Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Arraigned
on Multiple Felony Charges
Fires Police Officers
Investigating Him
Detroit, Mich.
3/25/08
Kwame Kilpatrick
appeared today in a
Detroit court, without the usual smug grin we have grown accustomed
to seeing on his sarcastic face. Apparently, the reality of the
situation he put himself in has finally sunk into his once lofty
psyche. Surrounded by a cadre of attorneys, Kwame looked wide-eyed
and nervous as the multiple felony counts against him were read.
Kilpatrick has been
charged with obstruction of justice, perjury and official
misconduct; his former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, was charged
with perjury and obstruction of justice. The charges stem from a
past sex scandal investigation, in which the Mayor improperly fired
police officers who were investigating him, and the subsequent
testimony by the defendants in a lawsuit.
Kwame ultimately cost
the city of Detroit more than eight million dollars in settlement
money to three police officers who sued him, and the City for
wrongful dismissal. Kilpatrick also cost Detroit over $800,000 in
legal fees that were paid defending the lawsuit.
Kilpatrick has also
refused to step down as Mayor of Detroit, and continues to rob
tax-payers by sticking money into his pockets in the form of salary.
Perhaps he is setting the money aside to deposit into his commissary
account in prison, once sentenced. He faces 15 years on each count
of perjury, alone…other charges against him could land him in the
slammer a lot longer. All this trouble for a little bit of naughty,
nooky that he chose to deny and fire good police officers instead.
Obama Speaks On Race and Politics
– by Anthony
Mann
3/18/08 Philadelphia,
Pa.
Barack
Obamaaddressed the nation this morning regarding his
association with Jeremiah Wright, Pastor of The Trinity Church of Christ
in Chicago, and Wright’s radical, racist statements. Speaking on
the topic of race, politics and unity, Senator Obama delivered what
many are calling an “eloquent speech…” yet, failing to adequately
put the question of his association with Wright to rest. This, many
believe, will negatively affect his bid for the White
House.
Barack Obama stated with regard to
Wright, “I can no
more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can
no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who
helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a
woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but
a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her
on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial
or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.”
What bothers many about
the above statement, is that Barack’s grandmother is his true
family…Wright is not. Also, his grandmother was not speaking these
divisive words to members of a congregation, of which she was the
revered leader of.
Although Obama admitted
to being present in the pews at times when Wright made remarks that
he vehemently disagreed with, Barack stated that, Wright
is “a man who helped
introduce me to my Christian
faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one
another; to care for the sick and lift up the
poor.”
Personally, I would like
to give Barack Obama the benefit of doubt, but at this point I am
having trouble attempting to decipher whether he is real. or merely a wolf in
sheep’s clothing, like the typical self-serving, or organization
serving politician. He is running on a ticket of change, and
unification...hopefully, he is a true healer. Watch Video of
Speech
Obama Responds to Wright Ordeal
- Bill Crimi 3/14/08
Senator Barack Obamatoday, appeared on a variety of evening news programs
including Fox News and CNN denouncing recent statements made by his
spiritual mentor, and Pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The
hateful words of Wright, who is Pastor of the church Obama is a
member of, caused a stir great enough to seriously jeopardize his
bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination.
Wright seems to typify the over-the-edge,
pompous, self-righteous, radical who has their words and actions
back-fire on them, or wind up shooting themselves in the foot, with
their own poison darts. The Reverend is quick to blame "white
America" for hindering the advancement of black people, while in the
same foolish, breath, he acts to destroy a black man's rise to a
position of power.
The following, is a copy of
the statement denouncing some of Jeremiah Wright's words, that
Barack Obama has issued to the public.
Barack Obama: On My Faith and My
Church
The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah
Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process
of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days.
He's drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and
appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my
political opponents.
Let me say at the outset that I
vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have
been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any
statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us
from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals
have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign
stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by
Rev. Wright that are at issue.
Because these particular statements by
Rev. Wright are so contrary to my own life and beliefs, a number of
people have legitimately raised questions about the nature of my
relationship with Rev. Wright and my membership in the church. Let
me therefore provide some context.
As I have written about in my books, I
first joined Trinity United Church of Christ nearly twenty years
ago. I knew Rev. Wright as someone who served this nation with honor
as a United States Marine, as a respected biblical scholar, and as
someone who taught or lectured at seminaries across the country,
from Union Theological Seminary to the University of Chicago. He
also led a diverse congregation that was and still is a pillar of
the South Side and the entire city of Chicago. It's a congregation
that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day,
through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out
to those with HIV/AIDS.
Most importantly, Rev. Wright preached
the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other
words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor.
And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation
to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to
seek justice at every turn.
The statements that Rev. Wright made
that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I
personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or
heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first
came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential
campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his
comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement,
and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where
I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not
think it appropriate to leave the church.
Let me repeat what I've said earlier.
All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are
ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes
and directly contradict my profound love for this
country.
With Rev. Wright's retirement and the
ascension of my new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss, III, Michelle and I look
forward to continuing a relationship with a church that has done so
much good. And while Rev. Wright's statements have pained and
angered me, I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis
of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I
believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of
the United States.
Spitzer – Another Disgusting, Pompous, Fake
– Trent Burrell 3/10/08
NY Governor Admits to Acts of
Impropriety
Governor
Spitzer’s claim to fame was his relentless pursuit of
corrupt individuals as Attorney General. He painted himself as a
morally, sound individual who had little tolerance for those who did
not abide by the rule of law. Now…it is Spitzer who is under the
glass, being scrutinized and examined for possible Federal crimes, stemming
from a probe by law enforcement officials.
Recent news reports
seem to be focusing on the information released, that he paid for
sex with a high priced prostitute in a Washington Hotel. What is not
being reported well enough, are the suspicious money transfers
between shell corporations of which he is tied to. The later will
probably be the biggest story soon.
Regarding the
sexual crime that he may have committed, the Governor alluded today
to some kind of involvement in actions that he regrets. Of course,
he made sure that he dragged his downcast wife out to the podium,
like past political pigs, to stand in an embarrassed stupor at his
side. He should have had enough respect for his wife, to spare her
that torture…but, that is asking too much from scumbags like him.
Wimps like Spitzer, rarely muster the strength to stand on their
own; they always lean on,
and sap the energy of others around them.
Barack Obama believes
America has a sacred trust with our veterans. He is committed to
creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that
provides the care and benefits our nation?s veterans deserve.
Allow All Veterans Back into the VA: One of
Obama's first acts will be reversing the 2003 ban on enrolling
modest-income veterans, which has denied care to a million
veterans.
Strengthen VA Care: Obama will make the VA a
leader of national health care reform so that veterans get the
best care possible. He will improve care for polytrauma vision
impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women's
health.
Combat Homelessness among Our Nation's Veterans:
Obama will establish a national "zero tolerance" policy
for veterans falling into homelessness by expanding proven
programs and launching innovative services to prevent veterans
from falling into homelessness.
Fight Veterans Employment Discrimination:
Obama will crack down on employers who commit job
discrimination against guardsmen and ...Read
More
Hillary's
Promise to Veterans - Hillary
Clinton has a long history of fighting for our
veterans and will work to ensure our country fulfills its
obligations to those who have served and sacrificed for the
nation.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hillary
has championed legislation to improve the lives of our
veterans and their families. She worked to provide access to
TRICARE for National Guard and Reserve members. She authored
the Heroes at Home Act that will begin to help service members
struggling with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic
brain injury. She worked with others in the Senate to pass
legislation to increase the military survivor benefit from
$12,000 to $100,000.
As president, she will honor three fundamental commitments:
First, every member of our armed forces will receive a fair
shot at the American dream when their service is over. Second,
every veteran in America will have health care. Third, every
veteran will receive the benefits they have earned and the
assistance they need - right from the start.
Enact a GI Bill of Rights for the Twenty-First Century.
Hillary will enact a GI Bill of Rights for the 21st century
that will resurrect the spirit of the original 1944 GI Bill
and offer service members, veterans and their families with
expanded education, housing and entrepreneurial benefits. Her
plan will guarantee equal access for all components of the
Armed Forces - Active, Guard and Reserve - that have deployed
overseas in support of a combat operation since September 11
or served two years of active duty since September 11. She
will fund undergraduate education for service members, as well
as education for specialized trade or technical training, and
certification and licensing programs. She will expand the VA
Home Loan Guaranty program to allow veterans to use
low-interest, no-fee loans to purchase, build or improve a
home valued up to $625,000. She will establish a Veterans
Microloan Program to provide veterans with no-collateral,
low-interest microloans of up to $100,000 for entrepreneurial
ventures.
Give Veterans Additional Opportunities to Serve. Hillary
will make vouchers worth up to $10,000 available to returning
veterans who want to serve in AmeriCorps and select
not-for-profit organizations. These organizations would
provide at least $5,000 to supplement the voucher. This system
will help veterans create normal routines and reenter their
communities while doing meaningful work serving their country.
Hillary will ...Read More
John McCain's Plan
for Veterans: Not any better than Obama's plan, which
is surprising and disappointing based upon the fact that McCain runs in part upon
his record of military service. One would think that John
McCain would have the 'best' plan in place for his fellow
veterans...Read McCain's Plan
Hopefully, Barack Obama does
possess magical powers, because it looks as though he is going
to be the next President. As president, Barack is going to
faces challenges far beyond the foreseen, in his attempt to
rectify the great wrongs our recent top dogs have perpetrated
upon the masses.
Bush and his cohorts are
largely regarded as the worse, most evil administration ever;
frankly I disagree…they are ‘among’ the worse. Lets
face it…we haven’t had a really ‘good’ man in that
office since…well…since…never. Clinton was a
self-serving, fake and a dog who liked to insert cigars into
the orifices of admiring young woman, while his wife and
daughter were just yards away. Poppa Bush was a “read my lips”
tyrant with the social skills of a junk-yard dog. The much
heralded Reagan was a sick, egotistical, narcissist puppet of
corporate America, a boastful, enemy of labor and the
people.
Some may challenge my
contention with names like, Carter, Kennedy, and Roosevelt,
but lets face it…Carter had some good intentions, but failed
to implement anything of great worth for the country. Kennedy
carried the wealth of his robber baron, ancestors profiting
from the sale of deadly alcohol to the masses. Roosevelt nuked
old folks, woman and children instead of the ‘real’ enemy…kind
of like, someone killing your family and friends in order to
get you to stop attacking them.
Getting back to Obama…in
reality, we will not really know the man until he is in
office. If the man is truly ‘good’ we’ll know it soon
enough…but, the powers that be, will throw everything they
have in their arsenals attempting to stop him. Any resemblance
they see in him to that of a man attempting to empower the
little people, the more they will seek to thwart his ‘good’
intentions. He’ll need ‘real’ magic…not just the magic of a
smile, sweet words and over-all
charisma…
Along with ‘real’ magic,
I am hoping to witness uncanny, sanity displayed through
actions the man chooses to take. When the enemy (foreign and
domestic) attempts to harm this country, in any way…I want to
see him turn them into lambs…I want to see ‘real’
change…change for the betterment of the world…peace,
tranquility and smiles again on the faces of people who have
long been suffering.
Since 1984 the National Center for Missing
& Exploited Children has served as the congressionally
mandated national clearinghouse for child protection in the
United States. In 1996 the U.S. Congress established the
Exploited Child Unit (ECU) within NCMEC. The ECU serves as a
resource center for the public, parents, law enforcement, and
others on the issues of the sexual exploitation of children.
In addition to handling reports received via the CyberTipline, the ECU serves as a
technical and informational resource for law enforcement.
Investigating child-sexual-exploitation cases may require
specialized technical skills outside the scope of usual
investigation methods. Analysts are available to assist in any
child-sexual-exploitation case, not just those originating
from the CyberTipline. The technical assistance services
available from the ECU are listed below.
Child-Victim-Identification Project
CyberTipline Historical Searches
Internet Searches
Internet Service Provider (ISP) Contacts
Law-Enforcement Contacts
Public-Record Database Searches
Technical Expertise
Please contact the Exploited Child Unit at
1-800-843-5678 for further assistance.
Fair or unfair…that is
the question, though not in the mind of all people. Most left bending individuals
will be quick to boo-hoo any hint of support for Blackwater USA, while
conservatives will say the media attacks are unfair..
Recently, Blackwater
has been given a break by the main stream media, as well as
independent news outlets. Perhaps that is because there hasn’t been
any reports lately of their personnel shooting anyone. Not long ago,
they came under heavy fire in the press for actions related to
defense posturing in
Iraq.
Outcries were so great, that Congress held special hearings to
address the issue. The outcome of the hearings appear to be mostly
inconsequential.
Blackwater remains in
Iraq
under contract by the US State Department, private corporations and
possibly, foreign governments. They are predominately a private
security agency, and a protective services training organization. BW
has been regarded as a somewhat shadowy entity with vague
links to our governmental intelligence agencies. Some suspect that
BW is a private army, conceived and funded by the CIA. Of course, these
claims remain unsubstantiated, denied and scoffed at by people,
seemingly in the know.
If Blackwater isn’t a
quasi-governmental organization, it certainly appears to act like
one on many fronts. Their largest contributors appear to come from
government sources and private corporations under contract with
Uncle Sam, for services related to the Iraqi conflict. BW stands in
defense of accusations, that it is a paramilitary organization,
operating under the auspices of our own government. They stand firm
in their denial of any such covert relationship, and rightfully so.
If BW is an instrument of a secretive national security agenda, and
admitted that, then it would fall into violation of its clearance,
and briefing agreement. It would be compromised.
As citizens, we
sometimes wish to know more than our government is willing to allow
public. Most of the time, that desire is simply for curious reasons.
To wish to know and remain in the dark,
makes some people feel less important. It is often, merely an ego
thing…In the intelligence community, information is distributed
according to “the need to
know…” not, the wanting. People who serve, or have served within
such an information structure, understand and accept the necessity
of controlled, limited access. It is often, critical to the success
of the mission. Granted…the system is not perfect, sometimes things
go wrong because someone who should have been clued in,
was not, but that unfortunate consequence rarely occurs.
This whole Blackwater
scrutiny may hold some merit in ways that I fail to understand, but
it is something that I don’t feel the need to anguish myself over.
Perhaps I may be a fool for not really giving a damn. Perhaps I am
wise enough to sit this one out, remaining in peace within the realm
of ignorance.
The following letter to the editor, published in
the January 7 edition of The New York Times, responds to a December
31 editorial:
To the Editor:
Your Dec. 31 editorial "Looking at America" does a great
disservice to the men and women of the C.I.A. You describe the
lawful questioning of hardened terrorists as "sickening behavior."
The interrogation methods the C.I.A. has employed over the years
have been closely reviewed by lawyers and others in the executive
branch, and they have been briefed to our oversight committees in
Congress. That is a fact.
It is absurd to suggest that the C.I.A. has an interest in any
process that would produce bad intelligence. To dismiss as "barbaric
acts" a small, carefully run effort that has disrupted terrorist
plots and saved innocent lives -- and done so in accord with the law
-- is wrong and unfair.
The officers of the C.I.A. who put their lives on the line to
gather intelligence on the terrorist threat -- and are as committed
as anyone to protecting American ideals -- deserve better.
ThePresidentialCandidates.com is an interesting political
news forum with a focus upon the present American Presidential race.
Readers may post directly to forums, or begin a new topic of
discussion.
It's format is 'Blog-like' yet
it is not presently a 'daily blog' Add your voice to this new site,
to help it grow. Some of the articles found within Police Blues may
appear from time to time on ThePresidentialCandidates.com
