The unnamed group is now the hunted. It is thought to be an inside job. Apparently someone has access to inside information. About 1,300 people’s names appear on the list. There are more than 30 pages.
This behavior belongs in the Hall of Shame. The State of Utah is doing the right thing in attempting to find and prosecute those who published these 30 pages.
This video best exemplifies why I have zero respect for Fox News. Kirsten Powers is a regular contributor on Fox News. Megyn Kelly is rude, out of control, and is bullying a regular contributor. At one point Kelly threatens to cut her guest’s mic.
There is much controversy over this case as to wrong doing. Apparently the one main witness who speaks out on Fox News is Christian Adams who is a right wing activist and was with the DOJ under George Bush. I don’t think anyone is disputing that the black panther, Samir Shabazz, intimidated voters and was in the wrong. The dispute seems to be over the charges that DOJ did nothing.
According to thinkprogressive.org:
This afternoon, Kelly invited New York Post columnist — and regular Fox contributor — Kirsten Powers to debate the importance of this story. Kelly bemoaned that “no one seems to give a darn” about the allegations promulgated by former Bush DoJ lawyer J. Christian Adams. The conservative activist claims that the Obama Justice Department dropped voter intimidation charges against the New Black Panther Party due to racial considerations. Contrary to the claims, the Obama DoJ has issued an injunction against the member of the NBPP who was seen engaging in voter intimidation tactics, prohibiting him “from displaying a weapon within 100 feet of any Philadelphia polling place through 2012.”
Powers effectively dismantled the faux scandal for what it is, telling Kelly, “You can put me in the same category of people who don’t really give a darn.” “You don’t seem to know what you’re talking about,” Kelly immediately responded, growing more enraged as the two wrestled, jabbed, and bickered over the facts:
POWERS: The minute I challenge you, you tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about?
KELLY: Because you don’t.
POWERS: You just want people to come on and just agree with you –
KELLY: No, I want informed people.
POWERS: — that what you’ve been doing and the way you’ve been completely doing the “scary black man thing.”
All evidence indicates that DOJ did prosecute the case. The contention seems to be that they didn’t go far enough with sanctions.
I have not put up a thread over the story because I felt we were lacking on actual facts. When Fox News is leading a story, I have to have a back up from another source. It wasn’t there. No one disputes that Samir Shabazz is a creep. No one disputes he was wrong. No one disputes that voter intimidation took place. The dispute is over the action taken by DOJ. Apparently action was taken–Just not enough to suit out onf control Megyn Kelly, Christian Adams, or Fox News.
Background information
[UPDATE: This Link leads to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Black Panther Report]
Ever wonder how e-verify works? Greta Van Susteren featured this video with a good question and answer follow up:
Hopefully this video will address some of the points brought out by Need to Know and Wolverine.
From Huffington Post:
NEW YORK — A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down a government policy that can lead to broadcasters being fined for allowing even a single curse word on live television, saying it is unconstitutionally vague and threatens speech “at the heart of the First Amendment.”
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan threw out the 2004 Federal Communications Commission policy, which said that profanity referring to sex or excrement is always indecent.
“By prohibiting all `patently offensive’ references to sex, sexual organs and excretion without giving adequate guidance as to what `patently offensive’ means, the FCC effectively chills speech, because broadcasters have no way of knowing what the FCC will find offensive,” the court wrote.
“To place any discussion of these vast topics at the broadcaster’s peril has the effect of promoting wide self-censorship of valuable material which should be completely protected under the First Amendment,” it added.
The court said the FCC might be able to craft a policy that does not violate the First Amendment.
It cited several examples of chilled speech, including a Vermont station’s refusal to air a political debate because one local politician previously had used expletives on the air and a Moosic, Pa., station’s decision to no longer provide live coverage of news events unless they affect matters of public safety or convenience.
“This chill reaches speech at the heart of the First Amendment,” the appeals court said.
In a statement, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said: “We’re reviewing the court’s decision in light of our commitment to protect children, empower parents, and uphold the First Amendment.”
Carter Phillips, a Washington lawyer who argued the case for Fox Television Stations Inc., called the decision satisfying. He said the court had “sent the FCC back to square one to start over” by not only tossing the FCC’s fleeting expletive policy but also a broader indecency policy as unconstitutionally vague
I am not so sure this is a good thing. Talk is trashy enough on TV as it is. On the other hand, what difference does it make if the show is network or cable. It seems the burden of decency is all on network TV and radio and not on the satellite and cable stations. Do our contributors think this is a good plan or not?
Remember the dude who was released from Scottish prison back in August of 2009 and sent home to Libya? He wasn’t just your run of the mill thug. Megrahi had received a life sentence for his involvement in the Lockerbie bombing. 189 Americans lost their life on Pan Am Flight 103. 290 lives were lost in all.
The public was told that Megrahi had only weeks to live and he was being released for humanitarian reasons. Americans were outraged at the time, but this guy just seemed to float off the radar. Did I mention that Megrahi is still alive? So much for days, weeks, or months left.
The weekly open thread is here, ready and up and running.
Corey Stewart apparently is hollering ‘Bring it ON!’ to the feds, specifically to DOJ regarding state and municipality created laws involving immigration. He seems to be running a one-man campaign to enact laws similar to those due to go into effect July 28, 2010 in Arizona, after dissing local state legislators. Yesterday, the Washington Post printed the following:
If anything, said Stewart (R-At Large), he will push harder to get legislation passed at the state level that would enhance police officials’ power to capture, detain and deport illegal immigrants and create specific Virginia penalties for illegal immigrants.
“I think the Obama administration has made a strategic blunder,” Stewart said. “The Justice Department is going to have egg on its face when its case is dismissed. Arizona is on very firm legal footing, and the administration is just trying to intimidate Arizona.”
Last month, Stewart launched the Virginia Rule of Law Campaign to rally support for Virginia immigration legislation. Stewart said Virginia needs to follow in Arizona’s footsteps, even if it sends President Obama’s administration after the commonwealth.
“I hope the Justice Department sues Virginia, as well,” he said. “I hope they have so many targets that they are unable to focus on Arizona. . . . Every state that supports Arizona should implement a similar law to make it impossible for the [federal government] to focus on any one state or jurisdiction.”
Prince William has received national attention for its crackdown on illegal immigration. The county’s law, enacted in 2007 and modified in 2008, requires that police officers check the immigration status of all people arrested on suspicion of violating a state or local law. Stewart said his campaign for a Virginia law is his own, not something he is doing as chairman of the board.
Corey has not said who is sponsoring the legislation. Obviously he is not because he is not a state legislator. He also has not said who is going to pay for this lawsuit that he is goading the feds with.
Arturo Rodrigez, president of United Farm Workers, joins Stephen Colbert to discuss the impact illegal immigrants have on American workers. Additionally, he discusses the difficulty of agriculture work and insists that most Americans don’t want this kind of work. The above application is on his website at www.takeourjobs.org. He had 3 applications he has placed in the fields. Colbert makes the 4th.
According to the Farm Worker Campaign:
Missing from the debate on both issues is an honest recognition that the food we all eat – at home, in restaurants and workplace cafeterias (including those in the Capitol) – comes to us from the labor of undocumented farm workers.
Agriculture in the United States is dependent on an immigrant workforce. Three-quarters of all crop workers working in American agriculture were born outside the United States. According to government statistics, since the late 1990s, at least 50% of the crop workers have not been authorized to work legally in the United States.
We are a nation in denial about our food supply. As a result the UFW has initiated the “Take Our Jobs” campaign.
Farm workers are ready to welcome citizens and legal residents who wish to replace them in the field. We will use our knowledge and staff to help connect the unemployed with farm employers. Just fill out the form to the right and continue on to the request for job application.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Arturo Rodriguez | ||||
|
||||
Some people might say that the farmers just need to pay higher wages, well, O.K., I have no problem with that, but remember, that means a substantial increase in produce costs. For our family, we already buy local or organic fruits and veggies, which tends to cost more anyway, are you prepared to pay a much higher cost? For every action there is a reaction, don’t forget.
What University of anything says ‘had writ?’ Holy cow. It sounds more like MOO U.
Olbermann handles this much better than I do.
Sadly, Beck sets himself up as an intellectual… along with Professor “Had Writ” Barton.
I think I will just enroll in Debunk U.
Bob Sheppard has sometimes been referred to as ‘the voice of God.’ He had an eloquence that anyone who ever heard him immediately recognizes. From the New York Times:
From the last days of DiMaggio through the primes times of Whitey Ford, Mantle, Roger Maris, Berra, Jackson and Jeter, Sheppard’s precise, resonant, even Olympian elocution — he was sometimes called the Voice of God — greeted Yankee fans with the words “Good afternoon,ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Yankee Stadium.”
Sheppard also believed that:
“A public-address announcer should be clear, concise, correct,” he said. “He should not be colorful, cute or comic.”
The following tribute to Bob Sheppard was from May, 2000:
Shepphard retired in 2007.
More from Hard Ball Talk
Today’s News and Messenger reports that the local Democrats have called out Keith Fimian over his membership in Legatus, which Democrats believe is an extreme right wing group. According to News and Messenger:
Prince William County, Va. – Democrats are again calling out Keith Fimian for his affiliation with the Catholic group Legatus, which they consider a radical right-wing organization.
Democrats initially brought up the issue in 2008 when Fimian, a Republican, first ran against Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly, a Democrat serving his first term in the 11th Congressional District.
The Fimian campaign says it’s all nonsense.
Legatus describes itself on its website as an organization for top-ranking Catholic business leaders.
“The organization offers a unique support network of like-minded Catholics who influence the world marketplace and have the ability to practice and infuse their faith in the daily lives and workplaces of their family, friends, colleagues and employees,” the website stated.
Democrats say Fimian’s comments during the 2008 campaign for the 11th Congressional District describing the group as a “social club” were off the mark.
“For two years, Keith Fimian has tried to claim that he wasn’t involved in a radical political organization but rather was just a member of a social club in order to deny his right-wing extremist anti-choice views,” said Pete Frisbie, chairman of the Prince William County Democratic Committee. “But now it turns out that his involvement in this radical group was entirely political and proves that Keith Fimian not only has radical extremist views, but he can’t even tell the truth about them.”
According to the Federal Election Commission, Fimian used congressional campaign funds in 2008 to pay a Legatus conference fee. Democrats say that implies that he was conducting official business with the organization.
Fimian’s campaign manager, Tim Edson, said paying a fee didn’t constitute conducting business with a given group.
Did I read that correctly? Fimian used campaign funds to pay Legatus conference fees? That sure doesn’t seem right. What exactly is Legatus? How does it differ from Opus Dei? I know Legatus was founded by Tom Monaghan, former owner and founder of Domino Pizza. He gave huge amounts of money to organizations I disapproved of like Operation Rescue. I also got the impression that unless you are very wealthy, you don’t get in to Legatus. Check out membership requirements below. So much for the eye of the needle concept. The eye of the needle must have grown.
Let’s hear what they have to say about themselves.
Perhaps our readers will enlighten us as to what Legatus really is. Why is membership in this organization important enough to warrant attention from the Democrats as well as a first page story? Inquiring minds want to know….
Additional Sources:
The Obama administration has taken a different tact than previous administrations in dealing with illegal immigration. Rather than hundreds of agents pouring into one factory or farm, 1 agent pours over records of hundreds of different factories and farms looking for evidence of illegal immigrants. According to the New York Times:
While the sweeps of the past commonly led to the deportation of such workers, the “silent raids,” as employers call the audits, usually result in the workers being fired, but in many cases they are not deported.
Over the past year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted audits of employee files at more than 2,900 companies. The agency has levied a record $3 million in civil fines so far this year on businesses that hired unauthorized immigrants, according to official figures. Thousands of those workers have been fired, immigrant groups estimate.
Sharron Angle, the woman who wants to replace Harry Reid as Nevada Senator, has some pretty extremist ideas, even though she is attempting to temper some of her extremism since the primary election. The one thing she is not softening on is abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. According to the Huffington Post:
Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle has moderated a host of policy positions in her transition from a primary candidate to general election contender battling Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. One thing she has not backed away from has been her insistence that abortion should be outlawed universally, even in cases of rape and incest.
In a radio interview Angle did in late June, the Tea Party favorite re-affirmed her pro-life sensibilities (rigid, as they are, even within Republican circles), when she insisted that a young girl raped by her father should know that “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Much good can come from a horrific situation like that, Angle added. Lemons can be made into lemonade
Lemonade? OMG. We truly are in the middle of a culture war. How on earth can someone make that kind of determination for someone else?
Daniel Okrent, author of Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, is Jon Stewarts guest.
Daniel Okrent believes the lesson to be learned from Prohibition is that the government can’t legislate against people’s appetites. There are some interesting facts to be learned here. Carrie Nation, the KKK, Women’s Suffrage Movement, the industrial workers of the world, all got involved in what has been described the biggest political manipulation in the country’s history.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Daniel Okrent | ||||
|
||||
Governor Brewer admits that she doesn’t know what an illegal immigrant looks like.
Judge Andrew Napolitano explains why the AZ SB 1070 is not consitutional. He also explains immigration law. This is a huge surprise. Napolitano is very conservative.
