Bush the Destroyer's ticky tacky justice system ...

Error In Justice: Siegelman Prosecutors Received Notes From Jurors DURING Deliberations

But let's just let bygones be bygones, what? Like the Dem blindness about keeping Lieberman on as committee chairman, the failure to investigate and prosecute at least the most egregious wrong doings of the Bush administration will ensure that these crimes WILL be repeated again, and again, certainly when Republicans regain the WH but probably by Democrats also, until we have no US democracy left. Republicans know this. They are setting you up Dems. They are setting the whole country up. But you, Obama and Congressional Democrats are the ones that are supposed to be thinking ahead and protecting our Democracy.

Please look beyond petty power plays for a few minutes and do your jobs.

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Ah, a little bit of justice! Today's QUOTES: ... “Yes but do you want to end up like [President] Bush?” Mr Putin was briefly lost for words, then said: “Ah -- you have scored a point there.” --a quote from timesonline.com in post 'A positive aspect of the Bush legacy' by Glenn Greenwald, Unclaimed Territory, salon.com

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The answer to this question is obvious ...

Has a U.S. Attorney Knowingly Prosecuted Innocent People?
--The government is investigating cases brought by Alice Martin, U.S. Attorney in Birmingham, Ala. by Scott Horton, The American Lawyer, July 15, 2008

And Repug Warrior Birmingham U.S. Attorney Alice Martin runs through it ...

Republicans are so brave ... with other peoples lives!

Karl Rove Ran Away! Karl Rove set out to corrupt the US legal system! Karl Rove Ran Away! Karl Rove had Democrats who were in his way prosecuted inventing 'evidence' when there was none! Karl Rove Ran Away! Karl Rove corrupted the US Attorneys' offices around the country to focus on Democrats and give Republicans a pass for the same or worse crimes. Karl Rove Ran Away! Karl Rove Ran Away!

Link via

Yesterday's QUOTES ...

"I can tell you I’m very happy Heather Wilson lost her primary race," Iglesias said. ...

What comes singing, will leave whistling ... Sometimes there's just a little bit of justice in this world. Not much, but some.

That's how right-wing crap works. It's not meant to advance or even partake of discourse; it's meant to end it. ...

The press, the journalists, the editorialists, the commentators, the hacks, the media: ... These people each have a purpose, and it is not to represent your best interests. It is, first and foremost, to sell themselves and protect their own. As Lester Bangs might have wanted you to remember: they are not your friends!

So right! They are not your friends. Not even close.

One of the most amazing aspects of this week has been watching network media stars feign shock over the fact that anyone could suggest that they were "deferential, complicit enablers" of the Bush march to war.

Yesterday's QUOTES ...

Man, I'm sick of reading Pravda in NY Times drag

Elitist finger wagging at members of an oppressed group is not only counter-productive, but it is consistent with how minority groups are dealt with around the world. ...

Rape In The Military: The Other Inbound Wounded

Third rate candidates talk about events.
Second rate candidates talk about issues.
First rate candidates talk about principles.
Can The Press Really Elect McCain?

So I ask again, should these US Attorneys not be suspended while Congress investigates so that they can not further damage the legal system in the interim? Should state legislatures be this afraid of a US Attorney appointed by a President of a different political party, so afraid that they have become (as NYT notes) paranoid and nervous enough that a northern publication, the New York Times, would actually run an article on it and even title it "Fear, Paranoia and, Yes, Some Loathing in Alabama State House?"?

Apparently, Alabama is running toward the Soviet model with open arms and Mississippi is close on its heels, while the Congress has failed to demand something as basic as the temporary removal of these prosecutors while they investigate allegations of corruption against these three US Attorneys.

Is Arizona's Sheriff Joe Arpaio surrounded yet? ...

A mayor of a small town in Arizona tells Sheriff Joe to get out of town:

Last night was a night of high drama as Sheriff Joe brought his illegal immigrant dragnet to the small town of Guadalupe, and the citizens and the mayor of that city demanded Joe leave. Last night around 10:30, Guadalupe Mayor Rebecca Jimenez personally presented Joe a statement to this effect in the parking lot of the Family Dollar where the MCSO was stationed. According to Jimenez, Joe accused her of inciting a riot and informed her she had 90 days to cancel Guadalupe's contract with the MCSO to provide law enforcement to the town. Jimenez and other town council members present said they would be reviewing the MCSO's contract.

This is a brave thing for a small town mayor to do given the increasingly gestapo tactics in use in the US (by police, sheriffs, Federal Agents and specially Federal Prosecutors) in the Age of Bush.

Bravo Mayor Jimenez!

Yesterday's QUOTES ...

Bates found that I had not demonstrated that “irreparable harm” would befall Al-Ghizzawi if the government did not provide the medical care or records. How Bates could expect me to demonstrate that my client would suffer irreparable harm without my first having access to those very records is beyond me. I queried whether I would have to wait for my client to die before the necessary “irreparable harm” could be shown, but Bates refused to reconsider his Kafkaesque decision and I filed an appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court. Unfortunately for my client, that court has been too busy unraveling our Constitution and the appeal has sat untouched since late 2006.

Unless of course, we’re just not supposed to have a system that works too well. It’s a bit of a tinfoil argument, I know, but what else are we expected to believe when a solution is developed over the course of a year-and-a-half and, when nearing success, is quietly shut down? [...] I also find the timing of the scrapping of this plan somewhat … convenient. The springtime rush of illegal immigrants should already be starting up.

It has been 20 months since Siegelman’s trial ended and no trial transcript has been produced by Fuller's court. This is in violation of the rules of criminal procedure which require a transcript within 30 days of sentencing. Siegelman can't appeal his conviction with out an official trial transcript ... Setting up this kind of injustice is what the Republican Torture Party would find enjoyable. I suppose some would call it (un)Christian? Not to mention criminal.

Is it possible that corporations are placing "swallows" inside the offices of our elected officials? If someone would have suggested this to me a few years ago, I would have laughed it off.

But given the almost lock-step approach of Congress to consistently voting against the citizens of this nation in favor of corporations, this possibility becomes that much stronger. If my theory on Ms. Iseman holds, then her past will reveal some interesting connections. My guess is that she got her sudden rise to stardom much the same way Susan Ralston did.

Cuantos son muertos por mentiras ...

How much credibility does the media have ...

For many good reasons, not much, in my opinion.

Malfunctioning equipment blocked an Alabama TV station's broadcast of a "60 Minutes" report suggesting that imprisoned former Gov. Don Siegelman was the victim of a Republican conspiracy, station officials said.

After promoting the segment for days, WHNT-TV of Huntsville went black just as the report was to air Sunday night. The screen was dark for a few moments before the station flashed a message blaming a technical glitch for the problem.

WHNT general manager Stan Pylant said Monday that despite what some unhappy viewers said, the problem was caused by a malfunctioning receiver at the station.

So why would we believe that it was some weird coincidence? Because they say so? How many times have they lied, misrepresented, obscured and hidden the truth?

Rick Renzi ...

Being an Arizona blogger, perhaps I should say something more about Rick Renzi. But I won't because the Border Reporter says it better: HANDSHAKES AND EXTORTION.

I previously wrote about Renzi (or at least mentioned him) as follows:

Bye, bye ...

Renzi says he's a victim ...

The Charlton - Renzi connection ...

The weird world of Republicans, Conservatives and Incompetents ...

Arizona Republic wiggles around about Renzi ...

Is Rick Renzi safe now ...

Employer arrests, but not at WALMART ... (only indirectly about Renzi)

Arizona shame ...

Corruption R Us ...

THE STORY OF A FBI-SPONSORED ORGY, THE COCAINE STING THAT WENT WRONG, AND THE ENSUING FALL-OUT

I know it just too much to expect but, I would like to read some good news for a change ... not news put out by FauxNews or BushBaby or any of the corporate media because if it comes from them we will know it's a lie. And by good news, I mean stories about situations where our elected and appointed officials as well as powerful and influential corporations did the 'right' thing, the 'integrity' thing, a real Christ-like thing, actions that respect and uphold the Constitution, our representative Democracy, justice, fairness etc, etc.

Now that I think of it we have some of those people around. If someone is being attacked by the fair-and-balance he-said/she-said media, look closer because that person just might have some integrity and even may qualify as a patriot.

Unlike the old Soviet Union, the US does not, yet, put its good and concerned people in the insane assalum. No, the US government and media, instead go into full out 24-hour attack mode in order to discredit and destroy integrity and truth.

Renzi says he's a victim ...

From video clip on same page as this article: Renzi's taxes telling by Mike Madden, Arizona Republic.

Via Joe Dana on the video --believe it or not-- Rick Renzi says he is the victim of a smear campaign by the US DOJ.

Renzi has stepped down from his three committees (an extremely rare move, so says Joe Dana). Now he has time to focus on 'other issues' like fire season here in Arizona --and we all know how much help Republicans are on important matters like fire and floods and hurricanes and security and drugs and health care, etc, etc, etc.

Renzi says he's not resigning and thinking of running for a fourth term.

The article covers problems with Renzi's tax filings to the IRS and his corrupt land deals here in Arizona.

Certainly there are corrupt Democrats, but don't the voters who classify themselves as Republicans care that the list of the corrupt weighs so heavily on the Republican side of the aisle --and that at a time when the DOJ was deliberately delaying and hidding these cases? Or do voters who classify themselves as Republican think this is what their elected officials are supposed to do: steal taxpayer money, land and resources while lining their own pockets with graft?

Bill Frist's get out of jail free card ...

Well, we certainly can't assume the corrupted US attorney's did anything right and above boards. There's not much choice but to assume that the corrupt Attorney General gave Bill Frist a get-out-of-jail-free card whether he deserved it or not.

Something else to thank the moron in the White House for. We can't trust American justice. Torture, gulags and Republicans get special passes from corrupt US Attorneys.

Dared to ask to talk to Gonzales, did he?

This article gives the impression that US Attorney Paul Charlton's main mistake was not quite following the kill, kill, kill directive of Bush's US Attorney Generals Office.

For example he did not wish to seek the death penalty in one case "because there was no forensic evidence directly linking the defendant to the victim."

Charlton appealed to the deputy attorney general and Gonzales to reconsider. The lawyer said Charlton had asked to meet with former Attorney General John Ashcroft in a similar case and had been able to change Ashcroft's mind.

But Gonzales' office denied Charlton's request.

My, my don't confuse Gonzo with facts now, he's already made up his mind. I can see why Bush likes this guy. Besides the baby face he has a mind as open as Bush's.

Disagreement is deemed confrontation. Doing one's job is usually deemed poor performance by the Bush crowd. Failure to do one's job is cause for medals and ceremonies.

Thank you Talking Heads, thank you Washington Insider Journalist Types, thank you Corporate Media. This is what you wanted all along, right. Mush-for-brains as leaders so that you could buy the government and destroy all that didn't make your personal wealth explode exponentially. Thank you. Thank you.

Wrong directions ...

The Talking Dog: Gitmo Leaner, Meaner

TPM Media: Israel and Bush conspire against Pelosi?

Associated Press: Let's beat someone up' – Unprovoked beatings of the homeless soaring

The trend in the diciplining of school children by policemen: 6-Year-Olds Under Arrest

... but Bush insists Iraq is improving --again! Just trust him as his administration Iraqifies the US.

They hate him because he followed the law ...

Oh, those law and order Republicans (or is GOP, or is it Conservatives)... ?

They are so upset that one of their own, Texas U.S. attorney Johnny Sutton has the temerity to follow the law where ever it leads:

Johnny Sutton said, he was bound by an unwavering ethic: Do the right thing and follow the facts, even when they lead to "unhappy places" such as errant public servants.

Sutton's adherence to that credo has transformed him from a relatively low-profile federal prosecutor to a punching bag on conservative talk shows and Web sites, where he's been vilified for weeks for prosecuting two Border Patrol agents who now are imprisoned for shooting a Mexican drug courier.

Another prosecution, involving a Texas sheriff's deputy who fired at a vehicle loaded with illegal immigrants, has heightened the outcry. T.J. Bonner, the head of the national Border Patrol agents' union, calls Sutton "public enemy No. 1." Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, a former Harris County judge who remembers Sutton as an able young prosecutor, now accuses him of choosing "the wrong side" in the border war.

Democrats have been increasingly aware for sometime that Conservative (i.e. Republican, GOP) justice is aimed at attacking whomever they consider 'enemies' for made up (and real) scandals and crimes while giving their friends get-out-of-jail-free cards for anything and every thing, including murder.
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Respected U.S. prosecutor faces a conservative backlash by Dave Montgomery, McClatchy Newspapers

The reason Bush doesn't want Gonzales under oath?

Because he's an outright liar, just like the President of these United States.

WASHINGTON Mar 24, 2007 (AP)— Last week, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he was not involved in any discussions about the impending dismissals of U.S. attorneys.

On Friday night, however, the Justice Department revealed Gonzales' participation in a Nov. 27 meeting where such plans were discussed.

If he wasnt involved it would have meant he wasn't really running his department. Now we know he was running him department and that he's a liar. Of course, we already knew he was a liar. This is one more lie and a very important one for the integrity of US justice. It's clear that the concept of 'justice' finds no room in Gonzales' soul.
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Link: Documents Show Gonzales Approved Firings by LARA JAKES JORDAN

The stupidity of the press ...

The Arizona Republic (aka azcentral.com) publishes an Associated Press article by Matt Apuzzo that states:

If he [that idiot Bush] claims executive privilege and the dispute ends up in court, the fight with Congress will be refereed by a judicial branch that recently has not been kind to the presidency in fights over subpoenas. Lawmakers, meanwhile, risk seeing a judge permanently curtail their power to summon presidential aides to Capitol Hill.

What this President, the Republicans and, apparently most of the press, want is for the Democrats to decide not to press for their [Congress'] right to investigate the Legislative Branch of the government. If the Democrats are so stupid as to back off from this challenge from Bush then they follow the same path they followed with the filibuster. They save the right for the Republicans and all but give up their ability to ever do anything at all. If the courts side with the administration then the next Democratic President will also be independent of Congress. I can't believe anyone wants that. But if this administration and the courts want it so, then quoting someone from StarTrek, I say "Make it so!"

The Tucson Citizen has it backwards ...

This is like saying the police defied the suspect by issuing an arrest warrant:

House defies Bush, OKs subpoenas

A House panel defied President Bush on Wednesday and voted to authorize subpoenas for White House adviser Karl Rove and other administration officials in its inquiry into the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.

ADDED: The above article is not the only evidence of backwardness at the Tucson Citizen. All I found in the Citizen about Al Gore's appearance before Congress yesterday is an article copied from the Gannett News Service titled: Gore challenged to cut his utility bills.

More AttorneyGate ...

At the last minute they begrudgingly threw in one with real performance problems:

Today's Must Read
By Paul Kiel - March 22, 2007, 9:16 AM

It's almost too perfect. The only U.S. attorney fired by the administration in December who undeniably had performance issues was begrudingly added to the list at the last minute -- and only then because of a federal judge's threat that he would go to Congress with complaints about the prosecutor's performance. [... continue reading]

Is Rick Renzi safe now ...

According to an article posted March 19th in The Nation:

In September 2006, just weeks before pivotal Congressional midterm elections, Paul Charlton, US Attorney for Arizona, opened a preliminary investigation into Republican Representative Rick Renzi of the state's First Congressional District for an alleged pattern of corruption involving influence-peddling and land deals. Almost immediately, Charlton's name was added to a blacklist of federal prosecutors the White House wanted to force from their jobs. Charlton is someone "we should now consider pushing out," D. Kyle Sampson, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez's chief of staff, wrote to then White House Counsel Harriet Miers on September 16.

It appears that the Arizona Daily Star cannot be bothered with any corrupt politicians who happen to be Republican. When Arizona District US Attorney Paul Charlton was fired the Star, under the byline of Josh Brodesky, looked only at the possibility that his replacement may be Diane Humetewa who is Hopi. Of course, if she does succeed Charlton, her own integrity will be in question.

Arizona newspapers, as far as I can find and I'm not all that good at googling, have not reported any great expression of concern from either of Arizona's two Senators about the AttorneyGate in general nor about Charlton in particular. The newspapers themselves write fluff or print articles from the Associated Press like this one of March 14 that has a line following the article stating that Arizona Daily Star reporter Josh Brodesky contributed to the report. Notice that the only reference to the resulting 'get out of jail card' for Rick Renzi in the report is the following sentence:

Democrats have suggested Charlton was targeted by the administration for his work on a corruption investigation of Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz. But the timing is unclear.

Notice it's the Democrats, not the evidence. And notice how the Associated Press, the Arizona Daily Star and Josh Brodesky seem unable or unwilling to comment the timing of the events in their reports other than to say that the 'timing is unclear.' The timing isn't unclear. Timing alone is not proof but it is certainly a reason to look further. But these parties can't even present the timing in a straight forward manner.

On March 14 the Arizona Republic reports a little 'clouding' of the reasons behind the firing of Charlton. Mike Madden of the Republic Washington Bureau states that Charlton was not on the original list of those to be fired and that Bush's aides were very involved in these firings. The article mentions Rick Renzi, almost in a 'nothing to see here, move along' kind of way.

Also on the 14 of March, the Phoenix Business Journal reports on the governor's reaction to AttorneyGate:

Governor calls federal prosecutor purge 'appalling'

Billy House of the Arizona Republic's Washington Bureau reports on March 6 that AttorneyGate results in: Inquiries leave officials in limbo. Of course, we can assume, Rick Renzi already knows the status of the inquiry into his dealings as far as his buddies in the White House are concerned.