Generally speaking, generals do not tell lies. Nor are generals in the practice of concocting stories before congressional committees. That is why Air Force Space Command General William Shelton’s gutsy and potentially career-ending and provocative testimony to the House Armed Services subcommittee recently should be taken seriously.
General Shelton claims he was pressured to alter prepared congressional testimony, or “say things” he “didn’t agree with” that would, in the end, benefit the communications and satellite company, LightSquared, which is funded by major Democratic Party campaign donor, Philip Falcone.
According to General Shelton, LightSquared’s plan for a 4G network could seriously impede the effectiveness of the military’s GPS receiver systems, and testified he was pressured to say “the interference problems could be mitigated.” The “interference” has been described as participating in a telephone conversation during a rock concert, and precision GPS could be severely degraded or jammed, as a result.
Irrespective of potential national security implications LightSquared was given the green light, in what some describe as a “fast-track approval” by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), currently chaired by President Obama’s long-time basketball buddy Julius Genachowski.
On March 1, 2011, Ken Boehm, of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), reported, “Under extremely unusual circumstances, the FCC recently granted…LightSquared the right to use wireless spectrum to build out a national 4G wireless network. LightSquared will get the spectrum for a song, while its competitors [like AT&T and Verizon] have to spend billions.”
Back in early February, the NLPC had requested an investigation by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, alleging favoritism was granted in exchange for campaign contributions to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, after a visit to the White House by hedge fund billionaire Phil Falcone, who runs Harbinger Capital, the owner of LightSquared.
Falcone claims he is a Republican, and at worst, neutral politically, but the fact remains he is among a small percentage of Americans who have had the privilege of paying a personal visit to the White House that appears to have paid off personally.
While it is tempting to blow this off as yet another “Pay for Play” deal, which runs the risk of being normal in politics these days, think again.
You see, the company, LightSquared, used to be called SkyTerra. In 2005, Barack Obama invested more than $50,000 in SkyTerra — at the bidding of SkyTerra investor — and, according to ABC News, a friend of President Obama – George Haywood (the same George Haywood that was invited to the White House India State Dinner).
In March, 2007, the New York Times reported four principal owners of SkyTerra (and friends of Obama), had raised more than $150,000 for Obama since 2004. When questioned about his investment, Obama claimed he had opened a blind trust and “had no knowledge of any stockholding [sic.] with this account at any time.” He explained, “After I got [sic.] my [$1.9 million] book contract, I had money to invest,” insinuating that his investment in a company principally sponsored by political allies was mere coincidence. Obama later sold his investment at a loss after assessing the potential political ramifications.
On September 15, 2011, LightSquared Chairman and CEO, Sanjiv Ahuja issued a defensive statement on its website, Lightsquared.com, saying it is “ludicrous to suggest LightSquared’s success depends on political connections.” During the hearing the same day, House Armed Forces Subcommittee Chairman Michael Turner, R-Ohio, took the opposite opinion, chastising the administration for approving LightSquared proposals and reprimanding FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski for both granting a January 26 waiver to LightSquared, and failing to show up at the hearing to “discuss the significant harm to national security that may result from the FCC’s action.”
Promising a “possibility of real change” while speaking about campaign finance reform during a speech in 2008, Obama complained that, “special interests drown out the voices of the American people and will continue to erode our politics.”
Mission accomplished.
For how long we has to wait to get this fraudulent Resident of the White House arrested for CORRUPTION, LIAR, AND FALSIFICATION OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS?.
EL ZORRO
Like everything this man touches, Chicago Politics and Corruption will always come through. This is what Obama is through and through
Washington DC is now Chicago politics writ large, that’s on top of the corruption that has existed there for most of the American experience. In most instances it has been in the House and the Senate but the Clintons shamelessly jumped on the bandwagon becoming millionaires. There was a lull while George Bush was in office but Obama and his enablers have opened the floodgates for him, whenever he leaves office, or when he deigns to leave office, he will be an extremely rich man. He lacks Bill Clinton’s charm and wit so will not be in demand for speeches or books, why would anyone pay to listen to him reiterate the same BS? Another benefit to the nation is that the Congress will no longer be so obsequiously obedient to a president’s demands, they will remain as corrupt but won’t be so fearful of noticing the racist policies, and even the race, of the president. Harry Reid noticed that Obama was light complected and didn’t have a Negro dialect during the campaign but you could not get old Harry the Red to mention Obama under either context using water boarding.
More of the same, coming out of this administration. He says one thing and does the opposite in his actions. He had proven time and time again that he cannot be trusted. He lies and contradicts himself continuously. The one good thing is he has awakened the proverbial sleeping giant. In this case it was the Tea Party that started the ball rolling and has kept the flame of our Founding Father’s Ideals burning, bringing them from a banked fire to open flames once again. The fires of freedom and love of Country have once again burst forth and are rapidly spreading all across this great land. My hope is that they continue to blaze and consume the hearts of patriots with the burning ideals of “One Nation under God, with Liberty and Justice for All “. God Bless America, and may this peaceful revolution continue until we return to all that has made us the greatest country the world has ever seen.
AMEN to that!
Amen, Richard. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I started using GPS 28 years ago. In the past 3 decades, enormous $ have been spent in completing and implementing the system. Depending on methods used you can easily obtain accuracies of 1 foot anywhere in the world. A bit more effort results in better than 1/32 inch accuracy.
The frequencies are allocated for Space communications. Previous and current high powered stations are limited and with highly directional antennas pointed UP. Handheld units are not so plentiful. The resultant planned LightSquared system is a Terrestrial system – think cell phone networks – with omnidirectional antennas.
Test results have shown some GPS receivers becoming useless within 20 miles of a LightSquared base station. With intentions of establishing 10s of thousands of base satations around the country (and 100s of thousands of hand held units) it would be possible to cripple the use of GPS anywhere.
Military – Errors in positioning personnel and weapons??
Aircraft – Errors in bad weather landing and crowded airspace?
Most survey tasks – Increased costs verifying measurements and results?
Agriculture – Precision machines plowing up crops?
Personal GPS – Where am I now?
Timing critical systems – Power grid, etc??
So why hasn’t he been impeached? Because too many Republicans are just as free from morals as Obama. They see no need to protect the people of America when they can go back to their cushy little homes and go on their nice vacations. As long as they have it nice, all is well. The American people will have to put this to rights. But will they do more than make clever insults from Obama’s name? I doubt it. Americans like their comfort too much to leave it long enough to try to save their country. If it’s up to us, this country’s dead. If it’s up to our leaders in D.C., we have lost this country. And it will be all our own fault.
I can’t believe that We The People have allowed this to go on as long as it has!!! What is wrong with the people of this country???!!! This is our country!!! It is time we got off our dead As and get it back!!! We out number them a thousand to one!! Do we hav no Balls!! We The People are the rightful owners of this country!! NOT the government!!!!! The government is attempting to enslave us and take our property and freedom away!! Wake up america!!! It is time for all good men to come to the aid of their country!!!!!!
I go along with Ira….
While America is not my country, I have learnt to love Americans and the freedom they stand for. Sadly, I have watched the deterioration that
has overtaken the country. I have watched in amazement where Americans are totally aware of the degradation that is overtaking their country, yet they do
nothing….. WAKE UP AMERICA!
Amen, Richard, Amen.
God Bless America. Don’t know about the rest of “We the People”, but this little bit of it was born an American and hope to die one!
Telling the people to wake up isn’t going to do anything. You have to tell them what to do. Buy a firearm, Obama’s coming.
Not just be against the positions of a candidate but which candidate is better and why. Ron Paul will follow the Constitution, he has shown that he can be trusted. That will nullify all that Obama has done to us and we can fix the rest.
I agree with John but the problem isn’t telling them the problem is to get the information to them, there are to many true Americans that have no idea what is going on.
The word has to be sent out not only on the net but in every type of comunication possible, newspapers, T.V., radio we need to flood all of these so that all true Americans can learn and understand what is happening to our country and our way of life.
What a great sample of replies ! Richard’s is well worded inspiration, JJM’s adds information and then come suggestions and “solutions”. Viva la internet !
Why do we stand by and watch “O,” the usurper, destroy this country? Do you really think that there will be a 2012 election? He’ll crown himself king before then.
I am willing and able. I am a 76-year-old Great-Grandmother. I learned how to shoot a Smith&Wesson 380 Bodyguard with laser, a Ruger 22 cal. rifle and am in the process of learning to fire a Circuit Judge shotgun.
If “O” wants my guns, he’d better come himself and not send any UN- or Union thugs!
These people think that because their stupid, everyone else is also. “Falcone claims he is a Republican, and at worst, neutral politically,” now I have a question. Do you think that Isla-mob-mamao is going to give ANYONE help that is any resemblance to a Republican or conservative? Then on the other hand, look at what Isla-mob-amao has done since being in office, with this, he granted a company permission to install a system that will render GPS useless . A sytem the military uses to defend us and you don’t see the Republican’s doing anything. VOTEM ALL OUT IN 2012
I have read thousand’s of replyes and responded for almost two years. Obama, has this country locked up people or afraid to say or do anything and this includes all the elected officals we have sent to Washington as Obama and his cronies destroy the Greatest Country on earth, This country has done more for people world wide than any other country in History. I pray that I am wrong, However, it appears America we have loved is DOOMED with the Imposter in the Whitew House. “GOD BLESS AMERICA”
Jim Bennett
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I can’t decide if Obama is the world’s biggest liar or the world’s biggest hypocrite.
September 20, 2011 woooho!!! congrats girl. that’s awesome!Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean recently posted..
He is both a liar and hypocrit of the worst possible kind. Shame on him, and us for allowing him to get away with all of it. One lie on top of the other, every time he gets a photo-op. Is it my imagination, or are his ears growing larger, rather than his nose getting longer, ala Pinnochio? And still, he refuses to hear the will of the people. Make your voices heard in 2012, and elect conservatives to every office, starting in your city, county, and state. The electorate must reflect such a mandate, that Obama cannot lie or buy his way in, again.
There isn’t very little difference or none between the two party system of politicts in america. These people both demorats and repugnants are only for them selfs and want to only keep them selfs in office and in power and have stolen the people blind and like that demorat senator said if the people didn’t stop them they would just keep stealing. It is past the time to change the guard on the hen house and clesn out the rat hole. These damn thives have inched foreward slowly and have taken most of our freedoms away from us and have taxed us to the brink of bankruptsy to support these thives and their bloated government. It is time we voted for some people with at least some honesty and some one that will help the country go foreward and prosper and not sell us down the tube. The repugdants all know that obama isn’t and never has been eligiable to be or president so with this in mind that should tell you that we need to change the guards that are supposed to be guarding our country and our way of life. Right now the best contender on the block is Ron Paul and we need to get behind him if we are going to do any thing to save our country. HE may not be perfect but he will be the best to start with boost him up and hang with him give him your best help you can and don’t pay too much attention to the repugdants support and elect tea party conservative members don’t even consider the rhinos. There is some good conservatives still in the government just few and far between. so pay close attention and look at their voting record.
MyFreeProductSamples on September 25, 2011 @nomoreprettyfaces I know! Super cesehey right? lol But the samples are totally legit!