Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton won the Nevada caucuses on Saturday, capturing strong support from women voters and adding a fresh boost of momentum to her campaign as the Democratic presidential race heads to South Carolina, where she is engaged in a fierce battle with her rival, Senator Barack Obama.
snip
The New York senator had 51 percent of the vote to Mr. Obama’s 45 percent, with just over 90 percent of the state’s caucuses reporting. John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina, faded to a distant third place with 4 percent of the vote.
Barack Obama released an official statement celebrating a delegate victory. "We came from over twenty-five points behind to win more national convention delegates than Hillary Clinton because we performed well all across the state, including rural areas where Democrats have traditionally struggled," he said.
A current estimate of the national convention delegate count is below, though not all precincts have fully reported.
As Plouffe cast doubt on the accuracy of the caucus results, he also claimed electoral victory. Senator Obama, he argued, actually wound up winning more delegates (13) than Clinton (12).
"On one very important measure, we had a slight lead," said Plouffe. "Just as important as the number is why that is: we showed real strength statewide."
The Associated Press was reporting the numbers flipped, but an AP official on the conference call suggested that Obama's campaign could be right. [Update: The AP has changed its count to reflect a delegate win for Obama, 13-12.]
Recounts can be somewhat expensive, though a pittance compared to the overall cost of the elections, but the real value of them can not be measured in dollars and cents.
As mentioned earlier today, NH SoS Bill Gardner told WMUR in NH that "We did nine of the 12 wards in Manchester, and a lot of the votes were exactly the same...Some went up by a vote or two." He didn't, of course, note that a lot of the vote counts (most of them) were off by 5 or more.
And now, the rest of the numbers from the rest of the Manchester wards are coming on. And get a load of Ward 5:
Diebold Result
Hand Count
CLINTON
683
619
EDWARDS
255
217
OBAMA
404
365
All of the other candidates seem to have lost votes as well. No clue who received them instead...
But many more vote counts were not at all the same, ranging anywhere from 5 to 8 votes off in regular cases, across almost all candidates.
And before you say that's no big deal, we'll remind you that in 2004, had just 6 votes per precinct been registered in Ohio for John Kerry instead of George W. Bush, we'd have a different person sitting in the White House right now.
So far, this is not looking very pretty. Not in retrospect, nor in looking forward...
Picked up from Jerry Johnson, head of strategic planning at Brodeur, news of a survey finding that blogs are having a significant impact on journalist's story ideas, angles and insights.
Over 75% of reporters see blogs as helpful in giving them story ideas, story angles and insight into the tone of an issue.
70% of reporters check a blog list on a regular basis.
21% of reporters spend over an hour per day reading blogs.
57% of reporters read blogs at least two to three times a week.
Journalists are also increasingly active participants in the blogosphere.
28% of reporters have their own blogs.
16% have their own social networking page.
48% say they are "lurkers" – reading blogs but rarely commenting.
The survey is part of an ongoing research project by Brodeur in conjunction with Marketwire to understand the impact that social media and blogs are having on traditional news delivery. The survey was conducted among a random sample of North American reporters and editors. You may obtain a copy of the survey here .
This cannot be all that surprising since at the end of November Canadian Courts tossed out a “refugee/immigration” treaty with the US based, partially, on the courts recognition of the fact that the US tortures prisoners.
Omar Khadr's lawyers say they can't understand why Canada is not doing more to help their client in light of new evidence that Ottawa has put the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on a watch list for torture.
Khadr -- a Canadian citizen who was just 15-years-old when he was captured in Afghanistan more than five years ago and taken to Guantanamo -- has claimed that he has been tortured at the prison. Now, CTV News has obtained documents that put Guantanamo Bay on a torture watch list.
Khadr's U.S. military lawyer says the new documents contradict Harper's assurances that his client is receiving fair treatment.
snip
Canada's new focus on torture was ordered by the inquiry into Maher Arar's nightmare in Syria. U.S. authorities sent Arar -- a Canadian of Syrian ancestory -- to Syria after he made a brief stopover in New York in 2002. They wrongly accused him of having links to terrorism in large part because of information provided by the RCMP.
Arar was sent to a Syrian prison where he was tortured for nearly a year. An inquiry into the Arar affair ordered a new focus on torture, and CTV News has learned that, as part of a "torture awareness workshop," diplomats are now being told where to watch for abuse.
Specific places noted for torture on their list include:
Syria
Iran
Afghanistan
China
United States
Guantanamo Bay
Israel
Notable is the fact that more than half of the places specifically cited in a training manual for Canadian diplomats, Afghanistan, GITMO, the United States and even the Syrian prison Arar was sent to under the US rendition (kidnapping?) program, are torture havens all under the direct control of... The United States.
The Federal Court of Canada Thursday struck down a refugee agreement [judgment, PDF] between Canada and the US, noting that the US does not meet international refugee protection requirements or respect international conventions against torture.Justice Michael Phelan essentially nullified the 2004 Safe Third Country Agreement , which barred foreign refugees who first arrived in the US from seeking refugee status in Canada and vice versa. Phelan noted that the US has not been compliant with the Refugee Convention or the UN Convention Against Torture. The court also held that the agreement discriminates against refugees based on how they first arrived in Canada and thus violates Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms .
The nullification of the agreement will likely result in Canada processing thousands more refugees each year. The US and Canadian governments have until January 14 to file an appeal. CTV News has more. [The National Post]has additional coverage.
This ought to make the crowd that wrapped themselves in faded flags feel pretty good about what they have accomplished under the criminal bush administration. This is the world view of America that you have created and supported.
Resolution Pertaining to Investigation and Impeachment Proceedings for George Bush and Dick Cheney
WHEREAS, there are already known and admitted illegal and impeachable actions on the part of George W. Bush, some examples being, in broad outline:
a) unlawful wire-tapping of American citizens, b) deliberate manipulation of intelligence reports for the purpose of starting a war, c) deliberate violations of international treaties pertaining to acts of war, d) deliberate violations of international treaties pertaining to prisoners of war, e) deliberate violations of constitutional rights provided in the Bill of Rights;
A Kansas City grand jury has charged a defunct charity in Columbia with sending money to an Afghan terrorist with ties to al Qaida and the Taliban.
snip
George Bush, SR and Siljander
The new charges also accuse Mark Deli Siljander, who represented Michigan in Congress from 1981-1987, of receiving $50,000 from the charity in 2004. Siljander, who operates a Washington D.C. public relations firm, was hired to lobby Congress to remove the charity from a U.S. Senate Finance Committee list of non-profit organizations suspected of being involved in supporting international terrorism.
Also charged in today's superseding indictment is Mark Deli Siljander, 57, a former U.S. Congressman from Michigan (1981-87) who serves as the owner/director of Global Strategies, Inc., a planning, marketing and public relations company located in the Washington, D.C. area.
Bob Dole and Silander
Other defendants named in the indictment are Ali Mohamed Bagegni, 53, formerly of Columbia, Mo, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Libya and a former member of IARA's board of directors; Ahmad Mustafa, 55, of Columbia, a citizen of Iraq, and a former fund-raiser for IARA; Khalid Al-Sudanee, 56, a citizen and resident of Jordan, and the regional director of the Middle East office of the Islamic African Relief Agency (also known as the Islamic Relief Agency, or ISRA); and Abdel Azim El-Siddig, 51, of Palos Heights, Ill., a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Sudan, and formerly vice president for international operations for IARA.
On March 6, 2007, IARA, along with five officers, employees and associates were charged in a 33-count indictment for illegally transferring funds to Iraq in violation of federal sanctions. They were also charged with stealing government funds, with misusing IARA's charitable status to raise funds for an unlawful purpose, and with attempting to avoid government detection of their illegal activities by, among other things, falsely denying in a nationally-televised interview that a procurement agent of Osama bin Laden had been an employee of IARA. These charges are included in the superseding indictment returned today.
snip
Today's superseding indictment adds to the original charges by alleging that IARA and its former executive director, Mubarak Hamed, engaged in prohibited financial transactions for the benefit of Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Afghan mujahideen leader and founder of the Hezb-e-Islami-Gulbuddin (HIG), who has participated in and supported terrorist acts by al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Hekmatyar has vowed to engage in a holy war against the United States and international troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. government designated Hekmatyar as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on Feb. 19, 2003, thereby blocking all property and interests in property of Hekmatyar.
Yeah... You read that right!A republican tied into a group that funded Osama Bin Laden.And they paid their Republican buddy with the US GOVERNMENTS OWN MONEY!Money that was supposed to be used for "relief and aid" in Africa by the group, and this republican turd knew this when he took the $50,000.00 from them!!!
The former Republican congressman from Michigan, Mark Deli Siljander, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to terrorists.
When Ronald Reagan became President he tapped Congressmen David Stockman to be his budget director, creating an opening in Stockman's SW Michigan district. Siljander was one of the first Congressional creations of the radical religious right.
"I'm part of the silent majority that was heard Nov. 4 [when President Reagan was elected]," says Siljander. "My support comes from morally concerned citizens who are sick of the situation in this country." Siljander pledges to battle the Equal Rights Amendment, pornography, abortion, school busing and "big spending." He will champion the neutron bomb, the MX missile and prayer in public schools.
Once in Congress, he became one of the most radical wingers, someone who in today's Republican caucus would fit in. For instance, in1984 he unsuccessfully tried to amend a civil rights bill "to define the term ''person'' under the bill to include ''unborn children from the moment of conception.'" But back then, in the early days of the radical religious right's takeover of the GOP, he attracted a lot of attention, too much for some, so in 1986 plutocrat Fred Upton defeated him in a Republican primary, helped by the crazy news that Siljander had issued a tape recording to fundies asking them to "break the back of Satan" by fasting and praying for his victory.
Their prayers weren't answered. He lost, but Reagan cushioned his landing by appointing him a position at the United Nations.
Ronald Reagan and Siljander
dKos has more on Siljander's fundy ties. And the WaPO reports in their story, Ex-Congressman Indicted In Terrorism Funding Case, that 'His attorney, James R. Hobbs of Kansas City, Mo., said in a statement yesterday that his client "denies the allegations in the indictment and will enter a not-guilty plea."' WaPo also covers more of his Christian Fundy traits. Typical wacko Republican...
Brian David Anderson was arrested in Spain in March, but you don't hear a thing as his ties to the card carrying Republican Al Qaeda terrorist Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari are going unreported in the American MSM. Hundreds of people defrauded, MILLIONS in fraud, terrorism ties, BUT nothing from the MSM.
A Canadian under investigation in British Columbia and Ontario for allegedly scamming millions from investors was arrested in Spain yesterday for his suspected role in financing terrorist training camps.
Spanish police said they had arrested businessman Brian David Anderson at a Madrid hotel for his alleged involvement in financing terrorist camps in Afghanistan.
The arrest followed a joint investigation led by the FBI, which arrested Mr. Anderson's business partner, Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari of New York, on terror financing charges last month.
Terrorism charges brought Friday against the administrator of a loan investment program claimed that he secretly tried to send $152,000 to the Middle East to buy equipment such as night vision goggles for a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan.
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, 53, of Ardsley, N.Y., pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to an indictment accusing him of terrorism financing, material support of terrorism and other charges. The charges carried a potential penalty of 95 years in prison.
But would you really believe me if I told you he was a Republican?
CBS News has confirmed that Alishtari is a donor to the Republican Party, as he claims on his curriculum vitae. Alishtari gave $15,500 to the National Republican Campaign Committee between 2002 and 2004, according to Federal Election Commission records. That amount includes $13,000 in 2003, a year when he claims to have been named NRCC New York State Businessman of the Year.
Alishtari also claims to be a lifetime member of the National Republican Senate Committee's Inner Circle, which the NRCC describes as "an impressive cross-section of American society – community leaders, business executives, entrepreneurs, retirees, and sports and entertainment celebrities – all of whom hold a deep interest in our nation's prosperity and security."
The Republican party needs to be placed on "The List" of terrorist related organizations and watched very carefully.
It is pretty apparent that the FBI and Homeland Security are wasting their time watching us liberal/peacenik/Quaker/progressive/etc. types. Just ask Ken Krayeske...
"A Westchester businessman and purported peace activist was nabbed by the feds for allegedly plotting to funnel more than $150,000 to terrorists at training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Peace activist my ass! This guy is so up to his eyeballs in the GOP and full of it. As it turned out Alishtari actually donated more than the originally reported $15,500 to the Republican party coffers... About $35,000.00 in total.
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, indicted two weeks ago for financing terrorists in Afghanistan among other charges, gave more than $35,000 to Republican campaign committees, not $15,000 as was reported earlier.
A $20,000 contribution from Alishtari to the National Republican Senatorial Committee on August 29th, 2003, was not previously reported because his name was misspelled ("Allshtari") on the NRSC's disclosure form to the Federal Election Commission (unfortunately, such misspellings are fairly frequent). Alishtari's online CV stated that he was named an "Inner Circle Member for Life" of the NRSC.
As for Anderson's accused involvement in terrorism funding with the Republican terrorist, they haven't released much on that yet, but it appears like Alishtari may have been planning on using his ponzi scheme investments for more terrorist funding, "IF" I am reading this correctly:
The connection between Mr. Anderson's alleged investment scheme and terrorist financing surfaced at a hearing held on Feb. 26, when the commission introduced as evidence the U.S. allegations. The Ontario Securities Commission has also accused Mr. Anderson of violating provincial securities law.
snip
At least $25,000 was transferred from a New York bank account to an account in Montreal "with the intent that the funds be used to provide material support to terrorists," the U.S. prosecutors said, adding the money was to be used for, among other things, the purchase of night-vision goggles.
The indictment says Mr. Alishtari transferred the money "in exchange for payment," suggesting his alleged involvement in the scheme may have been motivated by profit rather than support for the terrorist cause.
The indictment also accuses Mr. Alishtari of committing a "massive fraud" by operating a loan program called the Flat Electronic Data Interchange, which was part of Mr. Anderson's Alpha Program.
Anderson supposedly used a pressure sales pitch and had reportedly tried to bilk people out of their money, sometimes as much as $125,000.00 from marks, in the "Alpha Program" in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, London and Portland, as well as in Canada.
I am wondering why we have heard so little of this card carrying Republican terrorist and his partner in crime in the American MSM considering the amounts of money and terorism charges involved?
Well, except for Keith Olberman on Countdown, (h/t ctblogger) who gave Alishtari the Bronze when his terrorist links first broke in February:
As was pointed out by standingup at EpluribusMedia: Anderson is a Baptist minister and it is notable that they targeted many Baptist parishoners to be fleeced in their ponzi scheme. But sadly, this doesn't follow the MSMs' carefully scripted storyline that the "The Democrats support Terrorists" and the crickets chirp all throughout the media.
Any more news on Paris Hilton? 'Cause the world really needs more of that. sigh
Republican terrorists are everywhere...<<< I ain't kidding about that! And just what does Karl Rove have the gaul to say in his most recent propaganda piece?
When you were running for president back in 2004, you stated that the people “had the power to take back their country” Well in light of former Senator Mike Gravel being omitted from past debates and now with Congressman Dennis Kucinich being barred from an upcoming debate: Where is the power of the people to decide who they get to hear from? I do not see it, Chairman Dean. This is surely not democracy, but censoring the words coming from both candidates.
MSNBC reports that the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that NBC can block Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) from tonight’s presidential debate in Las Vegas, overturning an earlier ruling by a Clark County District Judge. NBC had uninvited Kucinich after changing its participation criteria.
“A judge in Nevada has just ordered MSNBC to include Rep. Dennis Kucinich in Tuesday’s Democratic Party presidential debate in Las Vegas or he will cancel the forum. Senior Clark County District Court Judge Charles Thompson vowed to issue an injunction halting the nationally televised debate if MSNBC failed to comply. Kucinich had filed a lawsuit seeking to be included just this morning.”
When will the media leave it up to the voters, and only the voters, which candidates are viable? Since when did the media become the rule makers for a political party's primary?
Honestly? I don't give a damn how much Edwards' haircuts cost, and when I have seen him talk he has seemed upbeat most of the time, and at other times grave, solemn or concerned, but never really angry. If you want angry, look at the corrupt and enraged (deranged too?) Dick "Go FV@K Yourself!" Cheney, or the average citizen that has had to suffer the complete failure of the media on about every front in the last couple of decades.
And make no mistakes about this: The media in America is failing BIG TIME. And they are dragging the rest of the country down with them.
MSNBC reports that the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that NBC can block Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) from tonight’s presidential debate in Las Vegas, overturning an earlier ruling by a Clark County District Judge. NBC had uninvited Kucinich after changing its participation criteria.
“A judge in Nevada has just ordered MSNBC to include Rep. Dennis Kucinich in Tuesday’s Democratic Party presidential debate in Las Vegas or he will cancel the forum. Senior Clark County District Court Judge Charles Thompson vowed to issue an injunction halting the nationally televised debate if MSNBC failed to comply. Kucinich had filed a lawsuit seeking to be included just this morning.”
When will the media leave it up to the voters, and only the voters, which candidates are viable? Since when did the media become the rule makers for a political party's primary?
On the bright side for the left? His candidacy will likely only hurt them if Hillary is the candidate. There are too many on the left that would refuse to vote for her if she is the nominee for the Dems, IMHO.
But regardless of the candidate for the GOP, given their especially weak crop of candidates this election cycle, a "Mike Bloomberg for President" third party run will siphon off a lot of their usual voters.
[update deux] I just wanted to put Bloomberg's support in perspective compared to a snapshot of the reality of how America really feels. Representative Wexler was seeking 50,000 signatures for his Impeachment efforts last month. In a matter of hours he had surpassed that number.
As of 10:43 AM today (Sunday, December 15th) Wexler has amassed more than the 50,000 signatures he was looking for:
After about 24 hours Wexler had reached 67000 signatures. As of today (January 16th - a month later) here are the numbers for Wexler's Impeachment petition:
At a campaign stop yesterday, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee recommended — to a cheering audience — that the Constitution be “changed” to fit “God’s standards”:
I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And that’s what we need to do is amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than trying to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family.
Rawstory notes that in response, MSNBC’s “Mika Brzezinski was almost speechless, and even Joe Scarborough couldn’t immediately find much to say beyond calling it ‘interesting.’”
Even the establishment Republican power brokers, as powerless as they are becoming in this GOP death spiral, will be alarmed to hear this sort of statement. Mind you, they were already alarmed about his winning in Iowa with a populist message. Populism and hyper-Christianism combined together must be their worst nightmare in a GOP presidential candidate. Traditionally, Republican powers only pander to these types. They aren't supposed to actually want to have any power beyond voting for the GOP like sheep.
“A judge in Nevada has just ordered MSNBC to include Rep. Dennis Kucinich in Tuesday’s Democratic Party presidential debate in Las Vegas or he will cancel the forum. Senior Clark County District Court Judge Charles Thompson vowed to issue an injunction halting the nationally televised debate if MSNBC failed to comply. Kucinich had filed a lawsuit seeking to be included just this morning.”
On the upcoming 50th anniversary of Fredericton, New Brunswick native Willie O'Ree's entrance into the ranks of the National Hockey League, and via Dave Stubbs at Habs Inside/Out:
When he played for the Boston Bruins against the Canadiens in Montreal on Jan. 18, 1958, Willie O’Ree became the first black person to play in the National Hockey League. O'Ree played on a line with Don McKenney and Jerry Toppazzini and helped the Bruins defeat the mighty Canadiens, 3-0.
Fifty years later, O’Ree is still involved in hockey as the Director of Youth Development for the NHL’s Diversity program. In the past 10 years, he has helped introduce more than 40,000 boys and girls of diverse backgrounds to hockey while stressing the importance of essential life skills, education and the core values of hockey: commitment, perseverance and teamwork.
Midway through his second minor-league season with the Quebec Aces, O'Ree was called up to the Boston Bruins of the NHL to replace an injured player. O'Ree was 95% blind in his right eye due to being hit there by an errant puck two years earlier, which normally would have precluded him from playing in the NHL. However, O'Ree managed to keep it secret, and made his NHL debut with the Bruins on January 18, 1958, against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first black player in league history. He played in only two games that year, and came back in 1961 to play 43 games. He scored four goals and 10 assists in his NHL career, all in 1961.
Willie O'Ree noted that "racist remarks were much worse in the U.S. cities than in Toronto and Montreal," the two Canadian cities hosting NHL teams at the time, and that "Fans would yell, 'Go back to the South' and 'How come you're not picking cotton?' Things like that. It didn't bother me. I just wanted to be a hockey player, and if they couldn't accept that fact, that was their problem, not mine."
In the minor leagues, O'Ree won two scoring titles in the Western Hockey League (WHL) between 1961 and 1974, scoring thirty or more goals four times, with a high of 38 in both 1964-65 and 1968-69. Most of O'Ree's playing time was with the WHL's Los Angeles Blades and San Diego Gulls. The latter team retired his number, now hanging from the rafters at the San Diego Sports Arena. O'Ree continued to play in the minors until age 43.
After O'Ree, there was no other black player in the NHL until fellow Canadian Mike Marson was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 1974. There are 17 black players in the NHL as of the mid-2000s, the most prominent including Canadians Jarome Iginla and Anson Carter and American Mike Grier. NHL players are now required to enroll in a diversity training seminar before each season, and racially based verbal abuse is punished through suspensions and fines.
O'Ree was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. He later became the Director of Youth Development for the NHL/USA Hockey Diversity Task Force, a non-profit program for minority youth that encourages them to learn and play hockey. As of the mid-2000s, O'Ree lives in Berkeley, California.
In 1946, the Dodgers assigned Jackie Robinson to the Montreal Royals. Jackie proceeded to lead the International League in batting average with a .349 average, and fielding percentage with a .985 percentage. That winter he also married Rachel Isum, his former UCLA classmate. Although the season was emotionally arduous for Robinson with the racist abuse he faced during the team's away games, he also deeply appreciated the enthusiastic support by the Montreal fans who followed his performance with intense interest. Because of Jackie's play in 1946, the Dodgers called him up to play for the major league club in 1947. Robinson made his Major League debut on April 15, 1947, playing first base when he went 0 for 3 against the Boston Braves.
Anyways... A tip of the hat to Willie O'Ree. For what he did 50 years ago, and for the work he still does as the NHL's ambassador for diversification with today's youth.
In this interview with Mr. Steve Murphy of CTV News in Halifax on August 23, 2007 Mr. O'Ree discusses his childhood in Fredericton, NB, his NHL career, racism, Jackie Robinson and gives his opinion on hockey today.
"You've probably never heard of Jim Goodnow, but Jim is a veteran who owns a bus, The Yellow Rose, that he uses to haul Iraq Veterans Against the War around the country. Friday night he pulled into a New Jersey truck stop to get some sleep and someone torched The Yellow Rose. Jim is OK.
Let this be a lesson for all of us. We are not dealing with rational, sane people, when we're dealing with the Right. Let's face it, these people consider the draft dodging, drug addicted, liar Rush Limbaugh a great American patriot."
I am sorry to hear about this. Just glad to hear that nobody was hurt. And I hope his insurance covers "GOP extremists' acts of terrorism," if that is the case?
A Louisiana State University student told another student that he was planning a violent attack against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the police said. The student, Richard R. Wargo, 19, of Shreveport, was held on $1 million bail.
snip
Mr. Wargo had asked another student whether he wanted to commit arson, a “terrorist act” that he described as a “national event.” “He reportedly went on to say it was political and it involved Hillary Clinton,” Chief Adams said.
I went to do a little poking around to see if maybe, JUST MAYBE, this crackpot terrorist wannabe was an LSU College Republican... But for some reason the site is temporarily down?
I am the newly elected and former President of the LSU College Republicans.
The "be right back" page on the LSUCR.com website was purely coincidence. Warga has nothing to do with me or my decision to have our website redesigned with a Web 2.0 look and feel. Our website was last updated in May of 2005, so it was time for a face lift.
I have personally never met the guy and I have been in the leadership of the College Republicans for the past 3 years. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
Paul Dietzel 2 President College Republicans at LSU
"I know nothing, I hear nothing, I see nothing..." I'll give Dietzel the benefit of the doubt barring proof otherwise.
The classmate later learned Clinton had scheduled a Baton Rouge appearance. Police said the student reported Wargo to the university after a second conversation in which Wargo made another remark indicating he planned violence against Clinton.
That remark "was something along the lines of, 'Have you ever heard of a dead president?'" Adams said.
Police arrested Wargo in a traffic stop Thursday night. Officers searched his dormitory room and found documents that made the classmate's accusations appear credible, Adams said. He declined to give details, but said officers also seized Wargo's computer and marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Making threats toward presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton was a “stupid thing to do,” but in time it will be clear the LSU student behind the threats had no intention of carrying them out, his attorney said Monday.
Richard Ryan Wargo, 19, 10301 Evangeline, Shreveport, was released Monday from Parish Prison to the custody of his parents, attorney Frank Holthaus said.
The release is subject to conditions, including one that requires Wargo to undergo a mental health evaluation and get treatment if recommended by the therapist.
What kind of penalties could he face for his threats?
Under Louisiana law, a terrorizing conviction carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison and a fine up to $15,000, while communicating false information of a planned arson carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Usually we are talking about the right-wingnut-crack that freepers are smoking. Crooks & Liars reports on the white powder that one freeper was desperate to share with anyone that held opposing viewpoints to the failed Republican agenda.
C&L reported earlier on the guy who sent the fake anthrax around. Who would have thought that a right wing conservative would be involved in terrorist activities?
HMMM?? Who would have thought that the wingnutty Free Republic was guilty of supporting terrorists other than Mr. Bush?
Can you believe how many of those terrorists are over here? Can't be more, can there?
Terrorism charges brought Friday against the administrator of a loan investment program claimed that he secretly tried to send $152,000 to the Middle East to buy equipment such as night vision goggles for a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan.
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, 53, of Ardsley, N.Y., pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to an indictment accusing him of terrorism financing, material support of terrorism and other charges. The charges carried a potential penalty of 95 years in prison.
But would you really believe me if I told you he was a Republican?
CBS News has confirmed that Alishtari is a donor to the Republican Party, as he claims on his curriculum vitae. Alishtari gave $15,500 to the National Republican Campaign Committee between 2002 and 2004, according to Federal Election Commission records. That amount includes $13,000 in 2003, a year when he claims to have been named NRCC New York State Businessman of the Year.
Alishtari also claims to be a lifetime member of the National Republican Senate Committee's Inner Circle, which the NRCC describes as "an impressive cross-section of American society – community leaders, business executives, entrepreneurs, retirees, and sports and entertainment celebrities – all of whom hold a deep interest in our nation's prosperity and security."
The Republican party needs to be placed on "The List" of terrorist related organizations and watched very carefully.
It is pretty apparent that the FBI and Homeland Security are wasting their time watching us liberal/peacenik/Quaker/progressive/etc. types. Just ask Ken Krayeske...
[updates] Thank you to those that got this story moving. Raw Story, Crooks and Liars, and Josh Marshall, whose his readers have been dig, dig, digging:
Choice artifacts they have dug up?
This:
Never too Late for this Story Update: Oh that's interesting. Cunning Realist found this CV purportedly posted by Mr. Alishtari. In addition to other GOP donor awards, Alishtari says that he was appointed to something called the "White House Business Advisory Committee" in 2003. And CR ends with this point, referencing Alishtari's CV: "Note the entrepreneurial business background with a focus on technology/security. Have any of those businesses ever received government contracts or funds? Any direct or indirect contact in the past with anyone from the Bush administration or Congress?"
That:
It tuns out Mr. Alishtari, the GOP campaign contributor indicted for sending funds for terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, had a fairly lively life online. TPM Reader TDP points to what purports to be Alishtari blog. And in a rather rambling post there's a reference to an alleged meeting with VP Dick Cheney. "When I went to DC in the Fall of 2003 and met with VP Cheney, I was first in a room full of advisers where I asked how to resolve this and they advised me to talk to counsels which led to this solution."
Now, we can't be certain that this is actually Alishtari's blog, though I think the weight of evidence suggests that it is.
And the other thing:
He contributed a decent amount of money to GOP congressional campaign committees in the 2002 and 2004 cycles and managed get named to a number of 'committees' and 'councils' set up as perks for GOP campaign contributors, including something called the "White House Business Advisory Committee."
Now a reader of the Cunning Realist blog has dug up the archived version of the website of Mr. Alishtari's company, GlobalProtector, which shows that at the same time Alishtari was giving money to the GOP he was bidding on multiple government contracts -- including ones with the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security.
Westchester businessman and purported peace activist was nabbed by the feds for allegedly plotting to funnel more than $150,000 to terrorists at training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Peace activist my ass! This guy is so up to his eyeballs in the GOP and full of it.As it turned out Alishtari actually donated more than the originally reported $15,500 to the Republican party coffers... About $35,000 in total.
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, indicted two weeks ago for financing terrorists in Afghanistan among other charges, gave more than $35,000 to Republican campaign committees, not $15,000 as was reported earlier.
A $20,000 contribution from Alishtari to the National Republican Senatorial Committee on August 29th, 2003, was not previously reported because his name was misspelled ("Allshtari") on the NRSC's disclosure form to the Federal Election Commission (unfortunately, such misspellings are fairly frequent). Alishtari's online CV stated that he was named an "Inner Circle Member for Life" of the NRSC.
"Oops! Building on my last post on the NRCC's bogus Business Advisory Council and 'Businessman of the Year' program, it turns out that Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari isn't the first member of the council to be indicted on charges of supporting terrorism.
Yasith Chhun, the head of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, a group designated by the State Department as a terrorist organization, was indicted in May of 2005 for charges of plotting to overthrow the Cambodian government. He was also, The Los Angeles Times reported, a member of the NRCC's Business Advisory Council:"
Chhun is set to go to trial next month and has been indicted for "attempting to kill the prime minister, attack government buildings and launch small-scale attacks on karaoke bars and fuel depots in an effort to galvanize opposition to the Phnom Penh government," according to the La Times.
Attacking Karaoke bars? Some might argue that he was doing a public service there. (JK)
When will the United States government outlaw the GOP for their ties to global terrorism? heh
No matter how you look at it... We will always be fighting them OVER HERE, regardless of the political party in charge. The one other thing that is becoming increasingly clear is that while we are fighting them over here already, many of them clearly are REPUBLICAN TERRORISTS.
Figure the odds, eh?
So the Republican party can shut their gaping pieholes when they try and label liberals, progressives and Dems as "emboldening", "giving comfort to," "etc. ad nauseum," the enemy in any way related to terrorism.
You lying and incompetent fuckwads in the Republican party have done more to further terrorists' causes "OVER HERE" than most of the other terrorist leaders in your "Global War on Terror" combined.
The one and only thing that has kept us safe "OVER HERE," so far, is the fact that the FBI and the CIA don't buy the GOP's ridiculous talking points. And nobody else is buying your propaganda either.
This year, CT’s legislature failed to seriously address healthcare reform. They passed a band-aid measure, but nothing that will overhaul the system for the long haul. As a result, insurance costs will continue to rise, and many working families will continue to fall through the cracks.
How does this happen? Perhaps not all of our legislators in Connecticut understand the urgency of the healthcare crisis so many of us are living through.
That’s why we’re launching haveyouseensicko.org to ask every legislator in Connecticut to see Michael Moore’s new film Sicko, so we can be sure that next session, all our legislators will go in, fully aware of our state’s healthcare crisis.
Want to make sure our legislators start thinking about healthcare? Ask them:
