What's wrong with Alaska politicians?
I think there's something in the water in Alaska that causes it's politicians to flat out deny reality. Just as Sarah Palin denied that she violated any ethics rules re: Troopergate when, in fact, the report concluded just that, Ted Stevens is now running around claiming that he hasn't been convicted of anything yet, despite his conviction last week on seven counts of corruption.
"I've not been convicted yet," Stevens said Thursday in a meeting with the editorial board of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. "There's not a black mark by my name yet, until the appeal is over and I am finally convicted, if that happens. If that happens, of course I'll do what's right for Alaska and for the Senate. ... I don't anticipate it happening, and until it happens I do not have a black mark."
Stevens reiterated that position during a televised debate late Thursday night, declaring early in the give-and-take with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, "I have not been convicted of anything."
[HT: Balloon Juice]
Senator Stevens is counting divine intervention, and short of that a Presidential Pardon.
Reports that stated he wanted an expedited trial because he wanted it out of the way before the election I believe are false. On the face of it that argument makes no sense. No one wants to go through a criminal trial for corruption BEFORE an election regardless of the outcome. He just wanted to make sure Bush was still in office to grant a pardon. If he hadn't requested an expedited trial his trial would most certainly concluded while potentially Obama was in office.
Good point.
The farther you are from authority the less you are bound by that authority.
I saw it in the navy. Stationed overseas discipline was much laxer than navy bases back in say Virginia.
Read your headline...SPELL CHECK!
How about EVERY politician? They all seem so out of touch with reality, that it's frightening.
Just like any other GOP politician. He doesn't think he's convicted until he's sentenced.
More cognitive dissonance.
Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps there would be more justice in him dropping dead from a massive aneuryism then spending 40 years in jail.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
Like almost all politicians, it matters not whether the Prez is a D or R, a pardon is more than likely. A sad reality.
Actually, it does matter if the Prez is a D or R. Read my letter.
The Republican Record:
http://fayfreethinkers.com/forums/viewtopic.p...
D.
Their records on job creation, etc, is all pretty much true historically. However, when it comes to pardoning politicians, both seem to be pretty much the same. Politicians stick together like flies to sh*t regardless of political affiliation.
Oh I totally see your point. I just wanted an excuse to plug my letter.
D.
Canuck in Arkansas
This is no surprise... the Repugs have been inventing their own reality for as long as I can remember... because people believe it.
Remember ..."How can 54 million people be so stupid?"
What's with this "Black Mark" crap? Does this crook think he's at day camp where you get a black mark or a gold star, and that's it? He's a criminal...his "black mark" should translate into a few years in the slammer, age or no age. People like Stevens should be made an example of.
I ask the question on this site the day after he was convicted how long would it take before he claimed to have been vindicated just like Sarah Palin claimed. Its not exactly the same but close.
From his jail cell. There are plenty of criminals sitting in jails waiting for appeals.
Maybe a truck got stuck in the tubes, blocking the message that he's been convicted.
.
Not until I go and try and win it back today. And until I lose more money, and I don't anticipate that happening, I have not lost any money.
1. over-confidence-- assuming he's right without introspection
2. single-mindedness-- mistaking bull-headedness with strength
3. blinded by ideology-- lack of discernment between interpretation of events over concrete observation of phenomena
"Perhaps the greatest form of intelligence is the ability to observe without evaluation"
--Krishnamurti
Cool. I love Krishnamurti. Actually, it's true. That is one of our goals in meditation.
(I am not only an English teacher, I'm also a certified yoga teacher. I can do that. We go to a state of "just being". We "go into the ether, and 'look down'". Float free. Problems are naught/meaningless.)
far left loon >.<
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
♥♥♥♥♥Ted Stevens♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Here you go ted.
He's going to kill himself and then the conviction will be vacated. Then he can run for re-election with a clean slate.
PS bummer your whole name doesn't show on this new format. It's a good one.
Now we don't know what jay Severin has....
No Pulitzer Prize
On 9 September 2005 during an on-air discussion of journalistic standards, Severin described himself as the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for online journalism: "But since journalism began, and up until the time at least that I took my master's degree at Boston University -- and may I add without being obnoxious, up till and including the time that I received a Pulitzer Prize for my columns for excellence in online journalism from the Columbia School of Journalism, the highest possible award for writing on the Web -- right up to and including that in 1998, you still had to practice journalism to be a journalist."[2]
Severin has not been a recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, nor does the Pulitzer Prize have a category for online journalism. It was MSNBC.com that won an Online News Association award in 2000, which was administered by Columbia University but completely unrelated to the Pulitzer Prize. Severin had a column that ran in MSNBC.com, but the award was given for the entire site.[2]
When a caller during his radio show on January 17, 2006 confronted him on this issue, Severin rebutted saying, "I never said that I won the Pulitzer Prize. I never said that ever in my life... If I was in a business of suing people, and if I had a time and money to sue the Boston Globe in particular, I will be a very rich man."[citation needed]
[edit] No Master's degree
Although for a period of 25 years Severin claimed to hold a Master's degree in Journalism from Boston University,[2][9] on 27 September 2005 the Inside Track section of the Boston Herald reported that this is not the case.[10] WTKK's web site advertises that Severin "pursued a masters degree in Journalism at Boston University," yet does not state that he received such a degree.[11] In a brief autobiographical page on his syndicated show's web site, Severin says that he was surprised to learn in 2005 that Boston University had no record of his graduation, stating "... it would appear I have no degree."[9]
AND having a small penis.
Thanks for the info Bob. Didn't know anything about the guy til now. Thought it was just a catchy screen name.
Isn't the Internet Great, I love digging up the dirt on all these phonies.
Anything on me?
Check out Dickipedia to be sure.
http://www.dickipedia.org/dick.php?title=Main...
Dickipedia doesn't have an entry for Captain Kangaroo ...yet.
far left loon >.<
Absolutely, it's our own little reference library, at home. Anyone says anything, we can find out in 0.13 seconds (google search time).
I'm sure the Repugs hate it, and how it might actually "save democracy".
far left loon >.<
It seems to me that Stevens is hoping to get off on some sort of prosecutorial technicality. He apparently has no problem with the jury’s verdict but he does have a problem with how the prosecution handled the case. I hope the judge throws his appeal out.
He's cooked. Is losing election. When he shows back up in DC his own party will avoid him like the plague. Doubt he will do prison time due to age,end of career....probably fined.
All the Mayor has to do is hold up a newspaper with the front page showing Stevens was convicted. Over. End of story.
Reslugs are always in denial until the jail door hits them in the ASS.
He is half correct and half incorrect. In fact, he is not convicted until after he is sentenced. The jury determines whether he is guilty or not guilty. The judge imposes sentence and that makes him convicted. If he dies before sentencing he dies with a clean record.
He is not correct when he says he is convicted of nothing until he has exhausted his appeals. He is convicted once the judge sentences him. As has been said above, let him appeal his conviction from the comfort of a prison cell.
He knows the difference between a guilty verdict and a sentencing. He is being deceptive on purpose (Surprise! Surprise!) He is a Harvard Law School graduate. He knows the difference.
Former public defender.
So if I'm ever convicted of a crime I can just ignore it right? Because I'm not actually convicted unless I agree to it. That's how it works now I assume.
That, and if you don't agree with the law in the first place, just ignore it. That's what bush does.
Personally, I see laws as suggestions, especially pot laws.
far left loon >.<
Do not pass go do not collect $200. If it was proper for the Democrat Governor from Alabama Don Siegelman to go immediately to jail then why hasn't this asshole?
Why do Republikkkans hate American law?
Because they are always on the wrong side of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdBsv0uCT0c
Did you know that a legal technicality can wash away your sins and make you white as snow? Stevens is hoping for one.
Along with John Poindexter.
In a nutshell, Alaska now has two gigantic "black eyes" - Sarah Palin and Ted Stevens....self-explanatory - 'nuf said.
... and several assholes: they voted for Palin.
far left loon >.<
Keep an eye out for what will occur when Spenard Building Supply is subpoenaed for investigation regarding both of their "criminal projects" - Palin's residence and the upgrading of Stevens' residence.
This is a connection which is going to take them both down - Stevens and Palin.
Ironically, the Palin's were building their "freebie home" at the same time that Sarah was awarding the multi-million dollar contract for the extravagant Wasilla Sports Complex to guess who??? SPENARD BUILDING SUPPly.
If Palin isn't indicted for criminal activity due to her illegal charges for the flights and travel expenses of her children, she will be indicted for this.
I believe that after Tuesday, Palin will crawl back to Alaska where she will be censured by her own legislature and then indicted the same as Ted Stevens has been.
She's already a "disgraced, unethical" politician by any standards - we will soon add "criminal" to that long list of negatives.
Remeber that seemingly "benign" interview with Greta and the "First Dude"?? Open mouth/insert foot - Todd Palin admitted that he and a "group of builder friends" (ahem! Like Spenard Building Supply?) actually built the house themselves.
Nothing like prima facie evidence of a crime to be used against you in court, eh, First Dud?
Didn't know about her residence. It sure sounds like her M.O. She's the type that when she gets in power she thinks she is above the law or can interpret laws to whatever is to her advantage. Thinks she can do whatever she damn well pleases. She has the same mentality of Bush. It's really sad. I agree that Alaskan's are going to find out the truth.
You libruls' are so mean. It's not like he got a blow job or something!
This was just a simple case of cronyism-corruption. What's a little corruption amongst republican's?
And now he can't vote for himself either! See, Democrats will even use the justice system to supress the vote when they aren't making up voters like republican's, uuhhmmm....(Freudian slip), I mean ACORN!
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Guess I'll go out and have a few down at the Ex-Pat Bar and see what's brewing with my mates.
We should have a place to post pictures here, I'd show some front lawns here full of Obama signs.
Night all, gonna get tipped.
I think what these Alaskan idjits fail to understand is there's a difference between being convicted and being sentenced. They haven't had the latter yet.
A successful appeal over-throws the conviction, so that means there has to be a conviction to over-throw.
And appeals are based on errors in fact or law. No new evidence is presented. So the facts will largely remain the same, unless there was prosecutorial suppression of evidence favorable to the defendant. The interpretation of law is where it'll have to swing, but video-tapes of Stevens accepting bribes will be hard to shake.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
They claim, "things just arrived at his house, and he can't be responsible if they haven't left yet." And I'll stop right there.
far left loon >.<
seems Chicago's got nothing on those folks...
Oopsie:
I think sarah was found unethical by an Alaskan ethical board, not a court. I'm not even sure there's a statute specifically about ethics. But it's the same thing from there, the board hasn't taken any further action yet.
One can commit a legal act that's not ethical, so a court may not bring up such a case, and it will be up to the voters on the ethical questions.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
It's Republicans in general.
Tom Delay is on FauxNoise smearing Obama instead of sitting in jail, where he belongs.
KKKarl KKKockroach Rove should be in the slam for contempt of Congress but is on FauxNoise, smearing Obama.
Even freaking Joe the Sam Wurzelbacher the not a plumber is working on a record contract instead of paying back taxes.
Maybe I should register as a Repiglican; I could still vote Democratic, but I'd have a "Get out of Jail Free" card.
It's a license to do whatever you please.
Aside form the closer proxiity ro the North Magnetic Pole, I couldn't tell you.
Perhaps a little off topic, but can anyone tell me what Alaskans would gain from secession if secessionists took over? Sure, they could charge you more for Alaskan oil, but they would stand to lose big in territorial disputes with Canada, and then there's Russia. Would an independent Alaska want Canadian protection for their sovereignty? (exuse me while I pick myself off the floor from LMAO!!)
Not convicted, Ted? Not guilty until after your appeal fails, Ted?
Unrepentant comments like that must make your trial judge wonder if you think you're simply above the law. I hope he reads your words back to you during sentencing, then sends you to prison for a long, long time.
Works for Ollie North. He'll tell you he was "never convicted" too.
Palin and Stevens are probably both out looking for the 'Real corrupters'.
If you need funds to pay for essentials, you have a revenue problem
If you need funds to pay for frivolity, you have a spending problem
Gold fever?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
While most appeals are handled by the U.S. Court system, it looks like this may be a case of Stevens appealing to potential low-information voters in Alaska. There are probably newspaper headlines and Alaskan news broadcast sound bites proclaiming "I haven't been convicted of anything!". This could confuse those that haven't been following the case, and give those that have been following the case an avenue by which to escape from reality and clear their conscience for a Stevens vote on Tuesday.
Sen. Stevens is a clown. In order for you to appeal something, there has to be something like, possibly a conviction to appeal. So Sen. Clown, yes you have actually been convicted.
Someone ask him why he filed an appeal if he hasn't been convicted.
it's mostly a conservative Republican thing. These conservative, authoritarian politicians truly feel that their goals are all just, and thus anything in the pursuit of these goals is just as well. In this instance Senator Stevens has seriously convinced himself that he has done nothing wrong because, hey - you don't serve the public in congress as long as he has for nothing, right?!!?
Maybe the interenets that Ted's staff sent to him on Friday explaining his 7 felony convictions won't be delivered in his email until Monday because everyone else has their internets clogging the tubes.
Stevens is a pathetic old little man.
Margeaggedon:
I realize you are speaking out of anger and dispair, but . . . .
It would be deeply unwise to ignore a guilty verdict. The judge who did the trial will give a person whom a jury has found guilty certain instructions.
These will include some or all of the following: report to probation (or pre-sentencing services in Stevens' case) and do what ever they tell you to do, do not get re-arrested, do not leave the jurisdiction (I can bet Stevens has surrendered his passport, the jurisdiction in this case being the entire U.S.). On the date of the verdict, bail may be increased. The most important instruction will be to return on the date of sentencing.
If you are facing a sentencing, a violation of any of these conditions, especially the last one, will be brought to the attention of the judge.
If you ignore the instructions you will probably get what ever the judge wanted to give you and an additional number of years for being a jerk. (Or more of a jerk in Stevens' case).
Zach:
Every SINGLE guilty verdict is appealed. Every one of them. It is a consitutional right.
I hope we go through a period now, unlike the last eight years, when constitutional law gets respect. If this administration has criminals, then lets follow the constitution, give them their full rights, and throw away the key.
Sarah Palin has completely ruined Alaska for me. I used to hear the word "Alaska" and think about a beautiful, wild place that I desperately wanted to visit some day. Now all I think about is Sarah Palin.
Ugh!
It cheeses me off because my great-great-great (and maybe then some) grand uncle bought the place for the US. It was called his folly.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
We are not at war with Afghanistan. We have never been at war with Afghanistan. We are at war with Iraq. We have always been at war with Iraq. Ted Stevens has never been convicted of crimes. Ted Stevens never will be convicted of crimes. Republicans did not deregulate the economy. Democrats deregulated the economy. Ted Stevens is not a criminal. Barack Obama will raise your taxes. Barack Obama is a socialist. Barack Obama has always been a socialist. We are at war with the socialists. We have always been at war with the socialists. John McCain is winning the election. John McCain has always been winning the election.
Everyone is equally entitled to the pursuit of happiness. Wasn't that once self evident?
Karen, You sound like McShame's campaign manager, your lies are insulting. Your brainwashed from too much faux news, talk radio. Will Tuesday's vote prove to you that you are delusional. How about Stevens getting thrown out of the senate by his own colleagues before Christmas?
P.S. It would be nice if you cousin Sarah could have started using some birth control after age 40, instead she pops out a downs syndrome crippled and wants taxpayers to pay for its Special Needs. Of course it sounds like her daughter could use a little education along the same lines. But no can't teach our children about the facts of life.
.
Taarak,
I'm stunned. Am I getting old? Are these guys 15 years old, and have never come across the book? Yikes.
Everyone is equally entitled to the pursuit of happiness. Wasn't that once self evident?
I wouldn’t be too hard on them. It’s very telling that even the most obvious right-wing talking points told in the name of irony matches so closely the rhetoric which it is meant to skewer. It seems at times the Billy, Hannity, Rush diatribes seem like parodies even when spoken by them.
Taarak:
Surely some version of Poe's Law is operating here. But, to me, that makes it even scarier!
That means the Rash Limbos and Shear Insanities of the world are approaching Newspeak even more literally than I might have acknowledged.
And sheesh, the title of my post included "Eastasia." If that doesn't cue you in, you are woefully ignorant of Orwell. That more than one poster here attacked me on this gives me cause for concern on its own.
Everyone is equally entitled to the pursuit of happiness. Wasn't that once self evident?
What's Poe's law, taking revenge on enemies and wives by plastering them into a wall?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Either that, or throwing them into a pit to watch their heads explode as they try to figure out if the pendulum is swinging left or right.
Would the Devil still accept your head on payment of a bet after it exploded?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Or any such relic.
Sorry, Karen, but the United States has never been at war in Iraq. Without a Declaration of war by the United States Congress, such a state cannot exist.
The United States is involved in an illegal and immoral occupation of Iraq as a direct result of the crimes against humanity committed by the war criminal Bush and his Republican supporters, all of whom belong in prison.
There is no point in your arguing that the scumbag Stevens is not a criminal. Face reality, Karen: Stevens is a convicted felon. It's all over for him and his supporters, honey-buns.
As for socialism, are you able to explain why the quality of life among the G-7 nations is highest in those countries that maintain the most socialist programs/policies (hint:the U.S. is at the bottom of the barrel, even behind several third-world nations in critical markers such as healthcare)? Are you even able to define what socialism is? Are you able to explain the differences between Sweden's Socialism and that employed by Israel, the socialist nation McCain, Palin and other low-life Republicans so vigorously defend? If you are so strongly against socialism, why do you support Israel?
Face reality, Karen: the Republican Party feeds on the ignorance and emotional problems of its followers.
So much for the two minutes of hate.
Holy shit! Perhaps I'm naive, but I really did not expect C&L posters to be this ignorant of 20th Century literature --- particularly the highly relevant 1984.
So, to vwkgcv71 and tiktokklok: Congratulations. You are the most ignorant and foolish C&L-ers ever. Please stop giving people on our side a bad name, and read Orwell's classic.
Wow. Just . . . wow. How sad.
Everyone is equally entitled to the pursuit of happiness. Wasn't that once self evident?
...you admit that you know nothing at all about socialism or Constitutional Law.
Go back to your right-wing forum, you fraud.
...and Poe's Paradox rears its head.
tiktokkok,
How can I do this politely? You are making a fool of yourself. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm trying to save you more embarrassment. Please read 1984. Or at least google it. Then you'll know why I posted as I did.
By the way, all you have to do to know I'm not a right winger is click my name, and read my other comments. (I see that you've been a member here for a grand 3 hours.) And, uh, don't start a debate with me about Constitutional Law, since I specialized in it in law school. ;)
Seriously, 1984 is a fantastic and magnificent book. Not to mention very important. You'll learn a lot.
Everyone is equally entitled to the pursuit of happiness. Wasn't that once self evident?
"It's like talking Fungo to a martian."
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
I'm beginning to think we need a constitutional crisis regarding the War Powers act of 1973. Every president supposedly has been against the act since then. If I remember the act aright once forces have been committed in an emergency police act the president has 60 days to report to Congress to authorize it, and then has to renew it every 90 days. boosh never seemed to follow any of those formalities in the past 7.5 years, beyond the initial AUMF, which technically he didn't fulfill either.
But since 1973 the WPA has never been tested in practice or in court. Skirmishes like in Grenada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the first Iraq hostilities were too short to make it necessary. Until a president declares a police action emergency, and the Congress refuses to finance it, or it ends up in court in some other manner, we are going to be left in an ambiguous state.
And since there was almost unchecked Police Powers before 1973, and they haven't been tested since then, by custom and usage and precedent the restrictions barely seem to exist in actuality.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Now that I think of it no war was declared when President Washington personally led the troops in to suppress the Whiskey Revolt, and President Lincoln was careful not to call what the South as doing as war. He called it an insurrection. So I'm not sure how they declared war on the South. The understanding at the time was that by declaring war, you were recognizing your opposition as a Nation, since only Nations fought wars against other Nations. Meanwhile Great Britain was poised to help the South, primarily for access to their cotton. But Lincoln pulled the rug out from under them by this linguistic sleight-of-hands. Meanwhile Britain got access to the cotton of India.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I always wanted to work in the Department of Pornography.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
[Deleted. Do not advocate violence at this site. Thank you. Site Monitor]
it reminds me of rush limbaugh 'doctor shopping' trial. instead of going to trial the judge said 'okay, youre not a threat to society (hold your comments, please), so instead of going to trial for which youd certainly be convicted, you have to go to rehab and do some community service and then the charges will be dropped.'
after this limbaugh went on the air and said 'hear that liberals? the judge said im not guilty...NOT...GUILTY...sorry to disappoint, and now you can drop it.'
even though he was not found guilty/not guilty except by the stretch 'innocent until proven guilty means that if the judge doesnt actually SAY guilty, its because he found me not guilty'
The plea bargain system run-amok in this country does well for those who are guilty. It does little to help those who are innocent. Just as “Not Guilty” does not mean you are innocent, a plea-bargain DOES mean you are Guilty – at least in the eyes of the Court System.
It worked out well for Rush though.
Alaska produced Ernie Gruening, one of the first national pols who recognized that the VietNam War was wrong.
He was a Democrat and Senator from the state.
Bill Egan was an honest governor. He was a Democrat.
It's the natural arrogance of Republicans.
I'm sure there are many lovely people in Alaska, but right now, we have Sarah Palin and it's a Cold Civil War.
far left loon >.<
Senilty perhaps. It just can't be true. I am an "honourable man"???? Disconnect. Disbelief.
If he has been convicted how can he run for office?
far left loon >.<
.
It's the glaciers, I tell ya. What with all the melting, these glaciers are releasing the trapped toxins they've held onto for a millennial, or so...
[/snark]
.
Starve the WAR Beast...
... Save the World.
a must see for this election day... because this could be you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGF-HEd6XnA
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