Category Archives: Associated press

NC unemployment rate 8.9 percent ?, Greensboro News Record AP article quotes Duke University Economics Professor, Labor force participation rate dropped .3 percent, Good news?

NC unemployment rate 8.9 percent ?, Greensboro News Record AP article quotes Duke University Economics Professor, Labor force participation rate dropped .3 percent, Good news?

“With a 63.7% labor force participation, “conditions in the labor market are considerably worse than indicated” in July’s report”…economist Joshua Shapiro, WSJ August 3, 2012

“Although the numbers are not directly comparable, local labor markets
across much of North Carolina began 2013 no differently than they
began 2012,” said Quinterno. “Simply put, unemployment rates remain
elevated across the state, and twice as many North Carolinians are
jobless and seeking work than was the case five years ago.”…SBN Strategies March 22, 2013

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”…George Orwell, “1984″

 

The Associated Press has always been a problem. A member “news” organization creates a report and it is regurgitated across the nation & world, in most cases without fact checking.

We have another example recently from the Greensboro News Record.

Is this because the Rhino Times just shut down?

Or because John Coleman, an economics professor at the Duke University Fuqua School of Business was quoted?

From the Greensboro News Record May 17, 2013.

“North Carolina unemployment rate drops 8.9 percent”

“North Carolina’s unemployment rate fell to 8.9 percent in April _ the lowest in the state in four years.

The state’s unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in March.

“This is very encouraging for North Carolina,” said John Coleman, economics professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

The state Commerce Department said Friday the number of people unemployed fell by 15,259 between March and April. On the downside, nearly 4,200 fewer people held jobs than in March.

The industry with the largest monthly increase: Leisure and hospitality services, which added 6,100 jobs. It was followed by financial activities with 2,000; government with 1,300, and professional and business services with 1,300.

January 2009 was the last time the state’s unemployment rate was at 8.9 percent.”

” Coleman said the report contained good news about North Carolina’s economy.”

“”What’s encouraging about the report is the large drop in the number of unemployed,” he said. That number seems to have more to do with new jobs than people who are deciding to give up rather than keep competing for work.

He also said the new figures bode well for North Carolina in the future.”

http://www.news-record.com/news/north_carolina_ap/article_f2cad77b-33b3-5f27-914b-fb285076ebd9.html

Huh???

From the Employment Security Commission of NC.

Labor Force Participation Rate

March 2013    62.8 %

April    2013    62.5 %

http://esesc23.esc.state.nc.us/d4/LausSelection.aspx

The Labor Force Participation Rate fell .3 percent in April.

That fully accounts for the drop in the unemployment rate and is certainly not good for the NC public.

Perhaps it is good for lying politicians and newspapers.

Mr. Coleman, did you actually make those statements that were reported???

Deputy Attorney General James Cole AP phone subpoena, Cole represented Saudi Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Eric Holder friend, American public Obama or Saudis being protected?

Deputy Attorney General James Cole AP phone subpoena, Cole represented Saudi Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Eric Holder friend, American public Obama or Saudis being protected?

“I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.”…Barack Obama

“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″

“Propaganda must not serve the truth, especially not insofar as it might bring out something favorable for the opponent.”… Adolf Hitler

Deputy Attorney General James Cole was nominated by Barack Obama on December 29, 2010.

James Cole represented Saudi Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

From The Examiner June 16, 2010.

“Obama nominee defended Saudi terrorist”

“President Barack Obama’s nominee for the number two spot at the U.S. Justice Department served as a lawyer for the Saudi royals who helped finance the 9-11 terrorist attacks and raked in millions of dollars to “monitor” a collapsed insurance company that got a massive government bailout, according to a Washington, DC watchdog group.

According to public-interest group Judicial Watch, the president’s choice — James Cole — to be Deputy Attorney General believes that the Middle Eastern terrorists, who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, are simply domestic criminals who commit crimes such as rape and murder.

This should concern Americans since, as a ranking official at the Justice Department, Cole would play a lead role in decision-making involving terrorism arrests and prosecutions.

Known as a top criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. specializing in white-collar crime, Cole is a longtime friend of Attorney General Eric Holder, who served as deputy of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Division under Bill Clinton. It was Holder who brokered the deal to release terrorists who bombed office buildings and killed cops in New York City in the 1970s. The deal was made to garner votes for Clinton’s wife who was running for New York’s U.S. Senate seat.

Obama nominated Cole last month and the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding confirmation hearings this week.

Cole has a shady history that contradicts the president’s assertion that “the American people will be well served by his integrity and commitment to the law,” according to Judicial Watch.

Cole represented Saudi Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud when insurance carriers and September 11 survivors sued him and others for financing terrorists. Treasury Department documents provided evidence of extensive financial support for Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups by members of the Saudi royal family and Prince Naif ran the Al Haramain Foundation, a Saudi charity that diverted funds to Al-Qaeda before and after September 11, 2001.”

Read more:

http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-nominee-defended-saudi-terrorist

From the NY Times May 15, 2013.

“Justice Dept. Defends Seizure of Phone Records”

“Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday defended the Justice Department’s sweeping seizure of telephone records of Associated Press journalists, describing the article by The A.P. that prompted a criminal investigation as among “the top two or three most serious leaks that I’ve ever seen” in a 35-year career.

“It put the American people at risk, and that is not hyperbole,” he said in an apparent reference to an article on May 7, 2012, that disclosed the foiling of a terrorist plot by Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen to bomb an airliner. “And trying to determine who was responsible for that, I think, required very aggressive action.”

In a statement in response, The A.P.’s president and chief executive, Gary Pruitt, disputed that the publication of the article endangered security.

“We held that story until the government assured us that the national security concerns had passed,” he said. “Indeed, the White House was preparing to publicly announce that the bomb plot had been foiled.” Mr. Pruitt said the article was important in part because it refuted White House claims that there had been no Qaeda plots around the first anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

At a news conference at the Justice Department, Mr. Holder also disclosed that he recused himself last year from overseeing the case after F.B.I. agents interviewed him as part of their investigation. His deputy, James M. Cole, approved the subpoena seeking call records for 20 office and personal phone lines of A.P. reporters and editors.

Mr. Pruitt disclosed the seizure of the phone records on Monday in a letter to Mr. Holder protesting the action as overly broad and “a serious interference with A.P.’s constitutional rights to gather and report the news.”

But in a letter to The A.P. on Tuesday, Mr. Cole portrayed the search as justified and disputed a detail in the wire service’s account of the Justice Department action. While the news organization had said that records from “a full two-month period” had been taken, Mr. Cole said that the seizure covered only “a portion” of two calendar months.

“We understand your position that these subpoenas should have been more narrowly drawn, but in fact, consistent with Department policy, the subpoenas were limited in both time and scope,” he wrote. He added that “there was a basis to believe the numbers were associated with A.P. personnel involved in the reporting of classified information. The subpoenas were limited to a reasonable period of time and did not seek the content of any calls.””

“Lucy Dalglish, dean of the journalism school at the University of Maryland, criticized the Justice Department’s broad seizure of phone records, saying it would chill the ability of reporters to report the news. The subpoena came against the backdrop of six prosecutions of officials in leak-related cases under President Obama — twice the number prosecuted under all previous presidents combined.

“The message is loud and clear that if you work for the federal government and talk to a reporter that we will find you,” she said.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/us/politics/attorney-general-defends-seizure-of-journalists-phone-records.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&

We now know from the Benghazi talking point memos that references to Islamic extremists with ties to Al-Qa’ida was scrubbed by the Obama Administration.

So who was Mr. Cole protecting?

The american public, Obama or the Saudis?

Obama Justice Dept. seized AP phone records, Obama pals Eric Holder and Tony West, US Attorney or assistant may issue subpoena, West on Obama eligibility court records

Obama Justice Dept. seized AP phone records, Obama pals Eric Holder and Tony West, US Attorney or assistant may issue subpoena, West on Obama eligibility court records

“Why has Obama, since taking the White House, used Justice Department Attorneys, at taxpayer expense,  to avoid presenting a legitimate birth certificate and college records?”…Citizen Wells

“Now, I don’t get upset when foreign and national journalists fail to mention Tony Rezko, or the Daley boys, or how the Chicago machine plans to staff the Department of Justice, and the new Department of Homeland Casinos.”…John Kass, Chicago Tribune July 30, 2008

 “Most disturbing, the dismissal is part of a creeping lawlessness infusing

our government institutions. Citizens would be shocked to learn about the
open and pervasive hostility within the Justice Department to bringing
civil rights cases against nonwhite defendants on behalf of white victims.
Equal enforcement of justice is not a priority of this administration. Open
contempt is voiced for these types of cases.”…J. Christian 
Adams, former USDOJ attorney

From The Blaze May 14, 2013.
“REPORT: DOJ NEEDED HOLDER’S SIGNATURE TO GET AP PHONE RECORDS”

“The Associated Press reported Monday that the Department of Justice had secretly seized two months worth of telephone records from reporters and editors working for the global news organization.

Needless to say, news that the DOJ had secretly obtained AP phone records has rocked the media. As it turns out, people really, really don’t like being spied on or having the feds snoop around their personal information.

This is going to take some explaining.

And it looks like it’ll take a lot more than a “low-level employee” to get U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder out of this tight spot.

See, as the Washington Examiner’s Phillip Klein notes, “it will be harder for President Obama to pin the DOJ’s action on lower level bureaucrats … because requests to subpoena news organization records require the approval of Attorney General Eric Holder.”

From the DOJ’s U.S. Attorneys’ Manual:

The Attorney General’s authorization is normally required before the issuance of any subpoena to a member of the news media or for the telephone toll records of a member of the news media. However, in those cases where the media member or his or her representative agrees to provide the material sought and that material has been published or broadcast, the United States Attorney or the responsible Assistant Attorney General may authorize issuance of the subpoena, thereafter submitting a report to the Office of Public Affairs detailing the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the subpoena….”

Read more:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/14/report-doj-needed-holders-signature-to-get-ap-phone-records/

From Citizen Wells September 25, 2012.

“You were warned.

Beginning in 2008, and especially with the revelations from the Tony Rezko trial, you were warned that Obama would bring his Chicago Pay to Play Politics to Washington, DC.

It has happened. In one of the worst possible places.

The US Justice Department.

One of the latest and best examples is the promotion of Tony West in the USDOJ.

First, a little background on Tony West.

From CNN November 12, 2008.

“Tony West – Friend of Barack Obama – Part One”

“But West is also known as a friend of President-Elect Barack Obama. West met Obama in 2004 and offered to help him should he elect to run for President. When Obama did, he called West and thus began West’s role as Chair of the fundraising committee for Northern California. It also started a round of basketball between the two that’s gone well enough for Obama to give West a pair of his shoes to wear for games.””

“Consider the following timeline.

  • Beginning in January 2009, when Obama took control of the White House and Justice Department, he began using USDOJ attorneys, at taxpayer expense, to prevent his birth, college and other records from being released. Prior to then Obama used Robert Bauer of Perkins Coie to keep his records hidden. Tony West is one of those USDOJ attorneys. See list below.
  • On January 21, 2009 retired Naval Commander Charles Kerchner, represented by attorney Mario Appuzo, filed a lawsuit against Barack Obama challenging his eligibility for the presidency. “Obama has sealed most of his important documents that would shed light on his true identity and the main stream media has not challenged him as to why he did so.”
  • The case was subsequently appealed. A response was given by USDOJ attorneys on March 8, 2010. Tony West was listed at the top of the list. “Plaintiffs’
    alleged grievances regarding President Obama’s constitutional
    qualifications reflect a generalized interest in the proper
    administration of the law “shared by all the American people,”
    App. 10, not a concrete injury particular to plaintiffs. The
    Supreme Court has repeatedly held that Article III standing may
    not be predicated on such injury. Plaintiffs’ attempts to
    aggrandize their harms, based on oaths they have taken to support
    to the Constitution, their heightened interest in constitutional
    principles, or the possibility of future military service, fail.”
  • Tony West appeared before the House Judiciary committee on June 24, 2010. ”One of this Subcommittee’s duties and obligations is to oversee the activities of the various components of the Department of Justice over which the Subcommittee has jurisdiction.” “I thank Assistant Attorney General Tony West of California and points west, the head of the Civil Division, for appearing before us today and to report on the division’s recent activities.” As you can already see, this is like questioning the fox on recent activity in the hen house.
  • Mr. West made a number of statements that you will find interesting:”Since assuming this position in April 2009, I have focused on three main priorities for the Civil Division: Protecting the American people, protecting taxpayer dollars, and protecting the Nation’s consumers.””The Civil Division is vigorously defending the Affordable Care Act health care reform statute against multiple lawsuits brought on constitutional and other grounds.””The President has pledged to make this Administration the most open and transparent in history, and the department is doing its part to make that pledge a reality.”  Read more below.
  • On September 20, 2012 Obama nominated Tony West to be the full time number 3 position in the USDOJ.

Anybody see a problem here? A conflict of interest!

CHICAGO PAY TO PLAY POLITICS.

Obama’s use of Tony West, a friend and fundraiser, to assist him, in cooperation with other USDOJ attorneys, in eligibility lawsuits and in keeping his records hidden, is a clear conflict of interest. This was further exacerbated by West representing the USDOJ before the House Judiciary Committee on June 24, 2010. Obama’s nomination of Tony West to a full time position as the number 3 position in the USDOJ is a clear case of Obama’s continued Chicago pay to play politics of reward your crony, put them in a power position and use them to protect and further your agenda.

Our checks and balances have been destroyed by the Obama camp. We no longer have a viable US Justice Department. Congress and the Judiciary Committee have failed to do their job and we have the most corrupt person ever to occupy the White House.

We cannot immediately remove members of congress or the Judiciary Committee, but we can contact them, voice our disgust and let them know that history will not view them kindly. The members of the Judiciary Committee can be found in the document below.”

Read more:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/obama-corrupts-us-justice-department-chicago-style-tony-west-promotion-classic-obama-pay-to-play-west-and-usdoj-complicit-with-obama-hiding-records-and-eligibility/

Tony West represented Barack Obama as a defense attorney, at taxpayer expense, to help Obama keep his records hidden and violate the US Constitution. Here is one small example.

“Case: 09-4209 Document: 003110049041 Page: 1 Date Filed: 03/08/2010″

“CHARLES KERCHNER, JR., et al.,
Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
BARACK OBAMA, et al.,”

“ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY
________________________
BRIEF FOR DEFENDANTS-APPELLEES”

“TONY WEST
Assistant Attorney General”

“Plaintiffs’
alleged grievances regarding President Obama’s constitutional
qualifications reflect a generalized interest in the proper
administration of the law “shared by all the American people,”
App. 10, not a concrete injury particular to plaintiffs. The
Supreme Court has repeatedly held that Article III standing may
not be predicated on such injury. Plaintiffs’ attempts to
aggrandize their harms, based on oaths they have taken to support
to the Constitution, their heightened interest in constitutional
principles, or the possibility of future military service, fail.”

AP awarded 4 Orwells for Obama bias, Jobs data, Unemployment, Stronger job creation could help President Barack Obama’s reelection hopes??

AP awarded 4 Orwells for Obama bias, Jobs data, Unemployment, Stronger job creation could help President Barack Obama’s reelection hopes??

“I am convinced that if squirrels had opposable thumbs, that based on their superior intellect, they would be overqualified to be journalists in the mainstream media”…Citizen Wells

“If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world but I am sure we would be getting reports from hell before breakfast.”… William Tecumseh Sherman

“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″

Stronger job creation could help President Barack Obama’s reelection hopes.

Well duh, if we actually had stronger job creation and someone in the White House who gets it, and an honest media to report the facts, economic conditions in this country would improve and everyone would be happier.

But for the moment, we don’t.

From Breitbart August 3, 2012.

“AP: ‘STRONGER JOB CREATION COULD HELP OBAMA’S RE-ELECTION'”

“That headline is not made up, it comes from a quote from the very same Associated Press that just last week completely fabricated Mitt Romney’s Palestinian ‘gaffe’. Today the AP is spinning a rise in unemployment and a measly 165,000 jobs created as the kind of “stronger job creation” that could win Their Precious One reelection.

The writer of this nonsense is Christopher S. Rugaber and the shilling is nothing more than propaganda. Rugaber not only wrist-flicks the second uptick in unemployment in just a few month, he tries to pretend the increase is statistically meaningless.

Emphasis mine:

Stronger job creation could help President Barack Obama’s re-election hopes. Still, the unemployment rate has been above 8 percent since his first month in office — the longest stretch on record. No president since World War II has faced re-election with unemployment over 8 percent. …

The government uses two surveys to measure employment. A survey of businesses showed job gains. The unemployment rate comes from a survey of households, which showed fewer people had jobs. Economists say the business survey is more reliable.

Not that any of this surprises me, but watching the media hit new low after new low is nonetheless amusing.

In my lifetime, this is without a doubt the first time the media has ever celebrated a rise in the unemployment rate as a good thing.

Drudge was the first to find this AP story and includes the rare comment on his site:

THEY BOTH CANT BE RIGHT:

Reuters: Labor market slowed sharply after strong gains in winter, spelling trouble for Obama…

AP: Stronger job creation could help Obama’s re-election hopes…

And it’s only August.”

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/08/03/AP-Says-Unemployment-increase-good-for-obama

On August 3, 2012 the US Labor Department reported the following:

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 163,000 in July.

The unemployment rate is 8.3 percent.

The labor force participation rate is 63.7 percent.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

The unemployment rate rose .1 percent in July and .1 percent dropped out of the labor force. Those are large numbers of people not employed. Do the math.

On August 2, 2012 the US Labor Department reported the following:

“In the week ending July 28 the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 365,000, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 357,000. The 4-week moving average was 365,500, a decrease of 2,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 368,250.”

http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ui/current.htm

Using the 4 week moving average of 365,500 times 4, we get a general idea of jobs lost during July.

From the the US Labor Department.

“What do the unemployment insurance (UI) figures measure?

The UI figures are not produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Statistics on insured unemployment in the United States are collected as a by-product of UI programs. Workers who lose their jobs and are covered by these programs typically file claims (“initial claims”) that serve as notice that they are beginning a period of unemployment. Claimants who qualify for benefits are counted in the insured unemployment figures (as “continued claims”). Data on UI claims are maintained by the Employment and Training Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor, and are available on the Internet at: workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp.

Some countries base their estimates of total unemployment on the number of persons filing claims for or receiving UI payments or the number of persons registered with government employment offices as available for work. These data are also available in the United States, but they are not used to measure total unemployment because they exclude several important groups. To begin with, not all workers are covered by UI programs. For example, self-employed workers, unpaid family workers, workers in certain not-for-profit organizations, and several other small (primarily seasonal) worker categories are not covered.

In addition, the insured unemployed exclude the following:

  1. Unemployed workers who have exhausted their benefits
  2. Unemployed workers who have not yet earned benefit rights (such as new entrants or reentrants to the labor force)
  3. Disqualified workers whose unemployment is considered to have resulted from their own actions rather than from economic conditions; for example, a worker discharged for misconduct on the job
  4. Otherwise eligible unemployed persons who do not file for benefits

Because of these and other limitations, statistics on insured unemployment cannot be used as a count of total unemployment in the United States. Indeed, during 2008, only 36 percent of the total unemployed received UI benefits. The weekly data on UI claims do have important uses, however, and provide a timely indicator on labor market conditions.”

http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm#ui

The AP, Associated Press, is awarded 4 Orwells for their pro Obama bias and attempt to misrepresent the unemployment situation with the jobs added. The reason the AP did not receive 5 Orwells is because they included the unemployment rate.

Blagojevich trial, AP article, Fluff article on Blagojevich, Journalism or adulation?

Blagojevich trial, AP article, Fluff article on Blagojevich

“The past is whatever the records and the memories agree upon.
And since the party is in full control of all records, and in
equally full control of the minds of it’s members, it follows
that the past is whatever the party chooses to make it. Six
means eighteen, two plus two equals five, war is peace,
freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.”…. George Orwell “1984”

I shook my head in disbelief as I read the following article. Is there a gameplan scripted by the Obama camp controlling articles written by the AP? The AP article written in 2008 regarding the announcement by HI Health Department Director Dr. Fukino was at best misleading and at worst an outright lie. Read the following exerpts and then full article and compare them to the legal documents describing Rod Blagojevich’s activities over many years. See how they mesh.

From the Chicago tribune May 30, 2010.

“Former Ill. governor faces fight of his life”

“In the year and a half since his arrest, Rod Blagojevich has lost his job and become a political pariah and a comic punch line. But he’s maintained the bravado that defined him as governor with repeated declarations of innocence that are vintage Blago: Confrontational. In the limelight. Never giving an inch.

“There has always been a damn-the-torpedoes aspect to his personality,” says State Rep. John Fritchey, a friend-turned-critic.

That’s been obvious as the impeached governor has popped up everywhere: Early morning radio, late-night TV. On stage with Second City comic actors lampooning him. At a block party where the avid Elvis fan crooned one of The King’s songs.

And most recently, Blagojevich, now 53, was on “The Celebrity Apprentice,” where he seemed baffled by a computer, and was, for the second time in a year, fired.

“I think people are intrigued by him, fascinated by him,” claims Glenn Selig, his Florida-based publicist.

So is it wise for Blagojevich to be clowning around while facing serious charges?

“I think he has a great sense of humor and he’s willing to laugh at himself,” Selig says. “Self-deprecation is not necessarily a bad thing. He’s the real deal.””

“”His ego won’t allow him to give up the stage,” says Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of politics at the University of Illinois-Springfield. “He has this supreme confidence in his ability to win people over.”

Blagojevich’s loose-lipped style has some former associates wondering if the ex-governor’s endless patter is designed to show potential jurors he’s full of political bluster, not criminal intent.

Blagojevich has his own explanation.

“I … have this need to tell everyone and anyone who would listen that I didn’t do anything wrong and that I am innocent of any criminal wrongdoing … ,” he wrote in “The Governor.”

Blagojevich maintains he wasn’t trying to sell or trade Obama’s Senate seat and was trying to arrange a deal in which he’d appoint Lisa Madigan, the state’s attorney general. In exchange, her father, House Speaker Michael Madigan, his nemesis, would push through a public works bill the governor wanted.”

“Milorad “Rod” Blagojevich has long regarded himself as a fighter for the little people.
He sees his life as an American dream that unraveled into a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions: The son of a Yugoslav-born steelworker, he was raised in a blue-collar family, attended law school and climbed the political ladder, he says, only to fall victim to betrayal and jealousy.”

“”He’s personable,” Green says. “He speaks well on his feet. He’s good-looking. … And he was able to raise an awful lot of money.”

When Blagojevich was elected in 2002, he already was eyeing a bigger prize: the White House.

Democrats were thrilled to have one of their own in the governor’s chair for the first time in 26 years. But Blagojevich soon made enemies on both sides of the aisle.

“He enjoyed the sexy part of government, the glad-handing, the attention of followers,” says Fritchey, the state lawmaker. “But at a certain point, you’ve got to get out of campaign mode and into governing. That’s where he had difficulty.””

“Blagojevich claims in his book that he’s a “big picture” guy who didn’t want to be “slowed down by having to spend my time mired in a bureaucracy that could be like quicksand.” ”

“Still, Blagojevich, bolstered by a Democratic majority, racked up a list of accomplishments: He raised the minimum wage (angering some business groups), provided state-subsidized health insurance to every child in Illinois, banned discrimination of gays and lesbians, increased education spending, won approval to expand preschool and increased mammogram and cervical cancer screening for uninsured women.

“He did a lot of good,” says Clifford Kelley, a former Chicago alderman who now is a talk show host on a black radio station and has welcomed Blagojevich as a guest. “Once two ladies called to thank him for saving their lives” with mammograms, he says.”

“Blagojevich plans to testify at his trial, one more step in his high-profile campaign. Will it succeed?

“I don’t know if it’s a plan or it’s just goofy,” Green says. “… If it does work, he’s a genius … and I guarantee you he’ll run for office again — as a victim.””

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-us-blagojevichtrial-,0,2339978.story?page=1

Sharon Cohen, a national writer for The Associated Press based in Chicago, wrote this article. I wonder if Sharon read the criminal complaint or indictments against Blagojevich?

Blagojevich documents can be found here:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2010/index.html

Mainstream media lies, Far left lies, Congressmen lies, Truth must be spread throughout the land, Iraq, Obama eligibility, Blagojevich trial

Mainstream media lies, Far left lies, Congressmen lies, Truth must be spread

“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.”…Proverbs  23:9

“Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.”…Mark Twain?

What I am about to write is much larger than the initial facts I am about to present. The efforts of the mainstream media, the far left, people in power such as congressmen and yes, outside influences, have rivaled the efforts of Big Brother in George Orwell’s “1984” to replace the truth with lies or remove the truth altogether.

What I am about to write is neither praise or disdain for George W Bush. It is about presenting the truth and dispelling lies. The catalyst for this article was a conversation this morning with a friend, a decent, hard working American. He was concerned about Iraq, our reasons for being there and believed that George W Bush was totally to blame. The following articles were presented early in 2008. The traffic on this blog was dramatically lower then. Perhaps more people will read this.

From Citizen Wells February 23, 2008.

Below are some of the justifications for the Iraq War. What are your reactions to these quotes with 20/20 hindsight? Were we justified to invade Iraq? Were these statements credible and based on credible intelligence? Did Saddam Hussein use weapons of mass destruction? Respond with your comments.

1.  “We must stop Saddam from ever again jeopardizing the
stability and security of his neighbors with weapons of mass
destruction.”  “The chemical weapons Saddam has used and the biological weapons we know he has tested pay no attention to borders and nationalities.”

2.  “If diplomacy runs out, we have reserved the right to use
force and if we do so it will be substantial.”

3.  “No one has done what Saddam Hussein has done, or is thinking of doing.  He is producing weapons of mass destruction, and he is qualitatively and quantitatively different from other dictators.”

4.  “What we are doing is so that you all can sleep at night.  I am very proud of what we are doing.  We are the greatest nation in the world and what we are doing is being the indispensable nation, willing to make the world safe for our children and grandchildren, and for nations who follow the rules.”

5.  “Saddam (Hussein) must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.”

6.  “If Saddam can cripple the weapons inspections sytem and get away with it, he would conclude the international community, led by the United States, has simply lost its will.  He would surmise that he has free rein to rebuild his arsenal of destruction.”

7.  “Earlier today I ordered America’s armed forces to strike
military and security targets in Iraq.  They are joined by British forces.  Their mission is to attack Iraq’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.  While other countires also had weapons of mass desctuction, Hussein is in a different category because he has used such weapons
against his own people and against his neighbors.

8.  “Along with Prime minister (Tony)Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning.”

9.  “The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi goverment — a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people.”

10.  “But once more, the United States has proven that although we are never eager to use force, when we must act in America’s vital interests, we will do so.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/iraq-war-justification-iraq-war-reasons-can-we-justify-hillary-clinton-john-mccain-barrack-obama/

From Citizen Wells March 9, 2008.

The prior article was referred to.

“This post was a list of 10 quotes regarding Saddam Hussein. I did not provide the source of the quotes at that time. Many people, for whatever reason, believe only George W Bush took the posture indicated in the quotes, when in reality, the entire Clinton administration believed that Saddam Hussein had WMD, had used them on his own people, posed a real threat and that the US was ready to stop him. All of the quotes from the original post came from the Clinton Administration. Below are the original quotes, followed by the source and the dates. Also, below, I have supplied the links to the CNN articles that contain the quotes. Interesting, isn’t it? Think of all the lies that have been told about George W Bush and the acceptance of revisionist history.”

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/01/iraq/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/18/town.meeting.folo/

http://www.cnn.com/US/9812/16/clinton.iraq.speech/

The first article may have been scrubbed. I can find no evidence of it now on CNN. This was posted early in the history of this blog, before I was more aware of internet scrubbing and Orwellian rewrites.

Second article

“U.S. policy on Iraq draws fire in Ohio”

“Albright was drowned out at one point by a group chanting, “One, two, three, four, we don’t want your racist war,” as she tried to explain U.S. policy to the audience of 6,000.

The heckling became so intense at one point that Albright interrupted CNN’s Judy Woodruff and said, “Could you tell those people I’ll be happy to talk to them when this is over. I’d like to make my point.”

Similar outbursts greeted Cohen and Berger as they laid out again a U.S. position that is familiar to those who have followed the building crisis in the media.

They said the United States would prefer to see a peaceful resolution and hopes that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will make significant progress when he visits with Iraqi officials this weekend.

But if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein doesn’t allow U.N. arms inspectors to have unrestricted access to all weapons sites in Iraq, they reaffirmed that a U.S.-led coalition will respond with military force.”

“”We’ve spent seven years containing him at no loss to U.S. lives,” Cohen said, adding that an attack would reduce the threat of “chemical and biological weapons that will pose a threat to your children and grandchildren for the future.””

“Albright responded, “No one has done what Saddam Hussein has done, or is thinking of doing. He is producing weapons of mass destruction, and he is qualitatively and quantitatively different from other dictators.””

“”As a former university professor,” Albright said, “I suggest, sir, that you study carefully what American foreign policy is. Every one of the violations has been pointed out on what is not right, and I would be happy to spend 50 minutes with you after the forum to explain it.” ”

“”What we are doing,” replied Albright, “is so that you all can sleep at night. I am very proud of what we are doing. We are the greatest nation in the world …”

She stopped as the audience rose and applauded.

“… and what we are doing,” she resumed, “is being the indispensable nation, willing to make the world safe for our children and grandchildren, and for nations who follow the rules.””

Third article

“Clinton: Iraq has abused its last chance”

“From the Oval Office, President Clinton told the nation Wednesday evening why he ordered new military strikes against Iraq.

The president said Iraq’s refusal to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors presented a threat to the entire world.

“Saddam (Hussein) must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons,” Clinton said.

Operation Desert Fox, a strong, sustained series of attacks, will be carried out over several days by U.S. and British forces, Clinton said.

“Earlier today I ordered America’s armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces,” Clinton said.

“Their mission is to attack Iraq’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors,” said Clinton.

Clinton also stated that, while other countries also had weapons of mass destruction, Hussein is in a different category because he has used such weapons against his own people and against his neighbors.
‘Without delay, diplomacy or warning’

The Iraqi leader was given a final warning six weeks ago, Clinton said, when Baghdad promised to cooperate with U.N. inspectors at the last minute just as U.S. warplanes were headed its way.

“Along with Prime Minister (Tony) Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning,” Clinton said.

The president said the report handed in Tuesday by Richard Butler, head of the United Nations Special Commission in charge of finding and destroying Iraqi weapons, was stark and sobering.

Iraq failed to cooperate with the inspectors and placed new restrictions on them, Clinton said. He said Iraqi officials also destroyed records and moved everything, even the furniture, out of suspected sites before inspectors were allowed in.

“Instead of inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the inspectors,” Clinton said.

“In halting our airstrikes in November, I gave Saddam a chance — not a license. If we turn our backs on his defiance, the credibility of U.S. power as a check against Saddam will be destroyed,” the president explained.
Strikes necessary to stunt weapons programs

Clinton said he made the decision to strike Wednesday with the unanimous agreement of his security advisors.

Timing was important, said the president, because without a strong inspection system in place, Iraq could rebuild its chemical, biological and nuclear programs in a matter of months, not years.

“If Saddam can cripple the weapons inspections system and get away with it, he would conclude the international community, led by the United States, has simply lost its will,” said Clinton. “He would surmise that he has free rein to rebuild his arsenal of destruction.”

Clinton also called Hussein a threat to his people and to the security of the world.

“The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi government — a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people,” Clinton said.

Such a change in Baghdad would take time and effort, Clinton said, adding that his administration would work with Iraqi opposition forces.

Clinton also addressed the ongoing impeachment crisis in the White House.

“Saddam Hussein and the other enemies of peace may have thought that the serious debate currently before the House of Representatives would distract Americans or weaken our resolve to face him down,” he said.

“But once more, the United States has proven that although we are never eager to use force, when we must act in America’s vital interests, we will do so.”

 The American people have short memories. This plays into the hands of the Orwellian spin masters.

Why is this so important?

  • The American people must know truth. How else can they make an informed decision.
  • Compare the above reports with what you hear in day to day conversations and from the liars and spin masters.
  • Compare the above with what you have been led to believe about Iraq and now witness how the Blagojevich trial is being spun. Do you believe we are not living “1984?”
  • It is crucial that we continue to inform the American public.
  • The efforts of each person are required. One person can make a difference, especially when there are millions of  “one person.”
  • Share the facts with your friends and associates. Keep it simple. Stick with indisputable facts.

 

Too many people get sucked into arguments that cannot be won. Keep it simple and indisputable.

Obama eligibility.

Why has Obama employed so many private and government attorneys to avoid presenting a legitimate birth certificate and college records. If they don’t believe it, let them view the court documents.

Blagojevich trial.

Tell them to read the indictment. For more insight, read the Tony Rezko trial transcripts.

Help inform the American public. Keep it simple and factual.

 

For complete coverage of the Blagojevich trial.

https://citizenwells.com/2010/05/21/blagojevich-trial-complete-coverage-from-citizen-wells/

Obama campaigns in MA, Obama to stump for endangered Massachusetts Democrat, Martha Coakley, Suffolk poll shows Scott Brown ahead of Coakley

From MSNBC, January 15, 2010.

“Obama to stump for endangered Mass. Dem
Poll shows GOP candidate up; race could tip Democrats’ 60-vote majority”

“BOSTON – His health care bill at stake, President Barack Obama plans a trip to Massachusetts to campaign for endangered Senate Democratic candidate Martha Coakley amid release of a poll showing an edge for the Republican Party in the race to fill a Senate seat Democrats have held for over a half-century.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that Obama would appear at an event for Coakley in Boston on Sunday.

A Suffolk University survey released late Thursday showed that Brown, a Republican state senator, with 50 percent of the vote in the race to succeed the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in this overwhelmingly Democratic state.

Coakley had 46 percent. That amounted to a statistical tie since it was within the poll’s 4.4 percentage point margin of error, but it was far different from a 15-point lead that Coakley, the Massachusetts attorney general, enjoyed in a Boston Globe survey released over the weekend.”

Read more:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34876791/ns/politics-more_politics/

“President Obama: Support Martha Coakley for U.S. Senate”

View this report from News 7 in Boston

Will Obama’s visit to MA help Martha Coakley or hurt her?

Obama systemic failure, Gitmo connection, Janet Napolitano system worked well, al Qaeda plot, Gitmo terrorists released, Guantanamo detainees military commanders

Months ago, Barack Obama promised to close Gitmo and criticized the “torture” of detainees.

From USA Today December 15, 2009.

“Security concerns hang over Gitmo inmates’ move to Ill”

“President Obama’s announcement that the government will send as many as 100 terrorism suspects from Guantanamo Bay to an Illinois prison raised questions and sparked protests Tuesday over whether the new lockup will pose a security risk.
 
In a letter to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, top administration officials including Defense Secretary Robert Gates called the plan “part of the president’s aggressive posture in the fight against al-Qaeda.”

The decision to buy a nearly vacant state prison in Thomson, Ill., to house alleged terrorists is the latest step in Obama’s effort to close the Guantanamo detention center, a symbol for detainee abuses under George W. Bush.”

“Critics were unmoved by the assurances. Liz Cheney, daughter of the former vice president and an official with the conservative group Keep America Safe, said voters didn’t elect Obama to “usher terrorists onto the homeland and call it a jobs program.”

Debra Burlingame, whose brother was the pilot of the hijacked plane that crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11, said Obama is “playing into the hands of the jihadist propaganda” by closing Guantanamo.”
“Of those still at Guantanamo, the Pentagon says about 95 are slated to be returned to their own or other countries, five will be tried in New York, and five tried before military commissions. Most of the remaining 100 or so would be sent to Thomson, either to be held indefinitely or tried by military tribunals.”

Read more:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-12-15-illinois-prison-terrorists_N.htm
Nine days before Christmas, December 16, 2009, Senator Mitch McConnell had this to say about Obama’s Gitmo strategy.

Today, December 29, 2009, Obama stated that there had been systemic failures in our national security system.

From the NY Times, December 29, 2009.

“On the White House: A Phrase Sets Off Sniping After a Crisis”

“Making his second public statement on the matter in as many days, Mr. Obama said a preliminary assessment already has made clear that there was a breakdown in the intelligence review system that did not properly identify the suspect as a dangerous extremist who should have been prevented from flying to the United States.
“A systemic failure has occurred and I consider that totally unacceptable,” Mr. Obama told reporters here in Hawaii, where is in the middle of a 10-day holiday vacation. The president said he has ordered government agencies to report back to him on Thursday about what happened and said he would “insist on accountability at every level,” although he did not elaborate.”

:The president suggested that he would overhaul the nation’s watch-list system. “We’ve achieved much since 9/11 in terms of collecting information that relates to terrorists and potential terrorist attacks,” he said. “But it’s becoming clear that the system that has been in place for years now is not sufficiently up to date to take full advantage of the information we collect and the knowledge we have.””

““It now appears that weeks ago this information was passed to a component of our intelligence community but was not effectively distributed so as to get the suspect’s name on a no-fly list,” Mr. Obama said of the father’s warning. “There appears to be other deficiencies as well. Even without this one report, there were bits of information available within the intelligence community that could have and should have been pieced together.””

Read more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/us/politics/30obama.html?_r=1&hp

In typical Obama fashion, he laid blame on the past:

“But it’s becoming clear that the system that has been in place for years now is not sufficiently up to date to take full advantage of the information we collect and the knowledge we have.”

And Obama made no mention of the Gitmo connection to the terrorist plot.

From ABC News, December 28, 2009.

“Two al Qaeda Leaders Behind Northwest Flight 253 Terror Plot Were Released by U.S.”

“Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Northwest bombing in a Monday statement that vowed more attacks on Americans.

American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia, where they entered into an “art therapy rehabilitation program” and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials. ABC News described their enrollment in the art therapy program in a January report. (See video to the left.)

Guantanamo prisoner #333, Muhamad Attik al-Harbi, and prisoner #372, Said Ali Shari, were sent to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 9, 2007, according to the Defense Department log of detainees who were released from American custody. Al-Harbi has since changed his name to Muhamad al-Awfi.

Both Saudi nationals have since emerged in leadership roles in Yemen, according to U.S. officials and the men’s own statements on al Qaeda propaganda tapes.

Both of the former Guantanamo detainees are described as military commanders and appear on a January, 2009 video along with the man described as the top leader of al Qaeda in Yemen, Abu Basir Naser al-Wahishi, formerly Osama bin Laden’s personal secretary.”

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/men-believed-northwest-airlines-plot-set-free/story?id=9434065

Huffington Post, Sarah Palin, Birther, Orwellian Lies, Pay to Play Politics, Obama birth certificate, Obama payments to Huffingtonpost.com

“Winston dialed “back numbers” on the telescreen and called for the appropriate issues of the Times, which slid out of
the pneumatic tube after only a few minutes’ delay.  The messages he had received referred to articles or news items
which for one reason or another it was thought necessary to alter, or, as the official phrase had it, to rectify.  For
example, it appeared from the Times of the seventeenth of March that Big Brother, in his speech of the previous day,
had predicted that the South Indian front would remain quiet but that a Eurasian offensive would shortly be launched in
North Africa.  As it happened, the Eurasian Higher Command had launched its offensive in South India and left North
Africa alone.  It was therefore necessary to rewrite a paragraph of Big Brother’s speech in such a way as to make
him predict the thing that had actually happened.”…George Orwell “1984”

 

The Citizen Wells blog has often quoted “1984” by George Orwell and for good reason. Early in 2008 it was apparent we had entered the age of Big Brother in the sheep’s clothing of the Obama camp. It was not just the Obama campaign that was orchestrating the totalitarian control of information. The Mainstream Media, paid or obediently following, presented information that glorified Obama, Big Brother, and belittled or attacked any opposition.

Right on cue, The Huffington Post, one of the paid arms of the Obama camp, has come to Obama’s rescue. The American people are increasingly unhappy with the Obama Administration and are certainly more open to learning the truth about him. Several weeks ago Lou Dobbs asked why doesn’t Obama produce a legitimate birth certificate. Now, in a recent interview, Sarah Palin has stated that she believes Obama’s birth certificate being questioned is fair game. The Obama camp Orwellian attacks are predictable as explained in this Citizen Wells article

“Sarah Palin Goes ‘Birther’: Obama Birth Certificate ‘A Fair Question'”

“Sarah Palin declared on Thursday that the legitimacy of President Obama’s birth certificate is “rightfully” an issue with the American public, and that it is “fair game” for politicians to question Obama’s citizenship.”

“FactCheck.org has done the most comprehensive debunking of the various conspiracy theories related to Obama’s citizenship. Here is their bottom line:”

Read more:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/03/palin-goes-birther-obama_n_379634.html

Notice that The Huffington Post has tagged Sarah Palin with birther. Then they quote the lies and misinformation from FactCheck.org. Lou Dobbs is no fool. He acknowledged that the piece of paper (alleged COLB) provided by the Obama camp is just a piece of paper referring to another piece of paper. The Huffington Post will not ask the simple question, the required jounalistic question, the question that a fifth grader can understand.

Why?

Barack Obama has employed a legion of private and government attorneys to prevent revealing his country of birth. Innocent and eligible persons seeking the office of president do not do that.

Why does The Huffington Post do the bidding of the Obama camp?

Here is one of the reasons.

Remember, the monetary payments below are only from Obama For America and those reported to the FEC. Based on the services provided by The Huffington Post to the Obama camp, the actual total paid should be significantly higher.

DISBURSEMENTS BY PAYEE

OBAMA FOR AMERICA

 

2008 year end

Huffingtonpost.com   55,354.00

2009 third quarter

Huffingtonpost.com    5,000.00

http://query.nictusa.com/pres/

Sarah Palin book tour, 2012 election, Sarah Palin for president?, Smearing Sarah, Attacks on Palin, Attacks on Americans, Obama free pass, Sarah Palin and Going Rogue scrutinized

Sarah Palin, on a book tour to promote her new book, “Going Rogue”, continues to be scrutinized and attacked by the left. Many believe Sarah Palin is preparing for a presidential bid in 2012. Governor Palin states that she cares about this country and will go wherever she is led by God. To many, Sarah Palin represents honest, harding working, patriotic Americans and American Values.

The Examiner, in an article dated November 22, 2009, reveals the level of scrutiny Sarah Palin is receiving as compared to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. 

“Smearing Sarah: Palin’s book dissected by army of fact checkers”

“While the Sarah Palin whirlwind book tour continues and her poll numbers are rising, according to Fox News Channel’s Steve Doocy on Friday morning, newspapers, magazines and broadcast journalists are dissecting her bestselling book Going Rogue.

For example, the Associated Press allegedly assigned 11 reporters to fact checking Palin’s book. Unfortunately, the number of reporters fact checking President Barack Obama’s memoir is unknown. 
In the words of a veteran New York City police detective, “These reporters are trying to put stink on her book tour, her political aspirations and her conservatism.”
 
This is not surprising to many observers who’ve noted that, since her nomination in 2008 as the GOP’s vice presidential candidate, the campaign to devalue and marginalize her has become a passion of many journalists and the left.
 
The denizens of this nation’s newsrooms pride themselves on being our watchdogs within the political realm, however it appeared that in the last presidential election cycle, they were MIA (missing in action).
  
First and foremost, we have the political mystery man, Barack Hussein Obama. The news media — men and women — behaved like star-struck teenyboppers at the mere mention of his name. To say Obama got a pass on anything that could be construed as negative is the epitome of understatement.
 
According to one of Florida’s top talk hosts, Matt Bruce  (News/Talk WSRQ) there is a laundry list of facts that were either unreported, underreported or dismissed as being irrelevant:
 
When Obama wrote a book and said he was mentored as a youth by Frank, (Frank Marshall Davis) an avowed Communist. The media said it didn’t matter and failed to report it. 
 
When it was discovered that his grandparents, were strong socialists, sent Obama’s mother to a socialist school, introduced Frank Marshall Davis to young Obama, the media said it didn’t matter and didn’t report it.
 
When people found out that he was enrolled as a Muslim child in school and his father and step father were both Muslims, the media said it didn’t matter and it was anti-Islamic to mention it.
 
When he wrote in another book he authored “I will stand with them (Muslims) should the political winds shift in an ugly direction”. The media said it didn’t matter and totally ignored it.
 
When he admitted in his own book that he chose Marxist friends and professors in college, the media said it didn’t matter and went as far as labeling him a political moderate. 
 
When he traveled to Pakistan after college on an unknown national passport, the media said it didn’t matter.
 
When he sought the endorsement of the Marxist party in 1996 as he ran for the Illinois Senate, the media said it doesn’t matter.”
“These are the same media elites who are now delving into every aspect of Sarah Palin’s life in an obvious effort to destroy her politically so that she will not be a threat to the Empty Suit Barack Obama  in 2012.”
Read more: