A Providence, Rhode Island man is in trouble after he abandoned nearly 300 rats on the side of the road. Toby Duffany, 22, was arrested for stuffing 280 rats into aquariums and cages on the side of a road. The rats were forced to turn to cannibalism and 75 rates died. Yet, Duffany has only some community service and $1000 to pay for his cruel treatment of the animals.
I am not what you would call a rat person, but even I believe that Duffany deserved something more than writing a check for such a crime (at roughly $3 a rat).
He told police that the rats belonged to his mother (with whom he lives) and they simply could not keep them any longer. One has to wonder if the result would have been different if dogs or cats were stuffed into cages and abandoned in these conditions.
For the
Obama flashes irritation in press room visit
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17831.html
President Obama was visibly agitated today when he was faced with a substantive question at an hastily scheduled press conference.
Asked how he could reconcile a strict ban on lobbyists in his administration with a Deputy Defense Secretary nominee who lobbied for Raytheon, Obama interrupted with a disguised smile on his face.
“Ahh, see,” he said, “I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can’t end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I’m going to get grilled every time I come down here.”
Pressed further by the Politico reporter about his Pentagon nominee, William J. Lynn III, Obama turned more serious, putting his hand on the reporter’s shoulder and staring him in the eye.
“Alright, come on” he said, with obvious irritation in his voice. “We will be having a press conference at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys – that’s all I was trying to do.”
rafflaw, read and weep. your guy’s “executive order” on gitmo was just an executive order to plan for a plan:
Symbolism Only Goes So Far
Today Barack Obama issued an entirely symbolic executive order, directing that the terrorist detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay be closed within one year. Gitmo, of course, was created in answer to the question, What are we going to do with captured terrorists? Now, with that facility slated for closure, the question arises once more.
It arose, in fact, in Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ first press conference today. I found this exchange somewhat amusing:
QUESTION: Robert, how can you say the executive order on Guantanamo Bay — you can say clearly made America safer today, when it doesn’t seem like you really have a plan yet about where the detainees are going to go?
GIBBS: Well, one of the — I think one of the things that the commission and one of the things that the executive orders does is begin the process whereby the current administration can examine what exactly is going on and who exactly is there. …
That’s why I was careful in saying that the process by which this will undertake over the course of up to one year will determine, as Greg laid out, who’s involved in what status of detainee, which group that they’re involved in, and ultimately study how best to — to deal with them in a way that protects our country, protects our values, and administers justice.
QUESTION: So these are terror suspects, and the American people are hearing, “Washington’s going to study it.” They’re going to find out for a few more months, what are we going to do with these detainees? So what…
GIBBS: Well, it is day two. …
QUESTION: No, but he was talking about it on the campaign for months, on Guantanamo Bay.
QUESTION: But the bottom line is that you’ve been talking about it — the president talked about it on the campaign trail. People have studied this for a long time. And you’re now signing the executive order without a plan for where the detainees will be. What assurances can you give the…
GIBBS: No. No, we’ve signed an executive order to establish the plan for what happens.
QUESTION: But what assurance can you give the American people that these detainees just won’t wind up out on the streets, won’t go back to their home countries and launch new terror attacks?
GIBBS: I can assure them that that — all of — all of what you just enumerated will be undertaken and studied as part of a commission to look into these very complex, very detailed questions.
So, in other words, Obama’s order accomplishes nothing other than to kick the can down the road. The question of what to do with the terrorists will be “studied”–and, by the way, it’s now a “very complex, very detailed question.”
Obama also ordered that the CIA be limited in its interrogations of captured terrorists to the small menu of techniques identified in the Army’s Field Manual. This makes little sense; the Field Manual is intended to instruct soldiers with little or no training as interrogators in questioning enemy soldiers captured on the battlefield, conditions that have nothing to do with the highly specialized case of trained CIA experts trying to get potentially life-or-death information from leaders of al Qaeda and similar groups.
This topic, too, came up in today’s press conference, when a reporter asked, in effect, Are you kidding?
QUESTION: Just so the American people have an understanding, if, for example, U.S. forces were to capture Osama bin Laden or someone less well known, but of operational significance, are they to understand, the American people, that only the Field Manual and the Field Manual only will be the interrogation method used to interrogate a target as valuable potentially as Osama bin Laden or someone of that operational significance?
GIBBS: Well, as it relates to your first question, let me get some guidance from — from Greg and members of the NSC.
Today’s executive order can charitably be described as meaningless, but it illuminates the least attractive side of Barack Obama: his tendency to combine self-righteousness with lack of seriousness.
BREAKING NEWS FOR THE TROLLS: Obama has done more to return this country to the rule of law in two days than Bush did in 8 felony filled years. He has more work to do and more work to begin, but he is starting out in the right direction. So, get out of the way and let him clean up your war criminal President’s many messes.
So, Breaking News is breaking news about his/her excitement about a possible connection between a Dem. Congressman and a contractor. No doubt Breaking News would agrees with the rest of us that criminal behavior on the part of elected officials should always be prosecuted fully. I’m just as certain that Breaking News also agrres with us that the criminal behavior of Bush and Cheney should be vigorously prosecuted.
Can’t you just smell the troll fear? It’s so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Breaking: Defense Contractor Connected to PA Rep. John Murtha Raided
January 22, 2009
CBE
A defense contractor connected to Rep. John Murtha got raided today by federal agents. Kuchera Industries, which has donated heavily to Murtha and the Democrats over the last four cycles, had investigators checking workers and removing files, led by the Department of Defense’s Inspector General and Criminal Investigations Divisions:
The entrance of the building was blocked by state and federal authorities. One by one, Kuchera employees drove off the property.
People who were working inside the building Thursday morning said about two dozen cars pulled into the parking lot around 9 a.m. Authorities form the FBI, IRS Criminal Division and others ordered employees to get their personal belongings and go to the front of the building.
Once there, each person was asked to provide their driver’s license, Social Security number and phone numbers. Each employee was also asked which department they worked in and what they get paid to do at Kuchera before they were escorted out of the building.
Some employees were given a business card of a contact person from the Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense and the Criminal Division. Other personnel said boxes were taken from the building and loaded into a box truck.
Over the last eight years, Kuchera has won almost $40 million in federal contracts, most of it within the last three years, and most of it with limited or no competition.
Kuchera has spent a lot of money on politicians. Donations from Kuchera amount to over $108,000 in the last four election cycles, and most of those donations have gone to Murtha or the DCCC.
Mike, Fear them! The Hadiths of Muhammed teach us that the Angel of God showed Muhammed Hell and MOST in Hell were women.
The “Hadith” is a record of Mohammed’s words and deeds according to his wives, relatives, and companions. Next to the Quran, it is the most important part of Islamic law; its teachings are just as binding.
Mohammed asked some women, “Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half that of a man?” The women said, “yes,” He said, “This is because of the deficiency of the woman’s mind. ” Vol. 3:826
Mohammed to women: “I have not seen any one more deficient in intelligence and religion than you.” Vol. 2:541
The majority of people in hell are women.
Mohammed said, “I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers are women. ” Vol. 1:28, 301; Vol. 2:161; Vol. 7:124
Women are a bad omen.
Mohammed said, ” Bad omen is in the woman, the house and the horse.” Vol. 7:30
Women are harmful to men.
Mohammed said, “After me I have not left any affliction more harmful to men than women.” Vol. 7:33
Mr. al quaeda is, etc., I’ve been wondering about something. Is there any difference between Muslim and fundamentalist Christian theology concerning the submission of wives to their husbands (except for the beating and rape aspects, of course)? Also, do different standards apply in more primitive areas of the world, such as Australia? Any guidance you can provide on this important question will be appreciated.
bobfrog,
Yes it would.
So if the rats were all card carrying members of the PNAC, would that negate the “cruelty to animals” charge?
buddha is laughing. Your friendship here is not forgotten or in waste. Go in peace.
Thank you Mr. Appleton. All support of President Obama is greatly appreciated in our region. Allah Akbar!!
Dear God Bless: I’m not Jill, so I guess I’m one of the rest of us. Two points. One, the topic here is rat abuse, so you must be confused. Two, why am I constantly hearing complaints from conservatives that after an entire day on the job, Pres. Obama has failed to close Gitmo, bring the Iraq war to a conclusion, stabilize Afghanistan, defeat terrorism, restore the economy and complete a number of other items that Mr. Bush was unable to accomplish in eight years? You might wish to consider giving it a rest until the president has had at least, oh, a week and a half to prove himself up to your demanding standards. And for Pete’s sake, quit proclaiming your religious patriotism in your name as though no one would believe you unless it were plastered on your forehead. Simply live it. Thank you.
The spammers come out in force once the writing is on the wall RE: torture. How appropriate they comment on torturing rats.
Jill & the rest of you:
Symbolism Only Goes So Far
Today Barack Obama issued an entirely symbolic executive order, directing that the terrorist detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay be closed within one year. Gitmo, of course, was created in answer to the question, What are we going to do with captured terrorists? Now, with that facility slated for closure, the question arises once more.
It arose, in fact, in Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ first press conference today. I found this exchange somewhat amusing:
QUESTION: Robert, how can you say the executive order on Guantanamo Bay — you can say clearly made America safer today, when it doesn’t seem like you really have a plan yet about where the detainees are going to go?
GIBBS: Well, one of the — I think one of the things that the commission and one of the things that the executive orders does is begin the process whereby the current administration can examine what exactly is going on and who exactly is there. …
That’s why I was careful in saying that the process by which this will undertake over the course of up to one year will determine, as Greg laid out, who’s involved in what status of detainee, which group that they’re involved in, and ultimately study how best to — to deal with them in a way that protects our country, protects our values, and administers justice.
QUESTION: So these are terror suspects, and the American people are hearing, “Washington’s going to study it.” They’re going to find out for a few more months, what are we going to do with these detainees? So what…
GIBBS: Well, it is day two. …
QUESTION: No, but he was talking about it on the campaign for months, on Guantanamo Bay.
QUESTION: But the bottom line is that you’ve been talking about it — the president talked about it on the campaign trail. People have studied this for a long time. And you’re now signing the executive order without a plan for where the detainees will be. What assurances can you give the…
GIBBS: No. No, we’ve signed an executive order to establish the plan for what happens.
QUESTION: But what assurance can you give the American people that these detainees just won’t wind up out on the streets, won’t go back to their home countries and launch new terror attacks?
GIBBS: I can assure them that that — all of — all of what you just enumerated will be undertaken and studied as part of a commission to look into these very complex, very detailed questions.
So, in other words, Obama’s order accomplishes nothing other than to kick the can down the road. The question of what to do with the terrorists will be “studied”–and, by the way, it’s now a “very complex, very detailed question.”
Obama also ordered that the CIA be limited in its interrogations of captured terrorists to the small menu of techniques identified in the Army’s Field Manual. This makes little sense; the Field Manual is intended to instruct soldiers with little or no training as interrogators in questioning enemy soldiers captured on the battlefield, conditions that have nothing to do with the highly specialized case of trained CIA experts trying to get potentially life-or-death information from leaders of al Qaeda and similar groups.
This topic, too, came up in today’s press conference, when a reporter asked, in effect, Are you kidding?
QUESTION: Just so the American people have an understanding, if, for example, U.S. forces were to capture Osama bin Laden or someone less well known, but of operational significance, are they to understand, the American people, that only the Field Manual and the Field Manual only will be the interrogation method used to interrogate a target as valuable potentially as Osama bin Laden or someone of that operational significance?
GIBBS: Well, as it relates to your first question, let me get some guidance from — from Greg and members of the NSC.
Today’s executive order can charitably be described as meaningless, but it illuminates the least attractive side of Barack Obama: his tendency to combine self-righteousness with lack of seriousness.
Symbolism Only Goes So Far
Today Barack Obama issued an entirely symbolic executive order, directing that the terrorist detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay be closed within one year. Gitmo, of course, was created in answer to the question, What are we going to do with captured terrorists? Now, with that facility slated for closure, the question arises once more.
It arose, in fact, in Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ first press conference today. I found this exchange somewhat amusing:
QUESTION: Robert, how can you say the executive order on Guantanamo Bay — you can say clearly made America safer today, when it doesn’t seem like you really have a plan yet about where the detainees are going to go?
GIBBS: Well, one of the — I think one of the things that the commission and one of the things that the executive orders does is begin the process whereby the current administration can examine what exactly is going on and who exactly is there. …
That’s why I was careful in saying that the process by which this will undertake over the course of up to one year will determine, as Greg laid out, who’s involved in what status of detainee, which group that they’re involved in, and ultimately study how best to — to deal with them in a way that protects our country, protects our values, and administers justice.
QUESTION: So these are terror suspects, and the American people are hearing, “Washington’s going to study it.” They’re going to find out for a few more months, what are we going to do with these detainees? So what…
GIBBS: Well, it is day two. …
QUESTION: No, but he was talking about it on the campaign for months, on Guantanamo Bay.
QUESTION: But the bottom line is that you’ve been talking about it — the president talked about it on the campaign trail. People have studied this for a long time. And you’re now signing the executive order without a plan for where the detainees will be. What assurances can you give the…
GIBBS: No. No, we’ve signed an executive order to establish the plan for what happens.
QUESTION: But what assurance can you give the American people that these detainees just won’t wind up out on the streets, won’t go back to their home countries and launch new terror attacks?
GIBBS: I can assure them that that — all of — all of what you just enumerated will be undertaken and studied as part of a commission to look into these very complex, very detailed questions.
So, in other words, Obama’s order accomplishes nothing other than to kick the can down the road. The question of what to do with the terrorists will be “studied”–and, by the way, it’s now a “very complex, very detailed question.”
Obama also ordered that the CIA be limited in its interrogations of captured terrorists to the small menu of techniques identified in the Army’s Field Manual. This makes little sense; the Field Manual is intended to instruct soldiers with little or no training as interrogators in questioning enemy soldiers captured on the battlefield, conditions that have nothing to do with the highly specialized case of trained CIA experts trying to get potentially life-or-death information from leaders of al Qaeda and similar groups.
This topic, too, came up in today’s press conference, when a reporter asked, in effect, Are you kidding?
QUESTION: Just so the American people have an understanding, if, for example, U.S. forces were to capture Osama bin Laden or someone less well known, but of operational significance, are they to understand, the American people, that only the Field Manual and the Field Manual only will be the interrogation method used to interrogate a target as valuable potentially as Osama bin Laden or someone of that operational significance?
GIBBS: Well, as it relates to your first question, let me get some guidance from — from Greg and members of the NSC.
Today’s executive order can charitably be described as meaningless, but it illuminates the least attractive side of Barack Obama: his tendency to combine self-righteousness with lack of seriousness.
Jill,
The American soldier Al Queda member Omar Khadr killed with a grenade when he was 15 was an ARMY MEDIC.
A MEDIC……………….a person who SAVES lives. A MEDIC.
Jill, an introduciton to the Khadr family:
“We are an Al Qaeda family.” So spoke one of the Khadrs, a Muslim Canadian household whose near single-minded devotion to Osama bin Laden contains important lessons for the West.
In 1985, in the course of working in Afghanistan, Khadr met bin Laden and became his close associate. Sometimes Khadr was described as the highest ranking of Al Qaeda’s 75 Canadian operatives.
In 1996, he and his wife set up an Islamic charity they named “Health and Education Project International.” When the Taliban took control in Afghanistan a few months later, the parents and their six children decamped there. As he worked closely with bin Laden, Khadr became known for his militant Islamic vitriol, leading one Frenchman in Afghanistan to observe about him,” I never met such hostility, someone so against the West.”
Like other Al Qaeda leaders, Khadr disappeared from view soon after 9/11. He spent two years on the lam, reappearing only in October 2003,when Pakistani forces unexpectedly found that the DNA of one unrecognizable corpse from a bloody shootout matched Khadr’s.
The terrorism-related activities of other Khadr family members — wife, one of two daughters, three of four sons — complement their patriarch’s record.
Wife Maha Elsamnah took her then 14-year-old son Omar from Canada to Pakistan in 2001 and enrolled him for Al Qaeda training.
Daughter Zaynab, 23, was engaged to one terrorist and married, with Osama bin Laden himself present at the nuptials, a Qaeda member in 1999. Zaynab endorses the 9/11 atrocities and hopes her infant daughter will die fighting Americans.
Son Abdullah, 22, is a Qaeda fugitive constantly on the move to elude capture. Canadian intelligence states he ran a Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan during the Taliban period, something Abdullah denies.
Son Omar, 17, stands accused of hurling a grenade in July 2002, killing an American medic in Afghanistan. Omar lost sight in one eye in the fighting and is now a U.S. detainee in Guantánamo.
Son Abdul Karim, 14, half-paralyzed by wounds sustained in the October 2003 shoot-out that left his father dead, is presently prisoner in a Pakistani hospital.
Fortunately, there is also one positive story:
Son Abdurahman, 21, reluctantly trained with Al Qaeda, was captured by coalition forces in November 2001 and agreed to work for the Central Intelligence Agency in Kabul, Guantánamo, and Bosnia. He returned to Canada in October 2003, where he denounced both extremism (”I want to be a good, strong, civilized, peaceful Muslim” ) and his family’s terroristic ways.
PS:
Rachael Maddow needs to apologize to American soldiers.
M.A.,
Perfect!
Were they still wearing their White House staff badges?
One guess as to what form karma assigns him in the next life.
And while I’ll accept “politician”, it is only a partial credit answer.