Clipmarks | Legal Clips

The Dems try to tar Palin on Troopergate

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:15:40 GMT

clipped by: sillysam
clipper's remarks: Pay special attention to French's and Elton's comments they point to the bias of this "investigation"

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

The state senator managing the probe, Sen. Hollis French, fueled those complaints with a September 2 interview in which he warned the inquiry could yield an "October Surprise" for the GOP. But Palin's lawyers already had begun pushing for the state Personnel Board to launch its own investigation, calling it the proper legal venue for the matter.

But once she became Sen. John McCain's running mate, her advisers began painting the investigation as a weapon of Democratic partisans.

About 1,000 more pages of documents compiled during the inquiry will remain confidential because they involve private personnel matters, according to the council's chairman, state Sen. Kim Elton.

"I believe that these findings may help people come to a conclusion on how they should vote" in the presidential election, Elton said.

penpals

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:31:34 GMT

clipped by: briley

Clip Source: www.christian-penpals.com

Legal Aid Society Prisoner's Rights Project, 90 Church St., New York, NY 10038 Phone: 212-577-3938/3907 Categories: legal resources: federal, state, and local,

Hedge Fund's Trade Secrets In Manipulating The Global Stock Markets

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:01:05 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: - have been savaged far more than Wall Street's errant financiers even though they have yet to write off a single extra cent in bad debt since the credit crisis hit last year. At the moment, they are simply making prudent and relatively tiny provisions in case anything does go wrong.

The ASX financial index has been slashed by 30.3 per cent since November 1. But on Wall Street, the cause of the problems, the Dow Jones banking index has fallen just 21 per cent.

How could that possibly be? The answer is that the traders have found a chink in Australia's regulatory armour.

The hedge funds have found a way to manipulate the market through a process known as short selling. This is where traders sell stocks if they think the share price will fall in the future. Then they buy them back at a lower price later on. It is perfectly legal and even encouraged as it can add liquidity to markets.

In recent years, however, the practice has become more sophisticated and incredibly complex.

Clip Source: business.smh.com.au

The volatility that has infected the Australian stockmarket in recent months may be playing havoc with your investments, but not everybody is unhappy with the situation.

Traders love it. It's how they make money.

There is a vast global industry looking for any means possible to exploit a price difference here

When it works properly, it is part of an efficiently operating market.

But lately in Australia it appears it hasn't been working properly at all. A clever bunch of traders - some local but most based offshore - have taken advantage of a legal loophole that has resulted in wild gyrations in stock prices.

Most of the problems on global financial markets relate to trouble in the US housing market. It was American banks that fed the beast that has now turned so viciously upon them

So it may come as a shock to learn it is Australia's financial institutions that have incurred the wrath of global investors.

Australia's banks - which are enjoying rude health and project a relatively rosy outlook

Tags: australian stockmarket, hedge fund traders, exploit legal "loop-hole"

SUPREME COURT AGAINST CONTESTING FEDS RULES

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:39:36 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: It would prevent environmental groups from filing against Federal Rulings

Clip Source: www.commondreams.org

Supreme Court May Bar Groups From Contesting Federal Rules

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared sympathetic to a legal position held by the Bush administration that would limit environmentalists and other public interest groups from challenging federal regulations.

The case centers on a dispute over rules imposed by the U.S. Forest Service, but legal experts contend the court's ultimate decision could have far-reaching impacts and make it nearly impossible for many individuals and third parties to contest rules enacted by federal agencies.

The origins of the case lie in regulations enacted by the Bush administration in 2003 that limited some federal timber sales and logging projects from the agency's usual notice, comment and appeal procedures.

The 2003 Forest Service rules affected timber projects of less than 250 acres and "forest thinning" projects of 1,000 acres or less.

U.S. district court sided with the environmental groups,

Parental Alienation Syndrome, the Other Side of the Story

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:39:37 GMT

clipped by: Delilah1234
clipper's remarks: The so-called Parental Alienation Syndrome, touted by many in the Rhode Island Family Court, has been discredited by the American Psychological Association and, recently, by both the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Children’s Legal Rights Journal.

Clip Source: activelyaware.blogspot.com

I'm embarassed to admit that I finally got around to really researching PAS, Parental Alienation Syndrome. Upon reading about this "syndrome" initially, I was horrified to think of the "alienated" parents who are supposedly forced to endure these horrific ex-spouses...who for no reason seem hell bent on keeping their kids from them. I jumped on the PAS bandwagon and set forth to "righting" this incredibly distructive wrong.

But, honestly...please don't just take my word for it, decide for yourselves, check out some of these links, be aware of the facts and make the best decision. Awareness is key towards making our world a better place.

"The PAS label "has lived a lot longer than the data that supports it". "I expect people to come up with crackpot theories. But then I expect scientists to do their jobs." Alan Scheflin, professor at Santa Clara University Law School

Tags: pas, parental abduction, parental alienation, missing children

Reverse Cell Phone Directory - Is it Legal to Use One?

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:08:52 GMT

clipped by: jem83

Clip Source: ezinearticles.com

Reverse Cell Phone Directory - Is it Legal to Use One?

Tags: reverse cell phone directory

What Must Change: Intentionally Misleading Voters is Legal

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:51:30 GMT

clipped by: zizzy

Clip Source: www.866ourvote.org

Every state provides some method to challenge the eligibility of a voter. However, bad-faith challenges may cross the line and can constitute voter intimidation, particularly when mass challenges are based only upon a voter’s race or status and the challenger lacks personal knowledge of the voter’s eligibility

State laws differ regarding who can make challenges, when challenges can be made, what are the proper grounds for a challenge, which party has the burden of proof, what evidence is relevant, and who decides challenges

Deceptive practices deliberately mislead or intimidate voters in order to alter the outcome of an election

Instead of employing physical threats, those who wish to intimidate voters have turned to more sophisticated and nuanced tactics to fraudulently prevent turnout in targeted communities

Disturbing example

armed gunmen intimidating, mocking and misinforming voters at heavily Latino precincts in Arizona

providing false information about where to vote

deceptive fliers

World's first flying car, to ship late next year

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:29:29 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver

Clip Source: dvice.com

[Video]

Flying cars are all hat, no cattle. But wait. What's this? A flying car that will actually exist, roll on real streets and highways and then take off into the wild blue? You betcha. Pony up your $194,000, and by the end of next year you'll be cruising skyward in a 1300-pound Terrafugia Transition and then parking it in your garage when you're done. It's more like a drivable airplane, but we'd rather call it a flying car.

Let's do a walkaround. Out back is a push prop, and the front canard does double duty as a wing and bumper. Its gas engine will push it over a range of 460 miles through the air. Look at the cool way the wings fold up into a compact package, completing its metamorphosis from airworthy flying machine to street-legal road rocket.

The first flying prototype is scheduled to take off next month. Nice. Covert that prop to a jet engine and give it vertical takeoff capabilities, and we'll be living in the future.

Tags: transportation, gudgets

ACLU: Bush Tried to Create 'Gitmo Inside the US'

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:25:53 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: Everyone who thinks the Bush Administration has stopped these "standard operating procedures", just because the Supreme Court told them to, raise your hand...

Pfftt!!!

Clip Source: rawstory.com

The US military was using the same procedures employed at the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison at other facilities inside the United States where US citizens and legal residents were detained, according to documents released Wednesday.

"These documents are the first clear confirmation of what we've suspected all along, that the brig was run as a prison beyond the law. There was an effort to create a Gitmo inside the United States,"

“Guantánamo was designed as a law-free zone, a place where the government could do whatever it wanted without having to worry about whether it was legal,”

“It didn’t take long for that sort of lawlessness to be brought home to our own country. Who knows how much further America would have gone if the Supreme Court hadn’t stepped in to stop incommunicado detentions in 2004?”

the e-mails suggest that Guantanamo standard operating procedures were being employed in the domestic brigs.

MILITARY FOR DOMESTIC CROWD CONTROL

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:42:27 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: Perhaps we can only hope for a real change, from the bottom up.

Clip Source: www.informationclearinghouse.info

Thousands of Troops Are Deployed on U.S. Streets Ready to Carry Out "Crowd Control"

Members of Congress were told they could face martial law if they didn't pass the bailout bill. This will not be the last time.

George Bush struck down Posse Comitatus, thus making it legal for military to patrol the U.S. He has also legally established that in the "War on Terror," the U.S. is at war around the globe and thus the whole world is a battlefield. Thus the U.S. is also a battlefield.

He also led change to the 1807 Insurrection Act to give him far broader powers in the event of a loosely defined "insurrection" or many other "conditions" he has the power to identify. The Constitution allows the suspension of habeas corpus -- habeas corpus prevents us from being seized by the state and held without trial -- in the event of an "insurrection." With his own army force now, his power to call a group of protesters or angry voters "insurgents" staging an "insurrection" is strengthened.

Palin pre-empts state report, clears self in probe

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:26:13 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Trying to head off a potentially embarrassing state ethics report on GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, campaign officials released their own report Thursday that clears her of any wrongdoing.

Lawmakers are expected to release their own findings Friday. Campaign officials have yet to see that report — the result of an investigation that began before she was tapped as McCain's running mate — but said the investigation has falsely portrayed a legitimate policy dispute between a governor and her commissioner as something inappropriate.

"It is tragic that a false story hatched by a blogger after drinks with Trooper Wooten led the legislature to allocate over $100,000 of public money to be spent in what has become a politically driven investigation," the 21-page report concludes.

The McCain campaign says the investigation has become "muddied with innuendo, rumor and partisan politics."

Tags: palin, ethics, legal, politics

Is Barack Obama a US Citizen? Yes.

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:08:31 GMT

clipped by: Spiritualmonkey

Clip Source: www.swamppolitics.com

"Senator Obama was born in the State of Hawaii two years after it became a state on Aug.21, 1959 As such, he acquired United States citizenship automatically at birth. While it is not necessary to go into all of the other legal errors contained in the posting (and there are many), the simple fact is that, with rare exceptions (children of diplomats), everyone born in the United States is a citizen of the United States at birth."

But what about the age of Obama's mother? Remember jus soli--citizenship through place of birth? (c'mon--there IS going to be a quiz). In that case--which happens to be Obama's case--the age of the parents has nothing to do with anything. Under jus soli even the children of illegal aliens are U.S. citizens at birth--just ask the pregnant women from Mexico near the end of their third trimester who try to sneak across the border in hopes their child will be born in a San Diego hospital and leave with a U.S. birth certificate clutched in his or her tiny hand.

Tags: obama, citizenship

And again, McCain condescends.

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:21:15 GMT

clipped by: Sweeneybird
clipper's remarks: I cringed when McCain asked this - it's kind of nice to see how gracious the questioner is in return.

Clip Source: firstread.msnbc.msn.com

How did I feel about Sen. McCain stating “You probably never heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before this.”
Well Senator, I actually did. I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person. I have a bachelor degree in Political Science from Tennessee State, so I try to keep myself up to date with current affairs. I have a Master degree in Legal Studies from Southern Illinois University, a few years in law school, and I am currently pursuing a Master in Public Administration from the University of Memphis. In defense of the Senator from Arizona I would say he is an older guy, and may have made an underestimation of my age. Honest mistake. However, it could be because I am a young African-American male. Whatever the case may be it was somewhat condescending regardless of my age to make an assumption regarding whether I was knowledgeable about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Tags: politics

Republican valuesmcc

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:33:40 GMT

clipped by: comy1234

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

For The Fifth Time, McCain Campaign Illegally Uses Artists’ Copyrighted Music»

The problem is that the McCain campaign never obtained legal permission to use the song. Heart’s representative issued a statement:

Last month, McCain released his technology policy, in which he promised to “protect the creative industries from piracy.”

The Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted that permission.

Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign blasted the song “Barracuda” by Heart. The tune is meant to be a theme song for Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), whose high school nickname was reportedly “Sarah Barracuda.”

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

Republican values - take anything not nailed down and claim you have the right to do so!

Tags: mccain, republicans, illegal, copyright, music, artists, barracuda

Stormtruthers

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:22:39 GMT

clipped by: ColoradoRight
clipper's remarks: "Penalties for blasphemy against Obama should be instituted in accordance with the Sharia law," said Haj Mohammed Effendi Amin el-Husseini, an influential community organizer and Grand Mufti of Dearborn, Mi. "For example, for mentioning the Blessed One's middle name the perpetrator should have a limb cut off, and for saying the words 'community organizer' in a negative context, he or she should be subject to public stoning," he wrote on his blog ShariaNow.org.

Clip Source: www.thepeoplescube.com

As a glorious preview of improvements to political freedoms in an Obama administration, his campaign directed the third phase for the Current Truth Squads' assault on counterrevolutionary holdouts: Legal Stormtruthers. A group of high-ranking Missouri apparatchiks - including St. Louis sheriffs and top prosecutors - are threatening to target anyone they determine is contradicting the Current Truth™ about their chosen candidate for President. "This is the radical change we've been waiting for, and there's more where it came from," commented the local Truth Squad Standartenfuehrer on condition of anonymity.

It is expected that the Legal Stormtruthers will hold the line against the imperialist enemy until ACORN mobilizes the army of dead voters in late October.

Tags: truth, legal, oppression