COBDanny links to a Times Picayune article by Gordon Russell that is an eye opener for those who are not exposed to how New Orleans politics involves entire family’s with its corruption practices. This article will make your head spin - you’ll probably have to read it several times to remember all the connections. But the one underlying theme is the family name - Jefferson. A small part:
In one of her last official acts as the City Council member for District B, Renee Gill Pratt steered a $16,071 city grant from a council discretionary fund to a little-known Central City nonprofit agency called Orleans Metropolitan Housing.
Gill Pratt didn’t mention her long history of showering millions in taxpayer money on the group — or her ties to its president, Mose Jefferson, with whom she has had a long personal relationship. In an interview, Gill Pratt described Mose Jefferson — the brother of embattled U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, Gill Pratt’s political mentor and former boss — as a friend.
As it turns out, the 11th-hour grant to the housing nonprofit was just one of several deals Gill Pratt made from which she or someone close to her benefited personally.
In another transaction, three days before the primary, Gill Pratt gave another nonprofit group two vehicles that had been donated to the crippled city as a goodwill gesture by car maker DaimlerChrysler. This time the beneficiary was an outfit named Care Unlimited, to which she and the Jefferson family have long-standing ties.
Read the whole thing. I’m gonna try to make a flow chart of this - but it may give me a helluva headache.
June 22nd, 2007
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This year turned out to be a great Father’s Day. Not just for me but also my son who got home for a two week leave from Iraq on Saturday. While it certainly made me happy to have him home, it made his family extremely happy for Dad to be there. And Dad needed to be there.
So I was poking through a few blogs and feeling pretty mellow with the J&S and came across one of my favorite sites, Grims Hall. He has a Father’s Day post that I thought was special. There’s more to it than this so you can go there and read it:
I was reading an article the other day, in the local newspaper, about an elderly Korean gentleman who has moved into town and opened a martial arts studio. He chastened the reporter who had come to interview him not to suggest that the martial arts were ‘all about fighting.’ “No!” he said. “The purpose is social harmony.”
That is exactly right. The secret of social harmony is simple: Old men must be dangerous.
Very nearly all the violence that plagues, rather than protects, society is the work of young males between the ages of fourteen and thirty. A substantial amount of the violence that protects rather than plagues society is performed by other members of the same group. The reasons for this predisposition are generally rooted in biology, which is to say that they are not going anywhere, in spite of the current fashion that suggests doping half the young with Ritalin.
The question is how to move these young men from the first group (violent and predatory) into the second (violent, but protective). This is to ask: what is the difference between a street gang and the Marine Corps, or a thug and a policeman? In every case, we see that the good youths are guided and disciplined by old men. This is half the answer to the problem.
But do we not try to discipline and guide the others? If we catch them at their menace, don’t we put them into prisons or programs where they are monitored, disciplined, and exposed to “rehabilitation”? The rates of recidivism are such that we can’t say that these programs are successful at all, unless the person being “rehabilitated” wants and chooses to be. And this is the other half of the answer: the discipline and guidance must be voluntarily accepted. The Marine enlists; the criminal must likewise choose to accept what is offered.
In my previous post, the question was - “What if we chose NOT to protect?” Which seems a little off from Grim’s comments of what type of violence we choose. But it’s really two sides of the same coin. The predatory actors are just as unreliable and immoral as any terrorist group. And choosing violence to protect rather than ignore the predatory component seems right to me. I have to agree with Grim on this.
I may worry about my son’s safety but I never worry about his choices.
Maybe I’m doing OK as an “old man”. But this is no time to sit.
It was a good Father’s Day.
June 19th, 2007
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In an ironic twist, an activist/actor playing the part of an Israeli soldier stages a mock West Bank checkpoint scene at a Tel Aviv cinema location - doing their best to depict the “inhuman” aspect of checkpoints:
“The message here is that of peace,” said Nir Nikadi, an actor from the Arab-Hebrew Theater, who played the soldier. “I think checkpoints are inhuman. Putting people in cages is inhuman,” he added.
“We are two nations living here, with extremists on both sides. I want to be able to go to Gaza and eat hummus there, to live in peace,” he said.
And he is probably correct that it’s somehow “inhuman”. But when asked about those checkpoints? -
Asked what he thought would happen if checkpoints were removed , Nikado said that “extremists like Hamas and Islamic Jihad could exploit the situation“.
No kidding. Doesn’t sound like the Israeli left wing moonbats are any smarter than the American counterparts. They are in lockstep with their enemy as the dumocrats are with ours/theirs.
And the UN is sure to keep those damn Israeli’s under a watchful eye, thanks to such courageous members like Nikado bringing the abominations of Jewery to the world’s notice:
Members of the UN’s new human rights watchdog on Tuesday formally agreed to continue their scrutiny of Israel while halting investigations into Cuba and Belarus - a move that immediately drew fire from Canada and the United States.
The decision was part of a package of reforms adopted by the members of the Human Rights Council to change how it conducts its future work, including how and when to launch investigations into some of the world’s human rights offenders.
The world hasn’t gone mad. We just keep getting a little more stupid. We’re multicultural, zero-tolerance, kumbaya sitting weenies who keep on with that nasal toned incantation of “Why can’t we all just get along?” - right up to the point where we’re killed sitting on our ass.
Where’s John Bolton when you need him? Oh yeah, the dumocrats didn’t “like” him.
June 19th, 2007
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Rep. Tom Tancredo is showing a little resolve of the open defiance by some cities to current immigration laws by publicly pronouncing “sanctuary” for illegal aliens. In a twist of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, cities like San Franciso (whose surprised?) and Denver have publicly proclaimed “sanctuary” for illegal aliens by refusing to query the status of any immigrants (or anyone else, for that matter) and therefore negating any deportation processes.
Michelle Malkin has a post on this with the news from Cong. Tancredo’s website:
There was a glimmer of hope on the shamnesty landscape today in the House. Stalwart immigration enforcement proponent Tom Tancredo won approval–by a significant margin–of his amendment banning DHS funds for renegade sanctuary cities. From Rep. Tancredo’s website:
U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo’s (R-CO) amendment to cut funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Bill (H.R. 2638) for cities that employ a sanctuary policy passed the House with strong bipartisan support today; 234 to 189.“The times, they are a changing,” said an exuberant Tancredo, who had introduced the same amendment several times in the past with far less support. “This should also serve as a warning sign to the White House and supporters of re-introducing an amnesty bill from the Senate. If that legislation makes it to the House, it is in serious trouble.”
The Amendment would prevent cities like Denver and San Francisco who employ a sanctuary policy for illegal aliens from receiving first responder funds, including law enforcement and terrorism prevention grants, among other programs.
It’s a step in the right direction. The Democrat support for the bill–234-189, with no fewer than 49 Democrats voting in favor–is a good sign. Is it a sign of things to come as the second Senate showdown looms next week?
Hopefully a sign of things to come. The White House may have to listen - even if they don’t want to.
And Michelle also notes that in a fitting tribute to Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott’s abandonement of conservative principle, the erstwhile nutroots have bought Trent Lott’s name and sent it to Moveon for proper handling. Go ahead - type in www.trentlott.com and see what you get (or click on the provided link).
June 17th, 2007
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When you’re on the wrong side of right, getting back over comes with a price - even if it’s only in your own mind. From the Seattle Times:
Police say they will likely not seek charges against a Lake City man who waited three days before calling police after a prostitute died in his apartment. The woman, whose age is not known, died of unknown causes, said Seattle police spokeswoman Reneé Witt. Results of an autopsy, including toxicology reports, are pending.
According to a police report, the man told police he picked up the woman at a Seattle bus stop at about 7 p.m. on May 18. They rode the bus back to his apartment, where they smoked marijuana and had sex, according to the report.
The 39-year-old man is not named in the report.
Three hours later, the woman went to take a bath and the man walked to a nearby convenience store to buy beer, police said. When he returned, the woman was still in the bathroom.
After 15 minutes had passed, the man looked in the bathroom and found the woman unresponsive, police said. He shook and slapped her, but she was apparently dead. Police said the man told them he reacted by jumping out a window and digging a hole in the side alley, where he planned to bury the body. But he changed his mind and stopped digging.
“He felt he was doing the wrong thing, so he filled it back in,” according to the report.
Conflicted, he poured cold water over the woman’s body, so it wouldn’t decompose, the report said. For the next three days, according to the report, the man sat in his apartment “drinking and contemplating.” On May 21, he walked back to the convenience store and called his boss from a pay phone. His boss, who was not identified, told him to call police, and the man did so the next morning, the report said.
But he was, you know, “conflicted”. Such that he had to call his boss to figure out what to do. I wonder if he’s in management?
And there’s more - after all, this is Seattle:
Juliana Piccillo, with the advocacy group Sex Workers Outreach Project, said she was concerned the woman’s death may not be thoroughly investigated because she was a prostitute.
“I hope this guy would be charged in the same way as if it was a nurse or a nun, if they find that he was negligent in seeking medical care for this young woman,” she said. “It’s concerning that he didn’t do something sooner, call 911, because she would have family worrying about her, and he was more concerned with his own safety.”
The Sex Workers Outreach project? OK, so it is Seattle, but how does she work a nun into this?
Phew! My head hurts.
San Francisco, step aside. You’ve got competition.
June 16th, 2007
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Actually, this is a 14 year old impersonating George Bush. And he is very good.
This guy has talent.
June 16th, 2007
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Caught this on Blackfive - Uncle Jimbo found a dandy. From Military Motivator.
Of course, it is prudent to point out that Reid, his behavior in fine form, made disparaging remarks about Gen. Petraeus and called outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Pace, “incompetent”.
Reid - what a total waste of oxygen.
UPDATE:
And just to keep things in proper perspective, COBDanny points out the silence that Wesley Clark is keeping in criticizing Leiberman as a “chickenhawk” but not touching pencildick Reid for doing the same thing.
ANOTHER UPDATE:
You’ll really enjoy Cassandra’s rant on Reid ’s unhinged comments of Gen. Petraeus. Especially the notes from the video streams the guys are seeing “downstream” (deployed).
June 14th, 2007
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Just got notice that my son is headed home to his wife and kids for two weeks of R&R. Boy, does he need it! At least I’ll get to talk to him a little more. He called me two weeks ago - while I was playing golf! Couldn’t tell who the call was from and he says - “Hi dad!” What?
It was fabulous to hear him - his voice sounded really strong. I messed up the next three holes - and didn’t care one damn bit. But it will still be nice to leisurely talk to him for a few weeks.
Speaking of taking R&R, TD at Acute Politics has a few posts of the mechanics on how that happens - and it sounds just like what my son is going through. Take a read - it’s interesting. Especially the part about - “You’re going on leave in ten minutes. Pack a bag and get to the tarmac for a flight out!” That’s just about how it happened to my son, too.
Good military planning. At least it’s the right direction.
June 14th, 2007
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Well, I haven’t blogged anything for several weeks now. Since AT&T merged err, now owns BellSouth, there isn’t much going on in BellSouth except for contests on how many different positions you can sit on your hands. Fortunately, there is the internet to occupy folks until the job angel comes along and says you go and you stay. I’m gone. Been a good run but believe me, AT&T has no idea what they bought. BellSouth was 5-15 years ahead of AT&T (depending on which group you work in). Now we are hopelessly being yanked into a towered, corporate, professionally equipped bullshitter organization that arrogantly thinks its stuff is much better than ours. BellSouth management should be proud of the exit strategy they have perfected - and the lack of vision is almost blinding. Well, at least to Ackerman it is.
Anyway, now that I’m looking for job I have a little more time and will earnestly try to get back to blogging regularly.
And Jefferson seems so easy. It is no surprise that the NAACP has declared a rescue mission to protect the “reputation” of Jefferson. The local NAACP point man, Danatus King, is co-anchoring the “Justice for Jefferson Committee” with (you guessed it) a local civil rights lawyer, Tracie Washington. They are playing the race card at every step - but they haven’t tried to answer the idiosyncratic behavior of storing $90,000 in cash in ones freezer. Somehow, I don’t think that will remain a “non-issue” by the “Committee”. I’m waiting for their explanation……
Ahh well, you can pick up a few sordid details here, but generally every headline you see will pretty much be the proclamation of innocence that cats around with those who choose to personally line their pockets and claim righteousness in doing so. So will Jefferson. And I’m sure his district will be well represented while he spends 2 million to defend himself.
June 14th, 2007
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Deranged politics, morons |
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