Story Submitted by Connie Sophia



Well just when ya thought that the bungles
and screwups on cabinet choices were done
and over with, here comes Barack Obama
with yet another bungled choice for the
Pentagon, and this one is a Doozy!

It seems that the #2 man for the Raytheon
Corporation, was picked as the #2 slot
for the carryover Republican Pentagon.
But the story gets better!

This same Raytheon Corp. is already
under a class action lawsuit for
polluting and contaminating areas
around St. Petersburg Florida! I kid
you not!

Needless to say this does NOT bode well
for hazardous exposure Veterans who are
still waiting in the wings for their
day of environmental justice from
military hazards.

It is not exactly clear if Obama The Drama
even knows what kind of a mudhole he
has stepped in here on this nomination,
but for sure, there are no predicted
good outcomes in this for veterans
seeking exposure justice on hazardous
materials. The Raytheon man just doessn't
get it.

It is not even clear whether Obama himself
get it, that "green planning" for the planet
is NOT the only environmental pursuits
to be stuck on the Democrat agenda
as an Al Gore Parrot Head show. Fair
and equal access to justice and restitution
for innocent victims of hazardous exposures
also DO have to be on the Green agenda
or the whole idea is at odds with each
other doesn't work.

Why would you be concerned about the
melting polar cap, if people here in
THIS country are suffering contamination
diseases while a sleeping Environmental
Protection Agency indulges in their
Wall Street COMA! and looks the other
way> DUH! I say, it's time to get up
off it Barack and be inclusive of the
Big Picture on hazardous contamination
issues.

On that note, don't look for a sympathetic
ear at the Pentagon for hazardous
exposure victims anytime soon now
that Obama has stepped into this latest
nomination bungle mudhole as we all
keep standing around and waiting for
the "Change We Can Believe In" to come.
So far, it's Republicans as usual out
here from what any of us can tell.

_________________________________________
TAKEN FROM LAWYERS CLASS ACTION WEB PAGE


Raytheon Corp.


Raytheon Corp. is the target of two class action lawsuits filed on behalf of residents who may be affected by contaminated groundwater in the Azalea area of St. Petersburg. The suits were filed after reports of contaminants infiltrating the groundwater in the neighborhood. Chemicals found in the area of the Raytheon site on 72nd Street include vinyl chloride and 1,4-dioxane, both of which have been associated with cancer and other illnesses. The lawsuits ask Raytheon, which inherited the problem when it purchased the site from E-Systems, to compensate homeowners for their diminished property values, and pay for medical screening of people in the neighborhood, as well as cover any costs of cleanup of the toxic seepage.

Sources indicate neither Raytheon nor Department of Environmental Protection officials told residents about the underground contamination that was migrating from the plant site into the neighborhood, and both entities publicly claim the contamination plume poses no health risk.


Raytheon Corp. Legal Help

If you have suffered damages in this groundwater contamination case, please click the link below to send your complaint to a lawyer to evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.

LINK

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/raytheon-contamination.html

_____________________________________________

RELATED Associated Press Release
On Bungled Nomination



Obama picks defense executive as Pentagon No. 2
January 9, 2009 - 5:02am

By RITA BEAMISH
Associated Press Writer

(AP) - President-elect Barack Obama, trying to enforce strict rules on special-interest influence in his administration, butted up against what some said was inevitable: The perfect person for a top Pentagon post recently lobbied for a major defense contractor.

Viewing it as a crucial selection, Obama picked William J. Lynn III, senior vice president for Raytheon Co., as the No. 2 at the Defense Department, Obama aides said Thursday.

Lynn's credentials appear ideal for the deputy secretary post: a deep resume that includes Clinton administration service as the Pentagon's top financial officer and overseer of strategic planning, six years on the staff of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and honors for his efforts to improve defense accounting practices.

That he also has been a well-known lobbyist for years underscores a common, revolving-door scenario in Washington, and appears at odds with the spirit of Obama's self-imposed rules to distance his administration from corporate influence peddlers.

Until July, Lynn was registered to lobby on behalf of Raytheon before Congress and the administration, representing the defense giant on a range of military and intelligence and budget matters.

"We are aware that Mr. Lynn lobbied for Raytheon and are working with Mr. Lynn to craft a role for him that is consistent with the president-elect's high standards while balancing the need to fill this critical national security position," said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor, who volunteered the information on Lynn's lobbying background.

Lynn was "highly recommended from experts across the political spectrum," to be the top civilian under Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he said.

Vietor declined to discuss whether Lynn would have to remove himself from any policy matters.

As Raytheon's senior vice president for government operations and strategy, Lynn's responsibilities included company liaison to the federal government, and state and local government relations, according to the Raytheon Web site.

Obama stressed in his campaign that no political appointees in his administration would be permitted to work on areas that "directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years."

Although Lynn withdrew his lobbying registration last summer, meaning he can't personally contact Congress or administration officials for Raytheon, he retained his same job and title, and lobbying rules would not preclude his Raytheon colleagues from continuing their lobbying.

In his presidential campaign Obama vowed to end the days of lobbyists setting the agenda in Washington. He banned lobbyist contributions to his campaign and set unprecedented restrictions on lobbyists who came to work on his transition staff.

When political appointees leave his administration, they will be banned from lobbying the executive branch during the remainder of the administration, he has said.

If the Senate confirms Lynn, it will be hard for him to avoid defense issues related to Raytheon, said James Thurber, who teaches lobbying at American University.

"I think it's impossible in our system not to have people that have been in the advocacy system," he said. "They're the people who know the issues and have the expertise."

But he said that most important is public disclosure of those connections.

Bill Buzenberg, executive director of the Center for Public Integrity said although Lynn is well-credentialed, his appointment is troubling.

"He left public service and went into lobbying for one of the largest defense contractors in the nation," he said. "Even if he's completely above board and ethical, it raises questions about his loyalty."

Waltham, Mass.-based Raytheon, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, specializes in worldwide defense and homeland security-related markets.

Obama's transition office announced the names of several other Pentagon selections on Thursday, including Michele Flournoy for the No. 3 job as policy chief. A Clinton-era official at the Pentagon, Flournoy has been the co-chair of Obama's Pentagon transition team.

In a statement, Obama said he is confident his picks will help build what he called a sustainable national security strategy that answers the threats of the 21st century.
___________________________________________
END of Associated Press Release


Hey Obama, if this is your idea of a
joke, the veterans are NOT laughing -- just
so we are clear on that.






Veterans are allowed to submit Opposition
letters to the Senate to protest this
confirmation hearing.