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Thursday, January 20, 2011
ThinkProgress » Police Seize ‘Large Amount’ Of Weapons From Blogger Who Praised Gifffords Shooting: ‘1 Down And 534 To Go’
Police Seize ‘Large Amount’ Of Weapons From Blogger Who Praised Gifffords Shooting: ‘1 Down And 534 To Go’
Police in Arlington, MA this week seized a “large amount” of weapons and ammunition from local businessman Travis Corcoran after he wrote a blog post threatening U.S. lawmakers in the wake of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). In a post on his blog (which has since been removed) titled “1 down and 534 to go” — 1 referring to Giffords and 534 referring to the rest of the House of Representatives and the Senate — Corcoran applauded the shooting of Giffords and justified the assassination of lawmakers because he argued the federal government has grown far beyond its constitutional limits. “It is absolutely, absolutely unacceptable to shoot indiscriminately. Target only politicians and their staff and leave regular citizens alone,” he wrote in the post.
“We certainly take this as a credible threat,” Arlington police Captain Robert Bongiorno told reporters, adding that “multiple federal law enforcement agencies” were involved. Authorities also suspended Corcoran’s gun license, though he is currently not facing any charges.
Corcoran calls himself “an anarcho-capitalist” and while his blog has been taken down, based on his Twitter page, he appears to hold views similar to those of many in the anti-government libertarian wing of the conservative movement, like many tea party activists. Anarcho-capitalism is a radical subset of libertarianism, and is often referred to as “libertarian-anarchy.” For example, echoing calls from many on the right, Corcoran tweeted, “it is unconstitutional for the Feds to even run a department of education.”
In a http://twitter.com/%23%21/tjic&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us">Twitter exchange with reporter Laura Leslie, Corcoran lays out a conventional anti-government philosophy, and explains in depth why he views assassination as legitimate:
“I assert that the US federal gov has grown unconstitutionally large, and the legislature exceeds the powers delegated to it by the people,” Corcoran wrote. “As per the Declaration of Indep, when a gov becomes destructive those ends, it may be abolished,” he continued, “and the most moral approach is that which spares the maximum number of lives. Thus, assasination is a legitimate tool.”
He goes on to further justify assassination as “morally legitimate,” citing “Catholic Just War doctrine” among other theories, and explains, “It’s illegal, yes, but it’s not un-American. America was founded on the idea of shooting gov officials. Lexington Concord!” In another tweet, he writes, “I disagree with murder. …but shooting politicians who pass illegitimate, unconstitutional laws is not murder.” And in case there’s any doubt about his sincery, he writes, “Nope, it’s not a joke. I’m 100% serious.”
He also appears to be a fan of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), re-tweeting a positive message about him in May: “Lefties: Before you start fringe-baiting Rand Paul, note that he’s better on civil liberties than most Democratic senators. And Obama.” He seems to dislike liberals, writing, “http://twitter.com/%23%21/tjic&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us">You so-called liberals make me laugh – you’re all for free speech until someone disagrees, then it’s ‘report him!’” He also accuses the Daily Kos of “Stalinism.”
Is the Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monk nabbed with nun's skeleton at airport - Travel - News
A Cypriot monk caught at a Greek airport with the skeletal remains of a nun in his baggage told authorities he was taking the relics of a saint back to his monastery.
The 56-year-old Cypriot was detained at Athens airport after security staff discovered a skull wrapped in cloth and skeletal remains in a sheet inside his baggage.
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"They maintained it was a woman who was a saint," a Greek police official who declined to be named told Reuters.
He said the monk told authorities he was transferring her remains to a monastery in Cyprus.
The remains were those of a nun who died four years ago. She was not a saint in the Greek or Cypriot Orthodox Churches, but had once been a nun at a Cypriot convent, police said.
Revering the skeletal remains of saints is common in the Greek Orthodox tradition. A sect within the church may have venerated the nun even though she was not an official saint.
In many churches, venerated relics are put on display for the faithful to touch or kiss and a box for collecting donations from the faithful placed nearby.
"It appears to be the work of charlatans with a financial interest that is what I suspect," Cyprus's Archbishop Chrysostomos told journalists when asked about the monk's tale.
The monk was freed after being charged with theft and desecrating the dead, a misdemeanor in Greece. He was also suspended from his monastic duties for three months for going away without leave, Cypriot police said.
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
via msnbc.msn.com
Monday, January 17, 2011
Christina Taylor Green Cornea Donation Saves Eyesight Of 2 Children
TUCSON, Ariz. — Donated corneas from the young girl killed in the Arizona mass shooting have saved the eyesight of two children, the girl's father told The Associated Press on Monday.
John Green said the Donor Network of Arizona told him and his wife about the successful transplants.
He said he doesn't know whether any of 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green's other organs have gone to any other children, but he's under the impression that her wounds rendered her internal organs unusable.
Christina was the youngest victim of the shooting that left a total of six dead and 13 others wounded – including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords – on Jan. 8. Green said he and his wife Roxanna didn't hesitate to allow doctors to use Christina's organs.
"The fact that her organs were able to help people, that was an amazing thing to me," he said. "It's just another thing that this little girl has given the world."
The Donor Network of Arizona declined to comment on any donation, citing confidentiality.
The third-grader had just been elected to the student council and had been interested in politics from a young age, which is why she went to see Giffords.
Green said knowing that other children have been helped by Christina has been a comfort during a difficult time for his family.
"We really felt a lot of emotion about that," he said. "That was something that really made us feel gifted, still. We just want to make sure that her little time here in the world was well-spent."
AdvertisementHe said his daughter constantly made him proud, whether it was as a baseball player on an all-boys team or as someone who defended other students against bullies on the bus.
"If there was something to be said, she would say it," he said. "I liked the fact that she would help the kids that were being bullied, that she'd step up on the bus and say, 'Hey you can sit with me.'"
Christina's grandfather, Dallas Green, managed the 1980 world champion Philadelphia Phillies.
John Green, a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, said the family found strength in seeing the largest flag recovered from Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center displayed at Christina's funeral on Thursday. Christina was born Sept. 11, 2001, and was featured in a book about babies born on that day.
"Looking at that 9/11 flag at the service, we knew God was with us that day, and that Christina is in a good place," he said.
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I'm sick of seeing these stories - Teenager Commits Suicide; Friends Say Bullying to Blame
Teenager Commits Suicide; Friends Say Bullying to Blame
MILTONA, Minn. - The news of a high school student's suicide began circling social networking sites Monday morning, after the news began spreading that 18-year-old Jefferson High School student Lance Lundsten had died over the weekend.
Around 10 p.m. Saturday the Douglas County Sheriff's Office responded to an emergency call at the Lundsten's residence in Miltona.When officers arrived, they discovered 18-year-old Lance Lundsten needing emergency medical care. Lundsten was transported to the Douglas County Hospital where he later died.
The Sheriff's Office confirmed to KSAX that they believed Lundsten's death was a suicide. The Sheriff would not confirm the nature of the medical emergency.
According to his Facebook page, Lundsten was openly gay. On a Facebook memorial page in Lundsten's honor, friends said that Lundsten had been bullied at school for his sexual orientation. Some students who knew Lundsten believed the bullying may have led to his suicide.
“Bullying is a huge issue, particularly with the youth in our country now,” Facilitator of the Diversity Resource Action Alliance Shari Maloney said. “I think because we’re in central Minnesota, and we aren’t as diverse as some of the larger Metropolitan areas are, someone who is different maybe draws more attention and it’s not always positive.”
Maloney said she works everyday to make Alexandria a more accepting place for community members and visitors. She said she has seen improvement, but there is still a long way to go.
“I think we are a welcoming community, but I think we are also a very traditional community as well,” Maloney said. “As the world changes, I’m not sure if we’re changing.”
Another Jefferson High School student started a Facebook group following Lundsten's death called the Jefferson Anti-Bully Coalition.
Senator Al Franken discusses legislation to protect students from being bullied in the classroom because of their sexual orientation.
Lundsten's funeral is set for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria.
Written for the web by KSAX Staff
news@ksax.com
via ksax.com
Say Classy Republicans - Arizona GOP Pushing For Guns On College Campuses
PHOENIX — Arizona has become a national leader in the gun rights movement in recent years as the state enacted law after law to protect the people's right to bear arms nearly anywhere, at anytime.
The shooting rampage that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a former legislative colleague, has done nothing to slow down the Legislature.
Gun rights bills were introduced in the days after the shootings last week, and more proposals are to come.
"I don't think it really changes anything," Republican state Sen. Ron Gould said of the mass shooting. "I don't see how gun control could have prevented that shooting unless you take guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens."
The shooting in Tucson brought new attention to the national gun control debate after authorities said the rampage was carried out by a man who couldn't get into the military because of his drug use and had repeated run-ins with police at his community college because of his bizarre mental behavior. Jared Loughner bought the 9 mm handgun legally at a Tucson gun store, and was also carrying extended magazines that hold 30 rounds of ammunition.
Arizona Republicans remain adamant that the shooting will not dissuade them from pushing their pro-gun agenda.
They want new laws allowing college and university faculty members to be able to carry concealed weapons on campus, an issue that gained attention after the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech University. Only Utah has a law allowing concealed weapons on college campuses while 24 states have bans, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"There are going to be some nervous Nellies, so to speak, but I think that it will be overcome," said John Wentling, a leader of the Arizona Citizens Defense League, a gun owners advocacy group active at the Capitol. "We still have an obligation to protect constitutional and civil rights."
Bills already introduced this year in Arizona in the Republican-controlled Legislature include barring landlords and homeowner groups from restricting the right to bear arms in self defense, and expanding the current law that allows gun owners to display a weapon in self defense. And Wentling said his group's priority bill, which he wouldn't discuss, hasn't been unveiled yet.
AdvertisementArizona's permissive gun laws and the state's heritage dating to the Wild West days sometimes jolts newcomers, particularly in Phoenix and other metro areas where most residents live. Heads turned in 2009 when a man openly carried a semiautomatic rifle to a Phoenix protest outside a speech by President Barack Obama.
At the Legislature, some female lawmakers with concealed weapons permits have acknowledged carrying guns in their purses despite a state law prohibiting guns in public buildings. Visitors to legislative buildings are supposed to place their weapons in lockboxes.
Last year, Arizona become the third state to make it legal for adults to carry a concealed weapon without getting training and a background check. In 2009, the big change was allowing armed people in bars and restaurants, if they're not drinking alcohol and the establishments haven't posted signs against it.
House Speaker Kirk Adams said last year's bill to legalize carrying concealed weapons without a permit wasn't a mistake.
"Arizona remains a place that is respectful and adamant about our Second Amendment rights, and I think the people of Arizona support that," said Adams, one of 61 Republicans making up two-thirds of the 90-member Legislature.
Former Gov. Janet Napolitano signed several bills supporting gun rights between 2003 and 2008, but the Democrat vetoed others. When Napolitano resigned to become U.S. Homeland Security secretary in 2009, Republican Jan Brewer stepped into the governor's office, and more laws protecting gun owners were made.
Brewer signed bills into law that let people keep guns in locked vehicles at parking lots of businesses that prohibit guns and barred local governments from prohibiting a person with a concealed weapon permit from having a gun in a park.
Gun control proponents hope that the Tucson shooting can create momentum in pushing back against the various pro-weapon bills in the Legislature. They want to pass more regulation of gun shows while prohibiting sales of extended magazines like the one authorities say the suspected shooter used.
Still, Sen. Steve Gallardo, a Phoenix Democrat, acknowledges that such proposals have little to no chances of ever passing, but said "we have to start the education. I would hope that many members of the Legislature see it as a wake-up call."
Sen. Jack Harper, a Republican sponsoring the campus-carry measures, said he didn't want to be seen as trying to take advantage of the Tucson tragedy by citing it as reason to support his legislation, but he said it was vital, given the deadly shootings on university campuses and the Arizona Board of Regents' policy banning guns. The board oversees the state's schools.
"University professors are tired of feeling like sitting ducks," Harper said.
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Sunday, January 16, 2011
James Franco: 'The Night Stalker' Star And Director
James Franco has signed on to play the Night Stalker serial killer Richard Ramirez -- and direct the film in his major motion picture directorial debut.
The NY Post confirmed that Franco will helm and star in 'The Night Stalker,' the film version of Philip Carlo's book about the mid-80's serial killer, Richard Ramirez. A prolific rapist-murderer, when finally caught and put to trial in 1989, Ramirez was found guilty of 13 counts of murder, five attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults and 14 burglaries.
Nicholas Constantine, who co-wrote the adapted screenplay, talked to the Post about Franco's participation.
"I had no idea if he would do it, though, since it's pretty dark subject matter," he confessed. "They told me he was studying to be a director and this was perfect for him. We watched three short films he made, two of which were dark and one of which was about a serial killer. That confirmed James definitely had this dark side, and it definitely sealed the deal for us. Sure enough, James read the material and responded to it immediately."
Franco, ever-busy, had agreed already to direct two other films: adaptations of Faulkner's 'As I Lay Dying,' and Cormac McCarthy's 'Blood Meridian.'
For more, click over to The NY Post.
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Saturday, January 15, 2011
Thomas Jefferson is Not a Christian
I have provided these false quotes by Jefferson in order to be truthful and fair. My heart's desire behind my entire online ministry has always been to preach THE TRUTH. My goal has never been to criticize or tear anyone down, God forbid. The Bible commands believers to speak evil of no man (Titus 3:2); but this does not mean that we should not speak out against evil. God commands us to speak out against evil (Ephesians 5:11; Titus 1:10-13; Romans 16:17). Thus, I do not condemn Thomas Jefferson in any way, nor any other man, for we are all guilty sinners in God's eyes (Romans 3:23).It is tragic that most professed Christian believers are false sheep. Most people who claim to be Christians have churchianity, but not Christianity. Many people believe in God, as do the devils, and tremble (James 2:19). Salvation is found only in the precious name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31).
Friday, January 14, 2011
Fox Shoots Hunter
Fox Shoots Hunter
A hunter was shot by a fox in Belarus. Not, like, a sexy woman—an actual fox, that the hunter was trying to kill. I know, right?
In fairness, hunting can be difficult! You have to locate and track the prey, stay silent, aim perfectly, and also, make sure that the animal doesn't shoot you with your own goddamn gun. According to Belarusian media, the hunter had wounded the fox and attempted to "finish the animal off with the butt of the rifle." The fox had other plans. Man and beast "scuffled," and the fox managed to (accidentally?) pull the trigger of the rifle. (A Belarusian prosecutor is quoted saying "The animal fiercely resisted and in the struggle accidentally pulled the trigger with its paw." Fiercely resisted! What a way to put it!)
The hunter, who seems to have been shot in the leg, is in the hospital. The fox, no doubt a folk hero to its own kind as well as to non-fox-hunting humans, is nowhere to be found. What can you say? Sometimes you shoot the fox, and sometimes the fox shoots you.
[Reuters via thegrandinquisitor; image via Shutterstock]
Send an email to Max Read, the author of this post, at max@gawker.com.
');
Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.At first I thought this was about Foxy Brown trying to get in on the Lil' Kim/Nicki Minaj beef but I can see that it's something far less ridiculous. Reply
I was really hoping this was about the Fox Network shooting more episodes of Fred Dryer's Hunter. Reply
It's cuz the hunter was IE trying to shoot Firefox. Of course Firefox was gonna win... ReplyHellaCoolNinja promoted this comment
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Thursday, January 13, 2011
Richard Elwood Sanden in Ohio charged with necrophilia; insists he had no idea woman was dead: cops
Richard Elwood Sanden in Ohio charged with necrophilia; insists he had no idea woman was dead: cops
By Michael Sheridan
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERThursday, January 13th 2011, 10:33 AM
Police in Ohio say Richard Elwood Sanden wasn't aware that the woman he was having sex with was dead.An Ohio man charged with necrophilia swears he had no idea the woman was dead when they were having sex, police said.
Authorities arrested Richard Sanden earlier this week after finding that the 55-year-old had sexual relations with the corpse of Rebecca Whitehead, the Washington Times-Herald reports.
Sanden called the cops to alert them of the 48-year-old's death, according to police documents, and had performed CPR on her until emergency personnel arrived.
The Geneva, Ohio, man said he had met Whitehead through a telephone dateline and had been seeing her for nearly four months, police said. That night, before engaging in sexual intercourse, Sanden said he and the woman had been drinking and smoking marijuana.
When asked by detectives if he'd known that the woman had died during their sexual encounter, Sanden insisted he was unaware. During a search of the apartment, however, police discovered a video camera that the man had allegedly tried to hide, according to the Washington Times-Herald.
Initially charged with possession of marijuana and abuse of a corpse, after watching the video, authorities added charges of necrophilia. His bond was also raised from just $4,500 to $500,000.
Other videos were discovered in Sanden's home, police said, which showed him having sex with other women he'd met through the telephone dateline.
The cause of Whitehead's death has not yet been determined.
msheridan@nydailynews.com; or follow him at Twitter.com/NYDNSheridan
via nydailynews.com
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
ThinkProgress » AZ Republicans Resign After Giffords Shooting, Citing Threats From Local Tea Partiers
AZ Republicans Resign After Giffords Shooting, Citing Threats From Local Tea Partiers
Just hours after 22-year-old gunman Jared Loughner launched a shooting spree at a Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) constituent event in Tucson on Saturday that left six dead and 14 wounded, Legislative District chairman Anthony Miller, a Republican, announced that he would resign his position. In an email to the state’s GOP chair, Miller cited “constant verbal attacks” after his election last year “and Internet blog posts by some local members with Tea Party ties made him worry about his family’s safety.” Many of his Republican colleagues followed him out the door:
In an e-mail sent a few hours after Saturday’s massacre in Tucson that killed six and injured 13, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Miller told state Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen he was quitting: “Today my wife of 20 yrs ask (sic) me do I think that my PCs (Precinct Committee members) will shoot at our home? So with this being said I am stepping down from LD20GOP Chairman…I will make a full statement on Monday.” [...]
The newly-elected Dist. 20 Republican secretary, Sophia Johnson of Ahwatukee, first vice chairman Roger Dickinson of Tempe and Jeff Kolb, the former district spokesman from Ahwatukee, also quit. “This singular focus on ‘getting’ Anthony (Miller) was one of the main reasons I chose to resign,” Kolb said in an e-mail to another party activist. Kolb confirmed the contents of the e-mail to the Republic.
Miller had been on the receiving end of attacks from the GOP’s right-wing activists, particularly because he had worked for Sen. John McCain’s Senate reelection campaign last year against Tea Party favorite J.D. Hayworth:
[A] series of accusatory e-mails was exchanged among party members. Some blasted Miller’s support of McCain, called him a “McCainiac with a penchant for violating the rules” and a “McCain hack.” [...]
Miller said when he was a member of McCain’s campaign staff last year has been criticized by the more conservative party members who supported Republican opponent J.D. Hayworth. The first and only African-American to hold the party’s precinct chairmanship, Miller said he has been called “McCain’s boy,” and during the campaign saw a critic form his hand in the shape of a gun and point it at him.
“I wasn’t going to resign but decided to quit after what happened Saturday,” Miller said. “I love the Republican Party but I don’t want to take a bullet for anyone.” Meanwhile, AZ GOP state senator Lori Klein brought a gun with her to the state Capitol this week. “I pack,” she said. “Our safety is our personal responsibility.” (HT: Balloon Juice)
A Rising Tide Of Anti-Government Threats And Violence | Media Matters for America
A Rising Tide Of Anti-Government Threats And Violence
January 12, 2011 12:57 pm ET by Eric Boehlert
The assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was not an isolated incident. For the last two years we have seen a rise in acts, and threats, of anti-government violence. At the same time, we’ve seen an eruption in dangerous, often violent, anti-government rhetoric embraced and mainstreamed by the right-wing media in America.
Here is a look back at some of the troubling events that have taken place since 2009.
-April 4, 2009: Richard Poplawski waited inside his mother’s apartment knowing the police would soon be responding to her 911 call regarding a domestic dispute. When two policemen arrived at the door Poplawski opened fire with and shot them in the head. A devoted fan of Glenn Beck and other right-wing conspiracy pushers, Poplowski was obsessed with the threat of Obama banning guns. Poplawski killed three cops that day.
-May 31 2009: Abortion provider Dr. George Tiller was assassinated in his church by a right-wing activist. The killing came in the wake of Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly launching relentless on-air attacks on the doctor : “Tiller has killed thousands, thousands of late-term fetuses without explanation."
-Aug. 6: Tampa police were called to calm a mob of hundreds of 200 conservative protesters (including fans of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh) who sparked a scene of “mayhem,” which including several scuffles, at a health care forum hosted by Rep Kathy Castor (D-FL).
-March 4: Anti-government fanatic John Patrick Beddell opened fire outside a Pentagon security checkpoint, wounding two officers before being stopped by return fire. (The gunman later died from his wounds.)
-March 19: A thrown brick smashed a window at Rep. Louise Slaughter's district office in Niagara Falls, New York.
-March 19: A tossed brick demolished a window at the Sedgwick County Democratic Party headquarters in Wichita, Kansas.
-March 20: A brick was thrown through the window of the Democratic Party office in Rochester, New York.
-March 22: Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) received racist images, including a noose, on faxes sent to his office.
-March 23: Rep. Tom Perriello's (D-VA) brother's address was erroneously posted online by a Tea Party blogger who invited activists to descend on the house. A gas line outside the brother's house was cut.
-March 24: Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) was the target of threatening faxes and phone calls, including death threats. Also receiving threats around the same time of the health care voter were Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH), and Sen. Mark Udall (D-UT).
-March 25: Rep. Anthony Weiner's office in Kew Gardens, New York, had to be evacuated after suspicious white powder was found in an envelope mailed to the office.
-April 6: A devoted Glenn Beck fan left a series of death threats (“Kill the fucking Senator! “) on the voice mail at the office of Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). (The caller was “was under the spell that Glenn Beck cast,” reported his cousin.)
-April 10: The FBI arrested a California man for making threatening phone calls to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
-June 9: An Arizona man was indicted on federal charges for allegedly threatening to “blow the brains out” of Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ.
-July 17: Devoted Beck fan Byron Williams, who saw the right-wing talker as a “schoolteacher on TV,” keyed into Beck’s dark conspiracies about the ACLU and Tides Foundation and set off to assassinate staffers at both left-leaning organizations in order to spark a political revolution. (Police arrested Williams before he was able to unleash his shooting spree.)
-July 29: Grijalva shut down his Yuma, AZ, office after staffers discovered a bullet had shattered a window.
-Oct. 21: An envelope containing a suspicious white powder substance, as well as two pieces of papers with swastikas drawn on them, were mailed to Grijalva’s office.
-Oct. 25: Attending a Rand Paul campaign event in Lexington, KY, a MoveOn.org volunteer reportedly received a concussion after being tackled and having her head stomped on by a Paul supporter.
-Oct. 28: The League of Women Voters of Illinois contacted local FBI officials when the League’s office began receiving death threats. The threats came after Beck attacked the group on Fox News for not allowing the Pledge of Allegiance to be said prior to a Congressional debate that the League was sponsoring.
-Jan 8, 2011: Rep. Giffords was shot in the head while appearing at a meet-and-greet event in her Arizona district.
-Jan. 10: The office of Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) contacted the FBI and Capitol police after receiving a death threat. The suspect was arrested.
Tags: Glenn Beck
via mediamatters.org
REPORT: Media Ignore Rep. Darrell Issa's Alleged Criminal Past | Media Matters for America
Network and Cable Interviewers Won't Ask Issa About Criminal Allegations
In 11 Interviews Since Election Day, No Network Or Cable Anchor Has Asked Issa About The Allegations Against Him. Media Matters reviewed the Nexis database for cable and network interviews of Issa from November 3, 2010 through January 10, 2011. In 11 interviews on ABC, CBS, MSNBC, Fox Broadcasting Co., Fox News, and CNN, no host or anchor asked Issa about the criminal allegations that have been made against him.
Print Media Largely Overlooks Issa's Alleged Criminal Past
Only One Of 15 Articles Substantially Mentioning Issa Referenced Any Of The Allegations. Media Matters examined coverage of Issa in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times from November 3, 2010, through January 10, 2011. Of the 15 articles in that period that included substantial coverage of Issa, only one referenced any of the allegations against him.
- Wash. Post Article Mentions In Passing Issa's Arrest For Car Theft. A 1300-word Washington Post profile of Issa published December 19, 2010, stated, "After Issa (pronounced EYE-suh) and his brother ran into trouble with the law for car theft (Issa's brother, William, claimed responsibility), Darrell Issa invested all of his savings, about $7,000, in starting a car-alarm business that he grew into a behemoth." The article did not mention Issa was also suspected of arson, accused of intimidation with a weapon, and repeatedly arrested on weapons charges. [Washington Post, 12/19/10]
The Real Issa: Suspected Arson
1982: Issa Suspected, But Never Charged, In Arson Incident At Manufacturing Plant. According to the Los Angeles Times: "A suspected arson fire ripped through [Issa's Ohio] manufacturing plant in 1982. No one was ever charged in the fire, but authorities were troubled by a dramatic escalation in the facility's fire insurance just weeks earlier. Even before the blaze was put out, investigators began peppering Issa and his partner with 'crazy questions' regarding their whereabouts before the fire, Issa recalled." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]
- Prior To Fire, Issa "Boosted" Fire Insurance And Removed A Computer From The Premises. According to the Los Angeles Times: "Weeks before the fire, Issa and [business partner Miles] Hunsinger boosted their fire insurance from $ 100,000 to $ 462,000 on property stored for other companies...At the same time, a separate company that contracted with Quantum to outfit bug zappers increased its insurance to $ 400,000, and, according to an insurance report, one investigator was 'concerned about the coincidence.' Fire investigators also noted that a computer was taken off the site eight days before the fire, 'allegedly to be reprogrammed' by Issa's lawyer, and that business blueprints were put away in a safe -- which was 'not previously done before.'" [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
"Suspicious Burn Patterns" And "Out Of Normal Practice" Behavior Alerted Investigators. The Washington Post reported: "Investigators reported 'suspicious burn patterns' and said the fire may have been set. A company bookkeeper, Karen Brasdovich, also told them that computers and records had been removed from the site days before the fire for no clear reason. 'It was totally out of normal practice,' she said in a telephone interview last week." [Washington Post via FTLComm.com, 7/8/03]
AC Custom Fire: Flammable Liquid Had "Been Poured On The Only Area Not Covered By Fire Sprinklers." The Los Angeles Times reported that "seven months after Issa took control," a fire broke out at the "Quantum manufacturing plant." "Case files from Maple Heights, the Ohio fire marshal and insurers pointed repeatedly to the likelihood of arson in the blaze, which officials estimated caused $ 800,000 in damage. Although an accident could not be ruled out, the uneven and unnatural burn patterns made the blaze 'suspicious in nature,' the state concluded two months later. Flammable liquid appeared to have been poured on the only area not covered by fire sprinklers, investigators found." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]
The Real Issa: Intimidation With A Weapon
Former AC Custom Executive Claimed Issa Intimidated Him With A Gun. According to the Los Angeles Times: "One of Issa's first tasks as the new boss [of AC Custom] was to remove an executive named Jack Frantz. According to Frantz, Issa came into his office, placed a small box on the desk and opened it. Inside, he said, was a gun." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
- Issa Allegedly Used Intimidation To Fire Executive Frantz. According to the Los Angeles Times, Frantz claimed, "'He just showed [the gun] to me and said 'You know what this is?' Issa invited Frantz to hold the gun at one point and told him he had learned about guns and explosives during his military days, Frantz said. Because he was about to be fired, Frantz said he saw it as 'pure intimidation.'" [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
- Former AC Custom Bookkeeper: "It Was Pretty Terrifying." According to the Los Angeles Times: "The bookkeeper, [Karen] Brasdovich, also recalled Issa having a gun at the company that day. 'It was pretty terrifying,' she said." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
Issa On The Incident: "Shots Were Never Fired." The Los Angeles Times reported: "Issa said, 'Shots were never fired. If I asked Jack to leave, then I think I had every right to ask Jack to leave...I don't recall having a gun. I really don't. I don't think I ever pulled a gun on anyone in my life.'" [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]
The Real Issa: Auto Theft & Weapons Charges
Issa "Twice Arrested In 1972 On Weapons Charges." According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Issa was twice arrested in 1972 on weapons charges -- once in Ohio, once in Michigan." [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03]
Issa Was Convicted Of "Possession Of An Unregistered Handgun," Paid Fine, And Served Probation. According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "[W]hen Issa was attending college in Michigan, was fined $100 and put on three months' probation after being arrested for possession of an unregistered handgun, Michigan court records show." [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03]
1972: Issa Was Arrested For Auto Theft. According to the New York Times: "In 1972, [Darrell Issa] and his brother William were arrested in the theft of a Maserati from a Cleveland car dealership." [New York Times, 7/23/03]
1972: Issa Also Charged With "Carrying A Concealed Weapon." According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Court records...show that in March 1972, one month after getting out of the Army, Issa was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and auto theft. The court file doesn't indicate the type of weapon involved." [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03]
Auto Theft, Concealed Weapons Charges Were Ultimately Dropped. According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "In May 1972, a grand jury indicted Issa on a larceny charge in connection with the car theft but dropped the weapons charge. Two weeks later, a prosecutor dropped the car theft charge as well." [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03]
- Charges Were Dropped Despite Witness Reports. According to the Los Angeles Times, "a witness reported seeing [Darrell and William Issa] pushing the sports car down the street just before midnight, records and interviews show. But the charges were dismissed -- months before the older brother, [William], was convicted of stealing another car amid a string of offenses." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
Methodology
Media Matters for America searched the Factiva database for news articles from The Wall Street Journal and the Nexis database for news articles from the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, and The Washington Post and all network and cable news programming* from ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox Broadcasting Co., Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC between November 2, 2010 and January 10, 2011 for mentions of Darrell Issa. From cable, only interviews were included -- news packages and short clips were excluded. From print, any article substantially mentioning Issa -- beyond merely reporting his new position in Congress or other brief mentions -- was included.
The original data is located here.
*ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox Broadcasting, and NBC transcripts include all news programming; Fox News and MSNBC transcripts include prime-time and select daytime interviews.
via mediamatters.org
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Italian man shot in head sneezes out bullet - Europe, World - The Independent
This is a very strange case and the first of its kind that I am aware of, certainly in Italy," said Professor Sid Berrone, who saw Mr Sangermano. "He was a very lucky man. He could easily have been killed.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Nathan Deal: Jailing Drug Addicts Is 'Draining To Our State'
Newly-elected Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R) announced Monday in his inaugural address that putting drug addicts and abusers in jail was placing an unsustainable financial and civic burden on his state.
Here are his comments about drug enforcement, from The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
For violent and repeat offenders, we will make you pay for your crimes. For other offenders who want to change their lives, we will provide the opportunity to do so with Day Reporting Centers, Drug, DUI and Mental Health Courts and expanded probation and treatment options. As a State, we cannot afford to have so many of our citizens waste their lives because of addictions. It is draining our State Treasury and depleting our workforce.According to a 2009 Office of National Drug Control Policy report, approximately 17% of Georgia's 53,268 prisoners had drug-related offenses listed as their primary offense. Approximately 21% of the active inmate population of the Georgia Department of Corrections also reported a drug abuse problem as of September 2009.
For more on how much it costs to jail inmates, take a look at the Justice Atlas of Sentencing and Corrections, a tool that allows users to calculate corrections expenses in their area by inputting a zip code.
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Gabrielle Giffords Brain Injury Update: Congresswoman Gives Thumbs-Up
TUCSON, Ariz. — Doctors treating U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said Monday the congresswoman was responding to verbal commands by raising two fingers of her left hand and even managed to give a thumbs-up.
Giffords, 40, is in critical condition in the intensive care unit of Tucson's University Medical Center after she was shot through the head Saturday during a meet-and-greet with voters outside a supermarket. Two patients were discharged Sunday night. Eight others, including Giffords, remained hospitalized.
Recent CAT scans showed no further swelling in the brain, but doctors were guarded.
"We're not out of the woods yet," said her neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Lemole. "That swelling can sometimes take three days or five days to maximize. But every day that goes by and we don't see an increase, we're slightly more optimistic."
After Saturday's operation to temporarily remove half of her skull, doctors over the past two days had Giffords removed from her sedation and then asked basic commands such as: "Show me two fingers."
"When she did that, we were having a party in there," said Dr. Peter Rhee, adding that Giffords has also managed to give doctors a thumbs-up and has been reaching for her breathing tube, even while sedated. "That's a purposeful movement. That's a great thing. She's always grabbing for the tube."
Giffords family is by her side and is receiving constant updates from doctors. On Monday, two well-known doctors with extensive experience in traumatic brain injury arrived in Tucson to help consult on Giffords' case.
Doctors had said the bullet traveled the length of the left side of the congresswoman's brain, entering the back of the skull and exiting the front. Her doctors have declined to speculate on what specific disabilities Giffords may face as her recovery progresses.
As for the other shooting victims who suffered injuries to the face, neck, stomach and other parts of the body, doctors said most will have a normal recovery. To ensure that they don't suffer post-traumatic stress, depression or other problems, teams of experts will guide them through the next phase.
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AP National Writer Pauline Arrillaga contributed to this report.
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Daily Kos: Glenn Beck's efforts to end the violence hits a snag
Glenn Beck's efforts to end the violence hits a snag
by kos
Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 01:41:16 PM PST
From GlennBeck.com:
Nothing says "stop the violence" like pretending (and "pretending" is the right word) to be a bad-ass motherf'r with a gun.
I wonder who he thinks he's shooting.
(h/t @stopbeck on Twitter)
- ::
Tags: Glenn Beck (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions
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Sunday, January 9, 2011
Daily Kos: Hostile Intent: Right-Wing Media Doth Protest Too Much
Hostile Intent: Right-Wing Media Doth Protest Too Much
by KingOneEye [Subscribe]
Sun Jan 09, 2011 at 07:53:22 PM PST
Rarely have I seen such a desperate attempt to evade reality as has occurred since the shooting rampage in Tuscon. It would seem to be a fairly non-controversial notion that when a politician is targeted for assassination, the language that contributes to hostile discord ought to be carefully considered and avoided. The last thing anyone should want is another Jared Loughner. However, just raising that issue has caused politicians and pundits on the right to stiffen their backs and go on offense. They are taking such talk very personally. Could it be because they are harboring a latent guilt?
Brought to you by...
News Corpse
The Internet's Chronicle Of Media Decay.
- KingOneEye's diary :: ::
While the left has been responding to an horrific act of violence with calls to tone down the rhetoric, many on the right have assumed an attack posture. Keith Olbermann delivered a commentary yesterday wherein he included himself amongst those who have crossed the line. He apologized. There has been scarce reciprocation on the right. In fact, they have dug in their heels to assert that they will continue as if nothing has happened. Sarah Palin's camp even contends that their notorious "Hit List" didn't represent a gunsight's crosshairs, but those on map. That might have been a little more plausible if Palin herself hadn't referred to it as a bullseye.
So it should come as no surprise that Fox News would employ their propaganda web site, Fox Nation, to muddy the waters and absolve the right of any wrongdoing while tarnishing the left for observing the obvious. The Fox Nation presently has eleven articles that place the left in a bad light and/or polish the right's reputation. Methinks they doth protest too much.
The Headlines:
- Durbin Using Tragic Shooting to Silence Conservative Speech
- A Colossal Failure of Journalism: Jared Loughner is crazy
- Tucson Shooter and the Violent Rhetoric in the "Communist Manifesto"
- AZ Dem Blames "Afghan Vet" for Shooting
- DESPICABLE: NYT's Krugman Blames Republicans For Giffords Shooting
- NOW Blames Shooting on 'Extreme' Conservatives Opposing 'Progressive Solutions'
- PATHETIC: James Clyburn Blames Sharon Angle for Giffords Shooting
- Tuscon Sheriff Politicizes Press Conference, Blames Talk Radio
- Journalists Urged Caution After Ft. Hood, Now Race to Blame Palin After Arizona Shootings
- Kurtz: Don't Drag Palin Into this Horrific Mess
- Dems Urge Obama to Pin Shooting on Tea Partiers
And it doesn't stop there. On Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment, Jim Hoft, one of the most ignorant writers on a web site heralded for its ignorance, makes the ludicrous claim that "Democrats Plotted to Blame Tea Party for Slaughter." Hoft's justification for this "breaking" news flash was this paragraph from an article on Politico:
"One veteran Democratic operative, who blames overheated rhetoric for the shooting, said President Barack Obama should carefully but forcefully do what his predecessor did. 'They need to deftly pin this on the tea partiers.'"
Did I mention that Hoft was ignorant? He is inferring from a single, anonymous source that a "plot" was in progress. And his inference is based on an opinion, not a plan. He is suggesting what he thinks Obama ought to do, not what Obama, or any other Democrat, is actually doing. So there is no plot, jsut one guy with an opinion. And if this "operative" actually had access to the White House, or any group that could carry out this alleged plot, he would have given this advice to the President instead of a reporter from Politico.
What Hoft left out was the part where Politico reported this analysis from a senior Republican senator:
"There is a need for some reflection here - what is too far now?" said the senator. "What was too far when Oklahoma City happened is accepted now. There's been a desensitizing. These town halls and cable TV and talk radio, everybody's trying to outdo each other."
The vast majority of tea party activists, this senator said, ought not be impugned.
"They’re talking about things most mainstream Americans are talking about, like spending and debt," the Republican said, before adding that politicians of all stripes need to emphasize in the coming days that "tone matters."
"And the Republican Party in particular needs to reinforce that," the senator said.
I wonder why Hoft didn't accuse this GOP senator of engaging in a plot to tone down the rhetoric as advised by most of the left. However, he did make the flat assertion that Loughner was "hardly a tea partier." Apparently Hoft was unfamiliar with Loughner's anti-government views, his opposition to immigrants and immigration reform, his advocacy of guns, and his opposition to the "2nd Constitution," a rightist theme that regards the 14th Amendment's securing of equality and birthright citizenship as unconstitutional. These are all views consistent with the Tea Party.
The truth is that the right is the only side that could plausibly be characterized as plotting anything. Hoft's own column for Breitbart is evidence of that. And did the Fox Nationalists really need eleven articles to push their narrative? Then there is Judson Phillips, founder of the Tea Party Nation, who explicitly urged his followers blame liberals for the attack on Rep. Giffords. He wrote to his followers that...
"The hard left is going to try and silence the Tea Party movement by blaming us for this. [...] The left is coming and will hit us hard on this. We need to push back harder with the simple truth. The shooter was a liberal lunatic. Emphasis on both words."
The right is on a mission to wash their hands of any accountability for violence that is all too predictable. It would be much easier for them to take the position of the GOP senator above who understands that this is the time to be thoughtful about what we say and the impact it may have on the mentally wobbly. Unfortunately, that is not the path the right is headed down.
It has been over 32 hours since the shooting in Tuscon and Glenn Beck has not made a single public statement. There is nothing on his web site - no tweets - not even an expression of condolences. And you can rest assured that he will return to the air Monday with a delusional conspiracy theory for what he thinks happened in that Safeway parking lot. I can hear it now.....
Beck: Over the weekend there was a horrible crime committed against a United States Congresswoman. She is still clinging to life, but a judge, a young girl, and several others were killed.
Now, if you were watching the liberal media you may have come away thinking that this was the work of a conservative or a Tea Party member. I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth.
Here's the truth. Here's what only I have been able to uncover through dogged research. Here's what the media is afraid to tell you. Rep. Giffords was killed in order to silence me and other conservative broadcasters. That's right. This was a liberal plot to create an environment where people would be calling for harsh rhetoric to be stopped.
Top down, bottom up, and inside out. The progressives are thinking all the time about how to stifle our message, and they know that by making a martyr of Rep. Giffords they can demand that we shut our mouths and crawl off into a corner. They can accuse us of inciting people to violence. And they think that will cause us to keep quiet about their plans to destroy America and demolish our moral culture. That's why they sent their mole, Loughner, to the supermarket on Saturday.
But we aren't going to let that happen, are we? We will remain strong because we know that only by eliminating our enemies can we live in peace.
Now, remember, I don't want anyone to engage in violence. Even though the progressives are determined to see your future, and that of your children, blown apart and ruined for all eternity, you must not react violently. That's what they want you to do. So even though they are going to put an end to the American Dream and cause our society and our economy to break down so badly that we will be praying for death rather than live in the hell they want to create, do not become violent. Got it. Just get ready to suffer and prepare your kids for suffering like they have never known. Watching the whole world sink into depression and slavery is certainly no reason to resort to violence, is it?
And by the way, be sure to pick up a copy of my new book.
You read it here first.
Tags: Andrew Breitbart, Fox Nation, Fox News, Gabrielle Giffords, Glenn Beck, Jared Loughner, Jim Hoft, judson Phillips, Keith Olbermann, Sarah Palin, Tea Party (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions
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