Our own domestic brand of beauzeaux stage the usual cowardly attacks. Wonder why they weren't in Hopenchangen?
Eight people have been arrested, including two UC Berkeley students and two UC Davis students, and remain in police custody following an attack on Chancellor Robert Birgeneau's house late Friday night.
Between 40 and 75 people marched to Birgeneau's home near the northwest corner of campus at about 11 p.m. Friday night. Some wielded torches that were allegedly thrown at police, while others broke the outside lighting to the house, overturned planters, damaged "impact resistant" windows on the house and scattered garbage brought from a nearby student housing cooperative, police said.
The group dispersed after UCPD officers arrived on the scene following a call from Birgeneau at 11:14 p.m., according to a UCPD statement on the incident. According to Mogulof, all of the eight arrested were being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. All are charged with rioting, threatening an education official, attempted burglary, attempted arson of an occupied building, felony vandalism and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. The eight were all issued exclusion orders which bar them from returning to campus, police said.
Mogulof said the attack was a disturbing development in a student-led movement against the campus and university administrations' handling of record budget shortfalls.
"This is what it looks like when a student group gets hijacked by extreme and violent elements in its ranks," he said. "There is no place in our community for such extremism. They now need to decide which path they will take going forward. ... If they elect to continue on this path of violence and extremism, we will spare no effort to identify and remove them from our community."
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement Saturday that the attack was an act of terrorism.
"California will not tolerate any type of terrorism against any leaders including educators," he said in the statement. "The attack on Chancellor Birgeneau's home is a criminal act and those who participated will be prosecuted under the fullest extent of the law. Debate is the foundation of democracy and I encourage protesters to find peaceful and productive ways to express their opinions."
UC Berkeley students involved in the student movement, which opposes a recent 32 percent increase in student fees as well as an alleged privatization of the university, said the attack was not representative of their cause.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/14/2009 00:00 ||
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damaged "impact resistant" windows
You'd almost think they were expecting this sort of thing.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
12/14/2009 7:16 Comments ||
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Some wielded torches
Torches? What about the CO2? Don't they care about climate change!? They must be Rethuglicans.
#3
"Attempted arson of an occupied dwelling" is a big-time felony, boyz and gurlz. Congratulations, you may be the winners of an all-expenses-paid tour of the California Penal System!
Just published:
COPENHAGEN -- African nations' bid today to force rich nations to take new emission pledges has thrown the United Nations' climate talks into disarray as meetings were adjourned or postponed. African leaders said they felt ignored in the talks and had no choice but to halt negotiations.
"We definitely are completely disappointed," said Kamel Djemouai, the Algerian chairman of the bloc of African nations at the talks. WE (the fleeced) aren't.
He and officials from Ethiopia, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Gabon and Mali accused wealthy countries of trying to "kill" the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which makes emission demands on industrialized nations but not developing ones.
The African countries demanded that nations that are party to the Kyoto Protocol -- which do not include the United States -- finalize a second round of commitments so the treaty can continue as planned after 2012. I'm pretty sure you know what you can do with your "demands" - but if you don't, I'll be glad to draw you a road map, ya' greedy assh*les.
I'll try to find a public article and post a link.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/14/2009 13:10 ||
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Geseende Kerfees Zuid Afrika! Sorry about the empty stocking, hehehehe.
In the anxious days leading up to this Friday's rollout of an austere 2010-2012 state budget, outgoing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has been sending up warning flares: "Everything is on the table," he's said repeatedly, when asked about possible tax increases and cuts. "People are going to see an awful lot in this budget they don't like."
Perhaps no one will like Kaine's budget plan less than the man who succeeds him in five weeks - Republican Bob McDonnell.
Democratic lawmakers, administration officials and others familiar with the details said that Kaine will balance the two-year spending plan and erase its anticipated $3.5 billion shortfall with priorities that run counter to the McDonnell agenda. Somehow, I am not shocked by this ugly display of partisan politics.
The Kaine fiscal swan song, in addition to further layoffs and cuts, is expected to include new revenue, perhaps generated by proposals to provoke McDonnell and other anti-tax Republicans to either accept Kaine's version, or take the hit for making the unkindest cuts themselves.
Kaine recently acknowledged that he's employed the strategy in previous fiscal cycles. In an interview, Kaine said that earlier this year he deliberately pressed for higher cigarette taxes - aware they would fail - to force Republicans to make tough choices and seek compromise in a bill to ban smoking in restaurants. I'll make those elephants think, not just remember.
"There was some 'strategery' involved," said Kaine, quoting a Bush-embarrasing phrase from a 2000 debate sketch on "Saturday Night Live." Kaine said he knew federal stimulus money to cover the shortfall would be forthcoming from Washington.
"By putting the cigarette tax on the table, too, I gave every legislator one way to make Philip Morris happy, by voting against the cigarette tax. A lot of [legislators] voted against the cigarette tax and then they voted for the smoking ban." Something for everybody. Lower cost, fewer places to smoke.
This time around, by relying on funding antithetical to Republicans, including new taxes or by delaying existing tax breaks, Kaine could force McDonnell to prune programs he pledged to protect. Among them: public education.
"This is further evidence of the Washingtonization of Virginia politics," Farnsworth said.
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/14/2009 13:41 ||
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And the little weasel's actually proud of this bullshit.
He's the head of the DNC; that, and this garbage, tells you all you need to know about the DemoncRats.
Here's an idea, Timmy: You think Virginians need to be taxed more, YOU START. Triple your "donations" to the Va. tax man, and then maybe I'll listen to you, but I think it's more likely that you've got accountants on retainer figuring out how to lower your tax burden while raising ours.
Good riddance. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/14/2009 14:27 Comments ||
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Rod Blagojevich's lawyers want the FBI to give up details of interviews conducted last year of President Obama, his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, White House adviser Valerie Jarrett and others as part of the investigation into the former governor.
In a Friday filing, Blagojevich attorneys also asked for information regarding first lady Michelle Obama. However, a source said late Friday that the FBI never interviewed the first lady.
Then-President-elect Obama, Emanuel and Jarrett sat down with the FBI about a year ago -- just after Blagojevich was arrested on charges of trying to sell Obama's recently vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder.
Obama revealed he was interviewed in a report he made public last December.
The defense request, filed in federal court, asks for "notes, transcripts and reports" of interviews with the Obamas, Emanuel, Jarrett and union chiefs Thomas Balanoff and Andy Stern.
The request was part of a larger bid by defense lawyers to have prosecutors turn over additional materials, including witness statements, six months before the June trial date. Typically, prosecutors give the defense such information 30 days before the trial.
Shelly Sorosky, an attorney for Blagojevich, said the defense needs additional time with the material "because there's so much of it. This is massive stuff."
Good luck with that, guys. I wouldn't dream of calculating your odds of success.
#2
I'm sure the DOJ response will read something like...
Dear Ms. Sorosky: Thank you for your interest in the FBI and the President of the United States. As your's is an issue with potential national security implications, we must kindly refer to you to the White House and the office of Ms. Desirée Rogers.
#3
"The defense request, filed in federal court, asks for "notes, transcripts and reports" of interviews with the Obamas, Emanuel, Jarrett and union chiefs Thomas Balanoff and Andy Stern."
Does anyone recall the period when Obamas long time friend and advisor, Valerie Jarrett, was considered the heir apparent for his vacated senate seat? But then, for some unknown reason, her name was abruptly pulled from contention? Wellll lookie here!
#4
This is that slow burning fire that can bring Zero down. If I was Blago I would be sure to never be alone so I don't shoot myself in the back of my head.
This is further proof of Zero's amature status, Clinton would have this guy gone by now.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/14/2009 13:21 Comments ||
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#5
49 Pan, you think Obama had some say in his replacement and the money that would follow? I don't think this scandal will touch him. I think it was all done the Chicago way when it was realized he was vacating the seat but I don't think Obama was involved in any actionable way. Its chump change considering where he was going at the time.
Democrats plan to allow the government's debt to swell by nearly $2 trillion as part of a bill next week to pay for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The amount pretty much equals the total of a year-end spending spree by lawmakers and is big enough to ensure that Congress doesn't have to vote again on going further into debt until after the 2010 elections. And it leaves plenty of room for Stimulus II. But that's okay. Y'all keep voting Democrat, now, 'cuz they're looking out for you...
The move has anxious moderate Democrats maneuvering to win new deficit-cutting tools as the price for their votes, igniting battles between the House and the Senate and with powerful interest groups on both the right and the left.
The record increase in the so-called debt limit - the legal cap on the amount of money the government can borrow - is likely to be in the neighborhood of $1.8 trillion to $1.9 trillion, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Friday.
That eye-popping figure is making Democrats woozy but is what is needed to make sure they don't have to vote again before next year's midterm elections. The government's total debt has nearly doubled in the past seven years and is expected to exceed the current ceiling of $12.1 trillion before Jan. 1.
Democratic leaders say they will try to raise the ceiling to nearly $14 trillion as part of a $626 billion bill next week to pay for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and other military programs in 2010. The bill doesn't include the additional $30 billion President Obama is expected to seek early next year to pay for his 30,000-troop buildup in Afghanistan but it might carry an added $50 billion to pay for a six-month extension of unemployment benefits and health care insurance subsidies for the long-term jobless.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2009 00:00 ||
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The move has anxious moderate Democrats maneuvering to win new deficit-cutting tools as the price for their votes, igniting battles between the House and the Senate and with powerful interest groups on both the right and the left.
I got a better idea. Reduce the scope and size of government and concomitantly reduce the debt ceiling.
As it is this sounds an awful lot like "Raise my credit limit, so I can pay you off!"
As he had earlier promised, Gov. David Paterson today said he will withhold $750 million in local aid scheduled to go out this week.
That includes more than $500 million in scheduled school aid payments and $112 million to cities and counties. Additionally, the governor will hold back $47 million set to go to health insurance firms that cover state employees, although that is not expected to affect coverage of workers.
Paterson stressed that his actions are payment delays rather than cuts, although he hasn't precluded making cuts in the 2010-09 budget to be released next month.
The move is likely to provoke a lawsuit from the state Senate, which has been battling the governor over budgetary issues, and it will probably make some towns, cities, counties and school districts borrow money in the short term in order to cover costs such as salaries, benefits and a large payment for retiree pensions coming due in the next several months.
Some localities may even point to this borrowing and consequently raise local property taxes.
The governor said the state is going to run out of money this month, even after it taps its rainy day fund and borrows money from other pots of cash throughout state government.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2009 00:00 ||
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About 3 dozen state governments are facing big revenue shortfalls. NY is in a deep financial hole. They are worse off than California. NY is $3 billion in the red. The blue state-red state designation should be reversed since most blue states are in the red. But then maybe it is that most blue states are blue because they are in the red.
Longtime US senator George McGovern, shocked by President Barack Obama's new troop surge, has called the US war in Afghanistan another Vietnam.
"I am astounded at the Obama administration's decision to escalate the equally mistaken war in Afghanistan," he wrote in an op-ed article in the Washington Post on Sunday.
"And as I listen to our talented young president explain why he is adding 30,000 troops -- beyond the 21,000 he had added already -- I can only think: another Vietnam," one-time Obama supporter added.
"I hope I am incorrect, but history tells me otherwise," said former senator from South Dakota and Democratic presidential nominee in 1972.
In a speech earlier this month, Obama announced an increase of 30,000 additional US troops to the war-torn country.
McGovern also compared Obama to the late Democratic president Lyndon Johnson, who decided to escalate the US war in Vietnam.
Johnson had a brilliant record in domestic affairs, but Vietnam choked his dream of a Great Society, according to McGovern. The war had become unbearable to so many Americans that Johnson, who won in a landslide in 1964, did not seek re-election four years later, the former senator wrote.
"Even if we had a good case for a war in Afghanistan, we simply cannot afford to wage it," said former senator who is regarded as a World War II hero in the US.
"With a 12-trillion-dollar debt and a serious economic recession, this is not a time for unnecessary wars abroad. We should bring our soldiers home before any more of them are killed or wounded -- and before our national debt explodes."
Earlier this year, McGovern had urged Obama to reconsider his proposed military buildup in Afghanistan and to withdraw American forces.
The new troop surge would bring the total number of US troops in Afghanistan to nearly 100,000. Apart from the presence of private security forces, there are already 100,000 US-led coalition troops in war-ravaged Afghanistan and the country has been witnessing a surge in violence.
Afghan civilians have been the main victims of the long-fought war.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2009 00:00 ||
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Wonder how many medals John Kerry will receive in Afghanistan then?
Posted by: chris ||
12/14/2009 0:11 Comments ||
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ION WMF > RUSSIAN "KOMMERSANT" MEDIA: US ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN MEANT TO FORCE CHINA'S COMPROMISE, CONCESSIONS WID US-UNO ON IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMS.
* SAME > VIETNAM IN TEARS: CHINA PLANS TO BUILD THREE MAJOR DAMS IN MEKONG RIVER REGION/BASIN TO FORCE VIETNAM CONCESSIONS ON DISPUTED SOUTH CHINA SEA.
Wehell, we all know how forcing Vietnam to do anything worked out in the past.
#4
"We should bring our soldiers home before any more of them are killed or wounded"
After all the notion that an islamofascistic Afghanistan threatens the physical security and welfare of the continental US is preposterous.
/sarc
Afghanistan is fundamentally different from Vietnam. The left is trying to reenact defeat, some conservatives are trying to get it right this time, both are making a dangerous mistake.
The war theater of Afghanistan is inextricably linked to the theater of North America. Vietnam was a limited intervention in the context of a global cold war.
#5
In the sense that an alliance of corrupt media, lefty ideologues and venal politicians are trying to sell us out and hand another country over to totalitarian savages, comrade McGovern's analogy is quite accurate.
#6
There's nothing the western leftists love more than an American military defeat. The final helicopter evac of Saigon was their finest hour, and they've been craving a repeat for over 30 years. Osama-bama is doing everything he can to give it to them. They're just mad because he's not doing it fast enough to suit them.
#8
The fact that McGovern is being quoted so prominantly in an enemy Iranian government controlled newspaper says a lot about him.
I agree McGovern and the rest of the Left (not to mention the media) have been working overtime to make Afghanistan another Vietnam - and the more dead American soldiers the better.
However unlike Vietnam - we were attacked by the Taliban and Al-Q. Civilians were deliberately targeted and murdered in cold blood. And no matter how much the media tries to ignore it or pass it off as 'we deserved it' - people won't be so easily fooled.
#10
There are a lot of similarities, and in some ways A'stan is worse.
One big similarity is that in neither case could we escalate enough to win, for the same reasons - home front opposition and because escalation might overflow beyond our control (nuclear in Vietnam, Persian Gulf oil now),
Another is that the enemy has convenient safe haven for training, recuperation and supply.
A third is that our allies are corrupticrats and our opponents driven by fanaticism. I think I'm with McGovern on this one. Interestingly, the other George (W.) seems to have understood too - hence the move of the war to Iraq.
#12
Just send Jimmuh Carter for a little diplomacy
Posted by: chris ||
12/14/2009 9:11 Comments ||
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When a leftist says "it'll be another Vietnam", it's not a prediction -- it's a threat. It's a warning that they'll politicize the war, demonize the soldiers, do ANYTHING they can do bring about defeat.
Remember, the left started organizing "against war" before the towers even fell. They're not really against war -- just against the US winning.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/14/2009 9:30 Comments ||
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#14
IIRC, ANSWER was formed on the weekend after 9-11. But the white anting of the West's defenses is, of course, continuous.
#16
Mcgovern hasn't been in the Senate for a long time.
Two things that are differnt between Vietnam and Afgan is that Afgan is land locked and it is hard to supply the troops. Vietnam had Cam RAn Bay, and you could drink beer.
#17
bman, another Vietnam - A'stan similarity is convenient supply to copious quanitities illegal of drugs. Let's hope those drugs don't become the problem they did in Vietnam.
#18
Afghan civilians have been the main victims of the long-fought war.
Really???? The reporters just cant help themselves..
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/14/2009 13:15 Comments ||
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McGovern?
Isn't he dead yet? He must be older than dirt (and just as dumb). :-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/14/2009 14:06 Comments ||
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McGovern's WWII service earned him our everlasting respect, even when we totally disagree with his position on some issue. Not only that, but he never demonstrated the culture of corruption that dominates politics today.
#21
Another similarity is that an enormously popular donk president who has just won a victory over a war-mongering trunk is engaging in a policy of guns and butter. Slowly falling into a war he is unable to win because he doesn't have the guts to fight it properly or to pull out, either of which would be preferable to the course chosen.
Prospectively, the mid term election in 66 was a huge victory for the trunks as they picked up 48 seats from the donks. More Guns and butter policies (including Medicare) led to inflation. Liberal donk dissatisfaction with the war lead to clean Gene challenging and isolated and friendless LBJ in the primaries, forcing LBJ to withdraw. Domestic violence and desire to win the war led to a trunk President in 1968 who prosecuted war for 6 years to successful conclusion which donks threw away two years later.
#24
Well as told by the [dis]honorable Sen. John F'kin Kerry - the U.S was busy burning women, raping villages, killing babies, etc... in a manner reminiscent of Genghis Khan.
Kind of hard to do that with the current ROE in Afghanistan.
"These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act, and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate."
George W. Bush, Statement To Joint Session Of Congress September 20th 2001
If the statement above should turn out to be as relevant as a rant by Comical Ali, why should any unfriendly state fear the consequences of an attack on the continental US?
Losing the Vietnam war did not fundamentally undermine deterrence, it was a limited war with limits observed by all sides.
Losing the Afghanistan war however will lead to the conclusion that the American military security umbrella in fact does not cover New York City and Washington DC. And if that's the case there's no credible deterrence left. It's not a question of capability but of intent.
McGovern to my knowledge has never:
-- accused his opponents of treason (cf Gore: "[Bush] betraaaaaaaayyyyyed this country!!"]
-- accused Israel of apartheid and Bush and Reagan of wanting to start WWIII (cf Jimaah)
-- consorted with financial whores in order to shovel money into his foundation and thereby burnish his post-political reputation (cf Clinton, The Pardoner of Rich and boontime companion of Tony Giustra et al)
-- prostituted his biography and shamelessly trashed his opponent before foreign audiences for personal political gain (cf Pres. Clown)
McGovern may be wrong, but he's a patriot with utterly no motive for financial or personal gain. Therein lies all the difference between him and his successors on the American left.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Democrats plan to allow the government's debt to swell by nearly $2 trillion as part of a bill next week to pay for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The amount pretty much equals the total of a year-end spending spree by lawmakers and is big enough to ensure that Congress doesn't have to vote again on going further into debt until after the 2010 elections.
As he had earlier promised, Gov. David Paterson today said he will withhold $750 million in local aid scheduled to go out this week. 
