Meanwhile Obama tells Telemundo that the reason Republicans are against his amnesty plan is because they fear minorities in the majority. Race baiters, from the top down.

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Jay Carney was shocked to hear about threats made to the Zimmerman family. Again, the first he’d heard there was a problem.

From TheWaPo “A high school intern with the conservative Daily Caller Web site got into a testy exchange with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Wednesday after asking if the White House would intervene to protect George Zimmerman from death threats in the wake of his acquittal on murder and manslaughter charges.

“Because of the death threats being received by George Zimmerman and his parents, is the president going to take any action for their security or are they on their own?” Gabe Finger asked.

Carney responded that he wasn’t aware of the threats and that Florida authorities would be responsible for handling them, but that Obama opposes “any violence of any kind” in response to the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case.”

Sure Jay.

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Liberals of all colors play along, so yeah, more white guilt. Always with the Race thing.

From Time “If there is one hopeful note amidst all the anguish and recrimination from the acquittal of George Zimmerman, it’s that growing numbers of white people have come to appreciate whiteness for what it is: an unearned set of privileges. And as a result of that dawning awareness, it’s become possible to imagine a day when that structure of privilege is dismantled – by white people.”

Yeah. 🙄

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And a little more background on the Zimmerman prosecutors. Can you say “malicious prosecution”? Yeah, I knew you could.

From NationalReview “And that was moderate. When Corey was appointed to handle the Zimmerman case, Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, a former president of both the American Bar Association and Florida State University, criticized the decision: “I cannot imagine a worse choice for a prosecutor to serve in the Sanford case. There is nothing in Angela Corey’s background that suits her for the task, and she cannot command the respect of people who care about justice.” Corey responded by making a public-records request of the university for all e-mails, text messages, and phone messages in which D’Alemberte had mentioned Fernandez. Like Littlepage, D’Alemberte had earlier criticized Corey’s handling of the Fernandez case.

Not many people are willing to cross Corey. A Florida attorney I spoke with declined to go on record because of “concerns about retaliation” — that attorney has pending cases that will require Corey’s cooperation. The attorney mentioned colleagues who have refused to speak to the media for the same reason. And to think: D’Alemberte crossed Corey twice. He should get a medal.”

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And the CBC is up to their usual.

From TheHill “Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are readying a flurry of bills in response to George Zimmerman’s acquittal on charges in last year’s fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.

The lawmakers are drafting proposals intended to rein in racial profiling; scrap state stand-your-ground laws; and promote better training for the nation’s neighborhood watch volunteers, among other anti-violence measures. CBC members had remained largely silent throughout the trial, but following the verdict, argued forcefully that, decades after the civil rights movement, the nation’s criminal justice system still discriminates against blacks and other minorities.”

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It’s odd that they’d want to scrap “Stand Your Ground”. Especially when you consider the facts.

From TheDailyCaller “African Americans benefit from Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law at a rate far out of proportion to their presence in the state’s population, despite an assertion by Attorney General Eric Holder that repealing “Stand Your Ground” would help African Americans.

Black Floridians have made about a third of the state’s total “Stand Your Ground” claims in homicide cases, a rate nearly double the black percentage of Florida’s population. The majority of those claims have been successful, a success rate that exceeds that for Florida whites.”

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And in non-race news, again, from the top down.

From TheWaPo “The chief counsel’s office for the Internal Revenue Service, headed by a political appointee of President Obama, helped develop the agency’s problematic guidelines for reviewing “tea party” cases, according to a top IRS attorney.”

Like everyone didn’t already know this went back to the White House. 🙄

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And did anyone really believe it ended with phone tapping and e-mail snooping?

From TheACLU “Automatic license plate readers are the most widespread location tracking technology you’ve probably never heard of. Mounted on patrol cars or stationary objects like bridges, they snap photos of every passing car, recording their plate numbers, times, and locations. At first the captured plate data was used just to check against lists of cars law enforcement hoped to locate for various reasons (to act on arrest warrants, find stolen cars, etc.). But increasingly, all of this data is being fed into massive databases that contain the location information of many millions of innocent Americans stretching back for months or even years.”

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More here from FoxNews “Law enforcement officials also point out that the technology is legal in most cases, automating a practice that’s been done for years. The ACLU found that only five states have laws governing license plate readers. New Hampshire, for example, bans the technology except in narrow circumstances, while Maine and Arkansas limit how long plate information can be stored.

“There’s no expectation of privacy” for a vehicle driving on a public road or parked in a public place, said Lt. Bill Hedgpeth, a spokesman for the Mesquite Police Department in Texas, which has records stretching back to 2008, although the city plans next month to begin deleting files older than two years. “It’s just a vehicle. It’s just a license plate.””

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July 17, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-17-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread.

Fast and Furious today.

First up, Exit Sandman. 😦

And a classy display by both teams, waiting in the dugouts to give the greatest reliever ever his moment in the spotlight in his final All-Star appearance. He was also awarded the MVP for the game.

The American League defeated the National League 3-0.

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From Trust.org “George Zimmerman’s chief defense lawyer on Monday called Florida prosecutors “a disgrace to my profession” for holding back evidence for months and pledged a new effort to impose sanctions against them.”

A malicious prosecution suit is possibly in the works against the state and the hack/prosecutor Angela Corey as well.

The next bunch are protesters behaving badly.

From ABCLocal “Police in Chester County, Pennsylvania are investigating an act of vandalism with racial overtones, possibly connected to the fallout from the verdict in the George Zimmerman murder trial.”

While the ABC story mentions the “Kill Zimmerman” graffiti, there were threats as well.

Reports of possible racially motivated attacks have come from several cities. An unbiased DoJ would pursue these as obvious hate crimes/civil rights violations. But we don’t have an unbiased DoJ, so don’t hold your breath.

From Wisn.com “”This man was just walking through the park and they just all jumped on him and they were just beating him and, like, ‘This is for Trayvon Martin,'” said Tiffany Biles, who witnessed the attack.”

Similar reports have come from Mississippi, Oakland, and Baltimore as well.

The next one is just sad.

From ChicagoCBSLocal ” A sign posted outside a south suburban church is generating a powerful debate over race in the wake of the George Zimmerman verdict. The marquee outside the First Baptist Church of University Park earlier this week read: “It Is Safe To Kill Black People In Amerikkka.””

Some in the media just continue to not see the obvious. Some just wanna express their white guilt or something.

From Mediaite ““There’s a lot of white shame today,” said MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts on Sunday which his network rebroadcast on Tuesday. The anchor said on MSNBC that his white family and friends, as well as social media contacts, have expressed their shame over their race as it relates to the verdict in the trail of George Zimmerman. “If you’re an other,” Roberts warned, “Be worried.” “I’ve been getting this from family, loved ones, all the people in my life and through social media, and I’ll say it, honestly, there’s a lot of white shame today,” Roberts told MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry. “And while we look at lady justice and she’s supposed to be blind, it’s like, what are we saying about the life of this kid being disposable?”

Some are starting to come around though.

From HotAir “Don’t take this excellent and self-effacing essay from Slate’s William Saletan as an endorsement of George Zimmerman’s actions. Instead, it’s an indictment of the sensationalist media coverage that distorted or outright manufactured narratives in the case, and of the activists on all sides of the ledger who have exploited a tragedy for political gain. Only after informing himself by watching the actual trial, evidence, and closing arguments did Saletan have his epiphany.

The whole piece from Slate is here. “You Are Not Trayvon Martin. His death wasn’t about race, guns, or your pet issue. It was about misjudgment and overreaction—exactly what we’re doing now to the verdict.

The last one on this topic is next.

From TheWashingtonPost “I don’t like what George Zimmerman did, and I hate that Trayvon Martin is dead. But I also can understand why Zimmerman was suspicious and why he thought Martin was wearing a uniform we all recognize. I don’t know whether Zimmerman is a racist. But I’m tired of politicians and others who have donned hoodies in solidarity with Martin and who essentially suggest that, for recognizing the reality of urban crime in the United States, I am a racist. The hoodie blinds them as much as it did Zimmerman.

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Next up, some good news. 🙂

From TownHall “NOVA Women’s Healthcare of Fairfax County was one of the largest and most frequented abortion clinics in the state of Virginia. It performed more abortions than any other provider in the Old Dominion in the last few years, including 3,066 in 2012 alone. But, thanks to new abortion regulations in the state and a denied permit, it has seen its last patient.”

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This next one, well….. People in Glass Houses and all…..

From NBCWashington “Last week, the Council approved a measure that would require Walmart and other large retailers doing business in the District to pay a “living wage” of $12.50 per hour.

But… uh oh. Hypocrisy alert. District government pays less than $12.50 per hour.”

DOH! 🙄

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Next up, Fuzzy Math.

From CNSNews “Thus, over the past 56 days, the net value of U.S. Treasury Securities circulating in the public has increased by $51.586 billion ($629,099,000,000 minus $577,513,000,000). How could the value of extant U.S. Treasury Securities increase by $51.586 billion during a 56-day period when the federal government’s debt subject to the legal limit set by Congress has remained constant at $16,699,396,000,000.00—just $25 million below the legal limit?”

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Problems with ObamaCare? Really? Well this is the first I’ve heard of it. 🙄

From TheHill “White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday dismissed reports that some employers were hiring more part-time employees because of the president’s signature healthcare law.

“The data reflects that there is not support for the proposition that businesses are not hiring full-time employees because of the Affordable Care Act,” Carney told reporters.

According to The Wall Street Journal, employers have added more part-time employees — about 93,000 a month — in 2013 than full-time workers — averaging about 22,000 per month. That’s a reversal from 2012, when employers hired 31,000 part-time workers and 171,000 full-time ones per month.”

DOH! That’s called “Message Fail” kids. 😉

“Small businesses expect the requirement to negatively impact their employees. Twenty-seven percent say they will cut hours to reduce full-time employees, 24 percent will reduce hiring, and 23 percent plan to replace full-time employees with part-time workers to avoid triggering the mandate,” said the Chamber business survey provided to Secrets.”

Summer of Recovery? Anyone? Biden?

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July 16, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-16-13

What’s interesting out there today?

The Zimmerman acquittal continues to lead. It’s playing out much the way you would expect. The baiters gotta bait, the biased media has to show their bias, and the truth isn’t really a concern. The mob rules.

From the head of the NAACP, via TheOrlandoSentinel

“In remarks to reporters after his speech, Jealous, a father of two, said the George Zimmerman acquittal brought him to tears.

“When I heard that….the first thing I did was walk over to my son’s crib and lift him up, and I listened to him breathe,” Jealous recalled.

“And then I began to cry,” he said. “No one can explain to me how, if this young boy [Trayvon Martin] was white, somebody wouldn’t be in prison right now.””

He then goes on to call it a modern day lynching. Somebody’s being lynched, but it’s not who he thinks it is.

Next up, don’t anger the mob. And with a CONTENT WARNING!!! for language. From TheDailyCaller

“Christian Hartsock, a conservative journalist and filmmaker, says he was assaulted and beaten down to the ground by a mob with repeated strikes to the face while reporting at a Trayvon Martin rally in downtown Oakland Sunday night.

“I have interviews and I have footage of [Trayvon protestors] chanting ‘no justice, no peace—%$&# &%$ pigs in your sleep,’” Hartsock told The Daily Caller. “One of them was an elementary schooler chanting with his mom.”

Of course elected officials like Holder and Rangel are getting in on the act. From Mediaite

“Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) told MSNBC’s Martin Bashir on Monday that the outcome of the trial of George Zimmerman would have been different had the defendant been black and not Hispanic. If that were the case, Rangel said, the question would be whether the arresting officers would have “beat him to death” before putting him in handcuffs on the spot.”

Like I said, baiters gotta bait. Here’s more from the head of the CBC. From HuffPo

“Congressional Black Caucus chair Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) issued harsh words over the verdict in the George Zimmerman case, arguing that a “young black boy” was put on trial rather than the man who killed him.

“Mr. Zimmerman was found not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, he was not found innocent. All of the facts I think that I know, that I’m aware of, is that there was a young man walking in his neighborhood, walking to his house unarmed, and someone decided that he looked suspicious,” Fudge said during an appearance on MSNBC.”

Wait, what?

Just a quick check of the definition shows that she’s misinformed.

in·no·cent
(n-snt)

a. Not guilty of a specific crime or offense; legally blameless: was innocent of all charges.

b. Within, allowed by, or sanctioned by the law; lawful.

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Now that we’re done with the drama queens and assorted agenda driven fanatics, let’s try a little truth, which none of the above are even mentioning since it doesn’t fit their agendas. The jury is beginning to speak. From CNN

“One of the jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman of killing Florida teen Trayvon Martin said she believed Martin threw the first punch in their confrontation and that Zimmerman probably feared for his life before shooting Martin. The juror spoke to CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” on Monday.

The juror also said she believed Zimmerman’s “heart was in the right place” the night he killed Martin, but didn’t use “good judgment” in confronting him.”

It was always self-defense. He’s not the monster they’ve made him out to be. Neither was Trayvon, but denying that his actions didn’t contribute to his death is dishonest.

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And in other news……. A trial that should be receiving way more airtime, yet oddly isn’t. Gee, I wonder why?…. 🙄

Nope, no bias here, move along…. From HotAir

“These tweets from Karen Townsend and Elizabeth Scalia reminded me that we have at least one trial in progress in the United States that the media has failed to sensationalize. It has issues of terrorism, betrayal, mass murder, and religious extremism within it, so why do we hear so little about … Nidal Hasan?”

“That prompted me to do a little research into the Fort Hood shooting court-martial to see how much coverage it has received so far. The answer is … not much. The pre-trial voir dire has entered its second week, but the only news outlet interested at this point is the Associated Press. The three updates today I did manage to find all came from the AP:”

Shhhhhhh… It’s a secret……

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Which brings me to this next one. Isn’t it time to stop with the charades and insistence of neutrality and just have them state the obvious and confirm what we already know? From TheGuardian/UK

“Are mainstream journalists dedicated to journalism? This may seem like a strange question, especially since I’m a journalist myself, though independent and not tied to a corporate news organisation.

We are bombarded with details that claim to inform us about the world. From war and peace to politics and global affairs, reporters produce content that is consumed by the vast majority of the population. There are claims of holding power to account, questioning how governments, officials and businesses make decisions that affect us all. In reality, corporate and political interests too often influence what we see and hear.

Of course, profound failures regularly occur – not least during the global financial crisis, when most business reporters were far too close to bankers causing the lying and deceit. Or in the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war, when too few in the media questioned the bogus rationale by the Bush administration and its allies about Saddam Hussein’s supposed WMD threat. More recently, many in the Washington media elite rallied around Barack Obama and his defence of mass surveillance after the explosive revelations of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

But the media has singularly failed in holding itself to account. We, as journalists, should disclose for whom we vote and any other political affiliations that may affect our reporting. It’s the least we can do to restore trust in an industry that regularly receives low marks by its readers. A 2011 study by Edelman Public Relations found only 33% of the Australian public trusted the press, compared to an average of 49% globally. A 2013 study by Transparency International finds Australians rank political parties and the media as the most corrupt institutions in the state.”

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Yes Please! 🙂

From TheWashingtonExaminer

“The New York Times polling analyst Nate Silver believes that Republicans may have a shot at retaking the Senate.

“A race-by-race analysis of the Senate, in fact, suggests that Republicans might now be close to even-money to win control of the chamber after next year’s elections,” Silver writes on his “Five Thirty Eight” blog. “Our best guess, after assigning probabilities of the likelihood of a G.O.P. pickup in each state, is that Republicans will end up with somewhere between 50 and 51 Senate seats after 2014, putting them right on the threshold of a majority.””

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If you’re a Republican, you resign in shame, if you’re a Democrat, sex scandals are resume’ enhancers. From HotAir

“Confession: It used to bug me when conservatives would dump on my hometown. I understood it wasn’t personal — red-state voters will obviously disdain a deep blue city. And there’s no disputing, whatever your feelings about NYC, that Bloomberg’s a cretin and the Yankees are evil. But still, you can’t listen to people dumping on the place where you grew up and not wince. It hits you where you live. Literally.

That’s how I felt. Until I saw this, and now, suddenly, I get it. I can finally watch “Cloverfield” and enjoy it without misgivings.”

“Strong support among black voters propels former Congressman Anthony Weiner to the top of the heap in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor and gives former Gov. Eliot Spitzer a 48 – 33 percent lead over Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer in the Democratic primary race for city comptroller, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today…”

Hey NY, you do realize that even California is laughing at you, right? I need a facepalm smiley.

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July 15, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-15-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Of course the George Zimmerman acquittal continues to dominate the news.

If you missed the press conference from his attorneys, here it is. Note the 7:40 to 8:10 mark where they discuss the malpractice from the media in this case. It’s worth a watch.

Meanwhile, that behavior from certain media outlets and race-baiters continues.

See, this is the type of coverage you’re getting sued over. From TheWaPo

“Last night’s not-guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial will enable the neighborhood-watch volunteer to resume his case against NBC News for the mis-editing of his widely distributed call to police. Back in December, Zimmerman sued NBC Universal Media for defamation over the botched editing, which depicted him as a hardened racial profiler.”

Funny, while I watched MSNBC Saturday night, I don’t recall anyone disclosing the lawsuit against them while they were busy again disparaging Zimmerman. I wonder why? 🙄

The President has also chimed in again with yet another opinion. He wants to use it to push his anti-gun crusade. From CNN

“”I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities.

“We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis,” Obama said.”

“Obama said in closing his statement that Americans asking “ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this” is one way “to honor Trayvon Martin.””

That last part bothers me. Honor him for what exactly? I’m not being harsh, I just don’t see what was honorable about his behavior, which led to his death.

So as you would expect, every Democrat and his brother want a civil rights investigation. They couldn’t get him here, so now they will try even more politicized charges. From BuzzFeed

“Federal prosecutors are pressing forward with their investigation into the killing of Trayvon Martin following the acquittal of the man who shot him, George Zimmerman, on state charges, a spokesperson for the Justice Department said Sunday.

“Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the Department’s policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial,” Dena W. Iverson, a Justice spokesperson, said in a statement.”

“Civil rights leaders” are too. From TheMiamiHerald

““If the state jury had been persuaded beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman caused bodily harm to Trayvon Martin because of Martin’s race, it would have almost certainly convicted Zimmerman of second-degree murder, which requires proof of ‘ill-will’ or ‘malice,’” said Scott Srebnick, a prominent federal criminal defense attorney in Miami. “So, to bring a federal civil-rights prosecution against Zimmerman, the attorney general would essentially be second-guessing the state jury’s verdict as opposed to vindicating a different or broader federal interest.”

Srebnick added: “I find it doubtful that the attorney general will pursue a prosecution on a civil rights theory simply out of displeasure with the state jury’s verdict.”

But there might be a problem with that, although I doubt it stops them. See, the FBI has already investigated this too, and found that race was not a factor. From McClatchy

“After interviewing nearly three dozen people in the George Zimmerman murder case, the FBI found no evidence that racial bias was a motivating factor in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, records released Thursday show.”

“The Duval County State Attorney released another collection of evidence in the Zimmerman murder case Thursday, including reports from FBI agents who investigated whether any racial bias was involved in Trayvon’s Feb. 26 killing.”

“Federal agents interviewed Zimmerman’s neighbors and co-workers, but none said Zimmerman had expressed racial animus at any time prior to the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin, a black teen, in a confrontation at a Sanford housing complex. As Sanford police investigated the circumstances of Martin’s death, the FBI opened a parallel probe to determine if Martin’s civil rights had been violated.”

The Sanford police also found the same and said race wasn’t a factor. So how exactly is there a civil rights, or hate crime issue?

Meanwhile, the protests and rallies continue. From NBCNews

“Trayvon Martin supporters, many dressed in hoodies, are demonstrating their anger at the acquittal of George Zimmerman through mostly peaceful protests from coast to coast.”

More here on some protesters not being peaceful and orderly. From WeaselZippers

“Trayvon Martin Protesters Shut Down LA Freeway, Throwing Bottles – Update: LAPD Firing Rubber Bullets…”

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And here’s a couple of others you might find interesting. This one, Pravda’s got nothin’ on us. 😉 From TheCable/ForeignPolicy.com

“For decades, a so-called anti-propaganda law prevented the U.S. government’s mammoth broadcasting arm from delivering programming to American audiences. But on July 2, that came silently to an end with the implementation of a new reform passed in January. The result: an unleashing of thousands of hours per week of government-funded radio and TV programs for domestic U.S. consumption in a reform initially criticized as a green light for U.S. domestic propaganda efforts. So what just happened?”

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And always remember, things could be worse. 😯 From TheTelegraphUK

“A Brazilian man died after a cow fell through his roof on top of him as he was in bed.”

“The cow is believed to have escaped from a nearby farm and climbed onto the roof of the couple’s house, which backs onto a steep hill on Wednesday night.

The corrugated roof immediately gave way and the one-and-a-half-ton animal fell eight feet onto Mr de Souza’s side of the bed.”

“His wife, and the cow, both reportedly escaped unharmed.”

😯

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July 11, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-11-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The Boston bomber had an appearance in court yesterday. As expected, he showed himself to be a coward yet again. The bombing of innocent and unarmed men, women, and children was the act of cowards. Yesterday he had the chance to admit his guilt and take his punishment. He pled not guilty instead. If that wasn’t insulting enough to the victims and their families, his supporters added to their pain. It’s pretty sad that people could be so crass. From BostonCBSLocal

“A small group of demonstrators showed up at Moakley Federal Courthouse in South Boston on Wednesday to show support for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Tsarnaev appeared in court for his first public hearing. He has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction in the bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 260.

A group of about a dozen supporters cheered as the motorcade carrying Tsarnaev arrived at the courthouse. The demonstrators yelled “Justice for Jahar,” as Tsarnaev is known. One woman held a sign that said, “Free Jahar.”

Others held signs claiming Tsarnaev’s innocence, while suggesting elaborate conspiracies surrounding the bombing and Tsarnaev’s arrest.”

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The George Zimmerman trial has pretty much finished up. The judge will give jurors their instructions today and then deliberations should begin Friday. Many Sheriff and Police depts. are preparing for the worst, should he be found not guilty. Meanwhile the former Sanford police chief is speaking out about the pressure to charge him even though the police felt he did nothing wrong. It was politicized, from Obama on down. From CNN

“The George Zimmerman investigation was hijacked “in a number of ways” by outside forces, said the former police chief of Sanford, Florida.

Bill Lee, who testified Monday in Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial, told CNN’s George Howell in an exclusive interview that he felt pressure from city officials to arrest Zimmerman to placate the public rather than as a matter of justice.

“It was (relayed) to me that they just wanted an arrest. They didn’t care if it got dismissed later,” he said. “You don’t do that.”

When Sanford police arrived on the scene on February 26, 2012, after Zimmerman fatally shot unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, they conducted a “sound” investigation, and the evidence provided no probable cause to arrest Zimmerman at the scene, he said.”

Despite the evidence, there are plenty of people out there who won’t take a not guilty verdict well. There have been numerous threats of violence from Trayvon Martin supporters. Let’s hope it’s all talk.

More troubling info has also surfaced. Was the DoJ attempting to calm protests, or were they the ones orchestrating the protests? From JudicialWatch

“Judicial Watch, Inc. on April 24, 2012 launched an investigation into the Trayvon Martin case based on reports that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had sent a secret team of “peacekeepers” to Sanflord, Florida, where Martin was shot on February 26, 2012 after wandering in a gated community after dark. George Zimmerman, a resident of the community and its neighborhood watch captain, is currently on trial for Martin’s death though he maintains he acted in self-defense.”

“Records obtained by Judicial Watch in response to local, state and federal public records requests show that the so-called peacekeepers are part of a large and growing division within DOJ called the Community Relations Service (CRS). Though CRS purports to spot and quell racial tensions nationwide before they arise, the documents obtained by Judicial Watch show the group actively worked to foment unrest, spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on travel and hotel rooms to train protestors throughout Florida. The peacekeepers also met with officials of the Republican National Convention, scheduled for several months later in Tampa, to warn them to expect protests in connection with Martin’s death.”

“In response to a Florida Sunshine Law request to the City of Sanford, Judicial Watch also obtained an audio recording of a “community meeting” held at Second Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Sanford on April 19, 2012. The meeting, which opens with a gospel hymn and organ music, is reported to have led to the official ouster of Sanford’s Police Chief Bill Lee. A week earlier, a group calling themselves the “Dream Defenders” had barricaded the entrance to the police department demanding he be fired for failing to file murder charges against Zimmerman. The church meeting produced a nine-point plan, the main demand being the firing of Chief Lee.”

Like I said, troubling. And on a related note, is the judge trying to get a mistrial because she knows the case prosecutors presented is too weak for a conviction? From NationalReview

“Nelson reminded Zimmerman that he has the “absolute right to remain silent” if he so desires and proceeded to ask him whether he was prepared to testify. Defense attorney Don West twice objected to the question, but was overruled by Nelson, who explained, “The court is entitled to inquire if Mr. Zimmerman’s determination [sic] as to whether or not he wants to testify.”

The judge then began asking Zimmerman how much time he requires to determine whether or not he would like to testify. West again objected to the question and asked for more time to speak with his client, prompting Judge Nelson to raise her voice and exclaim, “Your objection is overruled!”

“Kathi Belich, a journalist following the trial for a local news channel, tweeted her surprise at the line of questioning, writing “I have never seen that in more than 30 years of court reporting.””

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The Texas House has passed the nation’s most restrictive abortion restrictions. Good. From TheWashingtonTimes

“After weeks of debate and a parliamentary delay engineered by pro-choice advocates, Texas lawmakers on Wednesday passed a set of abortion limits widely seen as the most restrictive in the nation.

The Texas House cleared the measure — known as House Bill 2 — just after noon Wednesday by a vote of 96 to 49. The legislation now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it’s also expected to pass as early as this week.”

Democrats of course are throwing fits and shrieking about the “war on women” again, just like their scripts tell them too. They’re calling Republicans extremists for passing what the majority of their citizens favor. But here’s some info to set the record straight on just who the extremists really are. From TownHall

“The American left loves Western European democracies for their cultural sensibilities and for their policies on everything from crime to health care. One policy area where you won’t hear American liberals cite the European example, though, is abortion.

The reason is simple: Abortion law is far more restrictive in Europe than in the United States. As the table below shows, 16 of 18 countries on the continent limit abortion to the first trimester of pregnancy (with certain exceptions in various countries). The banning of late-term abortions now being considered in the House of Representatives and some American states would seem only civilized to most Europeans.”

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And lastly today, the latest baseball scandal. So yeah, of course A-rod’s right in the middle of it. What a waste.

Anyway, while I get the whole idea of removing these types of PED’s, and they should don’t get me wrong, I’m still troubled by something. What MLB has done here is questionable in my mind. Isn’t this the same thing as making a deal for immunity with a drug dealer if he snitches on his customers? After all, their snitch is the one who provided the stuff, yet it’s the user and not the dealer who gets burned. Doesn’t seem right. Thoughts?

From FoxSports

“Tuesday evening, a new ESPN report said MLB “is expected to suspend Braun and Rodriguez [emphasis mine], along with as many as 20 players.” The timing of the discipline, according to the report, is “sometime after next week’s All-Star break.”

The more conclusive tone in Tuesday’s story was noteworthy. Apparently, MLB has made progress in the Biogenesis investigation with the cooperation of founder Anthony Bosch. And now executives, managers, players and fans across the majors must brace for the possibility of (a) bombshell suspensions, (b) lengthy appeals, or (c) some combination thereof.

Whatever the outcome, this could be one of the most awkward second halves in baseball history.”

And I know the Yankees still owe A-rod a ton of money, but I’d still like to see him banned for life for repeat offenses.

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July 8, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-8-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, as always.

Here’s a bunch to start you off.

First up, who’s in charge of the FISA court? John Roberts. From OutsideTheBeltway.com

“When it comes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which isn’t so much a Court unto itself as it is a rotating group of Federal Judges appointed to hear warrant requests and other matter designated as appropriate for secret proceedings under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, there’s nobody more powerful than Chief Justice John Roberts:

The 11 FISA judges, chosen from throughout the federal bench for seven-year terms, are all appointed by the chief justice. In fact, every FISA judge currently serving was appointed by Roberts, who will continue making such appointments until he retires or dies. FISA judges don’t need confirmation — by Congress or anyone else.

No other part of U.S. law works this way. The chief justice can’t choose the judges who rule on health law, or preside over labor cases, or decide software patents. But when it comes to surveillance, the composition of the bench is entirely in his hands, and, as a result, so is the extent to which the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation can spy on citizens.”

Which brings us to the next question, who watches the watchers? From PJMedia

“Eric Lichtblau of the New York Times has a shocking scoop on some of the secret decisions made by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that would indicate that there has been a fundamental shift in the government’s attitude toward 4th Amendment protections for American citizens.

A secret body of law has been built since 2010 that gives the government vast powers — all perfectly legal — to snoop on American citizens as long as the surveillance is connected to terrorism or some other national security issue.

The rulings, some nearly 100 pages long, reveal that the court has taken on a much more expansive role by regularly assessing broad constitutional questions and establishing important judicial precedents, with almost no public scrutiny, according to current and former officials familiar with the court’s classified decisions.”

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File this one under “Things that make you go Hmmmmm…….” From ForeignPolicy.com

“The offices of a Dallas law firm representing a high-profile State Department whistleblower were broken into last weekend. Burglars stole three computers and broke into the firm’s file cabinets. But silver bars, video equipment and other valuables were left untouched, according to local Fox affiliate KDFW, which aired security camera footage of the suspected burglars entering and leaving the offices around the time of the incident.

The firm Schulman & Mathias represents Aurelia Fedenisn, a former investigator at the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General. In recent weeks, she raised a slew of explosive allegations against the department and its contractors ranging from illicit drug use, soliciting sexual favors from minors and prostitutes and sexual harassment.

“It’s a crazy, strange and suspicious situation,” attorney Cary Schulman told The Cable. “It’s clear to me that it was somebody looking for information and not money. My most high-profile case right now is the Aurelia Fedenisn case, and I can’t think of any other case where someone would go to these great lengths to get our information.”

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Looks like the Employer regulations for ObamaCare that were put off now have company. Anti-fraud measures have now been put off too. Hey, just like Obama did with his campaign donations, removed anti-fraud protections.

But hey, what could possibly go wrong, right? 🙄 From TheWashingtonExaminer

“One of the biggest administrative hurdles facing Obamacare was the ambitious plan to verify the income and insurance status of applicants for federal health coverage subsidies. In theory, on Oct. 1 of this year, a prospective beneficiary of Obamacare was supposed to be able to visit a website like Orbitz, enter basic information, and wait as multiple state and federal government databases communicated with one another to confirm in real time the applicant’s income level, and then display the level of subsidy to which the applicant was entitled, if any. It was a level of technological sophistication unlike anything ever attempted by the government. Now, with less than three months to go before Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges are set to begin enrolling applicants, Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services is throwing up its hands. Just as it did with the employer mandate, the administration has announced it would delay the implementation of these anti-fraud procedures due to the administrative difficulty.”

“In a regulation released Friday and flagged by Washington Post reporters Sarah Kliff and Sandhya Somashekhar, the administration will now rely on self-reported data. You read that correctly. A man who earns $50,000 per year and gets insurance through his employer could log on to the new government website and say he earns $20,000 and gets no insurance through his employer, and the government would not even attempt to confirm that the information is accurate before forking over generous taxpayer subsidies. It’s a recipe for rampant fraud, which is already widespread in Medicare and Medicaid.

According to the rule as reported by Kliff and Somashekhar, “The exchange may accept the applicant’s attestation regarding enrollment in eligible employer-sponsored plan . . . without further verification” and “the Exchange may accept the attestation of projected annual household income without further verification.””

Gotta love the Friday news dump. 😉

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Since we’re on the subject of debacles from the Obama admin……. From TheLATimes

“A high-powered rifle lost in the ATF’s Fast and Furious controversy was used to kill a Mexican police chief in the state of Jalisco earlier this year, according to internal Department of Justice records, suggesting that weapons from the failed gun-tracking operation have now made it into the hands of violent drug cartels deep inside Mexico.

Luis Lucio Rosales Astorga, the police chief in the city of Hostotipaquillo, was shot to death Jan. 29 when gunmen intercepted his patrol car and opened fire. Also killed was one of his bodyguards. His wife and a second bodyguard were wounded”

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Continuing with the debacle theme…… From TheHill

“Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi a coup d’etat and pressed the Obama administration to suspend aid to the country on Sunday.

“It was a coup and it was the second time in two and a half years that we have seen the military step in,” McCain said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

“Reluctantly I believe that we have to suspend aid until such time as there is a new constitution and a free and fair election,” McCain added.”

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And lastly, does Zimmerman walk? We should know by the end of the week. From ABCNews

“Analysis: George Zimmerman Probably Won’t Be Convicted of Murder or Manslaughter — Here’s Why”

“I drew a legal conclusion on “Good Morning America” Saturday that would have surprised the Dan Abrams who covered the George Zimmerman case leading up to, and shortly after, his arrest.

Now that the prosecution’s case against Zimmerman is in, as a legal matter, I just don’t see how a jury convicts him of second degree murder or even manslaughter in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.”

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