Posted on 12/16/2011 3:57:24 AM PST by Kaslin
As a rueful Queen Elizabeth once said of a particularly rough year for the royal family, 2011 is "not a year on which" Queen Nancy Pelosi "shall look back with undiluted pleasure." The former House Speaker relinquished her crown -- er, gavel -- in January. It's been an epic downhill ski crash ever since.
Most recently, Pelosi faced questions from liberal "60 Minutes" and conservative investigative author Peter Schweitzer about a 5,000-share Visa stock purchase she made with her husband as the House was considering credit card regulations. She made a "killing" off the highly sought-after initial public offering. The stock holdings more than doubled in a few weeks; the credit card regulations were put on ice somewhere in the back of Pelosi's fridge.
While she makes grand gestures toward banning congressional insider trading, San Fran Nan's financial conflicts of interest are once again on display. This week, Reuters columnist Dan Indiviglio pointed to pending House legislation titled the "New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2011," which is stuffed with natural gas vehicle subsidies: $9 billion worth, to be precise. These very subsidies are championed by Texas billionaire and failed wind farm evangelist T. Boone Pickens. He just happens to be a major stockholder in the company that would benefit from the bill: Clean Energy Fuels.
Question the timing? Indeed. As The Washington Examiner's Tim Carney observes: "While Pickens, a longtime oil and gas man, has been lobbying for natural gas subsidies for decades, his cause has become particularly urgent this month. Pickens owns options to buy 15 million shares of Clean Energy Fuels at $10 per share, according to SEC filings. Those options expire Dec. 28. If Congress could pass the NATGAS Act this month, shares of Clean Energy would skyrocket."
Pelosi just happens to be a stockholder in -- you guessed it -- Clean Energy Fuels. The then-Speaker bought between $50,000 and $100,000 of stock in Pickens' CLNE Corp. in May 2007 on the day of the initial public offering. As I reported in a column three years ago, Pelosi's 2007 financial disclosure form listed "assets and 'unearned income' of between $100,001-$250,000 from Clean Energy Fuels Corp. -- Public Common Stock." If the natural gas giveaway passes, Pelosi profits.
Of course, an endless parade of dirty Democratic scandals earlier this year had already completely obliterated what was left of Pelosi's Mop-and-Glo reformer image. She and other liberal feminists rallied around disgraced Twitter freak and former N.Y. Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner even as evidence mounted that he lied to them. And used taxpayer resources and government buildings while sexting. And recklessly neglected to ensure that his Internet paramours were of legal age.
Pelosi and fellow femme-a-gogue Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., led from behind, calling for Weiner's resignation only after the public tide had shifted. Pelosi showed similar reticence in dealing with basket-case Oregon Democratic Rep. David Wu -- whose sexually aggressive, alcohol-addled erratic outbursts stretched over decades. Despite knowledge of Wu's staff's panic about his infamous 2010 Tigger costume photos and despite months-old pleas for help from an underage victim of Wu's sexual indiscretions, House Democrats sat on their hands. In July, Pelosi finally called for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
That's the same panel that slapped Pelosi pal and New York Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel on the wrist for serial tax-cheating and has yet to move forward with California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters' ethics trial after charging her last year with three violations related to her crony TARP bailout intervention on behalf of minority-owned OneUnited Bank in Los Angeles.
What a way to close out her annus horribilis. Nancy Pelosi, the proud feminist who boasted she would clean up Washington, is covering up and cashing in. Just like all the other self-dealing good old boys.
Stay on her, Michelle!!!! Those two females are at the top of my cannot tolerate list. ugh, how I despise them.
I despise the left period
Nancy down and dirty? That'a a thought I don't want to entertain!
How any congresscritter or their families can participate in ipo’s of regulated industries is a crime in itself...thats like the car dealers mother winning the car giveaway.....why the people put up with this crap is beyond stupidity....
Nancy Pelosi is truly an annus horribilis.
Honestly these people should be tarred and feathered and ridden on a rail back to their home districts.
It's too bad none of our candidates are making a bigger stink of this.
I would be willing to wager that any candidate who made it his or her central theme to veto any legislation that exempts members of Congress from the laws it passes would win in a landslide.
Thank you for that mental image. /sarc
Thank you for that mental image. /sarc
Their home district’s elected them and will re-elect them.
The story starts by saying “2011 is “not a year on which” Queen Nancy Pelosi “shall look back with undiluted pleasure.”
I don’t know why Michelle she say’s that.
Certainly nancy lost the Speakers gavel, but that is because Republicans took the House.
Nancy was elected Minority Chairman by her fellow thieves, so she still leads her party.
Nancy has made millions this year and is on track to make millions more.
Nancy isn’t worried about an ethics investigation, there won’t be one.
Michelle goes on to describe various Democrat-Pelosi scandals that only we few on Free Republic know about and scandals that will never see the light of the Media.
She is right it is shameful, but Pelosi has no shame, She is a product of a family with no shame and she will continue to get richer and richer because she will continue to get elected as long as she wish’s to run.
I do not disagree with the Meat in this story I just disagree that Nancy will not look at this year with joy. She has made millions this year .She still runs the Congress although she let’s Boehner think he does.
By the way Mr. Boehner -—Where is that Maxine Waters ethics investigation.
Why are you sitting on it?
Yes with an 18 wheeler flatbed loaded with concertina wire. That should do it.
Read more carefully. ‘...is NOT a year on which...
Mine too and those 2 are just the beginning!
“I despise the left period”
I despise all dirty politicians. I had a lot of respect for Newt and the contract for America in the 1990’s. I began to lose respect for him when his ego enabled Bill Clinton to outmaneuver him during the budget shutdown and again when he resigned as speaker rather than fight. However, the recent revelation he took $1.6 million from Freddie Mac to consult with Freddie on historical matters caused me to conclude he is just another dirty politician feathering his nest at the people’s expense.
If we conservatives are going to condemn Pelosi, Reid, Corzine and other Democrat politicians for corruption we need to send the sleazy self enriching Republicans to the woodshed as well. We look like hypocrites when we clap for Newt and demand Nancy’s head. We can and should hold our leaders to a higher standard.
You and me both, Kaslin. You and me both.
If you can't appreciate the pure beauty of the violin after hearing this, something's wrong with your ears.
Or you can get raw with these strings.
How about this gamechanger from America's Got Talent (which they SHOULD have won).
Either way, the violin is sweet yet LETHAL.
Do it!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.