Monthly Archives: June 2010

Blagojevich trial Monday June 7 2010, Blagojevich states Opening statements will unlock the truth, Blagojevich twitter tweet

Blagojevich trial Monday June 7 2010, Blagojevich states Opening statements will unlock the truth

From the Chicago tribune June 7, 2010.

“Blagojevich: Opening statements will ‘unlock the truth'”

“This is getting to be a regular thing, trial watchers. Along with your morning coffee, it appears you can also get a morning jolt of Rod Blagojevich publicly proclaiming his innocence in a variety of ways and with a variety of well worn metaphors.

The former governor started the morning on the Don and Roma talk show on WLS-AM, the same conservative talker that started giving him a platform as a weekend host shortly after his impeachment last year.
Sounding much like he did when he was still governor and doing regular battle with House Speaker Michael Madigan, Blagojevich didn’t mince words in lobbing accusations of prosecution “lies” in constructing the charges against him.
He also sent out a tweet to “followers” on Twitter. “Looking forward to opening statements because that will unlock the truth… stay tuned,” he wrote.”

Read more:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/blagojevich-on-trial/2010/06/blagojevice-arrives-for-day-3-jury-selection.html

November 2010 elections, 5 months away, Blagojevich trial, US economy, Obama approval ratings, Cornered animals predictable

November 2010 elections, 5 months away, Blagojevich trial, US economy

The November elections are 5 months away. Obama has the lowest approval ratings in history. More and more people see the picture of the real Obama emerging. Unemployment is high, the US economy is faltering and security of the US in the world arena is in jeopardy.

It is apparent that no court, no legal remedy will challenge Obama’s eligibility in the near term. I believe that the Obama controlled US Justice Department will work to shorten the Blagojevich trial. As cocky and self confident as Blagojevich appears, he is no fool. The spectre of many years in prison is a reality if the trial plays out the way the Rezko trial did. Obama and the Democrats will do whatever is necessary to keep this circus from playing out too close to the elections.

Obama and the Orwellian and Gestapo like Obama administration are attempting to control the internet. They already control the mainstream media. I have a simple message for Obama, the FCC and any Orwellian component of government that attempts to thwart our efforts to present the truth.

Up

Yours

I and many others are committed to getting the truth out to the American public. I, if necessary, will tour the country and/or cooperate with other concerned Americans to keep the real news flowing.

We must change congress this November. It is our only chance to save this country.

Mainstream media Orwellian campaign, Fact versus fiction, Intelligent people still influenced by MSM, Citizen Wells open thread

Mainstream media Orwellian campaign, Fact versus fiction.

What I am about to say probably applies to many of you. I have a good, dear friend who still watches mainstream media such as CNBC. He was touting tax cuts for small businesses and average Americans. He stated that “I” and most people had a lower tax obligation last year. That did not mesh with the many conversations I have had with many people as well as what I remember hearing and reading. However, anytime I sense a conversation is getting mired down in a gray morass, I try to find a common denonimator, a self evident truth. I stated that if he was correct that it isn’t working. People who believe the Orwellian lies from the mainstream media believe that George Bush and the Republicans are at fault. I then commence to confuse then with facts such as the Democrats have controlled congress since 2006. I also state that I am not a fan or defender of either party. What is clear for me is that I do not understand how any “rational,”  intelligent, informed person can support or defend the modern day Democrat party.

Grassroots in Nebraska, Gary Johnson speech, Lincoln NE, June 19, 2010, Former New Mexico Governor, Limit the size of government, Protect freedom

Grassroots in Nebraska, Gary Johnson speech, Lincoln NE, June 19, 2010

Grassroots in Nebraska
Working from the bottom up for a Constitutional, limited government as originally intended by the Founders
Home of the Lincoln Tea Party movement since February 2009

From Grassroots in Nebraska:

“A MESSAGE FROM GRASSROOTS IN NEBRASKA
Included in this message:
June 19th Event “An Evening with Gary Johnson”
Primary Election Results and Next Steps
Immigration Issues
GiN Online
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR A JUNE 19TH EVENT – AN EVENING WITH GARY JOHNSON
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is coming to Lincoln on June 19th for an event that includes a reception and talk. Those who are interested in elected officials who limit the size of government, protect freedom, and seek to maximize the potential for free enterprise should mark this event on their calendars. 
The event has been organized by the Nebraska Republican Liberty Caucus, for which NE Campaign for Liberty State Director Laura Ebke, serves as Chair. RLC-NE’s mission is to serve as the conscience of the Republican party. As you are likely aware, Grassroots in Nebraska has been working on a number of efforts recently with Laura and the NE Campaign for Liberty group, such as advocating for the passage of the Sovereignty Resolution. When Laura asked if GiN would be a co-host for the Governor Johnson event, it was an easy answer.
Governor Johnson at the very least promises to be have a different perspective from much of what’s being heard from politicians today. While serving as New Mexico’s Governor, Gary Johnson vetoed more legislation than all of the other governors in the U.S. during the same period and reduced spending to the extent that New Mexico’s debt was eliminated. He is proof that limited governance doesn’t mean political “suicide”; he was re-elected and served to the length of NM’s term limits.
Of course, I encourage everyone to forward the information about the event to those who they believe may have an interest. All those who attend may find themselves having been in the position of meeting and assessing a potential 2012 candidate; there are indicators that Governor Johnson may be considering a run for President in the next election.
Finally, in addition to what already promises to be an enjoyable and interesting evening, District 26 Legislative Candidate Tom Dierks (who is running against Senator Amanda McGill) is planning on attending Governor Johnson’s speech and hopefully will have a little time to visit with folks afterwards.
Basic information: (see below for links with additional information and registration form)
Saturday, June 19
5:30 – 7:00pm Reception: Meet Gary Johnson and mingle with like-minded conservatives while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and cash bar
7:00 – 8:00pm Presentation and talk by former Governor Johnson
Holiday Inn Southwest, Lincoln
Click HERE for a link to further details on the event on the RCL-NE website
PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS AND NEXT STEPS
Official results from Nebraska’s Primary Election on May 11 can be read in full on the Nebraska Secretary of State’s website. Click HERE.
GiN’s primary stated mission is to promote limited government as originally intended by the Founders – from the bottom-up. That means our emphasis is within Nebraska and focused on its governmental entities. Those of us who actively engaged in the legislative process this past session recognized in order to effectively advocate for limited government and the protection of individual liberty, we need representatives at the Unicameral who share those priorities.
Of course we are interested in who is sent to represent Nebraska in Washington, D.C., but we have ample evidence that 1) The majority of Congress is currently impervious to all evidence of opposition and 2) the climate in Nebraska favors incumbents, particularly those holding federal offices.
If you are interested in an effort to elect Constitutional, limited government candidates to the Nebraska Unicameral, those of us who spent time walking for District 28 Candidate Nancy Russell intend to build upon her solid showing in the primary, and at the request of several GiN members, are considering expanding our efforts to at least two prospective candidates if we can get commitments from a solid core of volunteers. If you are interested in joining in these efforts, please let us know.
IMMIGRATION
A serious “shout-out” must be given to Susan Smith, leader of the Nebraskans Advisory Group (click HERE for the website). Susan has been working very hard on this issue for a very long time. In the coming week, I hope to do an in-depth interview with her regarding several items of importance, particularly regarding an upcoming vote in Fremont pertaining to an illegal immigrant ordinance. I  will send out a message with a link to a post on the GiN website when completed. In the meantime, some information you might find interesting:
The Fremont vote is June 21. A serious effort is underway to register voters by June 11 for the special election on the ordinance noted above.
Susan is urging calls to the Nebraska Congressional delegation; Reps. Terry, Fortenberry, and Smith, urging them to demand National Guard troops be sent to the border and vote no on any amnesty proposal. Click HERE for their contact information.
GiN Online
You will be seeing changes in the next few weeks on the both the main website (http://grassrootsne.com) and the member NING site. The main GiN site could use an improved look, clearer navigation, and more visible links to resources.
Also, NING networks has announced they will begin charging a monthly fee for their services so we will be moving membership to a new location, which will be similar, but hopefully an improvement over the NING site and more integrated into the main website. I will keep folks informed regularly regarding the move.
Thank you,
Shelli Dawdy
402.261.5573
Grassroots in Nebraska
Working from the bottom up for a Constitutional, limited government as originally intended by the Founders
Home of the Lincoln Tea Party movement since February 2009
Check us out online…
Grassrootsne.com

Facebook

Twitter”

Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it, Franklin, Lincoln, Orwell, Citizen Wells open thread June 6, 2010

“Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it”

“Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes.” … Benjamin Franklin

“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.”…Abraham Lincoln

“The function of the press is very high. It is almost Holy.
It ought to serve as a forum for the people, through which
the people may know freely what is going on. To misstate or
suppress the news is a breach of trust.”…. Louis D. Brandeis

“Not every item of news should be published: rather must
those who control news policies endeavor to make every item
of news serve a certain purpose.”… Joseph Goebbels

“And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed
–if all records told the same tale–then the lie passed into
history and became truth. “Who controls the past,” ran the
Party slogan, “controls the future: who controls the present
controls the past.”…George Orwell, “1984″

Blagojevich trial jury selection, June 5, 2010, Rod Blagojevich familiarity, Fact versus fiction, Media bias, Entertainment culture, Blagojevich indictment far bigger than selling senate seat

Blagojevich trial jury selection, June 5, 2010, Rod Blagojevich familiarity

Some of you may be weary of hearing about the Rod Blagojevich trial. Some of you may be wondering why Citizen Wells has spent so much energy attempting to provide the complete picture of Blagojevich and his involvement in Chicago and IL corruption over many years. Here are some of the main reasons.

  • We have a biased media that has misrepresented Blagojevich and his corruption ties.
  • We have an entertainment culture. We have less news coverage and more entertainment presented. Blagojevich played this card.
  • The Blagojevich indictment is far more complex than the alleged selling of the senate seat.
  • The timing of Blagojevich’s arrest and subsequent actions by the US Justice Dept and Obama Administration are highly suspect.
  • Blagojevich corruption is directly tied to Barack Obama.

In a perfect world, juries should know little about someone on trial. However, in this case, the indicted, impeached ex governor of IL, whose name was mentioned repeatedly over many weeks during the Rezko trial, during the presidential run of fellow Illinois resident and crony Obama, gives one cause for further concern.

From the Chicago Tribune June 5, 2010.

“Blagoje-who?
Despite ex-governor’s TV forays, some jury candidates don’t know much about him”

“One prospective juror for the corruption trial of Rod Blagojevich said her familiarity with the former governor was limited to TV wisecracks she heard from Jay Leno.

“He was a joke or something,” the woman said.
Another potential juror is a labor organizer who spent months in Minnesota in 2008 working on the U.S. Senate campaign of Democrat Al Franken. She too confessed that most of what she knew about the longtime Illinois chief executive could be summed up by his recent TV appearance on “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Ever since Blagojevich’s arrest in December 2008, his legal troubles and grandstanding have been a subject of saturation news coverage as well as merciless lampooning from critics and comedians. Even so, a large share of those being sized up for the jury by U.S. District Judge James Zagel told him their understanding of the governor and his troubles was surface at best.

All of which goes to underscore a strangely symbiotic relationship between Illinois’ often ridiculed political culture and the very busy legal system aimed at rooting out corruption. Impartial juries require members who don’t know much about the defendants whose fate they will weigh. And it is surprisingly easy, even in the highest profile of cases, to find jurors who fit that description.”

“More typical were the comments of a female juror candidate identified during the proceedings as No. 119. The woman, who works in investment accounting, said she is an avid runner whose main source of printed information was the magazine Runners World.

Asked by Zagel if she kept up on the news, the woman said no.

“I don’t have time,” she explained. “I have two daughters, and we don’t have cable.””

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/blagojevich/ct-met-blagojevich-trial-0606-20100605,0,3779036.story?page=1

US Constitution and country ours to keep or lose, Benjamin Franklin, Citizen Wells open thread

US Constitution and country ours to keep or lose, Benjamin Franklin

“Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes.” … Benjamin Franklin

Glenn Beck presented facts about Benjamin Franklin on his Fox TV show yesterday. Franklin was an amazing man and one of the key players in the formation and cohesion of this country. Although Franklin, as all members of humanity, was far from perfect, he did strive for near perfection. His message of hard work and frugality is timeless.

Reported yesterday at Citizen Wells.

Blago trial opening statements may begin Tuesday

https://citizenwells.com/2010/06/04/blagojevich-trial-opening-statements-tuesday-june-8-2010-judge-james-b-zagel-defense-attorneys-notified/

May payroll numbers worse than forecast, Employers in the US hired fewer workers in May, Payrolls rose by 431000, Economists projected a 536000, Stock futures drop

May payroll numbers worse than forecast, Employers in the US hired fewer workers

From Bloomberg June 4, 2010.

“Employers in the U.S. hired fewer workers in May than forecast and Americans dropped out of the labor force, showing a lack of confidence in the recovery that may lead to slower economic growth.

Payrolls rose by 431,000 last month, including a 411,000 jump in government hiring of temporary workers for the 2010 census, Labor Department figures in Washington showed today. Economists projected a 536,000 gain, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey. Private payrolls rose a less-than-forecast 41,000. The jobless rate fell to 9.7 percent.

Staff reductions at companies such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Citigroup Inc. indicate a slowing in the labor market that threatens to restrain consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said yesterday that unemployment was exacting a heavy toll, showing why economists forecast interest rates will remain low.

“It’s going to be a long haul,” Michael Englund, chief economist at Action Economics LLC in Boulder, Colorado, said before the report. “We really aren’t adding many jobs. We’ve lost some momentum in the economy and final sales clearly aren’t enough to generate job growth.”

Stock-index futures fell and Treasury securities rose after the report. The contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 2.1 percent to 1,080 at 8:38 a.m. in New York. The 10- year Treasury note rose, pushing down the yield to 3.27 percent from 3.37 percent late yesterday.”

“Payrolls estimates in the Bloomberg survey of 82 economists ranged from 220,000 to 750,000 after a gain of 290,000 jobs in April. Economists surveyed also forecast the jobless rate fell to 9.8 percent last month from 9.9 percent in April. Unemployment reached a 26-year high of 10.1 percent in October. The May figures showed the labor force shrank 322,000.

Federal hiring of temporary workers to conduct the decennial population count probably peaked last month, economists said.

The unwinding of census employment may keep distorting the payroll figures for months as the government dismisses workers when the count is completed. For that reason, economists say private payrolls, which exclude government jobs, will be a better gauge of the state of the labor market for much of 2010.”

Read more:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ax55j3oSwVuI&pos=1

Blagojevich trial day 2, June 4, 2010, Jury selection, Judge James Zagel, Prosecutors and defense attorneys question jurors, Open thread

Blagojevich trial day 2, June 4, 2010, Jury selection, Judge James Zagel

From CBS 2 in Chicago June 4, 2010.

“Day Two Of Blagojevich Jury Selection Set To Begin”

“Before U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel begins questioning the next pool of potential jurors, prosecutors and defense attorneys will argue whether any of the 29 jury candidates who were interviewed Thursday should be dismissed because of bias.

Once that process is finished, Zagel will bring in another group of potential jurors for questioning.

Ultimately, the judge and attorneys expect to whittle down an original list of 100 potential jurors to about 45 likely jurors.

Then each side will be allowed to exercise peremptory challenges, which allow them to dismiss jurors without giving a reason. Defense attorneys get 13 such challenges; prosecutors get nine. The attorneys get unlimited challenges “for cause,” meaning there is a reason to believe a potential juror is biased.

The end result will be a panel of 12 jurors and likely six alternates to hear what is expected to be a three- to four-month trial. Jurors are paid $40 a day plus transportation costs for the entire trial.”

“Defense attorneys said both Rod and Rob Blagojevich will testify. They also said Patti Blagojevich will take the stand.

The defense has also subpoenaed White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.”

Read more:

http://cbs2chicago.com/governor/rod.blagojevich.trial.2.1731843.html

For complete Blagojevich trial coverage:

https://citizenwells.com/

Hollister v Soetoro aka Barack Obama, Update, June 3, 2010, Motion for recusal of Judge Robertson, Attorney John D. Hemenway motion

Hollister v Soetoro aka Barack Obama, Update, June 3, 2010, Motion for recusal

From Attorney John D. Hemenway.

“On behalf of Colonel Gregory Hollister, et al, Attorney John D. Hemenway filed a “Motion for Recusal” in the Colonel Gregory Hollister, et al, v. Barry Soetoro aka Barack Obama, et al, lawsuit now pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The Judge in question is Judge Robertson who ruled the issue of “the President’s citizenship was raised, vetted, blogged, texted, twittered, and was otherwise massaged by America’s vigilant citizenry…,” among numerous other bias statements. Atty Hemenway cites numerous cases including a SCOTUS case regarding bias and the recusal of Judges. The Motion for Recusal embedded below the snippet speaks for itself and is well worth the time to read.

This is the same Judge that ruled that Jihadists at Gitmo are entitled to the same benefits as our Troops.

Page 18: It is evident that from the outset to the end of his second opinion the lower court judge was operating with a strong bias, much of it derived from extrajudicial sources. We have previously mentioned that the late Norbert Wiener, in his seminal work “Cybernetics” in the 1950’s said presciently that what most people did not realize was that the information revolution that was then coming and which is now upon us would mean not just the decentralization of information but the decentralization of decision making itself. We now see that with the rise of the blogosphere and the springing up of countless independent websites not part of the centralized command media that arose in the initial days of nationalized broadcasting in the 1930’s and 1940’s and 1950’s. We see today meetings in which ordinary citizens know more about what is in the details of a bill than their Member of Congress or Senator does. The dissemination is instantaneous and the rise in independent decision-making about officeholders and their doings is overwhelming. One result is a never before seen, at least since the founding days themselves, interest in the Constitution and adherence to it as a basic principle of our Rule of Law.

This inevitably has an effect upon the insistence upon an objective appearance of an absence of bias which 28 U.S.C. 455 in its present form commands. In this case the court below has become widely known in the country and will go down in history as the “blogging and twittering” judge, one for whom a sort of affirmative action progressivism is more important than protecting and preserving the Constitution sufficiently to actually analyze the issues it presents. However, in the present structure of communications, Orwellian “memory holes” become very difficult to operate despite earnest efforts.

The defendant Soetoro has in a never before seen maneuver, used a State of the Union address to try and openly intimidate the Supreme Court into not carefully adhering to the Constitution, like a Cook County politico with the courts there. He has announced at a prayer breakfast that it is not “allowed” to know about his birth documentation. Mr. Justice Thomas has observed that the issues here are being avoided. So the message has been received. Politically orchestrated “unthinkability” of course, is no substitute for the application of the Rule of Law. It presents at the very least the spectacle of decisions being made on the basis of political bias. History will not be escaped. It will reveal whether this audacious and knowing attempt to get around the Constitution and one of its most specific requirements will succeed through a tactic of seeking to intimidate and control the courts to prevent them from applying a constitutional rule of law or whether its judges will take their oath to preserve and protect the Constitution as seriously as those who have sworn the oath to preserve and protect in the military such as Colonel Hollister do. In a very real sense it is our system of a constitutional rule of law that is on trial here, and that is under attack. Those who will not defend and protect as they have sworn to do should recuse themselves.

Their decision, in adopting the opinion below, should they chose to do so, without analyzing the actual issues, is a political one echoing the bias we have set out. As such it presents at least the appearance that violates 28 U.S.C. § 455 and they are, therefore, bound to recuse themselves.

Respectfully submitted,
/s/
JOHN D. HEMENWAY
Counsel for Appellants”

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32347910/Col-Hollister-v-Soetoro-Obama-Appeal-Motion-to-Recuse-Case-09-5080-5-31-2010