Bags Of Money, Steal This Election, Did Jan Brewer Get Lethal Injection Drugs From Mexico?

Bob Herbert
Steve Benen
Ellen Knickmeyer

“They do give us bags of money — yes, yes, it is done,” - Hamid Karzai

Really, it all started when the US kept hiring outside mercenaries to fortify the fighting troops. They didn't have to play by the rules, or be polite, or politically correct. We have mercenaries going out into the wilderness along with the CIA, looking for al-Qaeda members. We have mercenaries, both foreign and Afghan, hired to bring convoys of supply trucks safely through tribal territories. The State Dept still hires Blackwater as security guards for the embassy in Kabul. The military still hires Blackwater to run many of its predator drone programs, so we can blame the killing of innocents on someone other than the US military.

So, Hamid Karzai got tired of the drones killing people, and the US ignoring the complaints. He issued a policy where all foreign mercenary groups were to leave Afghanistan by the end of the year. Immediately, the backlash came from private groups who use mercenary companies for protection while they do their "humanitarian projects." Karzai responded, give me a list of the projects and who is doing them, and we'll review on a case by case basis. It was not good enough.

The State Dept purposely leaked that Karzai has been taking bags of cash from Iran. It was meant to humiliate and embarrass him in retaliation. At a news conference this morning, Mr Karzai was back to his old, tempermental self, and ultimately stalked off. Or was that he stalked off at the meeting with General Petraeus and State Dept officials?

“The money dealing with the private security companies starts in the hallways of the U.S. government. Then they send the money for killing here.” - Hamid Karzai

Most rulers of any other non-Western country sees no problem with accepting gifts and cash, like paying tribute to their greatness. When Paul Bremer was the czar of Iraq, he had a billion dollars in cash sent over there from the US, to spread the good word. When asked later by Congress what happened to it, he said that he couldn't remember and that none of his office kept track of where it went. The State Dept just got done giving two billion to the Pakistani intelligence in an effort to convince them into being more aggressive in finding and killing the targets we ask them to... We constantly alternate between bribery or threatening to get what we want in the world. Our own Congress uses bribery as the lubricant to get legislation done, although lately the Republicans have just used threats and character assassination to wheedle themselves back at the public trough...

Hopefully, the outcome of this stalemate will be the end to foreign mercenaries working in Afghanistan, the US revising its policies towards using them, and the fake humanitarian projects that suck up outside donations will be judged if they are really needed or not. As to Iran, well, it's good to bring their machinations out of the shadows and into the sunlight where everyone can see them. If Karzai isn't careful, Iran will step in after the US leaves, and annex his country as a favor...


Could we consider the outrageous amounts of money spent on political ads as a form of bribery? It's certainly offensive. The latest conservative talking point to be used against your Democratic opponent, is that they are trying to steal the election, or that they are trying to buy the election. Its a form of smoke and mirrors meant to deflect those exact sentiments that have been expressed about themselves. I took these headlines from TPM:

GOP Lawyers And Norm Coleman: George Soros Wants To Buy Election

Angle Campaign To Base: Reid Wants To Steal The Election!

GOP Lawyers Group Warns Of 'Epidemic' Of Voter Fraud

Whatever...

The state of Arizona has been stopped from executing by lethal injection until they tell Federal authorities where they obtained its new supply of the drug, which has been in very short supply. They probably got it over the border in Mexico, and don't want to disclose it until after the election. The news would be one more embarrassing thing for Governor Jan Brewer, who is up for re-election...






I am not in favor of Carly Fiorino as a candidate, but being hospitalized from complications relating to her masectomy and reconstruction from breast cancer is not the way to have to drop out of the race. Let her lose fair and square. But here's hoping that your health is strong and that you will recover enough to finish your campaign, and I end this post with a prayer to you...