Saturday, December 13, 2008
More Pictures Helen Cole Banquet
Oops I believe one of the pictures is out of place, do you know which one?
Jesus
Last night, we had the opportunity to attend our granddaughter’s High School Christmas program at Community Christian School. Yes, you heard it right, I said the word Christmas. The program consisted of the grade school, Jr High and High School students playing and singing Christmas carols. My granddaughter, Kenady, Rod’s daughter, is in the High School choir and they did an outstanding job of entertaining everybody. After hearing these young kids sing, I can fully understand why they have won so many awards. As I sat through the program, I thought about the Norman school system not allowing nativity scenes in the school system. I thought about how the kids of the Norman school system are being robbed of the real meaning of Christmas. I remember when I was a kid growing up in the Capital Hill area in South OKC, how I looked forward to the Christmas program each year. As the kids were singing, I started counting the number of times I heard the word Jesus; I lost count at 15 times. The word Christmas was used over 20 times and we even prayed at the start and finish of the program, just like we did when I was a kid.
How refreshing it is to attend a program by our young kids and listen to them use the word Jesus! They certainly are not ashamed of the word Jesus. Something like this could not happen in the public school system. No way can you say Jesus, and in some cases, you cannot even use the word Christmas because that might be offensive to someone. I have never understood how Christmas or even Jesus could offend someone. Sixty-five percent of Americans believe that the nation's founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation and 55% believe that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation, according to the “State of the First Amendment 2007” national survey released Sept. 11 by the First Amendment Center. Let’s not forget that the Christmas season is when all Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. When someone tells you happy holidays be sure and say Merry Christmas. I find it very offensive for someone to say Happy Holidays. I, for one, am not ashamed to use the word Jesus. As we look back at our Constitution, we need to remember the first five freedoms listed in the First Amendment; Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition.
We have a lot to be thankful for and we should never forget the rights and freedoms we have in the great county. Most importantly, we can never forget Jesus. Merry Christmas!
Bob
How refreshing it is to attend a program by our young kids and listen to them use the word Jesus! They certainly are not ashamed of the word Jesus. Something like this could not happen in the public school system. No way can you say Jesus, and in some cases, you cannot even use the word Christmas because that might be offensive to someone. I have never understood how Christmas or even Jesus could offend someone. Sixty-five percent of Americans believe that the nation's founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation and 55% believe that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation, according to the “State of the First Amendment 2007” national survey released Sept. 11 by the First Amendment Center. Let’s not forget that the Christmas season is when all Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. When someone tells you happy holidays be sure and say Merry Christmas. I find it very offensive for someone to say Happy Holidays. I, for one, am not ashamed to use the word Jesus. As we look back at our Constitution, we need to remember the first five freedoms listed in the First Amendment; Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition.
We have a lot to be thankful for and we should never forget the rights and freedoms we have in the great county. Most importantly, we can never forget Jesus. Merry Christmas!
Bob
Friday, December 12, 2008
Movie Australia
Last night, Barbara and I went to see Australia at the Warren Theater. I had not read anything about the movie, but heard from several friends, that it was really good. The movie is three hours long, and in my opinion, it was the best movie I have seen in years. It is a true story that covers when the Japanese bombed Australia. Hope our good friend Pat McGuigan, Oklahoma’s premier movie critic, will write about Australia.
Bob
Bob
Rep Jackson Ready To Pay To Play
Jackson Backers Sought Cash For Senate SeatCHICAGO – Businessmen with ties to both Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson discussed raising $1 million for Blagojevich to help persuade him to appoint Jackson to President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, according to a published report.
Citing unnamed sources, the Chicago Tribune reports in a story for Friday's editions that businessman Raghuveer Nayak and Blagojevich aide Rajinder Bedi told attendees at an Oct. 31 meeting that they needed to raise the money for the governor to ensure Jackson's appointment.
"Raghu said he needed to raise a million for Rod to make sure Jesse got the seat," an unidentified source who attended the meeting told the Tribune. Blagojevich also attended the meeting, which was sponsored by Nayak, an Oak Brook businessman. For more on this story go to
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081212/ap_on_re_us/illinois_governor_jackson
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Rep Reynolds Right, Again
State Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, wants to remove the governor's authority to fill vacant statewide offices. Reynolds said that in light of allegations that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich tried to sell an appointment to the now-vacant U.S. Senate seat in that state, he will file legislation that would allow Oklahoma voters, not the governor, to choose the person who fills any vacated statewide office. If any major office is vacated before the end of the officeholders current term that position would remain unfilled until the next general election under the proposal. Currently, the governor is allowed to appoint a successor. The Illinois scandal makes clear that the appointment power can easily be abused and weve had more than our share of corruption in Oklahoma already, said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. My proposal will simply remove that temptation and ensure the people of Oklahoma get to choose the people they want in office. Reynolds noted that Governor Henry actually endorsed a similar course of action when former State Auditor Jeff McMahan was under federal investigation. During that controversy, Henry urged McMahan to step aside during the investigation. McMahan later resigned from office after being convicted. Reynolds also noted that vacancies in the state Legislature are filled through the election process and not by gubernatorial appointment. In recent years, two major statewide officeholders have resigned due to legal troubles: McMahan and former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher. Other vacancies have occurred in the offices of State Treasurer and Corporation Commissioner.-posted McCarville
Istook And Infrastructure
You call this ‘vital infrastructure’?
With President-elect Obama talking about a $1-trillion-plus “stimulus package” in January, big spenders in the nation’s capital are already drawing up their post-Christmas wish lists. Governors lined up first when they met with Obama to ask for $136 billion or more in immediate projects. Mayors claim they have $73 billion in projects “ready to go. It’s quite a stretch to justify another $1-trillion in debt for many of these.
You can read the details about how they want to waste your money at
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=83297
With President-elect Obama talking about a $1-trillion-plus “stimulus package” in January, big spenders in the nation’s capital are already drawing up their post-Christmas wish lists. Governors lined up first when they met with Obama to ask for $136 billion or more in immediate projects. Mayors claim they have $73 billion in projects “ready to go. It’s quite a stretch to justify another $1-trillion in debt for many of these.
You can read the details about how they want to waste your money at
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=83297
Congress Bailouts
Included in the bailout bill are raises for U.S. Federal Judges. Why is the press not reporting this?
Bob
WASHINGTON (AP) - A House-passed bill to speed $14 billion in loans to Detroit's automakers stands on shaky ground in a bailout-weary Congress, undermined by Republican opposition that could derail the emergency aid in the Senate.
Republicans are challenging lame-duck President George W. Bush on the proposal, arguing that any support for the domestic auto industry should carry significant concessions from autoworkers and creditors and reject tougher environmental rules imposed by House Democrats. More on this story http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081211/D950GI5G0.html
Bob
WASHINGTON (AP) - A House-passed bill to speed $14 billion in loans to Detroit's automakers stands on shaky ground in a bailout-weary Congress, undermined by Republican opposition that could derail the emergency aid in the Senate.
Republicans are challenging lame-duck President George W. Bush on the proposal, arguing that any support for the domestic auto industry should carry significant concessions from autoworkers and creditors and reject tougher environmental rules imposed by House Democrats. More on this story http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081211/D950GI5G0.html
General Curry Speaks Out About Birth Certificate
Bobby:
If the Supreme Court won’t step up and defend our nation and its constitution from a possible fraud masquerading as s US Senator then the electoral college has to, even if it means that one man has to take a stand against the rest.
Jerry
IT’S TIME FOR THE COURT TO BE SUPREME
What if two or three years from now it turns out that President Obama’s birth certificate is a forgery and that he is not a natural-born American citizen eligible under the U.S. Constitution to be President? Such an event would do irreparable harm to the nation and the constitution since none of Obama’s actions and the executive orders and laws he has signed would be valid and legal, from the time he was sworn in as President until he was later discovered to be unqualified to be President.
Such an unfortunate state of affairs can and must be prevented at all costs. Fortunately for all concerned, the Supreme Court Of The United States (SCOTUS) has scheduled the case for a December 5, 2008 conference review to determine if the Court should hear oral arguments as to whether Senators Obama and McCain, according to the constitution, are eligible to be President of the United States. The natural-born status of both men is open to question.
There is little time available between the December 5, 2008 conference, the December 15 meeting of the Electoral College, and the January 20, 2009 presidential inauguration for the Court to properly sort these things out. So much is at stake should Senator Obama in the end turn out not to be constitutionally qualified to be President, that his qualifications or lack thereof cannot be treated cavalierly, as though this were just some routine technical matter.
Constitutional matters of this magnitude and importance should be settled before Obama is sworn into office as President, not afterward. For all our sakes, including Senator Obama’s, let us pray that after the investigation, his claim of natural-born citizenship turns out to be legitimate. If it does not, I fear that the public’s reaction may turn ugly.
Also, it is possible that the Court during its review of Senator Obama’s natural-born birth status may, at the same time, consider whether Senator McCain’s having been born in the Panama Canal Zone of U.S. citizen parents can be equated as to having natural-born American citizen status.
It would be most troubling if the Court constitutionally disqualified both men from holding presidential office. The electoral crisis that such a decision would precipitate could literally rip the guts out of the nation and rioting in the streets is a distinct possibility, especially among black Americans who may feel that once more they have been disenfranchised by their white American compatriots. Let us pray that we are spared such convulsions and that if the nation should enter into a time of crisis, our leadership will not falter in maintaining and keeping order.
Specifically at issue in this matter is whether Senator Obama was born in Kenya instead of in Hawaii as claimed. This would make him a natural-born citizen of Kenya and not a natural-born citizen of the United States. Next, is whether as a child Obama was taken to Indonesia where he legally became an Indonesian citizen. If he did not file for American citizenship under the U.S. Nationality Act of 1940 as required of foreign born U.S. citizens, he may be neither a native-born nor a naturalized American citizen. In short, Senator Obama may not be an American citizen at all. Finally, yet to be properly sorted out is the allegation that Senator Obama’s birth certificate, proving U.S. citizenship, is a forgery.
Until all these matters are legally resolved by SCOTUS, the presidential election process cannot proceed from Senator Obama’s being declared President-Elect on December 15, 2008 by the Electoral College, to his inauguration as President of the United States on January 20, 2009. Who knows but that the U.S. Supreme Court was established by the Framers of the Constitution for such a time as this.
If the Court refuses to aggressively pursue the subject of the legitimacy of Senator Obama’s place of birth at conference on December 5, deliverance will come to the nation through another venue. But don’t think that the Court’s refusal to get involved in the presidential selection process will enhance its reputation as guardian of the Constitution. Rather, its reputation will be forever tainted by its refusal to protect the Constitution and the American people’s interests.
Gen. Jerry R. Curry
US Army, Ret.
Haymarket, VA
If the Supreme Court won’t step up and defend our nation and its constitution from a possible fraud masquerading as s US Senator then the electoral college has to, even if it means that one man has to take a stand against the rest.
Jerry
IT’S TIME FOR THE COURT TO BE SUPREME
What if two or three years from now it turns out that President Obama’s birth certificate is a forgery and that he is not a natural-born American citizen eligible under the U.S. Constitution to be President? Such an event would do irreparable harm to the nation and the constitution since none of Obama’s actions and the executive orders and laws he has signed would be valid and legal, from the time he was sworn in as President until he was later discovered to be unqualified to be President.
Such an unfortunate state of affairs can and must be prevented at all costs. Fortunately for all concerned, the Supreme Court Of The United States (SCOTUS) has scheduled the case for a December 5, 2008 conference review to determine if the Court should hear oral arguments as to whether Senators Obama and McCain, according to the constitution, are eligible to be President of the United States. The natural-born status of both men is open to question.
There is little time available between the December 5, 2008 conference, the December 15 meeting of the Electoral College, and the January 20, 2009 presidential inauguration for the Court to properly sort these things out. So much is at stake should Senator Obama in the end turn out not to be constitutionally qualified to be President, that his qualifications or lack thereof cannot be treated cavalierly, as though this were just some routine technical matter.
Constitutional matters of this magnitude and importance should be settled before Obama is sworn into office as President, not afterward. For all our sakes, including Senator Obama’s, let us pray that after the investigation, his claim of natural-born citizenship turns out to be legitimate. If it does not, I fear that the public’s reaction may turn ugly.
Also, it is possible that the Court during its review of Senator Obama’s natural-born birth status may, at the same time, consider whether Senator McCain’s having been born in the Panama Canal Zone of U.S. citizen parents can be equated as to having natural-born American citizen status.
It would be most troubling if the Court constitutionally disqualified both men from holding presidential office. The electoral crisis that such a decision would precipitate could literally rip the guts out of the nation and rioting in the streets is a distinct possibility, especially among black Americans who may feel that once more they have been disenfranchised by their white American compatriots. Let us pray that we are spared such convulsions and that if the nation should enter into a time of crisis, our leadership will not falter in maintaining and keeping order.
Specifically at issue in this matter is whether Senator Obama was born in Kenya instead of in Hawaii as claimed. This would make him a natural-born citizen of Kenya and not a natural-born citizen of the United States. Next, is whether as a child Obama was taken to Indonesia where he legally became an Indonesian citizen. If he did not file for American citizenship under the U.S. Nationality Act of 1940 as required of foreign born U.S. citizens, he may be neither a native-born nor a naturalized American citizen. In short, Senator Obama may not be an American citizen at all. Finally, yet to be properly sorted out is the allegation that Senator Obama’s birth certificate, proving U.S. citizenship, is a forgery.
Until all these matters are legally resolved by SCOTUS, the presidential election process cannot proceed from Senator Obama’s being declared President-Elect on December 15, 2008 by the Electoral College, to his inauguration as President of the United States on January 20, 2009. Who knows but that the U.S. Supreme Court was established by the Framers of the Constitution for such a time as this.
If the Court refuses to aggressively pursue the subject of the legitimacy of Senator Obama’s place of birth at conference on December 5, deliverance will come to the nation through another venue. But don’t think that the Court’s refusal to get involved in the presidential selection process will enhance its reputation as guardian of the Constitution. Rather, its reputation will be forever tainted by its refusal to protect the Constitution and the American people’s interests.
Gen. Jerry R. Curry
US Army, Ret.
Haymarket, VA
Rep Martin Appointment
Norman Republican Named Budget Vice Chairman OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 10, 2008) - A
Norman Republican was appointed vice chairman of the powerful state House Appropriations and Budget Committee by the Speaker of the House today.Rep. Scott Martin, R-Norman, will serve beside Rep. Ken Miller, the chairman of the budget committee and will have a role in crafting the state budget as bills with a financial impact are heard in his committee.
"I consider it a true privilege to serve in this capacity and I look forward to working with the Speaker and Chairman Miller in the upcoming legislative session," said Martin.House Speaker Chris Benge said he is confident Rep. Martin will continue to push pro-growth fiscal policies for Oklahoma that will help its people prosper while also attracting business to the state.“I look forward to working with Rep. Martin to ensure our taxes remain low and government is streamlined so our tax dollars are saved for vital services Oklahomans need like education and public safety," said Benge, R-Tulsa. With the country in a recession, Rep. Martin stressed how important it is to ensure government is efficient with taxpayer dollars. "In this difficult financial time, now more than ever, it is important that the people's resources are used as judiciously as possible," said Martin.
"Oklahoma's strong workforce and recently enacted fiscally conservative policies like tax cuts and restrained spending have put Oklahoma in a better financial situation than many states nationwide."I'm committed to looking for innovative ways to keep growing Oklahoma, and working with my colleagues to find solutions as we set the budget and make sure the people's money is spent in ways that benefit the entire state," he said.Rep. Martin previously served as the vice chairman of the General Government and Transportation Committee, and also sat on Human Services Committee, the Energy Subcommittee and the Arts and Culture Subcommittee.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Cole Calls For Pardon For Border Patrol Agents
Cole Calls on President to Pardon Border Patrol Agents
WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) sent a letter to President Bush late yesterday asking him to commute the sentences and issue pardons for Border Patrol agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos. In October 2006, Ramos and Compean were each sentenced to more than a decade in prison after shooting an illegal immigrant who was believed to have been armed while transporting hundreds of pounds of marijuana into the country.
"The justice system has failed border agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos," Congressman Tom Cole said. "When a narcotics-smuggling criminal, who has illegally crossed our borders on multiple occasions, receives more just treatment in our judicial system than officers of the law - a gross injustice has occurred. Officers Compean and Ramos were rightfully carrying out their duties to protect our nation from a drug smuggler illegally attempting to enter the United States. They should be commended for their actions, not put in jail."
"While these border agents may have violated certain rules of procedure, I believe they have received excessive and unwarranted sentences. After all, these men were respected members of their communities, with unblemished records, who were acting to protect our borders from those wish our country harm. The harsh and excessive sentence they received was uncalled for - these men deserve a full pardon."
WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) sent a letter to President Bush late yesterday asking him to commute the sentences and issue pardons for Border Patrol agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos. In October 2006, Ramos and Compean were each sentenced to more than a decade in prison after shooting an illegal immigrant who was believed to have been armed while transporting hundreds of pounds of marijuana into the country.
"The justice system has failed border agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos," Congressman Tom Cole said. "When a narcotics-smuggling criminal, who has illegally crossed our borders on multiple occasions, receives more just treatment in our judicial system than officers of the law - a gross injustice has occurred. Officers Compean and Ramos were rightfully carrying out their duties to protect our nation from a drug smuggler illegally attempting to enter the United States. They should be commended for their actions, not put in jail."
"While these border agents may have violated certain rules of procedure, I believe they have received excessive and unwarranted sentences. After all, these men were respected members of their communities, with unblemished records, who were acting to protect our borders from those wish our country harm. The harsh and excessive sentence they received was uncalled for - these men deserve a full pardon."
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
County Jail Plan Passes
County Jail plan passes Yes 5610 No 3161. Congratulations to our County officials.
Bob
Bob
Obama Involved In Corruption?
Questions Arise About the Obama/Blagojevich Relationship
December 09, 2008 3:37 PM
Huma Khan-->"Obviously like the rest of the people of Illinois I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the US attorney's office today," said President-elect Obama this afternoon in Chicago, speaking of the criminal complaint against Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich for corruption. "But as this is a ongoing investigation involving the governor I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the issue at this time."Asked what contact he'd had with the governor's office about his replacement in the Senate, President-elect Obama today said "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening." But on November 23, 2008, his senior adviser David Axelrod appeared on Fox News Chicago and said something quite different.While insisting that the President-elect had not expressed a favorite to replace him, and his inclination was to avoid being a "kingmaker," Axelrod said, "I know he's talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them
For more on this story go to http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/questions-arise.html
December 09, 2008 3:37 PM
Huma Khan-->"Obviously like the rest of the people of Illinois I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the US attorney's office today," said President-elect Obama this afternoon in Chicago, speaking of the criminal complaint against Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich for corruption. "But as this is a ongoing investigation involving the governor I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the issue at this time."Asked what contact he'd had with the governor's office about his replacement in the Senate, President-elect Obama today said "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening." But on November 23, 2008, his senior adviser David Axelrod appeared on Fox News Chicago and said something quite different.While insisting that the President-elect had not expressed a favorite to replace him, and his inclination was to avoid being a "kingmaker," Axelrod said, "I know he's talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them
For more on this story go to http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/questions-arise.html
Thank You David Horowitz
David Horowitz finally agrees with what I have been saying now for a month. Now lets just move on. Obama now will have to distance him self from the Gov of Illinois, who by the way was arrested this morning. Is Obama corrupt like Gov Blogojevich who he has been known to hang with?
Bob
The continuing efforts of a fringe group of conservatives to deny Obama his victory and to lay the basis for the claim that he is not a legitimate president is embarrassing and destructive. The fact that these efforts are being led by Alan Keyes, an unhinged demagogue on the political fringe who lost a senate election to the then unknown Obama by 42 points should be a warning in itself.
This tempest over whether Obama, the child of an American citizen was born on American soil is tantamount to the Democrats' seditious claim that Bush "stole" the election in Florida and hence was not the legitimate president. This delusion helped to create the Democrats' Bush derangement syndrome and encouraged Democratic leaders to lie about the origins of the Iraq War, and regard it as illegitimate as Bush himself. It became "Bush's War" rather than American War with destructive consequences for our troops and our cause.
The Birth Certificate zealots are essentially arguing that 64 million voters should be disenfranchised because of a contested technicality as to whether Obama was born on U.S. soil. (McCain narrowly escaped the problem by being born in the Panama Canal zone, which is no longer American.)
What difference does it make to the future of this country whether Obama was born on US soil? Advocates of this destructive campaign will argue that the Constitutional principle regarding the qualifications for President trumps all others. But how viable will our Constitution be if 5 Supreme Court justices should decide to void 64 million ballots?
Conservatives are supposed to respect the organic nature of human societies. Ours has been driven by profound disagreements that have been deepening over many years. We are divided not only about political facts and social values, but also about what the Constitution itself means. The crusaders on this issue choose to ignore these problems and are proposing to deny the will of 64 million voters by appealing to 5 Supreme Court Justices (since no one is delusional enough to think that the 4 liberal justices are going to take the presidency away from Obama). What kind of conservatism is this?
It is not conservatism; it is sore loserism and quite radical in its intent. Respect for election results is one of the most durable bulwarks of our unity as a nation. Conservatives need to accept the fact that we lost the election, and get over it; and get on with the important business of reviving our country's economy and defending its citizens, and -- by the way -- it’s Constitution.
Bob
The continuing efforts of a fringe group of conservatives to deny Obama his victory and to lay the basis for the claim that he is not a legitimate president is embarrassing and destructive. The fact that these efforts are being led by Alan Keyes, an unhinged demagogue on the political fringe who lost a senate election to the then unknown Obama by 42 points should be a warning in itself.
This tempest over whether Obama, the child of an American citizen was born on American soil is tantamount to the Democrats' seditious claim that Bush "stole" the election in Florida and hence was not the legitimate president. This delusion helped to create the Democrats' Bush derangement syndrome and encouraged Democratic leaders to lie about the origins of the Iraq War, and regard it as illegitimate as Bush himself. It became "Bush's War" rather than American War with destructive consequences for our troops and our cause.
The Birth Certificate zealots are essentially arguing that 64 million voters should be disenfranchised because of a contested technicality as to whether Obama was born on U.S. soil. (McCain narrowly escaped the problem by being born in the Panama Canal zone, which is no longer American.)
What difference does it make to the future of this country whether Obama was born on US soil? Advocates of this destructive campaign will argue that the Constitutional principle regarding the qualifications for President trumps all others. But how viable will our Constitution be if 5 Supreme Court justices should decide to void 64 million ballots?
Conservatives are supposed to respect the organic nature of human societies. Ours has been driven by profound disagreements that have been deepening over many years. We are divided not only about political facts and social values, but also about what the Constitution itself means. The crusaders on this issue choose to ignore these problems and are proposing to deny the will of 64 million voters by appealing to 5 Supreme Court Justices (since no one is delusional enough to think that the 4 liberal justices are going to take the presidency away from Obama). What kind of conservatism is this?
It is not conservatism; it is sore loserism and quite radical in its intent. Respect for election results is one of the most durable bulwarks of our unity as a nation. Conservatives need to accept the fact that we lost the election, and get over it; and get on with the important business of reviving our country's economy and defending its citizens, and -- by the way -- it’s Constitution.
Governor Of Illinois Arrested
When Blagojevich campaigned for Governor his main issue was "Stop the Corruption" duh, well he meant stop everyone else from being corrupt!. It will be interesting to see what involvement Obama and Jesse Jackson had to do with the selling of Obama's vacant Senate seat.
Bob
TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE
digg_url = 'http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rod-blagojevich-1209,0,7997804.story';
Illinois Gov. Blagojevich, chief of staff, arrested
Breadth of corruption "staggering"
By Jeff Coen, David Kidwell and Monique Garcia Tribune staff reporters
9:14 AM CST, December 9, 2008
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested by FBI agents on federal corruption charges Tuesday morning.Blagojevich and Harris were arrested simultaneously at their homes at about 6:15 a.m., according to Frank Bochte of the FBI. Both were awakened in their residences and transported to FBI headquarters in Chicago.In one charge related to the appointment of a senator to replace Barack Obama, prosecutors allege that Blagojevich sought appointment for himseld as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the new Obama administration, or a lucrative job with a union, in exchange for appointing a union-preferred candidate.Another charge alleges Blagojevich and Harris conspired to demand the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members responsible for editorials critical of him in exchange for
Blagojevich and Harris, along with others, obtained and sought to gain financial benefits for the governor, members of his family and his campaign fund in exchange for appointments to state boards and commissions, state jobs and state contracts, according to the charges."The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a statement."They allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism." (for the rest of the crook story go to http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rod-blagojevich-1209,0,7997804.story)
digg_url = 'http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rod-blagojevich-1209,0,7997804.story';
Illinois Gov. Blagojevich, chief of staff, arrested
Breadth of corruption "staggering"
By Jeff Coen, David Kidwell and Monique Garcia Tribune staff reporters
9:14 AM CST, December 9, 2008
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested by FBI agents on federal corruption charges Tuesday morning.Blagojevich and Harris were arrested simultaneously at their homes at about 6:15 a.m., according to Frank Bochte of the FBI. Both were awakened in their residences and transported to FBI headquarters in Chicago.In one charge related to the appointment of a senator to replace Barack Obama, prosecutors allege that Blagojevich sought appointment for himseld as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the new Obama administration, or a lucrative job with a union, in exchange for appointing a union-preferred candidate.Another charge alleges Blagojevich and Harris conspired to demand the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members responsible for editorials critical of him in exchange for
Blagojevich and Harris, along with others, obtained and sought to gain financial benefits for the governor, members of his family and his campaign fund in exchange for appointments to state boards and commissions, state jobs and state contracts, according to the charges."The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a statement."They allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism." (for the rest of the crook story go to http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rod-blagojevich-1209,0,7997804.story)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Supreme Court Says No
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has turned down an emergency appeal from a New Jersey man who says President-elect Barack Obama is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth.
The court did not comment on its order Monday rejecting the call by Leo Donofrio of East Brunswick, N.J., to intervene in the presidential election. Donofrio says that since Obama had dual nationality at birth — his mother was American and his Kenyan father at the time was a British subject — he cannot possibly be a "natural born citizen," one of the requirements the Constitution lists for eligibility to be president.
The court did not comment on its order Monday rejecting the call by Leo Donofrio of East Brunswick, N.J., to intervene in the presidential election. Donofrio says that since Obama had dual nationality at birth — his mother was American and his Kenyan father at the time was a British subject — he cannot possibly be a "natural born citizen," one of the requirements the Constitution lists for eligibility to be president.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Another Reason Why We Need A New Jail
Here is a good reason why we have so many people in prison and if we are going to let them out, we must invest in a quality probation system, not just “hope for the best, and use the money from prisons for another program.” We have to protect the citizens. The number responsibility of our government. This is a good example why a new jail is so important.
Kirk
http://www.newsobserver.com/2933/story/1324510.html
Probationers kill, state dawdles
North Carolina
Part 1:
Published: Dec 07, 2008 04:42 AM
Modified: Dec 07, 2008 04:44 AM
Probationers kill, state dawdles
Since the start of 2000, 580 offenders have killed while on probation. Probation officers, hamstrung by vacancies and a sloppy bureaucracy, can't locate nearly 14,000 criminals
Doris Durham holds a picture of her son, Jamel Jefferys, at the spot where he was shot and killed in Raleigh in 2006. One of the shooters, Michael Jones, was on probation but had received poor supervision from a Wake County probation officer.
Staff Photo by Jason Arthurs
The slayings of two college students earlier this year put the state's probation system under the microscope. Suspects accused of killing Eve Carson, the UNC-Chapel Hill student body president, and Duke graduate student Abhijit Mahato received scant attention from probation officers after previous offenses. That led to calls for reform.
An internal audit and a review by the National Institute of Corrections found major problems, including missing files, cases being ignored and supervisors failing to quickly file arrest warrants for absconders.
Sarah Ovaska, Joseph Neff and David Raynor, Staff Writers Comment on this story
North Carolina's probation system, designed to help low-level offenders rebuild their lives and stay out of costly prisons, is risking public safety by neglecting or losing track of thousands of criminals.
The results can be deadly, a News & Observer investigation has found.
Since the start of 2000, 580 people have killed in North Carolina while under the watch of state probation officers -- 17 percent of all convictions for intentional killings.
Documents and interviews indicate that probation officers -- poorly paid, overworked, some inexperienced -- routinely lose contact with the people they are required to supervise and guide toward more productive lives. Probation leaders have failed to take advantage of technology advances, for years leaving their officers with no automatic tracking of the people under their supervision. Officers often weren't aware when probationers were arrested on new charges.
State probation managers disregarded warnings -- and periodic cries for help from understaffed county offices.
It's unclear how many of the 580 killers were poorly supervised, because correction leaders wouldn't release records of thousands of probationers who committed serious crimes.
They did release partial records in 24 cases; The N&O found that probation officials had botched many of them. They failed basic tasks such as filing arrest warrants or hooking offenders to electronic house arrest. They ignored some probationers for more than a year.
That prevented offenders' early missteps from being met with the "swift and certain response" required by the N.C. Division of Community Corrections.
The response to Michael C. Jones was neither swift nor certain.
In March 2006, Jones' Wake County probation officer hadn't talked to the 19-year-old Bloods gang member in four months. A Superior Court judge ordered his arrest for skipping out on his probation, but probation officers never made the warrant available to police who could have jailed Jones.
Soon after, Jones and several other gang members assaulted Jamel Jefferys with a volley of bullets. Jefferys, a 19-year-old Southeast Raleigh teenager with plans to join the U.S. Army, was mistaken by his assailants as a rival gang member and died from multiple gunshots. One was a bullet fired into his head from a rifle used by Jones, also known as "Hitman."
Jefferys' murder came two months after Jones' probation officer took out the arrest warrant. But the officer didn't send it to a state clearinghouse that links with national crime databases. Had it been filed, any officer who encountered Jones would have known to hold him, including Raleigh police who twice arrested him in the months before Jefferys' death.
After Jones was charged with murder, his probation officer failed to fill out the mandatory report to alert supervisors and trigger an audit. That omission was common, occurring in 30 percent of all killings by probationers since 2003.
"They should have been on the job more," said Tyasha Jefferys, Jamel's older sister. "He [Jones] would have been arrested, and the murder wouldn't have happened."
It has happened more than nearly anyone realized, even after the highly publicized killings of UNC-Chapel Hill student body president Eve Carson and Duke graduate student Abhijit Mahato. The men accused in their killings had received scant attention from probation officers in Wake and Durham counties, but state officials initially said the cases of lax oversight were unusual.
They were not.
Jones, now serving a life sentence, had consistently run into problems with the law and ignored the terms of his probation. Probation officers waited three months to place Eric Revels of Durham under house arrest, enough time for him to be charged with murder. John H. Robinson of Rockingham County shot a friend to death in a late-night argument after skipping out on weekends in jail and racking up new convictions. More on this story at http://www.newsobserver.com/2933/story/1324510.html
Kirk
http://www.newsobserver.com/2933/story/1324510.html
Probationers kill, state dawdles
North Carolina
Part 1:
Published: Dec 07, 2008 04:42 AM
Modified: Dec 07, 2008 04:44 AM
Probationers kill, state dawdles
Since the start of 2000, 580 offenders have killed while on probation. Probation officers, hamstrung by vacancies and a sloppy bureaucracy, can't locate nearly 14,000 criminals
Doris Durham holds a picture of her son, Jamel Jefferys, at the spot where he was shot and killed in Raleigh in 2006. One of the shooters, Michael Jones, was on probation but had received poor supervision from a Wake County probation officer.
Staff Photo by Jason Arthurs
The slayings of two college students earlier this year put the state's probation system under the microscope. Suspects accused of killing Eve Carson, the UNC-Chapel Hill student body president, and Duke graduate student Abhijit Mahato received scant attention from probation officers after previous offenses. That led to calls for reform.
An internal audit and a review by the National Institute of Corrections found major problems, including missing files, cases being ignored and supervisors failing to quickly file arrest warrants for absconders.
Sarah Ovaska, Joseph Neff and David Raynor, Staff Writers Comment on this story
North Carolina's probation system, designed to help low-level offenders rebuild their lives and stay out of costly prisons, is risking public safety by neglecting or losing track of thousands of criminals.
The results can be deadly, a News & Observer investigation has found.
Since the start of 2000, 580 people have killed in North Carolina while under the watch of state probation officers -- 17 percent of all convictions for intentional killings.
Documents and interviews indicate that probation officers -- poorly paid, overworked, some inexperienced -- routinely lose contact with the people they are required to supervise and guide toward more productive lives. Probation leaders have failed to take advantage of technology advances, for years leaving their officers with no automatic tracking of the people under their supervision. Officers often weren't aware when probationers were arrested on new charges.
State probation managers disregarded warnings -- and periodic cries for help from understaffed county offices.
It's unclear how many of the 580 killers were poorly supervised, because correction leaders wouldn't release records of thousands of probationers who committed serious crimes.
They did release partial records in 24 cases; The N&O found that probation officials had botched many of them. They failed basic tasks such as filing arrest warrants or hooking offenders to electronic house arrest. They ignored some probationers for more than a year.
That prevented offenders' early missteps from being met with the "swift and certain response" required by the N.C. Division of Community Corrections.
The response to Michael C. Jones was neither swift nor certain.
In March 2006, Jones' Wake County probation officer hadn't talked to the 19-year-old Bloods gang member in four months. A Superior Court judge ordered his arrest for skipping out on his probation, but probation officers never made the warrant available to police who could have jailed Jones.
Soon after, Jones and several other gang members assaulted Jamel Jefferys with a volley of bullets. Jefferys, a 19-year-old Southeast Raleigh teenager with plans to join the U.S. Army, was mistaken by his assailants as a rival gang member and died from multiple gunshots. One was a bullet fired into his head from a rifle used by Jones, also known as "Hitman."
Jefferys' murder came two months after Jones' probation officer took out the arrest warrant. But the officer didn't send it to a state clearinghouse that links with national crime databases. Had it been filed, any officer who encountered Jones would have known to hold him, including Raleigh police who twice arrested him in the months before Jefferys' death.
After Jones was charged with murder, his probation officer failed to fill out the mandatory report to alert supervisors and trigger an audit. That omission was common, occurring in 30 percent of all killings by probationers since 2003.
"They should have been on the job more," said Tyasha Jefferys, Jamel's older sister. "He [Jones] would have been arrested, and the murder wouldn't have happened."
It has happened more than nearly anyone realized, even after the highly publicized killings of UNC-Chapel Hill student body president Eve Carson and Duke graduate student Abhijit Mahato. The men accused in their killings had received scant attention from probation officers in Wake and Durham counties, but state officials initially said the cases of lax oversight were unusual.
They were not.
Jones, now serving a life sentence, had consistently run into problems with the law and ignored the terms of his probation. Probation officers waited three months to place Eric Revels of Durham under house arrest, enough time for him to be charged with murder. John H. Robinson of Rockingham County shot a friend to death in a late-night argument after skipping out on weekends in jail and racking up new convictions. More on this story at http://www.newsobserver.com/2933/story/1324510.html
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