Hate Crime Legislation: Not Free Speech

Obama's willingness to re-insert hate crime legislation into Congress for approval ignores the provisions of the 14th Amendment and creates a conflict between the 1st Amendment and the proposed provisions of the hate crimes bill.

America can always become similar to Denmark where a film maker can be prosecuted for making films.

I would prefer the American way: free speech.

Close Gitmo: Feel Safe?

A Saudi national released from U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in September 2007 is believed to be a key leader in al Qaeda's operations in Yemen, according to a U.S. counterterrorism official.

Ali al-Shiri was released in 2007 from the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Defense Department recently estimated that more than 60 terrorists released from Guantanamo may have returned to the battlefield.

Obama, No Questions, Please

Reporters ask questions; administration ducks answers.

The same clip but in context and without commentary.

Clinton's China Connection Not Transparent

Former President Bill Clinton's foundation, despite identifying more than 200,000 of its donors in recent weeks, will not say who paid it windfall prices for stock in a struggling Internet firm with links to the Chinese government.

Mrs. Clinton was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday as President Obama's secretary of state and assumed her formal duties with a State Department ceremony Thursday.

However, Mrs. Clinton's office and the foundation have declined to answer questions about a lucrative 2006 stock transaction, details of which were reported by The Washington Times in March 2008.

The Accoona Corp. donated between $250,001 and $500,000 to Mr. Clinton's charity after he spoke at the company's launch in New York in 2004, according to donor information released by the foundation in December. The foundation sold its Accoona stock for $700,000 two years later, according to the charity's tax return for 2006.

Despite what the tax return suggests, Accoona struggled mightily to turn a profit.

In 2007, Accoona filed a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission reporting more than $60 million in losses during three years. In the same prospectus, it listed the China Daily Information Corp., a subsidiary of China Daily, the official English-language newspaper of the Chinese government, as an official partner and 6.9 percent owner of the company.

Obama's Administration Kills Civilians

Missiles fired from a suspected U.S. spy plane killed seven people today on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border. Attacks have continued unabated since the Bush administration which encountered bad publicity as a result.

Obama: No Questions

Statement to reporters: no questions. Isn't that their job? If you were really helpful you would help, not hinder them.

However, it was enough to see how tense the situation became if a question was asked.

Obama got agitated that he was faced with a substantive question.

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 knowing 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."

The press was not allowed open access to the second-swearing in for example, a situation that CNN's Ed Henry noted: “It is ironic, the same day that the president is talking about transparency, we were not let in.”

Wait until he faces genuine questions live.

Obama's Visit to Pakistan: Why?

During the Obama campaign press secretary Bill Burton released information about Obama's visit to Pakistan for “about three weeks” in 1981. He had traveled with a college friend whose family lived in Karachi; he had also visited Hyderabad in India, Burton said.

The visit raises questions about why and how an American college student would have visited Pakistan at that time since American citzens were not allowed in the country. Besides, people would like to know why he was there at such a momentous time.

The 1981 visit took place after Obama left Occidental College in Los Angeles to transfer to Columbia University in New York that same year.

Obama stayed in Karachi with the family of a college friend, Muhammed Hasan Chandoo. Now a financial consultant in Armonk, N.Y., and an Obama fundraiser, Chandoo has declined to comment regarding any details. However, he did confirmed that he was Obama’s “friend” and former “roommate.”

According to published reports in Pakistan, Obama in 1981 also stayed at the home of a prominent politician, Ahmad Mian Soomro, in an upscale Karachi suburb, and went on a traditional partridge hunting trip north of Karachi. Soomro’s son, Muhammad Mian Soomro, is a senior politician who served as acting president before the appointment of President Asif Ali Zardari.

Ahmad Mian Soomro died in 1999, and attempts to reach his son for comment were unsuccessful.

An AP story mentioned several of Obama’s Pakistani college friends, as well as an Indian friend, Vinai Thummalapally from Hyderabad, India.

The Times of India, citing Thummalapally, said Obama’s staff got it wrong – Obama had not visited Hyderabad in India but Hyderabad in Pakistan.

Obama may have visited Pakistan again later, when his mother, Ann Dunham, held a microfinance job there in the mid-1980s.

A Lahore-based Urdu newspaper, Daily Waqt, reported that Dunham worked as a consultant for a Pakistan Agricultural Development Bank program that ran from 1987 to 1992.

The project was in Gujranwala, the paper said, but Dunham stayed at a hotel in nearby Lahore, where Obama reportedly visited her. Dunham died in Hawaii in 1995.

Southwestern Asia was a risky place for a Westerner to visit in 1981, although it is unclear whether travel to Pakistan was actually restricted. The U.S. government at the time advised against visits to Afghanistan and had recently lifted a ban on travel to Iran.

Two years earlier, the Soviet Union invaded neighboring Afghanistan; the Islamic revolution toppled the Shah in Iran; a frenzied mob attacked the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, setting it on fire and killing a U.S. Marine and two Pakistanis; and military ruler Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq hanged former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – Benazir Bhutto’s father – whose government he had ousted in a 1977 coup.

Pakistan in 1981 was under martial law, with opposition politicians incarcerated, judges sacked, media censorship enforced and anti-government strikes underway.

The year Obama visited was also a particularly dangerous one for Americans. During a hijacking that March of a Pakistan passenger liner, three Americans onboard were singled out and threatened with death.

Pakistan in 1981 also was awash with Afghan refugees who had fled their homeland after the Soviet invasion – two million by the end of that year. In Karachi Afghan arrivals added to simmering sectarian and inter-ethnic tensions that was to blight Pakistan ’s largest city during the 1980s and 1990s.

The U.S. in 1981 stepped up funding, via Pakistan , to Afghans fighting the Soviet forces. Thousands of Arab and other foreign mujahideen flocked to Pakistan and Afghanistan to join the war.

In the early 1980s, a Palestinian ideologue named Abdullah Azzam was coordinating the jihad from Peshawar, near the Afghanistan border. Azzam, who also taught at Islamabad’s International Islamic University, visited America numerous times during the 1980s, urging support for the war in Afghanistan .

Described as a charismatic orator, he told fanciful tales of Islamic warriors not being harmed by Soviet tanks and bullets, and slain martyrs whose corpses did not decay.

Azzam’s Peshawar center was known as the Afghan Bureau. His deputy and financier was a Saudi named Osama bin Laden. Azzam is regarded by many scholars as having laid the ideological groundwork for modern-day jihad. After his assassination in a 1989 bomb blast, bin Laden took over the bureau and developed what would become al-Qaeda.

Was the idealistic 19- or 20-year-old Obama inquiring about the Afghanistan jihad?

If you are not an American, security is a higher priority for seasoned security analyst Bahukutumbi Raman, a former Indian counterterrorism chief and the director of India ’s Institute for Topical Studies.

Raman said that naturally felt troubled that Obama had not disclosed the Pakistan visit earlier.

“Why did he keep mum on his visit to Pakistan till this question was raised?” asked “Has he disclosed all the details regarding his Pakistan visit? Was it as innocuous as made out by him – to respond to the invitation of a Pakistani friend or was there something more to it?”

Raman continued,

“I could not help thinking of dozens of things. Of the Afghan jihad against communism. Of the fascination of many Afro-Americans for the jihad. Of the visits of a stream of Afro-Americans to Pakistan to feel the greatness of the jihad. Of their fascination for Abdullah Azzam …”

Raman concluded that when "one has a feeling that one has not been told the whole story, but only a part of it.”

Raman summarized his view:

“It is the right of the Americans to decide who should be their president. It is my right to worry about the implications of their decision for the rest of the world, including India.”C

Kadhafi Notes U.S. Masters - Slaves

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi hailed Obama now that there are "positive signs, such as the (expected) closure of the prison in Guantanamo, the withdrawal from Iraq and a review of the American presence in Afghanistan."

The Libyan leader had already welcomed Obama's election, calling it a victory for former slaves who are "now becoming masters."

"This can be considered the beginning of the victory of blacks in America, who were slaves but are now becoming masters," Kadhafi said during a visit to Ukraine just after the November election.

White Males Need Not Apply

Robert Reich, who served as labor secretary under President Clinton, spoke to the House Steering and Policy Committee 7 January about funding infrastructure projects according to Obama's plan. Reich stated in testimony and on his blog that the billions of dollars in the proposed economic stimulus plan should be allocated with social issues in mind, to make sure the money doesn’t go to just “white male construction workers” or the highly skilled.

According to this statement he uses racial criteria to find lesser skilled people.

I just wanted to make sure I read and heard correctly but that is his statement.

Yes, it is clear, he stated:

“I am concerned, as I’m sure many of you are, that these jobs not simply go to high skilled people who are already professionals or to white male construction workers.”

In response, Representative Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., stated an additional point. Rangel noted the “middle class” would be unlikely to create any opposition to funds directed to minorities.

Rangel said:

“One thing that you can depend on, you don’t have to be worried about what the middle class is going to do. Things are so bad, they have to put food on their tables, get clothes for their kids, get them in school.”

Rangel's point is that the middle class is too busy working and raising their children, essentially being productive, to note what the government is doing. I just want to make sure I understand him correctly.

Obama plans to ensure that the least skilled, least qualified workers get jobs based on their social return, i.e., votes for the politicians.

I understand their need to support their respective constituencies but to endanger others with incompetently built roads and bridges is folly.

The inauguration benediction by Reverend Joseph Lowery was clear enough; he invoked God to help mankind work for a day when “white would embrace what is right.”

The race card makes an appearance in national, presidential politics; it is quite ugly.

Lightfoot Back on the Docket

Now, Lightfoot is back. Citizens are concerned and enough contacted their representatives to ask why the case had been removed from the docket. This was the only case of the day that had been removed. In addition, many citizens are concerned that eight of the nine justices met privately with Obama. No attorneys were invited on behalf of the Plaintiffs. This causes many people to question the rules of judicial ethics and causes us to question the impartiality on behalf of the justices.

In any case, the Supplemental Brief was added and distributed to the justices.

The Supplemental Brief contains a copy of the legal action by Attorney Orly Taitz that was filed on behalf of Ambassador Dr. Allen Keyes, Wiley S. Drake and Markham Robinson in the Federal Court, Central District of Santa Ana, California. It is a legal action challenging the legitimacy of the Presidency of Barack Obama under the Executive Order issued by President Bush on January 16th. This action is seeking the mandate for the US State Department, the FBI, and the Director of the Personnel Department to seek the documents for verifying Obama's legitimacy as President and also his citizenship of the United States.

The Case of the Disappearing Case

The Lightfoot v. Bowen case has disappeared from the docket. The case was not dismissed. It is supposed to be heard on the 23rd of January. At this time I do not know who is manipulating the docket.

The First One Hundred Days

Day One:

FDR 1 Obama 0

FDR accomplished a great deal from day one; nothing like this has ever been equaled. Day one for Obama has been less than stellar. 99 more days to go.

Obama has accomplished something FDR could not; Obama brushed up his web site.

Welcome to Foreign Conflict of Interest

Only two Senators, Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, and David Vitter, R-Louisiana, voted against Clinton as Secretary of State. Clinton's confirmation was held up Tuesday when Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn objected to a voice vote, demanding a roll call vote instead. Cornyn expressed concerns about Bill Clinton's foundation.

Bill signed an agreement with the Obama transition team pledging to limit foreign donations and to release annual disclosures of new donations to his foundation.

Cornyn stated:

"But we should not let our respect for Sen. Clinton or our admiration for the many good works of the Clinton Foundation blind us to the danger of perceived conflicts of interest caused by the [foundation's] solicitation of hundreds of millions of dollars from foreign and some domestic sources. The perception and reality must be that the office of secretary of state is viewed around the world as beyond reproach."

Good point but Cornyn caved and voted Clinton in. The world will notice that the U.S. can be bought.

No Bible Used for Obama's Official (if at first you don't succeed) Oath of Office

News outlets reported how confused Obama was while stumbling through the oath of office. Trying to clear up any confusion, the Obama - Roberts team tried the oath a second time. Without the photo opportunity of the world watching, no Bible, Lincoln's or any other was used. The official oath of office was taken without benefit of a Bible. I wonder if that is a good thing for an administration.

`I Pledge To Serve Obama'

Hollywood celebrities are getting in line. Several of their suggestions are innocuous or certainly helpful to any community although it does get a bit eerie or messianic to hear adults pledging personal service to a human being. I think you can perform community service or be an inspirational leader in you community without abasing yourself to a person. You can help just as many people regardless who is president.

Obama Can Not Change Now

I had an opportunity to compare Obama's words when he spoke at a rally in Grant Park in Chicago after winning the election in November as opposed to his inaugural address. Two words he favored in Chicago were: "can" and "change."

Word Frequency %

can 13 0.57
change 6 0.26

He seems less hopeful now, as if he can not, and he has no change.

Word Frequency %

can 13 0.46
change 1 0.04

In his inaugural address, "can" is down to being used less and "change" barely appears at all.

Lightfoot v. Bowen: Friday

This Friday Lightfoot v. Bowen will be heard; the Plaintiffs include an Elector and a candidate for the vice presidency; theoretically, these two classes of citizens could overcome the standing hurdle. This is the first case where the plaintiffs are not ordinary citizens and who have been denied a hearing by their government.

Berg Injunctive Relief Denied

According to today’s Supreme Court Orders, the second Conference disposition of Berg v. Obama for injunctive relief has been denied:

08A505

BERG, PHILIP J. V. OBAMA, BARACK, ET AL.

(08-570)

The application for stay addressed to Justice Scalia and

referred to the Court is denied.

Tomorrow and Friday are two additional lawsuits, Brockhausen v. Andrade and Lightfoot v. Bowen. Lightfoot is the first eligibility-based lawsuit reaching the Supreme Court that includes among the Plaintiffs an Electoral College Elector as well as a candidate for the vice presidency.

Islamic Group Threatens Obama

U.S. counter-terrorism officials investigated a potential threat of "uncertain credibility" to the inauguration events posed by the Somalian East African Islamic group al-Shabaab.

Obama has his hand out in consideration, just hoping they are holding a clenched fist. As he stated after the 9/11 attacks:

"such a failure of empathy [on the part of the terrorists]... is not... unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. Most often..., it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair...."

Nonetheless, they will attack. Does he realize the extent and scope of the terrorist threat or is he that naive about international affairs?

Chicago Muslims Plead Guilty to Murder

Muslims in Chicago Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Murder, Maim US Soldiers

Zubair Ahmed, 29, and Khaleel Ahmed, 28, both residents of Chicago, pleaded guilty last Thursday in the Northern District of Ohio to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists in connection with their efforts to travel abroad in order to murder or maim U.S. military forces in Iraq or Afghanistan.