Arrest of Mafia members

So I was reading the headlines and an article today about arrests of 127 mafia members. Here's the news clip and then I will make a comment as I have an interest in this because I am of Sicilian decent.

"NEW YORK – Federal authorities orchestrated one of the biggest Mafia takedowns in FBI history Thursday, charging 127 suspected mobsters and associates in the Northeast with murders, extortion and other crimes spanning decades. Attorney General Eric Holder made a trip to New York to announce the operation at a news conference with the city's top law enforcement officials.

Holder called the arrests "an important and encouraging step forward in disrupting La Cosa Nostra's operations." But he and others also cautioned that the mob, while having lost some of the swagger of the John Gotti era, is known for adapting to adversity and finding new ways of making money and spreading violence.

"Members and associates of La Cosa Nostra are among the most dangerous criminals in our country," Holder said. "The very oath of allegiance sworn by these Mafia members during their initiation ceremony binds them to a life of crime."

Ok, I understand and don't have a problem with the arrest, but when is Eric Holder going to arrest those on Wall St. who created worse crimes and have ruined our economy resulting in Millions of unemployed? Wall St. didn't commit murder but amy have contributed to some suicides. They certainly are responsible for "adapting to adversity and finding new ways of making money" that caused great harm and were illegal. If Wall St. wasn't extorting, then what were they doing?

Headline reads: U.S. may ask death for 9-11 suspects

According to news reports, the Pentagon is planning to charge 6 detainees at Guantanamo for the Sept. 11th terror attacks and seek the death penalty. Among those who face the death penalty is Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the attacks. He is one of the detainees at Guantanamo who the U.S. admitted using water-boarding, which many consider torture, including the U.N. Chief of the Human Rights Commission.

The Bush Administration wants to finish what they started but many countries are going to object to giving them the death penalty, especially since they used torture (water boarding) to get the confessions. The problem is they plan to hold these trials in relative secrecy, as it will not be televised and although a few reporters will be present, as will be the lawyers, it will be a charade in my humble view. I think this is especially true given the Administration's current position on water-boarding where it claims water-boarding may be illegal now, but wasn't before. Go figure that position out. Attorney General, Mike Mukasey, has "a lot of splainin to do", as Lucy Richardo would have said.

To read the news article click here.

Headline reads: Mukasey refuses to judge waterboarding

With the Judiciary Chairman's patience running out, Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) of Vt., can't believe that Attorney General Michael Mukasey's refused to define waterboarding as torture. He has infuriated Democrats on the Committee and he surely will face a hostile Committee today, when they question him in detail regarding his latest response.

The reason he will not render a simple legal opinion is because if he rules that it is torture, it puts not only the CIA officials in legal jeopardy, but also it would raise the possibility that both President Bush, VP Cheney, Rumsfeld and former CIA head George Tenet have condoned and defied our rule of law and the Geneva Convention. However, this is the truth of what they have condoned and there should be consequences if we are a nation of laws.

They claim it is justified but in truth, don't all those that torture justify it for one reason or another. The purpose of the Geneva Convention was to hold to account all signatories of the Treaty in a common understanding of what was right and what was wrong. If the Administration under President Bush and VP Cheney believe they were correct in the use of this technique to gain vital information to protect our nation against more terrorist attacks, they should be willing to go before the American people and let the legal battle play out here and if necessary, in the World Court. Otherwise we mock our Constitution and they mock the oath they swore to on their own personal Bibles. I ask these self proclaimed Christians, what would Jesus do? I believe you all have violated your own beliefs and values as a Christian.

To read the main news article for this post click here.

Attorney General Gonzales resigns but why now?

This is the story's background, "One of Gonzales' chief critics, Sen. Charles E. Schumer released a statement Monday praising Gonzales for resigning.

'It has been a long and difficult struggle but at last, the Attorney General has done the right thing and stepped down,' said the New York Democrat.

'For the previous six months, the Justice Department has been virtually nonfunctional and desperately needs new leadership,' said the Schumer statement. 'Democrats will not obstruct or impede a nominee who we are confident will put the rule of law above political considerations. We beseech the Administration to work with us to nominate someone whom Democrats can support and America can be proud of."

So why now? The President wants to control the flow of information and as sure as I am sitting here typing this now, President Bush will make a recess appointment of someone with guaranteed loyalty to the President, so he can keep the information, regarding the Attorney General's firing of U.S. Attorney's as well as the illegal wiretapping surveillance program, secret and out of the hands of Congress. Just watch the maneuvering. With the quotes he made above, Schumer is baiting the President not to announce a replacement while Congress is still in recess, but we all know there is no hope of that happening with this President, nor this Vice President. They simply do not want to be investigated.

For the rest of the story click here.

Ashcroft, Gonzales and Comey: the wrong one remains

Being very honest here, I had been disillusioned by many of the Republicans serving in the Bush Administration. The entire Administration has disappointed me over the past 6 plus years. I didn't vote for Bush but I had voted in the past for another Republican President, Ronald Reagan.

However, I have seen the light now. There were at least two serving the President, who I now admire. Their names: former Attorney General John Ashcroft and his Deputy John Comey. When I heard the testimony of James Comey (how he had to race back to the hospital bed of the then recovering John Ashcroft to prevent then General Counsel Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card, Chief of Staff, from pressuring Ashcroft into signing a document to make the Wire taps of Americans law) and how Ashcroft mustered the energy after his surgery to rebuke Gonzales and Card. It was important testimony that came to light. As much as I didn't like Ashcroft as I thought he was drinking the Kool-Aid too. I take it back now and want to publicly praise Ashcroft for his stand.

The Democrats are doing the country a service by initiating these hearings. It is obvious that the President knew these Wire-Taps were illegal. It is therefore an impeachable offense. But the Senate and Congress don't appear to have the courage to impeach this President. I don't know if they would have the votes or not, but it is definitely worth pursuing in my opinion. It would say to the entire world, The American People own and claim their country and are willing to confront their own evil doers, especially starting with Alberto Gonzales!

Read today's NY Times Editorial for more on this.

Ambramoff in the news today!

Is this prophetic or what? (read the last 2 postings below) In the news today is something on the Jack Abramoff scandal. Former Deputy Interior Secretary Steven Griles of the Bush Administration has decided to plead guilty to one count of obstruction of justice in the Jack Abramoff corruption investigation. The former No. 2 official at the Interior Department has agreed to a felony plea admitting that he lied five times to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and its investigators about his relationship with Abramoff.

Griles effectively was Interior's chief operating officer and its top representative on Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force. Abramoff persuaded his Indian clients to pay him tens of millions of dollars to influence decisions coming out of Congress and the Interior Department. Part of his pitch to clients was that he had serious pull at the department, especially with Griles.

For the rest the complete story read it here.

Another "but" and this time it's Bush

Today in Mexico, President Bush speaking at the news conference with the President of Mexico, invoked the use of the "but" word again, and you know what this means. Here's the beginning of the phrase, you finish it: "My country respects the rule of law (with respect to those illegally crossing our borders) but....." The use of the word "but" erases everything in the sentence before its use.

Read the next post on Attorney General and his "but" moment today. I will be listening more carefully going forward and this may be a regular feature on this Blog.

Attorney General Gonzales:"I accept full responsibility but..."

With this quote, I accept full responsibility for the actions of the Dept. of Justice but there are over 100,000 employees and I don't know all the conversations, memos etc. within the Dept." Attorney General Alberto Gonzales started his news conference with reporters over the firing of 8 U.S. Attorneys.

I learned back when I became a coach that when you use the word "but" in a sentence, it erases everything before the word. For example, "you look great in that dress but..." or "yes I love that gift but..." In this case, although Gonzales says he accepts responsibility, that word "but" was included and therefore he does not accept responsibility. Sounds like his excuse is there are a lot of people here and I can't be held responsible for everything in my Dept. What do you think?