http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=268_1202678840
Alleged FBI 'InfraGard' program prepares businesses to “shoot to kill” during martial law
FBI Director Robert Mueller addressed an InfraGard convention on August 9, 2005.
The FBI Deputizes Business
Matthew Rothschild -- The Progressive
-- Jan. 7, 2008 -- Today, more than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The members of this rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does -- and, at least on one occasion, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. But there may be more to it than that. One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to “shoot to kill” in the event of martial law.
InfraGard is “a child of the FBI,” says Michael Hershman, the chairman of the advisory board of the InfraGard National Members Alliance and CEO of the Fairfax Group, an international consulting firm.
InfraGard started in Cleveland back in 1996, when the private sector there cooperated with the FBI to investigate cyber threats.
“Then the FBI cloned it,” says Phyllis Schneck, chairman of the board of directors of the InfraGard National Members Alliance, and the prime mover behind the growth of InfraGard over the last several years.
InfraGard itself is still an FBI operation, with FBI agents in each state overseeing the local InfraGard chapters. (There are now eighty-six of them.) The alliance is a nonprofit organization of private sector InfraGard members.
“We are the owners, operators, and experts of our critical infrastructure, from the CEO of a large company in agriculture or high finance to the guy who turns the valve at the water utility,” says Schneck, who by day is the vice president of research integration at Secure Computing.
“At its most basic level, InfraGard is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the private sector,” the InfraGard website states. “InfraGard chapters are geographically linked with FBI Field Office territories.”
In November 2001, InfraGard had around 1,700 members. As of late January, InfraGard had 23,682 members, according to its website, www.infragard.net, which adds that “350 of our nation’s Fortune 500 have a representative in InfraGard.”
To join, each person must be sponsored by “an existing InfraGard member, chapter, or partner organization.” The FBI then vets the applicant. On the application form, prospective members are asked which aspect of the critical infrastructure their organization deals with. These include: agriculture, banking and finance, the chemical industry, defense, energy, food, information and telecommunications, law enforcement, public health, and transportation.
FBI Director Robert Mueller addressed an InfraGard convention on August 9, 2005. At that time, the group had less than half as many members as it does today. “To date, there are more than 11,000 members of InfraGard,” he said. “From our perspective that amounts to 11,000 contacts . . . and 11,000 partners in our mission to protect America.” He added a little later, “Those of you in the private sector are the first line of defense.”
He urged InfraGard members to contact the FBI if they “note suspicious activity or an unusual event.” And he said they could sic the FBI on “disgruntled employees who will use knowledge gained on the job against their employers.”
In an interview with InfraGard after the conference, which is featured prominently on the InfraGard members’ website, Mueller says: “It’s a great program.”
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hillary Clinton, Walter Cronkite and World Government
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=903_1202919850
Hillary Clinton, Walter Cronkite and World Government
Ever heard of the World Federalist Association (they changed their name to Citizens for Global Solutions)? They OPENLY support one world government and that's what they call it themselves. I have a video right here of Walter Cronkite receiving an award from them and HILLARY CLINTON congratulating him. Don't believe me? Here's the video:
Listen Cronkite says, "First we Americans are going to have to yield up some of our sovereignty, and that to many is going to be a bitter pill."
Cronkite goes on to say, "Today we must develop federal structures on a global level. To deal with world problems, we need a system of enforceable world law. A democratic, federal world government." AND THEN he bluntly states that the other 200 sovereignties in our "global village" are going to have to give up sovereignty to the greater, better union. Followed by applause. Walter Cronkite was the anchor-man on the CBS evening news for 19 years. He was also the voice at Bohemian Grove. You know, where they give those evil sounding sermons and perform mock human sacrifices for Moloch (a demon out of the bible who eats children).
He also talks about how some politicians pander to the religious right-wing and stand in the way of world government. Then he says, "Join me, I'm glad to sit here at the right hand of Satan." That might be funny if he was really joking and didn't actually support world government and participate in rituals and mock-human sacrifices to demons. (Google: Bohemian Grove)
Watch the video all the way to the end, where Hillary Clinton congratulates him, and then Michael Douglas can be seen walking up to make a speech.
Like I said, anybody who denies the push for world government is in complete and utter denial.
Hillary Clinton, Walter Cronkite and World Government
Ever heard of the World Federalist Association (they changed their name to Citizens for Global Solutions)? They OPENLY support one world government and that's what they call it themselves. I have a video right here of Walter Cronkite receiving an award from them and HILLARY CLINTON congratulating him. Don't believe me? Here's the video:
Listen Cronkite says, "First we Americans are going to have to yield up some of our sovereignty, and that to many is going to be a bitter pill."
Cronkite goes on to say, "Today we must develop federal structures on a global level. To deal with world problems, we need a system of enforceable world law. A democratic, federal world government." AND THEN he bluntly states that the other 200 sovereignties in our "global village" are going to have to give up sovereignty to the greater, better union. Followed by applause. Walter Cronkite was the anchor-man on the CBS evening news for 19 years. He was also the voice at Bohemian Grove. You know, where they give those evil sounding sermons and perform mock human sacrifices for Moloch (a demon out of the bible who eats children).
He also talks about how some politicians pander to the religious right-wing and stand in the way of world government. Then he says, "Join me, I'm glad to sit here at the right hand of Satan." That might be funny if he was really joking and didn't actually support world government and participate in rituals and mock-human sacrifices to demons. (Google: Bohemian Grove)
Watch the video all the way to the end, where Hillary Clinton congratulates him, and then Michael Douglas can be seen walking up to make a speech.
Like I said, anybody who denies the push for world government is in complete and utter denial.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Mexican president foresees friendlier U.S. stance on Immigration
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-calderon7feb07,0,3213962.story
Mexican president foresees friendlier U.S.
In a wide-ranging interview, Felipe Calderon sees a better chance for immigrants to gain legal status in the next administration.
By Héctor Tobar, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 7, 2008
MEXICO CITY -- President Felipe Calderon said Wednesday that a shifting political climate in the U.S. could improve the chances that a new administration in Washington will help bring a comprehensive reform law that would legalize the status of Mexican immigrants.
In a wide-ranging conversation with The Times, Calderon, scheduled to visit California next week, also addressed the decline of the government-owned oil fields and the war against drug traffickers that has claimed thousands of lives.
"My hope is that whoever the next president is, and whoever is in the new [U.S.] Congress, will have a broader and more comprehensive view" of the immigration problem, Calderon said. Speaking at the presidential residence Los Pinos on the morning after the Super Tuesday presidential primaries in the U.S., Calderon said he took heart from the results, though he did not mention specific candidates.
"It seems to me that the most radical and anti-immigrant candidates have been left behind and have been put in their place by their own electorate," Calderon said.
He arrives in Sacramento on Feb. 13 on the final leg of a five-day U.S. trip that will also take him to Chicago, Boston and New York to visit local officials and representatives of Mexican immigrant communities.
In Sacramento, he is scheduled to meet with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Latino legislators. In Los Angeles the following day, he is to meet Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and migrant groups' representatives assembled by the nine Mexican consulates in California.
He will tell fellow Mexican citizens "that we are actively working to defend their human rights," Calderon said. "No matter their immigration status, they are human beings with dignity and rights that should be respected. We are working, with the full effort of the government, to bring a halt to the campaigns that harass migrants."
Calderon said one goal of his trip, which will include a talk Monday at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, was to build public support for an immigration reform law that would allow millions of Mexicans to work in the U.S.
He said Americans would recognize "sooner or later" that the health of the U.S. economy is linked to integration with its neighbor and "the increased flow of goods, services, investment" between the two countries "and also greater freedom in labor markets."
Such liberal economic orthodoxy also informs Calderon's beliefs about the policies that can best create jobs in Mexico and slow the annual flight of thousands of his countrymen northward.
Despite criticisms from farmers that the North American Free Trade Agreement is ruining Mexican agriculture and spurring migration to the U.S., Calderon said he remained a firm believer in the power of free markets to improve the lot of Mexico's rural poor.
"The truth is that exports from the Mexican countryside have increased fourfold since NAFTA" was implemented, Calderon said.
Still, the federal government will continue to provide $20 billion in annual farm subsidies. And to ameliorate the effect of the U.S. economic slowdown on the Mexican economy, Calderon is proposing a massive series of public works projects and other measures.
On Wednesday, Calderon announced the creation of a $25-billion fund to build highways, bridges and other infrastructure projects so that "we don't have to depend on the external motor of the U.S. economy" to keep Mexico growing.
Calderon also warned that the Mexican people faced difficult decisions related to the declining production of the country's oil fields, the government's main source of foreign revenue.
With reserves in its aging offshore Cantarell field diminishing, the state-owned oil company Pemex needs funds to pay for exploration in the deeper waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The money, Calderon said, could come only from two sources: reducing government spending for public services or looking to the example of China, Norway and Brazil, where the state-owned oil companies benefit from private investment.
Private investment in Pemex has been a political poison pill in Mexico, where the publicly owned natural resource is considered by many a pillar of national sovereignty.
"This is a problem we should resolve now so as not to place future generations in danger," Calderon said. "I've always worked from the assumption that Pemex will not be privatized. But I am sure there will be a more understanding environment to objectively evaluate what's best for Pemex."
Whereas declining oil revenue is a long-term challenge, the most immediate threat Calderon faces is organized crime. Violence linked to drug trafficking has claimed more than 2,000 lives since Calderon took office in December 2006.
Despite progress, including the arrest of more than 20,000 organized-crime suspects and huge hauls of illicit drugs and cash, much work remains to be done, Calderon said.
Drug traffickers are a dominant presence in several border cities and many rural towns.
"Victory will be achieved when the authorities have complete control over their own territory . . . when the authorities have total command over and complete faith in the police forces," he said.
U.S. legislators are debating a $550-million proposal by the Bush administration to assist Mexico and Central America in the battle against traffickers.
"This is a battle in which Mexico obviously needs the help of the United States to win," Calderon said.
hector.tobar@latimes.com
------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
MEXICO - YOUR PROBLEMS ARE TOO MANY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO FIX. Take some responsibility and your oil reserves and fix the problems yourself. Everytime you look to American to fix your problems you are causing the rift between us to widen.
He will tell fellow Mexican citizens "that we are actively working to defend their human rights," Calderon said. "No matter their immigration status, they are human beings with dignity and rights that should be respected. We are working, with the full effort of the government, to bring a halt to the campaigns that harass migrants."
I KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM - SEND THEM BACK TO MEXICO and guess what... THEIR RIGHTS WILL BE PRESERVED. When you come here illegally you HAVE NO RIGHTS in my opinion.. you chose a life of hiding. YOU CAN GET IN LINE AND COME HERE LEGALLY, GET A GOOD JOB LEGALLY, PAY TAXES LIKE THE REST OF US, AND THEN YOU GET YOUR RIGHTS.
Welcome to the United States of America, don't forget your green card.
Mexican president foresees friendlier U.S.
In a wide-ranging interview, Felipe Calderon sees a better chance for immigrants to gain legal status in the next administration.
By Héctor Tobar, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 7, 2008
MEXICO CITY -- President Felipe Calderon said Wednesday that a shifting political climate in the U.S. could improve the chances that a new administration in Washington will help bring a comprehensive reform law that would legalize the status of Mexican immigrants.
In a wide-ranging conversation with The Times, Calderon, scheduled to visit California next week, also addressed the decline of the government-owned oil fields and the war against drug traffickers that has claimed thousands of lives.
"My hope is that whoever the next president is, and whoever is in the new [U.S.] Congress, will have a broader and more comprehensive view" of the immigration problem, Calderon said. Speaking at the presidential residence Los Pinos on the morning after the Super Tuesday presidential primaries in the U.S., Calderon said he took heart from the results, though he did not mention specific candidates.
"It seems to me that the most radical and anti-immigrant candidates have been left behind and have been put in their place by their own electorate," Calderon said.
He arrives in Sacramento on Feb. 13 on the final leg of a five-day U.S. trip that will also take him to Chicago, Boston and New York to visit local officials and representatives of Mexican immigrant communities.
In Sacramento, he is scheduled to meet with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Latino legislators. In Los Angeles the following day, he is to meet Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and migrant groups' representatives assembled by the nine Mexican consulates in California.
He will tell fellow Mexican citizens "that we are actively working to defend their human rights," Calderon said. "No matter their immigration status, they are human beings with dignity and rights that should be respected. We are working, with the full effort of the government, to bring a halt to the campaigns that harass migrants."
Calderon said one goal of his trip, which will include a talk Monday at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, was to build public support for an immigration reform law that would allow millions of Mexicans to work in the U.S.
He said Americans would recognize "sooner or later" that the health of the U.S. economy is linked to integration with its neighbor and "the increased flow of goods, services, investment" between the two countries "and also greater freedom in labor markets."
Such liberal economic orthodoxy also informs Calderon's beliefs about the policies that can best create jobs in Mexico and slow the annual flight of thousands of his countrymen northward.
Despite criticisms from farmers that the North American Free Trade Agreement is ruining Mexican agriculture and spurring migration to the U.S., Calderon said he remained a firm believer in the power of free markets to improve the lot of Mexico's rural poor.
"The truth is that exports from the Mexican countryside have increased fourfold since NAFTA" was implemented, Calderon said.
Still, the federal government will continue to provide $20 billion in annual farm subsidies. And to ameliorate the effect of the U.S. economic slowdown on the Mexican economy, Calderon is proposing a massive series of public works projects and other measures.
On Wednesday, Calderon announced the creation of a $25-billion fund to build highways, bridges and other infrastructure projects so that "we don't have to depend on the external motor of the U.S. economy" to keep Mexico growing.
Calderon also warned that the Mexican people faced difficult decisions related to the declining production of the country's oil fields, the government's main source of foreign revenue.
With reserves in its aging offshore Cantarell field diminishing, the state-owned oil company Pemex needs funds to pay for exploration in the deeper waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The money, Calderon said, could come only from two sources: reducing government spending for public services or looking to the example of China, Norway and Brazil, where the state-owned oil companies benefit from private investment.
Private investment in Pemex has been a political poison pill in Mexico, where the publicly owned natural resource is considered by many a pillar of national sovereignty.
"This is a problem we should resolve now so as not to place future generations in danger," Calderon said. "I've always worked from the assumption that Pemex will not be privatized. But I am sure there will be a more understanding environment to objectively evaluate what's best for Pemex."
Whereas declining oil revenue is a long-term challenge, the most immediate threat Calderon faces is organized crime. Violence linked to drug trafficking has claimed more than 2,000 lives since Calderon took office in December 2006.
Despite progress, including the arrest of more than 20,000 organized-crime suspects and huge hauls of illicit drugs and cash, much work remains to be done, Calderon said.
Drug traffickers are a dominant presence in several border cities and many rural towns.
"Victory will be achieved when the authorities have complete control over their own territory . . . when the authorities have total command over and complete faith in the police forces," he said.
U.S. legislators are debating a $550-million proposal by the Bush administration to assist Mexico and Central America in the battle against traffickers.
"This is a battle in which Mexico obviously needs the help of the United States to win," Calderon said.
hector.tobar@latimes.com
------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
MEXICO - YOUR PROBLEMS ARE TOO MANY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO FIX. Take some responsibility and your oil reserves and fix the problems yourself. Everytime you look to American to fix your problems you are causing the rift between us to widen.
He will tell fellow Mexican citizens "that we are actively working to defend their human rights," Calderon said. "No matter their immigration status, they are human beings with dignity and rights that should be respected. We are working, with the full effort of the government, to bring a halt to the campaigns that harass migrants."
I KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM - SEND THEM BACK TO MEXICO and guess what... THEIR RIGHTS WILL BE PRESERVED. When you come here illegally you HAVE NO RIGHTS in my opinion.. you chose a life of hiding. YOU CAN GET IN LINE AND COME HERE LEGALLY, GET A GOOD JOB LEGALLY, PAY TAXES LIKE THE REST OF US, AND THEN YOU GET YOUR RIGHTS.
Welcome to the United States of America, don't forget your green card.
Anti-illegal immigration Hazleton mayor running for Congress
http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/02/07/2008-02-07_antiillegal_immigration_hazleton_mayor_r-1.html
Anti-illegal immigration Hazleton mayor running for Congress THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, February 7th 2008, 2:48 PM
Hazleton, PA. Mayor Lou Barletta.
HAZLETON, Pa. - Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, who has gained a national following with his get-tough approach to illegal immigration, is running for Congress.
Barletta announced Thursday that he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent 12-term Democratic Rep. Paul Kanjorski, who represents a heavily Democratic district in northeastern Pennsylvania.
"I realized that I'm not just fighting for Hazleton any more. I'm fighting for people all over the country who want their voices heard," Barletta said.
"I've done as much as I can fighting illegal immigration as the mayor of a city. I need to take this fight to Washington, because that's where the problem needs to be fixed."
Barletta, who was courted heavily by Republicans and had been widely expected to run, announced his entry into the race Thursday afternoon at a news conference packed with supporters.
Kanjorski, who defeated Barletta in 2002 by more than 13 percentage points, did not immediately return a phone call.
In a statement Thursday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee accused Barletta of favoring the privatization of Social Security and "gambling with our seniors' retirement savings," a line of attack Democrats hope will resonate in a district whose population is largely elderly.
Barletta said voters want change.
Kanjorski is "not my enemy, but he represents what Congress is about," said Barletta, who just began a third term as mayor. "Congress has failed us. People recognize that every time they fill their car up with fuel, or look at their paycheck. You can't fool the American people any longer."
Premising his campaign on opposition to illegal immigration, Barletta said he wants to secure the nation's borders, airports and seaports; target criminals who supply fraudulent documents to illegal immigrants; go after "sanctuary cities" that shelter them; and "crack down on businesses that are hiring illegal immigrants, who are profiting from cheap labor and depressing the wages of the American worker."
Barletta has sought to make his city of 30,000 inhospitable to illegal immigrants, whom he says are responsible for violent crime, graffiti, and overburdened schools and hospitals.
At Barletta's urging, Hazleton City Council in 2006 approved the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which sought to deny business permits to companies that employ illegal immigrants, fine landlords who rent to them and require tenants to register and pay for a rental permit.
Anti-illegal immigration activists hailed Barletta's approach, and he became a fixture on cable TV and talk radio, advocating his view that illegal immigrants are wrecking the country and that local governments can no longer wait for federal action to do something about it.
Federal courts have split on the question of whether cities and towns may take steps to curb illegal immigration. A federal judge in July struck down Hazleton's ordinance as unconstitutional, but another judge upheld a similar measure in Valley Park, Mo., last week.
Critics say Hazleton-style measures discriminate against Hispanics and trample on the federal government's exclusive power to regulate immigration.
Kanjorski's district is a largely blue-collar area where illegal immigration is a hot-button issue. Anticipating that Barletta would run, the incumbent in recent months has sought to portray himself as tough on illegal immigration.
He sent a four-page color mailer to constituents in October headlined "Congressman Paul Kanjorski: Tough on Illegal Immigration." And he recently told an audience in the Poconos that "closing the border is practical."
Ed Mitchell, Kanjorski's longtime campaign consultant, said he believes he would prevail in a rematch with Barletta.
"The congressman has a dynamic record of delivering to the people of the 11th District," he said. "Mr. Barletta's candidacy seems to be premised on his record on illegal immigration, but even Mr. Barletta has said there is very little difference between the congressman and his record on this issue."
Kanjorski, who has yet to announce his re-election, had about $1.5 million in his campaign account as of Dec. 31. Barletta starts out his campaign more than $153,000 in debt, but he said he now has a national donor base and can raise money quickly.
"I believe there are a lot of people around this country who are looking for this kind of leadership," Barletta said.
-------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
I'd VOTE FOR YOU FOR PRESIDENT!!! GO FOR IT!!!!!!
Anti-illegal immigration Hazleton mayor running for Congress THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, February 7th 2008, 2:48 PM
Hazleton, PA. Mayor Lou Barletta.
HAZLETON, Pa. - Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, who has gained a national following with his get-tough approach to illegal immigration, is running for Congress.
Barletta announced Thursday that he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent 12-term Democratic Rep. Paul Kanjorski, who represents a heavily Democratic district in northeastern Pennsylvania.
"I realized that I'm not just fighting for Hazleton any more. I'm fighting for people all over the country who want their voices heard," Barletta said.
"I've done as much as I can fighting illegal immigration as the mayor of a city. I need to take this fight to Washington, because that's where the problem needs to be fixed."
Barletta, who was courted heavily by Republicans and had been widely expected to run, announced his entry into the race Thursday afternoon at a news conference packed with supporters.
Kanjorski, who defeated Barletta in 2002 by more than 13 percentage points, did not immediately return a phone call.
In a statement Thursday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee accused Barletta of favoring the privatization of Social Security and "gambling with our seniors' retirement savings," a line of attack Democrats hope will resonate in a district whose population is largely elderly.
Barletta said voters want change.
Kanjorski is "not my enemy, but he represents what Congress is about," said Barletta, who just began a third term as mayor. "Congress has failed us. People recognize that every time they fill their car up with fuel, or look at their paycheck. You can't fool the American people any longer."
Premising his campaign on opposition to illegal immigration, Barletta said he wants to secure the nation's borders, airports and seaports; target criminals who supply fraudulent documents to illegal immigrants; go after "sanctuary cities" that shelter them; and "crack down on businesses that are hiring illegal immigrants, who are profiting from cheap labor and depressing the wages of the American worker."
Barletta has sought to make his city of 30,000 inhospitable to illegal immigrants, whom he says are responsible for violent crime, graffiti, and overburdened schools and hospitals.
At Barletta's urging, Hazleton City Council in 2006 approved the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which sought to deny business permits to companies that employ illegal immigrants, fine landlords who rent to them and require tenants to register and pay for a rental permit.
Anti-illegal immigration activists hailed Barletta's approach, and he became a fixture on cable TV and talk radio, advocating his view that illegal immigrants are wrecking the country and that local governments can no longer wait for federal action to do something about it.
Federal courts have split on the question of whether cities and towns may take steps to curb illegal immigration. A federal judge in July struck down Hazleton's ordinance as unconstitutional, but another judge upheld a similar measure in Valley Park, Mo., last week.
Critics say Hazleton-style measures discriminate against Hispanics and trample on the federal government's exclusive power to regulate immigration.
Kanjorski's district is a largely blue-collar area where illegal immigration is a hot-button issue. Anticipating that Barletta would run, the incumbent in recent months has sought to portray himself as tough on illegal immigration.
He sent a four-page color mailer to constituents in October headlined "Congressman Paul Kanjorski: Tough on Illegal Immigration." And he recently told an audience in the Poconos that "closing the border is practical."
Ed Mitchell, Kanjorski's longtime campaign consultant, said he believes he would prevail in a rematch with Barletta.
"The congressman has a dynamic record of delivering to the people of the 11th District," he said. "Mr. Barletta's candidacy seems to be premised on his record on illegal immigration, but even Mr. Barletta has said there is very little difference between the congressman and his record on this issue."
Kanjorski, who has yet to announce his re-election, had about $1.5 million in his campaign account as of Dec. 31. Barletta starts out his campaign more than $153,000 in debt, but he said he now has a national donor base and can raise money quickly.
"I believe there are a lot of people around this country who are looking for this kind of leadership," Barletta said.
-------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
I'd VOTE FOR YOU FOR PRESIDENT!!! GO FOR IT!!!!!!
Climate Change: Not every scientist is part of Al Gore's mythical "consensus."
http://ibdeditorial.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=287279412587175
The Sun Also Sets
By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Thursday, February 07, 2008 4:20 PM PT
Climate Change: Not every scientist is part of Al Gore's mythical "consensus." Scientists worried about a new ice age seek funding to better observe something bigger than your SUV — the sun.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in 1991, before Al Gore first shouted that the Earth was in the balance, the Danish Meteorological Institute released a study using data that went back centuries that showed that global temperatures closely tracked solar cycles.
To many, those data were convincing. Now, Canadian scientists are seeking additional funding for more and better "eyes" with which to observe our sun, which has a bigger impact on Earth's climate than all the tailpipes and smokestacks on our planet combined.
And they're worried about global cooling, not warming.
Kenneth Tapping, a solar researcher and project director for Canada's National Research Council, is among those looking at the sun for evidence of an increase in sunspot activity.
Solar activity fluctuates in an 11-year cycle. But so far in this cycle, the sun has been disturbingly quiet. The lack of increased activity could signal the beginning of what is known as a Maunder Minimum, an event which occurs every couple of centuries and can last as long as a century.
Such an event occurred in the 17th century. The observation of sunspots showed extraordinarily low levels of magnetism on the sun, with little or no 11-year cycle.
This solar hibernation corresponded with a period of bitter cold that began around 1650 and lasted, with intermittent spikes of warming, until 1715. Frigid winters and cold summers during that period led to massive crop failures, famine and death in Northern Europe.
Tapping reports no change in the sun's magnetic field so far this cycle and warns that if the sun remains quiet for another year or two, it may indicate a repeat of that period of drastic cooling of the Earth, bringing massive snowfall and severe weather to the Northern Hemisphere.
Tapping oversees the operation of a 60-year-old radio telescope that he calls a "stethoscope for the sun." But he and his colleagues need better equipment.
In Canada, where radio-telescopic monitoring of the sun has been conducted since the end of World War II, a new instrument, the next-generation solar flux monitor, could measure the sun's emissions more rapidly and accurately.
As we have noted many times, perhaps the biggest impact on the Earth's climate over time has been the sun.
For instance, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Solar Research in Germany report the sun has been burning more brightly over the last 60 years, accounting for the 1 degree Celsius increase in Earth's temperature over the last 100 years.
R. Timothy Patterson, professor of geology and director of the Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Center of Canada's Carleton University, says that "CO2 variations show little correlation with our planet's climate on long, medium and even short time scales."
Rather, he says, "I and the first-class scientists I work with are consistently finding excellent correlations between the regular fluctuations of the sun and earthly climate. This is not surprising. The sun and the stars are the ultimate source of energy on this planet."
Patterson, sharing Tapping's concern, says: "Solar scientists predict that, by 2020, the sun will be starting into its weakest Schwabe cycle of the past two centuries, likely leading to unusually cool conditions on Earth."
"Solar activity has overpowered any effect that CO2 has had before, and it most likely will again," Patterson says. "If we were to have even a medium-sized solar minimum, we could be looking at a lot more bad effects than 'global warming' would have had."
In 2005, Russian astronomer Khabibullo Abdusamatov made some waves — and not a few enemies in the global warming "community" — by predicting that the sun would reach a peak of activity about three years from now, to be accompanied by "dramatic changes" in temperatures.
A Hoover Institution Study a few years back examined historical data and came to a similar conclusion.
"The effects of solar activity and volcanoes are impossible to miss. Temperatures fluctuated exactly as expected, and the pattern was so clear that, statistically, the odds of the correlation existing by chance were one in 100," according to Hoover fellow Bruce Berkowitz.
The study says that "try as we might, we simply could not find any relationship between industrial activity, energy consumption and changes in global temperatures."
The study concludes that if you shut down all the world's power plants and factories, "there would not be much effect on temperatures."
But if the sun shuts down, we've got a problem. It is the sun, not the Earth, that's hanging in the balance.
The Sun Also Sets
By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Thursday, February 07, 2008 4:20 PM PT
Climate Change: Not every scientist is part of Al Gore's mythical "consensus." Scientists worried about a new ice age seek funding to better observe something bigger than your SUV — the sun.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in 1991, before Al Gore first shouted that the Earth was in the balance, the Danish Meteorological Institute released a study using data that went back centuries that showed that global temperatures closely tracked solar cycles.
To many, those data were convincing. Now, Canadian scientists are seeking additional funding for more and better "eyes" with which to observe our sun, which has a bigger impact on Earth's climate than all the tailpipes and smokestacks on our planet combined.
And they're worried about global cooling, not warming.
Kenneth Tapping, a solar researcher and project director for Canada's National Research Council, is among those looking at the sun for evidence of an increase in sunspot activity.
Solar activity fluctuates in an 11-year cycle. But so far in this cycle, the sun has been disturbingly quiet. The lack of increased activity could signal the beginning of what is known as a Maunder Minimum, an event which occurs every couple of centuries and can last as long as a century.
Such an event occurred in the 17th century. The observation of sunspots showed extraordinarily low levels of magnetism on the sun, with little or no 11-year cycle.
This solar hibernation corresponded with a period of bitter cold that began around 1650 and lasted, with intermittent spikes of warming, until 1715. Frigid winters and cold summers during that period led to massive crop failures, famine and death in Northern Europe.
Tapping reports no change in the sun's magnetic field so far this cycle and warns that if the sun remains quiet for another year or two, it may indicate a repeat of that period of drastic cooling of the Earth, bringing massive snowfall and severe weather to the Northern Hemisphere.
Tapping oversees the operation of a 60-year-old radio telescope that he calls a "stethoscope for the sun." But he and his colleagues need better equipment.
In Canada, where radio-telescopic monitoring of the sun has been conducted since the end of World War II, a new instrument, the next-generation solar flux monitor, could measure the sun's emissions more rapidly and accurately.
As we have noted many times, perhaps the biggest impact on the Earth's climate over time has been the sun.
For instance, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Solar Research in Germany report the sun has been burning more brightly over the last 60 years, accounting for the 1 degree Celsius increase in Earth's temperature over the last 100 years.
R. Timothy Patterson, professor of geology and director of the Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Center of Canada's Carleton University, says that "CO2 variations show little correlation with our planet's climate on long, medium and even short time scales."
Rather, he says, "I and the first-class scientists I work with are consistently finding excellent correlations between the regular fluctuations of the sun and earthly climate. This is not surprising. The sun and the stars are the ultimate source of energy on this planet."
Patterson, sharing Tapping's concern, says: "Solar scientists predict that, by 2020, the sun will be starting into its weakest Schwabe cycle of the past two centuries, likely leading to unusually cool conditions on Earth."
"Solar activity has overpowered any effect that CO2 has had before, and it most likely will again," Patterson says. "If we were to have even a medium-sized solar minimum, we could be looking at a lot more bad effects than 'global warming' would have had."
In 2005, Russian astronomer Khabibullo Abdusamatov made some waves — and not a few enemies in the global warming "community" — by predicting that the sun would reach a peak of activity about three years from now, to be accompanied by "dramatic changes" in temperatures.
A Hoover Institution Study a few years back examined historical data and came to a similar conclusion.
"The effects of solar activity and volcanoes are impossible to miss. Temperatures fluctuated exactly as expected, and the pattern was so clear that, statistically, the odds of the correlation existing by chance were one in 100," according to Hoover fellow Bruce Berkowitz.
The study says that "try as we might, we simply could not find any relationship between industrial activity, energy consumption and changes in global temperatures."
The study concludes that if you shut down all the world's power plants and factories, "there would not be much effect on temperatures."
But if the sun shuts down, we've got a problem. It is the sun, not the Earth, that's hanging in the balance.
Heads to roll? Mexican trucks in U.S. sparks firing call
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=55778
Heads to roll? Mexican trucks in U.S. sparks firing call
Transportation secretary 'breaking law' by allowing foreign vehicles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 06, 2008
By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A poster urging the firing of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters on display at the Navy Yard Metro stop near the DOT building in Washington, D.C.
Teamsters are launching a nationwide campaign to fire U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters for what they say is her "unlawful decision" to keep the American border open to Mexican trucks.
As WND reported, the Bush administration has decided to ignore a provision passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush as part of the 2008 omnibus spending bill that was intended to remove funding from the 2008 DOT appropriations bill for the Mexican truck demonstration project.
"It's a disgrace that Mary Peters is still in office," said Teamsters General President James Hoffa in a news release today. "She has broken the law and defied the will of the American people by exposing them to dangerous trucks from Mexico."
The Teamsters have created FireMaryPeters.com, a website complete with downloadable "Fire Mary Peters" windshield signs, recommended actions and an e-mail component urging citizens to ask their elected representatives to find Mary Peters in contempt of Congress.
The Teamsters have mailed a "Fire Mary Peters" bumper sticker to thousands of union members and supporters.
"Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is the latest member of the Bush administration to break the law," the Teamster website proclaims. "She continues to give dangerous Mexican trucks access to our highways despite overwhelmingly bipartisan measures passed by Congress and signed by President Bush."
The Teamsters have also placed posters and floor graphics in the Navy Yard Metro stop in Washington, D.C., near the DOT building.
Planned as well is a leafleting campaign at the Metro stop, where DOT employees will be handed cards asking them to call a "Fire Mary Peters" hotline to report other laws Peters has broken.
Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is labeled 'lawbreaker' in this bumper sticker campaign
A "Fire Mary Peters" radio ad prepared by the Teamsters can be heard on the website.
A series of videos on the website shows a Teamster rally at the San Diego border and testimony Hoffa has given Congress opposing NAFTA.
The "Fire Mary Peters" campaign has a special focus in Peters' home state of Arizona, where letters and bumper stickers have been mailed to thousands of Teamsters, urging them to take action.
Although not yet announced, widespread rumors persist that Peters is planning to run for governor of Arizona in 2010.
In a separate legal action, the Teamsters Union will argue in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Feb. 12 that Peters broke federal laws aimed at ensuring American voters are not endangered by allowing Mexican trucks on U.S. roads.
WND telephoned the Department of Transportation asking for comment on this story, but received no return call.
Heads to roll? Mexican trucks in U.S. sparks firing call
Transportation secretary 'breaking law' by allowing foreign vehicles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 06, 2008
By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A poster urging the firing of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters on display at the Navy Yard Metro stop near the DOT building in Washington, D.C.
Teamsters are launching a nationwide campaign to fire U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters for what they say is her "unlawful decision" to keep the American border open to Mexican trucks.
As WND reported, the Bush administration has decided to ignore a provision passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush as part of the 2008 omnibus spending bill that was intended to remove funding from the 2008 DOT appropriations bill for the Mexican truck demonstration project.
"It's a disgrace that Mary Peters is still in office," said Teamsters General President James Hoffa in a news release today. "She has broken the law and defied the will of the American people by exposing them to dangerous trucks from Mexico."
The Teamsters have created FireMaryPeters.com, a website complete with downloadable "Fire Mary Peters" windshield signs, recommended actions and an e-mail component urging citizens to ask their elected representatives to find Mary Peters in contempt of Congress.
The Teamsters have mailed a "Fire Mary Peters" bumper sticker to thousands of union members and supporters.
"Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is the latest member of the Bush administration to break the law," the Teamster website proclaims. "She continues to give dangerous Mexican trucks access to our highways despite overwhelmingly bipartisan measures passed by Congress and signed by President Bush."
The Teamsters have also placed posters and floor graphics in the Navy Yard Metro stop in Washington, D.C., near the DOT building.
Planned as well is a leafleting campaign at the Metro stop, where DOT employees will be handed cards asking them to call a "Fire Mary Peters" hotline to report other laws Peters has broken.
Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is labeled 'lawbreaker' in this bumper sticker campaign
A "Fire Mary Peters" radio ad prepared by the Teamsters can be heard on the website.
A series of videos on the website shows a Teamster rally at the San Diego border and testimony Hoffa has given Congress opposing NAFTA.
The "Fire Mary Peters" campaign has a special focus in Peters' home state of Arizona, where letters and bumper stickers have been mailed to thousands of Teamsters, urging them to take action.
Although not yet announced, widespread rumors persist that Peters is planning to run for governor of Arizona in 2010.
In a separate legal action, the Teamsters Union will argue in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Feb. 12 that Peters broke federal laws aimed at ensuring American voters are not endangered by allowing Mexican trucks on U.S. roads.
WND telephoned the Department of Transportation asking for comment on this story, but received no return call.
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3321637.ece
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
A 37-year-old American businesswoman and married mother of three is seeking justice after she was thrown in jail by Saudi Arabia's religious police for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks coffee shop in Riyadh.
Yara, who does not want her last name published for fear of retribution, was bruised and crying when she was freed from a day in prison after she was strip-searched, threatened and forced to sign false confessions by the Kingdom's “Mutaween” police.
Her story offers a rare first-hand glimpse of the discrimination faced by women living in Saudi Arabia. In her first interview with the foreign press, Yara told The Times that she would remain in Saudi Arabia to challenge its harsh enforcement of conservative Islam rather than return to America.
“If I want to make a difference I have to stick around. If I leave they win. I can't just surrender to the terrorist acts of these people,” said Yara, who moved to Jeddah eight years ago with her husband, a prominent businessman.
Her ordeal began with a routine visit to the new Riyadh offices of her finance company, where she is a managing partner. The electricity temporarily cut out, so Yara and her colleagues — who are all men — went to a nearby Starbucks to use its wireless internet. She sat in a curtained booth with her business partner in the café's “family” area, the only seats where men and women are allowed to mix.
For Yara, it was a matter of convenience. But in Saudi Arabia, public contact between unrelated men and women is strictly prohibited.
“Some men came up to us with very long beards and white dresses. They asked ‘Why are you here together?'. I explained about the power being out in our office. They got very angry and told me what I was doing was a great sin,” recalled Yara, who wears an abaya and headscarf, like most Saudi women.
The men were from Saudi Arabia's Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, a police force of several thousand men charged with enforcing dress codes, sex segregation and the observance of prayers.
Yara, whose parents are Jordanian and grew up in Salt Lake City, once believed that life in Saudi Arabia was becoming more liberal. But on Monday the religious police took her mobile phone, pushed her into a cab and drove her to Malaz prison in Riyadh. She was interrogated, strip-searched and forced to sign and fingerprint a series of confessions pleading guilty to her “crime”.
“They took me into a filthy bathroom, full of water and dirt. They made me take off my clothes and squat and they threw my clothes in this slush and made me put them back on,” she said. Eventually she was taken before a judge.
“He said 'You are sinful and you are going to burn in hell'. I told him I was sorry. I was very submissive. I had given up. I felt hopeless,” she said.
Yara's husband, Hatim, used his political contacts in Jeddah to track her whereabouts. He was able to secure her release.
“I was lucky. I met other women in that prison who don't have the connections I did,” she said. Her story has received rare coverage in Saudi Arabia, where the press has been sharply critical of the police.
Yara was visited yesterday by officials from the American Embassy, who promised they would file a report.
An embassy official told The Times that it was being treated as “an internal Saudi matter” and refused to comment on her case.
Tough justice
— Saudi Arabia’s Mutaween has 10,000 members in almost 500 offices
— Ahmad al-Bluwi, 50, died in custody in 2007 in the city of Tabuk after he invited a woman outside his immediate family into his car
— In 2007 the victim of a gang rape was sentenced to 200 lashes and six years in jail for having been in an unrelated man’s car at the time. She was pardoned by King Abdullah, although he maintained the sentence had been fair
-------------------------------
OTEHRS COMMENTS:
Oh yes! Lets have Sharia law in the UK! More violence and hatred please! I would love to be in fear of my life! -Chris, UK,
The more I read about cases like this the more I think that these people are mentally deranged. What a sad reflection on humanity in the 21st century that this type of thing still happens. It is nothing short of disgusting and shameful.
William, Padstow, Australia
Take a long hard look at your politicians. They support the Saudi Government. They support repressive regimes across the mideast, so that you can have cheap oil.
Seth Delackner, Tokyo, Japan
As much as I hate to say it, Saudi Arabia is a sovereign nation and they have a right to enforce these kinds of laws. I hate how so many self-professed "tolerant liberals" can be so amazingly intolerant of cultures that are unlike their own.
Jordon, Tulsa, OK
how says is not in the Koran? please read the koran, read sharia law, check the "declaration of human rights in Islam" if cuba and rusia where comunist, and noone doubts it, why would you say that Iran and Arabia Saudi are not real Islamic? how much more Islamic can they get?
Islam is not peace, the word Islam means "submission" literally, (submission to the will of allah).
Less excuses and more reality check.
rufo, London,
I believe, this is a matter of sovereignty. Do the Saudis have the right to write their own laws or not. In absolute terms this is unbelievable and should obviously not exist in the 21st century, but who are we to tell the Saudis, what is right in their country. As the saying goes: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". If you don't like it, get out.
Karl Pongs, Corona, California
Well, as crazy as the whole story sounds, The lady knew the laws and rules in Saudi. If she doesn't like it, leave. Otherwise, dont whine and complain when something like this happens.
Jeff, Russellville, Alabama
I'll never get over the irony that these ultra-conservative islamo-fascist officers have no greater friends in the world than the ultra-liberal leftwing in the West.
Matt, Chicago, IL
Why is there no official comment from NOW, so called National Organization for Women... is it because this would actually be a fight for justice and not just an easy way for them to get their names in the media?
Fern, Monterey, USA
And this is the Sharia law so many many of our MP's and bishops say we should be considering so that we can be all inclusive!! God help us!
Ann, Oxford, UK
Maybe those crazies have got it right! Even our western bible says women are here to serve men. It's mainly the women who complain. You don't hear any Saudi men complaining about it do you? So maybe they are right. It is a mans world and maybe women are only here to serve men. Show me any religious text that contradicts that! So, instead of gabbling on with your feminist mantras, howabout observing the thousands of years of history that show us man is the superior gender and just do what you're told! And show a little respect to the man's world and God's laws.-Simon Peter, Toms River, USA
Another example of the "religion of peace and love??"
Tony, Tampa, Florida
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
A 37-year-old American businesswoman and married mother of three is seeking justice after she was thrown in jail by Saudi Arabia's religious police for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks coffee shop in Riyadh.
Yara, who does not want her last name published for fear of retribution, was bruised and crying when she was freed from a day in prison after she was strip-searched, threatened and forced to sign false confessions by the Kingdom's “Mutaween” police.
Her story offers a rare first-hand glimpse of the discrimination faced by women living in Saudi Arabia. In her first interview with the foreign press, Yara told The Times that she would remain in Saudi Arabia to challenge its harsh enforcement of conservative Islam rather than return to America.
“If I want to make a difference I have to stick around. If I leave they win. I can't just surrender to the terrorist acts of these people,” said Yara, who moved to Jeddah eight years ago with her husband, a prominent businessman.
Her ordeal began with a routine visit to the new Riyadh offices of her finance company, where she is a managing partner. The electricity temporarily cut out, so Yara and her colleagues — who are all men — went to a nearby Starbucks to use its wireless internet. She sat in a curtained booth with her business partner in the café's “family” area, the only seats where men and women are allowed to mix.
For Yara, it was a matter of convenience. But in Saudi Arabia, public contact between unrelated men and women is strictly prohibited.
“Some men came up to us with very long beards and white dresses. They asked ‘Why are you here together?'. I explained about the power being out in our office. They got very angry and told me what I was doing was a great sin,” recalled Yara, who wears an abaya and headscarf, like most Saudi women.
The men were from Saudi Arabia's Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, a police force of several thousand men charged with enforcing dress codes, sex segregation and the observance of prayers.
Yara, whose parents are Jordanian and grew up in Salt Lake City, once believed that life in Saudi Arabia was becoming more liberal. But on Monday the religious police took her mobile phone, pushed her into a cab and drove her to Malaz prison in Riyadh. She was interrogated, strip-searched and forced to sign and fingerprint a series of confessions pleading guilty to her “crime”.
“They took me into a filthy bathroom, full of water and dirt. They made me take off my clothes and squat and they threw my clothes in this slush and made me put them back on,” she said. Eventually she was taken before a judge.
“He said 'You are sinful and you are going to burn in hell'. I told him I was sorry. I was very submissive. I had given up. I felt hopeless,” she said.
Yara's husband, Hatim, used his political contacts in Jeddah to track her whereabouts. He was able to secure her release.
“I was lucky. I met other women in that prison who don't have the connections I did,” she said. Her story has received rare coverage in Saudi Arabia, where the press has been sharply critical of the police.
Yara was visited yesterday by officials from the American Embassy, who promised they would file a report.
An embassy official told The Times that it was being treated as “an internal Saudi matter” and refused to comment on her case.
Tough justice
— Saudi Arabia’s Mutaween has 10,000 members in almost 500 offices
— Ahmad al-Bluwi, 50, died in custody in 2007 in the city of Tabuk after he invited a woman outside his immediate family into his car
— In 2007 the victim of a gang rape was sentenced to 200 lashes and six years in jail for having been in an unrelated man’s car at the time. She was pardoned by King Abdullah, although he maintained the sentence had been fair
-------------------------------
OTEHRS COMMENTS:
Oh yes! Lets have Sharia law in the UK! More violence and hatred please! I would love to be in fear of my life! -Chris, UK,
The more I read about cases like this the more I think that these people are mentally deranged. What a sad reflection on humanity in the 21st century that this type of thing still happens. It is nothing short of disgusting and shameful.
William, Padstow, Australia
Take a long hard look at your politicians. They support the Saudi Government. They support repressive regimes across the mideast, so that you can have cheap oil.
Seth Delackner, Tokyo, Japan
As much as I hate to say it, Saudi Arabia is a sovereign nation and they have a right to enforce these kinds of laws. I hate how so many self-professed "tolerant liberals" can be so amazingly intolerant of cultures that are unlike their own.
Jordon, Tulsa, OK
how says is not in the Koran? please read the koran, read sharia law, check the "declaration of human rights in Islam" if cuba and rusia where comunist, and noone doubts it, why would you say that Iran and Arabia Saudi are not real Islamic? how much more Islamic can they get?
Islam is not peace, the word Islam means "submission" literally, (submission to the will of allah).
Less excuses and more reality check.
rufo, London,
I believe, this is a matter of sovereignty. Do the Saudis have the right to write their own laws or not. In absolute terms this is unbelievable and should obviously not exist in the 21st century, but who are we to tell the Saudis, what is right in their country. As the saying goes: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". If you don't like it, get out.
Karl Pongs, Corona, California
Well, as crazy as the whole story sounds, The lady knew the laws and rules in Saudi. If she doesn't like it, leave. Otherwise, dont whine and complain when something like this happens.
Jeff, Russellville, Alabama
I'll never get over the irony that these ultra-conservative islamo-fascist officers have no greater friends in the world than the ultra-liberal leftwing in the West.
Matt, Chicago, IL
Why is there no official comment from NOW, so called National Organization for Women... is it because this would actually be a fight for justice and not just an easy way for them to get their names in the media?
Fern, Monterey, USA
And this is the Sharia law so many many of our MP's and bishops say we should be considering so that we can be all inclusive!! God help us!
Ann, Oxford, UK
Maybe those crazies have got it right! Even our western bible says women are here to serve men. It's mainly the women who complain. You don't hear any Saudi men complaining about it do you? So maybe they are right. It is a mans world and maybe women are only here to serve men. Show me any religious text that contradicts that! So, instead of gabbling on with your feminist mantras, howabout observing the thousands of years of history that show us man is the superior gender and just do what you're told! And show a little respect to the man's world and God's laws.-Simon Peter, Toms River, USA
Another example of the "religion of peace and love??"
Tony, Tampa, Florida
Immigration charges stem from HPD death
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5519957.html
Immigration charges stem from HPD death
Federal grand jury indicts a landscaping owner who's suspected of harboring an illegal immigrant accused in an officer's killing
By CINDY GEORGE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Complete coverage of immigration issues A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a landscaping owner on federal immigration law charges, accusing him of harboring an illegal immigrant who was later charged with capital murder in the death of a Houston police officer.
Robert Lane Camp, 47, was arrested last month on a criminal complaint that accuses him of taking significant steps to help Juan Leonardo Quintero remain on the job at Camp Landscaping in Deer Park before the September 2006 killing of officer Rodney Johnson.
Camp is charged with encouraging or inducing Quintero to enter the country illegally and later harboring the immigrant in the Houston area. Quintero worked for Camp for at least 11 years, according to an affidavit filed by the investigating immigration agent.
Camp appeared before a federal magistrate last month and posted $50,000 for his release.
The affidavit and indictment accuses the entrepreneur of a decade of assistance to Quintero. In August 1998, Camp posted a $10,000 bond for the immigrant after he was jailed on a charge of indecency with a child and hired an attorney to defend him. After the worker was deported in May 1999, Camp sent him money in Mexico and later bought him a plane ticket from Phoenix to Houston after Quintero re-entered the U.S. illegally through Arizona. Camp then bought a home in Houston and rented it to Quintero, who is listed in federal court records as Juan Leonardo Quintero-Perez, the affidavit says.
In September 2006, officer Johnson stopped a truck owned by Camp's company for a traffic violation and arrested Quintero after the worker could not provide a driver's license.
As Johnson prepared a report in the front seat of his patrol car, Quintero pulled a pistol overlooked in a body search and shot Johnson four times in the head, police said. Quintero is scheduled for trial later this year.
Camp faces up to 10 years in prison.
---------------------------------------
OTHERS COMMENTS:
brownbow wrote:
Mc'Cain wrote the Amnesty (OOP'S...I mean "pay two grand and your in") bill...
And he plans on shoving it up your @$$*$! around this time next year if he's elected.That is, after he "secures the borders first!" Oh boy! secures the border and vows to "crack down on employers who hire illegal aliens!" then, in the next breath, pleadges to give a "path to citizenship" to the illegal aliens that he's going to crack down on the employers for hiring???... Thanks, John.
Knana60 wrote:
Hallelujah! If more of this kind of thing were done maybe the employers wouldn't be quite so quick to hire illegals, especially ones that have committed crimes. What was Robert Camp thinking? He certainly wasn't thinking of the safety of the people in the community. There should be more indictments like this.
donny3times wrote:
I think this guy Robert Camp was having some kind of brokeback Mountain, rump ranger, dunky monkey relationship with this murderin' Mexican Quintero. I hear illegal aliens be doing all kinds of perverted things to stay in the country and make money. I think Robert Camp and Juan Quintero were definitely paraamours and did indeed make holey moley, I hope he gets 10 years in prison the traitorous pervert.
Rose22 wrote:
Fedup_Madchi wrote:
".....keep the hard working, honest people behind."
****************************************************
If they are illegal then they are not honest, or they would have come here the LEGAL way. I agree with you some, they should start with the criminals, the criminal employers that is. ;)
____________________________________________
MY COMMENT:
This man should be behind bars! THE BORDER SHOULD BE CLOSED! All other countries protect their boarders, so WHY THE HELL SHOULDN'T WE! PUT HIM BEHIND BARS AND LET THE ILLEGALS IN THE JAILS SHOW HIM JUST HOW THANKFUL THEY'LL BE.
Immigration charges stem from HPD death
Federal grand jury indicts a landscaping owner who's suspected of harboring an illegal immigrant accused in an officer's killing
By CINDY GEORGE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Complete coverage of immigration issues A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a landscaping owner on federal immigration law charges, accusing him of harboring an illegal immigrant who was later charged with capital murder in the death of a Houston police officer.
Robert Lane Camp, 47, was arrested last month on a criminal complaint that accuses him of taking significant steps to help Juan Leonardo Quintero remain on the job at Camp Landscaping in Deer Park before the September 2006 killing of officer Rodney Johnson.
Camp is charged with encouraging or inducing Quintero to enter the country illegally and later harboring the immigrant in the Houston area. Quintero worked for Camp for at least 11 years, according to an affidavit filed by the investigating immigration agent.
Camp appeared before a federal magistrate last month and posted $50,000 for his release.
The affidavit and indictment accuses the entrepreneur of a decade of assistance to Quintero. In August 1998, Camp posted a $10,000 bond for the immigrant after he was jailed on a charge of indecency with a child and hired an attorney to defend him. After the worker was deported in May 1999, Camp sent him money in Mexico and later bought him a plane ticket from Phoenix to Houston after Quintero re-entered the U.S. illegally through Arizona. Camp then bought a home in Houston and rented it to Quintero, who is listed in federal court records as Juan Leonardo Quintero-Perez, the affidavit says.
In September 2006, officer Johnson stopped a truck owned by Camp's company for a traffic violation and arrested Quintero after the worker could not provide a driver's license.
As Johnson prepared a report in the front seat of his patrol car, Quintero pulled a pistol overlooked in a body search and shot Johnson four times in the head, police said. Quintero is scheduled for trial later this year.
Camp faces up to 10 years in prison.
---------------------------------------
OTHERS COMMENTS:
brownbow wrote:
Mc'Cain wrote the Amnesty (OOP'S...I mean "pay two grand and your in") bill...
And he plans on shoving it up your @$$*$! around this time next year if he's elected.That is, after he "secures the borders first!" Oh boy! secures the border and vows to "crack down on employers who hire illegal aliens!" then, in the next breath, pleadges to give a "path to citizenship" to the illegal aliens that he's going to crack down on the employers for hiring???... Thanks, John.
Knana60 wrote:
Hallelujah! If more of this kind of thing were done maybe the employers wouldn't be quite so quick to hire illegals, especially ones that have committed crimes. What was Robert Camp thinking? He certainly wasn't thinking of the safety of the people in the community. There should be more indictments like this.
donny3times wrote:
I think this guy Robert Camp was having some kind of brokeback Mountain, rump ranger, dunky monkey relationship with this murderin' Mexican Quintero. I hear illegal aliens be doing all kinds of perverted things to stay in the country and make money. I think Robert Camp and Juan Quintero were definitely paraamours and did indeed make holey moley, I hope he gets 10 years in prison the traitorous pervert.
Rose22 wrote:
Fedup_Madchi wrote:
".....keep the hard working, honest people behind."
****************************************************
If they are illegal then they are not honest, or they would have come here the LEGAL way. I agree with you some, they should start with the criminals, the criminal employers that is. ;)
____________________________________________
MY COMMENT:
This man should be behind bars! THE BORDER SHOULD BE CLOSED! All other countries protect their boarders, so WHY THE HELL SHOULDN'T WE! PUT HIM BEHIND BARS AND LET THE ILLEGALS IN THE JAILS SHOW HIM JUST HOW THANKFUL THEY'LL BE.
Mother of two happy to be alive after losing legs to ILLEGAL ALIEN DUI
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2008/02/07/news/local/doc47aabc95e4442607939612.txt
Mother of two happy to be alive after losing legs in accident
By MARSHA DORGAN
Register Staff Writer
Thursday, February 07, 2008
The Napa woman whose legs were crushed when she was hit by a drunk driver Sunday night has a long, tough road to recovery.
Doctors at Queen of the Valley Medical Center operated on Lilian Clark the night of the crash, amputating both of her legs just above the knee, according to her husband, John Clark.
Clark, 38, is the mother of two boys, 4 and 6. She was pinned between the rear bumper of her car and a 1990 Plymouth driven by Francisco Pacheco, 24, of Napa.
The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. Sunday on South Terrace Drive, north of Shetler Avenue.
After the crash, Pacheco put his car in reverse and sped away from the scene. Neighbors followed him to his house about a block away, where they held him until police arrived and arrested Pacheco on felony DUI, hit and run and driving without a valid license. Pacheco has a prior misdemeanor DUI conviction from January 2007. He is on probation.
He is being held in the county jail on $100,000 bail.
Pacheco does not have auto insurance.
“I have no idea at this time what will be involved in Lili’s recovery. I know there will be months, maybe years of rehab, and she will have to be fitted for prosthesis,” her husband said.
A fund has been set up to help the family with medical expenses and to bring Lilian Clark’s family from Chile, where they live, so they can help out with the children and their family member’s recovery.
Donations may be made at Washington Mutual Bank, 699 Trancas St., Napa, 94558. The account is under the name Lilian Clark and Children.
Clark said that on the night of the accident, his wife had double-parked her car and was putting their sons, Jake and Sam, in their child safety seats.
“She went around to the back of the car to get to the driver’s door. I was right there. I said ‘see you later,’ and within a split second I heard tires screeching and saw this car come roaring down the street about 50 miles an hour and just slam into the back of Lili’s car, pinning her between the two bumpers,” Clark said.
With the impact of Pacheco’s car, John Clark said, “The trunk popped open, and she flew inside. Then, the guy threw his car in reverse and left. Lili just fell to the ground in a heap. The neighbors ran out of the house. I was yelling ‘Call 911.’ They said they already had and asked me which way the guy went. They followed him in their car and found his car parked in front of his house down the street.
“I was holding Lili. She was conscious. All she kept saying was ‘Check the kids.’ Her legs were crushed, and she was just worried about the kids,” he said. “The kids were crying and saying ‘What happened to Mommy?’ The neighbors helped me and we kept the kids from seeing what happened. Just horrific, horrific is the only way I can describe it.”
Doctors amputated her legs that night. “There was no way they could save her legs.” She had over 60 breaks in her bones, Clark said.
Clark said his wife had undergone her third operation on Tuesday. “She knows what has happened. She’s such a strong woman, I just can’t believe it. Like I said, her main concern is the kids.
“They took the tubes out Tuesday and she got to see the kids. They need to know that mom is going to make it. Lili is in good spirits. She feels very fortunate to be alive. That woman is just remarkable,” Clark said.
Lilian Clark is from Chile.
“I met her when I was visiting friends in Chile in 1996. We struck up a friendship which blossomed. I tried everything to get her a visa to live in America. Nothing worked. I was finally successful in getting a fiancé visa. She came to Napa in 1999, and we got married,” Clark said.
Lilian Clark had worked as temporary office employee. More recently, she has been a stay-at-home mom.
--------------------------------------------
OTHERS COMMENTS:
frenchtoast wrote on Feb 7, 2008 2:19 PM:
" This story is heartbreaking, but Lily sounds as if she's got the strength,heart and soul to deal with the loss of her legs, knowing she can still be a mother to her children and wife to J-M. It sickens me this guy was on the road and tried to run for it. Maybe people will call a cab the next time they ponder whether to get behind the wheel after thinking about this tragedy -- one that could have been entirely avoided. My prayers are with the Clark family. "
NVR Moderator wrote on Feb 7, 2008 11:01 AM:
" Many comments to this story have been deleted because they address the issue of illegal immigration.
There is nothing in this article about immigration issues.
Comment guideline No. 1 refers to this, stating in part "Keep comments ... focused on the topic in the story." "
GregN. wrote on Feb 7, 2008 7:24 AM:
" Wow, this story is just awefull. I hope that Mr. Pacheco get the book thrown at him (and hopefully it hits him in the legs). I for one, bank at wamu, and am planning on giving a little next pay period to their fund mentioned above.
For those of you who dont understand, Mrs. Clark will probably not be getting ANY help financially from Mr. Pacheco considering he is not insured, and from the sounds of it, is probably not legally here.
--------------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
I particularly love how they accidentally left out that this man was an illegal (according to World New Daily) and was already on probation for a previous DUI, had no insurance and fled the scene. THIS MAN SHOULD BE TOAST (literally)! These "hard-working" illegals (who broke the law coming here) are not going to obey our other laws. THEY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR LAWS AND HEY SINCE WE ALLOWED HIM TO STAY WHY WOULD HE! All illegals should be deported and forced to wait in like with the millions of people waiting to come to this country the right way and obey our laws. THIS IS INSANE that he wasn't deported after his first DUI. WHY WAS HE ON PROBATION? This makes no sense. If I were this woman I'd sue the state for negligence and for unequal treatment under the laws. I PRAY THIS WOMAN and her family (who will forever be harmed by this negligence will get JUSTICE!)
Mother of two happy to be alive after losing legs in accident
By MARSHA DORGAN
Register Staff Writer
Thursday, February 07, 2008
The Napa woman whose legs were crushed when she was hit by a drunk driver Sunday night has a long, tough road to recovery.
Doctors at Queen of the Valley Medical Center operated on Lilian Clark the night of the crash, amputating both of her legs just above the knee, according to her husband, John Clark.
Clark, 38, is the mother of two boys, 4 and 6. She was pinned between the rear bumper of her car and a 1990 Plymouth driven by Francisco Pacheco, 24, of Napa.
The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. Sunday on South Terrace Drive, north of Shetler Avenue.
After the crash, Pacheco put his car in reverse and sped away from the scene. Neighbors followed him to his house about a block away, where they held him until police arrived and arrested Pacheco on felony DUI, hit and run and driving without a valid license. Pacheco has a prior misdemeanor DUI conviction from January 2007. He is on probation.
He is being held in the county jail on $100,000 bail.
Pacheco does not have auto insurance.
“I have no idea at this time what will be involved in Lili’s recovery. I know there will be months, maybe years of rehab, and she will have to be fitted for prosthesis,” her husband said.
A fund has been set up to help the family with medical expenses and to bring Lilian Clark’s family from Chile, where they live, so they can help out with the children and their family member’s recovery.
Donations may be made at Washington Mutual Bank, 699 Trancas St., Napa, 94558. The account is under the name Lilian Clark and Children.
Clark said that on the night of the accident, his wife had double-parked her car and was putting their sons, Jake and Sam, in their child safety seats.
“She went around to the back of the car to get to the driver’s door. I was right there. I said ‘see you later,’ and within a split second I heard tires screeching and saw this car come roaring down the street about 50 miles an hour and just slam into the back of Lili’s car, pinning her between the two bumpers,” Clark said.
With the impact of Pacheco’s car, John Clark said, “The trunk popped open, and she flew inside. Then, the guy threw his car in reverse and left. Lili just fell to the ground in a heap. The neighbors ran out of the house. I was yelling ‘Call 911.’ They said they already had and asked me which way the guy went. They followed him in their car and found his car parked in front of his house down the street.
“I was holding Lili. She was conscious. All she kept saying was ‘Check the kids.’ Her legs were crushed, and she was just worried about the kids,” he said. “The kids were crying and saying ‘What happened to Mommy?’ The neighbors helped me and we kept the kids from seeing what happened. Just horrific, horrific is the only way I can describe it.”
Doctors amputated her legs that night. “There was no way they could save her legs.” She had over 60 breaks in her bones, Clark said.
Clark said his wife had undergone her third operation on Tuesday. “She knows what has happened. She’s such a strong woman, I just can’t believe it. Like I said, her main concern is the kids.
“They took the tubes out Tuesday and she got to see the kids. They need to know that mom is going to make it. Lili is in good spirits. She feels very fortunate to be alive. That woman is just remarkable,” Clark said.
Lilian Clark is from Chile.
“I met her when I was visiting friends in Chile in 1996. We struck up a friendship which blossomed. I tried everything to get her a visa to live in America. Nothing worked. I was finally successful in getting a fiancé visa. She came to Napa in 1999, and we got married,” Clark said.
Lilian Clark had worked as temporary office employee. More recently, she has been a stay-at-home mom.
--------------------------------------------
OTHERS COMMENTS:
frenchtoast wrote on Feb 7, 2008 2:19 PM:
" This story is heartbreaking, but Lily sounds as if she's got the strength,heart and soul to deal with the loss of her legs, knowing she can still be a mother to her children and wife to J-M. It sickens me this guy was on the road and tried to run for it. Maybe people will call a cab the next time they ponder whether to get behind the wheel after thinking about this tragedy -- one that could have been entirely avoided. My prayers are with the Clark family. "
NVR Moderator wrote on Feb 7, 2008 11:01 AM:
" Many comments to this story have been deleted because they address the issue of illegal immigration.
There is nothing in this article about immigration issues.
Comment guideline No. 1 refers to this, stating in part "Keep comments ... focused on the topic in the story." "
GregN. wrote on Feb 7, 2008 7:24 AM:
" Wow, this story is just awefull. I hope that Mr. Pacheco get the book thrown at him (and hopefully it hits him in the legs). I for one, bank at wamu, and am planning on giving a little next pay period to their fund mentioned above.
For those of you who dont understand, Mrs. Clark will probably not be getting ANY help financially from Mr. Pacheco considering he is not insured, and from the sounds of it, is probably not legally here.
--------------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
I particularly love how they accidentally left out that this man was an illegal (according to World New Daily) and was already on probation for a previous DUI, had no insurance and fled the scene. THIS MAN SHOULD BE TOAST (literally)! These "hard-working" illegals (who broke the law coming here) are not going to obey our other laws. THEY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR LAWS AND HEY SINCE WE ALLOWED HIM TO STAY WHY WOULD HE! All illegals should be deported and forced to wait in like with the millions of people waiting to come to this country the right way and obey our laws. THIS IS INSANE that he wasn't deported after his first DUI. WHY WAS HE ON PROBATION? This makes no sense. If I were this woman I'd sue the state for negligence and for unequal treatment under the laws. I PRAY THIS WOMAN and her family (who will forever be harmed by this negligence will get JUSTICE!)
Schoolgirl to aliens: Learn our language
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=55847
Schoolgirl to aliens: Learn our language
'We're not going to turn America into a bilingual country to accommodate you'
Posted: February 07, 2008
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A Texas schoolgirl has a message for aliens coming into the United States: Learn our language.
The message comes from Ashleigh Allison, who has insisted on studying France and its language even though her Grapevine-Colleyville school district curriculum requires her to take Spanish, according to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
And her mother agrees. "We're not going to turn American into a bilingual country to accommodate you," she said. "She (Ashleigh) wants to be the one voice that forces them to learn English."
K.C. McAlpin, a spokesman for ProEnglish, a Virginia-based group that is trying to preserve English as the common language of the United States, said there's no opposition to teaching foreign languages.
"But it would be naïve to think that the country does not face the growing threat of bilingualism because of the massive influx of mostly Spanish-speaking immigrants. They're coming in faster than the country can absorb them," McAlpin said.
In Texas, schools are required to offer "to the extent possible, languages other than English" for elementary children. Monica Martinez of the Texas Education Agency said the simple fact is for most, Spanish is the language of choice.
Grapevine-Colleyville district spokeswoman Megan Overman told the newspaper that the intent is to provide students the experience that "prepares them for success in our diverse world" and there's been no opposition in the past.
But McAlpin said forcing Spanish on students promotes bilingualism and could cause harm.
"Every place in the world where societies have been divided about language, there have been conflicts that many times lead to violence or antagonism that we have so far been able to avoid in this country," he told the newspaper. "Why break the successful mold of the melting pot?"
Rudy Rodriquez, retired from the bilingual education program at the University of North Texas, said a "bilingual brain" actually has better function.
But Allison told the Star-Telegram her family isn't anti-immigration: They're just pro-English.
"This is not saying, you cannot speak your native tongue," she told the paper. "Grasp your tradition and your culture. But when you are outside your front door, you must speak English. We have to understand you."
Allison said her daughter's school now has 54 percent Hispanic students, up from 13 percent 10 years ago.
She said when Principal Cody Spielmann told her Spanish is required and there were no other options, she reacted.
"Ashleigh feels the course would be a waste of her time since she has no aspirations in the future to have a career requiring bilingual talents," she wrote the principal, "nor does she feel compelled to accommodate those who live in our country who refuse to learn the primary and current native tongue of English."
The issue came to a head when the school refused to make any accommodations, and Allison kept her daughter out of class. She ended up filing a grievance, and reached an agreement with Deputy Supt. Jim Chadwell to allow her daughter to study and report on a country of her choice.
Without a teacher, she hasn't been able to pick up any but the most common French phrases, the newspaper reported, and Allison still is seeking a formal policy change.
--------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
Good for her. She belives something with so much passion she isn't willing to cave in to the demands of others. RIGHT ON GIRL! Too bad many adults sit back and complain, but do nothing to change the situation. If we all banned together and fought these pro-alien groups then America would be better off in the long run. And who knows... We may even be able to pressure the Mexican government to change things to make it better for them to go home.
Schoolgirl to aliens: Learn our language
'We're not going to turn America into a bilingual country to accommodate you'
Posted: February 07, 2008
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A Texas schoolgirl has a message for aliens coming into the United States: Learn our language.
The message comes from Ashleigh Allison, who has insisted on studying France and its language even though her Grapevine-Colleyville school district curriculum requires her to take Spanish, according to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
And her mother agrees. "We're not going to turn American into a bilingual country to accommodate you," she said. "She (Ashleigh) wants to be the one voice that forces them to learn English."
K.C. McAlpin, a spokesman for ProEnglish, a Virginia-based group that is trying to preserve English as the common language of the United States, said there's no opposition to teaching foreign languages.
"But it would be naïve to think that the country does not face the growing threat of bilingualism because of the massive influx of mostly Spanish-speaking immigrants. They're coming in faster than the country can absorb them," McAlpin said.
In Texas, schools are required to offer "to the extent possible, languages other than English" for elementary children. Monica Martinez of the Texas Education Agency said the simple fact is for most, Spanish is the language of choice.
Grapevine-Colleyville district spokeswoman Megan Overman told the newspaper that the intent is to provide students the experience that "prepares them for success in our diverse world" and there's been no opposition in the past.
But McAlpin said forcing Spanish on students promotes bilingualism and could cause harm.
"Every place in the world where societies have been divided about language, there have been conflicts that many times lead to violence or antagonism that we have so far been able to avoid in this country," he told the newspaper. "Why break the successful mold of the melting pot?"
Rudy Rodriquez, retired from the bilingual education program at the University of North Texas, said a "bilingual brain" actually has better function.
But Allison told the Star-Telegram her family isn't anti-immigration: They're just pro-English.
"This is not saying, you cannot speak your native tongue," she told the paper. "Grasp your tradition and your culture. But when you are outside your front door, you must speak English. We have to understand you."
Allison said her daughter's school now has 54 percent Hispanic students, up from 13 percent 10 years ago.
She said when Principal Cody Spielmann told her Spanish is required and there were no other options, she reacted.
"Ashleigh feels the course would be a waste of her time since she has no aspirations in the future to have a career requiring bilingual talents," she wrote the principal, "nor does she feel compelled to accommodate those who live in our country who refuse to learn the primary and current native tongue of English."
The issue came to a head when the school refused to make any accommodations, and Allison kept her daughter out of class. She ended up filing a grievance, and reached an agreement with Deputy Supt. Jim Chadwell to allow her daughter to study and report on a country of her choice.
Without a teacher, she hasn't been able to pick up any but the most common French phrases, the newspaper reported, and Allison still is seeking a formal policy change.
--------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
Good for her. She belives something with so much passion she isn't willing to cave in to the demands of others. RIGHT ON GIRL! Too bad many adults sit back and complain, but do nothing to change the situation. If we all banned together and fought these pro-alien groups then America would be better off in the long run. And who knows... We may even be able to pressure the Mexican government to change things to make it better for them to go home.
Hillary still in bed with '96 scandal
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080208/NATION/942016032/1001
Hillary still in bed with '96 scandal
By Jerry Seper
February 8, 2008
As first lady in 1997, Hillary Rodham Clinton was joined by U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, now a top Clinton fundraiser, on a tour of Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres' official residence in Lisbon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nearly one in five "HillRaisers," the elite big-money fundraisers for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, have ties to the 1990s fundraising scandal that tarnished her husband's presidency by offering Democratic donors sleepovers in the Lincoln Bedroom and other perks inside the White House.
Hillary seeks youths' votes with her visions of change
Forty-nine of the Clintons' Lincoln Bedroom guests are among the 250 HillRaisers listed on Mrs. Clinton's campaign Web page, who have pledged to gather, or "bundle," at least $100,000 in donations. Some have promised to raise $1 million or more for the 2008 campaign, the most costly in U.S. history.
Some of the HillRaisers are longtime friends who have given millions to the Clintons over the years, including Washington socialite Beth Dozoretz, who played a key role in the controversial, last-minute 2000 pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.
A Lincoln Bedroom visitor, Mrs. Dozoretz, raised $2 million for Mr. Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign, $1 million for the Clinton presidential library and hosted a "rally-around-the-president party" that raised $1 million for Mr. Clinton's legal defense in the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Mrs. Dozoretz dismissed concerns about the overnight visits — raised by Mrs. Clinton's Democratic primary rivals, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina — saying the Clintons had simply opened up the White House to friends.
"It is an experience that can be extraordinary, and Bill and Hillary Clinton sought to share it with a great number of people," she told The Washington Times. "They believed the White House was the people's house, and they shared it with as many people and in as many ways as possible.
"Having friends stay at the White House was in no way a quid pro quo for those who had contributed. No way," she said.
So far in the 2008 campaign, Mrs. Dozoretz has given $20,000 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), $2,300 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $12,650 to other Democrats and $4,200 to Mrs. Clinton, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Clinton spokesman Phil Singer did not answer questions e-mailed to the campaign this week about the overnight visits and the HillRaisers. Instead, he responded with an e-mail saying, "The only commitment Hillary Clinton has made is to be the best president she can be for the American people."
Mrs. Clinton, who has raised more than $118 million so far for her 2008 race, has acknowledged that campaign donors were invited to spend the night in the second-floor Lincoln Bedroom but denied that the visits were in exchange for campaign donations.
"There's certainly no basis for believing that they are anything other than what they are, which is friends and supporters," she told reporters in 1996. "There just really isn't any reason for anybody to raise any questions about it. The Lincoln Bedroom was never sold."
Broken system
According to a study by the Committee for Responsive Politics (CRP), a bipartisan watchdog group, 15 of the Lincoln Bedroom guests in 1996 who are now HillRaisers also contributed $130,000 to Mrs. Clinton's 2000 Senate race. Those same high rollers forked over $1.4 million to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and to other Democratic candidates.
The donations flowed despite complaints that the Lincoln Bedroom mattress was lumpy.
Collectively, according to the records, the Lincoln Bedroom guests, which totaled 938 including spouses and children, contributed $10.2 million to Democrats, including Mr. Clinton, an average of $10,847 each.
Mary Boyle, spokeswoman at Common Cause, a Washington-based campaign-finance watchdog group, said the influence of wealthy special interests in the funding of campaigns has eroded public trust in the nation's political system and discouraged political participation.
"Sure, we're always concerned about large donations in presidential races, whether for Hillary Clinton or anyone else," she said. "Bundlers are the power brokers of this presidential campaign.
"The bottom line is our campaign-finance system is badly broken and must be fixed," she said. "We need to restore the presidential public-finance system so our presidential races are not so much about who can raise the most money but who has the best ideas, policies, most support among voters."
'Caricature of itself'
According to White House records and documents collected during separate Senate and House inquiries, the big donors in the 1996 re-election campaign not only were given overnight accommodations, but they were also ushered into the Oval Office for coffees, lunches and other meetings with Mr. and Mrs. Clinton, took rides on Air Force One, received invitations for golf with the president, got Cabinet members for fundraisers, and were put in touch with top policy-makers throughout the Clinton high command.
Republicans first raised questions about the propriety of the coffees and sleepovers, but so did the Justice Department's campaign-finance task force.
Its hand-picked chief, federal prosecutor Charles G. LaBella, recommended in July 1998 after a two-year investigation that Attorney General Janet Reno, a Clinton appointee, seek an independent counsel to probe accusations of White House fundraising abuses.
In a 94-page report, Mr. LaBella said the "intentional conduct and the willful ignorance uncovered by our investigations ... resulted in a situation where abuse was rampant, and indeed the norm."
He said White House officials, including the president and the first lady, had a "desperate need to raise enormous sums of money" to offset losses to Republicans in 1994 and relied on the "calculated use of access" to the Clintons "as leverage to extract contributions."
"At some point, the campaign was so corrupted by bloated fundraising and questionable contributions that the system became a caricature of itself," Mr. LaBella said.
A November 1997 memo by FBI Director Louis J. Freeh said a "core group" of White House and Democratic National Committee officials were involved in "an all-out effort" to raise campaign cash — which led, in part, to the White House coffees and the overnight stays. In the 22-page memo, he said it was "difficult to imagine a more compelling situation for appointing an independent counsel."
Miss Reno rejected the recommendations.
Mr. LaBella, now in private practice in San Diego, said this week that he could not comment on the Clinton presidential campaign but added that "the report speaks for itself."
Big bundles
Mrs. Clinton's HillRaisers are part of a political landscape used by many politicians to bypass federal laws that cap, or limit, contributions. By bundling donations, a single fundraiser can gather contributions from employees, clients, acquaintances and special-interest groups to effectively circumvent federal limits and restrictions.
While the HillRaisers are committed to raising $100,000 each, many have been encouraged by the Clinton campaign to gather as much as $1 million apiece.
Several of them represent large corporations, many of whom do business with the government. Others have been identified as U.S. lobbyists working for foreign governments, including Matthew Bernstein, who represents Dubai and Turkey; John Merrigan, Dubai, Turkey and Ethiopia; Thomas Siebert, the Kurdistan Regional Government; Timothy Chorba, China; Gordon Giffin, Canada; and former Sen. Robert Torricelli, Taiwan.
Mr. Torricelli of New Jersey served a single term in the Senate after 14 years in the House but decided not to seek re-election after being implicated in a bribery and campaign finance scandal involving David Chang, a Korean businessman who was imprisoned.
Other HillRaisers and Lincoln Bedroom guests were William Brandt Jr., a Chicago bankruptcy lawyer and Democratic fundraiser who was investigated and later cleared in a $10,000 per-couple fundraiser he held for Mr. Clinton's 1996 re-election; and Michael Turpen, former attorney general in Oklahoma investigated but not charged in 1998 in his solicitation from an Indian tribe of a $100,000 donation to the DNC in exchange for coffee with Mr. Clinton at the White House.
At least 16 HillRaisers have given $120,000 to Mrs. Clinton's political action committee, HILLPAC.
The sleepovers began as part of a re-election strategy by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Harold Ickes, who sought to raise $100 million using coffees, overnight stays and other White House perks. The plan was personally approved by Mr. Clinton, who said in a January 1995 handwritten note: "Ready to start overnights right away."
The White House coffees became so frequent during the Clinton administration that in a Jan. 19, 1996, memo, Evelyn Lieberman, White House deputy chief of staff, notified staff members who routinely briefed the president that they should be "flexible during this period and accept that their briefings may be considerably truncated or eliminated."
Mrs. Lieberman now serves as chief operating officer of Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign.
In his report, Mr. LaBella did not accuse the president, first lady or Mr. Ickes — who served as Mrs. Clinton's top campaign adviser in her 2000 New York senatorial race — of any criminal acts, but cited a "pattern of conduct worthy of investigation" by an independent counsel.
The report was not made public by the Clinton White House for more than two years, but was released in June 2000 by the House Government Reform Committee.
Former HillRaiser Norman Hsu was sentenced in January to three years in prison in a $60 million fraud. He had raised $850,000 for Mrs. Clinton's 2008 campaign, which has since been returned. Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton, said at the time that the campaign returned the money "out of an abundance of caution."
WHITE HOUSE SLEEPOVERS
Nearly one in five big-money contributors to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, known as "HillRaisers," are the same donors who surfaced in a 1996 White House scandal involving sleepovers in the Lincoln Bedroom and other perks to help re-elect President Clinton. The following are the names of donors who got to spend a night in the Lincoln Bedroom.
Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley
Leonard Barrack
William Brandt
Ron Burkle
John Catsimatidis
Ellen Chesler
Betsy Cohn
Barbaralee Diamonstein
Beth Dozoretz
Mike Driver
Voda "Betsy" Ebeling
Debra Farar
Sim Farar
Geraldine Ferraro
Michael Goldberg
Stephen L. Green
Brian Greenspun
Steven Grossman
Fred P. Hochberg
Kaki Hockersmith
Jill Iscol
John "Duke" Kinney
Christopher Korge
Cynthia Leesfield
Ira Leesfield
Thomas Leonard
Philip Levine
Matthew Mallow
Gary Mauro
Kevin O'Keefe
Alan J. Patricof
Lisa Perry
Richard Perry
Steven Rattner
Gov. Edward G. Rendell
Cheryl Saban
Haim Saban
Elaine Schuster
Gerry Schuster
Stanley S. Shuman
Roy Spence
Steven Spielberg
Ambassador Carl Spielvogel
Michael Turpen
Susan Turpen
Mark Weiner
Carol Shields Westbrook
Hugh Westbrook
Maureen White
Source: HillaryClinton.com
-----------------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
Mrs. Clinton (AKA Royal B*tch): As you so wonderfully put it the white house is the house of the people. Therefore, I will be expecting my sleepover invite in the mail is you are elected to the office of President. I'll even bring my own sleeping bag.
Hillary still in bed with '96 scandal
By Jerry Seper
February 8, 2008
As first lady in 1997, Hillary Rodham Clinton was joined by U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, now a top Clinton fundraiser, on a tour of Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres' official residence in Lisbon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nearly one in five "HillRaisers," the elite big-money fundraisers for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, have ties to the 1990s fundraising scandal that tarnished her husband's presidency by offering Democratic donors sleepovers in the Lincoln Bedroom and other perks inside the White House.
Hillary seeks youths' votes with her visions of change
Forty-nine of the Clintons' Lincoln Bedroom guests are among the 250 HillRaisers listed on Mrs. Clinton's campaign Web page, who have pledged to gather, or "bundle," at least $100,000 in donations. Some have promised to raise $1 million or more for the 2008 campaign, the most costly in U.S. history.
Some of the HillRaisers are longtime friends who have given millions to the Clintons over the years, including Washington socialite Beth Dozoretz, who played a key role in the controversial, last-minute 2000 pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.
A Lincoln Bedroom visitor, Mrs. Dozoretz, raised $2 million for Mr. Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign, $1 million for the Clinton presidential library and hosted a "rally-around-the-president party" that raised $1 million for Mr. Clinton's legal defense in the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Mrs. Dozoretz dismissed concerns about the overnight visits — raised by Mrs. Clinton's Democratic primary rivals, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina — saying the Clintons had simply opened up the White House to friends.
"It is an experience that can be extraordinary, and Bill and Hillary Clinton sought to share it with a great number of people," she told The Washington Times. "They believed the White House was the people's house, and they shared it with as many people and in as many ways as possible.
"Having friends stay at the White House was in no way a quid pro quo for those who had contributed. No way," she said.
So far in the 2008 campaign, Mrs. Dozoretz has given $20,000 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), $2,300 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $12,650 to other Democrats and $4,200 to Mrs. Clinton, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Clinton spokesman Phil Singer did not answer questions e-mailed to the campaign this week about the overnight visits and the HillRaisers. Instead, he responded with an e-mail saying, "The only commitment Hillary Clinton has made is to be the best president she can be for the American people."
Mrs. Clinton, who has raised more than $118 million so far for her 2008 race, has acknowledged that campaign donors were invited to spend the night in the second-floor Lincoln Bedroom but denied that the visits were in exchange for campaign donations.
"There's certainly no basis for believing that they are anything other than what they are, which is friends and supporters," she told reporters in 1996. "There just really isn't any reason for anybody to raise any questions about it. The Lincoln Bedroom was never sold."
Broken system
According to a study by the Committee for Responsive Politics (CRP), a bipartisan watchdog group, 15 of the Lincoln Bedroom guests in 1996 who are now HillRaisers also contributed $130,000 to Mrs. Clinton's 2000 Senate race. Those same high rollers forked over $1.4 million to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and to other Democratic candidates.
The donations flowed despite complaints that the Lincoln Bedroom mattress was lumpy.
Collectively, according to the records, the Lincoln Bedroom guests, which totaled 938 including spouses and children, contributed $10.2 million to Democrats, including Mr. Clinton, an average of $10,847 each.
Mary Boyle, spokeswoman at Common Cause, a Washington-based campaign-finance watchdog group, said the influence of wealthy special interests in the funding of campaigns has eroded public trust in the nation's political system and discouraged political participation.
"Sure, we're always concerned about large donations in presidential races, whether for Hillary Clinton or anyone else," she said. "Bundlers are the power brokers of this presidential campaign.
"The bottom line is our campaign-finance system is badly broken and must be fixed," she said. "We need to restore the presidential public-finance system so our presidential races are not so much about who can raise the most money but who has the best ideas, policies, most support among voters."
'Caricature of itself'
According to White House records and documents collected during separate Senate and House inquiries, the big donors in the 1996 re-election campaign not only were given overnight accommodations, but they were also ushered into the Oval Office for coffees, lunches and other meetings with Mr. and Mrs. Clinton, took rides on Air Force One, received invitations for golf with the president, got Cabinet members for fundraisers, and were put in touch with top policy-makers throughout the Clinton high command.
Republicans first raised questions about the propriety of the coffees and sleepovers, but so did the Justice Department's campaign-finance task force.
Its hand-picked chief, federal prosecutor Charles G. LaBella, recommended in July 1998 after a two-year investigation that Attorney General Janet Reno, a Clinton appointee, seek an independent counsel to probe accusations of White House fundraising abuses.
In a 94-page report, Mr. LaBella said the "intentional conduct and the willful ignorance uncovered by our investigations ... resulted in a situation where abuse was rampant, and indeed the norm."
He said White House officials, including the president and the first lady, had a "desperate need to raise enormous sums of money" to offset losses to Republicans in 1994 and relied on the "calculated use of access" to the Clintons "as leverage to extract contributions."
"At some point, the campaign was so corrupted by bloated fundraising and questionable contributions that the system became a caricature of itself," Mr. LaBella said.
A November 1997 memo by FBI Director Louis J. Freeh said a "core group" of White House and Democratic National Committee officials were involved in "an all-out effort" to raise campaign cash — which led, in part, to the White House coffees and the overnight stays. In the 22-page memo, he said it was "difficult to imagine a more compelling situation for appointing an independent counsel."
Miss Reno rejected the recommendations.
Mr. LaBella, now in private practice in San Diego, said this week that he could not comment on the Clinton presidential campaign but added that "the report speaks for itself."
Big bundles
Mrs. Clinton's HillRaisers are part of a political landscape used by many politicians to bypass federal laws that cap, or limit, contributions. By bundling donations, a single fundraiser can gather contributions from employees, clients, acquaintances and special-interest groups to effectively circumvent federal limits and restrictions.
While the HillRaisers are committed to raising $100,000 each, many have been encouraged by the Clinton campaign to gather as much as $1 million apiece.
Several of them represent large corporations, many of whom do business with the government. Others have been identified as U.S. lobbyists working for foreign governments, including Matthew Bernstein, who represents Dubai and Turkey; John Merrigan, Dubai, Turkey and Ethiopia; Thomas Siebert, the Kurdistan Regional Government; Timothy Chorba, China; Gordon Giffin, Canada; and former Sen. Robert Torricelli, Taiwan.
Mr. Torricelli of New Jersey served a single term in the Senate after 14 years in the House but decided not to seek re-election after being implicated in a bribery and campaign finance scandal involving David Chang, a Korean businessman who was imprisoned.
Other HillRaisers and Lincoln Bedroom guests were William Brandt Jr., a Chicago bankruptcy lawyer and Democratic fundraiser who was investigated and later cleared in a $10,000 per-couple fundraiser he held for Mr. Clinton's 1996 re-election; and Michael Turpen, former attorney general in Oklahoma investigated but not charged in 1998 in his solicitation from an Indian tribe of a $100,000 donation to the DNC in exchange for coffee with Mr. Clinton at the White House.
At least 16 HillRaisers have given $120,000 to Mrs. Clinton's political action committee, HILLPAC.
The sleepovers began as part of a re-election strategy by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Harold Ickes, who sought to raise $100 million using coffees, overnight stays and other White House perks. The plan was personally approved by Mr. Clinton, who said in a January 1995 handwritten note: "Ready to start overnights right away."
The White House coffees became so frequent during the Clinton administration that in a Jan. 19, 1996, memo, Evelyn Lieberman, White House deputy chief of staff, notified staff members who routinely briefed the president that they should be "flexible during this period and accept that their briefings may be considerably truncated or eliminated."
Mrs. Lieberman now serves as chief operating officer of Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign.
In his report, Mr. LaBella did not accuse the president, first lady or Mr. Ickes — who served as Mrs. Clinton's top campaign adviser in her 2000 New York senatorial race — of any criminal acts, but cited a "pattern of conduct worthy of investigation" by an independent counsel.
The report was not made public by the Clinton White House for more than two years, but was released in June 2000 by the House Government Reform Committee.
Former HillRaiser Norman Hsu was sentenced in January to three years in prison in a $60 million fraud. He had raised $850,000 for Mrs. Clinton's 2008 campaign, which has since been returned. Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton, said at the time that the campaign returned the money "out of an abundance of caution."
WHITE HOUSE SLEEPOVERS
Nearly one in five big-money contributors to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, known as "HillRaisers," are the same donors who surfaced in a 1996 White House scandal involving sleepovers in the Lincoln Bedroom and other perks to help re-elect President Clinton. The following are the names of donors who got to spend a night in the Lincoln Bedroom.
Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley
Leonard Barrack
William Brandt
Ron Burkle
John Catsimatidis
Ellen Chesler
Betsy Cohn
Barbaralee Diamonstein
Beth Dozoretz
Mike Driver
Voda "Betsy" Ebeling
Debra Farar
Sim Farar
Geraldine Ferraro
Michael Goldberg
Stephen L. Green
Brian Greenspun
Steven Grossman
Fred P. Hochberg
Kaki Hockersmith
Jill Iscol
John "Duke" Kinney
Christopher Korge
Cynthia Leesfield
Ira Leesfield
Thomas Leonard
Philip Levine
Matthew Mallow
Gary Mauro
Kevin O'Keefe
Alan J. Patricof
Lisa Perry
Richard Perry
Steven Rattner
Gov. Edward G. Rendell
Cheryl Saban
Haim Saban
Elaine Schuster
Gerry Schuster
Stanley S. Shuman
Roy Spence
Steven Spielberg
Ambassador Carl Spielvogel
Michael Turpen
Susan Turpen
Mark Weiner
Carol Shields Westbrook
Hugh Westbrook
Maureen White
Source: HillaryClinton.com
-----------------------------------------
MY COMMENTS:
Mrs. Clinton (AKA Royal B*tch): As you so wonderfully put it the white house is the house of the people. Therefore, I will be expecting my sleepover invite in the mail is you are elected to the office of President. I'll even bring my own sleeping bag.
Archbishop calls for Sharia law in Britain
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23436203-details/Church+backlash+as+Archbishop+of+Canterbury+calls+for+Sharia+law+in+Britain/article.do
Church backlash as Archbishop of Canterbury calls for Sharia law in Britain
Last updated at 15:22pm on 08.02.08
Under fire: Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams
The Archbishop of Canterbury today faced growing calls to resign from his own clergy in a ferocious backlash over his endorsement of Sharia law.
In an astonishing attack, one senior Church of England clergyman demanded Dr Rowan Williams step down immediately and branded him "gullible".
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, claimed it would be "simply impossible" to introduce Sharia law in Britain.
The clergyman was put under police protection last month after receiving death threats following his claims that parts of Britain are 'no-go areas' for non-Muslims.
Today he claimed that Sharia would be "in tension" with current laws, including the rights of women.
Dr Nazir-Ali, who holds dual British and Pakistani citizenship, also added that Muslim women's groups had blocked an attempt to introduce Sharia in marriage dispute cases in Canada.
Debates on Sharia "are not an argument for disturbing the integrity of a legal tradition which is rooted in the quite different moral and spiritual vision deriving from the Bible," he concluded.
In a separate attack, a clergyman identified only as a long-standing member of the Church's governing body the General Synod, told The Times that many people had now lost confidence in the Archbishop.
"I am just so shocked, and cannot believe a man of his intelligence could be so gullible," he said.
"I can only assume that all the Muslims he meets are senior leaders of the community who tell him what a wonderful book the Koran is.
"There have been a lot of calls today for him to resign. I don't suppose he will take any notice, but yes, he should resign."
The comments followed the Archbishop's statement that it seemed "unavoidable" that some form of Sharia law will be introduced in Britain.
This morning, the Bishop of Southwark the Right Reverend Tom Butler was the first to break ranks and publically attack Dr Williams.
He said: "It will take a great deal more thought and work before I think it's a good idea."
Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether the Church of England leader, Dr Rowan Williams, should have been more diplomatic in his speech which sparked the controversy, Dr Butler said: "The Archbishop has a way with language but this was a very heavy lecture."
He admitted that the Dr Williams had entered a "minefield" with his views on Sharia law and it was not clear whether he would backtrack on behalf of the Church of England, on this issue.
He said: "Like all bishops I'm waking up this morning to a shoal of emails from clergy asking what's going on."
Culture Secretary Andy Burnham also launched a ferocious backlash against the Archbishop of Canterbury's claims about sharia law.
The Cabinet minister warned against such a radical legal shake-up in the UK stressing it would be a "recipe for social chaos".
Dr Williams faced a barrage of criticism for arguing that Sharia law should be given some form of legal status in the UK.
Voicing the views of many MPs, Mr Burnham said: "This isn't a path down which we should go. The system, the British legal system, should apply to everybody equally.
Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali: He today condemned the Archbishop of Canterbury's comments
"You cannot run two systems of law alongside each other. That in my view would be a recipe for chaos, social chaos. British law has to be based on British values.
"If people choose to live in this country, they choose to abide by that law and that law alone.
"It has got to be fundamental and a cornerstone of our country and our democracy that everybody is equal before that one system of British law."
This morning it also emerged that Sharia crime courts are already operating in parts of Britain.
According to a youth worker, a group of Somali youths were arrested by police on suspicion of stabbing another Somali teenager.
But the victim's family told officers the matter would be settled out of court and the suspects were released on bail.
A Sharia court was convened and elders ordered the assailants to compensate the victim.
The Archbishop of Canterbury caused consternation yesterday when he called for Islamic law to be recognised in Britain.
He declared that Sharia and Parliamentary law should be given equal legal status so the people could choose which governs their lives.
This raised the prospect of Islamic courts in Britain with full legal powers to approve polygamous marriages, grant easy divorce for men and prevent finance firms from charging interest.
Brutal: Elements of Sharia law are known for being barbaric
His comments in a BBC interview and a lecture to lawyers were condemned at a time when government ministers are striving to encourage integration and stop the nation from "sleepwalking to segregation".
The Prime Minister rapidly distanced himself from Dr Williams's view. Gordon Brown's spokesman said: "Our general position is that sharia law cannot be used as a justification for committing breaches of English law, nor should the principles of sharia law be included in a civil court for resolving contractual disputes.
"The Prime Minister believes British law should apply in this country, based on British values."
Dr Williams's words opened a chasm over Islam between senior leaders of the Church of England, who are already trying to deal with an Anglican war over gay rights which broke out after he was appointed archbishop.
The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, is facing death threats following his warning last month about Muslim "no-go areas" in Britain.
And the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, who has been fiercely critical of Muslim extremists, said last year that "the imposition of sharia law, Britain as a Muslim society - that will never happen".
In his lecture, 57-year-old Dr Williams said that "we have to think a little harder about the role and rule of law in a plural society of overlapping identities".
He added that it would be possible to develop "a scheme in which individuals retain the liberty to choose the jurisdiction under which they will seek to resolve certain carefully specified matters, so that power-holders are forced to compete for the loyalty of their shared constituents.
"This may include aspects of marital law, the regulation of financial transactions, and authorised structures of mediation and conflict resolution."
The archbishop attempted to distance himself from the extreme legal systems run in Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, where adultery can be punished by death and women who behave independently risk harsh punishments.
"Nobody in their right mind, I think, would want to see in this country a kind of inhumanity that sometimes appears to be associated with the practice of the law in some Islamic states - the extreme punishments, the attitudes to women as well," he said.
Dr Williams pointed out that Jewish Beth Din courts already operate in Britain. But these, like sharia arrangements currently existing in Muslim areas, are voluntary understandings conducted with the agreement of participants.
Alternative sharia courts as proposed by the archbishop would dish out enforceable law.
Muslim groups responded cautiously to Dr Williams's proposals. A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain said: "We will need to look carefully at the archbishop's lecture."
The Ramadhan Foundation youth organisation said the scheme would help build respect and tolerance.
Its director Mohammed Shafiq said: "Sharia law for civil matters is something which has been introduced in some western countries with much success; I believe that Muslims would take huge comfort from the Government allowing civil matters being resolved according to their faith."
But he added: "We are however disappointed that the Archbishop of Canterbury was silent when Bishop Nazir-Ali was promoting intolerance and lying about no-go areas for Christians in the UK by Muslim extremists.
"Unless he speaks out against this intolerance, Muslims will take his silence as authorisation and support for such comments."
Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said Dr Williams's comments gave "succour to extremists".
"He needs to understand that his words carry enormous weight," he said in a Channel 4 interview.
"What he seems to be talking about is a situation in which people are treated differently under the law according to their religion. People cannot be treated differently. Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law.
"I don't doubt the archbishop's desire to accommodate diversity, but we cannot do so at the expense of our common values."
He described Dr Williams as "muddled" and "dangerous".
Mr Phillips was the first prominent Labour figure to condemn multiculturalism, the Left-wing doctrine which promotes different cultures.
He declared that under its influence Britain was sleepwalking to segregation.
Yesterday he said the "implication that British courts should treat people differently based on their faith is divisive and dangerous.
"It risks removing the protection afforded by law, for example, to children in custody cases or women in divorce proceedings.
"The first people who would suffer would be ethnic-minority citizens. Follow the logic of this extreme multiculturalism through and where do we end up?
With a group of white Christians in Barking and Dagenham deciding they had a conscientious objection to nonwhite Muslims in their neighbourhoods - and seeking the support of the courts?"
Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, said: "I am appalled that the head of the Church of England is advocating that parts of sharia law should be introduced into British law.
"The idea that you can have the moderate bits without the nasty bits coming along at a later time is naive."
Tory backbencher David Davies, an Anglican, said: "I am astounded. Dr Williams is a nice enough man, very intellectual, but he has clearly lost the plot.
"He's one of the most influential Christian prelates in the world and he's supposed to be standing up for Christianity.
"What he's doing is abandoning his own religion. If people come to this country they should be prepared to compromise their own traditions to fit in with the host country.
Tory cohesion spokesman Baroness Warsi, a Muslim herself, said: "The archbishop's comments are unhelpful and may add to the confusion that already exists in our communities.
"Freedom under the law allows respect for some religious practices.
"But let's be absolutely clear. All British citizens must be subject to British laws developed through Parliament and the courts."
-------------------------------
OTHERS COMMENTS:
He swears allegence to God, Queen and country.If people live in Great Britain then they should obey one law and one law only BRITISH
- A Tucker, glasgow south
I think the Queen, as defender of the faith, should remove that man from his position.
- John, Ohio USA
WHO WILL RID US OF THIS TURBULENT PRIEST? I'm not sure which planet the Archbishop is from, but I wish he would go back there. What utter nonesense he talks - can he not be sacked or retired - he is surely not all there.
- Stephen, London
Church backlash as Archbishop of Canterbury calls for Sharia law in Britain
Last updated at 15:22pm on 08.02.08
Under fire: Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams
The Archbishop of Canterbury today faced growing calls to resign from his own clergy in a ferocious backlash over his endorsement of Sharia law.
In an astonishing attack, one senior Church of England clergyman demanded Dr Rowan Williams step down immediately and branded him "gullible".
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, claimed it would be "simply impossible" to introduce Sharia law in Britain.
The clergyman was put under police protection last month after receiving death threats following his claims that parts of Britain are 'no-go areas' for non-Muslims.
Today he claimed that Sharia would be "in tension" with current laws, including the rights of women.
Dr Nazir-Ali, who holds dual British and Pakistani citizenship, also added that Muslim women's groups had blocked an attempt to introduce Sharia in marriage dispute cases in Canada.
Debates on Sharia "are not an argument for disturbing the integrity of a legal tradition which is rooted in the quite different moral and spiritual vision deriving from the Bible," he concluded.
In a separate attack, a clergyman identified only as a long-standing member of the Church's governing body the General Synod, told The Times that many people had now lost confidence in the Archbishop.
"I am just so shocked, and cannot believe a man of his intelligence could be so gullible," he said.
"I can only assume that all the Muslims he meets are senior leaders of the community who tell him what a wonderful book the Koran is.
"There have been a lot of calls today for him to resign. I don't suppose he will take any notice, but yes, he should resign."
The comments followed the Archbishop's statement that it seemed "unavoidable" that some form of Sharia law will be introduced in Britain.
This morning, the Bishop of Southwark the Right Reverend Tom Butler was the first to break ranks and publically attack Dr Williams.
He said: "It will take a great deal more thought and work before I think it's a good idea."
Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether the Church of England leader, Dr Rowan Williams, should have been more diplomatic in his speech which sparked the controversy, Dr Butler said: "The Archbishop has a way with language but this was a very heavy lecture."
He admitted that the Dr Williams had entered a "minefield" with his views on Sharia law and it was not clear whether he would backtrack on behalf of the Church of England, on this issue.
He said: "Like all bishops I'm waking up this morning to a shoal of emails from clergy asking what's going on."
Culture Secretary Andy Burnham also launched a ferocious backlash against the Archbishop of Canterbury's claims about sharia law.
The Cabinet minister warned against such a radical legal shake-up in the UK stressing it would be a "recipe for social chaos".
Dr Williams faced a barrage of criticism for arguing that Sharia law should be given some form of legal status in the UK.
Voicing the views of many MPs, Mr Burnham said: "This isn't a path down which we should go. The system, the British legal system, should apply to everybody equally.
Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali: He today condemned the Archbishop of Canterbury's comments
"You cannot run two systems of law alongside each other. That in my view would be a recipe for chaos, social chaos. British law has to be based on British values.
"If people choose to live in this country, they choose to abide by that law and that law alone.
"It has got to be fundamental and a cornerstone of our country and our democracy that everybody is equal before that one system of British law."
This morning it also emerged that Sharia crime courts are already operating in parts of Britain.
According to a youth worker, a group of Somali youths were arrested by police on suspicion of stabbing another Somali teenager.
But the victim's family told officers the matter would be settled out of court and the suspects were released on bail.
A Sharia court was convened and elders ordered the assailants to compensate the victim.
The Archbishop of Canterbury caused consternation yesterday when he called for Islamic law to be recognised in Britain.
He declared that Sharia and Parliamentary law should be given equal legal status so the people could choose which governs their lives.
This raised the prospect of Islamic courts in Britain with full legal powers to approve polygamous marriages, grant easy divorce for men and prevent finance firms from charging interest.
Brutal: Elements of Sharia law are known for being barbaric
His comments in a BBC interview and a lecture to lawyers were condemned at a time when government ministers are striving to encourage integration and stop the nation from "sleepwalking to segregation".
The Prime Minister rapidly distanced himself from Dr Williams's view. Gordon Brown's spokesman said: "Our general position is that sharia law cannot be used as a justification for committing breaches of English law, nor should the principles of sharia law be included in a civil court for resolving contractual disputes.
"The Prime Minister believes British law should apply in this country, based on British values."
Dr Williams's words opened a chasm over Islam between senior leaders of the Church of England, who are already trying to deal with an Anglican war over gay rights which broke out after he was appointed archbishop.
The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, is facing death threats following his warning last month about Muslim "no-go areas" in Britain.
And the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, who has been fiercely critical of Muslim extremists, said last year that "the imposition of sharia law, Britain as a Muslim society - that will never happen".
In his lecture, 57-year-old Dr Williams said that "we have to think a little harder about the role and rule of law in a plural society of overlapping identities".
He added that it would be possible to develop "a scheme in which individuals retain the liberty to choose the jurisdiction under which they will seek to resolve certain carefully specified matters, so that power-holders are forced to compete for the loyalty of their shared constituents.
"This may include aspects of marital law, the regulation of financial transactions, and authorised structures of mediation and conflict resolution."
The archbishop attempted to distance himself from the extreme legal systems run in Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, where adultery can be punished by death and women who behave independently risk harsh punishments.
"Nobody in their right mind, I think, would want to see in this country a kind of inhumanity that sometimes appears to be associated with the practice of the law in some Islamic states - the extreme punishments, the attitudes to women as well," he said.
Dr Williams pointed out that Jewish Beth Din courts already operate in Britain. But these, like sharia arrangements currently existing in Muslim areas, are voluntary understandings conducted with the agreement of participants.
Alternative sharia courts as proposed by the archbishop would dish out enforceable law.
Muslim groups responded cautiously to Dr Williams's proposals. A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain said: "We will need to look carefully at the archbishop's lecture."
The Ramadhan Foundation youth organisation said the scheme would help build respect and tolerance.
Its director Mohammed Shafiq said: "Sharia law for civil matters is something which has been introduced in some western countries with much success; I believe that Muslims would take huge comfort from the Government allowing civil matters being resolved according to their faith."
But he added: "We are however disappointed that the Archbishop of Canterbury was silent when Bishop Nazir-Ali was promoting intolerance and lying about no-go areas for Christians in the UK by Muslim extremists.
"Unless he speaks out against this intolerance, Muslims will take his silence as authorisation and support for such comments."
Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said Dr Williams's comments gave "succour to extremists".
"He needs to understand that his words carry enormous weight," he said in a Channel 4 interview.
"What he seems to be talking about is a situation in which people are treated differently under the law according to their religion. People cannot be treated differently. Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law.
"I don't doubt the archbishop's desire to accommodate diversity, but we cannot do so at the expense of our common values."
He described Dr Williams as "muddled" and "dangerous".
Mr Phillips was the first prominent Labour figure to condemn multiculturalism, the Left-wing doctrine which promotes different cultures.
He declared that under its influence Britain was sleepwalking to segregation.
Yesterday he said the "implication that British courts should treat people differently based on their faith is divisive and dangerous.
"It risks removing the protection afforded by law, for example, to children in custody cases or women in divorce proceedings.
"The first people who would suffer would be ethnic-minority citizens. Follow the logic of this extreme multiculturalism through and where do we end up?
With a group of white Christians in Barking and Dagenham deciding they had a conscientious objection to nonwhite Muslims in their neighbourhoods - and seeking the support of the courts?"
Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, said: "I am appalled that the head of the Church of England is advocating that parts of sharia law should be introduced into British law.
"The idea that you can have the moderate bits without the nasty bits coming along at a later time is naive."
Tory backbencher David Davies, an Anglican, said: "I am astounded. Dr Williams is a nice enough man, very intellectual, but he has clearly lost the plot.
"He's one of the most influential Christian prelates in the world and he's supposed to be standing up for Christianity.
"What he's doing is abandoning his own religion. If people come to this country they should be prepared to compromise their own traditions to fit in with the host country.
Tory cohesion spokesman Baroness Warsi, a Muslim herself, said: "The archbishop's comments are unhelpful and may add to the confusion that already exists in our communities.
"Freedom under the law allows respect for some religious practices.
"But let's be absolutely clear. All British citizens must be subject to British laws developed through Parliament and the courts."
-------------------------------
OTHERS COMMENTS:
He swears allegence to God, Queen and country.If people live in Great Britain then they should obey one law and one law only BRITISH
- A Tucker, glasgow south
I think the Queen, as defender of the faith, should remove that man from his position.
- John, Ohio USA
WHO WILL RID US OF THIS TURBULENT PRIEST? I'm not sure which planet the Archbishop is from, but I wish he would go back there. What utter nonesense he talks - can he not be sacked or retired - he is surely not all there.
- Stephen, London
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SOCIALIST HILLARY STRIKES AGAIN!
