The Citadel Informer

* Jesse Ventura Suing TSA Over Sexual Assault Pat Down (video)

The Citadel Informer — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:56:08 +0000

All fun and games until someone loses an eye and it’s you.: “We’re at war and we’re at war inside our own country,” Ventura said on Sept. 27, 2001, “something we’ve never seen or heard of before inside the United States of America. I don’t …think you can be too careful and people are just going to have to accept a little bit of inconvenience.”

The report: http://kstp.com/news/stories/s1940324.shtml

Read the Lawsuit: http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/Ventura%20Lawsuit.pdf

* ‘Make no Mistake’ about it Gabby Gifford was shot in the head by a ”Mystery Bullet’ (video)

The Citadel Informer — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:13:53 +0000

NoLinkNews Reports: “I keep finding more inconsistencies with the Doctors testimony.

But which direction did the bullet travel is as good as mystery you’ll evar get. It’s your guess is as good is as mine with their NWO Mind Control Psyops Tactics..
Witnesses first said Gabby was shot in the back of the head, but the Doctors treating her don’t seem to be able to agree. I just captured another Doctor’s testimony from Sun. Medical briefing.

so as the time line goes she was shot in the back of the head witnesses say and then the news reports it later that afternoon. Then the Sen. says she heard the Doc say she was shot in the temple later sat. nite. when at the hospital.

Sun. the doc says she was shot in back of the head and by Tues the medical briefing she shot from the front.

Wed. medical briefing she was shot from the front.

Thurs. medical briefing she was shot from the front.”

* (video) Bernanke Outright Lied on 60 Minutes and Appeared On Edge Through Out

The Citadel Informer — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:43:07 +0000

“Bernanke wanted to emphasize that these are the Fed’s own reserves. It’s not tax money. It does not add to the federal deficit.”

There is no other way to put this, Ben Bernanke outright lied on 60 Minutes, and it looks like he is losing it.

As Taylor Conant points out:

This video seems like the act of a desperate, unhinged man. Real change from the measured, secretive, calm and collected Ben Bernanke/Fed chairmen of yore. They undoubtedly had tons of re-takes and edits and still he came across this nervous and anxious.
Conant nails the seeming on edge demeanor of Brernanke during this interview. That’s downright scary about a man that controls the money supply. Then there were the bizarre lies.

At one point during the interview with Scott Pelley, Bernanke says:

One myth that’s out there is that what we’re doing is printing money. We’re not printing money. The amount of currency in circulation is not changing. The money supply is not changing in any significant way.
The one person in the world that should know what money supply is doing is the Federal Reserve chairman. It is completely outrageous for him to say currency isn’t changing. First because as every economist knows there are many components to the money supply that go way beyond currency, especially checking accounts. There is no economist I know who would use “currency” to mean the money supply.

That said,let us start with his very misleading mention of currency. Over the last 3 months currency has grown by an annualized rate of 5.6%. In all the dictionaries I have looked at. 5.6% growth means 5.6% growth and not that there is no change.

But more important, the M1 money supply measure, which includes checking accounts, has grown at an annualized rate over the last 13 weeks of 14.8% (beginning Aug. 23). This is huge. In 6 months ending Aug. 31, M1 grew at only 3.6%. In other words, the current growth in currency and checking accounts, known as M1, has grown over the last 13 weeks at nearly MORE THAN FOUR TIMES the rate of the prior six months. Take a look at the numbers yourself. This data will show you the current 13 week growth in M1 (It’s the second data set). This data will show you the 6 month growth in M1 ending Aug. 31 (It’s the first data set).

But, M1 itself is used by few economists as a measure of money supply. I prefer the M2 measure, as do most economists. In the 13 weeks beginning Aug 23, the M2 money supply measure has grown at 6.4%.(The data is here–second data set.). In the 6 months, ending Aug 31. M2 grew at only 2.5% (The data is here–first data set). In other words, M2 money growth has increased by a multiple of 2.5 times.

Bernanke simply lied. There is no other explanation. Money supply is skyrocketting and it is very likely that QE2 has only started to have its impact. By the time its over money supply growth (all measures) will be over 10%.

Another problem with entire interview is that Pelley had no idea how to properly challenge Bernanke. It was a total soft-ball experience that eventually turned into a Dali like production. At one point Pelley does this voicover:

Bernanke wanted to emphasize that these are the Fed’s own reserves. It’s not tax money. It does not add to the federal deficit.
The Fed’s own reserves?!

The Fed the simply prints the money. There were no reserves sitting anywhere that Bernanke used. Pelley was way in over his head. The interview was a mockery of 60 Minutes.

At another point Pelley let Bernake get away with this doozy:

The other concern I should mention is that inflation is very, very low, which you think is a good thing and normally is a good thing. But we’re getting awfully close to the range where prices would actually start falling.
There was no mention that all sorts of price are climbing that oil is at a 2 year high!

Then of course we have the absurdity of Bernanke forecasting unemployment numbers for the next five years. This from a men who didn’t see the housing bubble that was right in front of him:

At the rate we’re going, it could be four, five years before we are back to a more normal unemployment rate. Somewhere in the vicinity of say five or six percent.
If Bernanke continues printing money the way he is, it will be a manipulated, inflationary recovery, but unemployment will be way down in 12 months.

Continue reading HERE.

*Response to John Stossel, Pusher for GMO’d Foods (video)

The Citadel Informer — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 20:10:03 +0000

“How could we argue that produce grown chemically is safer or healthier for human consumption than those grown organically?”

Pesticides are a real health threat: Organic products offer a healthier choice

Contact: Barbara Haumann (413-376-1220; bhaumann@ota.com)
Greenfield, Mass. (Nov. 18, 2010)— In response to John Stossel’s show “ Is ‘Natural’ Better?” that aired tonight on Fox Business News, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) alerts consumers wishing to minimize their families’ dietary exposure to pesticide residues that choosing organic products is the only verifiable way to do so.

“How could we argue that produce grown chemically is safer or healthier for human consumption than those grown organically?” asks Dr. Chensheng (Alex) Lu, Mark and Catherine Winkler Assistant Professor of Environmental Exposure, Biology Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard School of Public Health.

Notably, Dr. Lu’s research has found that pesticide residues, which show up in the urine of children eating conventionally produced fruits and vegetables, disappear in children’s urine when they switched to organic produce. Meanwhile, researchers have shown exposure to pesticides has been linked with higher risk of birth defects, the onset of autism, as well neurodevelopment problems in vulnerable fetuses and young children. Therefore, it is very easy to make the connection: less pesticide exposure, lower disease risk.

In fact, trying to protect American’s health, the President’s Cancer Panel released a report in May 2010 urging consumers to choose food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, and growth hormones to help decrease their exposure to environmental chemicals that can increase their risk of contracting cancer. The report illustrated the contribution of chemicals in the environment to incidence of cancer in the United States. Agricultural chemical use is ranked the third highest risk for cancer in a nation where 41 percent of persons will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.

“Exposure to pesticides can be decreased by choosing, to the extent possible, food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers…Similarly, exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxic run-off from livestock feed lots can be minimized by eating free-range meat raised without these medications,” according to the landmark report, “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now.”

“Consumers should not be misled. Organic production and processing are the only system that uses certification and inspection to verify that these chemicals are not used on the farm all the way to our dinner tables,” said Christine Bushway, Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

“Consumers should know that organic foods have the least chemicals applied in their production and the least residues in the final products. Thus, those seeking to minimize their exposure to these chemicals and follow the recommendations of the President’s Cancer Panel, can look for the USDA Organic label wherever they shop,” Bushway added.

Note: This is not the first time John Stossel, now an entertainer at Fox News, has gotten it wrong on organic agriculture. In 2000, in ABC Television’s 20/20 program, Stossel used unsubstantiated research to discredit organic agriculture. As a result, he later apologized on air for misrepresenting information on organic agriculture. View the statement here.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy (www.ota.com)

Contact: Barbara Haumann (413-376-1220; bhaumann@ota.com)

http://www.organicnewsroom.com/2010/11/pesticides_are_a_real_health_t.html

* Anti-TSA Legislation: Ron Paul introduces HR 6416, the American Traveler Dignity Act (video)

The Citadel Informer — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:49:43 +0000

Ron Paul: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Ron Paul introduces HR 6416, the American Traveler Dignity Act:

Mr. Speaker, today I introduce legislation to protect Americans from physical and emotional abuse by federal Transportation Security Administration employees conducting screenings at the nation’s airports. We have seen the videos of terrified children being grabbed and probed by airport screeners. We have read the stories of Americans being subjected to humiliating body imaging machines and/or forced to have the most intimate parts of their bodies poked and fondled. We do not know the potentially harmful effects of the radiation emitted by the new millimeter wave machines.

In one recent well-publicized case, a TSA official is recorded during an attempted body search saying, “By buying your ticket you gave up a lot of rights.” I strongly disagree and am sure I am not alone in believing that we Americans should never give up our rights in order to travel. As our Declaration of Independence states, our rights are inalienable. This TSA version of our rights looks more like the “rights” granted in the old Soviet Constitutions, where freedoms were granted to Soviet citizens — right up to the moment the state decided to remove those freedoms.

The incident of the so-called “underwear bomber” last Christmas is given as justification for the billions of dollars the federal government is spending on the new full-body imaging machines, but a Government Accountability Office study earlier this year concluded that had these scanners been in use they may not have detected the explosive material that was allegedly brought onto the airplane. Additionally, there have been recent press reports calling into question the accuracy and adequacy of these potentially dangerous machines.
My legislation is simple. It establishes that airport security screeners are not immune from any US law regarding physical contact with another person, making images of another person, or causing physical harm through the use of radiation-emitting machinery on another person. It means they are subject to the same laws as the rest of us.

Imagine if the political elites in our country were forced to endure the same conditions at the airport as business travelers, families, senior citizens, and the rest of us. Perhaps this problem could be quickly resolved if every cabinet secretary, every member of Congress, and every department head in the Obama administration were forced to submit to the same degrading screening process as the people who pay their salaries.

I warned at the time of the creation of the TSA that an unaccountable government entity in control of airport security would provide neither security nor defend our basic freedom to travel. Yet the vast majority of both Republicans and Democrats then in Congress willingly voted to create another unaccountable, bullying agency– in a simple-minded and unprincipled attempt to appease public passion in the wake of 9-11. Sadly, as we see with the steady TSA encroachment on our freedom and dignity, my fears in 2001 were justified.

The solution to the need for security at US airports is not a government bureaucracy. The solution is to allow the private sector, preferably the airlines themselves, to provide for the security of their property. As a recent article in Forbes magazine eloquently stated, “The airlines have enormous sums of money riding on passenger safety, and the notion that a government bureaucracy has better incentives to provide safe travels than airlines with billions of dollars worth of capital and goodwill on the line strains credibility.” In the meantime, I hope we can pass this legislation and protect Americans from harm and humiliation when they choose to travel.

Source

* Ron Paul Not Joining Michelle Bachmann’s House Tea Party Caucus

The Citadel Informer — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:18:58 +0000

The Daily Caller‘s Steven Nelson reports that U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Clute) will not be joining the new House Tea Party Caucus because he thinks the tea party should remain a grassroots movement.

Paul’s chief of staff Jeff Deist sent an email to Nelson saying: “Congressman Paul decided not to join the Tea Party Caucus[…]He strongly believes the Tea Party movement should remain a grassroots phenomenon, rather than being co-opted by Washington or any political party.”

Nelson notes that Minn. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann organized the caucus, consisting of more than 50 Republicans so far. Paul’s son, newly elected U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, is working on putting together a Senate tea party caucus.

A predecessor to the current tea party movement was a Dec. 16, 2007, online “money bomb” fundraiser organized by volunteers to benefit Paul’s presidential campaign on the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.

In Texas, state Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston) is creating a state-level Tea Party Caucus, with leadership to include state Rep. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney), who’s challenging state Rep. Joe Straus, (R-San Antonio) for the House speakership, along with state Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa).

Continued.

* ‎’Arizona-style’ bill, other anti-illegal immigrant measures filed in Texas plus illegal immigrants to be prosecuted – no more catch and release (video)

The Citadel Informer — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:59:45 +0000

“Berman’s fifth bill relates to a controversy circulating on the Internet and talk show radio regarding President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.

The bill seeks to certify candidates on the Texas ballot for the offices of president and vice-president of the United States.”

The Texas Legislature doesn’t start until January but seven bills filed this morning are expected to guarantee debate and controversy.

Texas State Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) pre-filed seven anti-illegal immigration bills on Tuesday morning.

Th…e laws range from an “Arizona-style” bill to birthright citizenship to making English the official language of Texas.

Berman told Action 4 News in a telephone interview that that bills are intended to fight illegal immigration in the Lone Star State.

“Next to the economy, illegal aliens are the number one problem in the State of Texas,” Berman said.

The Tyler lawmaker said illegal immigrants cost Texas taxpayers $5 billion dollars a year in healthcare and social services.

Berman said there are 25,000 illegal immigrants locked up for different crimes in local and state jails across Texas.

The Republican lawmaker said his bills are not anti-immigrant and not anti-Hispanic but rather anti-illegal immigration.

“This is a nation of laws,” Berman said. “We take an oath in the House of Representatives to defend the laws of the United States and Texas. That’s what I intend to do.”

Bills

Berman’s House Joint Resolution 38 would make English the official language of the Lone Star State and that all government business be performed in English.

The Tyler lawmaker said the bill would make all state documents published in English-only saving money for having to print in other languages.

Berman said the English-language bill would put the issue before a vote and become an amendment to the Texas Constitution.

His second bill seeks to take away birthright citizenship to children born in Texas but whose parents are both illegal immigrants.

Berman’s third bill seeks to deny food stamps and other state benefits to American-born children whose parents are illegal immigrants.

His fourth bill would prevent illegal immigrants from filing lawsuits in state courts.

Berman’s fifth bill relates to a controversy circulating on the Internet and talk show radio regarding President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.

The bill seeks to certify candidates on the Texas ballot for the offices of president and vice-president of the United States.

Berman said his sixth bill is an “Arizona-style” bill that would empower state and local law enforcement officials regarding illegal immigration.

The Tyler lawmaker said his bill avoids legal pitfalls of Arizona’s law by applying requiring police to ask the same questions to everybody, not just suspected illegal immigrants.

Berman said his Arizona-style bill also includes provisions against sanctuary cities.

He said he may file a separate sanctuary city bill in case the Arizona-style bill is defeated or vetoed.

A seventh bill seeks to levy on wire transfers to Mexico, Central American and South America but not on wire transfers to other nations.

Action 4 News is trying to get an interview with local lawmakers and activists about the bills.

Links

Full text copies of the bills are available on the Texas Legislature website:

HJR 38
Proposing a constitutional amendment to establish English as the official language of Texas and require that official acts of government be performed in English.

HB 292
Relating to birth records of children born in this state; creating an offense.

HB 293
Relating to the eligibility of an individual born in this state whose parents are illegal aliens to receive state benefits.

HB 294
Relating to prohibiting a person who is in the United States illegally from bringing a claim in a state court.

HB 295
Relating to certification for placement on the ballot of candidates for president or vice-president of the United States.

HB 296
Relating to the enforcement of immigration laws, to the investigation, prosecution, and punishment of certain criminal offenses concerning illegal immigration, and to certain employment and labor practices and requirements regarding immigration and immigrants; providing civil and criminal penalties.

HB 303
Relating to the imposition of a fee for money transmissions sent to certain destinations outside the United States.

SOURCE

* Another Black Hillary Clinton Supporter Bites the Dust

The Citadel Informer — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:17:01 +0000

Another former congressman/ member of the CBC and Hillary Clinton supporter bites the dust:

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, facing IRS lien, explores early exit

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums’ wife, Cynthia, has been talking with city officials abou…t the possibility that her husband will depart before his term ends Jan. 3, perhaps to take a lobbying job in Washington, D.C.

Adding fuel to the gossip fire: This week the mayor canceled his farewell State of the City address, which had been scheduled for today, and decided to post it on the city’s website instead.

If Dellums were to step down, Mayor-elect Jean Quan would automatically replace him in her capacity as vice mayor on the City Council. Then she would be sworn in to her full four-year term as scheduled.

Dellums, who turns 75 next week, is under pressure to give the Internal Revenue Service a sizable check to clear up his $252,000 tax lien by the end of the year.

We’re told Dellums has been exploring erasing the lien with an advance on speaking engagements as well as a possible signing bonus from a new lobbying job. He has also looked at how quickly he can access his city pension.

Dellums earns $183,000 a year as mayor. Under city law, he can’t accept outside work and has restrictions on outside income as long as he remains in office. Hence the early resignation talk.

“Almost everything at this point seems to be related to how to get him back on financial track,” said one source with inside knowledge, who asked for anonymity because he is not authorized to speak for Dellums.

On the other side of the ledger: Confidants inside and outside City Hall are telling Dellums and his wife that it will be yet “another bad story” for the outgoing mayor if he goes out prematurely.

Dellums’ chief of staff, Marisol Lopez, told us Tuesday that “as far as I know right now, he is going to finish out his term.”

Lopez declined to say which jobs Dellums has been offered down the line, if any.

“I know he has to make some decisions,” she said. “He will have another career and another chapter in his life.”

Count her in: Nothing’s official yet, but San Francisco D.A. Kamala Harris’ campaign people are getting the Champagne ready for what they expect to be a victory party in her race for state attorney general.

As of Tuesday, Harris had a 30,000-vote lead over her Republican rival, top Los Angeles County prosecutor Steve Cooley, in one of the tightest statewide vote counts in memory.

There are still roughly 500,000 votes to be counted, mostly mail ballots that were turned in on election day and must be tabulated by hand.

Harris has consistently led Cooley in the count of those ballots. Plus, the biggest chunk of outstanding votes is in Los Angeles County, where Harris outpolled Cooley on election day.

Reform redo: San Francisco labor leaders are expected to meet with financier Warren Hellman this week to start talking about pension reform.

“We made a promise – we are going to keep it,” said firefighters union head Tom O’Connor. “We’re going to bring in the experts and work on both pension and health care costs.”

Unions spent more than $1.5 million to beat back Proposition B, a pension and health care initiative that Public Defender Jeff Adachi put on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Hellman initially endorsed the Adachi measure, but backed off after firefighters told him the proposal went too far.

Play ball: Oakland is going public with its proposal for a new 39,000-seat A’s ballpark and mixed development near Jack London Square.

The Planning Commission has scheduled a Dec. 1 hearing to consider what should be studied as part of an environmental impact report for a project that would include a stadium, 180,000 square feet of retail space, 540,000 square feet of offices and 700 condos.

It would all be built on private and city Redevelopment Agency land near the Lake Merritt channel, between Interstate 880 and the Embarcadero.

“Taking wraps off this helps people understand there is a preferred (Oakland) alternative,” said Planning Commission President Doug Boxer, who has been part of a private effort to keep the A’s from leaving town.

As it stands, team owner Lew Wolff has made it clear that he’s done looking at Oakland and wants the team to move to San Jose. But the Giants insist they have the sole territorial rights to the South Bay, and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig hasn’t publicly signaled where he stands in the fight.

The question is, without backing from the team or baseball, whether city officials will commit to the next big cost – a $300,000 to $400,000 traffic study that would cover about half the cost of any environmental impact report.

Continued.

Growing List:

* Stephanie Tubbs Jones RIP

* Sanford Bishop – They tried to get him but he won. His wife, Muscogee County Municipal Court Clerk Vivian Creighton Bishop, however, may not be so fortunate.

* Gregory Weldon Meeks (born September 25, 1953) is the U.S. Representative for New York’s 6th congressional district, serving since 1998: In late 2009, and ongoing in 2010, Greg Meeks has been investigated by a House ethics committee on loans with New York State Temporary President Malcolm Smith and the local Jamaica Rev. Floyd Flake. Meeks has also been investigated about his mortgage loans to a Guyanese immigrated real estate tycoon Edul N. Ahmad of Century21 Ahmad Realty and Ace Mortgage, Inc. Meeks has denied this, although being investigated by the New York State Attorney General’s office and the House Ethics Committee.

* CBC Member Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick loses primary 2010

“This comes as her (Hillary Clinton) campaign is working to put together an African-American Diversity committee that is expected to be announced later this month and participate in the… CBC annual conference. Clinton is working with CBC Chairwoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (Mich.) and Meek to coordinate an event during the conference, according to Blunt.”

* Kendrick Meek – Loses to Marco Rubio but not before Obama et al put the knife in his back (while looking in his face):

“For the nation’s first African-American president to offer anything less than full, enthusiastic, unequivocal support, as…sistance and endorsement of an African-American Democratic primary winner would be, or should be, big news. Huge news. Stuff the Sunday morning talk shows, Jon Stewart, Rev. Al Sharpton and other luminaries discuss at length.

Unfortunately for Meek, one of the worst-kept secrets in Washington and in the media who care to report the actual news is that President Obama and key Democratic leaders, particularly those who control and influence the purse strings, are giving a wink and a nudge to big donors to write checks to Crist instead of Meek. Crist is now being supported by the dirty, sexy money from Establishment Democrats, and is certain to lose what little Republican support he may have been able to hold onto up to this point, significantly increasing the chances for a Marco Rubio (R) win in November. Crist needs Obama, and Obama needs Crist. And like a Lifetime Channel tearjerker made-for-TV movie, we all know where this leaves Kendrick Meek.

Amazingly, Meek lives up to his name and is “meek” on this important point, instead preferring to grovel and be grateful for crumbs tossed his way by Establishment Democrats, pretending that President Obama is right there by his side. In truth, Obama and the Democrats are doing just enough to keep up appearances, all the while sticking the shiv in Meek’s back behind the scenes, and cavorting with Charlie Crist on the side.”

* Maxine Waters

* Charlie Rangel

* A MUST READ! Ralph Nader On “Bush At Large”

The Citadel Informer — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:03:35 +0000

“If Obama believes exculpatory circumstances justify non-prosecution of Bush-Cheney,” Fein continued, “then he should pardon them as authorized by the Constitution. A pardon must be accepted by the recipient to be effective, and acknowledges guilt and the inviolability of the rule of law. Ignoring lawless…ness at the highest levels like Obama wounds the rule of law, and creates a precedent that lies around like a loaded weapon ready to destroy the Constitution. Obama himself is thus violating his oath of office by nonfeasance.”

Bush is on a roll—a money roll with a $7 million advance for his book Decision Points and a rehabilitation roll to paint his war crimes as justifiable mass-slaughter and torture.

His carefully chosen interviewers—NBC’s Matt Lauer and Oprah W…infrey—agreed to a safe pre-taping to avoid demonstrations and tough questions. Requests for him to speak are pouring in from business conventions and other rich assemblages willing to pay $200,000 for “the Decider’s” banalities. This is “Shrub’s” month in the sun.

In his first week of book promotion, he was asked about anything he would have done had he known then what he knew now—especially regarding Iraq and its encircled dictator. Well, he deplored receiving “false intelligence” about Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction which was one of several false claims he fed the American people before invading Iraq in 2003. But he has no regrets, saying that “the world was undoubtedly safer with Saddam gone.”

But was it safer for over a million Iraqis who lost their lives due to the invasion, over 4 million refugees, 4500 American soldiers lost, 1100 amputees, tens of thousands injured, sick and tens of thousands more GIs coming back with trauma to lost jobs, broken families and permanent damage to their health.

Was it worth a trillion dollars to blow apart the country of Iraq and incur many more enemies? Was it worth starting a war paid for by a massive debt handed to our children so that George W. and Dick Cheney could give themselves and their rich buddies a massive tax cut? Ex-presidents possess self-excusing delusions, but this is non compos mentis run amuck.

Then there is his escape from legal sanctions because the law enforcers in the Justice Department act as if Bush and Dick Cheney are above the law. “What is Attorney General Holder waiting for,” declared conservative/libertarian former Judge Andrew Napolitano, the legal analyst for Fox News, adding that Holder should criminally prosecute both Bush and Cheney for their many crimes. Just as a Justice Department task force was about to do to Richard Nixon after he resigned his office in 1974, for far lesser crimes, when President Ford pardoned him.

I asked Bruce Fein, an associate deputy attorney general under Ronald Reagan, constitutional rights litigator, author of books and articles and many Congressional testimonies on the imperial presidency, and its unlawful penchant for Empire, for his reaction. Here is his response:

“Former President Bush’s selective memoir is a little like Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark. With the exception of authorizing waterboarding, a form of torture, Bush neglects his serial vandalizing of the Constitution and the federal criminal code: five years of illegal surveillances of Americans on American soil; a war against Iraq without proper authorization by Congress; illegal detentions of enemy combatants without accusation or trials; hundred of unconstitutional signing statements professing an intent to refuse to faithfully execute the laws; unconstitutional defiance of congressional subpoenas; and, employing unilateral executive agreements to circumvent the treaty authority of the Senate over military commitments.”

“Despite his constitutional literacy, President Obama has balked at faithful execution of the laws against torture, warrantless spying on Americans, or obstruction of justice perpetrated by Bush and his servile minions. On that score, Obama resembles President Nixon, who was impeached by the House Judiciary Committee and forced to resign for sneering at his constitutional obligation to enforce, not ignore the laws.

“If Obama believes exculpatory circumstances justify non-prosecution of Bush-Cheney,” Fein continued, “then he should pardon them as authorized by the Constitution. A pardon must be accepted by the recipient to be effective, and acknowledges guilt and the inviolability of the rule of law. Ignoring lawlessness at the highest levels like Obama wounds the rule of law, and creates a precedent that lies around like a loaded weapon ready to destroy the Constitution. Obama himself is thus violating his oath of office by nonfeasance.”

Lawyer Fein is not referring to a one time episode like Watergate but a recurrent, pattern of massive outlawry here and abroad stretching for years. In 2005-2006, the large and very conservative American Bar Association, led by its then president, corporate attorney, Michael Greco, convened three task forces that produced white papers documenting three patterns of Bush’s unconstitutional behavior. Mr. Fein served on the panel that condemned the outpourings of Presidential signing statements. Although addressed and sent to President Bush, the ABA received no response to these unprecedented condemnations.

Our legal system and Constitution touted as the greatest in the world, decay when we allow epidemics of grave violations by the President and other White House violators to be rewarded for their unconstitutionalism and criminality.

On Armistice Day, November 11, 2010, The Washington Post put on page one the excruciating, but brave struggle of quadruple amputee, Marine Cpl. Todd A Nicely trying to make the best of his surviving an explosive device in Afghanistan. On the reverse page two there was a picture of a smiling George W. Bush signing his book. He is getting away with it.

Holding Bush/Cheney accountable by the soldiers he sent to kill and die in illegal wars, with few exceptions such as the Military Families Speak Out (MFSO.org) and the Iraq Veterans Against the War (ivaw.org) and Veterans for Peace (veteransforpeace.org) are not being made in public by enough soldiers after their service. Many know who was responsible but under pressure from their superiors and not wanting, along with their families, to admit publically that they suffered and fought in vain, they remain silent. With their credibility, more of them need to exert real patriotism and speak out against the militant White House draft-dodgers and their neo-con advisors who drove them and our country into these boomeranging, destructive wars.

The Post completed this grim trilogy with a full page color ad by the profitable munitions manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, which taxpayers paid for, thanking the “commitment” and “sacrifice” of those who are serving today in America’s military forces.

For the political cowards and their corporate profiteers, wars do not demand their sacrifice, they only invite their manipulative flattery. Same old racket, recalling double Congressional Medal of Honor winner, Marine General Smedley Butler whose book “War Is A Racket” said it all decades ago.

Of course more members of another profession should declare itself for prosecution—the one million-strong licensed attorneys sworn to uphold the law as “officers of the court”!

Source

* The Boy With Bike And American Flag Followed By Patriots (video)

The Citadel Informer — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:40:08 +0000