of such daily activities would allow the general public to discern a pattern of destinations which could easily be utilized for purposes of causing intentional harm to an individual, thus creating ‘a substantial and demonstrable risk of physical harm to or the personal security of an individual.’

This reason for denial is bizarre on its face, unless OAG is suggesting that there are so many relevant emails by the Attorney General and his OAG staff that the public could determine a pattern of behavior by the AG or OAG staff. If this is indeed the case, then the Right to Know Officer (Robert A. Mulle) and the Right to Know Appeals Officer are under obligation to turn this information over to the appropriate legal authorities since every correspondent in this request is a political organization or operative and would have no legitimate reason for being in correspondence with the AG or OAG staff using the time and resources of the Commonwealth.

The second reason for denying KP’s request is that the documents are exempt if they are records that reflect “internal, predecisional deliberations.” This is irrelevant because the records requested are correspondence between OAG and political operatives and organizations.

The third citation used by OAG claims that the documents are protected by attorney-client privilege. This citation does not apply because none of the entities in our request qualify as clients. Therefore, no attorney-client privilege exists. All of the individuals and organizations in our request are purely political entities and have no expectation of attorney-client privilege.

Furthermore, each of the organizations and individuals in our request are in the public arena. By sharing information with these organizations and individuals, the Office of Attorney General has placed this information in public, thereby waiving any claim of attorney-client privilege.

Keystone Progress is seeking all correspondence concerning that suit between the OAG and numerous political operatives and organizations. This was KP’s second request for this information. The first was turned down by Corbett’s office. The second request was the same as the first except that it named specific individuals and entities.

Fourteen state attorneys general have filed suit to overturn the Affordable Healthcare for America Act, the federal healthcare reform law. Corbett has repeatedly denied that his efforts are political, despite the fact that he agreed to join the suit even before he had read the healthcare reform law. The lawsuit was filed just seven minutes after President Obama signed the bill into law.

The staff of the attorneys general have been working with the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC). RSLC describes itself as “the only national organization whose mission is electing Republicans to the office of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Legislator.”¹ RSLC is organized as a 527 organization which has contributed over $58 million to elect Republicans at the state level. RSLC was Corbett’s largest contributor during his race for reelection as attorney general, giving him $691,000, according to the PA Department of State.²

The request seeks all correspondence between OAG and the following:

• Republican State Leadership Committee
• Republican Attorneys General Association
• Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Republican National Committee
• American Justice Partnership
• Caleb Consulting
• Tom Corbett for Governor
• Tim Barnes, Chairman, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Scott Ward, President, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Ben Cannatti, Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Erin Berry, Associate General Counsel, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Casey Phillips, Regional Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Michael Luethy, Regional Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Adam Temple, Press Secretary, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Robert Sechrist, Director of New Media, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Michael Steele, Chairman, Republican National Committee
• Karl Rove
• Chirag Shah, Campaign Manager for JB Van Hollen WI Attorney General
• Rob Gleason, Chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Joyce Haas, Vice-Chair of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Christine J. Toretti, Republican National Committeewoman
• Robert Asher, Republican National Committeeman

¹ Republican State Leadership Committee website http://www.rslc.com/about-rslc/
²Pennsylvania Department of State http://www.campaignfinance.state.pa.us/ContributionSearchResults.aspx?RequestID=346769&StartRow=1&RowsPerPage=10&SortOrder=0

Keystone Progress is Pennsylvania’s largest online progressive network with over 200,000 subscribers. Keystone Progress is also a statewide communications network specializing in effective earned media and online organizing to advance progressive leadership and values.

Iraq's unions are once again under attack, with union offices across the country raided by police this week.

Those unions have asked all of us to take a moment to send off a quick message of protest to the Iraqi government - click here.

Please do so today -- and then share this message with your networks.

Meanwhile, it's been nearly two weeks since the LabourStart Global Solidarity Conference and we know that a lot of you who couldn't be there will be interested to read more about it, to see photos and videos and presentations. We're putting all of this material online usingUnionBook, the social networking site for trade unionists. To see it, you have to sign in to UnionBook if you're a member, or if not, set up an account there. Once you're logged in, go here.

Finally, my latest podcast on labour and technology is now online. This time it's about how unions can use globalization to our advantage when bargaining with employers. You can hear it by clicking on this link. You can also find it on iTunes where you can subscribe to all my podcasts. Just search for "Eric Lee's Labour and Technology" podcast.

Have a great weekend.

Eric Lee

Rick Smith Show hosts Harrisburg event on Saturday

Saturday on the Rick Smith Show Rick will be live from the Midtown Scholar Bookstore located at 1302 N. 3rd St. in Harrisburg, PA from noon-2pm to talk about the budget, jobs, and how the people of Pennsylvania must fight back the massive cuts and corporate giveaways. We ask everyone to come out and join us. This is an opportunity to have your voice heard to make a difference.

Sunday on the program Rick will be talking with the Head On Radio Network’s Bob Kincaid about Net Roots Nation and what the progressive/labor community needs to do to take back the message and move forward. Also on the program Truthout executive director Maya Schenwar will join Rick to discuss Buzz Flash and Truthout organizing their workforce and what that means for progressive bloggers, websites, and alternative media. Your Calls, 1-877-960-0960 and much more.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Saturday August 7, 2010 7:30 pm at the Carlisle Theatre The Rick Smith Show is sponsoring the critically acclaimed film, Casino Jack and the United States of Money. Come out and join the Rick for a night of eye opening corruption an see the need for oversight and regulation. For a free pair of tickets come out to the Midtown Bookstore on Saturday July 24, 2020 or email [ Rick@thericksmithshow.com ]

GOP Leader McConnell Plays Politics With America’s Students

July 23, 2010 by khart 


http://neatoday.org/2010/07/23/republican-leader-mcconnell-plays-politics-with-america’s-students/

By Kevin Hart

Last night Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) blocked the Senate from even discussing how to help America’s schools avoid a looming crisis.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) tried to bring to the Senate floor an amended version of a $10 billion House education fund that would prevent 138,000 educator layoffs nationwide. School districts across the country are dramatically increasing class sizes, cutting school weeks to four days, and eliminating crucial programs because of budget shortfalls. The new Senate amendment would have used different offsets than the House package and would have been fully paid for.

McConnell, who previously supported a massive, tax-payer funded bailout of the banking industry, blocked the amendments from even bring considered. McConnell has been the leader of a series of obstructionist moves in the Senate, in an effort to halt legislation that would help ease unemployment in the United States.

Recently, McConnell tried to block a Senate effort to extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans. This time, McConnell’s victims are millions of American school children, who are certain to feel the pinch from an estimated 300,000 teachers, bus drivers, custodians, counselors, and other essential school staff who may not return to work for the coming school year if the education jobs fund does not pass. Furthermore, the loss of this number of jobs in communities will lead to a ripple effect of an additional 90,000 private sector jobs being lost, according to economic analysis.

Many parents and students return to schools across this country in just a few weeks and they’ll find class sizes of 40, four-day school weeks, no after school programs, and fewer course selections.

“The Senate can avert this crisis for students and communities, but Sen. McConnell won’t even let the Senate debate this question,” said Kim Anderson, Director of Government Relations for the National Education Association. “Parents expect bipartisan solutions, and right now Sen. McConnell is in the way.”

NEA and a coalition of more than 120 education and community groups continue to push for a real, unobstructed vote on the education jobs fund in the Senate. The White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Majority Leader Reid have all expressed their desire to pass this critically needed legislation before Congress leaves for recess. Educators, parents, students, and communities across the country are calling upon Sen. McConnell to allow an up-or-down vote.

To urge the Senate to pass this important funding, click here. http://capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=15205681

Corbett’s office again turns down healthcare reform lawsuit Right to Know Request, but tacitly admits political contacts

Corbett’s office again turns down healthcare reform lawsuit Right to Know Request, but tacitly admits political contacts

OAG’s reasoning is bizarre, saying this information could create

a “risk of physical harm” to Corbett.

(HARRISBURG)—Tom Corbett’s Office of Attorney General has once again turned down a Right to Know request by Keystone Progress (KP). KP filed its request seeking information on correspondence concerning Corbett’s politically motivated suit to overturn the federal healthcare reform legislation. This is the second request for this information by Keystone Progress.

The following is the organization’s response.

Keystone Progress is troubled by the lack of transparency by Attorney General Corbett concerning the obvious political nature of his lawsuit to overturn federal healthcare reform, known as the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

The filing of the suit reveals once again that Mr. Corbett has a serious lack of concern about the needs of Pennsylvania’s working families by trying to deny them access to affordable healthcare. The response to our request for information reveals an even deeper lack of respect for the people and their need for an open, honest and impartial Attorney General.

Specifically, we are concerned about the following items in Corbett’s response to our request for information:

• The Office of Attorney General tacitly admits that there have been political contacts between the OAG and overtly political entities concerning Corbett’s lawsuit to overturn healthcare reform. OAG did not say they did not have political correspondence. Instead, they used four legal citations to assert that it was not public information. This clearly indicates that there has been political correspondence since we only asked for emails between OAG and overtly political entities (see list below). We believe that political correspondence is not protected. Furthermore, we believe that political correspondence by the OAG is illegal and should be investigated by someone outside of the OAG.
• OAG has even refused to turn over already publicly available records provided to Keystone Progress by the Wisconsin Attorney General. Keystone Progress recently released emails that revealed Corbett’s office has been working with a Republican campaign organization to plan to overturn the recently enacted federal healthcare reform law. KP uncovered the relationship in a series of emails released by the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice under a similar request by One Wisconsin Now. These emails were not released by OAG. Since they are already available to the public, there is no need to keep them hidden. Refusing to release these documents also reveals disdain for the people of Pennsylvania.
• The first reason cited for declining KP’s request for information for their political correspondence is that it would create “a substantial and demonstrable risk of physical harm to or the personal security of [the Attorney General].65 P.S. §67.708(b)(1)(ii).” This reasoning is bizarre, and suggests once again that Mr. Corbett holds the people of Pennsylvania in contempt. How does releasing email correspondence about political decisions put Mr. Corbett at risk of physical harm? Is Corbett suggesting that his interactions, while on the job, with political entities such as Karl Rove and Michael Steele are so frequent that it will incite people to violence? It is hard to fathom what prompted the OAG to use this absurd reason to deny us access to this information.
• OAG also missed the required RTKL deadline by a week, citing the size of KP’s request. OAG is required to reply to a request within five working days. They met this deadline by saying they needed an additional 30 days to review the legality of the request. This extension was unnecessary since they had already reviewed KP’s almost identical first request a few days earlier. It is now 116 days since we first asked for this information. On July 2, OAG told KP that they could not meet the deadline because the request for information was so large. This is a clear violation of the Right to Know Law.

Keystone Progress is therefore demanding the following:

1) The Office of Attorney General must release all materials as requested.

2) The United State Department of Justice should initiate an investigation into the use of the Office of the Attorney General for partisan political purposes.

3) Attorney General Tom Corbett must resign immediately to protect the integrity of the Office of Attorney General.

Keystone Progress is seeking all correspondence concerning that suit between the OAG and numerous political operatives and organizations. This was KP’s second request for this information. The first was turned down by Corbett’s office. The second request was the same as the first except that it named specific individuals and entities.

Fourteen state attorneys general have filed suit to overturn the Affordable Healthcare for America Act, the federal healthcare reform law. Corbett has repeatedly denied that his efforts are political, despite the fact that he agreed to join the suit even before he had read the healthcare reform law. The lawsuit was filed just seven minutes after President Obama signed the bill into law.

The staff of the attorneys general have been working with the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC). RSLC describes itself as “the only national organization whose mission is electing Republicans to the office of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Legislator.”¹ RSLC is organized as a 527 organization which has contributed over $58 million to elect Republicans at the state level. RSLC was Corbett’s largest contributor during his race for reelection as attorney general, giving him $691,000, according to the PA Department of State.²

The request seeks all correspondence between OAG and the following:

• Republican State Leadership Committee
• Republican Attorneys General Association
• Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Republican National Committee
• American Justice Partnership
• Caleb Consulting
• Tom Corbett for Governor
• Tim Barnes, Chairman, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Scott Ward, President, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Ben Cannatti, Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Erin Berry, Associate General Counsel, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Casey Phillips, Regional Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Michael Luethy, Regional Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Adam Temple, Press Secretary, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Robert Sechrist, Director of New Media, Republican State Leadership Committee
• Michael Steele, Chairman, Republican National Committee
• Karl Rove
• Chirag Shah, Campaign Manager for JB Van Hollen WI Attorney General
• Rob Gleason, Chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Joyce Haas, Vice-Chair of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania
• Christine J. Toretti, Republican National Committeewoman
• Robert Asher, Republican National Committeeman

¹ Republican State Leadership Committee website http://www.rslc.com/about-rslc/
²Pennsylvania Department of State http://www.campaignfinance.state.pa.us/ContributionSearchResults.aspx?RequestID=346769&StartRow=1&RowsPerPage=10&SortOrder=0

Keystone Progress is Pennsylvania’s largest online progressive network with over 200,000 subscribers. Keystone Progress is also a statewide communications network specializing in effective earned media and online organizing to advance progressive leadership and values.

Two More Trade Unionists Assassinated in Colombia

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
ITUC OnLine
July 6, 2010

Brussels

The trade union world is again in mourning after the
assassination of two more trade unionists in Colombia.
The ITUC, together with its Colombia affiliates the
CUT, the CGT and the CTC, has roundly condemned the
murders, expressing its deep shock at the news of the
killing of Nelson Camacho González, a member of the oil
industry's united workers' union USO (Unión Sindical
Obrera) and of Ibio Efrén Caicedo, an activist from the
Antioquia teachers' association ADIDA (Asociación de
Institutores de Antioquia).

Ibio Efrén Caicedo, who had a strong track record as a
trade union activist, was assassinated on the day
before the 20 June presidential elections. The murder
of Ibio Efrén brings to seven the number of unionised
teachers assassinated in Antioquia in 2010 so far.

Three days earlier, Nelson Camacho González died after
being shot at repeatedly at the bus stop on his way to
work. The murder of Nelson Camacho González is another
in a series of systematic attacks and threats against
members and leaders of the oil workers' union during
industrial disputes. The union has been in conflict
with the multinational British Petroleum in Casanare,
with Ecopetrol-UT on the Andean pipeline, with TGI on
the departments of Boyacá y Casanare, and with
Ecopetrol over various other labour disputes.

In two protest letters to the Colombia authorities, the
ITUC demands that President Uribe and his government
immediately initiate a full investigation to identify
and bring to justice those responsible for these two
murders that have further weakened the credibility of
Colombian democracy.

GOP Rep. Inglis takes on Beck, Palin

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0710/Inglis_takes_on_Beck_Palin.html?showall

Inglis takes on Beck, Palin

Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), who lost his primary in part because he was openly critical of Glenn Beck and told his conservative constituents not to believe everything they hear on Fox, is letting loose now that he's not on the ballot.

Pointing a finger at Beck, Sarah Palin and such conservative figures, Inglis told AP:

“There were no death panels in the (healthcare) bill … and to encourage that kind of fear is just the lowest form of political leadership. It’s not leadership. It’s demagoguery,’’ said Inglis, one of three Republican incumbents who have lost their seats in Congress to primary and state party convention challengers this year.

Inglis said voters eventually will discover that you’re “preying on their fears’’ and turn away.

I think we have a lot of leaders that are following those (television and talk radio) personalities and not leading,’’ he said. “What it takes to lead is to say, ‘You know, that’s just not right.’’’