Another Ex-Spurt

Larry D. Thompson, confirmed as Deputy Attorney General to Ashcroft May 10, 2001. He spent most of his career at a law firm in Atlanta but did 4 years under Reagan as Southeastern Attorney General (Drug Enforcement Task Force). In 1986 he returned to the Atlantic law firm as a full partner, until Bill Clinton hired him in 1995 as independent counsel to investigate corruption in HUD. Congressional investigators in 1989 had reported that Secretary Pierce (HUD 1981-1989) and his aides may have illegally steered billions of government money toward projects developed by influential Republicans. Under Thompson's investigation of the Reagan era HUD fraud, taxpayers spent $29 million to convict 16 lower level HUDsters and to report that the "painstaking process failed to yield a single instance of criminal wrongdoing in any of Secretary Pierce's actions or policies." Jesus, why do we keep giving conmen millions to investigate themselves and tell us everybody is good.

Thompson was now guaranteed a spot in the big time. Another Black carefully groomed and promoted by the rightwing to give the neocons the smell of diversity. Another "see! a Black conservative/republican" for freeper types to point to with pride or proof of something. In the book Strange Justice Thompson was said to be involved in the plot to weaken Anita Hill's testimony against his old buddy Clarence Thomas. He helped dream up the theory that Hill suffered from sexual delusions and phobias and thought all men sexually harassed her. He also served on the board of directors of Providian (1997 to 2001), the credit card company charged with fraud and forced to pay 400 million in fines. By "coincidence" of course Thompson sold over $4 million in shares just before Bush appointed him Deputy AG and just before Providian stock plummeted.

Judicial Watch, filed suit against Thompson for Providian fraud in 2002. The Justice Department dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous. Thompson was not questioned about Providian during his confirmation hearings. And, as per the way it works Thompson was appointed by Bush to head the task force on corporate fraud, including operations at DOJ in the investigation of Enron.

Thompson worked in the Bush flunkihood which set up "rendering" prisoners to foreign countries for torture, worked on legalities of Bush's military tribunals, rubbed elbows with Michael Chertoff, held hands with Alberto Gonzales who got the AG job many felt would go to Larry D. He also testified before the 911 Commission where he confirmed Ashcroft's memory of things by claiming "I do not recall the conversation…" Now that's a new one. In August 2003 he left the deputy AG office. Since leaving he has defended the Patriot Act, tightening of FOI laws, etc.

In August '03 he took a lucrative position to head the government relations department of PepsiCo. A little ironic that Pepsi in the 1930s was successful because the company sold cola in recycled beer bottles, which were bigger bottles and cheaper and became known as the soft drink of the lower classes. In the US Pepsi was viewed as the drink of Blacks. I can remember when snooty whites wouldn't drink Pepsi for this reason even in the 1950s.

October 2003 he became a Brookings Institute "senior fellow." Brookings, described as "bipartisan" and funded by the usual suspects, GE, Dupont, ExxonMobil, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. His focus at the Institute "will be on corporate and white collar crime, anti-terrorism, drug enforcement, and violent crime, particularly as it relates to low income and minority communities."

Larry D. writes pieces for Brookings, such as Federal Prison Industries: Fair to business, vital to society. A brief that basically says H.R.1829 is unfair because it would require that Federal Prison Industries (slave/cheap labor) compete for contracts. He claims that inmates today are returned to the community as skilled laborers ready to work. Someone should tell the man the reality of recidivism, and the job market. The usual claim of it's good for us, good for them. Good for everybody. I guess that's how he focuses on minority communities for Brookings.

Larry D.'s son, Larry D. Jr. was scheduled for a 2004-2005 clerkship on the court working for Justice Clarence Thomas, but that has been delayed for some reason. Rumor was dad might be nominated for SC seat and it might appear awkward if Junior were clerking there or something to that effect. Who knows.

Larry D. in scholarly form promoting the party line, from a speech in Celebration of Black History Month at Fort Valley, Georgia:

"On 9-11, over 3,000 of our fellow citizens were killed SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WERE AMERICANS. There was no discrimination between rich and poor; black or white; Christian or Jew. Sometimes we ask the question: WHY DID THESE EVIL PEOPLE ATTACK US? I believe the answer is clear. THEY FEARED OUR FREEDOM. They feared the fact that we are a nation of INDIVIDUALS - NOT MINDLESS FANATICS." (His caps not mine.)

Lol. It's CLEAR proof, I tell you PROOF, that WE ARE a nation of MINDLESS fanatics to tolerate 'they hate us because we're free' from another corrupt yes-man in the circle-jerk of thanks-tank/bored director payoff for ex-government spurts.