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Segami
Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
July 14, 2013
George Zimmerman is a free man after a jury found him not guilty on all charges. He's also free to get back the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin.
As Judd Legum, editor-in-chief of Think Progress noted on Twitter:
Indeed, after the verdict was announced, Judge Debra Nelson said all evidence in the case will be released and Zimmerman's ankle monitor would be removed.
After deliberating for more than 16 hours, a jury of six women on Saturday evening found George Zimmerman not guilty. The verdict came after four weeks of testimony from more than a dozen witnesses.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/13/george-zimmerman-gun_n_3593185.html
George Zimmerman Gun: WEAPON USED To Kill Trayvon Martin Will BE RETURNED
George Zimmerman is a free man after a jury found him not guilty on all charges. He's also free to get back the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin.
As Judd Legum, editor-in-chief of Think Progress noted on Twitter:
Under Florida law, Zimmerman will get back this gun which he used to kill Trayvon Martin pic.twitter.com/gAk3uZ7ZuO
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) July 14, 2013
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) July 14, 2013
Indeed, after the verdict was announced, Judge Debra Nelson said all evidence in the case will be released and Zimmerman's ankle monitor would be removed.
After deliberating for more than 16 hours, a jury of six women on Saturday evening found George Zimmerman not guilty. The verdict came after four weeks of testimony from more than a dozen witnesses.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/13/george-zimmerman-gun_n_3593185.html
July 14, 2013
On July 13, Jay Smooth, who among many things does a hip-hop radio show in New York and occasional music commentary on NPR and is the son of an African American father and a white mother, got to the real problem of an acquittal for George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. Via the Obama Diary, Smooth tweeted:
Now that the acquittal has happened, the angry whites at Fox News are fear-mongering about the inevitable “riots” of “those people”. Yet there have been no riots, oddly enough, given the magnitude of the injustice. Let’s not gloss over the inferred wrongness of a “riot” by the angry whites at Fox (also known these days as the Republican Party, or conservatives). They would call any demonstration a “riot” (they just did this in Texas against women). When the people they’re doing wrong speak up, they call it a “riot”. This is supposed to mark the victim as the bad one in the court of public opinion (aka, the mainstream media), which is still run by mostly white men, just like our courts.
But it’s not the victimized minority we need to fear. Nope. It’s the empowered Zimmermans. Finding Zimmerman not guilty is the same thing as rewarding sick aggression without cause. There’s a whole lot more where that came from. Stalking someone without cause is now “defense” in NRA America, courtesy of the Republican Party. Now that Zimmerman got off, thanks to a terrible job by the prosecution who, let’s face it, seemed to be happy to have lost and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was under some pressure to do so, the next Zimmerman is dusting off his/her short fuse and getting ready to go hunting. Yes, hunting.
What else do you call chasing down an innocent person, confronting them because you profiled them (I was recently robbed by a white man, do I have the right now to chase every white man with a gun?) because another, unrelated person of the same color allegedly committed a crime in the neighborhood? If that’s all it takes to justify chasing and gunning someone down, then every single person in this country is at risk of being profiled. But not every single person in this country is at risk of being shot down and having their shooter acquitted. That’s because our justice system is not color blind or blind to the sex of the accused and the victim. White men fare better in our system for obvious reasons- white men run the system and they tend to sympathize with those they identify with; those who remind them of themselves. I am ashamed of this country tonight, and horrified that we have let out public policy be hijacked by the NRA to such an extent that we can gun down fellow citizens with no repercussions.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/07/14/its-riots-worry-about-its-zimmermans.html
.
It’s Not RIOTS You Need to Worry About,....It’s MORE ZIMMERMANS
On July 13, Jay Smooth, who among many things does a hip-hop radio show in New York and occasional music commentary on NPR and is the son of an African American father and a white mother, got to the real problem of an acquittal for George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. Via the Obama Diary, Smooth tweeted:
"..The fundamental danger of an acquittal is not more riots, it is more George ZImmermans..."
— jay smooth (@jsmooth995) July 13, 2013
https://twitter.com/jsmooth995/statuses/356108626139680771
— jay smooth (@jsmooth995) July 13, 2013
https://twitter.com/jsmooth995/statuses/356108626139680771
Now that the acquittal has happened, the angry whites at Fox News are fear-mongering about the inevitable “riots” of “those people”. Yet there have been no riots, oddly enough, given the magnitude of the injustice. Let’s not gloss over the inferred wrongness of a “riot” by the angry whites at Fox (also known these days as the Republican Party, or conservatives). They would call any demonstration a “riot” (they just did this in Texas against women). When the people they’re doing wrong speak up, they call it a “riot”. This is supposed to mark the victim as the bad one in the court of public opinion (aka, the mainstream media), which is still run by mostly white men, just like our courts.
But it’s not the victimized minority we need to fear. Nope. It’s the empowered Zimmermans. Finding Zimmerman not guilty is the same thing as rewarding sick aggression without cause. There’s a whole lot more where that came from. Stalking someone without cause is now “defense” in NRA America, courtesy of the Republican Party. Now that Zimmerman got off, thanks to a terrible job by the prosecution who, let’s face it, seemed to be happy to have lost and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was under some pressure to do so, the next Zimmerman is dusting off his/her short fuse and getting ready to go hunting. Yes, hunting.
What else do you call chasing down an innocent person, confronting them because you profiled them (I was recently robbed by a white man, do I have the right now to chase every white man with a gun?) because another, unrelated person of the same color allegedly committed a crime in the neighborhood? If that’s all it takes to justify chasing and gunning someone down, then every single person in this country is at risk of being profiled. But not every single person in this country is at risk of being shot down and having their shooter acquitted. That’s because our justice system is not color blind or blind to the sex of the accused and the victim. White men fare better in our system for obvious reasons- white men run the system and they tend to sympathize with those they identify with; those who remind them of themselves. I am ashamed of this country tonight, and horrified that we have let out public policy be hijacked by the NRA to such an extent that we can gun down fellow citizens with no repercussions.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/07/14/its-riots-worry-about-its-zimmermans.html
.
July 13, 2013
Propaganda on NSA Spying & Snowden NOT WORKING
Cenk Uygur breaks it down:
"In just three years, Americans have dramatically shifted their views on how they feel about the Obama administration's efforts to prevent another terrorist attack, and now almost half say the government is intruding on civil liberties for the sake of national security, a new poll shows."*
"In just three years, Americans have dramatically shifted their views on how they feel about the Obama administration's efforts to prevent another terrorist attack, and now almost half say the government is intruding on civil liberties for the sake of national security, a new poll shows."*
July 13, 2013
It's the most explicit confirmation yet that among the documents Snowden sneaked out of the NSA are some that could harm the U.S. and that these are being used as leverage against the United States as the government seeks his arrest and extradition. It's unclear what actions would trigger such an indiscriminate, mass leak, and who would authorize or execute it.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/greenwald-snowden-intel-bomb-will-go-off-if
.
Greenwald: Snowden Intel Bomb Will Go Off If ‘Something Happens’ To Him
Glenn Greenwald, the Guardian writer who cultivated Edward Snowden as a source and has broken numerous stories about the nature and extent of secret U.S. surveillance programs, says harmful national security information will be released automatically if "something happens" to the notorious NSA leaker.
"Snowden has enough information to cause harm to the U.S. government in a single minute than any other person has ever had," Greenwald said in an interview with the Argentinean paper La Nacion. "The U.S. government should be on its knees every day begging that nothing happen to Snowden, because if something does happen to him, all the information will be revealed and it could be its worst nightmare."
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE96C08Q20130713?irpc=932
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE96C08Q20130713?irpc=932
It's the most explicit confirmation yet that among the documents Snowden sneaked out of the NSA are some that could harm the U.S. and that these are being used as leverage against the United States as the government seeks his arrest and extradition. It's unclear what actions would trigger such an indiscriminate, mass leak, and who would authorize or execute it.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/greenwald-snowden-intel-bomb-will-go-off-if
.
July 13, 2013
These reTHUGS are sick & dangerous!!
Texas makes no secret of the war being waged on women, declaring feminine hygiene products off-limits at the Texas state Capitol building.
As the Texas senate gets ready for a second vote on the stifling and unreasonable abortion bill, women of all walks of life are making their way into the building, gathering in support of their cause. But those entering the building have seen their tampons and maxi pads confiscated. The reason? To avoid disruption of the vote due to these feminine hygiene products being thrown at the Senators according to Jessica Luther, a freelance writer and pro-choice activist, who reported the news via Twitter. Her news was confirmed by a Department of Public Safety official who also told her that despite the concerns about disruption of the vote, concealed-carry guns were still being allowed.
That’s right. Guns aren’t seen as a threat, but tampons are. This is just another piece of evidence, and if you haven’t wanted to accept it yet, the message is crystal clear. The war on women is real, ladies. Very real. It’s a proverbial “two steps” from Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale“ come to life.
Questions quickly arose about the logistics of confiscating feminine hygiene products, especially for women on their cycles who need them, which led the security officials to begin allowing them to be brought in. However, tampons and maxi pads were not the only things being confiscated. Reports say that jars of urine, feces, and paint have been confiscated, as well as glitter and confetti. No clear word on whether it was the anti-abortion or pro-choice side who was trying to bring that in. There is also no word on who or how many people are concealed-carrying during the vote, but recently one Texas senator interviewed by a conservative site was quoted as saying that he often carries a concealed weapon.
cont'
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/07/12/in-texas-tampons-are-a-bigger-threat-than-guns-according-to-the-capitol-police/
LOL!-In Texas, TAMPONS Are A BIGGER THREAT Than Guns According To The Capitol Police
These reTHUGS are sick & dangerous!!
Texas makes no secret of the war being waged on women, declaring feminine hygiene products off-limits at the Texas state Capitol building.
As the Texas senate gets ready for a second vote on the stifling and unreasonable abortion bill, women of all walks of life are making their way into the building, gathering in support of their cause. But those entering the building have seen their tampons and maxi pads confiscated. The reason? To avoid disruption of the vote due to these feminine hygiene products being thrown at the Senators according to Jessica Luther, a freelance writer and pro-choice activist, who reported the news via Twitter. Her news was confirmed by a Department of Public Safety official who also told her that despite the concerns about disruption of the vote, concealed-carry guns were still being allowed.
That’s right. Guns aren’t seen as a threat, but tampons are. This is just another piece of evidence, and if you haven’t wanted to accept it yet, the message is crystal clear. The war on women is real, ladies. Very real. It’s a proverbial “two steps” from Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale“ come to life.
Questions quickly arose about the logistics of confiscating feminine hygiene products, especially for women on their cycles who need them, which led the security officials to begin allowing them to be brought in. However, tampons and maxi pads were not the only things being confiscated. Reports say that jars of urine, feces, and paint have been confiscated, as well as glitter and confetti. No clear word on whether it was the anti-abortion or pro-choice side who was trying to bring that in. There is also no word on who or how many people are concealed-carrying during the vote, but recently one Texas senator interviewed by a conservative site was quoted as saying that he often carries a concealed weapon.
cont'
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/07/12/in-texas-tampons-are-a-bigger-threat-than-guns-according-to-the-capitol-police/
July 12, 2013
Today’s topic is the second, in the form of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) and the now mountainous evidence that — whether he technically complied with Virginia’s Swiss cheese disclosure laws or not in accepting thousands of dollars in gifts from a wealthy businessman — he has no business continuing in office. The sordid McDonnell details in a bit, but first the comparisons between politicians and illicit sex and politicians and illicit money. They are linked to the twin delusions of the erring politician: his (I use the male form intentionally) sense of entitlement and his conviction of invulnerability.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
There are differences, as well, between the politician tripped up by sex and the one felled by greed. The former can argue that he was not thinking with . . . well, he was not thinking. He is hardly the first to do something dumb in the grip of lust, love, whatever. Yet he most likely has a wife and family, collateral damage in his sexual escapades. Points off for that — and more off if he has his wife by his side at the confessional news conference. The greedy pol is blameworthy in a different way, again both heightening and lessening his guilt. On the negative side, he was not swept away by the passion of the moment; he calculated that he could accept the money, the Rolex, whatever, and get away with it.
- Which brings us to the McDonnells, and the flagrant, repeated misconduct exposed by The Post’s Rosalind Helderman. The story began with relatively trivial, if astonishingly morally obtuse, bits of graft and back-scratching:
●The $15,000 check that businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr. gave to help cover the catering bill at the McDonnells’ daughter’s wedding — an event that took place three days after Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell flew to Florida, where she touted a dietary supplement made by Williams’s company, Star Scientific Inc. Three months later, Star Scientific used the governor’s mansion for a luncheon, attended by the governor, to promote the supplement.
●The $6,500 Rolex, complete with engraved inscription, “71st Governor of Virginia,” that Williams bought for the governor at Maureen McDonnell’s behest. She allegedly requested the bauble moments before a meeting she had arranged for Williams to pitch a top state health official on the supplement.
● Maureen McDonnell’s reported $15,000 spree at Bergdorf Goodman, again on Williams’s tab — this a year after a staffer foiled McDonnell’s bid for a Williams-underwritten Oscar de la Renta inaugural gown.
Now comes reporting that raises the story to a new level of outrage: Williams last year gave $70,000 — supposedly a loan — to a corporation owned by McDonnell and his sister; plus $50,000 to Maureen McDonnell in 2011, and $10,000 as a wedding present this year to another McDonnell daughter.
cont'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ruth-marcus-bob-mcdonnell-is-unfit-for-office/2013/07/11/c962e8d2-ea53-11e2-8f22-de4bd2a2bd39_story.html
.
Bob McDonnell MUST GO!
"..There are two swift routes to political downfall. One is sex. The other is money. The first is humiliating but survivable. The second tends to be terminal, even criminal..."
Today’s topic is the second, in the form of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) and the now mountainous evidence that — whether he technically complied with Virginia’s Swiss cheese disclosure laws or not in accepting thousands of dollars in gifts from a wealthy businessman — he has no business continuing in office. The sordid McDonnell details in a bit, but first the comparisons between politicians and illicit sex and politicians and illicit money. They are linked to the twin delusions of the erring politician: his (I use the male form intentionally) sense of entitlement and his conviction of invulnerability.
I work so hard, the politician tells himself. I deserve a little (insert specific failing).
No one will find out, the politician tells himself. I was smart enough to get elected (governor/president/senator).
No one will find out, the politician tells himself. I was smart enough to get elected (governor/president/senator).
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
There are differences, as well, between the politician tripped up by sex and the one felled by greed. The former can argue that he was not thinking with . . . well, he was not thinking. He is hardly the first to do something dumb in the grip of lust, love, whatever. Yet he most likely has a wife and family, collateral damage in his sexual escapades. Points off for that — and more off if he has his wife by his side at the confessional news conference. The greedy pol is blameworthy in a different way, again both heightening and lessening his guilt. On the negative side, he was not swept away by the passion of the moment; he calculated that he could accept the money, the Rolex, whatever, and get away with it.
- Which brings us to the McDonnells, and the flagrant, repeated misconduct exposed by The Post’s Rosalind Helderman. The story began with relatively trivial, if astonishingly morally obtuse, bits of graft and back-scratching:
●The $15,000 check that businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr. gave to help cover the catering bill at the McDonnells’ daughter’s wedding — an event that took place three days after Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell flew to Florida, where she touted a dietary supplement made by Williams’s company, Star Scientific Inc. Three months later, Star Scientific used the governor’s mansion for a luncheon, attended by the governor, to promote the supplement.
●The $6,500 Rolex, complete with engraved inscription, “71st Governor of Virginia,” that Williams bought for the governor at Maureen McDonnell’s behest. She allegedly requested the bauble moments before a meeting she had arranged for Williams to pitch a top state health official on the supplement.
● Maureen McDonnell’s reported $15,000 spree at Bergdorf Goodman, again on Williams’s tab — this a year after a staffer foiled McDonnell’s bid for a Williams-underwritten Oscar de la Renta inaugural gown.
Now comes reporting that raises the story to a new level of outrage: Williams last year gave $70,000 — supposedly a loan — to a corporation owned by McDonnell and his sister; plus $50,000 to Maureen McDonnell in 2011, and $10,000 as a wedding present this year to another McDonnell daughter.
cont'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ruth-marcus-bob-mcdonnell-is-unfit-for-office/2013/07/11/c962e8d2-ea53-11e2-8f22-de4bd2a2bd39_story.html
.
July 12, 2013
(Go to ProgressVA to see this graph in all of its larger glory.)
As Virginia Republican Governor Bob McDonnell tries to wheel and deal his way out of a felony conviction for corruption so brash, arrogant and ignorant it perfectly fits his moniker of “family values Republican”, the Attorney General he endorsed as the current gubernatorial candidate, Ken Cuccinelli (R), has been pretending it’s no biggie. Well, it was no biggie until it looked like a federal grand jury was coming together and then all of the sudden, Virginia’s head lawyer suddenly wanted to take credit for the investigation into his boss.
The problem for the Tea Party-backed Ken, other than his extremism coming back to haunt him, is a trail of Star Scientific corruption following Cuccinelli that looks a lot like the trail of felony corruption that’s causing Gov. McDonnell to flee his office. Cuccinelli also owns $10,000 of Star Scientific stock, which sets him above even McDonnell in the private interest department. He also failed to properly disclose that investment, along with some gifts and such from Star Scientific. He didn’t “remember” to make the disclosure until after Star revealed it was under federal investigation. We see you, Ken.
It’s one thing to talk about gifts, disclosures and the like, but to see it all laid out for you in context is illuminating. Gifts are supposed to be disclosed so that they have less of a chance of buying influence over law, policy, etc. Back in May, before the criminal aspect of Virginia’s Republican Governor was common knowledge, Brian Devine at ProgressVA “put together this timeline to shed light on the lucrative relationship between one company, the Governor, and Attorney General of Virginia. From free flights, to wedding gifts, to FBI investigations, ProgressVA wants to help you see, understand, and then share with others, the extent of their exploitation and what McDonnell and Cuccinelli believe is acceptable.”
Seeing as Virginia is growing increasingly moderate, Ken Cuccinelli is working hard to erase moments like the time he tried to ban consensual sex as a “crime against nature”. And he’ll want women to forget that even Republican women are fleeing his “anti-woman” ticket because “I simply cannot support them,” as they would “end a woman’s right to make her own health care choices, including access to birth control.” It’s not just Republican women who have a problem with Cuccinelli’s fringey, tea extremism. Republican businessmen do, too. In March, Politico reported on a very tense meeting Cuccinelli had with top GOP donors:
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/07/12/criminal-corrpution-mcdonnell-spills-virginia-ag-ken-cuccinelli.html
.
Ken Cuccinelli is TRYING TO HIDE the Same Corruption that is Destroying Bob McDonnell
(Go to ProgressVA to see this graph in all of its larger glory.)
As Virginia Republican Governor Bob McDonnell tries to wheel and deal his way out of a felony conviction for corruption so brash, arrogant and ignorant it perfectly fits his moniker of “family values Republican”, the Attorney General he endorsed as the current gubernatorial candidate, Ken Cuccinelli (R), has been pretending it’s no biggie. Well, it was no biggie until it looked like a federal grand jury was coming together and then all of the sudden, Virginia’s head lawyer suddenly wanted to take credit for the investigation into his boss.
The problem for the Tea Party-backed Ken, other than his extremism coming back to haunt him, is a trail of Star Scientific corruption following Cuccinelli that looks a lot like the trail of felony corruption that’s causing Gov. McDonnell to flee his office. Cuccinelli also owns $10,000 of Star Scientific stock, which sets him above even McDonnell in the private interest department. He also failed to properly disclose that investment, along with some gifts and such from Star Scientific. He didn’t “remember” to make the disclosure until after Star revealed it was under federal investigation. We see you, Ken.
It’s one thing to talk about gifts, disclosures and the like, but to see it all laid out for you in context is illuminating. Gifts are supposed to be disclosed so that they have less of a chance of buying influence over law, policy, etc. Back in May, before the criminal aspect of Virginia’s Republican Governor was common knowledge, Brian Devine at ProgressVA “put together this timeline to shed light on the lucrative relationship between one company, the Governor, and Attorney General of Virginia. From free flights, to wedding gifts, to FBI investigations, ProgressVA wants to help you see, understand, and then share with others, the extent of their exploitation and what McDonnell and Cuccinelli believe is acceptable.”
Seeing as Virginia is growing increasingly moderate, Ken Cuccinelli is working hard to erase moments like the time he tried to ban consensual sex as a “crime against nature”. And he’ll want women to forget that even Republican women are fleeing his “anti-woman” ticket because “I simply cannot support them,” as they would “end a woman’s right to make her own health care choices, including access to birth control.” It’s not just Republican women who have a problem with Cuccinelli’s fringey, tea extremism. Republican businessmen do, too. In March, Politico reported on a very tense meeting Cuccinelli had with top GOP donors:
Shapiro (Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Arlington-based Consumer Electronics Association) spoke up next and was even tougher on Cuccinelli. As a hushed room looked on, Shapiro, who sits on the board of the influential Northern Virginia Technology Council, said the state’s centrist-oriented business community won’t back the Republican standard-bearer because he’s out of the mainstream.
“Gary just slammed him,” said one attendee.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/ken-cuccinelli-ripped-by-business-leaders-88034.html#ixzz2YqeuW0NJ
“Gary just slammed him,” said one attendee.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/ken-cuccinelli-ripped-by-business-leaders-88034.html#ixzz2YqeuW0NJ
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/07/12/criminal-corrpution-mcdonnell-spills-virginia-ag-ken-cuccinelli.html
.
July 12, 2013
Jeffrey Toobin on CNN....
"....I love, I love my TWITTER people, but I'm not sure they're a cross-section of the REAL WORLD...."
July 12, 2013
In a letter to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) revealed that the IRS targeted Occupy groups and that the IG did not disclose this during his congressional testimony.
New documents obtained by the Committee indicate that Mr. George did not disclose to the Committee that the IRS office in Cincinnati added a new entry to its “Be On The Lookout” (BOLO) document—on January 25, 2012—directing staff to forward applications from groups associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement to Group 7822, the same group in the Cincinnati office that was designated to handle Tea Party applicants.
…
The Committee has now obtained a BOLO dated February 8, 2012, that includes an entry for “‘Occupy’ Organizations” that was opened on January 25, 2012. This BOLO describes the criteria for these groups as follows:
Involve organizations occupying public space protesting in various cities, call people to assemble (people’s assemblies) claiming social injustices due to “big money” influence, claim the democratic process is controlled by wall street/banks/multinational corporations, could be linked globally. Claim to represent 99% of the public that are interested in separating money from politics and improving the infrastructure to fix everything from healthcare to the economy.[17]
This entry is not listed in the “Historical” section of the BOLO, but rather in the “Watch List” section, and it explicitly directs IRS staff to “Forward cases to Group 7822,” which also had been designated to handle Tea Party applicants.[18]
Another new document obtained by the Committee is an email sent from the Director of Rulings and Agreements in Washington, D.C. to Lois Lerner and several other IRS officials on May 17, 2012, proposing to replace multiple entries on the BOLO—including the Occupy entry, the general advocacy organization entry, and one other entry—with the following single entry for all applicants engaging in political activities:
501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), and 501(c)(6) organizations with indicators of significant amounts of political campaign intervention or excess private benefit to organizations or individuals. Note: typical advocacy type issues (e.g., lobbying) that are currently listed on the Case Assignment Guide (CAG) do not meet these criteria.[19]
It is unclear why Mr. George did not disclose that IRS employees added a new BOLO entry for Occupy groups in 2012, but instead asserted that all references to “Progressive” groups were strictly “Historical.” It is also unclear why Mr. George did not mention that this 2012 BOLO directed IRS staff to take specific action to forward Occupy applications to the same IRS group in Cincinnati that handled Tea Party applicants.
http://democrats.oversight.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5946:cummings-asks-issa-to-recall-ig-for-testimony-at-upcoming-irs-hearing&catid=3:press-releases&Itemid=49
Cummings wants Issa to recall J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, to testify because he wants to know why the targeting of progressives and Occupy groups was buried in the historical category not mentioned during his previous testimony.
The information that the committee recently received directly contradicts George’s previous testimony, and Rep. Cummings wants answers. If the Treasury Department’s IG had disclosed this information, he could have derailed the Republican attempts to turn this into a scandal when he first testified.
It is unclear why the Inspector General tried to classify the targeting of progressives and Occupiers as historical when the behavior occurred more recently than the supposed conservative targeting. A new scandal is brewing around the IRS, and it involves why they chose to leak the targeting of conservative groups while hiding the targeting of progressives and Occupy groups.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/07/12/documents-reveal-irs-hid-targeting-occupy-groups.html
.
New Documents Reveal That the IRS HID The TARGETING of Occupy Groups
In a letter to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) revealed that the IRS targeted Occupy groups and that the IG did not disclose this during his congressional testimony.
New documents obtained by the Committee indicate that Mr. George did not disclose to the Committee that the IRS office in Cincinnati added a new entry to its “Be On The Lookout” (BOLO) document—on January 25, 2012—directing staff to forward applications from groups associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement to Group 7822, the same group in the Cincinnati office that was designated to handle Tea Party applicants.
…
The Committee has now obtained a BOLO dated February 8, 2012, that includes an entry for “‘Occupy’ Organizations” that was opened on January 25, 2012. This BOLO describes the criteria for these groups as follows:
Involve organizations occupying public space protesting in various cities, call people to assemble (people’s assemblies) claiming social injustices due to “big money” influence, claim the democratic process is controlled by wall street/banks/multinational corporations, could be linked globally. Claim to represent 99% of the public that are interested in separating money from politics and improving the infrastructure to fix everything from healthcare to the economy.[17]
This entry is not listed in the “Historical” section of the BOLO, but rather in the “Watch List” section, and it explicitly directs IRS staff to “Forward cases to Group 7822,” which also had been designated to handle Tea Party applicants.[18]
Another new document obtained by the Committee is an email sent from the Director of Rulings and Agreements in Washington, D.C. to Lois Lerner and several other IRS officials on May 17, 2012, proposing to replace multiple entries on the BOLO—including the Occupy entry, the general advocacy organization entry, and one other entry—with the following single entry for all applicants engaging in political activities:
501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), and 501(c)(6) organizations with indicators of significant amounts of political campaign intervention or excess private benefit to organizations or individuals. Note: typical advocacy type issues (e.g., lobbying) that are currently listed on the Case Assignment Guide (CAG) do not meet these criteria.[19]
It is unclear why Mr. George did not disclose that IRS employees added a new BOLO entry for Occupy groups in 2012, but instead asserted that all references to “Progressive” groups were strictly “Historical.” It is also unclear why Mr. George did not mention that this 2012 BOLO directed IRS staff to take specific action to forward Occupy applications to the same IRS group in Cincinnati that handled Tea Party applicants.
http://democrats.oversight.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5946:cummings-asks-issa-to-recall-ig-for-testimony-at-upcoming-irs-hearing&catid=3:press-releases&Itemid=49
Cummings wants Issa to recall J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, to testify because he wants to know why the targeting of progressives and Occupy groups was buried in the historical category not mentioned during his previous testimony.
The information that the committee recently received directly contradicts George’s previous testimony, and Rep. Cummings wants answers. If the Treasury Department’s IG had disclosed this information, he could have derailed the Republican attempts to turn this into a scandal when he first testified.
It is unclear why the Inspector General tried to classify the targeting of progressives and Occupiers as historical when the behavior occurred more recently than the supposed conservative targeting. A new scandal is brewing around the IRS, and it involves why they chose to leak the targeting of conservative groups while hiding the targeting of progressives and Occupy groups.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/07/12/documents-reveal-irs-hid-targeting-occupy-groups.html
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July 12, 2013
Responding to a new poll that shows Clinton beating Republican challengers in 2016 and Vice President Joe Biden not faring as well, the former Vermont governor and one-time presidential candidate said he believes Clinton is “no question” the better candidate of the two.
Video:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/hillary-clinton-2016-election-primary-howard-dean-94077.html?hp=r2
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Howard Dean: Hillary Clinton Will FACE PRIMARY RIVAL
Howard Dean predicted Friday that Hillary Clinton won’t have a clear path to the Democratic nomination in 2016 if she decides to run, suggesting a primary challenger from the “Barack Obama” generation will emerge.
“There will be a next generation candidate; she’s not going to get a pass in the election. I’m pretty sure Martin O’Malley will run, who knows if Andrew Cuomo will. There’s a long list of people who are interested in running,” Dean said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Responding to a new poll that shows Clinton beating Republican challengers in 2016 and Vice President Joe Biden not faring as well, the former Vermont governor and one-time presidential candidate said he believes Clinton is “no question” the better candidate of the two.
“I think Hillary’s going to win the nomination,” Dean said. “I think she’s going to win the presidency if she runs. But the one caveat is it’s not often in America that we go back a generation. She’s of my generation, not of the new, upcoming, younger generation, out of the Barack Obama generation. So I think that’s the only weakness that she’s really got.”
Video:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/hillary-clinton-2016-election-primary-howard-dean-94077.html?hp=r2
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