Category: Politics

Congress, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Justice, Politics, Society

Conyers Calls for Special Prosecutor on Alleged Bush Crimes

160px-john_conyersholderericThe chairman of the House Judiciary Committee today called for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special counsel to probe potential abuses of power under the Bush administration. House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) has called upon U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to look into alleged Bush crimes. Holder has continued a rather transparent effort to block or curtail any investigation to prevent the prosecution of Bush officials for the torture and surveillance programs.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Politics, Religion, Society

North Korea Executes Woman For Distributing Bibles

140px-Family-bible225px-Kim-jong-il_portrait North Korea has added yet another infamy to its record: the execution of Ri Hyon Ok, 33, for distributing Bibles. As is often the case, North Korea tacked on a charge of spying for South Korea and the United States — as if the two countries would enlist a spy who divides her time between surveillance and evangelical activities.
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Academia, Politics, Society

Obama: I Did Not Mean “Stupidity” As a Slight of the Cambridge Officers

225px-official_portrait_of_barack_obama180px-Henry_Louis_GatesAs expected, President Barack Obama attempted to backtrack from his statements yesterday denouncing the police for the “stupidity” of their arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates. In today’s statement, Obama insisted that when he referred to their stupidity he did not mean to malign them. While “stupidity” is not a term of endearment, it can apparently be used without any negative connotations for the arresting officers — even when linked with the nation’s history of racism and profiling abuses.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Pressing the Flesh: Complaint Filed Against Transgender Mayor for Showing “Too Much Skin”

StuPhoto2There is an interesting fight brewing in Silverton, Oregon. The people of Silverton received national attention with the election of Stu Rasmussen, the nation’s first openly transgender mayor. Now, however, a complaint has been filed against Rasmussen who showed up in a swim top and miniskirt to meet with local kids. A parent has charged that Rasmussen showed “too much skin” while Rasmussen insists that it was too “hot and sticky” to wear anything else.
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Bizarre, Media, Politics, Society

So’s Yo Mama-San: North Korea Denounces Clinton as Looking Like a “Pensioner Going Shopping” While Clinton Calls the North Koreans “Unruly Teenagers” With Mommy Issues

220px-hillary_rodham_clinton225px-Kim-jong-il_portraitThe North Korean government would be a lasting source of late night jokes if it were not for the fact that it is trying to make a nuclear weapon and has been tied to such efforts by other nations. Now the Foreign Ministry has issued a series of bizarre schoolyard taunts against Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying she “looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping.” That was from the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry — the diplomatic arm of North Korea.
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Criminal law, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Rabbis and Mayors Arrested in New Jersey Public Corruption Probe

mayorpetercammarano1ElwellA group of rabbis were among the 30 or so people arrested in New Jersey with two mayors in a major corruption probe. Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano III (left) and Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell (right) were among those arrested in what is described as a “high-volume, international money-laundering conspiracy” where the rabbis used their their religious organizations to launder the money. There are also allegations of cash-filled envelopes going to politicians in garden-variety corruption claims.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Politics, Religion, Society, Torts

Florida City Manager Fired After Disclosure of Wife’s Work as Adult Film Star

ALeqM5gOz6dyIikBCUtN27-CVyxbAatstAWe have yet another case of an employee being fired for activities outside of work. The case of former Fort Myers beach, Florida town manager Scott Janke, however, is a bit different. He is being fired because of his wife Anabela Mota Janke’s work as a porn star. Mayor Larry Kiker called a city council meeting without Janke present and secured an unanimous vote of 5-0 to terminate his contract because of what his wife does for a living. Kiker’s action runs afoul of the privacy and free speech and free association rights of this couple. Yet, he is relying on a contract that allows Janke to be fired for good cause, bad cause or no cause at all.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Courts, Lawyering, Politics, Society

Rhode Island Judge Bans Sister From Commenting on Facebook About Her Brother’s Custody Case

125px-Flag_of_Rhode_Island.svgRhode Island Judge Michael Forte has a curious concept of free speech and a dangerous view of judicial authority. Forte recently issued an order banning the sister of a father in a custody battle from commenting on the case on Facebook. Michelle Bouthillier Langlois, 41, has been defending her brother Michael from domestic-abuse allegations.
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Criminal law, Politics, Society

Obama Weighs in on Gates Arrest — Denouncing Police As Acting “Stupidly”

225px-official_portrait_of_barack_obama180px-Henry_Louis_GatesPresident Barack Obama’s press conference took a surprising turn when the President decided to weigh in on the controversy over the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. by the Cambridge Police. While admitting that he did not know all of the facts, the President called the police stupid in their response to the call of a suspected break in.

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Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, International, Politics, Society

When Legislators Attack: South Korean Legislature (Again) Erupts Into Brawl

Who needs the WWF when you have the Korean legislature? When the Grand National Party pushed through a bill relaxing restrictions on the media, opposition members decided to tables the matter by throwing actual table and chairs while charging the podium. This is only the latest just gladiatorial event in the main hall of the Korean National Assembly.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Media, Politics, Society

Chinese Newspaper Reveals Government’s How To Manual for Police Abuse

China's flagA newspaper in China has published an astonishing manual from a Chinese agency on how police can beat suspects without leaving marks. While crude in comparison to our own torture guidelines for waterboarding, the Chinese how-to manual is further evidence of the abusive training and tactics of the feared Chengguan (cheng guan) police, known as “urban management officers.”
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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, International, Justice, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Society

Democrats Denounce Obama for Bush-Like Signing Statement That He Is Not Bound By Federal Legislation

1-135Four House Democrats have finally stepped forward to denounce the Bush-like policies of President Obama, particularly his recent signing statement proclaiming that he is not bound by federal legislation. The letter was signed by Reps. David Obey of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; Barney Frank of Massachusetts, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee; and subcommittee chairs Reps. Nita Lowey and Gregory Meeks of New York. The letter breaks from the lockstep loyalty shown Obama despite his adoption of many of Bush’s most controversial positions.
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Politics, Society

Palin Accused of Violating Ethics Rules in Using Private Donations to Defend Against Ethics Charges

225px-palin1Various media outlets have obtained a report of an independent investigator which suggests that Gov. Sarah Palin violated ethics laws by accepting private donations to pay her legal debts. Palin was presumably aware of this investigation when she suddenly announced her resignation recently — referring directly to the various ethics charges as one of the reasons that she resigned.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Military, Politics, Religion

Report: Iranian Guards Routinely Force Young Girls to Marry and Then Rape Them Before Their Executions — As Moral Measure

250px-flag_of_iransvgThe Jerusalem Post is reporting a shocking interview with a member of the Iranian paramilitary Basiji militia — the group accused of some of the worst atrocities in the crackdown on protesters following the recent disputed presidential election. The source is a member of the infamous Basiji. He discussed, among other things, how he and other guards would routinely rape young girls after compelled marriages in jail — because Iranian law forbids the execution of a virgin and it would have been immoral not to rape them before killing them.

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