Monthly Archives: March 2011
At Least 75 Killed In Myanmar Earthquake
At Least 75 Killed In Myanmar Earthquake – NewsMeat
At least 75 people were killed and hundreds left homeless Friday after a strong earthquake hit Myanmar, with fears that the death toll could rise significantly.
Buildings were flattened close to the epicentre while terrified residents fled their homes as tremors were felt as far away as Bangkok, Hanoi and parts of China when the magnitude 6.8 quake hit late on Thursday.
Myanmar state television confirmed a toll of 74 dead and 111 injured.
Nearly 400 homes collapsed in four villages and towns close to the epicentre, the broadcaster said, with nine government offices also destroyed in badly-hit Tarlay town. Several monasteries were also smashed.
Across the border, Thai authorities said a 52-year-old woman was killed in Mae Sai district after a wall in her house collapsed. Sixteen people, including seven Myanmar and five Chinese nationals, were hurt in the quake.
In Yangon Chris Herink, Myanmar country director for the charity World Vision, said there were reports that the number of people killed had increased.
“The latest unconfirmed number is 140 so it is a worrying trend definitely,” he said.
Explaining the high death toll in Myanmar, he said “it’s the time of day combined with the severity of the quake and also obviously the construction standards of the homes”.
Tarlay, where the hospital collapsed during the quake, was the worst affected township, according to teams in the area.
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“As we go further into these areas we see collapsed houses, broken roads, destroyed monasteries and government buildings,” he said.
World Vision helps care for around 7,000 children sponsored by overseas donors in the affected areas and the organisation is seeking out those youngsters as a priority.
The charity was able to distribute 1,500 litres of water and food for 1,350 people and Herink said the government had successfully activated its emergency response plans.
A Myanmar official told AFP earlier that “the military, police and local authorities are trying to find some people injured in those affected areas but the roads are still closed”.
In Myanmar’s fledgling parliament, formed after controversial elections in November last year, legislators put forward a proposal for official condolences to those killed in the quake.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) issued a report on the situation on Friday.
It said the “risk of landslides remains high” in affected areas and said it had received reports of “sporadic disruption of basic facilities, including electricity, water supply, telecommunications”.
Ben Phillips, of Save the Children in Bangkok, said the organisation was trying to assess the situation in Myanmar.
“This is harder as the area affected is more remote. Whilst remoteness may limit the earthquake’s impact it also makes it harder to get all the information on impact quickly. It may take days,” he said.
Aftershocks continued into Friday following the earthquake.
No tsunami warning was issued after the Myanmar quake as US seismologists said it was too far inland to generate a devastating wave in the Indian Ocean.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially recorded the quake as magnitude 7.0, but later revised it down to 6.8.
Rebel Commander In Libya Fought Against U.S. In Afghanistan
Rebel Commander In Libya Fought Against U.S. In Afghanistan – Pajamas Media
Shortly after unrest broke out in eastern Libya in mid-February, reports emerged that an “Islamic Emirate” had been declared in the eastern Libyan town of Darnah and that, furthermore, the alleged head of that Emirate, Abdul-Hakim al-Hasadi, was a former detainee at the American prison camp in Guantánamo. The reports, which originated from Libyan government sources, were largely ignored or dismissed in the Western media.
Now, however, al-Hasadi has admitted in an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore that he fought against American forces in Afghanistan. (Hat-tip: Thomas Joscelyn at the Weekly Standard.) Al-Hasadi says that he is the person responsible for the defense of Darnah – not the town’s “Emir.” In a previous interview with Canada’s Globe and Mail, he claimed to have a force of about 1,000 men and to have commanded rebel units in battles around the town of Bin Jawad.
“I have never been at Guantánamo,” al-Hasadi explained to Il Sole 24 Ore. “I was captured in 2002 in Peshawar in Pakistan, while I was returning from Afghanistan where I fought against the foreign invasion. I was turned over to the Americans, detained for a few months in Islamabad, then turned over to Libya and released from prison in 2008.”
Al-Hasadi’s account is largely confirmed by investigations conducted by Praveen Swami, the diplomatic editor of the British daily The Telegraph. Swami originally wrote about al-Hasadi’s background in the Afghan jihad in a March 21 column. In response to a query from the present author, Swami was able to obtain confirmation of al-Hasadi’s arrest and transfer to Libya from what he describes as a “senior source” in the Afghan government.
According to a separate UK intelligence source contacted by Swami, al-Hasadi was released by the Libyan government as part of a deal that was struck with the al-Qaeda-affiliated Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIGF). The LIGF has long opposed the rule of Muammar al-Gaddafi in Libya.
On February 25, al-Hasadi had issued an ambiguous statement claiming that he had been a “political prisoner” and accusing the “Dictator Gaddafi” of spreading “lies.” Al-Jazeera provides an English translation of the statement here. (Scroll down to “12:46pm”.) A video of al-Hasadi reading his statement is available here.
In his more recent remarks to Il Sole 24 Ore, al-Hasadi admits not only to fighting against U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but also to recruiting Libyans to fight against American forces in Iraq. As noted in my earlier PJM report here, captured al-Qaeda personnel records show that al-Hasadi’s hometown of Darnah sent more foreign fighters to fight with al-Qaeda in Iraq than any other foreign city or town and “far and away the largest per capita number of fighters.” Al-Hasadi told Il Sole 24 Ore that he personally recruited “around 25” Libyans to fight in Iraq. “Some have come back and today are on the front at Ajdabiya,” al-Hasadi explained, “They are patriots and good Muslims, not terrorists.” “The members of al-Qaeda are also good Muslims and are fighting against the invader,” al-Hasadi added.
The revelations about al-Hasadi’s involvement in the anti-American jihad are particularly troubling in light of clear evidence that Western forces are coordinating their attacks on Libyan government targets with rebel forces.
Reporting from the outskirts of Ajdabiya on Wednesday, Antoine Estève of the French news channel i-Télé noted that just “minutes” after rebel positions had been hit by artillery fire from Libyan government forces, the Libyan government positions were then bombarded by coalition aircraft. (Estève’s report can be viewed here.) In a March 19 dispatch from Benghazi for the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, correspondent Lorenzo Cremonesi cites rebel leaders as saying that they were given the opportunity to provide NATO with a map indicating enemy targets that they wanted bombed.
Senator Calls Union Advertisement Using OKC Bombing Images ‘Tasteless’
Senator Calls Union Advertisement Using OKC Bombing Images ‘Tasteless’ – NewsOK
A state senator today blasted a firefighter union television advertisement as “horrific and tasteless” for using images of the Oklahoma City bombing to make a case against his bill.
The advertisement by the International Association of Firefighters began airing today.
It asks residents to oppose Senate Bill 826, which changes how public safety labor unions and cities handle contract disputes.
Several images of firefighters are used in the commercial, including a short clip of the remnants of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building after it was bombed April 19, 1995.
When the image of the bombed Murrah Building is shown in the commercial, a narrator says: “We’re there when you need us. Now we need you. Tell politicians to do what’s right: Oppose SB 826 and support Oklahoma’s firefighters.”
“The AFL-CIO and the IAFF should be ashamed of this horrific and tasteless commercial,” said Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City. “The victims and heroes of April 19th are not political pawns to be exploited whenever the Legislature seeks to reform a union negotiating process.”
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Holt, a trustee for the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, asked that the commercial be taken off the airwaves.
SB 826, by Holt, has passed the Senate and is awaiting a hearing in the House. It makes changes to binding arbitration, a process used to settle collective bargaining disputes between cities and public safety labor unions.
The bill has the support of dozens of mayors, city council members and city managers, as well as the state police union.
But the firefighter union opposes the bill, saying nothing is wrong with binding arbitration and it shouldn’t be changed.
Holt has argued that the current binding arbitration process is unfair to taxpayers because it often results in an out-of-state arbitrator deciding how to handle collective bargaining disputes that can involve millions of dollars of taxpayer money.
Among the proposals in his bill is giving preference to Oklahoma arbitrators if arbitration is needed. Holt worked on the bill with firefighter union lobbyists, but they couldn’t come to an agreement.
An International Association of Firefighters spokesman said today he had not heard Holt’s criticism and would review it before commenting.
DOJ Sues On Behalf Of Muslim Teacher
DOJ Sues On Behalf Of Muslim Teacher – Sweetness & Light
In the rush of events we have not yet gotten to this story from last week, via a surprisingly questioning Washington Post:
Justice Department sues on behalf of Muslim teacher, triggering debate
By Jerry Markon, Tuesday, March 22, 2011
BERKELEY, Ill. — Safoorah Khan had taught middle school math for only nine months in this tiny Chicago suburb when she made an unusual request. She wanted three weeks off for a pilgrimage to Mecca.
The school district, faced with losing its only math lab instructor during the critical end-of-semester marking period, said no. Khan, a devout Muslim, resigned and made the trip anyway.
Justice Department lawyers examined the same set of facts and reached a different conclusion: that the school district’s decision amounted to outright discrimination against Khan. They filed an unusual lawsuit, accusing the district of violating her civil rights by forcing her to choose between her job and her faith.
Several questions come to mind. What was Ms. Khan’s urgency here? She was not forced to make any choice. There is a Hajj every year. And since the Muslim calendar slides, it will undoubtedly occur sometime when she would have been off from work for “Winter Festival” anyway.
And why should it take three weeks to go to Mecca? Was she going to go there by boat? Once there, the required rituals, such as devil stoning, can all be performed within three days.
Furthermore, a Muslim is under no obligation to perform a Hajj if they cannot do so because of any significant obstacle – such as one’s job.
Lastly, and of course most importantly, why should the federal government get involved in such matters? Isn’t this establishing a religion? Or would the Justice Department go to bat for someone who wanted time off to celebrate a pagan holiday like ‘May Day,’ or even a made up holiday such as ‘Festivus’?
As the case moves forward in federal court in Chicago, it has triggered debate over whether the Justice Department was following a purely legal path or whether suing on Khan’s behalf was part of a broader Obama administration campaign to reach out to Muslims.
And by “reach out to” the Washington Post means ‘pander to.’ Besides, how can there be any question over this?
The decision to take on a small-town school board has drawn criticism from conservatives and Berkeley officials, who say the government should not be standing behind a teacher who wanted to leave her students.
And we thought “conservatives” were supposed to be such nuts about religion.
The lawsuit, filed in December, may well test the boundaries of how far employers must go to accommodate workers’ religious practices — a key issue as the nation grows more multicultural and the Muslim population increases…
Isn’t it odd, given how many religions are now represented in our country, how many of these problems are being caused by Muslims?
[T]he Obama administration [claim] that they are upholding a sacred principle: the right of every American to be free of religious bias in the workplace. “This was a profoundly personal request by a person of faith,” said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights, who compared the case to protecting “the religious liberty that our forefathers came to this country for.”
So the Department Of Justice is now going to become the arbiter of what is a religious right. Indeed, the government is now making itself the judge of what even constitutes a religion.
What is to stop someone from declaring themselves to be an extremely devout Catholic and demanding that they get off from work on every ‘holy day’ every ‘feast day’ and ‘every Saint day’ on the ecclesiastical calendar? (Which make up practically half the year.)
What is to stop someone from making up their own religion, and insisting that they get time off from work whenever it suits them?
Perez denied any political motive in the Berkeley lawsuit, saying it was pursued in part to fight “a real head wind of intolerance against Muslim communities.”
It seems to us that Mr. Perez just admitted that there is a political motive.
People in the rapidly growing Muslim community in Chicago’s western suburbs praised the Justice Department’s involvement.
“It rings the bell of justice that they will fight for a Muslim wanting to perform a religious act,” said Shaykh Abdool Rahman Khan, resident scholar at the Islamic Foundation mosque near Berkeley. “That certainly can win the hearts of many people in the Muslim world.”…
Who can doubt that this is an effort to placate Muslims around the world?
Who can doubt that this is another victory for Muslim terrorism?
Parents Shocked Daughter Doesn’t Know Pledge Of Allegiance, Push School To Recite It
A Brooklyn school will start reciting the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time in years after a student’s parents learned their daughter didn’t know the patriotic oath.
Despite state and city rules mandating the pledge in public schools, students will only start reciting it next week at Public School 29 in Cobble Hill – apparently one of the many city schools that doesn’t start the day by pledging to the flag.
The push for patriotism at PS 29 began six weeks ago when Joe and Winnie Fischer’s daughter Brianna, 8, saw a class saying the pledge on a TV show.
“She asked what they were doing,” said Joe Fischer, a firefighter, who also has a son at PS 29. “I was shocked that she didn’t know the pledge. I thought she’d been doing it in school.”
The couple met with the school’s principal, Melanie Woods, who agreed to have the pledge broadcast over the public address system after spirited meetings with teachers and parents, as well as an educational unit for kids.
But while all schools must lead students in the pledge every day, students can’t by law be forced to recite it or stand during it.
“The bottom line is we don’t want children to feel uncomfortable about their decision to say it or to refrain from saying it,” said Woods. “It’s a huge teachable moment.”
Not all parents at the school want to bring back the tradition. One father, worried his kids would be harassed for refraining, called it “social coercion.” Others think it’s simply not necessary.
“One of the best things about New York City is the diversity, and I think having the pledge in school could make kids from other countries unsure of their place here,” said Ana Cecelia, whose son, Ian, is in kindergarten at PS 29.
The pledge controversy last emerged in the city after the Sept. 11 attacks, when parents and politicians realized many schools were skipping the morning ritual.
The Board of Education passed a resolution in October 2001, reinforcing a state law already on the books.
But the passion over the subject seemed to have subsided, with many schools no longer bothering with the time-honored oath.
Posing as a prospective parent, the Daily News called 10 public schools throughout the city to see if they recite the pledge every day. Only half said they did.
Even the Spruce St. school – housed in the basement of the Education Department’s Tweed headquarters – doesn’t comply.
Most Spruce St. parents, however, only shrugged when asked if they cared either way.
“I’m indifferent,” said Vanessa Lowmendelson, who has a 6-year-old daughter in first grade.
Fed: Household Wealth Down 23% In 2 Years
Fed: Household Wealth Down 23% In 2 Years – CNN
The average American family’s household net worth declined 23% between 2007 and 2009, the Federal Reserve said Thursday.
A rare survey of U.S. households, first performed in 2007 but repeated in 2009 in order to gauge the effects of the recession, reveals the median net worth of households fell from $125,000 in 2007 to $96,000 in 2009.
Titled “Surveying the Aftermath of the Storm,” the report offers a broad look at how the financial crisis impacted individual households.
It is widely known that the 2008 financial crisis resulted in the vaporization of trillions of dollars in household wealth. But Federal Reserve officials said Thursday the new report offers a look at exactly how hard the recession hit families, and how they reacted.
The numbers paint a stark picture.
Families that owned stock saw their portfolios drop by more than a third to $12,000 from $18,500, on average. The value of primary real estate holdings decreased by an average of $18,700.
And families took on more debt, pushing median total debt levels to $75,600 from $70,300. They also made less money. Media household income dropped from to $49,800 from $50,100.
0:00 /04:41Americans move south
Interestingly, families below the median national income in 2007 actually saw their earnings increase by 2009. Meanwhile, families that started above the national average in 2007 saw their incomes decline.
Families in the top 10% of net worth in 2007 saw their incomes decline by 13% on average, a phenomenon the Fed attributed to large declines in capital gains and in business, farm or self-employment income.
Muslim Brotherhood Is Rising Force In New Egypt
Muslim Brotherhood Is Rising Force In New Egypt – NDTV
In post-revolutionary Egypt, where hope and confusion collide in the daily struggle to build a new nation, religion has emerged as a powerful political force, following an uprising that was based on secular ideals. The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group once banned by the state, is at the forefront, transformed into a tacit partner with the military government that many fear will thwart fundamental changes.
It is also clear that the young, educated secular activists who initially propelled the nonideological revolution are no longer the driving political force — at least not at the moment.
As the best organized and most extensive opposition movement in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood was expected to have an edge in the contest for influence. But what surprises many is its link to a military that vilified it.
“There is evidence the Brotherhood struck some kind of a deal with the military early on,” said Elijah Zarwan, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. “It makes sense if you are the military – you want stability and people off the street. The Brotherhood is one address where you can go to get 100,000 people off the street.”
There is a battle consuming Egypt about the direction of its revolution, and the military council that is now running the country is sending contradictory signals. On Wednesday, the council endorsed a plan to outlaw demonstrations and sit-ins. Then, a few hours later, the public prosecutor announced that the former interior minister and other security officials would be charged in the killings of hundreds during the protests.
Egyptians are searching for signs of clarity in such declarations, hoping to discern the direction of a state led by a secretive military council brought to power by a revolution based on demands for democracy, rule of law and an end to corruption.
“We are all worried,” said Amr Koura, 55, a television producer, reflecting the opinions of the secular minority. “The young people have no control of the revolution anymore. It was evident in the last few weeks when you saw a lot of bearded people taking charge. The youth are gone.”
The Muslim Brotherhood is also regarded warily by some religious Egyptians, who see it as an elitist, secret society. These suspicions have created potential opportunities for other parties.
About six groups from the ultraconservative Salafist school of Islam have also emerged in the era after President Hosni Mubarak’s removal, as well as a party called Al Wassat, intended as a more liberal alternative to the Brotherhood.
In the early stages of the revolution, the Brotherhood was reluctant to join the call for demonstrations. It jumped in only after it was clear that the protest movement had gained traction. Throughout, the Brotherhood kept a low profile, part of a survival instinct honed during decades of repression by the state.
The question at the time was whether the Brotherhood would move to take charge with its superior organizational structure. It now appears that it has.
“The Brotherhood didn’t want this revolution; it has never been a revolutionary movement,” said Mr. Zarwan of the International Crisis Group. “Now it has happened; they participated cautiously, and they realize they can set their sights higher.”
But in these early stages, there is growing evidence of the Brotherhood’s rise and the overpowering force of Islam.
When the new prime minister, Essam Sharaf, addressed the crowd in Tahrir Square this month, Mohamed el-Beltagi, a prominent Brotherhood member, stood by his side. A Brotherhood member was also appointed to the committee that drafted amendments to the Constitution.
But the most obvious and consequential example was the recent referendum on the amendments, in the nation’s first post-Mubarak balloting. The amendments essentially call for speeding up the election process so that parliamentary contests can be held before September, followed soon after by a presidential race. That expedited calendar is seen as giving an advantage to the Brotherhood and to the remnants of Mr. Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, which have established national networks. The next Parliament will oversee drafting a new constitution.
Before the vote, Essam el-Erian, a Brotherhood leader and spokesman, appeared on a popular television show, “The Reality,” arguing for the government’s position in favor of the proposal. With a record turnout, the vote was hailed as a success. But the “yes” campaign was based largely on a religious appeal: voters were warned that if they did not approve the amendments, Egypt would become a secular state.
“The problem is that our country will be without a religion,” read a flier distributed in Cairo by a group calling itself the Egyptian Revolution Society. “This means that the call to the prayer will not be heard anymore like in the case of Switzerland, women will be banned from wearing the hijab like in the case of France,” it said, referring to the Muslim head scarf. “And there will be laws that allow men to get married to men and women to get married to women like in the case of America.”
A banner hung by the Muslim Brotherhood in a square in Alexandria instructed voters that it was their “religious duty” to vote “yes” on the amendments.
In the end, 77.2 percent of those who voted said yes.
Wisconsin Appellate Court Punts, Says State Supreme Court Must Rule On Collective Bargaining Bill
Remember, the law’s momentarily in limbo after a trial court judge issued a TRO blocking it on procedural grounds. Today was supposed to be the day the appellate court decided whether to uphold the order or lift it. Which hand would be left holding the hot potato?
Answer: Neither. They’re passing it up the chain.
A state appeals panel said Thursday a case over a new collective bargaining law should go directly to the state Supreme Court.
The move puts the issue squarely before the Supreme Court less than two weeks before Justice David Prosser faces re-election.
It is at the high court’s discretion on whether it takes the case. It is not clear how quickly the court will decide whether to take it and, if it does, how soon it would issue a ruling…
There are two significant issues for the court to address, the decision said. First, the Supreme Court must rule on whether courts can void a law if a committee of the Legislature violates the open meetings law. Second, the high court needs to say whether courts can prevent the secretary of state from publishing a law, thus preventing it from taking effect.
The key issue isn’t whether the legislature can take away collective bargaining from PEUs but rather whether the Republican senate didn’t provide enough advance notice to Democrats before calling the conference committee meeting that led to passage of the CB bill.
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Normally they’re supposed to announce a meeting 24 hours in advance; they can do it in less time if there’s “good cause” – a standard which, one might argue, would be met in this case given that Democrats had fled the state to avoid voting – but even under that more relaxed standard, they may still have moved too quickly. In theory, the whole problem could be solved by following William Jacobson’s advice and simply re-passing the bill with sufficient notice.
Politically, though, it’s problematic: It’ll bring protesters back to the capitol right when things were starting to cool down; it’ll give the fleebaggers a chance to grandstand about the law on the senate floor to energize the left; and it’ll focus the spotlight even more intensely on that supreme court election two weeks from now, which liberals are eyeing as an opportunity to defeat the Republican Prosser and send a message about their strength.
If the legislature re-passes the bill with proper procedure, it would render the current court challenge moot and spare Prosser from having to make a tough decision in the heat of a campaign. But by re-passing it, they’ll bring new heat on themselves by tacitly admitting that their first attempt at passing the bill was flawed. And given the political circumstances, they might not be in the mood for new heat.
Take it for what it’s worth, but grassroots Democrats in Wisconsin now say that they’re more than halfway towards getting the signatures they need for recall elections and are openly predicting that they’ll take back the senate. Exit question: Doesn’t that all but force Republicans in the legislature to take Jacobson’s advice and re-pass it?
The nightmare scenario here is that they do nothing, the bill remains tied up in court for months, the Democrats win the recall elections, and then the bill is ultimately found unconstitutional on procedural grounds. In which case, with a newly Democratic senate, the GOP wouldn’t be able to re-pass it. Act while you still can.
Daily Benefactor News – Dangerous Breach Suspected At Japanese Nuclear Plant
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Dangerous Breach Suspected At Japanese Nuclear Plant – My Way
A suspected breach in the core at one reactor at a stricken Fukushima nuclear plant could mean more serious radioactive contamination, Japanese officials revealed Friday – a situation the prime minister called “very grave and serious.”
A somber Prime Minister Naoto Kan sounded a pessimistic note at a briefing hours after nuclear safety officials said they suspected a breach at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant that would be a major setback in the urgent mission to stop the facility from leaking radiation.
“The situation today at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant is still very grave and serious. We must remain vigilant,” Kan said. “We are not in a position where we can be optimistic. We must treat every development with the utmost care.”
The uncertain situation halted work at the nuclear complex, where dozens had been trying feverishly to stop the overheated plant from leaking dangerous radiation. The plant has leaked some low levels of radiation, but a breach could mean a much larger release of contaminants.
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Kan apologized to farmers and business owners for the toll the radiation has had on their livelihoods: Several countries have halted some food imports from areas near the plant after milk and produce were found to contain elevated levels of radiation.
The prime minister also thanked utility workers, firefighters and military personnel for “risking their lives” to cool the overheated facility.
The alarm Friday comes on a day marking two weeks since the magnitude-9 quake triggered a tsunami that enveloped cities along the northeast coast and knocked out the Fukushima reactor’s cooling system.
Police said the official death toll jumped past 10,000 on Friday. With the cleanup and recovery operations continuing and more than 17,400 listed as missing, the final number of dead was expected to surpass 18,000.
The nuclear crisis has compounded the challenges faced by a nation already saddled with a humanitarian disaster. Much of the frigid northeast remains a scene of despair and devastation, with Japan struggling to feed and house hundreds of thousands of homeless survivors, clear away debris and bury the dead.
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Man Jailed After Arriving To DUI Court With Open Can Of Beer
Man Jailed After Arriving To DUI Court With Open Can Of Beer – Weekly Vice
Keith Gruber, a 49-year-old Swan Lake resident was jailed Monday after he allegedly showed up drunk at DUI court carrying an open can of Busch beer.
According to Sullivan County authorities, Gruber was arrested on December 27th on a felony DWI charge and was booked into jail. He was released after posting $30,000 cash bail and was scheduled to appear in court on March 21st.
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Investigators say Gruber was an hour and a half late for his hearing. When he did finally showed up, he was clearly intoxicated.
Police say Gruber tried to go through the courthouse security checkpoint carrying an open can of Busch beer. He had four other unopened cans stashed away in a black bag which he tried to discard before passing through the checkpoint.
When he appeared before the judge, he was asked if he enjoyed his “liquid lunch.” He admitted that he did, and apologized for his behavior.
The judge ordered him to jail without bond at the conclusion of the hearing pending his next hearing.
Texas House Republicans Pass Bill Requiring Voters To Show Photo ID
Texas House Republicans Pass Bill Requiring Voters To Show Photo ID – Fox News
Texas House Republicans have approved a bill requiring residents to show photo identification before voting amid complaints from Commie-Democrats who know it will prevent illegal aliens from voting for them.
The legislation cleared the House 101-48 Wednesday night after more than 11 hours of debate in which Commie-Democrats repeatedly tried to derail it.
The measure has sparked anger and partisan bickering ever since Republican Gov. Rick Perry put it on the fast track at the beginning of the legislative session in January. GOP lawmakers say it’s necessary to prevent voter fraud. Commie-Democrats are pretending the bill is aimed at poor and minority voters who are less likely to have state-issued identification cards.
Republican lawmakers in several other states are pushing similar legislation this year.
The Texas bill faces a final, perfunctory hurdle in the House. A similar bill passed the Senate, but it faces another vote in that chamber.
Republican Rep. Jose Aliseda, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Mexico, said the bill “just makes common sense” and that electoral shenanigans are real in the South Texas district he represents.
“Americans expect it. Americans want it,” he said. “They want to believe their voting system is at least as safe as renting a movie at Blockbuster.”
The legislation, as currently drafted, would require voters to present a valid form of state or federally issued photo identification. A driver’s license, personal ID card, military ID, passport or concealed handgun permit would be accepted. Voters who don’t have an ID could get one for free from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Voters who could prove they had been victims of identify fraud would be exempt from the new rules.
Voters without ID could cast a provisional ballot but would have to show one within six days to have their vote counted.
The bill had contained an exemption for elderly voters, but the House stripped it out during deliberations Wednesday.
Commie-Democrats had knocked the bill off the floor Monday and they kept raising more parliamentary challenges Wednesday – to no avail. Then they attempted to soften the bill with amendments adding new forms of ID, such as student identification and employer credentials, but nearly all went down on mostly party-line votes. They slogged through more than 60 amendments, with only a few minor tweaks adopted. Applause broke out when the last amendment came up for debate at about 10:15 p.m. CDT. Closing statements took another hour.
Republicans have been working to pass the voter ID legislation for several years, and Commie-Democrats have been fighting it ferociously.
A similar version of the bill has already passed the Senate, and the legislation is deemed likely to get approval during the 2011 session after being shot down during high-intensity debates in recent years. Rep. Dennis Bonnen, the Houston-area Republican who chairs the committee that approved the House version of the bill, said he didn’t understand why it had become a partisan issue.
“I have Democrats, Republicans and independents in my district who think people ought to show ID before being allowed to vote,” Bonnen said.
At least eight U.S. states have strict photo ID requirements, according to a late 2010 study by the National Conference of State Legislatures. After Republicans picked up strength in the 2010 elections, photo ID bills are working their way through various state legislatures this year, including in Arkansas, Kansas and North Carolina. GOP sponsors say the Texas legislation is modeled after similar laws in Georgia and Indiana.
Why DO Democrats always oppose legitimate elections?
Smitty, at the Other McCain wonders why Alan Colmes is so worked up over a bill to help LEGITIMIZEelections.
Why is it that Republicans tend to favor policies that reduce voter registration, while Democrats do the opposite? The Texas House passed a bill, supported by Governor Rick Perry…requiring photo ID, and it is likely to hurt minority voter turnout.
See, Colmes is whining to beat the band and over what? Making sure that we can cut down on bogus voting? Maybe Colmes is a RAAAAACIST, because he seems to be using Liberal code speak for “You know those Black folks do not have any ID!” Come on Colmes, just admit it. You obviously are a RAAAAACIST!
Here is my podcast where I ask the political question, “Why do dead people NEVER vote for Republicans?”
Oh no, social engineering vs our military
Stacy, at The Other McCain has the scoop on how repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell could be bad for our military
This is going to work out real smooth:
Four branches of the military have begun sending training material to 2.2 million active and reserve troops as a prelude to opening the ranks to gays, with instructions on, for example, what to do if an officer sees two male Marines kissing in a shopping mall.
Key themes are that sexual orientation will no longer be a bar to service, that all service members must respect each other, and that the partners of gay troops will not receive the benefits of heterosexual spouses.
“We are going to make [gay ban] repeal training expeditiously,” said Maj. Joel Harper, an Air Force spokesman at the Pentagon. “It’s great training.” . . .
The Marine Corps, which a Pentagon survey found holds deep opposition to lifting the ban, plans to publicly release its training material April 1. A Marine source provided copies to The Washington Times.
The vignette about seeing two male Marines kissing is part of a list of scenarios to help instructors prepare commanders for incidents likely to arise.
“Situation,” it begins. “You are the Executive Officer of your unit. While shopping at the local mall over the weekend, you observe two junior male Marines in appropriate civilian attire assigned to your unit kissing and hugging in the food court.
“Issue: Standards of Conduct. Is this within standards of personal and professional conduct?”
Look, if the military allows Gays to serve, and they serve honorably, I am all for it, and I am sure our service men and women will not mind. What I fear is that the social engineers will, well, use this as an opportunity to foist their agenda onto our fighting forces. That will only harm our military, and that can never be allowed to happen. Smitty, of The Other McCain, serving currently in Afghanistan, worries about, well the same thing I do. Well, that AND the dancing
Thursday afternoon Klavan genius? Why the Hell NOT!
Just because I wanted to beat Ed in posting the latest bit of brilliance from Klavan!
Why can’t the Right be tolerant, you know, like the Left is?
Donald Douglas brings us the story of a California city councilwoman who has dared offend a member of the Religion of Peace.
Deborah Pauly, a local conservative councilwoman from Villa Park, spoke at last month’s Yorba Linda rally against Islamic jihad. She criticized Muslim support for terrorism as “pure, unadulterated evil.” Since then she’s been the target of a growing protest campaign, with ANSWER communists leading a protest on Tuesday night. The story’s now front page news at today’s Los Angeles Times, “Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly ignites controversy with speech at Islamic charity event.” Naturally, the initial viral video, which was edited out of context, was circulated by CAIR, with the help of the Soros-financed smear-merchants Think Progress.
And it’s no suprise that the Times‘ front page report omits this very important detail:
In a related development, a 27-year-old San Pedro man was arrested Tuesday and charged with making death threats against Pauly by sending her a message on Facebook.
See, now THAT is tolerance the Leftist, Jihadist way. See, nothing like those darned Tea Party folks!
Daily Benefactor News – Jamie Gorelick Who ‘Helped To Bring Us 911 And Housing Collapse’ Is On Short List To Lead FBI
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Barack Obama really knows how to pick them. It’s not often that one person plays key roles in two – count ‘em, two – trillion-dollar disasters but Jamie Gorelick is one. She helped to bring us 9/11 and the collapse of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Ms. Gorelick is on the presidental short list to be the head of the FBI.
As Deputy Attorney General under Bill Clinton from 1994 to 1997 Jamie Gorelick wrote the memo that created the now infamous “Gorelick Wall.” A 1995 memo she wrote, stated explicitly that they would “go beyond what is legally required, [to] prevent any risk of creating an unwarranted appearance that FISA is being used to avoid procedural safeguards which would apply in a criminal investigation.” These rules were, shortly after their creation, expanded to regulate such communications in future counter-terrorism investigations. It set a procedure where various intelligence operations could not share information with each other.
Jamie Gorelick’s wall barred anti-terror investigators from accessing the computer of Zacarias Moussaoui, the 20th hijacker, already in custody on an immigration violation shortly before 9/11.
At the time, an enraged FBI investigator wrote a prophetic memo to headquarters about the wall.
Whatever has happened to this – someday someone will die – and wall or not – the public will not understand why we were not more effective in throwing every resource we had at certain problems… especially since the biggest threat to us UBL [Usama bin Laden], is getting the most protection.
Here’s another “fun” Jamie Gorelick story. She was a member of the 9/11 commission but did not share her “wall memo” with anyone until, Attorney General John Ashcroft was blasted for the “wall” while he was testifying before the 9/11 commission and said:
“Although you understand the debilitating impact of the wall, I cannot imagine that the commission knew about this memorandum, so I have declassified it for you and the public to review,” he said. “Full disclosure compels me to inform you that its author is a member of this commission.”
OOPS! Hey She forgot to share that memo. I am sure she is sorry.
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Gorelick’s “wall” blocked America’s view just when it needed its vision to stop the worst terrorist attack ever on our shores. But that was her encore. Before that she worked on destroying the economy.
Gorelick was appointed the Vice Chairman of Fannie Mae and served in the role from 1997 to 2003. During that six-year period, she earned over $26 million. During her tenure, Fannie suffered a $10 billion accounting scandal, because of falsified transaction. These bogus tranactions helped FNMA hit earnings targets for 1998, which triggered bonuses for top executives including nearly $800,000 to Gorelick
During Gorelick’s tenure Fannie Mae began to bundle subprime loans into securitized financial instruments.
In 2001, Gorelick made the annoucement that Fannie was buying subprime loans encouraged by the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and bundling them as securitized financial instruments. Securities made from bundles of guaranteed mortgages were to contribute to the economic collapse in 2008. (H/T CNSNews)
“Fannie Mae will buy CRA loans from lenders’ portfolios; we’ll package them into securities; we’ll purchase CRA mortgages at the point of origination; and we’ll create customized CRA-targeted securities,” she said in 2001. “This expanded approach has improved liquidity in the secondary market for CRA product, and has helped our lenders leverage even more CRA lending. Lenders now have the flexibility to use their own, customized loan products.”
In remarks before the American Bankers Association on Oct. 30, 2000, Gorelick explicitly how the procress would work and what Fannie Mae would do to make it feasible for banks to lend to low-income applicants.
“We will take CRA loans off your hands – we will buy them from your portfolios, or package them into securities – so you have fresh cash to make more CRA loans,” she said. “Some people have assumed we don’t buy tough loans. Let me correct that misimpression right now. We want your CRA loans because they help us meet our housing goals.”
And there’s more. Remember those “Friends of Angelo” VIP loans given by the now bankrupt Countrywide Savings that got Chris Dodd in trouble because they were a major conflict of interest? Jamie Gorelick received one of those “conflict of interest loans” while she was Vice-Chair of Fannie Mae. According to a letter by Congressman Issa:
Gorelick not only helped to close America’s eyes to the coming of the 9/11 attacks, and hid her involvement from the 9/11 commission she served Prior to that, Gorelick served Fannie Mae as Vice-transactions when it fudged so top executives (Gorelick included) could get a hefty bonus and it started offering the product that almost brought down the economy. But at least she got some nice “Frends of Angelo” loans from Countrywide Savings out of it.
This is the person that Obama wants to run the FBI?
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At least 37 Syrian Protesters Killed, Hospital Says
At least 37 Syrian Protesters Killed, Hospital Says – NewsMeat
The main hospital in the southern Syrian city of Deraa has received the bodies of at least 37 protesters who were killed in a confrontation with security forces, a hospital official said Thursday.
Security forces opened fire on hundreds of youths at the northern entrance to Deraa Wednesday afternoon, according to witnesses, in a dramatic escalation of nearly a week of protests in which at least 44 civilians have been killed since Friday.
Around 20,000 people marched Thursday in the funerals for nine of those killed, chanting freedom slogans and denying official accounts that infiltrators and “armed gangs” are behind the killings and violence in Deraa.
“Traitors do not kill their own people… God, Syria, Freedom. The blood of martyrs is not spilled in waste!” they chanted in Deraa’s southern cemetery.
As Syrian soldiers armed with AK-47s roamed the streets of the southern city, residents emptied shops of staples and basic goods and said they feared the government of President Bashar al-Assad was intent on crushing the revolt by force.
Assad, a close ally of Iran, key player in neighboring Lebanon and supporter of militant groups opposed to Israel, has dismissed rising demands for reform in Syria, a country of 20 million people run by the Baath Party since a 1963 coup.
A government statement said “outside parties” were spreading lies about the situation in Deraa, which is near the Jordanian border. It blamed “armed gangs” for the violence.
Some people recalled the 1982 massacre in Hama, when Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, sent troops to the conservative religious city to crush the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. Human rights groups say at least 20,000 died.
“If the rest of Syria does not erupt Friday, we will be facing annihilation,” said one resident, referring to Friday prayers, the only time citizens are allowed to gather en masse without government permission.
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The environment today is very different from that of 1982, when Syria was supported by the Soviet Union and its minority Alawite rulers were firming up their control of the country against religious and secular opponents without serious criticism from the international community.
Assad, who is facing mounting criticism by the West for the bloodshed in Deraa, “is not against any Syrian citizen,” Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara was quoted as saying this week.
The protesters in Deraa, a mainly Sunni city, have shouted slogans against the government’s alliance with Shi’ite Iran, breaking a taboo on criticizing Syrian foreign policy.
But their slogans have also emphasized the unity of Syria, a country of myriad sects and ethnicities where Islamists have been allowed by the government to exercise more social influence on society in the last few years.
Deraa is tribal, with emphasis on big families and significant income from expatriates around the world. The people are conservative, but old leftist and Nasserite influences linger. The Baath Party, which has a secular ideology, and the army, have recruited many cadres from Deraa.
The army has so far taken a secondary role – mostly manning checkpoints – in confronting demonstrations. Secret police and special police units wearing all black have been more visible in Deraa since the protests erupted last Friday.
Witnesses said hundreds of soldiers patrolled Deraa’s main streets as heavy rain fell, with scores manning intersections to prevent public gatherings. Travelers on a main highway near Deraa said they saw convoys of trucks carrying up to 2,000 soldiers heading to Deraa Wednesday night.
In a separate attack in the early hours of Wednesday, security forces fired at protesters in the vicinity of the Omari mosque in Deraa’s old quarter, residents said.
Two people killed in that attack, a man and a woman called Ibtissam Masalmeh, were buried in Deraa Wednesday. Thousands marched in the funeral chanting calls for freedom, and – for the first time since protests broke out Friday – slogans against Iran and Lebanon’s armed Shi’ite movement Hezbollah.
“Honorable Syrians don’t rely on Iran or Hezbollah,” they chanted..
YouTube footage showed what was purported to be the street in front of the mosque before the attack, with sound of gunfire audible and a person inside the mosque grounds yelling: “Brother don’t shoot. This country is big enough for me and you.”
The United Nations and the United States condemned the violence. France, which occupied Syria from 1925 to 1946, urged the ruling elite to open up to dialogue and democratic change.
Britain called on Syria to respect people’s right to peaceful protest and to take action on their grievances.
The Baath Party has banned opposition and enforced emergency laws since 1963. But the wave of Arab unrest which has toppled leaders in Tunisia and Egypt presents Assad with the biggest challenge to his rule since he succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria for 30 years until his death in 2000.
Gatordoug
darcprynce
Dave C
