Code Pink attempts citizen’s arrest of Condoleezza Rice for war crimes
About a dozen members of the radical feminist group Code Pink took a break from dressing up as female body parts to attempt a citizen’s arrest of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at an event connected with the RNC convention in Tampa, Politico reported Tuesday.
Protesters carried handcuffs and said they wanted to arrest Rice for “war crimes.”
Rice was Bush’s National Security Adviser when the Iraq War started in 2003.
“Officers told protesters to leave because they were on private property. They went back to the sidewalk and several lay down under sheets made to look like they were blood-splattered,” Politico added.
“Arrest the war criminal Condi Rice,” the group tweeted.
Protesters, chanting “Arrest Condi Rice,” held signs calling Rice a “war criminal,” and blocked an entrance to the building Rice was in.
Video: Paul supporters chant “Let Him Speak”, as Ron Paul enters RNC convention Floor
August 28, 2012 by Jack Blood
Filed under Americas
Watch as Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) arrives on the floor of the Republican National Convention.
He was greeted by cheers from his supporters, with some chanting, “Let him speak!” The presidential candidate was not invited to address the RNC this week.
There was an “awkward” moment on the convention floor this afternoon, just minutes before the official start of Day 2.
Rep. Ron Paul showed up and the hall erupted in whistles and cheers. But the mood changed when a chant of “President Paul, President Paul” started up from a large number of people on the floor.
Paul responded with a small smile.
Clearly, some Mitt Romney supporters were not pleased with this turn of events. A chant of “Rom-ney, Rom-ney,” started up, and the Ron Paul supporters picked up their chant to compensate.
After a few seconds, it was clear that the Paul supporters were winning in the war of words and the Romney supporters quieted down. Later chants included “Let him speak” and “seat him now.” Paul was quietly escorted to a seat and the chanting died down.
RNC to Open With Politician Who “Should Be in Jail”
August 28, 2012 by Jack Blood
Filed under Commentary
* Greg Palast will be on THE JACK BLOOD SHOW Sept 18 2012 -
Monday, 27 August 2012 16:10 By Greg Palast, Truthout|
Robert F Kennedy Jr. looks over Tim Griffin’s caging emails. (Photo via Greg Pallast)
“Tim Griffin should be in jail.” That’s the conclusion of civil rights attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after going through the evidence I asked him to review.
But Griffin’s not in jail: he’s in Congress. And Tuesday, he’ll be the first Congressman the Republicans have chosen to bring to their convention podium.
Predictably, I haven’t seen one US press report noting that in 2007, Griffin resigned from the Justice Department in disgrace, ahead of what could have been (should have been), his indictment.
Kennedy thought a couple of other characters should join Griffin in the lockup: first, Griffin’s boss, the man whom George W. Bush gave the nickname, “Turdblossom”: Karl Rove.
And there’s yet another odiferous blossom, Griffin’s assistant at the time of the crime: Matt Rhoades. Rhoades isn’t in jail either. He’s the campaign director of presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
(Note: This story is based on the investigations in Palast’s new book, “Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps” – with a forward by Kennedy and comics by Ted Rall.)
Kennedy had gone over the highly confidential emails we’d gotten from inside Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington. (How we got our hands on private emails from the top dogs in the Republican campaign, well, that’s another story. I can say, they were sent directly from the computer of Griffin. Rove, a computer expert, is careful not to have his own.)
“What they did was absolutely illegal – and they knew it and they did it anyway,” Kennedy told me.
(Image: Ted Rall)
What they did was called voter “caging.” The RNC sent letters by the thousands to soldiers, first class, marked, “DO NOT FORWARD.” When the letters were returned undelivered, the Republicans planned to use these “caged” envelopes as evidence the voters were “fraudulent” – then challenge their ballot.
A soldier mailing in his or her vote from Iraq would have that ballot disqualified – and the soldier wouldn’t even know it.
That’s not just sick, it’s a crime, a violation of the Voting Rights Act drafted by Kennedy’s late father. And it was a crime because of whom the RNC caging crew attacked: not just any soldiers, but soldiers of color.
Running a vote-challenge operation based on racial profiling is a go-to-jail felony.
And after the soldiers, the “Turdblossom” gang targeted students at traditionally black schools (away on summer break), homeless men and a few precincts of Jewish voters. In other words, anyone whose politics was Blue-ish.
Look for yourself. Here is one Griffin “caging” list, targeting the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida.
Things Go Better With Kochs
Griffin won’t talk to me, nor will Rove nor Romney’s man Rhoades about the racial caging game and the related firing of federal prosecutors.
But never mind: I have his personal emails and the testimony of Captain Iglesias. And that was enough, in 2007, for BBC to put the “caging” evidence and the real story of the prosecutor firing on the air.
By the next morning, Griffin resigned his post at US attorney for Arkansas. He was in tears.
But Tim’s tears were soon wiped away – by the Koch brothers. In 2010, Koch interests dumped $167,183 into Griffin’s campaign for Congress. For $167,183, your average Congressman will wash your car – with their tongue.
Tim won the Little Rock seat, and here he is in Tampa. Despite the fact that he’s an unknown freshman from an unswing state, he’s been given the extraordinary honor of speaking for the entire Republican Congressional delegation.
And now you know why: In Congress, he’s Rove-bot No. 1, owned and operated by Koch Industries.
Why would the Kochs do this for the disgraced Griffin? Answer: It’s what Griffin does for them.
Among other favors, Griffin is the top cheerleader in the House for the XL pipeline – whose approval is vital to the billionaire Kochs making more billions.
But wait! The Kochs don’t own the XL pipe nor the Canadian tar sands from which it comes. So, why do they care?
Well, that’s another story, in another chapter, “XXXL Pipeline” in “Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal the Election in 9 Easy Steps,” out September 18. Author’s proceeds from the book go to the not-for-profit Palast Investigative Fund for reporting on voter protection issues, which has partnered with Truthout to bring you these investigative findings – and the comic book inside by Ted Rall.
Reality Check: Did Romney Really Not Know about Delegate Fix in Maine
August 28, 2012 by Jack Blood
Filed under Media
Ben Swann Reality Check was given a few minutes with Governor Mitt Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan. Ben asked Romney about the RNC stripping Maine delegates of their credentials. Did Romney answer honestly?
ALSO:
Georgia RP Delegation Singled Out and Bullied by Chairwoman (Video)
The Jack Blood Show – August 27 2012
August 27th 2012: Jack Blood covers some RNC news, and talks about how the Ron Paul campaign was busted while distancing themselves from Paul Fest and the “fringe” grassroots that brought them to the national spotlight. Also: Greg Knight joins us from Alaska to break down the new (psy op) Bin Laden book…. HOUR 2 – Jack and Radio / web personality James Corbett (www.corbettreport.com) hit a wide swath of topics. Bin Laden, Syria, China, Japan Geo Politics… Fukishima, nukes, NYC Cop shooting and more. PLEASE DONATE TO THE JACK BLOOD SHOW!!!!
Deputies: RNC protestor arrested with machete strapped to his leg
TAMPA –
A Republican National Convention protestor was arrested while he allegedly carried a machete strapped to his leg, according to deputies.
According to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s officials, Jason T. Wilson, of Tallahassee, was arrested as he walked in the RNC Event Zone carrying a “full size” machete.
When deputies approached Wilson, they said he continued to walk away despite orders to stop.
“When deputies caught up to Wilson, he advised he did not have to stop and that he was allowed to carry whatever he wanted,” HCSO spokesperson Larry McKinnon said.
When deputies attempted to physically stop him, Wilson allegedly began resisting arrest and was physically restrained.
Wilson was arrested and taken to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on charges of prohibited items in event zone and resisting arrest with violence.
RNC Shuns Ron Paul, Supporters Root For Romney Defeat
“I want to make sure that when the Republican Party loses, terribly to, in my opinion, the worst president in history, I want [them to know] it’s because they systematically shut out the most intelligent, most youthful and active voting bloc in American history,” said Ron Paul voter Mike Timoney.
Timoney’s statement accurately reflected the mood at PAULfest, a celebration held by Congressman Ron Paul’s supporters at the Tampa Fairgrounds on the weekend before the 2012 Republican National Convention. With controversy surrounding the seating of GOP delegates in several state conventions, many who caucused for Paul feel disenfranchised by the actions of the GOP and vow to turn against the party this election.
While certain attendees went so far as to call Mitt Romney a “monster,” most of Paul’s youthful supporters exhibited more frustration and disappointment than anger.
“[The GOP] made it clear yesterday that they see us more as a nuisance than as potential allies,” said John Jones, one of 10 Ron Paul-supporting Maine delegates that the RNC stripped of their delegate status on Friday.
Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson was a headlining speaker at the event, which was in part sponsored by the Libertarian Party.
“The frustration, I think, can get focused in a way that can impact this election,” said Johnson. “And that would be, voting for me.”
Many Paul supporters at the event expressed support for Johnson’s campaign, and even those who didn’t vowed not to vote for Romney.
“There’s no way I could support someone like him,” said Kenosha Fisch, an Oklahoma delegate who lost her seat in a bitter power struggle.
About 3:45 minutes.
Produced by Zach Weissmueller and Tracy Oppenheimer.
Goodbye NDAA, PATRIOT Act, Federal Reserve Act and Wars if Paul Wins Presidency
May 7, 2012 by Jack Blood
Filed under Commentary
byRuth Hull
OpEd News
No other Republican Presidential candidate has ever received the enthusiastic popular support in the Republican Stronghold of Orange County that Ron Paul received in his visit to Cal State University, Fullerton, on May 3rd, 2012. 6000 enthusiastic fans crowded into the Titan Stadium, which was not designed to hold 6000. The line stretched around the stadium. Seats ran out, but supporters continued to pile in, standing to see their candidate. Mitt Romney has never received that kind of support in Republican Orange County.
Crowd lines up to see Ron Paul
Once in office, Paul will repeal the NDAA, the PATRIOT Act and the Federal Reserve Act. The audience, by its standing ovations and chants showed its agreement with the plan.
Paul spoke to the paranoid fears he would cut social programs by expressing his understanding that people have come to need these programs. In cutting spending, he will start with the wars and foreign spending. He pointed out that, in recent years, the war spending has topped four trillion dollars. He noted that, in foreign spending, the United States government takes from the poor at home to give to rich oppressors in foreign lands. Studies done by a variety of informed organizations agree, showing that simply cutting the war budget will save the U.S. economy.
Paul noted that 75% of Americans want America out of Afghanistan. He pointed out that we are less respected and less liked in the world because of war policies. He said that a lot of innocent children and people are dying from our drone attacks. People are asking, “Why are we being terrorized by bombs falling out of the sky when we haven’t done anything to America?”
Much of the problem with the economy is that the world has stopped trusting the dollar. He said, “The dollar used to be as good as gold.” After we were pulled off the gold standard, the world continued to trust our dollar for a while but that time of trust has run out.
As noted above, Paul got a standing ovation on ending the Federal Reserve. The audience broke into chants of “End the Fed.” Paul reacted by saying, “It sounds like a wonderful idea.” He noted that you wouldn’t hear that on TV. He called for the repeal of the Federal Reserve Act on its hundredth anniversary.
Paul attacked the economic policies of the current government, saying the government gives crumbs to the poor and bailouts to the rich.
Paul stated, “I’d like to suggest that you never have to give up any of your liberties for safety and security.” He pointed out that he has no Secret Service protection. He told the crowd that holding up a sign in protest of someone with Secret Service protection could now get you ten years in prison. [This is a result of the protester bill Obama signed into law.] Paul also spoke of a Homeland Security facility in Utah that is large enough to hold the records of everyone in America. He noted that the role of government is to protect our privacy and liberty. It is not to destroy our civil liberties.
On the issue of Cuba, he suggested talking to the Cubans and ending sanctions. He pointed out that those who are accusing him of being an isolationist are the real isolationists.
It isn’t an easy road for honest politicians like Ron Paul. He pointed out that”" those people in Washington in charge will not give up their power easily.”
The crowd was ready for action. Paul got numerous standing ovations. People were reregistering as Republicans just so they could vote for him. People were also signing up to work on his campaign.
Paul is the only anti-war candidate running in a major party for President. This gives him an advantage with anti-war Democrats and independents. Even people who don’t agree with him, see him as a candidate who is incorruptible and beaming with integrity. He is considered a fresh, honest alternative to the status quo.
For those who want to vote for Paul in the California primary, they will have to reregister as Republicans. I know, it’s a pretty disgusting thought to most people. California has an open primary in every race except the Presidency, where the RNC is preventing non-Republicans from voting for Ron Paul. The Democratic Primary is more open, allowing independents to vote a Democratic ballot.
Noah Johnson is an example of a former Democrat who re-registered to vote for Ron Paul. Now he is running for the Republican Central Committee for the 41st District as part of his efforts to support Paul’s agenda. People were speaking of how they were going to change the Republican Party. This writer is reserving judgment on whether that is possible.
People had a number of ideas to publicize Paul’s candidacy. A couple of representatives were there from an organization called Skytypers, offering a “low cost” way to skywrite messages over events. Philip Stinis of Skytypers said the company used patented eco-friendly vapors. He also said this could also be used for independent candidates who wanted to get out their messages. This writer did not see a list of the chemicals, but it is an indication that people, distrusting the media, are coming up with solutions to get out the word about Paul.
The event was put together on short notice in a large venue with standing room only. Robert Scheer has encouraged people to reregister to vote for Ron Paul. If the votes are counted, and there is always a question about that, Ron Paul could conceivably win California.
May 7, 2012
Ruth Hull is the chairman of a liberal Democratic club. She has organized major political events and helped elect some of the most liberal politicians in America. Her career has included work as a criminal defense attorney, a licensed private investigator, an educator and a writer.
Set Up? Florida governor rejects gun ban for Republican convention
May 3, 2012 by Jack Blood
Filed under Americas
Florida is just one major incident away from tough gun laws…
Ron Paul... Please wear a bullet proof vest buddy!
Tallahassee, Florida (Reuters) – Florida Governor Rick Scott has shot down a request by Tampa’s mayor to allow local authorities to ban guns from the city’s downtown during the Republican National Convention in August.
Citing Second Amendment protections in the U.S. Constitution, Scott told Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn that conventions and guns have co-existed since the nation’s birth and would continue to do so during the four-day event beginning August 27.
“It is unclear how disarming law abiding citizens would better protect them from the dangers and threats posed by those who would flout the law,” the Republican governor said in a letter on Tuesday.
Local officials need Scott’s permission to enact the temporary restrictions after state lawmakers last year passed a measure that prohibits local governments from adopting gun ordinances that are stricter than state law.
Florida has some of the most lenient gun laws in the United States and by some counts leads the nation in gun ownership, with about 6.5 percent of all adults licensed to carry a concealed weapon, state records show.
New applications for concealed gun permits have quadrupled since 1998.
In a letter to Scott, Buckhorn said the Tampa City Council had banned a host of items from the area surrounding the convention facility, a list that includes water guns, poles and pieces of wood.
“One noticeable item missing from the city’s temporary ordinance is firearms,” Buckhorn wrote. “In the potentially contentious environment surrounding the RNC, a firearm unnecessarily increases the threat of imminent harm and injury to the residents and visitors to the city.”
Scott said he was confident law enforcement officials, who are expected to number nearly 4,000, would be able to protect the public without having to enforce a blanket gun ban.
That city officials have banned other items is irrelevant, he said.
“The choice to allow the government to ban sticks, poles but not firearms, is one that the people made in enacting their state and federal constitutions,” Scott wrote.
Weapons will not be allowed in the convention center itself or in the immediate area surrounding the site. Security in that venue is being handled by the U.S. Secret Service.
The City Council wants to extend the restrictions to all of downtown, including areas that have been designated zones for protesters expected at the event.
“As governor, you have the duty to meet dangers presented by events such as the RNC where there is a threat of substantial injury and harm to Florida residents and visitors to the state,” Buckhorn wrote.
