Hey Folks,
Today, I’m just plain ticked off.
START RANT
This morning I checked my voicemail and listened to a message from Melanie Fogel who works for Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
The message told me that Congressman Cole would like to award me the Congressional Medal of Honor and asked me to call him at: 1-866-725-9846.
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress, it is often called the Congressional Medal of Honor.
I listened to the message a half dozen times to make sure that I wasn’t hearing it wrong.
In the first place, although I did serve in the Army, during the time of the Viet Nam war, I never served outside of the United States and I NEVER did anything that could be remotely construed as “valor in action against an enemy force.”
Far worse news!
My natural reaction was to call up Congressman Cole and let him know that someone was using his name and office in a fraudulent way. Unfortunately, a quick search for Congressman Cole turned up far worse news. It turns out that Congressman Cole has been offering awards right and left to small business owners …
For a fee!
And this has been going on for years!
“In 2006, just days before the November 7 Midterm Congressional elections, numerous reports started to surface of a series of robotic phone-calls being authorized by the NRCC, with the apparent intention to confuse and annoy the supporters of Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives. Philadelphia Daily News article
In New Hampshire, the state attorney general’s office requested that the NRCC end the robocalls, but many individuals in the state continued to report receiving them. New Hampshire News Article The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent the NRCC a cease-and-desist letter. The DCCC letter cited the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulation requiring that a prerecorded telephone call must identify the responsible entity at the beginning of the message, and must include the entity’s telephone number. Because the NRCC’s calls did not name the NRCC at the beginning and did not provide a contact phone number, the DCCC charged the NRCC with “a pattern of willful noncompliance with FCC requirements”. [2]“
If an Internet marketer was caught dead doing this, that person would be in prison by now!
This is a MEMBER OF CONGRESS we are talking about. Even worse apparently this type of fraud is happening on both sides of the aisle.
And it’s STUPID! How dumb do they think we are?
More people are ticked off by this than ever contribute.
I’m letting my representatives in Washington know exactly what I think and I hope you will too. Especially if you live in Oklahoma!
END RANT
All the best,
Kenneth A. McArthur
jvAlertLive.com
InfoProductBlueprint.com
jvAlert.com
I have received these same phone calls before, and being a young entrepreneur I was so excited! This is total garbage and it is terrible that it’s allowed to go on. Thank you for letting more people know about it, so we can maybe take some action against it. The sad part is that if they do it, some people must be falling for it. Hopefully your post will help stop this garbage. I live in Oklahoma so this is good to know about that congressman as well. Thanks as always for bringing us up to date with great information.
Hi Ken,
What do expect from the RNC, They have been
ripping us all off for 7 long years and breaking
the law for 7 years and no one is in jail yet.
Glad to see they got your ire up. Mine has been up
for years. And show me a democrat who is doing this
and I will personally go after them. This is pretty much a
Republican Dirty Trick and not all sides are equal:)
At any rate you get my congressional medal of honor
Jane
Ha, sounds like the “congressman”would be an excellent IMer. Not you of course Ken, and there are few that do it right. But I have seen so many IMers that are nothing but glorifed spammers with ZERO integrity. Not to mention any names, as I like to keep the energy positive. BUT, you are right this is BS. Though I never served, I respect all who have and do. My father served with the Flying Tigers. Cole would be indicted if he were not a congressman.
I too, live in Oklahoma, and even know a couple of legislators personally (but not Cole). Being the rebel ‘investigative’ soul I am, I’ll be looking into this further myself! Thanks for letting us know
…ahhh the beauty of the Internet.
Sounds like something the “local” media should know about as well.
Am I the only one feeling Americans being “dumbed down” more and more by the day here?
Dang, looks like our tax dollars aren’t enough for them freakin’ congressmen! I think some of us online entrepreneurs should run fer political office and show them how to run the freakin’ country! They have too much time on their hands, if they have the time to set up a scam like this. You know that if one of them ##censored## does it, some of the others are probably getting themselves into trouble, too!
Internet Marketers would do a great job in political office, because they would have so many projects going on, they wouldn’t have time to get their hands into anything illegal! Heck, they wouldn’t have time to figure out how to tax us to freakin’ death, too, so maybe then they could just figure out how to reduce spending.
Thanks fer passing on this information to the rest of us, it is not good to keep yer anger bottled up, share it with the world!
Have a freakin’ great day!
Bernie Dorman
http://berniedorman.com
Kudos Jane!
Big Business – Republican; Republican – Big Business …hmmm
Ken,
This really pisses me off, pardon the foul language but foul is the only way to describe what this imbecile is facilitating. I am a soldier, I command a company of over 200 men and women that volunteered to continue the defense of our freedom but I know that they do not do it for jerks such as you have described in your post.
I am also an avid (militant even) marketer but soliciting for an honor or award that is to be earned by heroic acts and deeds not financial gain is treachery this is a new low for politicians period!
Great post Ken,
Mark
Ken, I used to work for someone who was offered that “award.” I took the call, and when the woman mentioned a medal of honor, I knew it had to be a fraud. My boss was a woman and had never served in the military.
Isn’t this awful!
No wonder people are so jaded and skeptical these days — so many frauds…so little time!
Ronda
He should be arrested and jailed
I am not American i am Brit however
i have served along side some of your
guys on several occaisions in various
places.
Our sons and daughters are dying to keep
people like this free and this is a total insult
to their memory and deeds. Tom Cole is totaly void
of any compasion for our troops in action around
the globe and frankly is spitting in their face and yours
If i had not read this here i would think it was out
of a movie script it realy is unreal.
take care all of you and god bless
Ron
Hi Ken,
NO, I’m not surprised. It’s all about greed, isn’t it? I mean, hasn’t money become the most important thing in this country? We have to have it to live, and it’s getting tougher and tougher for most people every day. But the power that comes with having great wealth is being abused regularly, and it’s taking away the resources and well-being of the middle-class in our nation.
So, am I angry? Hell, yes. I’m always angered by scammers, online and off.
But who’s to blame? We are. We’re letting it happen. We’re losing our personal freedoms. We’re being raped by the health industry, the insurance industry, and the banking industry to name three of the biggies.
And we’re allowing it to happen. It’s time that people like this Congressman be called to order.
But then, who will be left to govern?
I think you’d make a wonderful President, Ken.
–Pat
Shame on some people for trying to turn this into a partisan issue. This kind of nonsense goes on in both major parties, so using it to bash one of them makes you look naive or biased.
As Ken said in his post, “Even worse apparently this type of fraud is happening on both sides of the aisle.”
I think the bigger scandal (than the phone calls) is selling Medals of Honor… can one member of Congress award those?
Ken
I think you have it wrong. They are calling with the Congressional Order of Merit. I had a similar call. You should really check your information before you go on a rant.
My boss just received the same “Congressional Medal of Merit” call from Congressman Cole’s office… but we’re in Texas! LOL Gotta love it when greedy republicans even try to steal from each other!
(see http://www.congressionalgoldmedal.com/ for more info on this ridiculous “award” which means absolutely nothing [toward the bottom of the web page])
Just another example of someone who is out of touch with their audience (i.e., the voters).
It seems like most candidates in both parties (with the exception of Ron Paul) think they can just BS their way into office with a ‘shoeshine and a smile.’ Or in Mitt Romney’s case, a quart of 10W40 in his hair and well-timed weeping – but I digress.
The reason Congress and the President’s approval ratings are at Nixonian levels is because most people don’t trust them – nor should they. As on and offline marketers, we have to shoot straight, provide solid value, and do it in a pleasant manner… or we don’t get their future business.
Your outrage is definitely justified; I think a lot of incumbent politicians will be in for a rude awakening next November.
Hey Marvin,
That’s why I checked the phone message 6 times. And if you do a search you will find that MANY people have had the “Medal of Honor” version of the call. What you get once you make the call is much different but just as misleading.
Anyway, either way it’s a planned deception.
All the best,
Ken
Hi Ken,
Why would you be surprised by this? I have joined several grass roots organizations just to keep up with at least the more major scams being foisted off on the American citizens. The good congressman just let his greed get a little too much in the open. And I can guarantee that neither side of the isle is innocent. At the risk of dating myself, I call your minds back to a young woman who drowned at chapaquidic. Her only crime was being stupid enough to get involved with a Kennedy in the first place and then dumb enough to tell him she was pregnant. This same individual has been trying all year to give away our social security and medicare to people in this country illegally. It was his older brother who first opened the social security funds to graft by “loaning” Israel $10m from that fund, which by the way was never paid back. His successor finished raping the fund by using it to finance the Viet Nam war. Of course Texas benefitted greatly by it, since a major portion went to General Dynamics for weapons, but then that was Johnson’s home state so why not? Offering a medal of honor to pay for some Christmas presents is small potatos comparatively speaking.
I wrote to one of my own senators concerning a matter and was told directly by the man himself that he voted issues according to what he felt was good for the country, not what his constituents wanted. Needless to say, I was not in his camp during the elections. But so many in this state vote straight ticket so of course he got re-elected. Our politians are rotten to the core the and the only way things are going to change is if we citizens start using our heads and start working to get rid of the trash that have managed to claim an office. Radical, yes but I hate to think what another 20 years will bring if we don’t.
OOPS! I closed before I added the one part you should never leave off when you point out a problem. You should always close with a possible solution. And maybe this is just the forum to set things in motion. One of the problems associated with the rottenness in our government is that once elected, the crooks can keep coming back for more. I would suggest a national referendum to limit congressional terms the same as the presidential term. If a person cannot get the “work” he wants to see accomplished done in two terms then tough. After two terms in either house, a person is automatically barred from seeking office in congress again. I would also add to this the removal of the “for life benefits” that the congress voted for themselves. If, for example, a person is appointed to finish out the term of a senator or congressman who dies in office and that person serves 90 days or more of that term, that person receives retirement and medical benefits for the rest of his or her life. This little bag of treats should be enough to convince just about anyone of the rottenness of our politicians. The retirement alone is in the order of $100k per year. Where else can you work for 90 days and retire on that kind of pension? I would like to see some other thoughts on this.
Thanks
Ken
Mr. McArthur, This is very interesting. I have been involved with organizations lately that send faxes and letters to congressman and even the president telling them what I think of the rotten ways things are handled in congress. I am interested in what way you think would be a solution!
What does that say to those that really do deserve such a medal?? That it’s nothing to brag about or be proud of!! I am so sick of these government officials being able to get away with this type of thing, which honestly, if you look at the bigger picture is just a very small part of what is going on in our government today.
Shame on these people taking advantage of their position and the people of the USA!!
Ron Killian
hi
that is a scandal waiting to explode….glad I live in the Uk where we dont have all of this sort of “off the side” kind of polital goings on…..
Geoff Lord
Virtual-Internet-Empires.com<a/.
Old Serbian words for this was: Give power to man and you”l see his real face.
I agree with Mark Brown, who says, “soliciting for an honor or award that is to be earned by heroic acts and deeds not financial gain is treachery this is a new low for politicians period!”
Mark and Ken, from a fellow veteran (Cold War and Gulf War era), THANK YOU for your service. I too, am digusted by this. Hmm. I’m confident that this will become “more public.” Wait and watch, vets…
I will be looking into this, mark my words… I live here. I work here. I still serve here. I will be heard here.
Ken, thanks for bringing this to our attention; I had no idea. And, it’s been going on for years? Years?
This is just — I’m at a loss for words as to how to describe the way I feel hearing this BS. Working in our nation’s capital now, I took time just yesterday afternoon to honor a general officer (USAF) who was being buried in Arlington National Cemetery (ANC). I have to tell you, I have walked through ANC before, and I have seen the “Changing of the Guard” ceremony by the US Army’s “Old Guard” many times. This touches me every time I witness it. However, yesterday’s funeral really moved me… not only was it a damp and rainy day, as most funerals just seem to happen on rainy days (don’t they?), but also it was most unusual because…
Less than 2 minutes before TAPS was played for the General, followed by a 21 gun salute (7 rifles x 3 volleys), I heard TAPS and a 21 gun salute nearby, at *another* veterans’ funeral. 2 minutes. With the current average of 16 burials DAILY – yes DAILY – at ANC, according to the bus tour guide on a previous visit on a federal holiday when there were NONE (for 1 day), I’m told this is not uncommon! Hearing the echo of another funeral while attending one to honor a fellow USAF veteran was just a bit unnerving, with *honors* for fallen warriors being so close together. And, our current losses in the war(s)… And to hear today that one of the highest of military honors for VALOR while *serving,* not for profits, is simply disgraceful! It just makes me — I can’t finish this post. More later, after I’ve collected myself…
God Bless America,
Cheri Sigmon
Washington DC USA
p.s. OK, I’m still reeling from this news, Ken… One more thought about “labeling” politicians in general…
It takes a special kind of person to subject themselves and their loved ones to the *scrutiny* with which their entire lives and actions are often fully exposed while running for election, if elected or if they’re NOT elected, while they are serving, even after they retire, etc. Their job isn’t always easy, although that is a common (mis)perception. It’s easy for us, the “public,” to blame, label, and sling mud. I’m glad we have politicians. I have always been interested in Political Science, and I have a bachelor’s degree in just that major. So, my personal views may be slightly skewed. However, I subscribe to the “school of thought” that there is indeed a lot of GOOD that politicians perform that is not seen, nor is intended to be seen. Some of their decisions may be good; others may really suck, be self-serving, while others may be wise.
Fact: Everything that “a” public servant may do in the interests of serving the public, may not always be disclosed to the public. Some of their sessions are closed; some Congr. (committee and other) sessions are classified. That is for a reason. Just think about it. Consider that “politicians” in general, including our many Congressmen, Senators, and others on the Hill might have done things FOR you and me that you and I will NEVER know about, even imagine, ever consider possible, or even think to thank them for *their* service. I don’t think that most pol’s are in it for the money or the prestige, since many have already achieved great financial success before becoming politicians. Perhaps I am naive, but’s that off-topic… I really believe that they become public servants for the right reasons, and they serve us well…
Belief: I do not think or believe that ALL of our politicians are “rotten to the core.” There are just some bad apples, as with any pursuit or profession. They’re human. Humans are susceptible to greed. There will be a day of reckoning, either now or later. “What goes around, comes around,” as the saying goes. It’s true. Their behavior, interests, intentions, and decisions tend to be and SHOULD be more public, since they serve the public. Let me repeat that… they serve the public. I need to digest this news about Cole further… let me do some research and get back to you. Thanks again for sharing, Ken…
I still can’t express the level of – emotion – that I feel now after hearing about “Congressional Medals of Honor – for sale.” More later.
R,
Cheri
Wait, friends, which is it…
the actual – Congressional Medal of Honor – or, a
Congressional Gold Medal of Honor? Sounds like a ploy. Hmm. I’ll do some snooping around, Ken.
R,
Cheri
I’ve received no less than five calls from these guys RE: Tom Cole. Same thing, first call I was excited. Then it became clear when they wanted cash upfront. Tom, stop the douche bag tele-marking tricks, support you constituents, or (due to the calls) leave office and sell cars or credit cards.
I strongly support politicians that act in the interest of the public. I strongly support those who do not have to resort to lying to their constituents. I strongly support those whose moral center that is above reproach. One call from this tele-marketing con attempt violates each and every reason I would have as reason to support your office position, Tom.