Clipmarks | rustajb's clips

Police Eject a Man from Yankee Stadium for Trying to Use the Bathroom During "God Bless America"

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:22:59 GMT

clipped by: rustajb
clipper's remarks: When I was in High School, I would refuse to bow my head in prayer: I'm an atheist and refused to pray to any god, especially while at school, during regularly scheduled school hours. Once, some "Christians" a few seats away from me started eying me and telling me to "Bow your f***ing head you Satan worshiper or we'll kick your f****ing ass!"… This is exactly like that, except this time the "Christians" are "Police" and kicking your ass means telling you what and who to pray to or face police harassment by ejection and threats of bodily harm.

Clip Source: gothamist.com

From the inbox: Baseball fan Brad Campeau-Laurion says a uniformed police officer (perhaps off-duty but working security for overtime) forcibly ejected him from the stadium last night during the Yankees-Red Sox game.

Why? He says all he did was try to go to the bathroom while "God Bless America" was played during the 7th inning stretch. His letter reads (plus some updates after the jump):

"I attempted to get up to use the restroom, rather urgently, during the 7th inning stretch as God Bless America was beginning. As I attempted to walk down the aisle and exit my section into the tunnel, I was stopped by a police officer. He informed me that I had to wait until the song was over.

The man tells us he's left a message with no response from the Operations Office at Yankee Stadium. He's also contacted Norman Siegel, the ACLU, and filed a complaint with the NYPD Civilian Complaint Review Board.

We're still working on getting a response/denial from Yankee stadium

ABC Reporter Arrested in Denver Taking Pictures

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:42:10 GMT

clipped by: rustajb
clipper's remarks: Arrested for taking pictures in a public space of public officials. It's just like the spy novels I read as a teen, except now this sort of thing occurs in the US instead of the Soviet Union. Basically the law these days is "Whatever the hell I say it is" if you are a police officer. If this had only been a single isolated incident, I wouldn't be so hot about this issue, but it's happening more and more every day. I read at least 1 article a week about the police abusing their power when it comes to photographers. So now I have to ask myself what I as a citizen should do. I know that patriotically I should never stand for abuse of power, but realistically I can't imagine how to even stand against this level of national fascism.

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

ABC Reporter Arrested in Denver Taking Pictures of Senators, Big Donors

DENVER -- Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he and a camera crew were attempting to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel.

Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer, Asa Eslocker, who works with the ABC News investigative unit.

The sheriff's officer is seen telling Eslocker the sidewalk is owned by the hotel. Later, he is seen pushing Eslocker off the sidewalk into oncoming traffic, forcing him to the other side of the street.

During the arrest, one of the officers can be heard saying to Eslocker, "You're lucky I didn't knock the f..k out of you."

Eslocker and his ABC News colleagues are spending the week investigating the role of corporate lobbyists and wealthy donors at the convention for a series of Money Trail reports on ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson."

US health care system: Most expensive least effective

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:31:25 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: you.presscue.com

A new study by The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System finds that the United States health care system is getting worse, and that despite spending more on health care than any other industrialized nation, the US overall continues to fall far short on key indicators of health outcomes and quality, with particularly low scores on efficiency.

Key findings of Why Not The Best? Results From The National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance, 2008 are:

US fell from 15th to last among 19 industrialized nations when it comes to premature deaths that could potentially have been prevented by timely access to effective health care.

Efficiency performance remains especially low with a score of 53 out of 100, in part because of widespread delivery of inappropriate and wasteful care throughout the U.S., including potentially avoidable hospital admissions, minimal use of information technology, and high insurance administrative costs.

9 Republicans Vote for Impeachment Hearings, 10 Abstain

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:33:16 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: www.dailykos.com

In a stunning development which fell with the silence of a feather yesterday, 9 Republicans broke with their iron-fisted party to put country first, and voted to send Rep. Dennis Kucinich's article of impeachment HR 1345 to the Judiciary, where Chairman John Conyers will hold a hearings on abuses of power by the Bush administration, according to the Congressional Quaterly's CQToday. Ten Republicans abstained in this critical moment, while only 5 Dems did. The vote was neck and neck at many moments, with "Nays" pulling ahead twice.

Those Republicans are (Yea 238 - Nay 180):

Congressman Kevin Brady (TX)
Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (MD)
Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC)
Representative Don Manzullo (IL)
U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy(PA)
Congressman Ron Paul (TX)
Congressman Dave Reichert (WA)
Congressman Christopher Shays (CT)
Representative Mike Turner (OH)

Hundreds of Super Rich Under Investigation

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:45:42 GMT

clipped by: rustajb
clipper's remarks: This is the best news I have heard all day. Let's take down some of the wealthiest, most influential crooks in this country. Crooks who sway elections with their dirty mountains of cash. I can't wait to see who goes down. *grabs popcorn and a seat*

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

Hundreds of rich Americans whose names and secret foreign bank account information were turned over to US tax authorities could face criminal prosecution. A Senate committee is scheduled to convene tomorrow and among those called to testify are foreign bank account holders, including one of the wealthiest men in Los Angeles.

"Liechtenstein is regarded as one of the most secretive places in the world," said John Christensen of the London-based Tax Justice Network.

But all that changed when a disgruntled computer technician at LGT, Heinrich Kieber, downloaded all the names and secret accounts on to two CDs and turned them over to tax authorities in the US and Europe.

"They are the people who are taking advantage of the rest of us, who are withholding and paying," said Blum. "They're the crooks."

McCain Ape Rape Joke Recalled By Sources

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:45:30 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

News circulated fast late Tuesday afternoon that back in 1986, during his initial run for the Senate, John McCain allegedly told a crude joke about rape involving a woman's affection for an ape.

The story, which was reprised on the blog Rum, Romanism and Rebellion before being blasted out by Think Progress, goes like this: In an appearance before the National League of Cities and Towns in Washington D.C., McCain supposedly asked the crowd if they had heard "the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die?"

The punch line: "When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, "Where is that marvelous ape?"

More recently he joked that it might be good for the United States to keep exporting cigarettes to Iran as cancer would prove an effective weapon against that country's citizens.

John McCain Was A ‘D’ Student Video | Admits He Graduated 894th of 899

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:04:54 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: www.webtvhub.com

[Video]

President Bush has already proven to the world that you can still be a dumbass and gain political support. Those who think that McCain is Bush part two may just have their proof in this video.

“I graduated fifth from the bottom of my class,” he admits.

While president Bush admitted he was a ‘C’ student, McCain’s confession doesn’t translate nearly as well. By today’s grading scale, he would have been a ‘D’ student. Not that good grades in school reflect how successful you are as a president.

Sure, president Lincoln never graduated from public school, yet there’s no doubt that he was one of the greatest U.S. presidents. I’m a firm believer that it takes both book smarts and street smarts to be a good leader.

Still, the way McCain stumbles over the subject makes me wonder if he has either. I doubt this video would hurt his feelings, seeing that he also happens to be computer illiterate.

I doubt this video would hurt his feelings, seeing that he also happens to be computer illiterate.

Bush claims executive privilege on CIA leak

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:06:10 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: www.newsvine.com

WASHINGTON — President Bush has asserted executive privilege to prevent Attorney General Michael Mukasey from having to comply with a House panel subpoena for material on the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.

Among the documents sought by House Oversight Chairman Henry Waxman are FBI interviews of Vice President Dick Cheney.

They also include notes about the 2003 State of the Union address, during which President Bush made the case for invading Iraq in part by saying Saddam Hussein was pursuing uranium ore to make a nuclear weapon. That information turned out to be wrong.

Waxman rejected Mukasey's suggestion that Cheney's FBI interview on the CIA leak should be protected by the privilege claim — and therefore not turned over to the panel.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Bush invoked the privilege on Tuesday.

Congressional Democrats want to shed light on the precise roles, if any, that Bush, Cheney and their aides may have played in the leak.

Federal court: Bush can indefinitely detain ANYONE

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:59:28 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: rawstory.com

A federal court has issued two rulings, the New York Times reports: One favoring President Bush's indefinite detentions of "enemy combatants," and another granting one of said "enemy combatants" the opportunity to challenge his detention in court.

The court effectively ruled that President Bush has the same right to indefinitely detain a civilian on American soil as he does an enemy soldier on a battlefield.

More can be read at the New York Times.

White House buries climate change deaths report

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:32:18 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The White House buried a report prepared by US government scientists which detailed a rising death toll from heat waves, fires, disease and smog they predicted would be caused by global warming.

Environmental advocates accused President George W Bush's administration of delaying the release of the 149-page report so that it could avoid regulating greenhouse gases.

The report lays out for the first time the scientific case for the grave risks that global warming poses to people, and to the food, energy and water on which society depends.

On Friday, the White House dismissed the scientists' findings, when it said the Clean Air Act was the wrong tool to control global warming pollution and a new law which dealt solely with global warming was needed.

Stephen Johnson, the EPA chief, said through a spokesman that although he knew "the science is clear, and that climate change is a significant issue," he did not want to make a "rash decision under the wrong law".

* If today’s Congress presided during Watergate

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:11:01 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: politicalirony.com

I have to add that it would have been worse if today’s media had presided during Watergate. Would Woodward or Bernstein be able to publish their exposé of Watergate today?

Red Cross finds Bush administration guilty of war crimes

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:45:55 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: www.prisonplanet.com

In a secret report last year, the Red Cross found evidence of the CIA using torture on prisoners that would make the Bush administration guilty of war crimes, The New York Times reported Friday.

The Red Cross determined the culpability of the Bush administration after interviewing prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, according to the article.

The report was submitted to CIA last year and concluded that American interrogation methods are “categorically” torture that violates both domestic and international law, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow reported Friday.

Although the CIA had already admitted to the use of waterboarding, Meyer says in the book that several CIA officers confirm the findings of the Red Cross, including the other forms of torture mentioned.

“I’d never thought I would say this, but I think it might in fact be time for the United States to be held internationally to a tribunal. I never thought in my lifetime I would say that.”

[Video]

The Terrorists Have Just Won

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:11:22 GMT

clipped by: rustajb
clipper's remarks: The REAL terrorists have just stripped away our 4th amendment rights. The "terrorists" we "fight" couldn't have done it better themselves. In 20 years I will look back and recount this day as the day America fell, the day citizens saw their hard-fought rights stripped away in an attack on our liberties that pales in comparison to the attacks of 9/11.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Senate Backs Wiretap Bill to Shield Phone Companies

WASHINGTON — More than two and a half years after the disclosure of President’s Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program set off a furious national debate, the Senate gave final approval on Wednesday afternoon to broadening the government’s spy powers and providing legal immunity for the phone companies that took part in the wiretapping program.

The plan, approved by a vote of 69 to 28, marked one of Mr. Bush’s most hard-won legislative victories in a Democratic-led Congress where he has had little success of late. Both houses, controlled by Democrats, approved what amounted to the biggest restructuring of federal surveillance law in 30 years, giving the government more latitude to eavesdrop on targets abroad and at home who are suspected of links to terrorism.

Lawyers involved in the lawsuits against the phone companies promised to challenge the immunity provision in federal court, although their prospects appeared dim.

Cheney wanted cuts in climate change testimony

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:36:58 GMT

clipped by: rustajb

Clip Source: news.wired.com

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seeking to play down the effects of global warming, Vice President Dick Cheney's office pushed to delete from congressional testimony references about the consequences of climate change on public health, a former senior EPA official claimed Tuesday.

The official, Jason K. Burnett, said the White House was concerned that the proposed testimony last October by the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might make it tougher to avoid regulating greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

"The Council on Environmental Quality and the office of the vice president were seeking deletions to the CDC testimony (concerning) ... any discussions of the human health consequences of climate change," Burnett wrote.

Burnett, 31, a lifelong Democrat, resigned his post last month as associate deputy EPA administrator because of disagreements over the agency's response to climate change.

Do US Internment Camps Really Exist?

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:46:31 GMT

clipped by: rustajb
clipper's remarks: The really big question is which one of us reading this will be interned in one of these camps? Considering the size and scope of the ones we know about, compared with the already 1 in 100 prison population we currently have, you have to imagine that the near future will see a much higher ratio. Can you imagine 1 in every 50 citizens in a camp or prison? Hell, even 1 in 75 would be astounding. With a ratio that high you can be assured you are someone you know will be classified an "Enemy Combatant." Also, since REX 84 handed us over to NORTHCOM, we no longer have any sovereignty any way. It's all very frightening when you start questioning the reasons behind this sort of wholesale US sell out.

Clip Source: www.vorchester.com

Unlike a lot of conspiracy theories floating around on the Internet this one appears to be well grounded in truth. There is an enormous amount of evidence that support the fact that the camps exist and really no denial by the government. So the question quickly changes from ‘Do they exist?’ to ‘why?’ Why does the government need to have internment camps?

Since REX 84, work has continued on internment camps. Most recently a contract was awarded to a Halliburton company, KBR. The contract, awarded in 2006, allows for the creation of new camps that can hold up to 400,000 people. This is in addition to the many camps that already exist. The stated reason for the new camps is “an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs”. The press release remains in the KBR archive, it can be seen here.

So yes, the camps do exist. They are there. They’re waiting to be used. But the big question, ‘Why?’, remains unanswered.