Month: September 2013

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hypocrisy Politics Republican Syria

The Republican Hypocrisy on Syria – Imagine if Romney was President

Michael Tomasky made this observation on The Republican hypocrisy on Syria.

Imagine that Mitt Romney were president. Romney took a far more hawkish line than Barack Obama did on Syria during the campaign. He wanted to arm the rebels, supported in-country cover ops, and so on. So if Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons during President Romney’s tenure, there’s every reason to think he’d be pushing for action too. And what, in that case, would Republicans now temporizing or opposing Obama be doing in that case? They’d be breathing fire, of course. There’s a lot of chest thumping talk right now about how a failed vote will destroy Obama’s credibility. I guess that may be to some. But to anyone paying attention, the credibility of these Republicans is what will suffer, and the vote may well come back to haunt some of them in 2016.

The Gold Weasel Medal goes to Marco Rubio, as others such as Tim Noah have noted. Back in April, Rubio thundered that “the time for passive engagement in this conflict must come to an end. It is in the vital national security interest of our nation to see Assad’s removal.” Removal! Obama’s not talking about anything close to removal. So that was Rubio’s hard line back when Obama was on the other side. And now that Obama wants action? Rubio voted against the military resolution in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.

Ted Cruz? Just in June, Cruz wanted to go into Syria and rough ’em up. “We need to develop a clear, practical plan to go in, locate the weapons, secure or destroy them, and then get out.” Now? Syria is a distraction from, you guessed it, Benghazi. He said last week: “We certainly don’t have a dog in the fight. We should be focused on defending the United States of America. That’s why young men and women sign up to join the military, not to, as you know, serve as al Qaeda’s air force.”

There are many others. These two are worth singling out because they want to be president, and their craven and brazen flip-flopping on one of the most important issues to come before them in their Senate careers is more consequential than the flip-flopping of some time-serving senator no one’s ever heard of. But the whole picture is contemptible.

Categories
Music

The Arsenio Hall Show – I’m Disappointed

I was just a teenager the last time The Arsenio Hall show was on television. The show was synonymous with must see entertainment and I, like many others, did my best not to miss it.

There was a life, a passion, an almost cult like euphoria from the studio audience that was shared by the host and in turn, was transmitted to the rest of the country. The Arsenio Hall Show was what was happening and every one knew it. So when Arsenio got a second shot at bringing show back to television 19 years later, I was happy, filled with anticipation!

I don’t know what I expected. I knew everyone was older, but I thought the producers of the show will try their best to regain some of the magic of the first go around. The setup seemed the same, but on a much smaller scale and that’s where my disappointment began.

I sorta had a vision before last night’s debut. Yes, it was 19 years later, but I envisioned Arsenio walking out to the same screaming euphoric audience, on a stage that looked bigger than life, with a band like no other and a dog pound section yelling the trademark ruff, ruff ruff! And in my mind’s eye. I saw Mr Hall greeting the audience, telling his usual hilarious montage and moving right into the show… like nothing ever happened… like he was doing the show last week… last month, last year… for the last 19 years.

Instead, Arsenio walked out on a scaled down stage, to the music of a subpar band, to the cheers of an old audience. And he spent too much time reminding us all that he was gone, kinda like he was making excuses for an already average first show.

Then he brought out Paula Abdul, Chris Tucker and Snoop Dogg. Great performers, but not the audience booster the audience clearly needed.

Maybe Geritol would have helped.

Again, I know people get old, but a younger more enthusiastic audience could have made the world of a difference in last night’s debut.

Let’s hope his future shows return to the same platform we have all come to expect from The Arsenio Hall Show.

Categories
Featured New York Racism

Black Racist Attack in New York Leaves White Man Dead

Jeffrey Babbitt

A man has died after being knocked to the ground with a single punch by a stranger in a New York City square.

Jeffrey Babbitt, 62, had been left brain damaged after being punched in Union Square last week in an apparent racist attack.

Mr Babbitt died after allegedly being hit by Lashawn Marten, a 31-year-old African American, who reportedly said that he wanted to attack the next white person who walked by.

The 62-year-old, the sole carer of his 92-year-old mother Hedda, was hit so hard that he fell to the ground but later managed to stand. His condition deteriorated soon afterwards and he died at Bellevue Hospital.

Marten, who has a previous criminal record and uses various aliases, was charged with assault and is due in a Manhattan court on Tuesday. It is likely his charges will now be upgraded.

According to one female witness last week, Marten said: ‘The next white person who walks by I’m going to f***’.

She added: ‘His fist went in and the man’s head bobbed and he hit the ground and you could hear his skull hitting the ground.’

After his racist rant and attack, witnesses said Marten stayed at the park and waited for police to arrive.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Marten’s alleged comments about targeting white people before allegedly punching Mr Babbitt could lead to hate crime charges being made against him.

‘Our Hate Crimes Task Force is involved in aspects of that case,’ he added.

Marten is being held on a $1 million bond as police decide whether to also charge him with a hate crime.

Categories
Politics

George Zimmerman Walks Again – Wife Fails to Press Charges

George Zimmerman could easily be considered the luckiest man in America.

After murdering Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman walked away a free man. Since then, he’s gotten into various encounters with the police, even one where he was stopped for speeding in Texas, admitted to having a gun in the car, and was sent on his merry way.

Today was no exception. Zimmerman went to his wife’s father’s home, punched her dad in the face, then threatened to kill them all with his gun. Shellie Zimmerman called the cops, but guess what… Zimmerman is getting away with this one too.

No assault charges, Nothing.

“Shellie Zimmerman has declined prosecution,” said the police.

And as for George Zimmerman? Lake Mary police spokesman Zach Hudson said Zimmerman was cooperative.

Until next time folks. I’m sure there will be a next time.

Categories
Featured trayvon martin

Shellie Zimmerman Calls 911 – George is “threatening all of us with his firearm”

George Zimmerman’s wife has called police to her father’s house, saying the former neighborhood watch volunteer who was acquitted of murder threatened her with a gun.

Lake Mary Police Chief Steve Bracknell says Shellie Zimmerman called police shortly after 2 p.m. Monday from her father’s house on Spurcewood Road.

Listen to the 911 call

In the call, Shellie Zimmerman told dispatchers that George Zimmerman was sitting in his car with his hand on his gun.

“He’s just threatening all of us with his firearm,” she said. “He punched my dad in the nose. My dad has a mark on his face.”

Shellie Zimmerman said her estranged husband then took her iPad and smashed it.

“There’s a Lake Mary’s city worker across the street who I think saw all of it,” she added.

Bracknell says Zimmerman hasn’t been arrested and officers are at the house trying to determine what happened.

Shellie Zimmerman filed for divorce last week. In the divorce petition, Shellie Zimmerman says she and her husband separated a month after Zimmerman was acquitted of any crime for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin.

Since being acquitted, George Zimmerman has been pulled over twice for speeding. His acquittal led to protests nationwide.

Categories
pat robertson Politics

New Documentary Claims Pat Robertson Stole Donations

A new documentary called Mission Congo is claiming that Pat Robertson stole donations intended for Rwanda refugees,  and sent those funds to his diamond mine instead.

“Mission Congo,” directed by Lara Zizic and David Turner, was largely inspired by the reporting of journalist Bill Sizemore, who has covered Robertson extensively over the years and uncovered issues with the legitimacy of his nonprofit organization, Operation Blessing International, in the 1990s.

Following the Rwandan genocide, Robertson encouraged viewers of the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “The 700 Club” to donate money to Operation Blessing. He said the organization would be helping the many refugees who’d made their way into Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

But pilots who worked for the organization have claimed that instead of transporting aid, cargo planes were often used to haul equipment for Robertson-backed diamond mining that was going on hundreds of miles away.

In a 2008 article for the Virginia Quarterly Review, Sizemore recalled that one of the pilots had kept notes on some of his trips. During a flight where Robertson was a passenger, one of those notes read, “Prayed for diamonds.”

The documentary’s directors reached out to the pilots and told them their story needed to be told on film. According to a press release for the movie, Zizic and Turner are hoping to draw more attention to what they say was an under-reported scandal.

“Sometimes a story hits you so profoundly that you simply have to act,” the directors said in the release. “We were researching a fiction script when we came across an article mentioning Robertson’s dual activities in Congo. We felt that these activities, and implied level of deception, were unfathomable on so many levels that we had to find out more. How could something like this happen? Why was there not more coverage in the media? How did he get away with it? If it happened then, is it still happening now?

Categories
Politics

Mike Bloomberg Calls Bill de Blasio’s Campaign Racist

Bill de Blasio and family

New York’s mayor Michael Bloomberg has jumped into the mix, calling Bill de Blasio’s campaign racist.

Bill de Blasio is the leading New York democratic mayoral candidate trying to get Bloomberg’s job.

In an interview with New York magazine, Mr. Bloomberg said he considered it racist of Mr. de Blasio to promote his mixed-race family. Mr. de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, is black and their teenage son, Dante, appears in his father’s campaign ads.

Mr. Bloomberg added that he did not think that Mr. de Blasio was a racist. But he said, “It’s comparable to me pointing out that I’m Jewish in attracting the Jewish vote.”

At an appearance in Brooklyn on Saturday with his wife and their 18-year-old daughter, Chiara, Mr. de Blasio called Mr. Bloomberg’s remarks “very, very unfortunate and inappropriate.”

“I’m exceedingly proud of my family,” he added. “I hope the mayor will reconsider what he said. I hope he realizes it was inappropriate.”

In her response to the mayor’s comments about her husband’s campaign, Ms. McCray said, “Do I look like an inanimate object? Or a tool? I walk, I talk and make my own decisions.”

After Mr. Bloomberg used the word racist, his interviewer asked what he meant. The mayor tried to clarify his assessment by saying: “No, no, I mean he’s making an appeal using his family to gain support. I think it’s pretty obvious to anyone watching what he’s been doing.”

Categories
Barack Obama Foreign Policies Politics

Strike Syria

I know that this is not the popular choice, given our experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. For the record, I supported strikes in Afghanistan as necessary to weaken terrorists, and certainly opposed the Iraq War as based on faulty intelligence and a desire by President Bush to avenge Saddam’s attempt to assassinate his father.

Syria, however, is different. Here we have a dictator who, as far as we know (key), has unleashed chemical weapons on his people. This is unacceptable, and to stand by and do nothing is also unacceptable. History has taught us that if you give rulers an inch they will take many kilometers. So it is with Assad. If we do nothing it will strengthen the hands of Iran and Russia, and will embolden other rulers who are threatened by insurgencies to use chemical and biological weapons should they want to.

I understand both the reticence and frothy opposition: It’s expensive at a time when we should be spending money on our problems here at home. We should not be involved in nation building or getting involved in other countries’ civil wars. Syria is not a threat to the United States. Pinpoint strikes will do nothing to ally Assad from doing more. Missile strikes would only be the beginning, with boots on the ground to follow. The United States should not have to solve all of the world’s problems. Once you use the military, you can’t control the consequences.

There are remedies to this. Congress can pass a resolution that limits the president to using missiles only and does not authorize any combat troops. This can be a one-time event. We can get the UN to support those things too. As for the more philosophical objections, if we don’t know what the effects of a missile strike will be, do we really know what the effects of not calling out Assad on chemical weapons will be? Do we really know that strikes will have little effect? And by the way, Syria is potentially a threat to the United States because a victory by Assad strengthens the extremists who have struck us before. Let’s try to think long-term for a change. Assad uses chemical weapons today. Do terrorists use them tomorrow?

Contrast this with what we do know if we don’t strike. Assad will use chemical weapons again, perhaps on Israel, as will other dictators. The United States will look weak and ineffectual, as will the UN and the president. Those consequences are not acceptable.

The Allies ignored the Armenian genocide, decided to do little but stand in their legislative chambers in response to the Holocaust, allowed Cambodia to degenerate into chaos and killing, virtually ignored Rwanda, and only got itself unstuck in the Balkans out of shame. Now we are confronted by another catastrophe, and it is within our power to at least do something rather than shrug our shoulders.

We need to strike Syria.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and on Twitter @rigrundfest

Categories
child abuse Featured

Dr. Phil’s Child Therapist Charged with Child Abuse

She has appeared on the Dr. Phil Show as an expert in her field. But now, Karen Corcoran Walsh has been arrested for doing what she was trained not to do – child abuse and neglect.

Karen Corcoran Walsh is alleged to have left her 11-year-old step daughter home alone after storming out of her Florida home following an argument with her husband.

When contacted on the phone she is alleged to have refused to return to the house to take care of the child telling a security guard to call the girl’s father.

Walsh, who runs the Inspiration for Youth and Families Center which helps teens addicted to drugs, was arrested on child abuse charges.

The 51-year-old later told local media she was the victim of wrongful arrest and her lawyer said he hoped the charge would be dropped.

According to a police report the incident began after Walsh and her husband Christopher had an argument at their home.

During the row Walsh broke her husband’s cell phone and told him to leave the house. After he left, Walsh also walked out leaving her step daughter alone in the gated community.

The arrest report said the girl was ‘scared, when she walked out of the bedroom to find herself home alone.

‘She had no cell phone, no house phone, no house key or no note left saying where her mother had left to. (The girl) explained she left the home unlocked and proceeded to walk down the road to the guard gate barefoot. The road was very dark and unsafe for a child to walk at night alone.’

The guard called Boca Raton Police who located Karen Walsh and placed her under arrest – charging her with ‘Neglect of a Child.’

Walsh later posted $3,000 bond

Categories
News

Man 107 Years Old Killed In Police Shootout

A 107-year-old man was shot and killed in a shootout with police in southeast Arkansas on Saturday.

Pine Bluff police say Monroe Isadore was shot dead after repeatedly firing at officers through a home’s closed bedroom door and refusing negotiations to surrender.

Pine Bluff Lt. David Price told KATV that officers were called to the scene around 4:25 p.m. after a caller reported Isadore was pointing a weapon at two people.

Officers reported hearing gunfire when they arrived at the home, prompting the safe evacuation of the other residents.

More officers were called, including a Special Weapons and Tactics unit that inserted a camera into the bedroom and confirmed Isadore had a handgun.

When the centenarian continued to refuse to relinquish his weapon, gas was pumped into the room through a window, prompting Isadore to return gunfire once more, police said.

“Shortly afterwards a S.W.A.T. entry team, inside the residence, breached the door to the bedroom and threw a distraction device into the bedroom,” according to a police statement obtained by CBS. “Isadore then began to fire on the entry team and the entry team engaged Isadore, killing him.”

The reason behind the initial incident among the three residents was not immediately reported by police.

KATV – Breaking News, Weather and Razorback Sports

Categories
chemical weapons Politics

German Intelligence – Assad May Not Have Authorized Chemical Weapons

To add even more confusion to this whole Syrian conflict, German intelligence is now coming forth claiming that they have proof that Basher al-Assad may not have authorized the use of chemical weapons.

Syrian government forces may have carried out a chemical weapons attack close to Damascus without the personal permission of President Bashar al-Assad, Germany’s Bild am Sonntag paper reported on Sunday, citing German intelligence.

Syrian brigade and division commanders had been asking the Presidential Palace to allow them to use chemical weapons for the last four-and-a-half months, according to radio messages intercepted by German spies, but permission had always been denied, the paper said.

This could mean Assad may not have personally approved the attack close to Damascus on August 21 in which more than 1,400 are estimated to have been killed, intelligence officers suggested.

Germany’s foreign intelligence agency (BND) could not be reached for comment.

Bild said the radio traffic was intercepted by a German naval reconnaissance vessel, the Oker, sailing close to the Syrian coast.

Last week the head of the BND, Gerhard Schindler, gave confidential briefings to the German parliament’s defense and foreign affairs committees. Bild said Schindler told the defense committee that Syria’s civil war could continue for years.

Categories
Politics Syria

Syria: Three Days of Bombings Planned

The Pentagon is readying more intense and longer attacks on Syria than originally planned, set to last three days, the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday.

War planners now aim to unleash a heavy barrage of missile strikes to be followed swiftly by additional attacks on targets that may have been missed or remain standing after the initial launch, the Times cited officials as saying.

Two US officers told the newspaper that the White House has asked for an expanded target list to include “many more” than the initial list of around 50 targets.

The move is part of an effort to obtain additional firepower to damage Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s dispersed forces.

Pentagon planners are now considering using Air Force bombers, as well as five US missile destroyers currently patrolling the eastern Mediterranean Sea, to launch cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles from far out of range of Syrian air defenses, according to the report.

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