Blackwater's New Mercenaries: DC's Most Powerful Lobbyists

New York Times:

Blackwater Worldwide, its reputation in tatters and its lucrative government contracts in jeopardy, is mounting an aggressive legal, political and public relations counterstrike.

It has hired a bipartisan stable of big-name Washington lawyers, lobbyists and press advisers, including the public relations powerhouse Burson-Marsteller, which was brought in briefly, but at a critical moment, to help Blackwater's chairman, Erik D. Prince, prepare for his first Congressional hearing.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[ajax2]

07:28 PM on 11/01/2007

Blackwater probably murdered civilians during Katrina in New Orleans.
See Jeremy Scahill.

[loki]

05:50 PM on 11/01/2007

remember Prince is a devout Neo Con warpig Christian who has a huge bankroll and backing of the other major neo Thug Christian leaders in the US who preach to Americans daily on how their causes are THE causes and should be blindly supported. They are also the same people who placed Bush,and kept Bush in power. I have utmost confidence that their money and influence, and of course threats from known murderers wont hurt to sway those in DC , to their position either.

[doglove]

04:56 PM on 11/01/2007

Well waterboarding is torture it's said, but
Not it's done on an Aye-rabs head,
Abu Graib is a jumpin' place
Did you see the smile
On Lyndie English's face?
So give up your life and pick up a gun
So georgie boy can still have fun

[doglove]

04:56 PM on 11/01/2007

:

Yeah, come on all of you, Bushy men,
Dumbass W needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Iraq & Iran,
So put down your books and pick up a
gun,
He’s gonna have a whole lotta fun.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask him, he don't give a damn,
Next stop is terrorist Iran;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna fry.

Well, come on Halliburton, let's move
fast
Your big chance has come at last.
Gotta go out and get those ragheads—
The only good Muslim is one who's
dead
And you know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom
come.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Pakistan
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to ask Dumya why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Well, come on Wall Street, don't move
slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go.
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying Blackwater with the tools
of the trade,
Just hope and pray that when they
end this earth
They promise to get
bin Laden first

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask W, he don't give a damn,
Next stop is hell for him.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the firey gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
I think we’re making hear Jesus cry

Well, come on mothers throughout the
land,
Pack your boys off to Iraq & Iran.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send 'em off before it's too late.
Be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

[Boobaloo]

04:18 PM on 11/01/2007

This Blackwater catastrophe is a Pandoras Box that the Chimp has unleashed on all of us and we're only at the beginning of this swarm of mayhem and death and skirting the law.

You think if they shoot unarmed Iraqi men, women and children that they wouldnt turn these vigilante tactics onto us?

Just wait and see. This is only the beginning.

[hmmmmmer]

03:29 PM on 11/01/2007

Isn't it nice that we as tax payers, not only give them the money for their folly, but also pay for the aftermath in lawyer and lobby fees. It just warms my heart to have to give to the neocon money changers in the temple that is Washington.

[watchingthings]

03:21 PM on 11/01/2007

There is a Johnny Cash song that suites Blackwater perfectly. Just substitute San Quentin for Blackwater.....Blackwater, may you rot and die in Hell......

[speakingtruth2power]

02:43 PM on 11/01/2007

Hillary Clinton is not a Democrat. She is a the next Joe Liarman/Loserman.

The DLC is the neocon/GOP equivalent in the DNC. America is waking up!

[MajorKong]

12:41 PM on 11/01/2007

The entire concept of the United States hiring mercenary troops is so far beyond the pale I can't even believe we're having this discussion.

We've fought mercenaries in the past (Hessions anyone?) but I don't know of any time when we ever
employed them.

[mellene]

12:01 PM on 11/01/2007

We need a rich and poweerful lobby for the ordinary citizen. We don't have anyone on capital hill looking out for our interests yet we out number them all.

[MissingAmerica]

11:55 AM on 11/01/2007

When the administration begins aiding Blackwater, which is what it is doing, it is aiding a mercenary group. This is called abetting, and is criminal behavior. Think about it.

[Thinbossom]

11:31 AM on 11/01/2007

Later in these postings is a knock on Barak Obama for not placing his hand over his heart during the pledge of allegiance. The poster is hostile in his/her depiction of Obama, but has not come forward with criticism of George Bush who gave a belly salute during the pledge. I suspect that he/she is trolling and probably won't own up to George Bush's action. No matter. My thinking is, if we are to believe that Obama owes allgiance somewhere else, shouldn't we believe that George Bush does too.

[Moshe]

11:25 AM on 11/01/2007

"[Blackwater] has hired a bipartisan stable of big-name Washington lawyers, lobbyists and press advisers, including the public relations powerhouse Burson-Marsteller, which was brought in briefly, but at a critical moment, to help Blackwater's chairman, Erik D. Prince, prepare for his first Congressional hearing."

So now we have people openly defending U.S. sponsored and paid torture and lawless thugs.

Some people truly will do anything for money, including supporting the torture and killing of other humans, and selling the last shred of their humanity and their very souls for a dollar.

[JaneC]

11:02 AM on 11/01/2007

Where have all the trollies gone?
Long time passing.
Where have all the trollies gone?
Long time ago.
Where have all the trollies gone?
Gone to scrubbies every one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

hehe

[Beelzebul]

11:02 AM on 11/01/2007

"The Army began its recruiting year Oct. 1 with fewer signed up for basic training than in any year since it became an all-volunteer service in 1973, a top general said Wednesday."

The Army should institute a new buddy system to attract the Redneck Hillbillies.

Brother and Sister.