How Rick Santorum Ripped Off American Veterans

[Chris]

Organisations such as ODAN allege that Opus Dei maintains an extremely high degree of control over its members— for instance, past rules required numeraries to submit their incoming and outgoing mail to their superiors for inspection,[122] and members are forbidden to read certain books without permission from their superiors.[122] Critics charge that Opus Dei pressures numeraries to sever contact with non-members, including their own families.[100] Exit counselor David Clark has described Opus Dei as "very cult-like".[100]

Critics assert that Escrivá and the organisation supported radical right-wing governments, such as those of Augusto Pinochet[123] and Alberto Fujimori of Peru during the 1990s.[124] Both Pinochet's and Fujimori's ministries and prominent supporters allegedly included members of Opus Dei. There have also been allegations that Escrivá expressed sympathy for Adolf Hitler.[125][126] One former Opus Dei priest, Vladimir Felzmann, who has become a vocal Opus Dei critic, says that Escrivá once remarked that Hitler had been "badly treated" by the world and he further declared that "Hitler couldn't have been such a bad person. He couldn't have killed six million [Jews]. It couldn't have been more than four million."[127][128][129]

Opus Dei - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Chris]

Rick Santorum sent two of his sons to a Washington, D.C. all-boys school affiliated with Opus Dei, the Catholic group whose members were portrayed as sinisterly weird in the sensationalistic Da Vinci Code but in reality only engage in some mild self-mutilation, "nothing traumatic," as the group's website says. Santorum says he's not a member of Opus Dei, though he did go to Rome in 2002 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding, and he belongs to the St. Catherine of Siena Parish, "a favorite of Opus Dei," the Washington Post says.

How Opus Dei Influenced Rick Santorum - Politics - The Atlantic Wire

why the hell would you claim he was a member, THEN prove yourself wrong?

Opus Dei members are not allowed to reveal that they are members.

His kids go to an Opus Dei school, he went to Rome to celebrate the Opus Dei founding, and he belongs to an Opus Dei parish.

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain....

 

[Two Thumbs]

never mind

you're just ranting again.

If a member can't say they belong, then I'm gunna step out on a limb and say a school can't admit they are run by OD.

 

[Chris]

“Opus Dei has a friend in Pennsylvania: Sen. Rick Santorum.

A report released yesterday by Political Money Line -- detailing trips for all members of Congress funded by outside groups since 2000 -- notes that in January 2002, the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross Foundation paid $2,000 for Santorum to travel to Rome to give a speech. The senator reported that the school paid $1,800 for airfare and $200 for meals on a 5-day trip. The Rome university, which has trained hundreds of new priests, is the educational arm of Opus Dei. It traces its roots back to the Saint Josemaria Escriva, the Opus Dei founder whose life and subsequent canonization under Pope John Paul II has been shrouded in controversy.

PURITAN NEWS WEEKLY

 

[Chris]

In March 2004, Santorum received a standing ovation from the first-ever National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, which was organized in part by the director of the Catholic Information Center run by the Opus Dei movement. In 2002, the Pennsylvania senator worked closely with Father John McCloskey, head of Opus Dei in Washington, to guide the conversion of Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback to Catholicism….”

PURITAN NEWS WEEKLY

 

[Lakhota]

I suspect we'll be hearing more about all this in coming days...weeks...months...

 

[Two Thumbs]

doubtful

They all have crap like this in thier closets.

 

[strollingbones]

Twenty-two million dollars is a lot of money for 46 acres. The Catholic Church will put the land to use that will benefit many American people, imho. I'm not of their denomination, but I admire their outreach to people no one else would lift a finger to help.

Their organization feeds the sick, builds hospitals that are open to everyone, provides housing, clothing, and medical care for those in great need, and their church people are found wherever the community has a need for something good to be done.

Thank you for calling this to the board's attention, Lakhota.

What happened to that land will be a blessing to us all.

And you say Rick Santorum is to blame?

I thought you were against Rick Santorum.

with this attitude i take it you are willing to sell your land and properties to the church for a faction of their true value?

i am sure they can put it to good use....blah blah fucking blah

 

[strollingbones]

this story proves santorum will favor his religion over what is right

 

[editec]

Creepy Ricky.

What a forking tool!

 

[Seawytch]

found it in the link

Santorum's advocacy for Catholic University isn't at all surprising. A practicing Catholic, Santorum embodies the church's anti-abortion and anti-gay-marriage positions as well as its support for charities and alleviating poverty. While in Congress, he was a fierce advocate for the Catholic Church. A former Santorum aide told New York Times Magazine in 2005 that the senator was "a Catholic missionary who happens to be in the Senate.'' That same year, Time magazine named him one of America's ''25 Most Influential Evangelicals.''

Funny that Santorum isn't a "fierce advocate" of other Catholic Church positions...like ending the war in Iraq, Universal Health Care and raising the minimum wage...

 

[Peach]

found it in the link

Santorum's advocacy for Catholic University isn't at all surprising. A practicing Catholic, Santorum embodies the church's anti-abortion and anti-gay-marriage positions as well as its support for charities and alleviating poverty. While in Congress, he was a fierce advocate for the Catholic Church. A former Santorum aide told New York Times Magazine in 2005 that the senator was "a Catholic missionary who happens to be in the Senate.'' That same year, Time magazine named him one of America's ''25 Most Influential Evangelicals.''

Funny that Santorum isn't a "fierce advocate" of other Catholic Church positions...like ending the war in Iraq, Universal Health Care and raising the minimum wage...

No, Santorum is choosy among BIBLE BASED values.

 

[Seawytch]

found it in the link

Santorum's advocacy for Catholic University isn't at all surprising. A practicing Catholic, Santorum embodies the church's anti-abortion and anti-gay-marriage positions as well as its support for charities and alleviating poverty. While in Congress, he was a fierce advocate for the Catholic Church. A former Santorum aide told New York Times Magazine in 2005 that the senator was "a Catholic missionary who happens to be in the Senate.'' That same year, Time magazine named him one of America's ''25 Most Influential Evangelicals.''

Funny that Santorum isn't a "fierce advocate" of other Catholic Church positions...like ending the war in Iraq, Universal Health Care and raising the minimum wage...

No, Santorum is choosy among BIBLE BASED values.

Oh well...that's pretty typical of Conservative Christians.

Interesting how Frothy ignores his Church's positions on things like...

Death Penalty

War in Iraq

Universal Health Care

Minimum Wage

 

[Sallow]

The US Military? The democrat senate majority leader should be in prison for trying to impact the morale of the Troops when he told them and the rest of the world "the war (in Iraq) is lost" just as the Troop surge was underway. Democrats called the US commander in Iraq "betray-us" in a full page ad in the NY Times. Democrat senator Kerry called US Troops "terrorists" and the late democrat congressman John Murtha called Marines "murderers".

It wasn't the war that was "lost". It was America..when it signed on to that bit of madness. The Iraq war was a disgusting display of vindicative overwhelming military might against a country which did nothing to "deserve" it. It was the brainchild of a childlike man trying to step into Daddy's shoes. It was a betrayal of every soldier that did his or her duty and followed the orders of the Commander In Chief, George W. Bush.

Anyone still trying to justify that mess is either insane or a fool.

 

[Full-Auto]

By Andy Kroll

A controversial land deal by the presidential candidate robbed a vets' home of tens of millions of dollars.

Like any good presidential candidate, Rick Santorum heaps praise on America's soldiers and veterans. He's pledged to "make veterans a high priority" if elected president, adding, "This is not a Republican issue, this is not a Democratic issue, it is an American issue." But as a US senator, Santorum engineered a controversial land deal that robbed the military's top veterans' home of tens of millions of dollars and worsened the deteriorating conditions at the facility.

The Armed Forces Retirement Home, which is run by the Department of Defense, bills itself as the "premier home for military retirees and veterans." The facility sprawls across 272 acres high on a hill in northern Washington, DC, near the Petworth neighborhood. The nearly 600 veterans who now live there enjoy panoramic views of the city—the Washington monument and US Capitol to the south, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to the east. At its peak, more than 2,000 veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War lived at the Home.

But with the rise of the smaller all-volunteer military, the Home began to run into serious financial problems. It was clear that one of its primary sources of revenue—a 50-cent deduction from the paychecks of active-duty servicemembers—wasn't enough to keep the Home operating fully. In the 1990s, the Home scrambled to find ways to avoid insolvency, trimming its staff by 24 percent and reducing its vet population by 800. Still, the money problems began to show, with its older historic facilities slipping into disrepair and decay. To grapple with its worsening shortfall, officials running the Home eyed a valuable, 49-acre piece of land worth $49 million as a potential financial lifeline.

Under one scenario, by leasing the parcel of land and letting it be developed, the Home could pocket $105 million in income over 35 years for its trust fund, David Lacy, then-chairman of the Home's board of directors, told Congress in 1999. Lacy stressed that the Home wanted to keep the property, and not offload it to a buyer. "Once land is sold," he said, "it is lost forever as an asset."

Enter Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.). At the behest of the Roman Catholic Church, and unbeknownst to the Home, Santorum slipped an amendment into the 1999 National Defense Authorization Act handcuffing how the home could cash in on those 49 acres. The amendment forced the Home to sell—and not lease—the land to its next-door neighbor, the Catholic University of America. Ultimately, the Catholic Church bought 46 acres of the tract for $22 million. The Home lost the land for good, and by its own estimates, pocketed $27 million less than the land's value and $83 million less than what it could've made under the lease plan. Santorum's amendment sparked an outcry from veterans' groups and fellow US senators, who barraged his office with complaints.

More: How Rick Santorum Ripped Off American Veterans | Mother Jones

What baloney, We know fair market value was paid for the land. The government should not be in the rental or leasing business with land for what ever reason.

 

[Sallow]

By Andy Kroll

A controversial land deal by the presidential candidate robbed a vets' home of tens of millions of dollars.

Like any good presidential candidate, Rick Santorum heaps praise on America's soldiers and veterans. He's pledged to "make veterans a high priority" if elected president, adding, "This is not a Republican issue, this is not a Democratic issue, it is an American issue." But as a US senator, Santorum engineered a controversial land deal that robbed the military's top veterans' home of tens of millions of dollars and worsened the deteriorating conditions at the facility.

The Armed Forces Retirement Home, which is run by the Department of Defense, bills itself as the "premier home for military retirees and veterans." The facility sprawls across 272 acres high on a hill in northern Washington, DC, near the Petworth neighborhood. The nearly 600 veterans who now live there enjoy panoramic views of the city—the Washington monument and US Capitol to the south, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to the east. At its peak, more than 2,000 veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War lived at the Home.

But with the rise of the smaller all-volunteer military, the Home began to run into serious financial problems. It was clear that one of its primary sources of revenue—a 50-cent deduction from the paychecks of active-duty servicemembers—wasn't enough to keep the Home operating fully. In the 1990s, the Home scrambled to find ways to avoid insolvency, trimming its staff by 24 percent and reducing its vet population by 800. Still, the money problems began to show, with its older historic facilities slipping into disrepair and decay. To grapple with its worsening shortfall, officials running the Home eyed a valuable, 49-acre piece of land worth $49 million as a potential financial lifeline.

Under one scenario, by leasing the parcel of land and letting it be developed, the Home could pocket $105 million in income over 35 years for its trust fund, David Lacy, then-chairman of the Home's board of directors, told Congress in 1999. Lacy stressed that the Home wanted to keep the property, and not offload it to a buyer. "Once land is sold," he said, "it is lost forever as an asset."

Enter Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.). At the behest of the Roman Catholic Church, and unbeknownst to the Home, Santorum slipped an amendment into the 1999 National Defense Authorization Act handcuffing how the home could cash in on those 49 acres. The amendment forced the Home to sell—and not lease—the land to its next-door neighbor, the Catholic University of America. Ultimately, the Catholic Church bought 46 acres of the tract for $22 million. The Home lost the land for good, and by its own estimates, pocketed $27 million less than the land's value and $83 million less than what it could've made under the lease plan. Santorum's amendment sparked an outcry from veterans' groups and fellow US senators, who barraged his office with complaints.

More: How Rick Santorum Ripped Off American Veterans | Mother Jones

What baloney, We know fair market value was paid for the land. The government should not be in the rental or leasing business with land for what ever reason.

So government charging cattle ranchers and oil companies for land use is wrong now?

 

[Full-Auto]

More: How Rick Santorum Ripped Off American Veterans | Mother Jones

What baloney, We know fair market value was paid for the land. The government should not be in the rental or leasing business with land for what ever reason.

So government charging cattle ranchers and oil companies for land use is wrong now?

I probably should have phrased it better. But close enough. Should i HAVE ADDED DEVELOPMENT?

 

[GuyPinestra]

Since the Veterans Home OWNED the land, shouldn't they have gotten fair market value for it? I mean it was worth almost $50 million, why did Santorum screw them out of $28 million MINIMUM??

 

[IndependntLogic]

No, if you mindlessly repeat liberal memes and never agree with conservative ideas, you'll be labeled a liberal.

nah, you're spewing complete Right Wing Drone bullshet. You have lebeled me a liberal numerous times.

What part of "if you mindlessly repeat liberal memes and never agree with conservative ideas, you'll be labeled a liberal" is failing to penetrate your skull?

Oh I understand your statement. It's just that in your case, if someone has many Conservative views BUT has the gall to also acknowledge that Liberals are right about many things too, then they have not blindly followed The Machine like you do and are therefore a Liberal. It's okay. Lots of Conservative like you have been conditioned to be the exact same way so it's not like you're alone. Independnt thinking, freedom to pick and choose what you agree with based on personal observation is simply not tolerated by such drones.

 

[freedombecki]

Twenty-two million dollars is a lot of money for 46 acres. The Catholic Church will put the land to use that will benefit many American people, imho. I'm not of their denomination, but I admire their outreach to people no one else would lift a finger to help.

Their organization feeds the sick, builds hospitals that are open to everyone, provides housing, clothing, and medical care for those in great need, and their church people are found wherever the community has a need for something good to be done.

Thank you for calling this to the board's attention, Lakhota.

What happened to that land will be a blessing to us all.

And you say Rick Santorum is to blame?

I thought you were against Rick Santorum.

What the fuck are you talking about? This was a VETERANS HOME, you know, the guys you tie a ribbon around a tree for?? They got FUCKED out of MILLIONS to enrich the Catholic Church. You are a cold, heartless BITCH if you think fucking over US VETERANS is a GOOD thing.

There were around 250 acres or more in the parcel. The land was not being used by anybody. At least, that's the way it was presented here. Nobody said anything about the entire place being sold. They said LAND in the amount of 46 acres was sold. I think the home is either intact or was beyond repair if it was vacated.

I'm defending the Catholic people. They help other people, not harm them. Clinton closed down a score of military bases in America as I recollect. There were medical facilities on at least 4 of them. Are you going to use the same bitter language on Clinton as you used on me for defending a church I don't even belong to?

I'm secure in my work for veterans. Last year, I put in 300 hours for their benefit. That won't change this year. I've worked hard for veterans for over 15 years.

I'm sorry that causes you such meltdown and disassociation in your vocabulary and behaviors. Even so, I am requesting that you cease and desist from sending me sexual harassment messages.