Judge Denies Bail for Accused Chicago Teen Gunman

Two Chicago area teens, one 19 and one 17, are being held on first degree murder charges for a Saturday shooting outside Simeon Career Academy. The 19 year old is being held in lieu of a $1million bail, the 17 without bail.

Circuit Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. set bail at $1 million for 19 year old Ronald Little and denied bail for 17 year old Samuel Hill in the parking lot of Simeon Career Academy shooting this year, which left 18 year old Chavez Clarke dead on Saturday, the 20th this year for Chicago Public Schools. Two other teens were arrested in relation to the shooting but released without charges.

Prosecutors Monday said Little pulled a gun from his waistband after he and his three friends were approached in the parking lot of the school by a large, unarmed crowd. An argument broke out. Hill took the gun from his friend and fired the shot that struck Clarke, officials said.

As Hill and his friends ran off, Hill handed the gun back to Little, prosecutors said. When police responded to reports of shots being fired near the school they saw Little drop the weapon, police said.

Hill's lawyer, Howard Weisman, stated that they shooting was in self-defense, and that the men had been confronted by around 18 people in the parking lot. Both he and Gresham Police Cmdr. Eddie Johnson said that there had been previous altercations between the two men and Clarke.

The incident was captured mostly on the schools surveillance equipment and is being examined. Johnson said that he believed that Saturday was chosen by Hill and Little because they thought that there would be fewer security guards and police in the vicinity.

Both teens admitted their involvements in sworn video statements to the police.

School leaders and Chicago Public Schools chief Arne Duncan met with Simeon students behind closed doors this morning, and later made statements in which they called for more gun control. Current Illinois law prohibits the sale of handguns to persons under the age of 21. Hill and Little are both in their teens.

Duncan also compared the two teens to al-Qaeda, stating, "These are basically suicide missions. They are not just destroying somebody else's life, they are destroying their own. They are done forever."

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


.

Breaking: Body Found in Mall Bathroom

in the second incident in two days, Mesa, Arizona police have had to respond to the Fiesta Mall after a body was discovered in a bathroom near the food court, prompting a homicide investigation.

Police responded yesterday to the stabbing of a 22 year-old man at Macy's, who suffered non life-threatening injuries.

Police said the suspect grabbed the victim from behind, then stabbed him with a knife once in the neck and three times in the stomach.

The victim tried to get away, and walked toward a cash register, according to authorities.

Police are unsure at this time if the two incidents are related, and investigations are underway in both incidents.

At this time police have no suspects in either case.

More on this story as it develops.

[Update-] The stabbing from Sunday and tonights murder are connected, according to police.

Police say that two recent stabbings at Fiesta Mall are related, and they have a suspect in custody.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


.

The Muslim Takeover of the West: How it Works

Cross posted from Radarsite from an original article in ACT
http://blog.americancongressfortruth.com/

Note from Radarsite: For anyone who may still have lingering doubts about the real danger of the Muslim onslaught of the West, this may be the most revealing analysis of the threat of the Islamic Jihad that you will ever read. The reasoning is impeccable and the conclusions reached are both obvious and startling.

"Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the world and all of us against the infidel." -- Leon Uris, "The Haj"

Islam is not a religion nor is it a cult. It is a complete system.Islam has religious, legal, political, economic and military components. The religious component is a beard for all the other components.Islamization occurs when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their so-called "religious rights."

When politically correct and culturally diverse societies agree to "the reasonable" Muslim demands for their "religious rights," they also get the other components under the table. Here's how it works -- percentages source CIA: The World Fact Book
(2007).

As long as the Muslim population remains around 1% of any given country they will be regarded as a peace-loving minority and not as a threat to anyone. In fact, they may be featured in articles and films, stereotyped for their colorful uniqueness:
United States -- Muslim 1.0%
Australia -- Muslim 1.5%
Canada -- Muslim 1.9%
China -- Muslim 1%-2%Italy -- Muslim 1.5%
Norway -- Muslim 1.8%

At 2% and 3% they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs:
Denmark -- Muslim 2%

Germany -- Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom -- Muslim 2.7%
Spain -- Muslim 4%
Thailand -- Muslim 4.6%

From 5% on they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. They will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature it on their shelves -- along with threats for failure to comply. (United States).

France -- Muslim 8%
Philippines -- Muslim 5%
Sweden -- Muslim 5% Switzerland -- Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands -- Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad & Tobago -- Muslim 5.8%

At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islam is not to convert the world but to establish Sharia law over the entire world.

When Muslims reach 10% of the population, they will increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions (Paris -- car-burnings). Any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will result in uprisings and threats (Amsterdam -- Mohammed cartoons).

Guyana -- Muslim 10%
India -- Muslim 13.4%
Israel -- Muslim 16%
Kenya -- Muslim 10%
Russia -- Muslim 10-15%

After reaching 20% expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings and church and synagogue burning:

Ethiopia -- Muslim 32.8%
At 40% you will find widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare:
Bosnia -- Muslim 40%
Chad -- Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon -- Muslim 59.7%

From 60% you may expect unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels:

Albania -- Muslim 70%
Malaysia -- Muslim 60.4%
Qatar -- Muslim 77.5%
Sudan -- Muslim 70%
Bangladesh -- Muslim 83%
Egypt -- Muslim 90%
Gaza -- Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia -- Muslim 86.1%
Iran -- Muslim 98%
Iraq -- Muslim 97%
Jordan -- Muslim 92%
Morocco -- Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan -- Muslim 97%
Palestine -- Muslim 99%
Syria -- Muslim 90%
Tajikistan -- Muslim 90%
Turkey -- Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates -- Muslim 96%

100% will usher in the peace of "Dar-es-Salaam" -- the Islamic House of Peace -- there's supposed to be peace because everybody is a Muslim:
Afghanistan -- Muslim 100%
Saudi Arabia -- Muslim 100%
Somalia -- Muslim 100%
Yemen -- Muslim 99.9%

Of course, that's not the case. To satisfy their blood lust, Muslims then start killing each other for a variety of reasons.
"Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the world and all of us against the infidel." -- Leon Uris, "The Haj"
It is good to remember that in many, many countries, such as France, the Muslim populations are centered around ghettos based on their ethnicity. Muslims do not integrate into the community at large. Therefore, they exercise more power than their national average would indicate.

Adapted from Dr. Peter Hammond's book: Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat. www.frontline.org.za/books_videos/sti.htm


Where are we in this picture? And what are we doing about it?

.

Arms Supplier in Fort Dix Plot Gets 20 Months

Some may remember a plot that was foiled when 6 foreign-born Muslims were arrested for planning to kill US soldiers at Fort Dix in New Jersey, back in May of 2007.

The 6 men were arrested and accused of plotting to attack the Army's Fort Dix and massacre scores of U.S. soldiers and the men even took a video of themselves firing assault weapons to a store to have the footage put onto a DVD.

At the time, J.P. Weis, a FBI said, "Today we dodged a bullet. In fact, when you look at the type of weapons that this group was trying to purchase, we may have dodged a lot of bullets. "We had a group that was forming a platoon to take on an army. They identified their target, they did their reconnaissance. They had maps. And they were in the process of buying weapons. Luckily, we were able to stop that."

Today, Agron Abdullahu, an Albanian immigrant who obtained arms for that group was sentenced to 20 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler.

Abdullahu had admitted to supplying rifles, shotguns and a pistol to five others, including three illegal immigrants that had been involved with the foiled Fort Dix plot. he also claimed he was not involved in the plot against Fort Dix itself.

He went on to apologize for the pain he caused and claimed that he would have broken off his association with the other suspects if he had known what they were going to do, saying, "If I had known they were going to do anything of the sort, that would have been the end of that."

Prosecutors had fought to sentence Abdullahu to a five year maximum sentence for the charge of supplying guns and ammunition to illegal aliens.

Judge Kugler said that Abdullahu deserved more than the 10 to 16 months that sentencing guidelines call for, stating, "I am convinced that he is not as innocent as he'd like us to believe. This is not a common, ordinary, technical violation of the law."

The judge further asserted that although there was no evidence showing that Abdullahu knew of the specific plot against Fort Dix, that he had become to close to the men involved with the plot and that according to tapes offered into evidence, he did join in conversations that frequently referenced "jihad," or Islamic holy war, against the United States.

Yet the judge did not even give Abdullahu half the amount of time the maximum sentence would have imposed and with time served and credit for good behavior, it is possible that Abdullahu would be released by the end of this year. He could then face deportation.

But the judge noted that Abdullahu, 25, had been a hard-working immigrant with no criminal record who had supported his family when they fled to the United States as refugees from ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia in 1999.

Kugler highlighted a letter he had received from the defendant's parents describing the "gripping and harrowing tale" of the family's flight from Serbian forces who were killing ethnic Albanian civilians, an experience that gave Abdullahu post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

The other five men accused of plotting to kill US soldiers at Fort Dix are scheduled for trial beginning on September 29, 2008.

20 months for obtaining weapons for Jihadists that were planning a massacre at Fort Dix against the US troops stationed there.

Some would claim this is a perfect example of the US court system being completely unprepared to deal with court cases that pertain to terror acts against the United States of America.

Here is the original 23 page criminal complaint against Abdullahu.

.

LiveLeak Tightens Security and Reactivates Geert Wilders Fitna Film

LiveLeak, in the name of free speech and freedom of expression has allowed the controversial Geert Wilders' film to be shown and after having members of their staff physically threatened, they removed the film.

The have now tighten security and restored the film to its original URL. (Hat Tip A Blog For All)

Statement on the LiveLeak URL says:

On the 28th of March LiveLeak.com was left with no other choice but to remove the film "fitna" from our servers following serious threats to our staff and their families. Since that time we have worked constantly on upgrading all security measures thus offering better protection for our staff and families. With these measures in place we have decided to once more make this video live on our site. We will not be pressured into censoring material which is legal and within our rules. We apologise for the removal and the delay in getting it back, but when you run a website you don't consider that some people would be insecure enough to threaten our lives simply because they do not like the content of a video we neither produced nor endorsed but merely hosted.

LiveLeaks statement when they originally took the Fitna Film down said:

Following threats to our staff of a very serious nature, and some ill informed reports from certain corners of the British media that could directly lead to the harm of some of our staff, Liveleak.com has been left with no other choice but to remove Fitna from our servers.

This is a sad day for freedom of speech on the net but we have to place the safety and well being of our staff above all else. We would like to thank the thousands of people, from all backgrounds and religions, who gave us their support. They realised LiveLeak.com is a vehicle for many opinions and not just for the support of one.
Perhaps there is still hope that this situation may produce a discussion that could benefit and educate all of us as to how we can accept one anothers culture.
We stood for what we believe in, the ability to be heard, but in the end the price was too high.

Brave move by LiveLeak to restore the film and a welcome stand for free speech in doing so.

All WUA posts regarding this film all on one page, right here.

.

John McCain's Early Polling Numbers

Wake up America has been trying to keep up with the trends of polling from different organizations and the recent trends look good for John McCain the last few weeks.

These are only trends and will undoubtedly continue to fluctuate throughout the year up until the November elections. While the Democratic candidates are fighting the battle for who will be chosen as their eventual nominee, either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, John McCain has been seeing a rise in favorable ratings and in election matchups.

Today we see some further Rasmussen polling which shows John McCain will be competitive in certain states that generally are considered Democratically favored states, like New Jersey and Michigan, as well as holding a small lead in Wisconsin.

Michigan: McCain/Obama figures show McCain at 43 percent and Obama at 42 percent- it is a statistical tie but for a state that usually leans heavily in favor of Democrats, the numbers for Mccain here are significant.

Michigan: McCain/Clinton figures show McCain at 45 percent and Clitnon at 42 percent, again only a slight lead but with Michigan demographics, a worrisome one for Democratic leaders.

Michigan has cast its Electoral College votes for the Democrats in four straight Presidential elections and it would be difficult for Obama or Clinton to reach the White House without carrying the state. However, the economically devastated state has been trending Republican in recent elections—Bill Clinton won Michigan by thirteen points in 1996, Al Gore won by five in 2000, and John Kerry won by just three points in 2004.

Yet another heavily favored Democratic state, New Jersey, shows the same trend, a small McCain lead over either Democratic candidate.

New Jersey: McCain/Obama figures show McCain at 46 percent and Obama at 45 percent and with a question of McCain/Clinton, figures show McCain at 45 percent and Clinton at 42 percent.

The report goes on to state that New Jersey has not voted for a Republican Presidential candidate in twenty years but if McCain can keep the state competitive in the fall it will be a good sign for his campaign.

That is a big if, but favorable ratings in New Jersey show McCain is viewed favorably by 61% of New Jersey voters, Obama is viewed favorably by 58 percent, Clinton by 50 percent.

New Jersey and Michigan are still assumed to go to the Democrats in November, although if these trends continue, that may not come to pass.

In Wisconsin, McCain holds the same small lead over Obama with 48 percent for McCain and 46 percent for Obama, although McCain's lead jumps there when matched against Hillary Clinton which has McCain at 50 percent with Clinton at 39 percent.

Overall, McCain is viewed favorably by 61% and unfavorably by 37%. Obama’s ratings are 54% favorable, 45% unfavorable. Clinton earns positive reviews from 39% and negative feedback from 55% in Wisconsin.

The Rasmussen Presidential Tracking Poll for March 31, 2008 shows that McCain still holds the lead on Obama with 47 percent to 42 percent and that lead widens to a nine percentage point lead when up against Clinton with McCain at 49 percent and Clinton at 40 percent.

Among all voters nationwide, McCain is now viewed favorably by 53% of voters nationwide and unfavorably by 44%. Obama’s reviews are 49% favorable and 49% unfavorable. For Clinton, those numbers are 43% favorable, 55% unfavorable

You can see individual state by state numbers at Rasmussen 2008 state by state snapshot page.

Bear in mind that there are many months to go before the November elections and a lot can happen by then, this is simply a trend occurring right now and for the last weeks and anything could potentially change that trend.

The longer the Democratic candidates continue to battle it out for their party's nomination, the better McCain's numbers are trending and the statistical data will have better value once they have chosen their candidate and it is a one on one race between John McCain and whichever candidate is the eventual nominee for the Democrats.

.

Politico Busts Barack Obama In More Lies

Political opinion

The other day we wrote a piece covering some of Barack Obama's bigger lies during his campaign and his political life, which included, his lies about his association with Tony Rezko, then his lies about how much money he received from Rezko, then his admitting to the fact that he received more than he originally said.

Then we went to his NAFTA lies, and his lies about what he heard from his Pastor, Jeremiah Wright and when he heard it, as we showed his statement saying he never heard those controversial "God Damn America" remarks as well as the racial remarks and anti-American remarks and just four days later, made a speech where he admitted he had her controversial remarks.

He lies, then he lies to spin his way out of his previous lies and then when he can lie no more he tells part of the truth and ignores his previous lies.

This has become a very bad habit which he has been shown publicly to have....a habit of a pathological liar.

Now The Politico has just busted more Obama lies, wide open.

During his first run for elected office, Barack Obama played a greater role than his aides now acknowledge in crafting liberal stands on gun control, the death penalty and abortion — positions that appear at odds with the more moderate image he has projected during his presidential campaign.

The evidence comes from an amended version of an Illinois voter group’s detailed questionnaire, filed under his name during his 1996 bid for a state Senate seat.

Late last year, in response to a Politico story about Obama’s answers to the original questionnaire, his aides said he “never saw or approved” the questionnaire.

They asserted the responses were filled out by a campaign aide who “unintentionally mischaracterize[d] his position.”

But a Politico examination determined that Obama was actually interviewed about the issues on the questionnaire by the liberal Chicago nonprofit group that issued it. And it found that Obama — the day after sitting for the interview — filed an amended version of the questionnaire, which appears to contain Obama’s own handwritten notes added to one answer.

The two questionnaires, provided to Politico with assistance from political sources opposed to Obama’s presidential campaign, were later supplied directly by the group, Independent Voters of Illinois — Independent Precinct Organization. Obama and his then-campaign manager, who Obama’s campaign asserts filled out the questionnaires, were familiar with the group, its members and its positions, since both were active in it before Obama's 1996 state Senate run.

Through an aide, Obama, who won the group’s endorsement as well as the statehouse seat, did not dispute that the handwriting was his. But he contended it doesn’t prove he completed, approved — or even read — the latter questionnaire.

The Politico piece is three pages long, but it is worth the read.

The longer Barack Obama is in the political spotlight, the better because the media has started to do some actual research and every time they do, they show his lies, his past lies, or his present lies which generally lead to his future lies to try to spin out of the wind for his original lies.

The old expression about tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceived is quite appropriate here because Barack Obama is caught in the web of his own lies and he doesn't seem to be able to break free of one before the next set of them are brought to the publics attention.

I love this comment from Hot Air's, Ed Morrisey:

This makes no sense at all. If Obama’s handwriting is on the survey, then he filled it out. If the answers didn’t reflect his views, why didn’t he change them when he “jotted some notes” on it? If the answers were wrong, Obama would have “jotted some notes” to that effect, rather than allow such mistakes to get transmitted to IVI. And the “eleven years in public office” defense might make sense if Obama hadn’t spent much of that time voting “present” instead of taking actual stands.

Once again, we have more evidence that Obama represents nothing more than the political winds. He has zero credibility, zero experience, and a penchant for telling people what they want to hear rather than any truth about what he actually believes. Either he lied to IVI or he’s lying now. In either case, it’s hardly the New Politics Obama has promised.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

.

Police: Man Kills His Three Children At Baltimore Hotel

The front desk of the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards received a phone call yesterday from a guest of the hotel, who was reporting the deaths of his three children. Police allege the man, Mark Castillo, drowned his children, one at a time.

Mark Castillo has been charged in the deaths of his three children, Anthony, 6, Austin, 4, and Athena, 2, claiming that Castillo, who has a history of mental problems, submerged them in a bathtub, one at a time.

According to Officer Troy Harris, a city police spokesman, "About 1:15 p.m., hotel security received a call from a guest who said "he had killed three of his kids" and was considering doing harm to himself."

When security entered the room on the 10th floor they found the three children dead and Castillo suffering from "minor cuts that appeared to have been self-inflicted," said another police spokesperson, Sterling Clifford.

The children were with Castillo on a regularly scheduled visit and was supposed to spend Saturday with them and return them to their mother Amy Castillo, by the end of the day. When the children were not returned by 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Amy called the Montgomery County police.

Amy and Mark Castillo had been involved in a custody dispute over the children at the time of the their deaths, according to Maryland court records.

Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III stated at a press conference that Mark Castillo had no prior criminal record, adding, "There is indication that there had been prior disputes with his wife concerning their marriage and custody of the children."

The earliest case found during my own research through the court records was from 2005, over insurance and that case is marked closed.

The another domestic abuse case filed on 12/25/06.

The Plaintiff was Amy Castillo, the defendant was Mark Castillo and the first hearing was on 12/25/06, was listed as an interim hearing and the court orders were as follows:

Court Orders:
Shall not abuse
Shall not contact
Shall not enter residence

That was followed up with a temporary hearing on 12/27/06 and the court orders were as follows:

Court orders:
Shall not abuse
Shall not contact
Shall not enter residence
Shall stay away from employment
Respondent shall vacate the home

On 1/3/07 on a final hearing, the case was transferred from the Rockville District Court to the Montgomery County Circuit Court, filed 1/2/07.

The outcome of that case shows that the ruling Judge, Joseph A Dugan, denied the final protective order.

In the midst of all of the court hearings, the fight for custody was still ongoing and in the Maryland court records, date of filing 7/19/06, and by 7/28/06, Amy Castillo was given temporary sole legal and sole physical custody of the three minor children.

That particular court records shows hearings and actions from 2006 until the last one dated today 3/31/08.


Mark was granted visitation rights after Amy was awarded sole custody and twice last year, Amy filed motions to withhold visitation, which were denied by the court.

Amy was even fined for denying visitation once.

The Pediatrics service chief for the Mid-Atlantic Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Vanderwalde, said that Amy, "tried so hard to do what she could for her children."

One neighbor, Keith Lamirande, said that he had witnessed police called to the Waterford Road home where Amy and the children lived, "at least a half-dozen times," including once within the past week.

This is a case where the system failed and that failure resulted in the deaths of three innocent children.

Deaths that from the court documents shows, could have been avoided.

[Update] CNN points out that the mother did, indeed, warn the court that the husband had threatened to make her suffer by killing their three children.

But Castillo's wife wrote in court documents that her husband had threatened to make her suffer by killing the children. She sought a protective order December 25, 2006, and asked that the court order Castillo to receive counseling.

"He has never actually hurt [the children], but did tell me that the worst thing he could do to me would be to kill the children and not me so I could live without them," she wrote in the petition.

.

Robber Steals Truck, Gets a Bonanza Of Weapons As Prize

A police officer from El Mirage in Arizona, stopped a bar called McDuffy's for about 45 minutes Sunday night and when he left, he discovered his truck had been stolen. Inside his truck were, guns, an assault rifle, vests, uniforms, ID's and badges.

This was reported in the local news last night, and the thief did, indeed, get more than he bargained for when he stole the white 2003 Ford F-350 with a slight lift and a chrome toolbox in the bed.

Inside that ruck were two .40-caliber Glock pistols with 100 rounds of ammunition, an AR-15 assault rifle with five fully loaded magazines, a ballistic vest, police uniforms and IDs, flat badges and wallet badges.

Not exactly the type of items the police want in the hands of a criminal.

Sgt. Jon Meck of the Peoria police department told reporters, "You anticipate most of the bad guys you come in contact with are going to have some form of weapon, but now we're giving them an assault rifle, which is a long distance weapon, and several pieces of ammunition to go along with it. Not to mention a ballistic vest, and it kind of gives them an advantage when we have to deal with them."

The officer who owned the truck had recently transferred to the El Mirage division from the Flagstaff police department, where he was part of the special weapons and tactics unit.

Border control and authorities across the state have been notified and are on the lookout for the truck. It has an Arizona license plate CC-21638 ad anyone who sees it is asked to call 911.

.

Battleground SoCal

Two separate shootings on the San Fernando Valley Freeway have left one man dead in Los Angeles and an investigation into the second shooting in Long Beach. Today's shootings are just the latest in a string of shootings over the past few weeks.

Police officials report that the San Fernando Valley man crashed his car after being shot in the head on the 101 today. Rescue crews discovered him in response to a call for a rolled over vehicle on the roadway early this morning.

Traffic was closed in the Van Nuys area until rescuers could transport the man and clear the road. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition, and later died from his injuries.

The second incident took place around 30 miles away on the 710 freeway near Del Amo Boulevard on Saturday evening, sending the victim in this case to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, after being shot by the driver of another vehicle. Police officials say the man characterized the incident as a case of road rage.

These two shootings are latest in what has been a string of shootings ranging back to late February, when a 46 year-old man was hospitalized after being shot on the Foothill Freeway. Another incident was reported on March 1st in which a 26 year old man died after being shot on the 101 Freeway following an argument with another individual on Hollywood Boulevard. A 54 year-old woman also died after being hospitalized for her injuries after being shot in the head on the San Bernardino Freeway in mid-March.

Police are asking for witnesses to call in about this morning's lethal shooting in the San Fernando Valley.

"Maybe somebody just saw the car spinning out of control and they didn't see anything else," Miller told KNX. He asked if "anybody who was on the freeway this morning around 8 o'clock, that saw any of what happened, could give us a call."

The Honda sedan could have been travelling on the 101, could have entered the eastbound freeway at Van Nuys or Sepulveda boulevards, or could have transitioned onto the 101 from the 405 just before the shooting, police said.

Detectives can be reached by calling the LAPD's main phone number, (877) LAWFULL, or (877) 529-3877.

At this time there have been no arrests in any of the shootings over the past two months.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man

.

Hillary Clinton Stiffs The Working People

There is something seriously ironic about a woman that will tell a bunch of rich people at a 2004 San Francisco fundraiser that she is going to "take things away from you on behalf of the common good", referring to taking from the rich to give to the working class, and then proceed to stiff that same working class when she owes them monies for services rendered.

The Hillary Clinton campaign has avoided paying hundreds of bills and vendors and service providers are warning people to get paid up front before rendering any services to the Clinton campaign or they may not get paid at all.

A pair of Ohio companies owed more than $25,000 by Clinton for staging events for her campaign are warning others in the tight-knit event production community — and anyone else who will listen — to get their cash upfront when doing business with her. Her campaign, say representatives of the two companies, has stopped returning phone calls and e-mails seeking payment of outstanding invoices. One even got no response from a certified letter.

Their cautionary tales, combined with published reports about similar difficulties faced by a New Hampshire landlord, an Iowa office cleaner and a New York caterer, highlight a less-obvious impact of Clinton’s inability to keep up with the staggering fundraising pace set by her opponent for the Democratic presidential nomination, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

The Clinton campaign claims they are paying their bills but the people they owe money to, say , not so!

Some of the debts the Clinton campaign owe, more than a month old include but are not limited to;

Sioux City Art Center Board of Trustees $3,500 for catering and venue costs;

New Hampshire’s Winnacunnet Cooperative School District $4,400 in event costs;
Qwest $24,000 for phone service;

Various branches of the Iowa-based supermarket chain Hy-Vee $15,000 for food, beverages and catering;

$7,700 to Ohio and Massachusetts branches of the theatrical stage employees’ union, for equipment costs.

In fact, about a third of the nearly 700 individual debts Clinton reported at the end of February were for various types of “event expenses,” including $319,000 for catering and venue costs, $420,000 for equipment, $11,000 for photography and $9,000 for security.

These are debts for services rendered, people that make their living providing services, and they are getting stiffed by the Clinton campaign so that Hillary Clinton can continue to pay for "media buys" to advertise in states where she is in a tight contest with Barack Obama.

An employee of an event production company Forty Two of Youngstown, Ohio, says, "I feel insulted by the way that the campaign treated this company and treated us personally."

The employee also adds, "We worked very hard to put together these events on a moment’s notice and do absolutely everything to a ‘t’ to make it look perfect on television for her and for her campaign. Sen. Clinton talks about helping working families, people in unions and small businesses. But when it comes down to actually doing something that shows that she can back up her words with action, she fails."

Hillary Clinton, the woman that prides herself for her agenda for the common good, prides herself of being willing to take from the rich to give back to the working class, is now refusing to pay that same working class for services rendered to her and her campaign and not even offering the respect of returning their calls.

Jim Phillips, the owner of Show Tyme Exhibits, who has political events for years and had never had problems getting paid before Clinton, is only owed $607.00 and says ,"It was only $607, but I’m a small guy; I could use that", and although he is willing to wait for his money he says he regrets voting for Hillary Clinton and would be reluctant to work for her again.

Some of these people are not huge organizations, they are small business owners and they are getting the shaft from the Clinton campaign in a time where money for services rendered is very important.

Despite her campaigns inability to pay their bills in a timely manner, Hillary Clinton vows, via the Washington Post, to stay in the race, all the way until the August Democratic Convention.

UPDATE: This really has to be read to be believed. Included in these debts, from the queen of Hillarycare is her neglecting to pay her staff's healthcare premiums.

Among the debts reported this month by Hillary Rodham Clinton’s struggling presidential campaign, the $292,000 in unpaid health insurance premiums for her campaign staff stands out.

The campaign claims they have now been paid and it will be reflected in the report the campaign will file this month with the Federal Election Commission.

Unreal.

.

Gore Emerges as Democratic Nominee?

With the Texas Primaries second phase behind them and still no clear cut lead for either candidate, the Democratic Party is starting to prepare for a brokered convention, and the possibility of a compromise candidate.

Have you ever seen a tug of war competition between the two strongest, most able bodied people that you know? They're fairly close in size, weight, strength, and endurance. Put them one each end of a rope to face off with one another, and they're likely not going to make much headway unless one or the other of them blunders and falls. NOW, at our hypothetical community picnic, let's turn around behind us at the OTHER tug of war contest; this one between two of the smaller, more sickly, more conniving and less than honorable people you know, still about the same build and whatnot, but the personalities are different. It's a bit different to watch, these two are scrapping it out for every inch they can take from the other, but there's a difference; neither side is playing clean. They're kicking sand at each others faces, name calling, and sending people to their opponents saying "Why don't you just quit now?"

Definitely a more interesting battle, right?

So what happens if someone else comes along, steps in the middle between these two smaller dirty players, takes a pair of shears, cuts the rope in two, watching the other two fall backwards and blink in shock and outrage as he declares to the crowd, "I win?" Everyone looks up at him, trying to figure out what he's doing there, in his plaid shirt and beard looking like he's just hugged a Ponderosa pine (wait, scratch that, let's rewind just a bit here and put him in a suit and tie, clean shaven, and sporting a Nobel prize).

Confusing to consider, isn't it? Mind boggling to say the very least, according to some. I've been predicting this for weeks, along with others of significantly more influence than I have (i.e Rush Limbaugh and Steve Gill among others). For some of us, it was obvious. It was the only solution. It was the only thing that we could see that would unify the Democratic party before November. And now they're admitting that they're considering it.

Al Gore may very well walk away from the Democratic National Convention as the nominee for President of the United States.

If neither Mr Obama nor Mrs Clinton has the 2,025 delegates needed to win the nomination, and if both appear unable to beat Mr McCain, under one scenario a group of about 100 party elders - the "super-delegates" - could sit out the first ballot in Denver, preventing either candidate winning outright, and then offer Mr Gore the nomination for the good of the party.

Tim Mahoney, a Democrat congressman from Florida, said last week: "If it goes into the convention, don't be surprised if someone different is at the top of the ticket." This suggests the party would accept a Gore-Clinton or a Gore-Obama pairing.

Following a brief flurry of speculation that he might jump into the race last year, Mr Gore claimed he had "fallen out of love" with politics, but he has pointedly refused to rule out another tilt at the White House and said that the only job in public life that interests him is the presidency.

The fallout from a move like this on the part of the democrats? Not good. The Democrats have created this situation for themselves in large part by the creation of "super-delegates" and coming up with such complicated methods for choosing their candidates to begin with, not to mention the fact that they have put forward two candidates for the final bid for nomination, each candidate clearly despised by nearly half the party, causing the two halves to be split on making a nominee choice.

In walks Al Gore, after having been properly courted by the DNC upper echelon. He's clean shaven, he's in a new suit, he's holding his Nobel Prize, and there are no splinters visible as the wooden boy steps out of the back rooms to take the stage and say "I accept the nomination of the party" in August.

That may actually send Obama over the top with screams of "Allah Akbar" and make him charge the stage with a scimitar, while Hillary finally has that final overload of circuitry and mutters "target acquisition mode: engaged" as she points her finger at Gore like a gun, surprising everyone as the tip falls aside on a hinge to expose a barrel.

I wonder if they'll be wearing parkas? Al Gore, speaking engagement, hmmmm. It might do well to check the weather one last time before flying into Denver this August come convention time.

There is a problem with bring Gore in as the nominee, though, and I'm not quite sure that the Democrat leadership has really taken this into consideration. Now be easy reading these next few words, I know this is going to come as a shock to many reading this, especially those with leanings toward the idea of a Gore campaign for 2008. It's big. You might pass out from shock at what I'm about to say. Ready? Deep breath, hang on, it'll be over before you know it...Gore didn't even win his home state of Tennessee last time he ran for President when he actually RAN for President in the fully campaign race. So how is it that the Democratic leadership thinks that Gore can be the savior of the party when he didn't even win his OWN bid for the Presidency and by bringing him out as a compromise candidate it's going to cost them votes?

The closer it gets to the Convention, the more panicked Democrats are becoming in trying ANYTHING to win the White House. By bringing Gore out, cleaning him up, dusting him off, checking him for termites, it becomes more obvious just exactly how desperate they are becoming.

I'm just glad Gore gave us the internet so we could follow it all.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


.

Private Plane Crashes Into Residential Homes in London

(A private aircraft carrying five people crashed in a residential cul-de-sac in Farnborough, Kent, on Sunday afternoon. Pic: Fernand Kwasi-Frimpong Jnr)

A private plane crashed into the residential area of Farnborough in Kent, southeast of London, injuring people on the ground and the five occupants on the plane are unaccounted for, according to authorities.

A Cessna Citation airplane contacted air traffic control in Biggin Hill and reported difficulty right after taking off for France and requested to return for landing but when attempting to return the plane then hit a two story building in Farnborough.

Police say the accident happened at 2:37 pm and It took approximately three hours before firefighters and emergency services could even approach the wreckage, due to safety concerns.

Ian Todd, assistant director of operations for London Ambulance Services, said, "There is aviation fuel involved, and also gas canisters have been located at the scene of the incident which are currently being cooled to make it safe to approach."

As of now there are no fatalities reported from those injured on the ground, but the two pilots and three passengers on the plane have not been located.

Six fire engines and a search and rescue team were dispatched and witness say they heard an explosion before the crash.

One of those witnesses was John Crane, a local resident, told Sky News, "When I got there there was just a massive red fireball and two or three explosions."

Crane's wife said the plane had been flying erratically before it went down.

Neighbors rushed into their backyards to see fire and billowing smoke from the house that had been hit in their immediate neighborhood. Some took photos of the scene right after the crash.

(Neighbours came rushing out after hearing what one called an "absolutely almighty noise".--Photo Ben McIntyre)
The Telegraph has reports from other eye witnesses. One of which is Jason Murrell, a 39 year old father of four who said, "I looked into the eyes of the pilot and a female passenger just seconds before it crashed because the plane was heading straight for my house in Hale Close. I saw it coming straight at us. My girls were outside so I ran out and grabbed them. I took them inside the house with me and hoped for the best. I thought it was going to hit our house and kill us but looking up I could see the terror in the plane passengers' eyes as they whizzed past us."

Others describe explosion noises and their fear as the plane crashed into their neighborhood.

Although search and rescue were sent to the scene the five occupants of the plane are believed to be dead.

.

al-Sadr Tries To Save Face In Basra

Quite a few reports have come out since the start of the offensive in Basra. It has been spun in every direction in the media and the latest news is that al-Sadr has ordered his fighters to stand down.

Al-Sadr’s statement was issued by his headquarters in Najaf and broadcast through loudspeakers on Shiite mosques.

“Because of the religious responsibility, and to stop Iraqi blood being shed ... we call for an end to armed appearances in Basra and all other provinces, anyone carrying a weapon and targeting government institutions will not be one of us.”

He has his list of "demands" yet he is in full retreat and those demands are his was of trying to save face.

Different people declare different reasons for Sadr's actions, some claiming he was doing it from a position of strength and others assert it is because he was losing and needed to limit his losses as best he could.

So which is it?

Bill Roggio explains it by using the numbers, which do not look good for Sadr....not good at all.

With the fifth day of fighting in Baghdad, Basrah and the South completed, the Mahdi Army has suffered major losses over the past 36 hours. The Mahdi Army has not faired well over the past five days of fighting, losing an estimated two percent of its combat power, using the best case estimate for the size of the militia.

A look at the open source press reports from the US and Iraqi military and the established newspapers indicates 145 Mahdi Army fighters were killed, 81 were wounded, 98 were captured, and 30 surrendered during the past 36 hours.

Since the fighting began on Tuesday 358 Mahdi Army fighters were killed, 531 were wounded, 343 were captured, and 30 surrendered. The US and Iraqi security forces have killed 125 Mahdi Army fighters in Baghdad alone, while Iraqi security forces have killed 140 Mahdi fighters in Basra.

When the Brits withdrew from Basra, everyone knew there would come a time where that area had to be dealt with, one of the last strongholds for insurgent forces and this five day offensive against the Mahdi Army, undertaken by al-Maliki and Iraqi security forces, with support from the US Military and coalition forces was a good example of what has been maintained since we started training their security forces.

They showed an incredible ability, with our help, to take on the toughest of fights and force Sadr and his Mahdi Army to stand down.

Recent reports blasted headlines that some Iraqi security forces were taking off their uniforms and joining the Mahdi Army, and Roggio addresses that by the numbers as well.

The Sadrist movement claimed numerous Iraqi policemen and soldiers are defecting. "Groups of Iraqi troops came to us to lay down their arms," said Sheikh Salam al Afraiji, the leader of the Sadrist movement in eastern Baghdad.

But the spokesman of Baghdad Operations Command denied Iraqi security forces are defecting en masse. "The registered number that we have [defecting to the Sadrists] is that 15 soldiers were able to escape," said Major General Qassim Atta in a briefing today in Baghdad. Atta stressed that there are over 50,000 Iraqi security forces operating in Baghdad, and some level of defections should be expected. Atta also said Maliki has "ordered [the military] to prosecute those soldiers according to the Military Punishments Law."

It seems in some areas, Iraqi's are happy to see al-Maliki and the Iraqi security forces uprooting the Mahdi Army, and are actually taking to the street for a rally to show al-Maliki support.

While there has been few press reports from Diwaniyah, several hundred residents felt the security situation was good enough to hold a rally in the center of the city. More than 200 demonstrators marched in support for Maliki's operation to uproot the Mahdi Army in Basra. Police and tribal militias were also seen patrolling the streets.

Read Roggio's entire piece.

The most telling about all of this is where al-Sadr is now.

Hiding in Iran.

Where is al-Maliki?

In Basra.

Game. Set. Match.

The fighting will continue on a lesser scale, 5 days of offensive by al-Maliki is but a drop in the bucket in Basra, which has been under the control of the Mahdi Army since 2005 and al-Maliki had to wait until his army was strong enough to be a force in this battle.

They will continue to weed out the insurgents from the Mahdi Army, but the main offensive will be quieter now.

More from Iraq The Model, an Iraqi that reports from Iraq.

[Update] As a side note- In Sadr's statement he also denied his fighters had any heavy weaponry. This makes us wonder what he calls the 25 missile launchers, 60 rifles, five mortars and a large amounts of ammunition that police seized from two large Mahdi Army networks the police uprooted in Karbala and in Babil province.



.

The Texas Two-Step: Obama and Clinton War Rages On in the Lone Star State

Texans returned to the polls today to settle the dust over the March 4 primary/caucus results. On the 4th, after the polls closed, Texans went into the caucuses to continue the selection process for the Democratic nominee. The results of the two events left no clear winner between Clinton and Obama, with Clinton having taken the primaries in a 51% to 47% decision, and Obama taking the caucuses 56% to Clintons 44%. The results gave Clinton 65 national delegates for the convention, and Obama came away with 61.

Tonight, as the results come in from district primaries, the remaining 67 Texas delegates are at stake in the increasingly hot Clinton/Obama race.

Because of the huge Democratic turnout in Texas' primary and caucuses, registration took hours Saturday. At large conventions in Houston, Dallas and Austin, arguments erupted and confusion set in as complaints were lodged about the legitimacy of some delegates.

Many of the challenges were brought by Clinton supporters questioning the validity of Obama delegates. The Clinton campaign said it wouldn't lodge any challenges itself but that it was helping supporters who would.

Obama has fared better overall in caucuses this year, winning 13 to Clinton's 3.

As of this morning, Obama, with 1,623 delegates, leads Clinton, who has 1,499. A total of 2,024 delegates are needed by either candidate to secure the nomination at the DNC in August, a nod that would appear to be in the hands of the super-delegates at this point.

The results of the Texas primaries for tonight, updated as they come in. Keep checking back periodically as they will change until all reports are in.

Clinton 44%

Obama 55%

76% of Texas conventions reporting in.

[Update-] From 2008 Democratic Convention Watch, we see what the approximate breakdown of Delegates should be according to percentages should be:

Obama Vote %: 53%-54.5% Obama will get 36 delegates, Clinton 31
54.5%-56% Delegates will be 37-30
56%-57.46% Delegates will be 38-29 (projection from March 4).
57.46%-58.96% Delegates will be 39-28
56.96%-60.4% Delegates will be 40-27
60.4%-61.9% Delegates will be 41-26

[Update #2] The Statesman.com has Obama's press release:

With more than 56 percent of the results tallied from today’s 284 Democratic district conventions across Texas, Sen. Barack Obama currently is projected to earn a 38-29 pledged delegate win in the Texas caucuses, exactly as projected on the day after the March 4th precinct caucuses. The nine delegate margin in the caucuses means Obama will gain a net margin of five pledged delegates from Texas because Senator Clinton narrowly won the Texas primary by only four delegates, 65-61.

“Despite the Clinton campaign’s widespread attempts to prevent many Texans from participating in their district convention, the voters of Texas confirmed Senator Obama’s important delegate win in the Lone Star State,” said Obama spokesman Josh Earnest. “Today’s record-shattering turnout sends a clear message that the American people are ready for change in Washington and new leadership in the White House that will stand up for working families.”

.

Patriots Alert: VFF National Heroes Tour on Blog Talk Radio

~Snooper~

Our friend and fellow BTR Host Cyber Pastor will be conducting a special show tomorrow. The details are here and the program link is here. Cyber Pastor is a fellow proud member of Vets For Freedom and we will be with Vets On The Hill in April.

Use this link to get live updates, and hopefully some of the speeches from the National Heroes Tour Stop in Evansville, IN. The radio program will begin at 2:30 pm (Central), and the actual program in Evansville will start at 3:00 pm (Central). [...]

Be sure to tune in!!

BREAKING; Letter From Move America Forward to US Attorney's Office Regarding Crimes in Berkeley CA.

Thanks to Melanie Morgan, Chairman of Move America Forward, Wake up America has a copy of the letter that has been sent from Move America Forward's attorney to the US Attorney's office regarding the criminal actions in Berkeley California, demanding an investigation. More at Melanie Morgan.com.

We first told you of MAF's announcement that they would be sending a request letter for investigation to the US attorneys office, two days ago, when they issued their press release.

The Letter:

BY FEDERAL EXPRESS DELIVERY

Tracking No.: 7984 0570 0813

The Honorable Joseph P. Russoniello

United States Attorney, Northern District of California

11th Floor, Federal Building
450 Golden Gate Avenue, Box 36055
San Francisco, California 94102

Dear Mr. Russoniello:

This Firm represents Move America Forward, Inc. (hereinafter “MAF”), a non-profit organization committed to supporting members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.

Our client participated in what began as a peaceful demonstration in support of the United States Marine Corps Recruiting Center, located on Shattuck Avenue in the City of Berkeley, on February 12, 2008. MAF obtained a permit from the City of Berkeley prior to the demonstration. Sadly, the peaceful demonstration was disrupted with violence. During the demonstration, several incidents occurred which the Berkeley Police Department failed to respond to adequately. MAF supporters were harassed, threatened, and intimidated by opposing groups. In addition, several acts of violence were committed against MAF supporters, and the Berkeley Police Department ignored their repeated requests for assistance. The police failed to protect its citizens during what should have been a peaceful demonstration. These incidents of intimidation, violence, and government inaction were widely reported in both the Bay Area and national media.

Our client also remains concerned that recent legislative action by the Berkeley City Council, which ultimately precipitated the unfortunate events of February 12, 2008, runs afoul of federal law. As you are likely aware, the Berkeley City Council approved a resolution on January 29, 2008, that provided in pertinent part that “the Marine recruiting office is not welcome in [Berkeley], and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders….” The Council then resolved to “encourage all people to avoid cooperation with the Marine Corps recruiting station, and applaud residents and organizations such as Code Pink, that may volunteer to impede, passively or actively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley.” The legacy of this “encouragement” was the shameful events that transpired in Berkeley on February 12, 2008.

The City of Berkeley is actively, through the legislative action by the City Council, encouraging private organizations to disrupt the lawful governmental operations of the United States in the City of Berkeley, by encouraging groups to “impede” the efforts of the United States Marine Corps to recruit qualified young people to serve in the Corps. There is little question that Berkeley, as a college town, is an appropriate place for the Marine Corps to recruit qualified, patriotic young people to serve their country as United States Marines. By encouraging disruptive behavior patently calculated to drive the Marine Corps out of the City of Berkeley, the City Council appears to be soliciting unlawful, and quite possibly criminal, interference with the lawful operations of a federal agency operating within the City of Berkeley.

We hereby request an investigation into the timely lack of response by the City of Berkeley and the Berkeley Police Department during the events of February 12, 2008. In short, the City of Berkeley failed to protect its citizens engaged in the lawful exercise of their rights under both the First Amendment and federal civil rights laws. As you know, these laws fully protect our client’s right to participate in such peaceful expression, and they have the right to be protected from such acts of violence. Further, Move America Forward requests that your office inquire into the legal propriety under applicable federal law of the efforts of the City of Berkeley to “encourage,” through legislative action, organizations actively committed to undermining the ongoing military operations of the United States both at home and abroad to impede the lawful activities of a federal agency operating within the city limits.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.


Sincerely,

SWEENEY & GREENE LLP



James F. Sweeney

As I just finished reporting about the financial costs to the city of Berkeley, I showed a quote from Morgan, where she said, "We have been fighting them all the way and this is simply the next step," she then concludes with, "Berkeley has got to realize that we’re not going away."

The Berkeley city council has publicly encouraged and incited code pink and other organizations to commit criminal acts and the US attorneys office must investigate and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.

.

Illegal Immigration Taken on by Local Law Enforcement Agencies

Under growing pressure from citizens across the country, local law enforcement agencies have begun to utilize the training program offered for 12 years by ICE so that they can begin handling illegal aliens when they are apprehended.

The ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Agency has had a program available since 1996 to teach local law enforcement agencies how to properly handle the capture of suspected illegal aliens. Until 2002, only one agency had participated. Now, after growing political and public pressure to address illegal immigration, ICE has trained 41 additional agencies and has 92 more lined up waiting to complete training as well.

Deputies in Houston, Texas, routinely check the immigration status of individuals who are booked into the county jail. New Jersey law enforcement is under orders from the state attorney general to verify citizenship status of individuals taken into custody. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has ordered state officials to enforce immigration laws. And, it goes without saying, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Phoenix, Arizona, is taking on the enforcement of immigration laws.

Critics have lined up on both sides of the argument for and against the current move toward apprehending illegals. Some argue that it makes certain individuals more suspicion and apprehensive in contacting law enforcement when they need it out of fear of having their residency status scrutinized. Others feel that it's past time for local agencies to step in and do their part in enforcing the laws that are on the books which make being in the country illegally a crime.

That fear has been exacerbated by accounts — some rumored, some real — of people being turned over to immigration officials after being stopped for minor offenses such as traffic violations and loitering, or after going to police to report a crime.

In Newark, N.J., a freelance photographer who stumbled upon on a dead body in an alley and reported the discovery to police was detained and asked about his immigration status.

In Falls Church, Va., staffers at the Tarirhu Justice Center, which works with immigrant victims of domestic abuse, say they are fielding calls from women who have been assaulted, yet refuse to go to police.

Rumor and speculation, sometimes spread by those who advocate amnesty for those living here illegally, don't help dispel mistrust for law enforcement agencies who are simply trying to enforce the law.

One thing is for certain, and that is that with the large number of illegal immigrants who have already established themselves in our country, it's not going to be an easy task for any agency or agencies. However, perhaps the words of Joe Arpaio sum it up better than any that have been spoken by any other law enforcement official; "People ask me why I am taking this on? The last I heard, crossing the border is an illegal activity. I took an oath of office to enforce the law, so I am enforcing the law."

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man

.

Woman Robs Peoria AZ. Bank With Bag of Potatoes

(Woman that robbed Peoria Bank with threat of a bomb in a bag- Photo from Wells Fargo security video footage)

A woman walks into a Wells Fargo bank in Peoria Arizona, places two bags on the counter, told the bank teller she had a bomb and demanded money then took the money and left the bag behind. The bomb squad responded and found just a bag of potatoes.

The woman is described as a black woman ,5 feet 7-8 inches tall with a medium build and straight shoulder-length hair. She is in her mid-20s to early 30s. She was wearing a brown hat with an Interstate Batteries logo and a green long-sleeved shirt.

The suspect walked into a Wells Fargo bank, on 107th and Peoria avenues, on Friday morning, and proceeded to a window and gave a teller a note that demanded large bills and indicated that she had a bomb in her bag.

The teller gave her an undisclosed amount of money which also contained a dye pack, which is used by the FBI to trace the money.

It is unknown whether the suspect left by vehicle or on foot.

After she left, the Maricopa police were alerted and the Maricopa County Sheriff's bomb squad was dispatched to the scene and they sent a robot into the bank to detonate the device and it turned out there were potatoes in the bag and no bomb.

Anyone with information about this event, or who recognizes the woman in the picture at the top of this article is asked to please call the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office at 602-876-1000.

Photos of the scene and the bomb squad can be found here.

.

The Financial Cost to Berkeley California For Their Anti-Military Stance

[Update] 4/3/08- Another business leaves Berkeley.

Berkeley California has been the subject of news for months since the City Council of Berkeley issued a resolution calling the Marines "uninvited and unwelcome intruders." They later rescinded that resolution, but what has it cost them?

It started with a resolution (opens in PDF) passed on January 29, 2008, in which a statement was made that said, "Direct the City Manager to send letters to the Marine Corps Recruiting Station at 64 Shattuck Avenue and to General James T. Conway, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, advising them that the Marine recruiting office is not welcome in our city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders."

That statement kicked off a firestorm of protest against Berkeley with politicians demanding that federal funding be stripped from Berkeley, business owners declaring they would no longer do business in Berkeley and pro-troop organizations charging into the town of Berkeley to show support of the Marines of Berkeley.

With members of Code Pink and other anti-military organizations facing off against pro-troop organizations like Move America Forward, joined with local members of the Berkeley community, right outside of the City Council chambers for the next scheduled meeting, the council rescinded that resolution.

They did not apologize to the Marines of Berkeley though.

Code Pink holds protests at the Marine recruitment center on a weekly basis and counter protests are also held to support the Marines of Berkeley.

(Eagles Up in downtown Berkeley on March 22, 2008- Photo courtesy of Move America Forward)
Which brings us to the cost to the city of Berkeley.

In the last six weeks alone, the city of Berkeley has spent over $210,000 in police overtime to keep peace during these protests and counter protests, according to police.

The Berkeley police department has 186 officers on duty and in a statement from police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss, they usually spend between $2,500 and $3,500 per week on overtime during a normal week.

She further states that from Feb. 12 to March 22, that rose to $210,814.13 and that the city spent approximately $93,000 Feb. 12 during an all-day protest at Old City Hall that drew about 2,000 anti-war and military supporters.

Since then, anti-military groups like Code Pink and the World Can't Wait have continued to hold weekly protests which have required anywhere from three to eighty officers to work overtime, saying that the anti-military groups mentioned above have become "increasingly raucous."

Last Monday, March 24, 2008, they say that the police had to arrest another four CodePink protesters during a rally.

Those arrested were Benjamin, 55, of San Francisco; Suzanne Joi, 57, of Berkeley; Pamela Bennett, 45, of San Francisco; and Mari T. Blome, 52, of El Cerrito.

"We feel it's important to have some measure of presence at any type of protest or demonstration," Kusmiss said, adding that the department is worried about the "comingling" of CodePink with the groups the World Can't Wait and the ANSWER Coalition, which police say, unlike CodePink, chain themselves to buildings and purposely antagonize police officers.

Code Pink vows to continue their protests every week until the Marine recruitment center leaves town, as stated by the co-founder of Code Pink, Medea Benjamin, who says, "If people are concerned they should put pressure on the (recruiting center) landlord to break the lease. The recruiters are the ones who should have never come in to Berkeley. If whomever in the city wants to stop the protests, they should encourage the recruiters to leave. Democracy comes at a price."

Benjamin is correct about the price and it does not stop with the financial strain on the city of Berkeley for police over time.

(Eagles Up and military supporters gather in downtown Berkeley to support the Marines- March 22, 2008- Photo courtesy of Move America Forward)
The Lafayette War Veterans Golf Committee has moved their third annual fundraising golf tournament outside of the Berkeley. Their stated reason is " due to the cities hostile attitude toward the Marine Corps."

They have raised over $60,000 the last two years to help people who have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and are being treated at the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center at the Veterans Administration hospital in Palo Alto.

Ted Garrett, CEO of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce said they had received at least 140 emails from people saying they would not do business with Berkeley. That was in early February, the number has risen since then.

According to Garrett, "Most are threatening to never set foot in Berkeley and never have anything to do with businesses in Berkeley. I know of at least one instance now where an innkeeper has reported that one visitor has canceled their reservation because of the council's actions."

On February 4, 2008, the Government Affairs committee had a meeting where they discussed plans to withhold business license taxes to protest the resolutions' effects on their business.

That would require the approval of the chamber's executive committee or board of directors and Carolyn Henry Golphin, the immediate past chair of the chamber's board, says that should always be a last resort option, the further states, "We have to do what we have to do. We do need to make a stand together if that's what we all agree on."

By the end of February, Garrett says the number of emails, faxes and letters had reached over 300 and reports were coming out about hotels, restaurants and theaters, all saying they were seeing cancellations with hostility from opponents of military branch cited.

Some businesses reported a decline of 10 to 15 percent and those communications Garrett spoke of were from people outlining their plans to boycott the city.

The shops downtown are suffering because people are avoiding the downtown area because "the weekly anti-war protests have become increasingly volatile."

Nearly a month after the Berkeley City Council refused to apologize to the U.S. Marine Corps for calling them "uninvited and unwelcome intruders," Berkeley businesses are feeling the backlash from people who do not want to spend their money in the city.

The last counter protest held in Berkeley, on March 22, 2008, to show support for the troops, which Move America Forward joined Eagles up, who consists of mostly military veterans that wanted to show their support for the troops, and thundered into the town of Berkeley with 400 motorcycles, showed that even those going to Berkeley refused to spend money in Berkeley and chose to use hotels outside of the town.

(Eagles Up rolls into the town of Berkeley to show support for the Marines- Photo Courtesy of Melanie Morgan, chairman of Move America Forward)

According to the group they spent spent $25,000 to $30,000 in neighboring cities to penalize Berkeley financially for its recent anti-military stance..

The rally organizer Doug Lyvere, a retired Marine sergeant major and the West Region coordinator of Eagles Up, said, "If Berkeley does not want the military in town, then veterans should not be spending any money there."

He goes on to say they did spend money at one Berkeley business, a pizza joint, because that establishment supports the military.

One notable aspect of that rally, which had 400 veterans but anywhere from 600- 800 total participants, is that city officials and police say there was not one arrest made.

The Chamber of Commerce's, Garrett made a statement for that report also, saying, "When businesses can't even open their doors, there is a loss of business here in Berkeley."

Garrett says the Chamber officials have met with the Mayor, who is an active supporter of Code Pink, and attends their rallies wearing a pink hat (see third photo down) and has heard nothing to indicate that the council intends to apologize to the Marines, saying, "They aren't looking like they are going to budge, but that doesn't stop us from working diligently to try and come up with a solution that is going to protect our businesses."

Councilmembers Kriss Worthington, Laurie Capitelli, Betty Olds and Gordon Wozniak did vote on a motion to send a formal apology to the Marines. That motion was put forth by City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, when, after the motion was defeated, said, "When our council adopts such outrageous language, we owe an apology for using that language. More importantly than words, I think we need to show some genuine, positive, practical support for our veterans."

The businesses of Berkeley are laying the blame directly at the feet of the city council as another member of the Chamber of Commerce's board, Mark McLeod, who is also the president of the Downtown Berkeley Association says he believes the Berkeley City Council should have considered the implications of its actions before voting for the resolutions.

McLeod stated, "The council can't operate as an isolated unit-the university, council and chamber have to realize they're all members of a large, complex community and have to act with a realization of the effect of their actions on all members of the community."

While the council refuses to issue a formal apology to the Marines, as well as provides free parking permits and encouragement to members of code pink, while other people have to pay for their parking permits, pro-troop organizations continue to plan events to counter the protests at the recruitment center in Berkeley California.

Last but not least, Move America Forward's attorney has drafted a letter the US Attorney's office to ask them to investigate Berkeley City Council's encouragement to anti-military groups to "impede" the work of Marine recruiters to determine if it constitutes a breach of law.

Chairman of Move America Forward, Melanie Morgan says, "We have been fighting them all the way and this is simply the next step," she then concludes with, "Berkeley has got to realize that we’re not going away."

The financial cost to Berkeley for the council's actions has been high and as of now, there seems to be no end in sight.

.

Howard Dean Was For Experience Before He Was Agaiant It

Howard Dean is the Democratic National Committee chairman and he issued a response to John McCain's new general election ad, which we showed you yesterday after McCain released it.

The New Ad:



The text of that ad:

John McCain: Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Stand up. We're Americans. And we'll never surrender.

Announcer: What must a president believe about us? About America?

That she is worth protecting?

That liberty is priceless?

Our people, honorable?

Our future, prosperous, remarkable and free?

And, what must we believe about that president?

What does he think?

Where has he been?

Has he walked the walk?

Interviewer: What is your rank?

John McCain: Lt. Commander in the Navy.

Interviewer: And your official number?

John McCain: 624787

Announcer: John McCain

The American president Americans have been waiting for.

John McCain: “I’m John McCain and I approve this message.”

Howard Dean's response:

John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can’t change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush the last seven years. While we honor McCain’s military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn’t understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years.”

Blatant opportunist is what he calls John McCain because McCain highlights his service to his country.

Many already know but for those who do not, John McCain was a prisoner of war, in Vietnam, for over five years.

John McCain has been awarded the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals, a Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service to this country.

He has walked the walk, but what is more interesting about Howard Dean's words and criticisms is his calling McCain "opportunistic" for highlighting his service to America.

Howard Dean was for experience before he was against experience as is shown in a Washington Post article from 2004 when Dean was offering reasons for supporting John Kerry in the 2004 presidential elections, he said:

"The real issue is this: Who would you rather have in charge of the defense of the United States of America, a group of people who never served a day overseas in their life, or a guy who served his country honorably and has three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star on the battlefields of Vietnam?"

For Howard Dean, the "real issue" seems to have changed in his mind.

H/T Liberty.

.

Another Dismissal of Charges Against Haditha Marine

Lance Corporal Stephen Tatum, under charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment for the deaths of 24 civilians two years ago in Haditha, Iraq, has been cleared of all charges pending his court martial, and will not face trial for the Haditha incident.

Currently, there has been no official explanation for the dropping of charges against Tatum, but there is speculation that he may be called to testify in the court martial trial of his squad leader at the time of the incident.

The government has been trying to compel Tatum to testify against his squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich. In recent weeks, it offered Tatum testimonial immunity – meaning that anything Tatum said during Wuterich's trial couldn't be used as self-incrimination.

Wuterich and Tatum are part of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. A roadside bomb struck their unit's convoy Nov. 19, 2005, in Haditha, killing one Marine and wounding two others.

The investigation in the Haditha shootings and bombing are still under investigation, and have been covered extensively here at Wake Up America:

al-Qaeda Planned the Whole Haditha Massacre

Haditha Marines, John Murtha and the New York Times

Haditha Marines: Judge Orders John Murtha to testify in defamation case

Another Haditha Marine Exonerated-Still No Apology From Murtha

Haditha Marine, Col. Jeffrey Chessani to Sue John Murtha

Haditha Investigator:Drop Marine murder case

So far there is STILL no apology from John Murtha.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man

[Update] More from Let Freedom Ring.

.

LiveLeak Staff Threatened for Showing Geert Wilders' Fitna Film- Film Shown Here

I updated and bumped the previous piece announcing the release of Fitna. I am also publishing this new article to show what has happened to LiveLeak for their stand to refuse to censor the Fitna films release.

From LiveLeak:

Following threats to our staff of a very serious nature, and some ill informed reports from certain corners of the British media that could directly lead to the harm of some of our staff, Liveleak.com has been left with no other choice but to remove Fitna from our servers.

This is a sad day for freedom of speech on the net but we have to place the safety and well being of our staff above all else. We would like to thank the thousands of people, from all backgrounds and religions, who gave us their support. They realised LiveLeak.com is a vehicle for many opinions and not just for the support of one.
Perhaps there is still hope that this situation may produce a discussion that could benefit and educate all of us as to how we can accept one anothers culture.
We stood for what we believe in, the ability to be heard, but in the end the price was too high.

I left the original LiveLeak embed on the previous piece because when it is clicked, the message above is what comes onto the screen instead of the movie.

Once something is released on the Internet, the genie cannot be put back into the bottle though.... sooo, here is FITNA still live from DailyMotion, who still has it online though right here.





It can also be embedded from Daily Motion here.

They may have threatened LiveLeak into surrendering to protect their staff, but they cannot threaten us all, so we will continue to make this available in the name of free speech. LiveLeak did a wonderful job of getting it out there...their job is done, now the rest of us must take up the free speech battle.

Geert Wilders' site is up and running and he too is showing his film.

By showing this film we are taking a stand for free speech and are refusing to be intimidated by those that would violently threaten people for exercising their right to free speech simply because it may offend some.

[Update] More on Geert Wilders and Fitna from, CentreRight, Michelle Malkin, Washington Times

More buzz online over at memorandum.

[Update] Pat Dollard puts it a little more bluntly than I did, but he is taking the same stand.

More to come as it develops...

.