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Segami
Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
January 9, 2014
CNN anchor Ashleigh Banfield offered some "suggestions" for investigators attempting to get to the bottom of the scandal surrounding the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge in September, 2013. She said that the death of a 91-year-old woman who passed away while waiting in traffic on the bridge could offer investigators the ability to "dangle" a "felony murder" charge against Chris Christie's appointees which could compel them to testify against the governor.
Banfield said that there are serious civil and criminal violations that could be leveraged against Christie's office. "This is the intersection of politics and law," Banfield observed. "This is a politicized even, no matter how you look at it. There are untold numbers that want to get in on this and get headlines on this at the at least."
She added that the death of a nonagenarian who was caught in bridge traffic can be construed by prosecutors as "felony murder." "Those are strong words you can dangle in front of someone who could be very scared and ultimately be persuaded to give up testimony to a higher level," Banfield continued. "These are only suggestions. No tie to the governor at this point."
"It's legal to lie to someone you're interrogating to scare them into giving you information," Banfield noted.
http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/cnn-anchor-ashleigh-banfield-felony-murder
CNN Anchor Ashleigh Banfield: 'FELONY MURDER' Charge For Christie Officials To Coerce Testimony
Death of a 91-year-old woman who passed away while waiting in traffic on the bridge could offer investigators the ability to "dangle" a "felony murder" charge.
CNN anchor Ashleigh Banfield offered some "suggestions" for investigators attempting to get to the bottom of the scandal surrounding the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge in September, 2013. She said that the death of a 91-year-old woman who passed away while waiting in traffic on the bridge could offer investigators the ability to "dangle" a "felony murder" charge against Chris Christie's appointees which could compel them to testify against the governor.
Banfield said that there are serious civil and criminal violations that could be leveraged against Christie's office. "This is the intersection of politics and law," Banfield observed. "This is a politicized even, no matter how you look at it. There are untold numbers that want to get in on this and get headlines on this at the at least."
She added that the death of a nonagenarian who was caught in bridge traffic can be construed by prosecutors as "felony murder." "Those are strong words you can dangle in front of someone who could be very scared and ultimately be persuaded to give up testimony to a higher level," Banfield continued. "These are only suggestions. No tie to the governor at this point."
"It's legal to lie to someone you're interrogating to scare them into giving you information," Banfield noted.
http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/cnn-anchor-ashleigh-banfield-felony-murder
January 9, 2014
David Wildstein, the former Director of Interstate Capital Projects for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, refused to answer questions Thursday at a state Assembly committee hearing concerning the George Washington Bridge lane closing scandal.
"I respectfully reserve my right to remain silent," Wildstein said before a hearing of the New Jersey The Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee.
Wildstein had been subpoenaed to testify about the closing of lanes on the George Washington Bridge in September, which lead to a massive, multi-day traffic jam in the town of Fort Lee, N.J. Wildstein has previously maintained that the lanes were closed as a result of a traffic study, but Democrats in the state have suggested the closures were retaliation against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, a Democrat, who declined to endorse Christie's re-election bid last year.
"On the advice of counsel, I assert my right to remain silent," Wildstein repeatedly said, as Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D), the chairman of the committee, asked questions on Thursday. Documents released on Wednesday revealed direct ties between the Christie administration and the discussion about the lane closures. Among other things, the documents included emails exchanged between Wildstein and former Christie Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Bridget Anne Kelly.
"Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Kelly wrote to Wildstein on Aug. 13.
"Got it," Wildstein replied.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/wildstein-pleads-fifth
Christie Pal: I PLEAD THE FIFTH
David Wildstein, the former Director of Interstate Capital Projects for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, refused to answer questions Thursday at a state Assembly committee hearing concerning the George Washington Bridge lane closing scandal.
"I respectfully reserve my right to remain silent," Wildstein said before a hearing of the New Jersey The Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee.
Wildstein had been subpoenaed to testify about the closing of lanes on the George Washington Bridge in September, which lead to a massive, multi-day traffic jam in the town of Fort Lee, N.J. Wildstein has previously maintained that the lanes were closed as a result of a traffic study, but Democrats in the state have suggested the closures were retaliation against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, a Democrat, who declined to endorse Christie's re-election bid last year.
"On the advice of counsel, I assert my right to remain silent," Wildstein repeatedly said, as Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D), the chairman of the committee, asked questions on Thursday. Documents released on Wednesday revealed direct ties between the Christie administration and the discussion about the lane closures. Among other things, the documents included emails exchanged between Wildstein and former Christie Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Bridget Anne Kelly.
"Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Kelly wrote to Wildstein on Aug. 13.
"Got it," Wildstein replied.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/wildstein-pleads-fifth
January 9, 2014
YOU KNOW NOTHING???........YA RIGHT!....BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....
This isn’t the first time critics have called New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a bully. But now the man many consider a Republican presidential frontrunner is on the defensive, scrambling to distance himself from an erupting political scandal that threatens to tarnish his image well before the 2016 elections. E-mails that surfaced Wednesday suggest top Christie appointees orchestrated traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge as part of a political vendetta to punish a local mayor who wouldn’t support him at the polls. Lane closures around approaches to the country’s busiest bridge snarled traffic for days in September in Fort Lee, New Jersey — a problem the governor and his administration had originally blamed on a mishandled traffic study.
In response to the e-mail firestorm, Christie said Wednesday that he was misled by staff. He called the conduct outrageous and said he knew nothing about it. “This behavior is not representative of me or my administration in any way,” he said, “and people will be held responsible for their actions.” Even if he had nothing to do with the traffic snarls, the allegations could have serious consequences for Christie, analysts said. “There’s something about this that’s so petty and so vindictive and it feeds into this narrative that he’s a bully. … He’s going to have to find some way to defuse this to prove he doesn’t run a shop like that,” said CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen, a former adviser to several U.S. presidents. It’s a defining moment for Christie, CNN Chief National Correspondent John King said. And how he deals with the situation in the next two days — from whether he fires anyone to what he says — will be key.
Does this mean Christie’s presidential ambitions are dashed?
cont'
http://wtvr.com/2014/01/09/chris-christie-bridge/
Did Chris Christie ORCHESTRATE TRAFFIC JAMS On Bridge For POLITICAL REVENGE?
YOU KNOW NOTHING???........YA RIGHT!....BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....
This isn’t the first time critics have called New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a bully. But now the man many consider a Republican presidential frontrunner is on the defensive, scrambling to distance himself from an erupting political scandal that threatens to tarnish his image well before the 2016 elections. E-mails that surfaced Wednesday suggest top Christie appointees orchestrated traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge as part of a political vendetta to punish a local mayor who wouldn’t support him at the polls. Lane closures around approaches to the country’s busiest bridge snarled traffic for days in September in Fort Lee, New Jersey — a problem the governor and his administration had originally blamed on a mishandled traffic study.
In response to the e-mail firestorm, Christie said Wednesday that he was misled by staff. He called the conduct outrageous and said he knew nothing about it. “This behavior is not representative of me or my administration in any way,” he said, “and people will be held responsible for their actions.” Even if he had nothing to do with the traffic snarls, the allegations could have serious consequences for Christie, analysts said. “There’s something about this that’s so petty and so vindictive and it feeds into this narrative that he’s a bully. … He’s going to have to find some way to defuse this to prove he doesn’t run a shop like that,” said CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen, a former adviser to several U.S. presidents. It’s a defining moment for Christie, CNN Chief National Correspondent John King said. And how he deals with the situation in the next two days — from whether he fires anyone to what he says — will be key.
“If he handles it decisively and then he sits down and calmly answers questions and doesn’t berate the reporters who ask them, then he has a chance to be a leader who dealt with a crisis and he moves on,” King said. “But if that perception starts to stick in, that’s not a presidential temperament. And that’s bad for him nationally in his perspective. It’s bad for him as he starts his new term in New Jersey. And it’s bad for him with the audience he needs to care about most politically long-term at the moment, and that’s the Republican base that he wants to make him their nominee.”
Does this mean Christie’s presidential ambitions are dashed?
cont'
http://wtvr.com/2014/01/09/chris-christie-bridge/
January 8, 2014
GOP FAMILY VALUES HYPOCRITTER.....who me??.....I didn't inhale.....
sssssssniff.....what was that you asked?......ssssssssssssnif.......um, err,...oh yea!...........
A U.S. congressman who pleaded guilty to cocaine possession has made an emotional apology after returning to Washington for the first time since November.
After privately apologizing to his Republican Party colleagues Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol, Representative Trey Radel, from Florida told reporters he had let down the entire country, his colleagues, and family.
Radel insisted he is not yet thinking about re-election to another term.
The 37-year-old Radel is a first term congressman who is backed by the conservative Tea Party faction. After his guilty plea, Radel was sentenced to a year of probation. Radel says he is undergoing drug treatment and will not resign. The House Ethics Committee says it will investigate his actions.
"investigate his actions".....
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/us-congressman-guilty-of-cocaine-possession-apologizes/123
Republican Congressman Trey Radel GUILTY Of COCAINE POSSESSION Apologizes
GOP FAMILY VALUES HYPOCRITTER.....who me??.....I didn't inhale.....
sssssssniff.....what was that you asked?......ssssssssssssnif.......um, err,...oh yea!...........
A U.S. congressman who pleaded guilty to cocaine possession has made an emotional apology after returning to Washington for the first time since November.
After privately apologizing to his Republican Party colleagues Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol, Representative Trey Radel, from Florida told reporters he had let down the entire country, his colleagues, and family.
Radel insisted he is not yet thinking about re-election to another term.
The 37-year-old Radel is a first term congressman who is backed by the conservative Tea Party faction. After his guilty plea, Radel was sentenced to a year of probation. Radel says he is undergoing drug treatment and will not resign. The House Ethics Committee says it will investigate his actions.
"investigate his actions".....
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/us-congressman-guilty-of-cocaine-possession-apologizes/123
January 8, 2014
Cher apparently doesn't believe in political life after drugs.
Singer Cher had a strong reaction Tuesday after learning Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL) would return to Capitol Hill after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession in November. Cher took to Twitter to express her displeasure after learning Radel was back at work after a leave of absence and treatment:
Cher ✔ @cher
Follow
Up 2 Hike W/Paul & saw R Congress
man #TreyRadel is Back 2 Work.Is He fkng KIDDING?
HE'S A"SAY NOTHING,DO LESS"IDIOT,WHO IS ALSO A COKE HEAD
11:00 AM - 7 Jan 2014
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Radel has described the 28 days he spent in treatment in his home state of Florida as "life-changing" and said he plans to enter an outpatient program in Washington.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cher-trey-radel
CHER Launches TWITTER ATTACK On 'COKEHEAD' Rep. Trey Radel
Cher apparently doesn't believe in political life after drugs.
Singer Cher had a strong reaction Tuesday after learning Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL) would return to Capitol Hill after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession in November. Cher took to Twitter to express her displeasure after learning Radel was back at work after a leave of absence and treatment:
Cher ✔ @cher
Follow
Up 2 Hike W/Paul & saw R Congress
man #TreyRadel is Back 2 Work.Is He fkng KIDDING?
HE'S A"SAY NOTHING,DO LESS"IDIOT,WHO IS ALSO A COKE HEAD
11:00 AM - 7 Jan 2014
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Radel has described the 28 days he spent in treatment in his home state of Florida as "life-changing" and said he plans to enter an outpatient program in Washington.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cher-trey-radel
January 7, 2014
NAVY Mistakenly Sends Reporter STRATEGY TO DODGE FOIA REQUEST
The Navy this week accidentally sent email correspondence discussing strategies for denying a local NBC reporter's Freedom of Information Act request to reporter Scott MacFarlane, according to Politico.
Scott MacFarlane
@MacFarlaneNews
Follow
EPIC FAILURE- U.S. Navy accidentally sends reporter its strategy memo for dodging his FOIA request cc: @gregorykorte
10:43 AM - 7 Jan 2014
The memo directs a Navy employee to give the FOIA requester a cost estimate for the document release, as it may "encourage the requester to 'narrow the scope.'" "Again another 'fish expedition' - just because they are media doesn't mean that the memos would shed light on specific government activities," the memo adds. The Navy FOIA office told Politico that the emails were sent to MacFarlane as an "administrative error."
The Navy on Tuesday apologized for the email sent to NBC and stated that it is committed to the Freedom of Information Act.
. US Navy ✔ @USNavy
Follow
#USNavy regrets the content of an internal email sent to @nbcwashington cc @politico @Gawker
4:22 PM - 7 Jan 2014
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Navy ✔ @USNavy
Follow
The #USNavy remains committed to transparency & responding to FOIA requests in a timely and professional manner. CC @politico @Gawker
4:20 PM - 7 Jan 2014
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/navy-mistakenly-sends-reporter-foia-dodge-strategy
January 7, 2014
OOOPS!!....................
....FIESTA!!
Darth Vador: Liz Cheney 'GOING TO WIN' Senate Race
OOOPS!!....................
....FIESTA!!
January 7, 2014
....And she calls herself a freakin Judge??
On Monday, a panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit considered a package of harsh anti-abortion restrictions enacted in Texas over the summer. After lawyers for the Center for Reproductive Rights argued that the new law has left the impoverished Rio Grande Valley without any available providers, forcing women who live there to make an 300-mile round trip to Corpus Christi to get to the nearest clinic, Judge Edith Jones scoffed. “Do you know how long that takes in Texas at 75 miles an hour?” she asked. “This is a peculiarly flat and not congested highway.”
The new law went into effect at the beginning of November, after a different panel from the same appeals court declined to block it. Monday’s hearing marked the latest battle in an ongoing fight over abortion access in Texas that’s captured national attention over the past several months. The three judges selected to debate Texas’ stringent abortion law this week aren’t likely to strike it down — particularly because Jones is a notoriously conservative judge who has upheld other anti-choice laws in the Lone Star State. In fact, Jones has encouraged the Supreme Court to strike down Roe v. Wade altogether. And during the proceedings on Monday, it became very clear that she hasn’t suddenly had a change of heart when it comes to reproductive rights. Jones repeatedly expressed skepticism that Texas’ new law — which imposes harsh regulations on abortion providers that have already forced dozens of them to stop practicing — will do anything to undermine women’s access to reproductive care.
In order to get an abortion in Texas, women already have to undergo a forced ultrasound, mandatory counseling, and a 24-hour waiting period. That means that women traveling 150 miles to get to the nearest clinic will actually have to make the trip twice: Once for the required ultrasound procedure and the counseling intended to dissuade them from their decision, and once again to actually receive abortion services after waiting 24 hours. According to Jones, that doesn’t represent an “undue burden” on women.
But suggesting that every woman who needs to get to an abortion clinic has access to a car that can zip along the highway at 75 miles an hour is a fundamental misunderstanding of the current landscape in Texas — as well as in other states across the country. In reality, 42 percent of the U.S. women who seek abortions have incomes that fall below the federal poverty line. These women typically don’t have easy access to transportation, or the means to take time off work to make a long trip to a clinic. And that’s not simply speculation; research into the subject has confirmed that women who live in states with harsh anti-choice laws, like Texas, struggle to get to the nearest clinic. Studies conducted specifically in the Lone Star State have found that the state’s mandatory waiting period already puts an emotional and financial burden on women who can’t afford to spend any extra time and money on their health care. An estimated 22,000 Texas women are projected to lose access to legal abortion services under the new state law. These economically disadvantaged women don’t exist in Jones’ world. Nonetheless, they are the ones who will bear the brunt of Texas’ ongoing push to restrict reproductive rights.
cont'
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/01/07/3126211/texas-judges-reproductive-rights/
JUDGE TO TEXAS WOMEN: Living 150 Miles From An Abortion Clinic Is NO BIG DEAL IF YOU DRIVE FAST
....And she calls herself a freakin Judge??
On Monday, a panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit considered a package of harsh anti-abortion restrictions enacted in Texas over the summer. After lawyers for the Center for Reproductive Rights argued that the new law has left the impoverished Rio Grande Valley without any available providers, forcing women who live there to make an 300-mile round trip to Corpus Christi to get to the nearest clinic, Judge Edith Jones scoffed. “Do you know how long that takes in Texas at 75 miles an hour?” she asked. “This is a peculiarly flat and not congested highway.”
The new law went into effect at the beginning of November, after a different panel from the same appeals court declined to block it. Monday’s hearing marked the latest battle in an ongoing fight over abortion access in Texas that’s captured national attention over the past several months. The three judges selected to debate Texas’ stringent abortion law this week aren’t likely to strike it down — particularly because Jones is a notoriously conservative judge who has upheld other anti-choice laws in the Lone Star State. In fact, Jones has encouraged the Supreme Court to strike down Roe v. Wade altogether. And during the proceedings on Monday, it became very clear that she hasn’t suddenly had a change of heart when it comes to reproductive rights. Jones repeatedly expressed skepticism that Texas’ new law — which imposes harsh regulations on abortion providers that have already forced dozens of them to stop practicing — will do anything to undermine women’s access to reproductive care.
In order to get an abortion in Texas, women already have to undergo a forced ultrasound, mandatory counseling, and a 24-hour waiting period. That means that women traveling 150 miles to get to the nearest clinic will actually have to make the trip twice: Once for the required ultrasound procedure and the counseling intended to dissuade them from their decision, and once again to actually receive abortion services after waiting 24 hours. According to Jones, that doesn’t represent an “undue burden” on women.
But suggesting that every woman who needs to get to an abortion clinic has access to a car that can zip along the highway at 75 miles an hour is a fundamental misunderstanding of the current landscape in Texas — as well as in other states across the country. In reality, 42 percent of the U.S. women who seek abortions have incomes that fall below the federal poverty line. These women typically don’t have easy access to transportation, or the means to take time off work to make a long trip to a clinic. And that’s not simply speculation; research into the subject has confirmed that women who live in states with harsh anti-choice laws, like Texas, struggle to get to the nearest clinic. Studies conducted specifically in the Lone Star State have found that the state’s mandatory waiting period already puts an emotional and financial burden on women who can’t afford to spend any extra time and money on their health care. An estimated 22,000 Texas women are projected to lose access to legal abortion services under the new state law. These economically disadvantaged women don’t exist in Jones’ world. Nonetheless, they are the ones who will bear the brunt of Texas’ ongoing push to restrict reproductive rights.
cont'
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/01/07/3126211/texas-judges-reproductive-rights/
January 7, 2014
Greta Van Suffering.....another 'in-the-gutter' Faux reporter. Where were you when the criminal Bush Cabal was pillaging & driving this nation into the toilet? Oh yea, I forgot,... you were getting a very bad face lift......LOL!....
Cue the latest right wing outrage that these hypocrites never seemed to have had back when their hero George W. Bush was in office. Here we go again with vacation-gate redux like the one we saw back in 2010, when the wingnuts were screaming about first lady Michelle Obama and their trip to Spain. From Media Matters on that right wing freakout: Conservative media's attacks on Spain vacation based on falsehoods:
Go read the rest for the full list of talking heads that were screeching like banshees at the time. All that's old is new again. Here's Fox's Greta Van Susteren and how her network's blog covered this drummed up "controversy" this Monday: Off The Record: Greta Takes On the First Family's Lavish Spending:
I guess Van Susteren thinks the first lady should be flying coach. I want to know if any of these wingers ever complained about the costs when George W. Bush was in office if any of his family members dared to travel without him. I'm guessing the answer is never. I also think Van Susteran has been spending a little too much time around Sarah Palin, because her commentary above sounds like something the word-salad queen could have written for her.
cont'
http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/greta-van-susteren-continues-right-wing
Greta Van Susteren Continues The RIGHT WING ATTACK On Obama Vacations
Fox just can't help themselves. All that's old is new again with attacks on the Obamas for daring to go on vacation.
Greta Van Suffering.....another 'in-the-gutter' Faux reporter. Where were you when the criminal Bush Cabal was pillaging & driving this nation into the toilet? Oh yea, I forgot,... you were getting a very bad face lift......LOL!....
Cue the latest right wing outrage that these hypocrites never seemed to have had back when their hero George W. Bush was in office. Here we go again with vacation-gate redux like the one we saw back in 2010, when the wingnuts were screaming about first lady Michelle Obama and their trip to Spain. From Media Matters on that right wing freakout: Conservative media's attacks on Spain vacation based on falsehoods:
Conservative media are pushing the falsehoods that taxpayers picked up the tab for Michelle Obama's private vacation expenses in Spain and that 40 friends accompanied her and her daughter Sasha on the trip. In fact, the Obamas were accompanied by two of the first lady's friends and three of their daughters, and all of them, including the Obamas, reportedly paid for their own personal and travel expenses.
http://mediamatters.org/research/2010/08/09/conservative-medias-attacks-on-spain-vacation-b/168969
http://mediamatters.org/research/2010/08/09/conservative-medias-attacks-on-spain-vacation-b/168969
Go read the rest for the full list of talking heads that were screeching like banshees at the time. All that's old is new again. Here's Fox's Greta Van Susteren and how her network's blog covered this drummed up "controversy" this Monday: Off The Record: Greta Takes On the First Family's Lavish Spending:
In Greta Van Susteren’s Off the Record commentary tonight, she took on the First Family for setting a poor example.
After a two-week vacation, the White House sent out a press release saying that First Lady Michelle Obama will be staying in Hawaii.
The total cost of sending Air Force One to pick up Mrs. Obama and bring her back to D.C.: an estimated $800,000.
It is reportedly part of her birthday gift from the president. But as Greta noted, it’s the American taxpayers who are footing that bill. “It’s lavish. Is that a good message to send to Americans right now? I think not.”
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/01/06/record-greta-takes-first-familys-lavish-spending
After a two-week vacation, the White House sent out a press release saying that First Lady Michelle Obama will be staying in Hawaii.
The total cost of sending Air Force One to pick up Mrs. Obama and bring her back to D.C.: an estimated $800,000.
It is reportedly part of her birthday gift from the president. But as Greta noted, it’s the American taxpayers who are footing that bill. “It’s lavish. Is that a good message to send to Americans right now? I think not.”
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/01/06/record-greta-takes-first-familys-lavish-spending
I guess Van Susteren thinks the first lady should be flying coach. I want to know if any of these wingers ever complained about the costs when George W. Bush was in office if any of his family members dared to travel without him. I'm guessing the answer is never. I also think Van Susteran has been spending a little too much time around Sarah Palin, because her commentary above sounds like something the word-salad queen could have written for her.
cont'
http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/greta-van-susteren-continues-right-wing
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