Category Archives: Government

Government

Obama not natural born citizen, The Blaze, Glenn Beck, Call me, Citizen Wells open thread, September 2, 2010

Obama not natural born citizen, The Blaze, Glenn Beck, Call me, Citizen Wells

“Why has Obama, for over 2 years, employed numerous private and government attorneys to avoid presenting a legitimate birth certificate and college records?”…Citizen Wells and millions of concerned Americans

Glenn Beck stated that he started The Blaze, TheBlaze.com, to counteract misinformation from websites like the Huffington Post. I will not let Beck get away with insulting concerned Americans who question Obama’s eligibility. Especially three star generals.

https://citizenwells.com/2010/09/01/the-blaze-theblaze-com-lakin-court-martial-glenn-beck-v-arianna-huffington/

From the Citizen Wells archives December 28, 2008.

“Why I ask, should not the ‘injunctions and prohibitions’ addressed by
the people in the Constitution to the States and the Legislatures of
States, be enforced by the people through the proposed amendment?” 
“The oath, the most solemn compact which man can make with his Maker,
was to bind the State Legislatures, executive officers, and judges to
sacredly respect the Constitution and all the rights secured by it.”
Rep. Bingham (See Cong. Globe, 39th, 1st Sess., 1090 (1866))

“To understand the intent of the founding fathers in using the words
“natural born citizen”, to define presidential eligibility, one must
first examine any influential documents and opinions from those
involved in crafting the US Constitution. What is clear and indisputable
is the following:

  • A naturalized citizen is a citizen by no act of law such as naturalization.
  • A child born to US citizens on US soil is a natural born citizen.
  • The Naturalization Act of 1790 provided the following:

“the children of citizens of the United States that may
be born beyond Sea, or out of the limits of the United
States, shall be considered as natural born Citizens””

“Vattel’s “The Law of Nations”, written in 1758, was a
valuable reference guide for the founding fathers.

“§ 212. Citizens and natives.
The citizens are the members of the civil society; bound to this society by
certain duties, and subject to its authority, they equally participate in
its advantages. The natives, or natural-born citizens, are those born in the
country, of parents who are citizens.”

“Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice John Jay, on
July 25, 1787, wrote the following to George Washington:

“Permit me to hint, whether it would be wise and seasonable to provide
a strong check to the admission of Foreigners into the administration
of our national Government; and to declare expressly that the commander
in chief of the American army shall not be given to, nor devolve on any
but a natural born citizen.””

“The Lightfoot lawsuit in CA states the obvious:

“This letter shows that the meaning of natural born citizen, is one
without allegiance to any foreign powers, not subject to any foreign
jurisdiction at birth.””

“After the US Constitution was written, further
clarifications can be found

“All persons born in the United States and not subject to any foreign
power, excluding Indians not taxed, are declared to be citizens of the
United States.”

1866, Sec. 1992 of U.S. Revised

“every human being born within the jurisdiction of the United States of
parents not owing allegiance to any foreign sovereignty is, in the
language of your Constitution itself, a natural born citizen.””

“Rep. Bingham on Section 1992 (Cong. Globe, 39th, 1st Sess., 1291 (1866))

“Bingham subscribed to the same view as most everyone in Congress at the
time that in order to be born a citizen of the United States one must be
born within the allegiance of the Nation. Bingham had explained that to
be born within the allegiance of the United States the parents, or more
precisely, the father, must not owe allegiance to some other foreign
sovereignty (remember the U.S. abandoned England’s “natural allegiance”
doctrine). This of course, explains why emphasis of not owing allegiance
to anyone else was the affect of being subject to the jurisdiction of the
United States.””

“United States v. Wong Kim Ark, March 28, 1898 Reveals the following:

“Nevertheless, Congress has persisted from 1795 in rejecting the English
rule and in requiring the alien who would become a citizen of the United
States, in taking on himself the ties binding him to our Government, to
affirmatively sever the ties that bound him to any other.”

“It is beyond dispute that the most vital constituent of the English
common law rule has always been rejected in respect of citizenship of
the United States.”

“Considering the circumstances surrounding the framing of the Constitution,
I submit that it is unreasonable to conclude that “natural-born citizen”
applied to everybody born within the geographical tract known as the United
States, irrespective of circumstances, and that the children of foreigners,
happening to be born to them while passing through the country, whether of
royal parentage or not, or whether of the Mongolian, Malay or other race,
were eligible to the Presidency, while children of our citizens, born abroad,
were not.”

“Greisser was born in the State of Ohio in 1867, his father being a German
subject and domiciled in Germany, to which country the child returned.
After quoting the act of 1866 and the Fourteenth Amendment, Mr. Secretary
Bayard said:

Richard Greisser was no doubt born in the United States, but he was on his
birth “subject to a foreign power,” and “not subject to the jurisdiction
of the United States.” He was not, therefore, under the statute and the
Constitution a citizen of the United States by birth, and it is not
pretended that he has any other title to citizenship.”

“And it was to prevent the acquisition of citizenship by the children of
such aliens merely by birth within the geographical limits of the United
States that the words were inserted.

Two months after the statute was enacted, on June 16, 1866, the Fourteenth
Amendment was proposed, and declared ratified July 28, 1868. The first
clause of the first section reads:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State
wherein they reside.

The act was passed and the amendment proposed by the same Congress, and it
is not open to reasonable doubt that the words “subject to the jurisdiction
thereof” in the amendment were used as synonymous with the words “and not
subject to any foreign power” of the act.””

“Perkins v Elg, 307 U.S. 325,328 (1939) differentiates between a US citizen
and a natural born citizen.  Ms. Elg, was born in Brooklyn, NY to an
American mother and a Swedish father was a US citizen, but not a natural
born citizen.”

The entire article can be and should be read here:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2008/12/28/natural-born-citizen-obama-is-not-eligible-obama-birth-certificate-us-constitution-founding-fathers-intent-lawsuits-obama-kenyan-vattel%e2%80%99s-the-law-of-nations-john-jay-berg-donofrio-k/

Obama Iraq speech, Obama truth, Obama takes credit Bush deserves, Citizen Wells open thread, September 1, 2010

Obama Iraq speech, Obama truth, Obama takes credit Bush deserves

From Fox News.

“President Obama’s Oval Office address Tuesday evening was timed to mark the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq, though it also came two months before midterm congressional elections that could hinge on the state of the domestic economy — and Obama didn’t shy from drawing links and contrasts between the two.

Obama portrayed the end of the U.S. combat role in the Iraq as an opportunity to shift more focus to rebuilding the economy, which some economists say is increasingly in danger of falling back into a recession.

“We have spent a trillion dollars at war, often financed by borrowing from overseas. This, in turn, has short-changed investments in our own people, and contributed to record deficits,” he said, adding that too many middle-class families are working harder for less.

The troops in Iraq “have met every test that they faced,” Obama said. “Now, it is our turn. Now, it is our responsibility to honor them by coming together, all of us, and working to secure the dream that so many generations have fought for — the dream that a better life awaits anyone who is willing to work for it and reach for it”.

But Republicans refused to allow Obama to move on without noting the credit they say was due to President Bush for the troop surge in 2007 that ultimately saved a losing war effort. Although Obama had opposed the surge as a senator, Republican leaders said he should have given Bush kudos for its success.

John McCain, the Republican senator who ran against Obama in the 2008 presidential election, called it “a real lack of generosity of spirit.”

“What he should have said: ‘I opposed the surge. I was wrong. I made a mistake and George W. Bush deserves credit for doing something that was very unpopular at the time,'” McCain told Fox News. “Instead he had to say it’s well known that George Bush loves the troops.””

Read more:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/01/obamas-iraq-speech-shifts-focus-economy-draws-gop/

From Citizen Wells archives.

September 15, 2008.

“Obama was criticized by the Kenyan Government for his 2006 visit
to Kenya when he campaigned for his cousin Raila Odinga and
insulted the government. Now we learn that when Obama met with
Iraqi leaders “He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington,“, stated Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. The NY Post has a breaking news article on Obama’s meeting. Here are some exerpts from the article dated Monday, September 15, 2008:

“OBAMA TRIED TO STALL GIS’ IRAQ WITHDRAWAL“

“WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.”

Read more:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/obama-guilty-of-treason-stall-iraq-withdrawal-logan-act-another-illegal-act-kenya-2006-obama-demand-ny-post-september-15-2008-obama-tried-to-stall-gis-iraq-withdrawal/

August 26, 2009

“This Youtube video of the town hall meeting in Kingman, AZ on August 22, 2009, hosted by representative Trent Franks, is a must see. What is compelling about this video is the US Army veteran that served in Iraq speaking the truth about our presence there, media bias from the likes of CNN and the fact that the Iraqis voted for the first time. The Army veteran also lauded the US Constitution as the law of the land and went on to praise George Bush as a much better commander in chief than Barack Obama.

Representative Franks held another town hall meeting last night, August 25, 2009. If a video surfaces from that meeting, please forward the info.
“I don’t know this guy, but I want to say thanks. And to all those who serve in the the United States Armed Forces, thank you. You sign your lives away for the freedom of others. There are no greater heroes in this country.””

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/trent-franks-town-hall-meeting-kingman-az-iraq-veteran-cnn-army-veteran-on-us-constitution-truth-about-iraq-arizona-town-hall-youtube-video/

Lt Col Terry Lakin update, Three star general supports Lakin, Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney affidavit, American Patriot Foundation

Lt Col Terry Lakin update, Three star general supports Lakin, Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney affidavit

Here is an update from American Patriot Foundation on the Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney affidavit in support of Lt Col Terry Lakin.

“McInerney’s affidavit can be viewed at www.safeguardourconstitution.com. The following are extracts:

The President of the United States, as the Commander in Chief, is the source of all military authority. The Constitution requires the President to be a natural born citizen in order to be eligible to hold office. If he is ineligible under the Constitution to serve in that office that creates a break in the chain of command of such magnitude that its significance can scarcely be imagined.

As a practical example from my background I recall commanding forces that were equipped with nuclear weapons. In my command capacity I was responsible that personnel with access to these weapons had an unwavering and absolute confidence in the unified chain of command, because such confidence was absolutely essential– vital– in the event the use of those weapons was authorized. I cannot overstate how imperative it is to train such personnel to have confidence in the unified chain of command. Today, because of the widespread and legitimate concerns that the President is constitutionally ineligible to hold office, I fear what would happen should such a crisis occur today.

In refusing to obey orders because of his doubts as to their legality, LTC Lakin has acted exactly as proper training dictates. That training mandates that he determine in his own conscience that an order is legal before obeying it…Indeed, he has publicly stated that he “invites” his own court martial, and were I the Convening Authority, I would have acceded to his wishes in that regard. But thus stepping up the bar, LTC Lakin is demonstrating the courage of his convictions and his bravery. That said, it is equally essential that he be allowed access to the evidence that will prove whether he made the correct decision.

For the foregoing reasons, it is my opinion that LTC Lakin’s request for discovery relating to the President’s birth records in Hawaii is absolutely essential to determining not merely his guilt or innocence but to reassuring all military personnel once and for all for this President whether his service as Commander in Chief is Constitutionally proper. He is the one single person in the Chain of Command that the Constitution demands proof of natural born citizenship. This determination is fundamental to our Republic, where civilian control over the military is the rule. According to our Constitution, the Commander in Chief must now, in the face of serious– and widely held– concerns that he is ineligible, either voluntarily establish his eligibility by authorizing release of his birth records or this court must authorize their discovery. The invasion of his privacy in these records is utterly trivial compared to the issues at stake here. Our military MUST have confidence”

Read more:

http://www.safeguardourconstitution.com/press-release/aug-31-three-star-general-swears-affidavit.html

Miki Booth speaker, Philip J Berg, Obama eligibility birth certificate rally, October 23, 2010

Miki Booth speaker, Philip J Berg, Obama eligibility birth certificate rally, October 23, 2010

**  Update Below  **

I received the following from Miki Booth this afternoon.

“Guys,
I will be speaking at this rally on OCTOBER 23 at the U.S. Capitol in DC Saturday October 23, 2010 12 noon to 4PM
Bring your birth certificates and meet Phil Berg (1st attorney to file a lawsuit against BO/BS), myself and others.
Please forward this to everyone on your lists and download and print the flyer to pass out at upcoming rallies and town halls. Mr. Berg personally handed out over 3,000 flyers at the Restoring Honor event. EVERYONE WANTED ONE!!
 For liberty!
Miki
obamacrimes.com
 


Miki Booth
Founder, Route 66 TEA Party
FairTax Community Coordinator
Patriotic Resistance OK Dist. 2 Coordinator
District Leader GOOOH
Former Candidate U.S. Congress”

** Update August 31, 2010 5:30 PM ET **

From Miki Booth:

” I will not speak at his rally however I still think its important for the flyers to get around because they might reach someone hearing about the issue for the first time so if you’ve sent them out that is fine.”

Margaret Hemenway interview, Lt Col Lakin spokeswoman, Andrea Shea King show, Citizen Wells open thread, August 29, 2010

Margaret Hemenway interview, Lt Col Lakin spokeswoman, Andrea Shea King show

From a Andrea Shea King article and interview on August 23, 2010

“The quiet military support for Lt. Col. Terry Lakin”
“No vacation for Obama over eligibility questions

About half the nation was aware of the concern over the absence of public documentation of Barack Obama’s eligibility to be president a year ago.  A few months ago the dispute got top billing on CNN, and just a few days ago a new poll revealed six of 10 Americans are uncertain the president was born in the U.S.”  

“Tonight Margaret Calhoun Hemenway, spokeswoman for Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, an Army medical doctor who has challenged Obama’s eligibility to serve as Commander-in-Chief, joins us on The ANDREA SHEA KING SHOW to discuss Lt. Col. Lakin’s case. Hemenway’s father-in-law John Hemenway represented a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits against Obama, Hollister v. Soetoro, which was dismissed by Judge John Robertson, who wrote in his opinion that Obama’s eligibility had been “blogged, texted, twittered and otherwise massaged” before the election.”
Interview:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/askshow/2010/08/24/the-andrea-shea-king-show
Read more:

http://radiopatriot.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/the-quiet-military-support-for-lt-col-terry-lakin/#comment-4056

USS Cole trial on hold, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, Obama administration, Political decision

USS Cole trial on hold, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, Obama administration, Political decision

From the Washington Post.

“The Obama administration has shelved the planned prosecution of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged coordinator of the Oct. 2000 suicide attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, according to a court filing.
The decision at least temporarily scuttles what was supposed to be the signature trial of a major al-Qaeda figure under a reformed system of military commissions. And it comes practically on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the attack, which killed 17 sailors and wounded dozens when a boat packed with explosives ripped a hole in the side of the warship in the port of Aden.

In a filing this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department said that “no charges are either pending or contemplated with respect to al-Nashiri in the near future.”

The statement, tucked into a motion to dismiss a petition by Nashiri’s attorneys, suggests that the prospect of further military trials for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has all but ground to a halt, much as the administration’s plan to try the accused plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in federal court has stalled.
Only two cases are moving forward at Guantanamo Bay, and both were sworn and referred for trial by the time Obama took office. In January 2009, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates directed the Convening Authority for Military Commissions to stop referring cases for trial, an order that 20 months later has not been rescinded.

Military officials said a team of prosecutors in the Nashiri case has been ready go to trial for some time. And several months ago, military officials seemed confident that Nashiri would be arraigned this summer.

“It’s politics at this point,” said one military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss policy. He said he thinks the administration does not want to proceed against a high-value detainee without some prospect of civilian trials for other major figures at Guantanamo Bay.”

Read more:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082606353.html?wprss=rss_nation

Shirley Sherrod story, Rest of story, Media coverage, Pigford v Glickman, Obama, Citizen Wells open thread, August 27, 2010

Shirley Sherrod story, Rest of story, Media coverage, Pigford v Glickman, Obama

Has anyone out there heard Fox or any other major media player cover the complete Shirley Sherrod story and her connection to the controversy in the Pigford v Glickman payouts to black farmers? This story has been hovering in my mind for several weeks.

On February 23, 2010 Drill Down reported the following.

“Last Thursday, February 18th, 2010; the United States Department of Agriculture agreed to pay “Black Farmers” an additional 1.25 billion dollars to settle a previously “settled” class action discrimination suit.”

“Accordingly, in the 2008 “Farms Bill” House version known as “H.R.2419 Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008” section “4012. DETERMINATION ON MERITS OF PIGFORD CLAIMS,” inserted 100 million dollars for money to be paid for those claimants denied due to untimely filing. A corresponding provision was inserted into the Senate version of the Bill by then Senator Barack Obama. In a public statement, NBFA President John Boyd Jr. explained that it would take “billions” to settle the claims, but that “he had to accept” the 100 million to keep the suit alive.

Last Thursday, Obama, Holder, and the USDA, proved Boyd correct by agreeing to pay an additional 1.15 billion dollars to honor the “late” filers under the original settlement. There are now more than 70,000 claims of discrimination pending adjudication. Yes, that’s 70,000 IN ADDITION TO the original 22,000 claims; making the total number of claims almost 100,000. Or, roughly 4 times more than the total number of black farms in existence at the time of the alleged discrimination. The allocated funds which now exceed 2 billion dollars, will clearly be insufficient to honor all of the pending claims.”

Read more:

http://drilldown.blogtownhall.com/2010/02/23/back_door_reparations___pigford_ii_-_usda_settlement.thtml

American Thinker reported the following on July 21, 2010.

“Shirley Sherrod’s quick dismissal from the Obama administration may have had less to do with her comments on race before the NAACP than her long involvement in the aptly named Pigford case, a class action against the US government on behalf of black farmers alleging that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) had discriminated against black farmers during the period from 1983 through 1997.”

“So where does Sherrod come into this picture?  In a special to the Washington Examiner, Tom Blumer explains  that Sherrod and the group she formed along with family members and others, New Communities. Inc. received the largest single settlement under Pigford.
 … New Communities is due to receive approximately $13 million ($8,247,560 for loss of land and $4,241,602 for loss of income; plus $150,000 each to Shirley and Charles for pain and suffering). There may also be an unspecified amount in forgiveness of debt. This is the largest award so far in the minority farmers law suit (Pigford vs Vilsack).
What makes this even more interesting to me is that Charles appears to be Charles Sherrod, who was a big player in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the early 1960s.  The SNCC was the political womb that nurtured the Black Power movement and the Black Panthers before it faded away.
Blumer has some questions about this settlement and about Sherrod’s rapid departure from the USDA
•Was Ms. Sherrod’s USDA appointment an unspoken condition of her organization’s settlement?
•How much “debt forgiveness” is involved in USDA’s settlement with New Communities?
•Why were the Sherrods so deserving of a combined $300,000 in “pain and suffering” payments — amounts that far exceed the average payout thus far to everyone else? ($1.15 billion divided by 16,000 is about $72,000)?
•Given that New Communities wound down its operations so long ago (it appears that this occurred sometime during the late 1980s), what is really being done with that $13 million in settlement money?
Here are a few bigger-picture questions:
•Did Shirley Sherrod resign so quickly because the circumstances of her hiring and the lawsuit settlement with her organization that preceded it might expose some unpleasant truths about her possible and possibly sanctioned conflicts of interest?
•Is USDA worried about the exposure of possible waste, fraud, and abuse in its handling of Pigford?
•Did USDA also dispatch Sherrod hastily because her continued presence, even for another day, might have gotten in the way of settling Pigford matters quickly?”

Read more:

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/07/forty_acres_a_mule_sherrod_sty.html

From BigGovernment.com August 26, 2010.

““After all the friendly gestures between Secretary Vilsack and Mrs. Sherrod, there are still several questions unanswered. Why is Secretary Vilsack taking responsibility for the decision when Mrs. Sherrod has maintained she was contacted by the White House? Did the White House demand Secretary Vilsack fire Mrs. Sherrod? Is she still being paid by the federal government? Has Mrs. Sherrod agreed not to file another lawsuit against Secretary Vilsack or the federal government? Was Shirley Sherrod granted an additional settlement in exchange for her silence and an agreement not to sue Vilsack again? Why is Mrs. Sherrod filing suit against Andrew Breitbart, but hugging the man who fired her?””

Read more:

http://biggovernment.com/publius/2010/08/26/pigford-vilsack-sherrod-press-conference-raises-serious-questions/

Is this story being covered?

Unemployment facts, Bush tax cuts, Democrat Congress is problem, Socialist President and Congress bigger problem, Citizen Wells open thread, August 25, 2010

Unemployment facts, Bush tax cuts, Democrat Congress is problem, Socialist President and Congress bigger problem

The Bush Tax Cuts were enacted in 2003 with a Republican president and Congress. The Democrats took control of Congress in 2006. Many lies about the economy and unemployment rate have been told, including consistently by Obama. These numbers do not lie.

Historical unemployment rates
Dec-2002 6.0% 
Jan-2003 5.8%  
Feb-2003 5.9%  
Mar-2003 5.9%  
Apr-2003 6.0%  
May-2003 6.1%  
Jun-2003 6.3%  
Jul-2003 6.2%  
Aug-2003 6.1%  
Sep-2003 6.1%  
Oct-2003 6.0%  
Nov-2003 5.8%  
Dec-2003 5.7%  
Jan-2004 5.7%  
Feb-2004 5.6%  
Mar-2004 5.8%  
Apr-2004 5.6%  
May-2004 5.6%  
Jun-2004 5.6%  
Jul-2004 5.5%  
Aug-2004 5.4%  
Sep-2004 5.4%  
Oct-2004 5.5%  
Nov-2004 5.4%  
Dec-2004 5.4%  
Jan-2005 5.3%  
Feb-2005 5.4%  
Mar-2005 5.2%  
Apr-2005 5.2%  
May-2005 5.1%  
Jun-2005 5.0%  
Jul-2005 5.0%  
Aug-2005 4.9%  
Sep-2005 5.0%  
Oct-2005 5.0%  
Nov-2005 5.0%  
Dec-2005 4.9%  
Jan-2006 4.7%  
Feb-2006 4.8%  
Mar-2006 4.7%  
Apr-2006 4.7%  
May-2006 4.6%  
Jun-2006 4.6%  
Jul-2006 4.7%  
Aug-2006 4.7%  
Sep-2006 4.5%  
Oct-2006 4.4%  
Nov-2006 4.5%  
Dec-2006 4.4%  
Jan-2007 4.6%  
Feb-2007 4.5%  
Mar-2007 4.4%  
Apr-2007 4.5%  
May-2007 4.4%  
Jun-2007 4.6%  
Jul-2007 4.6%  
Aug-2007 4.6%  
Sep-2007 4.7%  
Oct-2007 4.7%  
Nov-2007 4.7%  
Dec-2007 5.0%  
Jan-2008 5.0%  
Feb-2008 4.8%  
Mar-2008 5.1%  
Apr-2008 5.0%  
May-2008 5.4%  
Jun-2008 5.5%  
Jul-2008 5.8%  
Aug-2008 6.1%  
Sep-2008 6.2%  
Oct-2008 6.6%  
Nov-2008 6.9%  
Dec-2008 7.4%

Blagojevich trial January 2011?, Judge James Zagel, Public defenders, Citizen Wells open thread, August 24, 2010

Blagojevich trial January 2011?, Judge James Zagel, Public defenders

From the Chicago Tribune August 23, 2010.

“At a private meeting last week with lawyers in the case, U.S. District Judge James Zagel said he was eyeing January for a second trial and suggested he would appoint two attorneys for Blagojevich at taxpayer expense, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Blagojevich’s legal team of seven lawyers was paid from his campaign funds for the first trial, but taxpayers will have to foot the bill for the retrial because the $2.7 million in campaign money ran out.

No date for a retrial has been picked, and the matter remains fluid, those with knowledge of the meeting said. The attorneys are scheduled to meet for a public status hearing in front of Zagel on Thursday.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/blagojevich/ct-met-blagojevich-retrial-0824-20100823,0,7833059.story

LTC Terry Lakin, CNN retraction of defamatory comments, Citizen Wells open thread, August 16, 2010

LTC Terry Lakin, CNN retraction of defamatory comments

From American Patriot Foundation a few minutes ago.

 
“PRESS RELEASE
 
ARMY DOCTOR LTC TERRY LAKIN SUCCESSFUL IN DEMAND FOR CNN TO RETRACT DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS
 
JEFFREY TOOBIN WITHDRAWS VICIOUS STATEMENT HE MADE ABOUT LAKIN SAYS HE NEVER INTENDED THEM TO APPLY TO DECORATED ARMY DOCTOR
Washington, D.C., August 16, 2010. The Army doctor who is being court martialled for refusing to obey orders has demanded – and received – a retraction from CNN of defamatory comments made by Jeffrey Toobin about Lakin.
 
Lakin appeared on the “Anderson Cooper 360” program with his lead counsel, Paul Rolf Jensen on May 7, 2010. A few days later, CNN aired on the same program a panel discussion with three lawyers, the purpose of which was to discuss LTC Lakin and his case. During that program, the following colloquy took place between Messrs. Cooper and Toobin, and a photo of LTC Lakin was displayed during Mr. Toobin’s remarks:
 
COOPER: It is sad, this guy has given 18 years of service, apparently served honorably, was a doctor, and then seems to be tossing out his career for this. I mean there are principled stands you can take…
 
TOOBIN: In your interview you kept saying what an honorable man he is. You know, as they say at the Supreme Court, I think I dissent. You know, these people are bigots, they’re racists, they’re freaks, they’re lunatics, these are not rational players in American politics…
 
On June 8, 2010, Jensen wrote CNN President Jonathan Klein as well as Mr. Toobin. In that letter, Jensen wrote: “Mr. Toobin’s statement is patently false. LTC Lakin is neither irrational, a racist, a bigot, a freak, or a lunatic. Nor is there any rational basis to conclude he is any of these things, which of course was Mr. Cooper’s point. Mr. Toobin, unlike Mr. Cooper, made this statement without ever speaking with LTC Lakin (or likely anyone that knows him.) Mr. Toobin’s statement was understood to pertain to LTC Lakin and appears to have been made with actual malice, and particularly in the context given, which is Mr. Toobin contradicting Mr. Cooper saying LTC Lakin’s professional service was honorable, attacks my client’s professional character and standing.
 
For these reasons, Mr. Toobin’s statement constitutes per se defamation, and is unconscionable, and LTC Lakin demands it be immediately retracted, on air during the “Anderson Cooper 360″ program. Your failure to make such a retraction will leave us no choice but to sue for defamation without further notice or demand.”
 
Immediately upon receipt of Jensen’s letter, CNN’s Vice President and General Counsel David Vigilante contacted Jensen, and although he denied the statement was defamatory, he agreed that CNN would require Toobin to retract the statement, and true to his word, last month this is exactly what aired:
 
TOOBIN: Anderson, can I just add one point on an unrelated matter?
 
COOPER: Sure. Yes.
 
TOOBIN: A couple of weeks ago, we did a story about Lieutenant Colonel Terrence Lakin. He is the officer who has tried to get out of military service because he believes that President Obama was not born in the United States. He’s one of the so-called birthers. In the course of that report, I made the statement that a lot of the birthers are bigots and racists and there was a picture of Lakin behind me.
 
I didn’t mean to suggest that he was a bigot and a racist. I was just talking more generally. And I also should correct myself. He wasn’t trying to get out of military service. He is the subject of a court Martial, that’s why we were doing the story. But I didn’t mean to imply that about him.
 
COOPER: OK, Jeff, thanks.
 
The videos can be viewed on the website of the American Patriot Foundation, www.safeguardourconstitution.com.
 
LTC Lakin accepts this second statement as a complete retraction of the first. Although it is regrettable that it took Jensen’s threat of litigation to compel Toobin to take back his vile words, the fact remains that CNN did the right thing in airing this retraction. “The matter is now closed,” Lakin stated today. “CNN and Toobin did the right thing to clear my name, and while I was ready to file suit if necessary to protect my reputation, I am glad my attorney was successful without having to do so.”
 
Lakin is a Lt. Colonel with almost 18 years of unblemished service to the Army, with six tours of duty abroad, including tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan. He is a physician and has been awarded the Bronze Star for his service. He believes that his oath to support and defend the United States Constitution has compelled him to act as he has, because President Obama’s eligibility under the Constitution to hold office has been seriously questioned, and the President has refused all requests to release documents claimed to exist which could determine his eligibility.
 
Immediately prior to Lakin’s refusal to deploy, his commander, COL Dale Block wrote of Lakin, “Dr. Lakin is an extremely talented, highly knowledgeable senior Army clinician…he can always be counted on to provide me with expert advice…LTC Lakin is clearly one of the top clinicians in the Northern Regional Medical Command. He has superb clinical skills, rapport with patients and staff…Terry is the best choice for tough assignments…Already on the promotion list to Colonel, he should be groomed for positions of greater responsibility.” COL Block concluded by describing LTC Lakin as “best qualified” and recommended that LTC Lakin be selected for duty as a Clinic Commander (in other words, Block’s own position).
 
The American Patriot Foundation, a non-profit group incorporated in 2003 to foster appreciation and respect for the U.S. Constitution, which has established a fund for Lakin’s legal defense to LTC Lakin. Further details are available on the Foundation’s website, www.safeguardourconstitution.com.
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For further information, contact: Margaret Hemenway at (202) 725-7659
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