– Just put a school downtown.
– Republicans on Twitter have found the real racists.
– The best encapsulation of every problem with Slate.
– Because we were in Iraq promoting freedom (h/t).
– Whatever you think of Obama’s policies, this GIF of him reading Where The Wild Things Are is pretty great (h/t).
– Middle aged is different for sports stadiums than for people, but I think the Safe is going to be around for a while.
Blackwater is a terrorist organization. These short videos do not show what they were doing except in small vidbites. They were doing drive-by shootings on public markets, schools, crowds of people responding to car wrecks or house fires. They were randomly executing people in the streets, engaging in reprisals against civilians for perceived insults or small-arms battles that happened in cities 500 miles away. There are vids that show them beating little kids with rifle butts.
Every Blackwater mercenary should be lined up against a wall and shot. It is only a matter of time before they bring those tactics home. There are Police Departments all over the country that are actively recruiting Blackwater mercenaries into their ranks, including the Seattle and King County Police Departments. Blackwater is THE largest private training company contracting with local Police. Mercenary experience in Iraq is considered a big plus on a resume’ for law enforcement applicants.
Welcome to the land of peace and freedom.
@1 Maybe George Zimmerman could get a job with Blackwater (now known as Xe; they changed their name — wouldn’t you?). He seems to have all the requisite qualifications to provide “contract security services” in some third world hellhole — itchy trigger finger and a vigilante’s outlook on life. Somalia might be a good assignment for him.
“Zimmerman has already found some support from gun advocacy groups … Legal Boom, a Florida-based gun rights group, pledged to back Zimmerman, whose reputation, they say, has been unfairly ‘ruined.’
“‘We wanted to help someone who we feel has been wronged and found guilty in the court of public opinion,’ Chris Kossmann of Legal Boom, told HLN. ‘People have been crying for justice but we don’t think people know what real justice is. As of yet nobody’s stood up for him.'”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....d%3D150552
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Well duh, the guy shot a kid carrying a bag of candy. You have a weird sense of justice, pardner.
If I could eliminate coal power plants, I would, but I can’t so I profit from them by owning coal mining stocks. However, Spring Creek Mine is owned by Rio Tinto, and I don’t own any Rio Tinto stock, so I’m not responsible for the mess on the waterfront.
Governor Walker repeals equal pay, bans abortion coverage, mandates abstinence.
Would this be Mckenna’s agenda if he got in?
we really should thank Republicans — not Democrats — for the passage of the Civil Rights Act.
I seem to remember one of the trolls last year arguing that very fact.
@5 If I were Inslee, I’d get busy making sure that people believe that it is indeed McKenna’s agenda. I’d make damn sure that McKenna owns every single one of the Republican governor’s atrocities of the past two years.
@6 The self-loathing black loon repeatedly refused to give anyone but Republicans credit for the CRA.
@1, @2 Since it’s Easter time anyway…did you watch The Passion Of The Christ? Think of the Roman soldiers.
Monsanto’s gonna sue the state of Vermont! Things are getting interesting, people.
It’s over, people.
Not that there was really ever any question that it was going to be Romney in the end.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04......html?_r=2
So that’s like saying…
You should pay attention to your kid being abused at home, not to him also being victimized in school.
Duhh. Address both!
Who in their right fucking mind would want to raise children in a downtown environment?
Child abuse is what it is….
@10.
I hope they do pass that law.
Who would want to raise children in a downtown environment?
Parents who live there. What a stupid question.
Child abuse is what it is
Why do you have a problem with children in a downtown environment? What horrors are you imagining?
I’m guessing you are afraid of the black, brown, and poor people that might be there?
I’m guessing you are afraid of young hip urban people that might be there?
I’m guessing you are afraid of the gay people that might be there?
I’m guessing you are afraid of the kids being exposed to homeless people or drug sellers?
(Cause there are no drugs sellers or homeless in suburbia.)
I’m guessing you are afraid of people who don’t like suburbs?
I’m guessing you are afraid of people who don’t think like you do.
@ 11 Michael
So the headline would read:
Santorum pulls out after repeatedly coming in number two.
You sure do lots of guessing…..and miss with each one….
I notice you didn’t give your reasons.
I just saw the news that Santorum is dropping out. Undoubtedly, he’s got polling showing he’s going to lose Pennsylvania to Romney. If you can’t win your own state in your own party’s primary, it’s near-impossible to win a national election.
I’m curious – since Santorum hs gone this far, he might as well stay in the race, pull in some extra delegates, and make the best deal with Romney he could Perhaps Romney made him an offer he can’t refuse? “Drop out now, sonny boy, and you’ve still got a chance to get some skin in this game. Keep going any longer, and you will be swimming with the fishes”, or something to that effect (in political terms).
And what’s this with everyone “suspending” a campaign, instead of dropping out and endorsing one of the remaining nominees? I guess Santorum can’t stomach Gingrich (neither could I). But what does he hope to gain by holding his delegates to the convention? If he had a chance at a brokered convention, perhaps he could use those delegates to make a deal, but since he no longer has a prayer in that respect, what does he hope to accomplish?
This morning the news was circulating that Romney’s folks had a copy of a circular Santorum published in 2006 in which he broadcast his “moderate” credentials. It seems he admits being in favor of most of the things he now says he’s against. Do you think that has anything to do with Santorum suspending his campaign?
@16;
Fantastic! Now I need to get the coffee off my monitor. Hilarious.
@18…ya…..so?
If you can’t figure it out, then you probably shouldn’t be a parent.
@19 “And what’s this with everyone ‘suspending’ a campaign, instead of dropping out …?”
So they can keep raising money to pay off their campaign debts.
George Zimmerman Had More Legal Authority To Shoot And Kill Than Our Troops Do At War
http://thinkprogress.org/justi.....-military/
Fmr. detective: Illegal to kill dogs but not black kids in Florida
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/201.....n-florida/
“The police department in [Sanford, Florida] oppose that law,” Wheeler told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade. “What that law is saying in the state of Florida — and look at the case law — you can actually shoot a dog. It happens all the time. You can shoot a kill a dog and get arrested and put in jail, but if you kill a kid — and especially a black kid in Florida — you can walk away. That’s what that law means.”
Another reason the “Kill at Will” law in Florida is wrong. Why isn’t Zimmerman in Jail yet?
“Police in Sanford, Fla., say a marked patrol car was shot at several times Tuesday morning while parked near the gated community where teenager Trayvon Martin was shot and killed. No one was inside the cruiser at the time of the 4:30 a.m. shooting, according to Seminole County Sheriff’s Office deputies, NBC News affiliate WESH-TV in Orlando reported.”
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_n.....-site?lite
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Anybody know where George Zimmerman was at 4:30 a.m.? Hey, okay, I know that’s unfair! It probably was just some drunk who bumped into the parked car before falling on his ass, and thought the car had assaulted him and bashed his head on the sidewalk.
@13
Who raises kids down town? People get older, they have kids, they move to Green Lake and Wallingford and Queen Anne… Seattle’s more than just down town.
@16
Ick!
@26
The article was about downtown…not outlying seattle neighborhoods.
I think I’ve figured out what’s wrong with Republicans.
http://tinyurl.com/7zph93b
@28
Oops, I got the threads confused between this one and the parking issue. My bad.
@26
The article was about downtown…not outlying seattle neighborhoods…..
So Zimmerman’s attorneys quit today because he won’t talk with them or take their advise. Instead, Zimmerman is talking to Sean Hannity?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....16031.html
It makes sense, I suppose. Why turn to those who have passed the bar and who have actually practiced law when you have the likes of Dave, Pudge and Hannity on your side?
Breaking News — Zimmerman Flees, His Lawyers Quit
George Zimmerman’s lawyers, in a press conference a few minutes ago, said they are no longer representing Zimmerman because he refused to accept their legal advice and said their client has disappeared. They believe Zimmerman is “no longer in Florida.”
The lawyers said Zimmerman contacted the special prosecutor against their advice, and also contacted Fox’s Sean Hannity. The prosecutor refused to talk to Zimmerman. The lawyers don’t know what Zimmerman and Hannity talked about.
(Sources: MSNBC and AOL News)
@32 If he can’t get Dave, Pudge, or Hannity to take his case he should try Nicole Brodeur. She knows more about law than lawyers, too.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....le10m.html
@ha, ha,
South Lake Union does seem like it would be a pretty shitty place to be a kid.
Of course Zimmerman fled, this is a guy that beats up girls and picks fights with high school kids…
@33, I wonder what the self purported legal expert, Dave, would tell us about having conversations with a prosecutor without counsel. Maybe Dave has some insight on why the perp fled the state.
Or maybe Dave is mired and overwhelmed by his 1040??? ;)
It sounds to me like Zimmerman was given legal advice by his Daddy to get out of town before he was arrested.
I would be glad to advise George Zimmerman.
The superintendent of a Michigan public charter school has fired a teacher for encouraging her students to ask administrators if they could hold a fundraiser for Trayvon Martin’s family after the school principal approved the idea.
http://www.detroitnews.com/art.....z1revVtHgl
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Now you know why teachers need unions.
@38 My guess is daddy paid for his plane ticket to Brazil.
@39 You’ll have to find him first. Ask Mossad to help you. They’re good at locating missing persons.
It’ll be interesting to see the reaction over at Stefan’s sucky blog when they find out their Cause-of-the-Month jumped bail.
Well I guess this dashes George Zimmerman’s dreams of becoming a cop. Are they going to issue an arrest warrant now?
I love the “Texts from Hillary”. Funny stuff. Now she’s submitted her own.
http://textsfromhillaryclinton.....ry-clinton
“Are they going to issue an arrest warrant now?”
Hmm, I dunno. What’s Dave say?
Zimmerman’s flight is just one more reason why he should have been charged and arraigned a month ago.
At least they’d have his passport and a bond.
I’ve already told you eight times in a post from 2006, Section 37, sub section M, part CLXXXVI in the Mango Chapter of the GAMMA Quadrant my 32,000 word opinion. Go read it there where you see I’m completely right.
@46. If he did flee, I bet it will further suck to be the police department who bungled that case.
@46 You are a liar and banned for life.
@47 That was brilliant legal analysis you performed in subsection M, part CLXXXVI. Anyone who actually read it as I did would understand why hoodies are guilty until proven innocent.
@49, LMFAO.
@48, I suppose it does and will continue to suck for the Sanford PD and the FL State Attorney’s office, but that pales to what happened to the victim and how it sucks for the victim’s family.
Good piece over that the Great Orange Satan on the fuck up by Zimmerman’s lawyers.
Have George Zimmerman’s (ex)lawyers violated Florida’s ethics code?
I’m sure Dave, with his expert legal knowledge, disputes the stupidity and the breach of ethics which occurred. Somehow I sense this was all Roger’s fault. Damn Silly Rabbit!
I thought DAVE was an expert at tax policy and election law. When did he say he was a lawyer? Dis I miss that link/reference to the appropriate former post?
Was it the dickish interrogation of RR as to his criminal v. civil experience?
I thought DAVE was just a blowhard glibertarian retired military guy who didn’t like to pay taxes or let the ‘wrong’ people have a vote.
Listening to the Zimmerman “lawyers” press conference and it’s amazing.
They’re flipping arguing his case; after carping about the case being argued in the media!
Maybe he’s better off not having these clowns present when talking to the prosecutor.
Screwed by his “lawyers”.
@51 Of course it was my fault. I orchestrated the whole thing just to make wingnuts and their lawyers look bad.
@55, and that’s why we love you!
@54 Maybe this explains it:
“Tuesday’s announcement by two lawyers that they’re no longer representing George Zimmerman … might prompt a special prosecutor to move up her decision on whether to arrest him, CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said. … ‘I think they are … potentially setting him up for an earlier arrest … because one of the reasons a prosecutor doesn’t arrest someone right away is that the prosecutor is assured by the counsel that, “Look, he’ll surrender. He’s not going anywhere,”‘ Toobin said. ‘At this point the lawyers don’t know what he’s doing, don’t know where he is, and the prosecutor may say, “Look, I’d better arrest this person or he’s going to be in the wind.” So I think this … might accelerate the prosecutor’s timetable if … she’s going to arrest him.'”
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012.....?hpt=hp_c1
@57 Roger,
You and I (and Dave!) know what’s required to represent a client. I’m not sure these clowns claiming to be Zimmerman’s “lawyers” ever got anything beyond some BS phone call authorization.
Yes, given what Zimmerman’s “lawyers” said today (and probably the freaking attempted contact by Zimmerman) the prosecutor is going to move pretty quick to bring this guy in and get him represented.
Of course, once they’ve got him these two clowns can come back to Zimmerman and offer to represent him. Ergo the reason for the presser.
@58 Mrs. Rabbit’s thought on this is maybe the lawyers want the special prosecutor to arrest him because they’re afraid he’ll commit suicide unless he’s in custody.
Note to Wingnuts: If ever you find yourself the subject of a criminal investigation, don’t reach out to Sean “f*ckstick” Hannity on your own.
Exceptions to this rule are Dave and Pudge. :-D
@58, Roger I’d say to the Mrs. that these guys are looking to amp their profile. They want Zimmerman brought in so they can lasso the client. Regardless of what they said, Zimmerman’s “lawyers” pulled this stunt the day after Zimmerman set up a grift site on the intertubes where the money bypasses them. Like it or not, lawyering is a business.
Over on Stefan’s sucky blog, Jim Miller is too damned funny:
“Note to Robert Mak: If you don’t want viewers to think of you as a Democratic aide currently moonlighting as a journalist, you would do well to balance the number of Democrats and Republicans on your show more closely. You could, for instance, have on Republican consultants as often as you do Democratic consultants.”
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Miller sounds like the kind of guy who decides whether a book is worth reading by weighing it on a bathroom scale.
@62, Poor Jim Miller wants to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, but as usual the irony escapes him.
Zimmerman’s lawyers said he’s “far away” from Florida — which seems to put him on the West Coast, maybe even in Washington, possibly my neighborhood! I’m not going outside without a flak jacket and helmet, just in case.
Dave,
if you’re out there, I’ll prepare your 1040EZ for $500. That’s 50% off what you paid last time.
do you think he will also say….
NBC says that Zimmerman will be charged this afternoon. Sad for me, as I was completely sold on Dave’s analysis of the facts of this case and didn’t see this coming. Heh.
Zimmerman Arrested; Charges TBA
NBC reports that vigilante killer George Zimmerman is “in custody” and the prosecutor will announce the charges he’ll face at a 6:00 PM (ET) news conference.
Zimmerman charged with murder in the 2nd degree; felony homicide.
Will the plead that down or go to trial?
The prosecutor didn’t release any new information about the case, such as an autopsy report, but the Murder2 charge suggests forensic evidence refutes Zimmerman’s story.
I doubt this case will plead; I think it’ll go to trial. But I suspect the prosecutor would accept a plea to voluntary manslaughter with no sentence recommendation.
Under manslaughter, the most Zimmerman can get is 15 years. If he’s convicted of Murder2, he could get life.
@70 Roger, if you were Zimmerman’s attorney what would your recommendation be? The prosecutor will offer a deal, you and I know that.
Zimmerman knows he’s guilty. That’s why he is so damn squirrelly. He has no money. If he rolls the dice he’s got to think he’s got the chance of a mistrial or a friendly jury.
On the other hand, if Zimmerman’s attorney fights this starting with a plea to dismiss based on “stand your ground” and loses.. the prosecutor ain’t going to bargain.
A plea down to manslaughter is his best bet.
@71 Hard to know at this stage before seeing the prosecutor’s evidence. Right now I’m inclined to think this is most likely a manslaughter case.
Rep. Allen West Calls Progressives ‘Communists’
“Freshman Rep. Allen West (R-FL) claimed at a town hall meeting that about 80 members of Congress are communists ….
“‘I believe there’s about 78 to 81 members of the democratic party that are members of the communist party,’ West told supporters at a town hall meeting in Jensen Beach, FL.
” … West spokeswoman Angela Marvin told NBC News that the Congressman was referring to the 76 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
“This isn’t the first time West has criticized a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. In January of last year, West criticized Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep Keith Ellison (D-MN) as ‘someone that really does represent the antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established’ because he is a practicing Muslim.”
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com.....nists?lite
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Now isn’t that just like a Republican: If someone doesn’t share your religion or political views, call ’em a communist!
West is a jackass. He knows full well that in America, the term “communist” equates with the horrors of Stalinism, the Gulag, the Iron Curtain, mass murder, dictatorship, and slavery. His use of the term is intended to evoke revulsion and hatred against those he uses it against.
To equate progressive Democrats with Stalinist or Maoist communists isn’t merely lying; it’s probably actionable libel as well.
Here in Washington state, John Goldmark, a former state legislator and father of Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark, won a libel suit against a rightwing newspaper owner who called Goldmark a “communist.”
Peter Goldmark’s brother Charles, a Seattle attorney, and Charles’ entire family were murdered by a rightwing fanatic who falsely believed Chuck Goldmark was a “communist.”
Hopefully the arrest and charging of George Zimmerman will send a message to would-be vigilantes that if they take the law into their own hands they’ll face long prison sentences.
It’s especially important to discourage vigilantism with vigorous prosecution of vigilantes because Republicans are doing everything they can to loosen restrictions on gun possession, encourage people to carry concealed handguns in public, and use them on any pretext.
@71 “Roger, if you were Zimmerman’s attorney what would your recommendation be?”
Well, yeah, that’s nice, but what does Dave think?? That’s what counts.
@76,
No doubt the reason Dave is not around tonight is because he’s been sought out by the Zimmerman defense team for his expert “independent” advice.
National Review drops yet another racist.
http://www.nationalreview.com/.....rich-lowry
Mark O’Mara, the attorney retained by George Zimmerman to defend him against the criminal charges announced by the special prosecutor today, signaled several times in his press conference that he’s interested in negotiating with the prosecutor.
This is somewhat perplexing, because O’Mara just got the case, doesn’t know yet what evidence the prosecution has, so he’s in no position to advise his client to accept a plea deal, and O’Mara surely can’t believe the prosecutor will agree to drop all charges.
Under Florida law, Zimmerman can ask for a preliminary hearing on his self-defense claim, in which a judge considers the evidence and can dismiss the charges. Interestingly, Zimmerman has the burden of proving, a preponderance of evidence, that he acted in self-defense. This seems to mean the prosecution won’t have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman didn’t act in self-defense. That makes acquittal harder for the defense to achieve.
At this point, not having seen the evidence, O’Mara has to argue that Zimmerman was justified and shouldn’t be convicted of a crime. If, after discovery and a thorough review of the evidence, he is unable to get a pretrial dismissal from the judge, then at that point he make discuss negotiation options with his client. Depending on what O’Mara thinks the prosecutor can prove at trial, he may advise his client to consider pleading guilty to a lesser charge, and if Zimmerman agrees, approach the prosecutor with the aim of reducing the charge to manslaughter.
Some prosecutors will “overcharge” to give themselves bargaining room. I suspect, however, the special prosecutor (who has seen the evidence) charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder because there is a substantial likelihood she can establish that he did more than act “with reckless disregard for human life.”
An example of a factual scenario that would support a second-degree murder charge is if Martin jumped Zimmerman from behind and knocked him down, and Zimmerman then drew his pistol and shot Martin in retaliation for the assault, and not because he was still in danger. The evidence might support this charge if, for example, autopsy and other forensic results show that Martin was shot from a distance, say 8 or 10 feet, instead of point-blank. Or if the prosecutor believes the evidence shows Zimmerman got out of his car with the intent of doing bodily harm to Martin. But it would take more than Martin getting shot in the course of a scuffle.
The fact the prosecutor charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder suggests, therefore, that the prosecutor has seen evidence that refutes Zimmerman’s claim that he shot Martin during a fight or scuffle. She surely has seen the autopsy report, so I’m guessing the autopsy may show that Zimmerman shot Martin from what you might call a “safe” distance (i.e., Zimmerman wasn’t with Martin’s reach and therefore was outside the danger zone of any immediate physical harm to himself), and this is why she charged im with murder instead of manslaughter.
All of this remains to be seen. I still can’t gauge what the prospects are for a plea bargain. But O’Mara, in his press conference, seemed to indicate there’s a significant possibility that this case won’t go to trial. If that’s the case, Zimmerman may already have told O’Mara that he realizes he’s probably going to do some time.
I’ll try to simplify this. In most jurisdictions, second-degree murder is an intentional killing without premeditation. A typical example is a “crime of passion” in which one person kills another in a fit of rage, such as a stabbing during an argument. However, many states upgrade certain felony murders (such as an accidental killing committed in the course of a robbery or arson) to first degree.
Manslaughter is the appropriate charge where the perpetrator did not intend to kill the victim, but acted with “reckless disregard for human life. A common example of manslaughter is killing someone while driving drunk, although many jurisdictions now classify this crime separately under a “vehicular homicide” or similar statute.
I’m dial spinning and I get the summary of a local conservative station talker. He was whining that we need get conservatives in charge so they can implement what’s needed to set the country right and he hopes the country will see the wisdom of that.
The bridge was up, so I had time to parse that. He wants the politicians to implement some very unpopular polices that wouldn’t have popular support, and won’t ever have popular support so he’s preemptively labeling any critic as not smart enough to understand the wisdom of their Draconian policies.
I bet he loves what the conservatives are doing in Michigan and Wisconsin.
@81 Sounds like he’s setting us up for austerity — you know, Greece-like policies where you take a tanking economy and make it worse by cutting wages, pensions, and benefits so consumers who had little money to spend now have none.
Drill Baby Drill Dep’t
CNBC reports tonight that crews have spotted a 1 mile by 10 mile oil sheen between two Royal Dutch Shell platforms. The company says it doesn’t know where the oil came from, but is dispatching a spill response team.
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Sounds to me like this sheen didn’t come from some fisherman’s outboard motor. Let’s see, what else is around there — aha! two gigantic oil drilling platforms owned and operated by … (drum roll) … Royal Dutch Shell! Yeah, I would say that RDS sending a spill response team is a bit more than, um, the company being good boy scouts cleaning up someone else’s mess. As for where it came from, well, duuuuuh …
I might buy Shell’s stock if it drops 10 bucks tomorrow, as it’s unlikely this spill will cost more than $5 a share to clean up.
Zimmerman’s new “lawyer” seems almost as inept in public as the last pair of “lawyers”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....ature=plcp
WTF?
His client admittedly shot and killed an unarmed 17 year old actually returning from a 7-11!
When “stand your ground” fails
John McNeil killed a white man who assaulted him on his property. But, unlike George Zimmerman, he’s serving life
http://www.salon.com/2012/04/1.....singleton/
@86
Yup, more tales from our colorblind, post-racial society, where those that point out race-based injustice are accused of being the racists.
Is there a projection gene that is enriched in winger populations, that allows them to accuse others of their own ills so easily, and without apparent cognitive dissonance?