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| Seal of the United States Department of Justice (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
From Denny: It's no wonder there now exist 300 million guns owned in America since terrorism struck in 2001. People are afraid of outside terrorists, desperate to protect themselves and their families.
Americans now feel threatened by and afraid of their own government. Just check out the latest Pew Research poll where the majority feel the federal government threatens their personal rights.
Do they have good cause since the erosion of individual rights, freedoms, civil rights and privacy taken away under the last two administrations, courtesy of the Justice Department, all because of the War on Terror?
It's the general perception in America that our Justice Department is heavy-handed in its prosecution of cases. OK, the perception is that it persecutes people, not prosecutes. Clearly, there needs to be a top-down review from an outside consultant, preferably a team of investigators. Quick, someone go re-hire outgoing Sec. of Defense Leon Panetta before he leaves Washington. He's an attorney, an excellent administrator and a truth teller that could get to the heart of the garbage going on over at Justice.
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Justice Dept forbids FBI to fully investigate Petraeus and Broadwell?
The FBI is under the authority of Justice and has been stymied repeatedly from fully investigating the Gen. Petraeus scandal, especially in Benghazi, Libya. It sure looks like Petraeus screwed up a Pentagon/CIA mess there that the Ambassador did not know was going on under his nose - and it got him killed. Was Petraeus torturing suspected terrorists and housing them at the embassy?
Did local terrorist cells catch wind of their comrades' imprisonment and that's what brought on the embassy attack? Was the attack more than just the usual globally coordinated terrorist attacks on the 9/11 anniversary? One fact is true: CIA Director Petraeus then made a hasty trip to Libya for cover-up damage control. "Ya think?"
Petraeus is the guy that tossed around truly classified information like candy bars to impress his mistress, Paula Broadwell, and he is given a pass from Congress and the Justice Dept. It also makes a person wonder if Petraeus was employing Broadwell to secret classified information into their hands for later use either to blackmail someone (like members of Congress - for use later as powerful lobbyists against anyone standing in their way?) or for a possible book writing from which to personally profit. For her part, Broadwell shared much of the said classified information with her publishing house and in public speeches. Yet there is not a peep out of Justice to prosecute either one of them. Something is seriously wrong here.
Petraeus and Broadwell are both psy-ops people, accustomed to manipulating the emotions, fears and desires of those around them to benefit themselves. Petraeus successfully manipulated Congress into protecting him from the glare of the media and personally feeling sorry for him when he was "questioned" in a congressional hearing. Unbelievable. And we all know that today's congressional hearings are complete farces on both sides of the aisle that amounts to ridiculous sucking up or partisan long knives to destroy the questioned. Yet the FBI is told to stand down from a full investigation? Why?
Former CIA officer John Kiriakou leaves a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
CIA torture whistleblower Kiriakou persecuted as truth teller
Then there is the case of the CIA torture whistleblower, John Kiriakou. Justice refused to grant him protection under the whistleblower law and instead insists upon putting this guy in jail for a minimum of 30 months. What is wrong with their thinking? Are they on drugs over there? A man with a conscience decides to let the world know that terrible torture - like water boarding - is being committed in our government's name and you put him in jail? Someone inform those at the Justice Dept their priorities are seriously unhinged and screwed up. What a depraved mindset. Didn't they ever take a class on ethics in law school? And just why did Justice decide to jail Kiriakou instead of the actual torturers now that they know their names?
Justice tried to put this whistleblower away for the rest of his natural life, 30 years. Instead, they rammed this plea agreement injustice down his throat as a smaller sentence since they knew he could not afford an attorney. So, Kiriakou signed a piece of garbage, a lie, claiming he leaked the name of a currently employed CIA agent to a freelance reporter. The thing is that freelance reporter never published the information anyway - so why all the fuss for making mountains out of molehills? Charges should never have been brought against Kiriakou. It all sounds more like face-saving ego posturing from Justice, knowing they seriously overreached and should have never have brought the case in the first place.
Kiriakou also thought the CIA agent to be retired and out of the business, though he discovered later other realities were in the works about that guy. The CIA is a lot like the Mafia: once in, you never really get to leave completely. A former or retired agent might be out of sight and out of mind but can be recalled to "consult" or investigate or research an issue for the agency of which they have history or a wealth of knowledge. The thing is that people who enter the CIA culture as an adult are rarely aware of the fact it is a pervasive cloying culture that follows (and often bullies) you all your life - more than it is just a job you can leave any time and go on with your life.
The saddest knowledge of all is to understand that under the Obama Justice Dept more whistleblowers have been prosecuted than under any other administration. Is that not a bit strange as well as heavy-handed: especially as a "liberal" administration? Who has the courage to investigate these constant miscarriages of "justice"? Better yet does President Obama have the courage to set aside this strong-armed plea agreement of Kiriakou and honor his many years of service to this country in the CIA? Justice has already succeeded in creating Kiriakou's financial ruin. What more do they want?
As the child of a CIA officer I know only too well the average person, while employed in the CIA, cannot speak up for themselves to set the record straight when situations like this arise. Because of that tradition - and law that forbids them from disclosing classified information or the acknowledgment of other CIA agents - it also applies to when they leave the agency. No one can step forward to help someone like Kiriakou. Justice knows this and felt it was perfectly fine to take advantage of Kiriakou's many years of service to his country, a country he thought should know about the torture of prisoners. Justice's behavior is thuggish and despicable.
Aaron Swartz on the red carpet
Hacktivist Aaron Swartz
Then there is the case against idealistic Aaron Swartz. What a terrible travesty. The thuggish Justice Dept threatened him with the intimidation of 30 years behind bars. Actually, they initially threatened him with two lifetimes behind bars, amounting to 50 years and a $4 million fine. For two long years, like a constantly haranguing debt collector, they intimidated him into committing suicide.
If the Justice Dept think they are not morally responsible for Swartz's suicide then think again; they are. It's inexcusable and all involved should be fired immediately and blackballed from any further government jobs. They should be in jail for such tactics of mental torture and bullying that proves they are no better than the "crimes" they prosecute.
Aaron Swartz was a young man who was idealistic and thought everyone should have access to information on the web for free in order to bring about greater economic equality. What he put up on the web were articles written by academics who were strong-armed by the university into giving up their copyrights in order to get published. Yet the authors and even the university did not wish to pursue any legal action against Swartz. Yet the behemoth of the Justice Dept jumped all over it. Why? The excuses so far are nothing but lame and do not go to the heart of the problem: these people are out of control thugs that look no different to the public than the viciousness of drug cartels.
The Justice Dept owes the family and friends of Aaron Swartz a huge apology and even monetary recompense. The same goes for Kiriakou. How dare they prosecute a member of the intelligence community that has a conscience? Our government should encourage more like him to come forward when things are going that wrong in any agency. It's how we keep our government properly balanced and from becoming a tyrant. This prosecution is the Bush Era coming back to haunt a Democrat President, making Obama's reputation pay for the previous administration's sins.
Elizabeth and John Edwards with children, left to right: Emma Claire, Jack and Cate
John Edwards' family travesty
And then there is the most rude and famous nastiest piece of garbage lawyering I've ever seen - second to heavily pressuring and forcing Aaron Swartz, a man publicly known to be suffering from depression, to commit suicide. Look at the outrageous case from the point of view of the Edwards' children against former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) for a law that did not even exist at the time so he could not have broken it. For ten years the three children witnessed the decline of their parents' marriage because of the intense grief of losing their first child, Wade, in a freak car accident. Then their mother becomes seriously ill with end stage breast cancer and they have to witness her dying for six very long emotionally turbulent years.
Then their father is duped by a gold digger "mistress" while he is feeling just as low and emotionally vulnerable as his wife. His wife reminds him daily of their dead son, grieving about it, and, if that was not enough difficulty, she was angry about her cancer like anyone would be in that situation.
The obligatory political campaign book where Edwards talks about four trials he won against Big Business. They have vowed revenge ever since those multi-million dollar awards.
Cancer treatments frequently make people extremely difficult to live with on a daily basis and it's common for the healthy partner to have an affair. It may not be the smartest thing to do but people do it because they are emotionally saturated with the anger and hurt of the dying spouse, anger and hurt which can rage uncontrollably and non-stop around the clock. People dying of cancer often rage against their spouses for not dying with them. No one said it was logical but cancer patients often attack those closest to them they know will tolerate their ugly toxic behavior. Is it any wonder a high majority divorce even if the cancer-stricken spouse survives?
After all that grief and emotional drama the Edwards' children have witnessed, then along comes their federal government which decides to take away their father. The children saw the situation as losing the one surviving parent they had left to them. Can you imagine how intense fear gripped them, hoping their father would not be imprisoned, never to see him again? Their mother had just died a mere six months before the Justice Dept starts this new outrageous drama.
Justice tried to put John Edwards away for 30 years just like they tried to do to Aaron Swartz and Kiriakou. Worse; no law existed at the time they claimed Edwards committed the so-called crime. In fact, Justice gave immunity to the true thieving criminal in the mess, Andrew Young, even giving him a pass on prosecution he so richly deserved for extortion and perjury. It was one perverted situation.
John Edwards with his parents as they arrive for the kangaroo trial.
That was a political vendetta just like the vendettas against Swartz and Kiriakou. During the 2012 election campaign Team Obama was so paranoid someone like John Edwards, a populist who wanted to get rid of lobbyists out of government and that once resonated well with the public could rise again to challenge Obama's second term, so they decided to bury him. After all, Republicans wanted Edwards to be destroyed as much as Team Obama Democrats. It was a win-win politically as far as both camps were concerned.
Both political parties should be ashamed of themselves for trying to destroy any one man like this. But what was more reprehensible about this mess was how our federal government really went after the children when they were so emotionally vulnerable. That really is sick, sick, sick. The children had just buried their mother when they find out the federal government was scheming to take away their father, throw him away in a prison for 30 years to rot - and take away his law license whether they got the jail time or not. All because of a political vendetta to win a presidency?
After the jury decided the case and found him innocent, Edwards addresses reporters on the courthouse steps, taking responsibility for his messy affair, fought out in public by his wife and mistress in the tabloids. His oldest daughter Cate on the left and his father on the right.
Justice is angry at the hacktivist groups like Anonymous for screwing up their websites and thought they'd teach all those angry nerdy kids a lesson by going after Swartz. But it backfired when he killed himself because of their heavy-handed tactics. Since when did our federal government decide it had to act like thugs? This is the "classy" legacy President Obama plans to leave behind for presidential historians to write hundreds of books about when America lost its freedoms?
Aaron Swartz and girlfriend Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman
Good things Obama has accomplished so far
President Obama's administration has done a good job cleaning up the Secret Service and its many scandals. They have cleaned up the confusion and disorganization over at Homeland Security from the Bush era - and currently working on narrowing down the crazy 100 congressional committee oversight groups into something that makes more sense. The CIA and the Dept of Defense received great leadership under Leon Panetta. Obama's new policy toward gays in the military and allowing women to serve in combat is historically groundbreaking.
Obama has begun the process to overhaul health care with the Affordable Care Act though far more needs to be done to make health care truly affordable to everyone. Right now, at least, health care is available to previously denied groups.
Under Obama the TSA has experienced reform and changes, especially getting rid of those controversial excessive radiation screening machines at the airport in favor of machines that are far less invasive and more protecting of personal privacy. Currently, the President is fighting for the best gun control legislation ever proposed that reflects what the majority of the public wants done.
It's time for reform at the Justice Dept now
Excuses and explanations are unacceptable. The public is fed up with political spin and special marketing campaigns to sell the latest stupidity. The time to act is now to overturn this strong-arming of American citizens by their own government. Is this a dictatorship or a democracy? Do we now just elect our own dictators? It's insanity how President Obama has closed his eyes and refused to handle this mess going on over at Justice.
They say trouble comes in threes. I'd say President Obama has his troubles well defined in the cases of Aaron Swartz, John Kiriakou and Sen. John Edwards: all individuals grossly wronged. It's past due time to reform the Justice Dept. All of the attorneys should be fired and interviewed for possible re-hire. AG Holder never did that in 2009 or in 2013. He isn't much of an administrator and has kept far too many trouble makers from the Bush Era. It's time to profile for better quality people who choose to practice ethics and quality lawyering.
While the President is at it, he should consider removing the FBI out from under the Justice Dept and allow it as a separate investigative agency. For now the FBI is hobbled from doing a complete job and that will never do because it kills the public's confidence in its government if political foibles are easily concealed, swept under the rug never to see the light of day.
When the public views heavy-handed prosecution for individuals like these three cases it kills faith in the government. There are clearly too many bankers who should be doing The Perp Walk for their part in the derivatives market scheme. Don't even get me started on how the bankers have psy-opped President Obama into actually believing the economy would tank if he put any of them in jail. Stay tuned; I have the answer for that one too.
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Hacktivist Aaron Swartz
Swartz’s Girlfriend Shares Intimate Details Of His Last Days, Explains ‘Why Aaron Died’
Congresswoman Proposes “Aaron’s Law” In Honor Of Late Internet Activist
MIT’s President Orders Internal Investigation Into Its Handling Of Aaron Swartz’s Case
Aaron Swartz, On-line Activist and Co-founder of Reddit, Commits Suicide
Sir Tim Berners-Lee pays tribute to Aaron Swartz
CIA Agent John Kiriakou
Ex-CIA Agent, Whistleblower John Kiriakou Sentenced to Prison While Torturers He Exposed Walk Free (alternet.org)
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Sen. John Edwards' Trial
John Edwards: DOJ Admits His Innocence, Drops Charges - 14 June 2012
John Edwards Trial: Free At Last! Edwards Wins New Life - 31 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Dirty Judge Seeks Mistrial? - 28 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Bizarre Alternate Jury Antics - 25 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Kangaroo Court Seeks To Direct Jury Conviction - 20 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Smart Brave Move Today by Defense - 16 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Prosecution Fail, Dirty Judge, Truth Denied - 14 May 2012
Obamas Whitewater: Political Vendetta, Persecuting John Edwards - 29 April 2012
Prosecutorial Misconduct Against Senator Edwards? His Funny Mugshots - 16 June 2011
Time To Fire Atty Gen. Eric Holder: Outrageous Changing The Law to Prosecute Edwards - 27 May 2011 Sen. John Edwards' Trial
John Edwards: DOJ Admits His Innocence, Drops Charges - 14 June 2012
John Edwards Trial: Free At Last! Edwards Wins New Life - 31 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Dirty Judge Seeks Mistrial? - 28 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Bizarre Alternate Jury Antics - 25 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Kangaroo Court Seeks To Direct Jury Conviction - 20 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Smart Brave Move Today by Defense - 16 May 2012
John Edwards Trial: Prosecution Fail, Dirty Judge, Truth Denied - 14 May 2012
Obamas Whitewater: Political Vendetta, Persecuting John Edwards - 29 April 2012
Prosecutorial Misconduct Against Senator Edwards? His Funny Mugshots - 16 June 2011
Obama, Team Obama Unfairly Piling On: Prosecutes Populist John Edwards - 25 May 2011 (Edwards' wife died 6 months earlier)
John Edwards Mock Trial (firedoglake.com) - 22 May 2011
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