FREE AT LAST!

GOOD RIDDENS! George W. Bush leaves Washington for the last time as this nation’s commander in chief .

By Glenn S. Reiner

THIS IS A TIME OF ELATION and hope for a resounding majority of Americans. It is also the beginning of what will inevitably become America’s greatest comeback .

Today will be remembered for Barack Obama’s inauguration as the 44th president of the United States, in front of a record-breaking crowd.

But it will also go down in history as the electorate’s signing of America’s second Declaration of Independence.

Our first emancipation was declared 232 years ago from the rule of Britain’s King George III. Today, we gained our freedom from yet another George – the one who incompetently and corruptly occupied the White House for the last eight years and left office with a overwhelming reputation as this country’s worst president ever.

It was on this date in 2001 that Bush’s predecessor, Bill Clinton, left the nation with its first budget surplus in three decades, record rates of new jobs created and — relatively speaking — friendly relations with most of our global neighbors.

Conversely, the Bush Administration legacy includes the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, astronomical unemployment figures and two wars — one which has been entirely unjustified from the start and has cost this nation in excess of $10 billion monthly for almost seven years, as well as 4,000 American casualties.

Our preemptive strike on Iraq almost six years ago, as well as our continued presence there, has also lost us the respect of most of our treasured allies, while intensifying dissension with perennial detractors.

The Bush White House’s legitimization of torture during its interrogations of Islamic prisoners in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, a clearly-defined violation of the Geneva Convention,  was America’s first in recorded history. The administration’s actions also constituted war crimes, which Bush and several of his subordinates could be called in front of the International Court in the Haige to explain.

The use of domestic spying without FISA Court warrants arrogantly breached the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment’s prohibition of illegal search and seizures. Racial profiling of U.S. citizens of  Muslim decent following 9/11 defied another long-held American precept. These transgressions could very well be investigated and subsequently prosecuted by the new president’s justice officials.

Not only is this day one of redemption for the U.S, but has given rise to a global celebration as well — one that offers major change and hope – not to mention the reversal of heinous Bush policies.

No longer will the world have to put up with Bush’s ignorance, arrogance and self righteousness. They have seen the last of his “Either you’re with us or you’re against us” mentality!”

No longer will our president be the butt of jokes among world leaders and their respective citizenry — not to mention the media worldwide.

No longer will the nation collectively experience that prolonged feeling of depression that swooped over it like a stagnant storm cloud, one which felt as if would remain forever.

No longer will the affluent and Corporate America be given a free pass to treat its  middle-class workers as second-class citizens, continually giving them the royal shaft as these greedy bastards record exorbitant profits.

No longer will the country’s neediest — the impoverished, disabled, elderly and our veterans — be taken out like the trash and dumped.

This is why history will record today as America’s  second Declaration of Independence. It so clearly evokes the final words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1963 “I have a dream” speech:

“Free at last. Free at last. God almighty, (we’re) free at last!”

Attrocities Of New Millennium Frighteningly Similar To Those Of The 20th Century!

Elie Wiesal (standing) survived Nazi persecution in several concentration camps.

“……….How will (the 20^th Century) be remembered in the new millennium? Surely it will be judged, and judged severely, in both moral and metaphysical terms. These failures have cast a dark shadow over humanity: two World Wars, countless civil wars, the sensless chain of assassinations – Gandhi, the Kennedys, Martin Luther King, Sadat, Rabin – bloodbaths in Cambodia and Nigeria, India and Pakistan, Ireland and Rwanda, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Sarajevo and Kosovo; the inhumanity in the gulag and the tragedy of Hiroshima. And, on a different level, of course, Auschwitz and Treblinka. So much violence; so much indifference……” 

- Elie Wiesel

By Glenn S. Reiner

THE ABOVE EXCERPT from a speech given by Wiesel is extremely significant in that we have seen more of the same horrors described above during the first eight years of the 21st Century. Let’s face it: nothing has changed, and this is quite scary!

As Iran inches closer to a Nuclear weapon, so do terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, whose attacks on Israel have been bankrolled by Tehran. To be concerned the Iranians would someday sell the WMD’s to Islamic radicals is in no way out of the realm of reality.

These theological criminals’ misinterpretation of the Koran leaves them entirely fearless of death and believing a suicidal attack on innocent people in the West (“The great Satin”) would result in a one-way ticket to “Heaven.”

Meanwhile, several countries in Africa have experienced as much genocide as Hitler and Stalin facilitated during WWII. And now we have observed the second coming of pirates across the Atlantic Ocean who kidnap innocent people, demanding ransom for their safe returns.

While we advance by quantum leaps technologically, there seems to be a frightening spiritual decline. It is important to note spirituality and organized religion are anything but synonymous; Quite the contrary in fact!

As the Religious Right continues to ignore the U.S. Constitution, constantly attempting to impose their values on others and this country as a whole, Muslim extremists basically do the same in the Middle East — albeit in a far more violent fashion.

This is all far too reminiscent of the Inquisition and Crusades centuries ago.

Sadly, until this week, torture had become a part of the U.S response to enemy aggression since 9/11. Until the new millennium began, this vile practice was limited to severely-misguided rogue nations.

Even American citizens, themselves, had been subject to unlawful domestic spying and ethnic profiling under the FORMER, deceptive Bush Administration.

No doubt, new President Barack Obama has made his mission to not only rectify the Bush destructive actions, but to put as much as a dent as he can in bringing harmony to the Word. But that won’t change the multitude of global atrocities taking place daily overnight.

An old mentor of mine once said wars are never actually won; Rather, one side is temporarily stifled by another — only to wait for the opportunity for vengeance. History has shown us more than enough evidence to support this contention.

Realistically,  hatred and violence as well as intolerance have never produced long-lasting positive outcomes.

Only committed diplomacy and bilateral compromise has ever resolved any of the world’s problems. Such was the case in 1978 when then President Jimmy Carter negotiated the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel.  As a result, the former two perennial enemies finally found a lasting peace, both making major concessions to ensure it.

Subsequent peace agreements were consummated  between Tel Aviv and both Saudi Arabia and Jordan in 1981 and 1994, respectively.

_______________

Elie Wiesel is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient. For more than six decades, the Jewish writer, professor, political activist and Holocaust survivor, has dedicated himself to world peace and justice.

Medical Marijuana Must Be Legalized — Now!

THE FEDS REMAIN IN DENIAL ABOUT CANNABIS’S MEDICINAL VALUE, CHOOSING INSTEAD TO CLING TO MYTHS PERPETUATED OVER SEVEN DECADES AGO!

By Glenn S. Reiner

NEXT TO PROHIBITION — which the government obviously learned little from — perhaps the most bizarre law on the books in the U.S. deals with the criminalization of marijuana, which has been predicated on complete falsehoods for the past 72 years.

Just a little history: In 1936, the Treasury Department created the Federal Bureau of Narcotics under the leadership of Harry J. Anslinger. The new bureau chief initially had no problem with cannabis consumption, which had been going on for over five millenniums.

Then a group of religious fanatics,  similar to those who inspired Prohibition, ran a propaganda campaign about the herb which finally got to him.

Anslinger eventually convinced Congress to pass the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which required the purchase tax stamps in order to legally possess the herb.

But in order to get the stamp, a user had establish possession of it,  which led to their arrests for not having the stamp. It was one of the most imbecilic Catch 22s of all time.

In order to convince Congress and the public of  marijuana’s ‘horrors,’ the bureau launched a propaganda campaign with a few movies entirely underscored by hyperbole. The most ludicrous, yet effective, Reefer Madness (1936), depicted pot-smoking college students as a bunch of drunken speed freaks. If you never had the chance to see  it, it could be viewed for free at

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6696582420128930236.

After the liberal Earl Warren Supreme Court overturned the absurd law 40 years later, then President Richard Nixon enacted a new bill prohibiting possession of cannabis in any quantity within 36 months as a component of the more comprehensive Controlled Substance Act of 1970.

Generally speaking, it is extremely difficult to change the belief system of narrow-minded individuals, which the federal and state governments have historically had more of its fair share of.

A few states have decriminalized possession of small quantities of marijuana, while 12 have legalized it for medical use. But the rest refuse to even look at recent medical findings, and the federal government could still prosecute you if the states won’t.

This occurred earlier this year in Los Angeles where the DEA busted several medical marijuana stores , despite those outlets were completely legal and sanctioned by the State of California. The agency has even gone as far as to threaten doctors who prescribe it with prosecution and removal of their licenses.

“Marijuana has been a medicine for 5,000 years,” says Dr. Donald I. Abrams “That’s a lot longer than it hasn’t been a medicine.”

Abrams,  an oncologist and director of clinical research programs at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine in San Francisco, is one of a handful of top-flight doctors in the country researching medical marijuana.

“The war on drugs is really a war on patients,” he asserts.

What is truly bothersome is the federal government’s sanction of alcohol and tobacco consumption, and it has  made a mint on the these two deadly substances with exorbitant taxes. Yet, it refuses to even look at the data that establishes pot as far less toxic.

To paraphrase political comedian and satirist Bill Maher, ‘There are nearly a half-million tobacco-related deaths each year and approximately 100,000 fatalities caused by alcohol consumption. But we have yet to see one person smoke a joint and drop dead.’

If there’s one lesson we should have learned from Prohibition, it’s that morality cannot be legislated! When alcohol was banned, the result was devastating: organized crime took over the trade, the product had far more toxic components in the bootlegged version, and underground speakeasys spread like the flu.

The result of the cannabis laws has proven to be quite similar, as millions have been busted and imprisoned since 1970. Consequently, several more prisons have been built to handle the exponentially larger inmate population.

This has led the states and federal government to spend an exorbitant amount of money, which could have been used for legitimate necessities: our infrastructure, an increase in police, more comprehensive health care — not to mention improved education for our kids — which has absolutely gone down the toilet for the last few decades.

If legalized, marijuana — most notably for medical purposes — could be controlled by the government, who can regulate the product and price while increasing revenue through taxes. In any event, the consumer would be paying far less than he/she current does at black market prices for a safer product.

So its easy to see that the natural herb’s criminalization has proven to be a total failure. It’s high time (no pun intended) for the government to realize this.

GOP MAKEOVER OFF TO BAD START!

This Can’t Possibly Be The Republicans’ Idea Of How To Attract Black Voters!

By Glenn S. Reiner

FOR CHIP SALTSMAN – who recently sent a  2007 parody song called “Barack the Magic Negro,” sung to the tune of “Puff the Magic Dragon,” to Republican National Committee leaders during Christmas –   to defend his bizarre behavior is absolutely mind boggling!

How could someone with so much political expertise and savvy even try to pull off something so suicidal for his party, especially now?

I can’t even fathom how he actually believed RNC members would find that imbecilic, racially-charged spoof of the classic Peter, Paul & Mary folk hit entertaining.

Saltsman is one of a multitude of candidates seeking the RNC chairmanship, which the committee is expected to name soon. No doubt, this clearly wasn’t the most intelligent strategy to secure the job.

This is a time when the GOP is desperately looking for ways to attract Blacks and young voters in future elections. It was only two months ago when the American electorate — highly fueled by the vote of those two demographic groups — evicted the Republicans from the White House while strongly diminishing their numbers in Congress.

Saltsman, a senior adviser to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, as well as the unsuccessful manager of Mike Huckabee’s failed presidential campaign, left his party with a strike-one count in its quest for broader support outside the Bible-thumping Deep South and Plain States. How he could have thought this asinine stunt would gain his party brownie points with African-Americans or even favor with independents and moderates is beyond comprehension!

Believe me, it’s not my intention to psychoanalyze this human bastion of retrograde conservatism. That would almost certainly take a team of psychiatrists from Geneva.

Just the name of the song – “Barack the Magic Negro” – is so completely indicative of a mindset that has become increasing unpopular over the last 40 years. Just when was the last time you heard African-Americans referred to as ‘Negroes’? Certainly, those born since 1968 haven’t. And that encompasses two voting generations.

Unfortunately, Saltsman’s actions clearly still reflect a portion of the GOP’s thinking — particularly its right wing, although the party itself would never admit it.

Yet, the Republicans as a whole have shown little compassion or concern for the Black population in this country since the Lincoln Administration.

They have forever favored spending cuts and even the total elimination of federal programs that were designed specifically to help minorities earn a fair piece of the proverbial American pie, especially in the realm of education and vocational training. And how have these rotten souls preferred to spend those funds: on tax breaks for the wealthy and their greedy corporations.

The GOP wants to reinvent itself as a more tolerant, ‘Big-Tent’ party — at least on the surface. This is why many of its leaders quickly and publicly condemned Saltsman, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich – who could very conceivably be the party’s nomination for president in 2012.

South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson, another candidate for the RNC’s top spot, has even gone as far as to resign – begrudgingly I’m sure – from his exclusively white country club. Frankly, I didn’t even realize such clubs still existed in 21st Century America, even in the South?

One stark reality is the lack of success the GOP’s proposed face lift will have for at least a half-century. The damage already done has far too much depth and won’t be forgotten for quite a long time!

The vast majority of African-Americans in this country clearly don’t believe  Republicans are even capable of such a transformation – especially given their track record since the Reconstruction.

The antics of the GOP won’t play any better with the younger generation of voters, who have grown up in a society where biracial relationships and marriages have become commonplace. It is obvious these kids are far more liberal than any preceding generation since the highly-successful counter-culture youth of the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Unless the Grand Old Party — which has only shown itself to be old — puts a lid on loose cannons like Saltsman,  not only will it fail at any comeback attempt, but likely could fall into extinction!

Defiant Governor Drops Bombshell

ONE THING CAN BE SAID FOR IL GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH: HE DOES HAVE GUTS OF STEEL!

 

By Glenn S. Reiner

NO ONE WILL EVER ACCUSE Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich of buckling under pressure. No matter how you feel about him, you have to give the man his due.

He offered proof positive again today announcing to a national televised audience his appointment of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

I have to admit I feel quite ambivalent about the governor’s current legal and political issues. While I’m sure his ploy to sell the president-elect’s Senate seat is a clearly-defined ethics violation, I don’t honestly believe he has committed a crime. And I am not ready to convict him quite yet, not at least until I can completely examine all the facts, as well as the case law as it pertains to his actions.

So just what are the facts?

Well, for one thing, they haven’t even been presented yet in their entirety to a trial judge and jury. Like you, all I know is what U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has disclosed to the media.

I have no idea what the governor’s defense is, which his attorneys smartly won’t reveal until the government takes their client to trial, following a full disclosure of its entire case to them beforehand. That hasn’t happened yet.

So in truth, we don’t know all the facts — only a portion of them.

With respect to case law, the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides Blagojevich with the same presumption of innocence until guilt is proven that you and I are entitled to.

Therefore, I have to honor the man’s constitutional rights and wait until, and if, his case goes to court.

The wire-tap tapes released to the press by Fitzgerald clearly establishes Blagojevich sought money and future favors  in exchange for Obama’s seat. But I don’t believe this, on its face, violates federal law.

What the tapes do not establish is the governor following up on his rhetoric and actually committing the act, which would no doubt be illegal.

Let me offer an analogy:  When a drug dealer offers to make a sale to an undercover cop, he hasn’t yet committed a crime and cannot be arrested. It’s only when  he actually exchanges the dope for cash that the officer can slap the cuffs on him.

Another good comparison is when a married person attempts to hire a hit man to off their spouse but ends up with an undercover homicide detective instead. Before the detective could legally arrest that person, he has to ask them, “Are you sure you really want to go through with this?” In fact, many ask twice. If the person changes their mind and no money has been exchanged, charges cannot be filed.

Therefore as current governor of the great state of Illinois, Blagojevich – until convicted or extricated from office by the Illinois legislature — has every legal right to carry out the responsibilities of his office. This includes the Senate seat appointment.

“The people of Illinois are entitled to have two United States senators represent them in Washington, D.C. As governor, I am required to make this appointment. If I don’t make this appointment, then the people of Illinois will be deprived of their appropriate voice and vote in the United States Senate,” Blagojevich said at today’s press conference.

And he’s 100 percent on the money as far as I’m concerned. Not only are Illinois citizens entitled to two senators when the new Congress convenes in less than a week, but the Senate Democrats deserve to be fully staffed as well when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid commences the new Senate.

In all fairness, I believe the governor made a very intelligent choice in the notably rational and political squeaky-clean Burris, who apparently has all the makings of the perfect successor to Obama.

“Very, very low key,” said Don Rose, a former Democratic political consultant in Chicago, describing Mr. Burris, 71, to the New York Times. He’s just not a terribly exciting figure. But there’s never been a breath of scandal about him.”

Democratic Senators can threaten to block Burris from taking being seated all they want, but that would be unconstitutional.

I sincerely doubt there is a federal judge in this country, at any level, who would side against the currently sitting governor. And the Eighth Amendment leaves absolutely no room for partisan judicial interpretation.

To do so, would violate the oath that judge took to “uphold, protect and defend the constitution” — subjecting him/her to possible impeachment and subsequent removal from the bench.

_________

On January 15, 2008, Roland Burris was admitted into the U.S. Senate with the blessings of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durban, Illinois’ senior senator — filling Barack Obama’s vacated seat.

 

Israel Expands Military Assault After Unprecedented Hamas Attacks

The scene in Israel after one of many unprovoked attacks by Hamas

 

By Glenn S. Reiner

HAMAS reminds me of a life-long bully who constantly berates others and then gets angry when someone finally stands up to him and does him bodily harm.

That’s exactly what the terrorist group  is trying to pull off, as they again play the victim role after bombarding the Jewish State with missiles less than a week after their most recent ceasefire ended.  Now they’re screaming for vengeance. One thing for sure: This rogue bands  of thugs gives the word denial a whole new meaning.

If history serves, I cannot remember one single time Israeli attacks on its enemies were not justified and clearly a means to defend itself against Arab aggression. Since ancient times, these people have been thrown into slavery, chased from their land, persecuted in a multitude of  nations worldwide and exterminated by psychopathic lunatics.

But in order to keep things simple, let’s just go back to 1947 when the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. This mandate was reached after over three decades of British rule.  Exhausted by the years of infighting between the two factions, England was more than happy to finally leave.

The UN resolution was accepted by the Jews, whose population had expanded greatly with the arrival of European Holocaust survivors.

But the Palestinians would have no part of it and began the war which ultimately solidified Israel’s declaration as an sovereign state. Joined by neighboring Arab countries, The Palestinians had a huge numerical advantage. But the Jewish forces wiped the floor – or should I say battlefield – with their enemies, leaving them crippled.

Two decades later, Israel was forced to defend itself again, this time against Egypt. The 1967 “Six-Day War” had its roots in then Egyptian President Gabel Abdul Nasser’s expulsion of a UN Emergency Force from the Sinai Peninsula that  had been stationed there for a decade.

Egypt – with strong support from several Arab allies — then positioned 1,000 tanks and nearly 100,000 soldiers on the Israeli border while closing the Straits of Tiran to all Israeli ships. Seeing the proverbial handwriting on the wall, Tel Aviv launched an offensive against the Egyptian Air Force.

Jordan answered with an attack against Western Jerusalem and Netanya.  Yet once again, the Jewish state prevailed, capturing control of the Sinai ,  Gaza Strip,  West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights

Failing to learn from history, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel by surprise in 1973 on Yom Kippur — the Jewish highest holy day. After 18 days of fighting and thousands of lives lost on both ends, Israel again emerged as victors, earning territorial gains in Syria.

But in 1978, then President Jimmy Carter successfully negotiated the Israeli-Egyptian peace accords. A year later, both nations signed a full peace agreement, commencing full diplomatic relations. As part of the treaty, Israel agreed to return control of  the Sinai Peninsula to the Egyptians. In addition, it reopened the Suez Canal, while evacuating its 4,500 civilian inhabitants.

Fifteen years later, Jordan followed Cairo’s lead, becoming the second Arab nation to stabilize relations with Israel. Consequently, all territorial disputes between those two nations were resolved.

Until this weekend’s Israeli offensive (of should I say, defensive!), even Syria had been conducting  informal peace negations with Israel. Damascus believed a treaty would most likely result in the return of the Golan Heights.

Syria and the Jewish State have been arch enemies since the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which came in response to PLO attacks launched from the Lebanese border.

However, Damascus today suspended all peace talks with Tel Aviv. Like Iran, its closest Muslim theocratic ally, it has been bankrolling and sheltering anti-Israeli terrorist groups for decades. So this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

In addition, thousands from major Middle-East cities didn’t waste any time taking to the streets today, protesting Israel’s actions.

Surprisingly, the prime minister of Turkey — another one of the few Muslim countries to have relations with Israel –  called the air assault a “crime against humanity.” Then again, when was the last time Istanbul was attacked by a terrorist organization?

And frankly, I find the prime minister’s rhetoric extremely insulting. When I hear the term ‘crimes against humanity,’ the names Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and Milošević come to mind. How could anyone in their right mind fit <!–[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]–> Ben-Gurion, Meir, Rabin, Begin and currently Ehud Olmertnow   in with that group of genocidal maniacs.

But let’s face it: this anti-Semitic BS has been going on for millenniums. Through World War II, Jews had been the universal scapegoat. That is, until the establishment of Israel in 1948.  Since that time, both Israeli citizens as well as Jews globally have taken a stand, refusing to be made the proverbial sacrificial lamb of a bunch of ignorant bigots.

The plain truth is that Israel has made several peace overtures with the Palestinians in recent years, loosening their hold on both Gaza and the West Bank. It has engaged in peace negations over the years with the Palestinian Authority and the PLO before them.

But terrorist groups like Hamas, who have long been committed to the Jewish State’s total destruction, has ruined any efforts by both sides with preemptive strikes that has killed an untold number of Israelis.

However, all these thugs ever seem to emphasize is the Palestinian civilians “murdered” in the crossfire of Israeli retaliatory strikes. Yet the children they have sent across the border as human bombs, killing untold numbers of Israeli civilians, isn’t even an afterthought to them.

This is not a complex situation. Actually it is very simple. Hamas, which is considerably far weaker and vastly outnumbered by Israel, needs to change its mindset to one that is common-sense based. It must stop its vicious attacks on the Jewish State and come to grips with the concept of compromise –  something it has not been willing to do before.

 

 

 

Was Scott Peterson Railroaded?

PETERSON IS HOUSED HERE ON SAN QUENTIN’S DEATH ROW

By Glenn S. Reiner

I HAVE HAD REASONABLE DOUBT about Scott Peterson’s guilt from the very start, as — for more than one reason — this judicial equation just doesn’t balance out!

Although there are exceptions, data has steadily shown violent criminals are the product of  abusive homes, broken family’s, and the most impoverished of neighborhoods. Peterson, conversely, grew up in a loving, upper middle-class family.

An educated, articulate man, he was no imbecile. If he wanted his wife out of the way to pursue a life with Amber Frey, why didn’t he just get a divorce? That would have been a far  simpler, easier and civilized way out.

His dishonesty with his wife about his affair with Frey and with Frey about his wife was not unusual, as this is quite common among cheating spouses. So was his inability to level with police. Modesto, CA, is  a small conservative town where morality is heavily weighed, and I believe Peterson was just merely trying to protect his reputation with the Christian majority.

I have always said if I was ever falsely accused of a crime, I would ask for a bench trial, as I don’t trust the average American juror’s ability to be objective. Time and again, we have seen them so easily swayed by their own personal values and emotional appeals from prosecutors.

There is an old saying in many law schools: “If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you don’t have the facts on your side but have the law on your side, pound the law. But if you don’t have the facts or the law on your side, pound the table.”

And this is what I believe the DA successfully did with Peterson’s jury.

Again, jurors tend to allow the emotional attorney outbursts of trial lawyers, as well as the defendants’ character flaws, influence their decisions. This certainly explains why many people have been convicted of crimes they didn’t commit and several exonerated of crimes they clearly did.

But a judge is a professional jurist and is bound to only consider the facts and law. He/she is seldom impressed by the emotional antics of the attorneys. They generally read the trial transcript before rendering a decision.

When testimony or an attorney’s inappropriate questions or comments are removed from the record, they honor that. What they heard doesn’t matter, only what they read and the law.

So my question still remains this: Was Peterson truly guilty or just railroaded by a jury convinced by circumstantial evidence along with his adulterous behavior.

And it is only fair to note why the DA asked for the death penalty. Peterson was accused of multiple murder, which — in California — is considered the “special circumstances” necessary for Capital Murder.

But one alleged victim was his unborn son — the operative word being UNBORN!

Can you smell the filthy hand of the Religious Right here? Although they believe life begins at conception, the American Medical Association and our legal system disagree.

Consequently, Peterson’s attorneys will most likely have his death sentence overturned on appeal.

This is why I sincerely doubt he will spend too many more of his days on death row. Plus, the public tide on capital punishment is changing rapidly.

Other states have already either eliminated their death penalty or are the process of doing so. And with California’s current budget woes, coupled with the lack of executions that actually have taken place there, I believe capital punishment in the “Golden State” will become moot within the next two years.

 

EVEN AFTER BAILOUT, BANKS CONTINUE DECEPTION OF TAXPAYERS!

This Will Become America’s Second Declaration Of Independence!

By Glenn S. Reiner

AS A SOCIAL-DEMOCRAT, I haven’t trusted a major corporation – especially the major banks on Wall Street – in nearly 30 years. Then again, my distrust for unregulated Capitalism has been supported by the greed of Corporate America since the Reagan years.

But I never thought these sociopaths in Brooks Brothers suits would come up with the 14-karat chutzpah to again scam the American people, who these Banks’ very existence has been, at least temporarily, expanded by the taxpayer’s generosity to the tune of $700 billion.

That money was intended to aid homeowners from further foreclosure, while stimulating the economy and stopping the mass unemployment that has plagued this society for the past year.

With almost half of the bail-out money dispensed already, there is no evidence a red cent has been used for that purpose. And when asked to account for how it has been spent, the smug mortgage bank executives – in their infinite arrogance – chose not to respond honestly or even at all in one case.

“We’ve lent some of it. We’ve not lent some of it. We’ve not given any accounting of, ‘Here’s how we’re doing it,’” said Thomas Kelly, a spokesman of JP Morgan Chase, which received $25 billion in emergency bailout money. “We have not disclosed that to the public. We’re declining to.” 

The Associated Press recently contacted 21 banks that received at least $1 billion in government money and asked four questions: How much has been spent? What was it spent on? How much is being held in savings, and what’s the plan for the rest?

Yet not one of the banks provided concrete answers.

This is exactly why so many Capitol Hill legislators opposed bailing out Wall Street in the first place. The only reason they passed the $17 billion auto rescue plan was to prevent a further hemorrhage in the unemployment picture.

When was the last time we have seen any form of integrity in Corporate America? When have they last shown an iota of compassion and concern for the middle-class and poor?

It’s too bad we can’t throw the lot of them in federal prison – where they belong for at least 20 years – while confiscating their personal fortunes. However, these insatiable, money-hungry thugs’ agreement breach with the government is strictly a civil matter.

If I were Timothy Geithner — President-Elect Barack Obama’s candidate for treasury secretary — I would call on the Justice Department of the new administration in January to litigate the immediate reimbursement of every cent foolishly given to them thus far. I would also ask the court to order them to pay interest and legal fees.

In addition, I would send the other $350 billion remaining from the original $700 million back to the Chinese, who lent us the money for this fiasco. Yet, incredible as it might sound, George W. Bush’s Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson is currently attempting to convince the Congress to release that money as well to these rogue bankers.

Hasn’t Paulson done enough damage, disgracing his boss, the man who depended on him for a competent fiscal assessment of the Wall Street fiasco? Like most presidents, Bush is not an economist and relies on his “expert” for advice. Instead, Paulson is leaving him with even more egg all over his face – this coming as the president is trying to make some last minute sane moves that would help his already-tarnished legacy.

Something bothered me in the first place about the treasury secretary’s original proposal to Congress for the bailout, which completely lacked legitimate oversight. Not surprisingly, as with most Republicans, he was protecting the affluent at the expense of the rest of us – the very tactic that has put this country in the worse fiscal quagmire since the Great Depression.

The genesis of this financial downturn goes all the way back to 1980 when then President Reagan virtually deregulated big business. The fact it has come to a boil the past few months was inevitable.

Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s Mad Money and a former hedge fund manager understands Wall Street as well as anyone. In an interview today with Mike Barnacle on MSNBC’s Hardball, he virtually called the $700 billion bailout the most corrupt act yet of the Bush White House.

Speaking of which, there are exactly 29 days before this administration gets shown the door. As far as I’m concerned, they couldn’t go by fast enough!

Staying In The Center Will Work For Obama

ULTRA-FEMINIST BONNIE ERBE TENDS TO OVERSTATE REALITY

 

By Glenn S. Reiner

The following is a column by angry feminist Bonnie Erbe,  contributing editor at US News & World Report and host of PBS’s weekly news analysis program, To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbie. After reading it, you will clearly understand my response on her blog.

 

Barack Obama’s Cabinet Appointments: More Women Needed

Now that the Obama cabinet selection process is about over, the final tally is close to what I expected it to be, and disappointing to a number of the president-elect’s key constituencies. There is one cabinet-level appointment yet to be announced, out of 15 cabinet positions (filled with today’s announcements) and at least seven cabinet-level appointments. From among these 22 coveted jobs, five appointees are women. Since women are 52 percent of the U.S. population and Obama’s transition team promised a cabinet that “looked like America,” one would have to say that, in terms of gender, Obama has failed.

The stark reality is shown in living color on this New Agenda page link, which sports photos of the Obama cabinet members and makes an important visual point.

While Obama is breaking records for putting his cabinet in place more quickly than prior presidents, he broke no new ground with his female cabinet appointments. No woman had ever been selected to head the key Securities and Exchange Commission before Obama’s selection of Mary Schapiro, but she is not in the cabinet. He had ample opportunity to name female secretaries of defense, treasury, and even veterans affairs. He declined.

I’ve cited this post before, but it’s important to reinforce the fact that Obama’s breaking no new number with his female appointments.

At the start of his first term, President Bush nominated four women to his Cabinet. Bill Clinton had five women in his Cabinet at the start of his presidency, and George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan each had two, according to research conducted by New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service in partnership with The Washington Post.

Just because I’m talking quantity does not mean I’m not also concerned about quality. But read the New Agenda list of women he passed over. There were plenty of experienced, talented, professional women available to fill any of his cabinet posts.

Women should take this into account when he’s up for re-election four years from now. Women aren’t the only disappointed constituency. He’s annoyed many Southerners, as well as liberals who see his selections as too middle-of-the-road:

CHICAGO—President-elect Barack Obama spent the campaign fighting the notion that he’s an unabashed liberal. Now he can point to Exhibit A: a Cabinet that’s a middle-of-the-roaders’ dream. Consider the scorecard: The centrist Democratic Leadership Council claims ties with half the group. Movement progressives count a single one, California Rep. Hilda Solis at Labor, a union favorite. But if Obama gives with Solis, he takes away with former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, a free-trade advocate for trade representative, no union favorite. Classic Obama, some grumbled. “We just hoped the political diversity would have been stronger,” said Tim Carpenter, executive director of Progressive Democrats of America. “We see a lot of recycled Clinton folks and he gets a strong ‘D’ on the policy side. We hope he will hustle them to be more progressive.”

And then there’s this:

“Women’s groups who have been hoping for an historic breakthrough in the numbers of women and feminists in the cabinet are looking at a Cabinet now that has lower numbers of women than the Clinton Administration,” said Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal. “With only three Cabinet positions remaining, the women’s groups are pushing ahead not only for more women in the Cabinet, but for more women to be appointed to the thousands of plum jobs that are available. A number of groups have formed a Feminist Appointment Wiki Project to make sure that more strong women and feminist names are put forth.”Ellen Malcolm, the president and founder of Emily’s List, told The Washington Post that Obama “obviously started off with a bang, with Janet Napolitano, Hillary Clinton and Susan Rice . . ..we’ve been disappointed to see women suggested for some positions and not chosen.”Women’s groups are also very concerned about the economic recovery package, which so far is specifying the creation of jobs primarily in the construction industries, which under-represent women. Smeal commented that “we are also alarmed that the key components of the economic recovery package revealed to the public are emphasizing construction jobs, which notoriously under-represent women workers. Although we support a physical infrastructure stimulus package, we believe it must be accompanied with a human infrastructure component that will employ a majority of women workers. With women nearly half of the workforce, a successful stimulus package must include jobs that will employ significant numbers of women and men.”

Dear Bonnie:

The old adage, “You can’t please everybody,” seems so prevalent right now.

As you noted, the president elect promised us a centrist administration during the campaign, rebutting GOP claims he would take us radically to the left. Clearly, his cabinet picks have shown he is, indeed, a man of his word!

In choosing his team, he has angered several political factions, who — as always — ‘want what they want, when then want it.’ But doesn’t a mature political mind accept that ‘we get, what we get, when we get it.’

I have yet to see any other president-elect in my 55 years on this planet work as hard as he has during their transition periods. And does he receive gratitude for his efforts? No! Instead he has had criticism thrown his way from every direction.

I get you are a clearly-defined feminist. As a life-long Liberal, I supported the ERA, have done my best as a writer to advocate women’s rights, and have even donated money to NOW.

I believe our woman have come a long way since my birth in the ’50s. And I realize the job isn’t nearly done. I have also come to understand the collective American mindset, which historically has  been noticeably inert and has struggled with the concept of change — especially anything radical. Let’s not forget how our revered founding fathers wrote a Constitution that barely showed much respect for woman.

This is why Obama — deep, sensitive and astute politician he has proven to be — has done his best to create a diversified team, and I believe he has done a damn good job of it at that!

Granted, this clearly isn’t the all-liberal administration I have always dreamed of. Then again, it’s not the Nazi right-wing White house ‘W’ assembled either — Colin Powell and Condi rice being the only exceptions.

So to move to middle, I believe, is not only a proverbial quantum leap, but just what this country needs right now. It is also a huge step in uniting the nation for the first time since the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Instead of complaining about which women you argue he passed over, why not be grateful his five female picks are still a record, even if only marginal. And let’s not forget — again with the exception of Condi Rice — the Bush woman were not only regressive, but hurt the middle-class, poor and needy badly.

For decades, my doctors have been women, as male physicians — with their emotional detachment to patients – have turned me off. I have felt a special kinship to women throughout my adulthood and have always treated them as equals. My mother was a feminist before the term was even coined, so I was brought up with an emphasis on broad-mindedness and forward thinking.

It is for this reason I perceive your stand as an overstatement at best. It would behoove you to take a deeper look within, examine your motives, and reevaluate your spin.

Respectfully Yours,

Glenn S. Reiner

(Coconut Creek, FL)

AMERICANS TO DETROIT: ‘DROP DEAD!’

IF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SAW THIS PICTURE OF AN UNEMPLOYMENT LINE DURING THE DEPRESSION, THEY MIGHT SING A DIFFERENT TUNE!

 

By Glenn S. Reiner

PERHAPS IT’S TIME to add economics to the high school curriculum, especially since only a fraction of the American people – yours truly excluded – have more than a basic understanding of American Capitalism and it’s nuances.

I personally believe the reason a significant majority of Americans are so opposed to helping the “Big 3″ lies in how some of the approved Wall Street bailout funds have already been misused by a few banking giants, which weren’t in trouble in the first place.

Instead of using the money to rehire recently layed-off employees, they purchased smaller banks with the million of dollars appropriated to them only by the grace of Uncle Sam.

I personally find this sad state of affairs completely reprehensible and beyond belief, as obviously do 55 percent of Americans — particularly the working middle-class taxpayers — who believe they were totally mislead and shafted, a totally justified conclusion.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson offered a very compelling argument that sold us all on the $700 billion bailout of the white-collar, criminally-run banking empire. With much reservation, the bailout was passed by Congress and signed by the president despite the root causes for Wall Street’s problems: egocentric executives, greed and more greed — not to mention a lack of federal oversight that’s been going since the Reagan Administration almost 30 years ago.

So now Detroit wants help, albeit on a much smaller scale. Yet again, money-hungry corporate mismanagement and the refusal to change course in order to remain competitive with foreign auto makers is at the bottom of its calamity.

I believe President Bush’s overture last week to possibly supply the “Big 3″ with $14 billion out of Wall Street’s funds was noble and the right thing to do. It could actually represent the first taxpayer dollars to Corporate American in a long time that is legitimate.

Why? Because virtually every top-flight economist believes refusal to do so would have a horrifying domino effect, dragging down the economy even further — possibly to depression proportions.

Since my expertise and experience has revolved around the world of politics and not economics, I have to trust the experts. One of them, Felix Rohatyn, was the financial genious who personally pulled New York out near bankruptcy in the late ’70s.

The economists’ contention that a failure to help Detroit now would sharply increase the already-inflated unemployment stats is valid. It was just days ago that U.S. Department of Labor figures showed a loss of an additional 150,000 jobs last month alone — a 34-year high.

This is why I stand behind the president’s thinking — something I’ve rarely done for the past eight years.

My only concern is whether the corporate-friendly White House will be willing to impose the same oversights on Detroit contained in the House bill passed last week. If so, how could I honestly oppose this plan?

_________________________

On Dec. 19,  President Bush agreed to release $17 billion to Chrysler and GM from the $700 billion Wall St. bailout funds, or TARP, virtually with the same stipulations contained in the original House Bill. Ford already said it has enough money to last through 2009 and therefore wasn’t included in this package.

Needless to say, Congressional Conservatives immediately criticized the president, as he circumvented their obstruction of the original bill in the Senate.

Many of them lost reelection bids in November and won’t be returning January to the new Congress, which will be dominated significantly this time by the Democrats.

So what are my parting words to those congressional Republicans? Adios assholes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!