TPMMuckraker October 30, 2011 - November 5, 2011
KY-GOV
KY GOPer Williams: 'I Don't See' How My Hinduism Comments 'Could Offend Anyone'
Kentucky Republican gubernatorial nominee David Williams
Kentucky Republican gubernatorial nominee David Williams, who is also president of the state Senate, recently sparked controversy when he attacked Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear for participating in a Hindu religious ceremony. And now, after Williams called upon Hindus to "love and know Jesus," he says he doesn't know why people would be offended -- as the comment was rooted in his belief that Jesus is the one and only route to salvation.
"I can't see how anyone could object to the fact that if I believe that, that I pray for them to have salvation," Williams told the Louisville Courier-Journal. "I don't see how that could offend anyone."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2011 Elections, David Williams, KY-GOV, Kentucky, Steve Beshear
Alabama
Sovereign Citizen 'Governor' And 'Christian Princess' Convicted Of Tax Fraud
An Alabama couple who considered themselves sovereign citizens -- who required their tenants to pay rent in silver coins and buried $350,000 worth of gold coins in their backyard -- were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and three counts of tax evasion on Friday.
Monty Ervin and Patricia Ervin, owners and managers of Southern Realty, amassed "hundreds of investment properties over the last decade, receiving more than $9 million in rental income," but paid nothing in federal income taxes, according to the Justice Department.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alabama, Sovereign Citizens
Drew Pritt
Alleged Con Artist Drops Out Of AR House Race
Payphones in Arkansas
Drew Pritt has dropped out of the campaign for House in Arkansas after what he calls "malicious gossip" on the internet regarding an investigation into whether he stole money from a fundraiser for a wounded veterans.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alaska, Arkansas, Drew Pritt
Alabama
DOJ To Alabama AG: You Can't Tell Schools Not To Give Us Enrollment Data
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange (R)
Yes, Alabama school districts, you do have to turn over your enrollment data to the Justice Department.
Earlier this week, DOJ wrote a number of school districts requesting enrollment data as part of their investigation into whether Alabama's harsh immigration law is forcing students out of school, in violation of federal law.
But Republican Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange questioned DOJ's authority to request the data and interim school superintendent Larry Craven told schools to hold off on turning over any data until the disagreement was settled.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alabama, DOJ, DOJ Civil Rights Division, Immigration, Thomas Perez
Michael Mukasey
The Memo Bush AG Mukasey Got On ATF's 'Gun Walking'
Two days after former Attorney General Michael Mukasey took over as head of the Bush administration's Justice Department in 2007, he got a memo describing a failed effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to track weapons as they "walked" into Mexico.
TPM has obtained a copy of the memo, which was first reported on by Pete Yost of the Associated Press, which was turned over to the House Oversight Committee this week.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: ATF, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Eric Holder, Fast And Furious, Michael Mukasey, Operation Wide Receiver
KY-GOV
KY GOPer: I'm Not Criticizing Hindus -- I'm Inviting Them To 'Love And Know Jesus'
Gov. Steve Beshear (D-KY), Republican gubernatorial nominee David Williams
At a campaign stop on Thursday, Kentucky Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams, who is also president of the state Senate, took some more time to explain what he called "a little controversy that's happened" -- and called upon Hindus to come to Jesus.
The controversy in question, of course, is Williams's attack on Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear participating in a Hindu religious ceremony at the groundbreaking for a factory run by an Indian company.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2011 Elections, David Williams, KY-GOV, Kentucky, Steve Beshear
Robert Rizzo
Another Disgraced Ex-Bell Official Sues The City For Firing Her
Another ex-official in Bell, California is trying to squeeze money out of the city she allegedly defrauded.
Former assistant city manager Angela Spaccia is suing Bell for back pay and legal costs, arguing that the city unlawfully fired her after allegations that she had used public funds to inflate her salary.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Angela Spaccia, Bell City Council Officials, Bell, CA, Robert Rizzo
Herman Cain
FEC Complaint Filed Against Cain Aide Over iPads, Campaign Trips
Herman Cain
The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Herman Cain chief of staff Mark Block over allegations his former group Prosperity USA footed the bill "for tens of thousands of dollars in expenses for such items as iPads, chartered flights and travel to Iowa and Las Vegas" to help get the Cain campaign off the ground.
The complaint, CREW said in a news release, alleges that Block "personally violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by authorizing the illegal corporate contributions as president of Prosperity USA, and then by accepting the illegal contributions as treasurer of Friends of Herman Cain." CREW says this would make Block "the first person in the history of the Act to have both given and received the same illegal contributions."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: CREW, FEC, Federal Election Commission, Herman Cain, Mark Block
Joe Walsh
Walsh Gets Pro-Family Award Despite Child Support Allegations
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), whose ex-wife says he owes $117,437 in back child support, was honored by the Family Research Council Action on Thursday for his "unwavering support of the family," the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
"We thank Cong. Walsh who has voted consistently to defend faith, family and freedom," FRCA President Tony Perkins said. "Cong. Walsh and other 'True Blue Members' have voted to repeal Obamacare, de-fund Planned Parenthood, end government funding for abortion within the health care law, uphold the Defense of Marriage Act, and continue support for school choice. I applaud their commitment to uphold the institutions of marriage and family."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Joe Walsh
Texas
Texas GOPer Apologizes For Saying 'Don't Try to Jew Them Down'
State Rep. Larry Taylor (R-TX)
Republican State Rep. Larry Taylor of Texas has apologized for saying "don't try to Jew them down" in a hearing about insurance claims after Hurricane Ike.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Larry Taylor, Rick Perry, Texas
Mark Block
Conservative Group Investigates Top Cain Aide
Herman Cain
The conservative Americans for Prosperity is investigating their financial dealings with Prosperity USA, the group run by Cain chief of staff Mark Block that's been accused of illegally helping get the Cain campaign off the ground, the Center for Public Integrity reports:
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Herman Cain, Mark Block
Militia movement
Fringe Militia Member Accused In Ricin Plot Called Right-Wing Blogger's Novel 'Far From Fantasy'
One of the elderly 'fringe militia' members arrested on Tuesday for allegedly plotting a ricin attack against U.S. citizens and federal employees was a frequent commenter on a right-wing blog and thought a novel written by the blogger that allegedly inspired his plot was likely to come true.
Former Alabama militia member turned "Sipsey Street Irregulars" blogger Mike Vanderboegh said in a post that he never corresponded with 73-year-old Frederick Thomas, the man the feds considered the ringleader of the group. But he did say he believed "Ahab" was Thomas' screen name that he used to leave comments on the website.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: ATF, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Fast And Furious, Georgia, Mike Vanderboegh, Militia Movement, Militia movement, Militias
Bullying
Michigan GOP Gives Anti-Bullying Bill A Loophole
Michigan Dems say the Republican Senate gutted an anti-bullying bill when they added a clause that allows bullying based on "moral convictions."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Bullying, Gay Rights, Michigan
Larry Klayman
Judicial Watch Founder In Trouble With The FL Bar
Conservative, birther and serial lawsuit filer Larry Klayman is in financial trouble.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Florida, Freedom Watch USA, Judicial Watch , Larry Klayman
Eric Cantor
TN Man Arrested For Threatening Cantor's Family
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Glendon Swift, a 62-year-old Tennessee resident, was arrested by the FBI late yesterday for allegedly threatening Rep. Eric Cantor and his family.
The FBI says Swift left two "screaming, profanity-laden" voicemail messages with Cantor's Virginia office on Oct. 27 and threatened Cantor, his daughter and his wife.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Congress, Eric Cantor, FBI, Threats, Threats to Congress
Mansour Arbabsiar
MUGSHOT: Manssor Arbabsiar, Arrested In Plot To Kill Saudi Ambassador
TPM has obtained the mugshot the U.S. Marshal's Service took of Manssor Arbabsiar, the Iranian-American car dealer from Texas accused of trying to hire a man he thought was affiliated with a Mexican drug cartel to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: FBI, Iran, Mansour Arbabsiar, Manssor Arbabsiar, US-Iran Relations
FOIA
Justice Department Pulls Proposal Allowing Government To Lie About FOIA Requests
Updated: Nov. 3, 4:05PM
The Justice Department is withdrawing a proposed rule to the Freedom of Information Act which would have allowed federal agencies to say that certain law-enforcement and national security documents didn't exist, even when they do.
"If the proposed regulations can be improved [in terms of transparency], we will work to improve them," the Justice Department explained in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). "We believe that Section 16.6(f)(2) of the proposed regulations fall short by those measures, and we will not include that provision when the Department issues final regulations."
The regulation in question would have instructed agencies to "respond to the request as if the excluded records did not exist." Agencies will still continue using the phrase "there exist no records responsive to your FOIA request" when records in question are exempt from FOIA, as spelled out in a 1987 memo issued by Attorney General Ed Meese.
"When a citizen makes a request pursuant to the FOIA, either implicit or explicit in the request is that it seeks records that are subject to the FOIA; where the only records that exist are not subject to the FOIA, the statement that 'there exist no records responsive to your FOIA request' is wholly accurate," the letter said.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Chuck Grassley, FOIA, Justice Department
FBI
FBI Calling In West Point To Help Crackdown On Anti-Muslim Counterterrorism Training
In an effort to stomp out anti-Muslim counterterrorism training at the the FBI, the bureau is calling in reinforcements.
Spencer Ackerman reports over at Wired that the FBI is turning to the Army's Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, a request that "represents a frank admission from the FBI that it requires outside help to reform."
The bureau, Ackerman reports, reached out to Bill Braniff, a retired Army captain who directs Practitioner Education at West Point. He "spent much of October in meetings at Bureau Headquarters in Washington D.C. designing what a source familiar with the process describes as 'guidelines for objectionable material' to exclude from agent training." He continues:
In its eight-year history, the CTC has built a reputation as a non-ideological haven for rigorous, data-driven counterterrorism research. It compiled perhaps the most thorough profile ever of the foreign fighters that flocked to Iraq, based on captured military documents. Its monthly newsletter, the CTC Sentinel, is widely read in counterterrorism circles. Not only does CTC teach the Army's cadets at West Point, who will have to distinguish between Muslim civilians and insurgents in warzones, it consults for state and local police -- and the FBI.
An FBI official told TPM that the Army's role in the review is a bit "overstated." In a statement provided by the bureau, the FBI said a "core review team included FBI and non-FBI personnel with academic training in areas of Islamic studies and Arab history" which "established guidelines to provide concrete enterprise-wide guidance on the training of counterterrorism and countering violent extremism topics."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Army, Counterterrorism, DOJ, FBI, Islam, Islamic Terrorism, Islamophobia, Muslim-Americans, Muslims
Herman Cain
Ex-Herman Cain Staffer On That Other Scandal: 'Would I Trust Mark Block? Resoundingly No.'
Relying on Herman Cain's Chief Of Staff Mark Block to investigate his own financial dealings is "like asking Willie Sutton to hire an independent counsel," a former Cain regional field staffer told TPM in an interview this week.
The staffer, who worked with Block and implemented his campaign strategy, said the famous smoker is not to be trusted to get to the bottom of whether, as documents appear to show, his company Prosperity USA footed the bill "for tens of thousands of dollars in expenses for such items as iPads, chartered flights and travel to Iowa and Las Vegas" to get the Cain campaign off the ground.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Campaign Donations, Campaign Finance, FEC, Federal Election Commission, Herman Cain, Mark Block
Amish
Amish Beard-Cutting Mob Comes From Alleged Cult
This combo made from photos provided by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department shows from left, Levi Miller, Johnny Mullet, and Lester Mullet, of Bergholz, Ohio. (Associated Press)
The strange case of the Amish haircutting mob just got a little bit stranger, with allegations that the alleged haircutters are from an Amish clan that is also a cult.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Amish, Ohio
The Colbert Report
Stephen Colbert Isn't Giving Up On 'Muffingate' (VIDEO)
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert on Wednesday took on the final chapter of "muffingate," the saga of the Justice Department allegedly spending $16 per muffin at a conference.
"Why would the government spend $16 on a muffin when they can go to Starbucks and get one for $14," Colbert asked.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: $16 muffin, DOJ, Justice Department, Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report
Jack Abramoff
The Book Of Jack: Abramoff Now Campaign Finance Reformer, Tea Party Admirer
Disgraced Former Lobbyist Jack Abramoff
Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff knows a thing or two about political corruption and lobbying. And in his new book "Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America's Most Notorious Lobbyist," he has a few ideas on how to fix the system:
Ban donations from lobbyists and those who receive public funds. "Instead of limiting the size of every American's political contribution, we need to entirely eliminate any contribution by those lobbying the government, participating in a federal contract, or otherwise financially benefiting from public funds. If you get money or perks from elected officials -- be 'you' a company, a union, an association, a law firm, or an individual -- you shouldn't be permitted to give them so much as one dollar. It does no good to ban Jack Abramoff from giving $2,000 to Congressman Badenov, but allow the members of his law firm to pick up the slack. If you choose to lobby, if you choose to take money from our nation, if you choose to perform federal contracts, or if you draw your compensation from any entity which does, you need to abstain from giving campaign contributions. It's your choice either way. But you have to choose one, not both."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff
KY-GOV
Kentucky GOPer Williams Further Clarifies Attack On Dem Gov, Hindu Ceremony
Gov. Steve Beshear (D-KY), Republican gubernatorial nominee David Williams
Kentucky Republican gubernatorial nominee David Williams, who is also the president of the state Senate, released a statement Wednesday further clarifying his attack on Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, over Beshear participating in a Hindu religious ceremony at the groundbreaking for a factory run by an Indian company.
Williams's statement, via the Cincinnati Enquirer:
"To be clear, I very much support economic development and strongly believe in freedom of religion. What I cannot understand is why Governor Beshear has a long pattern of opposing outward displays of the Christian faith such as Christmas trees, prayers before high school football games, and posting the 10 Commandments but apparently has no problem personally participating in displays of non-Christian religions.PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
"I see nothing wrong with a governor attending a religious gathering and respecting other cultures. But for him to engage and participate in a Hindu religious ceremony where prayers are being offered to gods in which he does not believe is not only disrespectful of Hinduism but stands in direct opposition to his own expressed Christian faith which recognizes but one God. It also flies in the face of his previous record of stamping out religious displays in governmental settings, which all happened to be Christian in nature."
Topics: 2011 Elections, David Williams, KY-GOV, Kentucky, Steve Beshear
Mary Ann Morgan
Another AK Militia Activist And Sovereign Citizen Linked To Schaeffer Cox Arrested
Second Amendment Task Force organizer Schaeffer Cox prepares to address fellow gun rights supporters on Thursday, March 5, 2009, at Friends Community Church.
A member of the Alaska militia movement and a sovereign citizen connected with Schaeffer Cox was arrested on a weapons charge while trying to cross into Canada.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alaska, Alaska Citizens Militia, Alaska Independence Party, Alaska Peacemakers Militia, Mary Ann Morgan, Norm Olson, Oath Keepers, Schaeffer Cox
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff: Dan Snyder Isn't A 'Brat,' He's An Awesome Guy
There aren't all that many public figures in Washington with a worse reputation than Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder. Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff is one of those figures.
So it's unlikely to help Snyder that, according to Abramoff's new book, the media has given the Redskins' owner a bum rap. Abramoff writes that he found Snyder "decent, honest and straightforward" and not the "imperious brat the media had portrayed him to be."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Dan Snyder, Jack Abramoff, Lobbyists
Alaska
Officials: Soldier Arrested In Espionage Probe Didn't Have Very High Clearance
Military Policeman And Espionage Suspect William Millay
Military officials say that a 22-year old soldier arrested in an espionage probe did not have access to sensitive intelligence, according to NBC News.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alaska, Army, Espionage
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff: Lobbying Reform Passed By Congress Has Been Pretty Weak
Like other media outlets, TPM got an advance copy of Jack Abramoff's new book, "Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America's Most Notorious Lobbyist."
We'll have more highlights soon, but we wanted to flag a few paragraphs in which the disgraced lobbyist advocates for reforms to the political system and says what's in place now isn't doing jack:
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jack Abramoff
Joshua Clough
First Defendant To Plead Guilty In Hutaree Militia Plot
Joshua Clough, one of nine members of the Hutaree militia in Michigan arrested by federal authorities in the spring of 2010, will be the first militia member to plead guilty.
Clough -- also known as "Mouse" -- has a plea hearing scheduled for Nov. 8, according to a court notification first reported by the Detroit Free Press. The details of his guilty plea weren't clear and his lawyer did not immediately respond to TPM's request for comment.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Hutaree, Joshua Clough, Militia Movement, Militia movement, Militias
Goldline
Goldline Execs Charged With Being Fraudsters
Prosecutors in Santa Monica, CA have filed 19 criminal charges against the gold sellers Goldline International for allegedly running a "bait and switch operation" using prominent spokespeople like Fox News' Glenn Beck.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: California, Glenn Beck, Goldline
Militia Movement
Meet The Senior Citizen Militia Members Arrested In Georgia Bio Attack Plot
Federal authorities on Tuesday arrested four Georgia senior citizens for allegedly plotting to attack U.S. citizens and government officials with the deadly toxin ricin. Lets meet the players.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: ATF, Dan Roberts, Frederick Thomas, Militia Movement, Militia movement, Militias, Ray H. Adams, Samuel J. Crump
Jan Brewer
Jan Brewer Ousts Chief Of AZ Independent Redistricting Commission
Arizona's Republican-controlled Senate upheld a decision by Gov. Jan Brewer (R) to oust the chair of the state's Independent Redistricting Commission, citing "gross misconduct" and Democratic bias.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Jan Brewer, Redistricting
Georgia
Feds: Four Members Of Georgia 'Fringe Militia Group' Plotted Biological Attack On Citizens, Government Officials
Four Georgia men who belonged to a "fringe militia group" were arrested by FBI agents on Tuesday and charged with plotting an attack against U.S. citizens and federal employees using the biological toxin ricin.
Authorities say 73-year-old Frederick Thomas of Cleveland; 67-year-old Dan Roberts; 65-year-old Ray H. Adams; and 68-year-old Samuel J. Crump, all of Toccoa, Ga. began meeting in March 2011 as part of a covert group that called itself, well, the "covert group."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: ATF, FBI, Fast And Furious, Georgia, Justice Department, Militia Movement, Militia movement, Militias
Mitt Romney
Report: Romney Investment Firm Partnered With Execs From Firm Accused Of Ponzi Scheme
Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney, his son and his chief fundraiser have extensive ties to three men from a firm accused of running an $8.5 billion Ponzi scheme, according to a report by ThinkProgress.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Mitt Romney, Ponzi Scheme
Shorter University
University To Staff: Swear You're Not Gay Or You're Fired
A Christian college in Georgia is asking all employees to sign a "personal lifestyle statement" declaring their heterosexuality.
Shorter University instituted the pledge in late October, the GA Voice reports, and it reads, in part, "I reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery and homosexuality."
According to university president Don Dowless, the pledge doesn't intend to offend. "Our goal is to declare who we are" he told WSB-TV. But if you don't sign it, your job may be at risk.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gay Rights, Georgia, Shorter University
Lucchese Family
Feds: Mafia Affiliates Took Over, Looted $12 Million From Texas Mortgage Company
Federal authorities charged Tuesday that affiliates of the La Cosa Nostra and Lucchese organized crime families gave a "new meaning" to the term "corporate takeover" when they looted a publicly traded mortgage company, with one member threatening that if someone were to "rat," their "wives will be f**ked... and your kids will be sold off as prostitutes."
Law enforcement officials charged 13 people -- including an alleged member and another associate of the Lucchese family -- on racketeering and related offenses in an alleged scheme to take over and loot the Texas-based FirstPlus Financial Group Inc. (FPFG) through extortion. Ten defendants are already in custody, one is expected to surrender and two are still at large.
Federal officials allege that Nicodemo S. Scarfo Jr. -- also known as "Nick Promo," "Mr. Apple" and Mr. Macintosh" -- became a "made" member of the Lucchese family after an attempt on his life in 1989. They say Lucchese family boss Vittorio Amuso, while in federal prison in Atlanta, arranged for Scarfo to become a member of the Lucchese family as a favor to former Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra boss Nicodemo D. Scarfo Sr. Both Amuso and Scarfo are named as unindicted co-conspirators in the case.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Justice Department, La Cosa Nostra, Lucchese Family, Mafia, New Jersey, Securities and Exchange Commission
Kentucky
GOP Nominee For KY-GOV Slams Dem For Participating In Hindu 'Idolatry'
Gov. Steve Beshear (D-KY), Republican gubernatorial nominee David Williams
Gov. Steve Beshear (D-KY) is heavily favored to win re-election in a vote next Tuesday, with leads of roughly 2-1 in all the publicly released polls. Now his Republican opponent, state Senate President David Williams, is launching an attack against Beshear on a new front: Beshear participated in a Hindu religious ceremony!
This past Friday, Beshear attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, for a new factory run by FlexFilm, a company based in India that makes materials for packaging, printing, insulation and other purposes. The plant represents a $180 million investment, and is expected to create 250 jobs in Kentucky.
As the local newspaper the News-Enterprise reports, the groundbreaking included a Hindu ceremony, the bhoomi poojan:
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2011 Elections, David Williams, KY-GOV, Kentucky, Steve Beshear
Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter: 'Our Blacks Are So Much Better Than Their Blacks'
If you were waiting for Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity to weigh in on the Herman Cain sexual harassment allegations -- and what they mean for racism, sexual harassment and America -- you're in luck.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Ann Coulter, Herman Cain, Sean Hannity
DOJ Civil Rights Division
Feds To Alabama: No, You Can't Discriminate Against School Kids
The Justice Department sent a letter to school districts in Alabama on Tuesday reminding them that they can't deny a child access to public education due to his or her immigration status.
Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez's letter comes after he expressed concern that Alabama's anti-illegal immigration law was keeping children out of school because their parents are scared about the impact of the law. A federal judge has blocked portions of the harsh anti-illegal immigration measure.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alabama, DOJ, DOJ Civil Rights Division, Immigration, Thomas Perez
Bell City Council Officials
Disgraced Bell, CA Official Sues City For Not Paying Him $1.5M Salary He Allegedly Inflated
From the department of bold moves...
Former Bell, California city manager Robert Rizzo is suing the city for stopping payment on his $1.5 million salary and benefits, which Rizzo allegedly inflated using public funds.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Bell City Council Officials, Bell, CA, Robert Rizzo
Fast And Furious
DOJ's Breuer: I Shouldn't Have Just Trusted ATF To Stop 'Gun Walking' (VIDEO)
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) questioned Justice Department official Lanny Breuer at a hearing on Tuesday about Attorney General Eric Holder's knowledge of ATF's flawed Operation Fast and Furious, the day after Breuer apologized for not connecting the "gun walking" tactics that took place during a Bush-era ATF operation to the more recent anti-gun trafficking operation.
Breuer said during his testimony that he trusted officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to make sure that agents weren't allowing guns to "walk" across the Mexican border, as they learned happened back in 2006 and 2007 during Operation Wide Receiver.
"At the time, I thought that dealing with the leadership of ATF was sufficient and reasonable, and frankly given the amount of work I do, at the time I thought that was the appropriate way of dealing with it," Breuer said. "I thought we had dealt with it by talking to the ATF leadership."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: ATF, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Chuck Grassley, Dianne Feinstein, Eric Holder, Fast And Furious, Lanny Breuer
Republicans
VA GOP Condemns Picture of Obama As Zombie Shot In The Head
The Virginia Republican Party has condemned an e-mail sent out by the Loudon County Republican Committee picturing a zombie version of President Obama with a gunshot in his head.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Republicans, Virginia
Jon Corzine
$700 Million Disappears From Corzine's Bankrupt Firm
Former New Jersey Governor And Current MF Global CEO Jon Corzine
According to multiple reports, almost $700 million in customer money has gone "missing" from MF Global, the brokerage firm helmed by former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday. And no one seems to know where it went.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jon Corzine, Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Right-Wing Bloggers Use Fake Quotes To Criticize Occupy Wall Street
Some conservative bloggers were a little too quick to use made-up satirical quotes from supposed Occupy Toronto protesters to make a point about alleged laziness of the Occupy Wall Street protesters.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Occupy Wall Street, Power Line
Justice Department
E-Mails Detail DOJ Concern Over ATF 'Gun Walking' Well Before 'Fast & Furious'
Chinese-made SKS rifle on counter at A & A Guns in Fairfax, Virginia.
A high-ranking Justice Department official was "stunned" when he learned in 2010 that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allowed weapons to "walk" across the Mexican border during the Bush administration, according to recently disclosed documents.
Documents show that Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein, a career federal prosecutor in a leadership position within the Obama DOJ's Criminal Division, and other officials worked to keep the attention of the press away from the Bush-era "gun walking" tactics long before the problems with Operation Fast and Furious went public.
"Been thinking more about 'Wide Receiver I'," Weinstein wrote in an email on April 12, 2010. "ATF HQ [headquarters] should/will be embarrassed that they let this many guys walk -- I'm stunned, based on what we've had to do to make sure not even a single operable weapon walked in [undercover] operations I've been involved in planning -- and there will be press about that."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: ATF, Brian Terry, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Eric Holder, Fast And Furious, Jason Weinstein, Justice Department, Lanny Breuer, Operation Wide Receiver
Fast And Furious
DOJ Official Regrets Not Connecting Bush-Era Gun Walking Tactics To Fast And Furious Concerns
A top Justice Department official said Monday that he regretted not informing others in DOJ's leadership about a Bush-era operation that used the flawed "gun walking" tactic like the technique used in Operation Fast and Furious.
Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, who heads DOJ's Criminal Division, said in a statement released by DOJ that he first learned of "unacceptable tactics used in Operation Wide Receiver" in April 2010. He instructed one of his deputies to schedule a meeting with ATF's Acting Director Ken Melson to bring the issue to his attention.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Fast And Furious, Lanny Breuer, Operation Wide Receiver
South Carolina
DOJ Files Suit Against South Carolina Immigration Law, Says Others Could Come Soon
The Justice Department filed suit on Monday to block South Carolina's immigration law, saying that the law interfered with the federal government's supremacy on the issue of immigration.
South Carolina's statute, enacted on June 27, criminalizes the presence of an illegal immigrant in the state. DOJ's complaint says that the Constitution and federal law "do not permit the development of a patchwork of state and local immigration policies throughout the country." South Carolina's law, DOJ officials claimed, "clearly conflicts with the policies and priorities adopted by the federal government and therefore cannot stand."
"Pushing undocumented immigrants out of one state to another is simply not a solution to our immigration problems," DOJ Assistant Attorney General Tony West said in a press call on Monday. "We believe South Carolina's law... crosses the constitutional line."
West mentioned that DOJ has had discussions with the Attorney Generals of Utah, Georgia and Indiana about their immigration laws.
"The United States will decide whether and when the bring lawsuits challenging particular state laws," West said.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: DOJ, DOJ Civil Rights Division, Immigration, Justice Department, South Carolina
Anna Chapman
New FBI Pictures And Videos Show Suburbanite Russian Spy Ring At Work
Remember Anna Chapman and those 10 other Russian sleeper agents arrested last year?
Following a public records request by the Associated Press, the FBI on Monday released video, surveillance photos and documents related to the over-decade long "Operation Ghost Stories," which led to the arrest of the spies in June 2010.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Anna Chapman, Espionage, Russia, Russian espionage case
Jon Corzine
MF Global, Jon Corzine's Brokerage Firm, Files For Bankruptcy
Former New Jersey Governor And Current MF Global CEO Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine is having a rough couple years.
MF Global Holdings Ltd., the brokerage firm run by the former New Jersey Governor, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, multiple news outlets have reported.
Corzine, who was defeated for reelection in 2009, has helmed the brokerage firm since March of 2010.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jon Corzine
Herman Cain
Aides' Corporation May Have Illegally Gotten Cain Campaign Off The Ground
Updated: October 31, 11:35AM
Long before Herman Cain chief of staff Mark Block was appearing in the most mocked campaign ad of the presidential campaign so far, he and deputy chief of staff Linda Hansen started a Wisconsin corporation that the Journal Sentinel reports illegally helped the GOP presidential candidate get his campaign off the ground.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Campaign Donations, Campaign Finance, FEC, Federal Election Commission, Herman Cain, Prosperity USA
Arkansas
Arkansas House Candidate Accused Of Con Job In Alaska
Andrew Caleb Pritt
A serial campaigner running for Congress in Arkansas is under investigation in Alaska for fraud, after allegedly pocketing money from a fundraiser for a wounded veteran.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Alaska, Arkansas, Drew Pritt
Christian
'IndoctriNation' Doc Argues Public Schools Are Hurting Christianity
Indoctrination Alert!
A new documentary argues that public schools are part of the "government controlled education monopoly" that is leading to the "decline of Christianity in America."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Christian, Education, IndoctriNation
