Sarah Palin uses the blog that nobody visits to bring attention to sex trafficking. Wait, what?

Sarah Palin, taking a stand against the selling of sex.

Courtesy of Palin's ghostwritten ghost town of a blog: 

Sex trafficking for profit is the fastest-growing criminal activity in America today. Instead of honoring and protecting women and children, exploitative predators force them into prostitution, pornography, and slavery. A significant percentage of these are very young girls. How can hearts not be grieved by this terrible injustice? Friends, we are not powerless to help victims! Research this timely topic. The more we know, the more effectively we can act. 

Today, pray for the victims of trafficking. Support faith-based organizations dedicated to abolishing it. Let’s not pretend it isn’t here.

"Let's not pretend it isn't here." Okay, you first.

If memory serves me Sarah Palin did not show much sympathy for those accusing her husband of trafficking in sex.

From the book:

To escape reality, I zoned out and forced myself to think about things like grocery shopping, errands I needed to run, and calls I had to return. I just mentally removed myself from being at that place, in that situation, and with that person. I occupied my mind with mundane thoughts of everyday life. Believe me, I got no pleasure from the sexual act I entered into with the governor’s husband. 

As soon as he finished Todd acted as if nothing had happened. He asked for a wet washcloth with which to clean himself. I got it for him. When he got through, he tied a knot in the used condom, wrapped it in the washcloth and stuffed everything in one of his coat pockets. As he was going out the door, he said he would be in touch with me. In hindsight, I believe he was formulating plans for my future even as he zipped himself up that day. If I had known then what I know now, I would have avoided further contact with him like the plague.Instead, I was drawn deeper and deeper into what I came to realize too late was a path leading to my own destruction. Todd Palin was not the soft - spoken nice guy, friend of Bonnie, client of Shailey Tripp that he presented to the world. The reality was on the other side of my massage room door, he was a predator, and I was in his crosshairs.

In fact I believe she came out forcefully to defend the accused, and to claim that his accuser was lying.

Hey look I realize this is a case of she said, she said. But Shailey Tripp DID pass five different lie detector tests.

How many has Sarah Palin ever passed?

Melania Trump victorious in lawsuit against the Daily Mail, receives damages and an apology.

Courtesy of the BBC: 

The UK's Daily Mail newspaper has agreed to pay damages and costs to the first lady of the United States over an article about her modelling career. 

The newspaper had reported allegations that Melania Trump once worked as an escort, but later retracted the claims. 

The story was published during the US election campaign last year. 

Mrs Trump accepted damages and an apology from the newspaper at London's High Court. 

The article was published by the Daily Mail newspaper, and subsequently the paper's digital operation Mail Online. 

In a statement, Mrs Trump's lawyer said that she is "very pleased" and "will remain vigilant to protect her good name and reputation from those who make false and defamatory statements about her".

Here is that apology from the Daily Mail.

Personally I think that there are still some very troubling things about Melania's past, such as the fact that she worked on modeling gigs here in the US illegally, and that she also may have been married previously in order to get a green card.

We also know that she did nude modeling, which is really no big deal, except for the fact that she is now the First Lady of the United States of America.

As for being paid to have sex....well what do you call her relationship with Donald Trump?

US Intelligence agencies confirm at least some of what is in that infamous dossier compiled by the ex-MI6 agent.

Courtesy of Buzzfeed:  

US intelligence has confirmed several details in the explosive dossier about President Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia, an American intelligence official told BuzzFeed News on Friday. 

CNN initially reported late Friday afternoon that parts of the 35-page dossier, which Trump has dismissed entirely as “fake news,” stood up under further investigation from US intelligence and law enforcement. But CNN said it has not confirmed whether any of the confirmed details relate to Trump. 

An intelligence source told BuzzFeed News that CNN’s reporting was accurate, saying that the details that have been confirmed “are not the salacious allegations” of a sexual encounter in a Moscow hotel “but more about Trump’s relationship with Russia.” He declined to provide more details about the nature of that relationship, calling it “closely held.” 

Additionally, the source said, some of the other confirmed details amount to things “no one will care about,” such as gossip among Russians who dislike Hillary Clinton.

Well that part about "no one" caring about this information is refuted by this article from CNN: 

None of the newly learned information relates to the salacious allegations in the dossier. Rather it relates to conversations between foreign nationals. The dossier details about a dozen conversations between senior Russian officials and other Russian individuals. Sources would not confirm which specific conversations were intercepted or the content of those discussions due to the classified nature of US intelligence collection programs. 

But the intercepts do confirm that some of the conversations described in the dossier took place between the same individuals on the same days and from the same locations as detailed in the dossier, according to the officials. CNN has not confirmed whether any content relates to then-candidate Trump. 

The corroboration, based on intercepted communications, has given US intelligence and law enforcement "greater confidence" in the credibility of some aspects of the dossier as they continue to actively investigate its contents, these sources say.

Well I don't know about you, but corroboration that those phone calls documented in that dossier DID indeed take place is something that I certainly care about. 

Okay well this does not necessarily prove that EVERYTHING in that dossier is  accurate, but it certainly does lend it more credibility.

Personally I am of the mind that what was in the dossier is indeed accurate and THAT is why Putin rounded up, and even killed, some of those who may have knowledge of the information in that dossier or were connected to the hacking of the DNC.

This is just one more piece that reinforces the idea that Russia has information that they are using to control Donald Trump, and that some of that information is in the form of a video involving Russian prostitutes and their pee pee.

Melania Trump files lawsuit against news outlet for alleging she was an escort because...get this...it prevented her from profiting off being the First Lady.

"Allo, do you like this outfit? It can be yours. Do you like me? Make me an offer."

Courtesy of the WaPo: 

An attorney for first lady Melania Trump argued in a lawsuit filed Monday that an article falsely alleging that she once worked for an escort service hurt her chance to establish “multimillion dollar business relationships” during the years in which she would be “one of the most photographed women in the world.” 

The suit — filed Monday in New York Supreme Court, a state trial court, in Manhattan — against Mail Media, the owner of the Daily Mail, said the article published by the Daily Mail and its online division last August caused Trump’s brand, Melania, to lose “significant value” as well as “major business opportunities that were otherwise available to her.” The suit said the article had damaged her “unique, once in a lifetime opportunity” to “launch a broad-based commercial brand.” 

“These product categories would have included, among other things, apparel accessories, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, hair care, skin care and fragrance,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed on Trump’s behalf by California attorney Charles Harder. 

Neither Harder nor the White House responded to requests for comment late Monday. Harder has represented several high-profile clients, including wrestler Hulk Hogan, who won a $140 million invasion of privacy verdict against Gawker last year.

So she is not suing because she feels she was personally defamed, and that her image as First Lady has been unduly tarnished, but instead because she cannot turn a profit while serving her country?

So to be clear Melania Trump is upset that allegations that she was once a prostitute are preventing her from continuing to prostitute her name and image for money?

Do these people even hear themselves?

Good news folks, Dakota Meyer is becoming a vigilante.

So have either of you seen any of these human traffickers? Hello?

Courtesy of the Daily Caller:  

Medal of Honor recipient Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer announced Thursday that he’s becoming the official spokesman for the International Harbor Foundation, a non-profit group of special forces vets dedicated to busting human traffickers. 

In 2015, a group of special forces veterans came together to create International Harbor Foundation to track down human traffickers in the U.S. and abroad, but also to engage in advocacy efforts, connect victims with recovery resources and work to make sure trafficking is pulled out from the roots. 

Meyer’s decision to join up with IHF coincides with the organization’s fundraising drive, which launches on August 29 and has the goal of bringing in $50,000 in 50 days. Donations are routed into day-to-day operations and, more importantly, rescue missions and intel operations. 

“As a new father and veteran, this cause is especially important to me,” Meyer said in a statement. “These Special Forces veterans and I fought for freedom, under direct orders, around the Globe. Now that we can choose our own missions, we want to liberate the thousands of enslaved persons in our own neighborhoods and help the survivors reclaim their lives.” 

So currently it appears that this group is focused more on fundraising than actually launching any operations. So I am sure that Dakota recent experience with grifting will come in handy.

Look all snark aside I think that the problem of human trafficking is something that all of use should take seriously and I would hope that this group is going to position itself as more of a resource for law enforcement rather than a vigilante mob going off half cocked to play Batman in camouflage fatigues.

However if Dakota is serious about this I think I might have some idea of where he might start.

After all there is some evidence that he might know a little something about it.

Here is how one online publication responded to orders from Trump attorneys to redact a story about Melania Trump being a sex worker.

I cannot believe people says such terrible things. What about me makes people think I would have sex for money?

Courtesy of Liberal America: 

Just so we’re being completely transparent here, you should know this: 

This is being written under duress because I don’t have enough money to fight a legal battle against the Trump machine. Yesterday, I wrote a story based on Melania Trump allegedly having been an escort or paid sex worker when she arrived in New York. A few hours later, the owner of Liberal America received an email threatening us with legal action if we didn’t do as the Trump attorneys instructed — remove the “false statements.” So this is my apology. 

First of all, I’m very very sorry that I wrote an article about the past of Melania Trump. I got my information from reputable sources and reported on what was being reported there, but apparently that isn’t good enough to pass muster in the version of American freedom of the press envisioned by Mr. Trump and his team of legal vultures. 

Additionally, I’m also sorry that the personal image of the wannabe first lady is so insecure that she feels the need to send her legal hell-hounds chasing after small, independent journalists such as me. I had no idea I was such a threat to the Trump campaign or family. Imagine my surprise.

The author goes to report on a number of other things he is sorry about , most of the tongue in cheek, before getting to the actual "apology":  

Specifically, based on the email from the Beverly Hills law firm being used by the Trumps for this harassment, I was ordered to remove specific statements from the article I wrote, the exact information that is on the website of my source, The Daily Mail: 

1. “Melania Trump Was A Sex Worker After Moving To United States” 
2. “Melania Trump, the current wife of the GOP nominee for the White House, worked as an escort shortly after she first moved to the United States and was a favorite of rich men such as her current husband.” 
3. “On the one hand, they [the girls] pretended to be models, but they principally earned money as elite escorts. They even had two composite cards (presentation cards held by each model) — with two photos and basic information such as measurements, eye and hair color, and agency details.” 
4. “The second card…listed whether or not the woman liked older men and what her sexual skills in the bedroom were.” 
5. “The modeling agency Melania signed with after arriving in New York was owned by Paolo Zampolli, who allegedly used the agency as a front for an escort service.” 

According to the Trump attorneys, those statements are lies and this is the truth: 

The true facts are as follows: Mrs. Trump never worked as an escort or sex worker, nor did she ever have a composite or presentation card for the sex business. Mrs. Trump had a single composite card – for modeling. Paolo Zampolli, Mrs. Trump’s former modeling agent, has vehemently and publicly denied allegations that he operated a sex business.

Well there you go then, that's all straightened out. 

As you may have noticed I never jumped onto the whole "Melania Trump was a sex worker" bandwagon.

To be honest I felt it was a little poorly sourced, and was waiting for more confirmation.

However I DID write several posts about allegations that Trump raped a 12 year old girl. (You can one of them here, and another one here.)

Oddly enough neither I nor the publications I linked to received any order from Trump's attorneys to cease and desist or retract our posts.

So really the only thing that one can surmise by these events is that Melania Trump has NEVER been a sex worker, but Donald Trump did indeed rape a 12 year old girl and sexually harass several other women.

Well, I'm glad we have THAT cleared up.

Malia Litman's explosive Secret Service expose hits the MSM.

So as a number of you are no doubt aware fellow blogger, and friend, Malia Litman has been doggedly pursuing stories about Secret Service malfeasance and scandalous behaviors.

Malia originally started her inquiries based on information she received from Shailey Tripp and it just exploded from there.

So here she is a number of years later and all of her hard work has now been vindicated.

According to The Dallas News this is just a portion of what she has uncovered: 

Here, though, are lowlights of behind-the-scenes mishaps of our vaunted Secret Service. 

• A culture of "wheels up; rings off" meant even married agents could party on foreign trips. 
• Secret Service K-9 units brought their dogs into their hotel room, which the dogs trashed. The agents made payoffs so the incident wouldn't be reported. 
• A agent who missed his flight later showed up drunk with two prostitutes. He was not disciplined. 
• Agents "engaged" with prostitutes in Amsterdam's red-light district during an advance team trip. 
• A supervisor choked a female subordinate because she rejected his sexual advances. 
• A supervisor offered a subordinate a larger office in return for sex. 
• A supervisor took a subordinate to a sex show while on duty. 
• A male agent's gun was stolen by a male prostitute he solicited online. The gun was never recovered. 
• A manager in the National Threat Assessment Center forced employees to drink alcohol in his office "so that he could trust them." The same manager was accused of multiple incidents of sexual harassment.

The article goes into more detail, but that right there is enough to take your breath away.

None of this information came easily and Malia spent $100,000 of her own money on legal fees to gain access to the documents which tell these troubling tales.

Which goes to show the kind of dedication it requires from citizen journalists to get to the truth, and then get that truth out to the American people.

All I can say is congratulations Malia! You do us proud!

National Enquirer seems convinced that the presidential candidate named in the DC Madam's phone records is Ted Cruz. Update!

Courtesy of Radar Online: 

Montgomery Blair Sibley, a former lawyer for madam Deborah Palfrey, has filed a dramatic appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court for permission to publish her unconventional “black book,” which consists of some 15,000 pages of phone records and calls to clients, as well as their calls requesting the $300-an-hour services from her gaggle of beautiful hookers! 

But Radar has learned The National ENQUIRER will this week report its findings of yet another exhaustive and investigative probe that will quote journalist detectives who claim the mystery candidate almost certainly “has to be Cruz.” 

Investigator Wayne Madsen, who was on a team of reporters hired by Hustler Magazine’s boisterous owner Larry Flynt to investigate the madam, told The ENQUIRER that Cruz should be concerned! 

“If Montgomery Sibley has what he says he has, it has to be Cruz,” he said in an interview — an advance copy of which was provided to Radar. 

“Going on what I know about the other male candidates still in the race, it isn’t any of them, and Palfrey didn’t provide call boys, so it wasn’t Hillary.”

Of course right now this is all simply gossip, and there is no reason to jump to any real conclusions.

However having said that Ted Cruz has always been my top suspect as well.

Can you imagine what happens to this GOP race if Cruz is knocked about this scandal?

So hard to type while jamming popcorn in my mouth with two hands.

Update: Yep it looks like it's Cruz alright. 

Does the lawyer for the former "DC Madam" really have explosive information that might impact the current presidential election? And if so who should be worried?

Courtesy of US News:

A lawyer who represented the so-called “D.C. madam” says he has phone records that could influence the outcome of the presidential election, and he’s threatening to release one or more names on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court if he’s denied a hearing on his right to distribute them. 

Montgomery Blair Sibley, the late madam Deborah Palfrey’s colorful attorney, has been subject to a restraining order since 2007 barring him from releasing the information, which he says includes 815 names, addresses and Social Security numbers of Verizon Wireless customers. 

“Time is of the essence because people are casting votes in primaries and caucuses,” he says. “I believe this information is relevant to that political discourse.” 

Sibley first said the records could be relevant to the presidential race in January, when there were 15 high-profile candidates. Now, just three Republicans and two Democrats remain – though Sibley won’t say if any are implicated, citing fear of being jailed for contempt.

I first heard about this story last night on the Rachel Maddow show, and I have to admit I was intrigued.

Now assuming that this Sibley guy is not simply an opportunist looking to get some attention during a "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" of a campaign cycle, who do we think would be the most likely candidate to be damaged by anything contained in these phone records?

Louisiana gubernatorial candidate David Vitter recruits one of those Duck Dynasty guys to help that whole prostitute thing.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

The new ad, titled “David and Willie,” highlights a familiar theme for Vitter’s campaign: how he accepted responsibility for his actions and asked for forgiveness. “What defines us in life is how we get up and earn redemption,” Vitter says in the ad. “Where we are as a state is needing to get up based on strong conservative principles, and that’s what I’m leading with.” 

I cannot believe that this idiot thinks standing next reality star is going to help him win this election. 

Just how stupid does he think the voters are?

Though to be fair this IS Louisiana. 

I love how these conservative clowns are always running on their religious morality, but then when they get caught with their peckers out they claim it's no big deal because "who hasn't
 made mistakes?

Well you know I have made mistakes in my life as well, but cheating on my wife with prostitutes just wasn't one of them.

Now I have no idea what Vitter and Willie Robertson were doing there in the woods, and I don't think I want to know, but it is unlikely to help him since he is now running behind his Democratic opponent by double digits.

Look what I missed on the Rachel Maddow show while watching the GOP debate yesterday.

Holy Bare Knuckle Brawl Batman! That was awesome!

Here was my favorite part courtesy of TPM:  

"With re­spect to the neg­at­ive ad, if it’s a low blow it’s only be­cause that’s where you live, Sen­at­or,” Ed­wards said. “It’s 100 per­cent truth­ful. The fact of the mat­ter is you didn’t say it was un­true. You want me to take it down be­cause you don’t like it. I un­der­stand that you don’t like it. It hits you where you live."

Oh man do I love that!

I have for years tried to figure out how David Vitter stays a viable candidate for ANYTHING in Louisiana with everything his constituents know about his frequent visits to prostitutes and his penchant for wearing diapers.

So I applaud John Bel Edwards for being unafraid to take Vitter to task for his past behaviors and for his numerous lies.

He might not win, but he sure as hell is going to leave a mark. 

When Republican Senator David Vitter found out that the former prostitute he was having an affair with was pregnant he did what any pro-life hypocrite would do, he asked her to get an abortion.

"I am100% pro-life. Unless my mistress gets knocked up of course."

Courtesy of Best of New Orleans: 

Now we know why David Vitter avoided so many live TV debates, why he wanted forum questions in advance, why he ducked the media after the two TV debates he did attend — and most of all, why he has never answered questions about the specifics of the “serious sin” to which he allegedly confessed in July 2007. 

According to investigative blogger Jason Brad Berry (www.americanzombie.com), Vitter had a nearly three-year sexual relationship with a woman he first met through a New Orleans escort service in 1998. In 2000, she told him she was pregnant. His first reaction, according to the woman, was to deny paternity. The next words out of the mouth of the man who proudly claims he has a “100 percent pro-life” record: Get an abortion. 

She did not. Instead, she put the child up for adoption. 

There’s the real irony: If the woman is telling the truth — and she certainly comes across as sincere in Berry’s videotaped interview with her — the “prostitute” that Vitter impregnated is clearly more “pro-life” than the senator.

Cannot say that this is in anyway surprising. These pro-life assholes always change their tune when the potential baby threatens to change THEIR life or damage THEIR reputation.

Of course we already know what kind of a scumbag Vitter is based on the fact that he frequently visited prostitutes and had a diaper fetish.

Currently Vitter is running to be the governor of Louisiana.

I would like to say that there is no way he can win in the face of these allegations, but since his past daliances with prostitutes did not seem to significantly damage his political aspirations, all bets are off. 

Update: Okay well apparently that link to Best of new Orleans is no longer working. You can also get the story here at Raw Story. They even have video of the ex-mistress making the remarks.

Oil company offers Iowa resident teenage prostitute in exchange for the right to build an oil pipeline on his property.

Hughie Tweedy courtesy of Blog for Iowa

Courtesy of Radio Iowa: 

A landowner from southeast Iowa today said he has recorded proof a land agent for the proposed Bakken Pipeline offered to get him an 18-year-old prostitute if he’d grant access rights to his property so the pipeline may pass through. 

A spokeswoman for the pipeline developers issued a written response this afternoon. 

“We are aware of allegations that have been made concerning the conduct of an employee of one of our contractors,” said Vicki Anderson Granado, media relations coordinator for Energy Transfer Partners. “We take these types of matters very seriously and are investigating further.” 

Hughie Tweedy of Montrose said he recorded two of his conversations with the land agent. 

“On these recordings you will hear evidence of my senior pipeline representative offering me not once, not twice, but three times the sexual services of a woman,” Tweedy said, “the last time being a $1200 teenage prostitute.”

This is my favorite part:  

“If an old junkyard dog like me was offered the sexual services of little girls to get my hackles down, I wonder what was offered to the powerbrokers of this state to gain their support for silence,” Tweedy said. “Shame, shame, shame.”

I wish I could be surprised by this, but after living through the seventies and eighties up here in Alaska, when oil companies were throwing money around like confetti, I have seen a number of deals that were signed with one or more of the participant's pants down around their ankles.

This Tweedy guy is a pretty tough cookie. He refers to the oil companies as the "pipeline mafia" and claims they treated him like a hick and a fool.

Apparently he was not quite the fool they were hoping for.

David Vitter, he of the famous DC Madam prostitution sting fame, wants to run for Governor of Louisiana. Oh yes please.

Courtesy of Mediaite: 

Senator David Vitter (R-LA) announced Tuesday morning that he intends to run for governor of Louisiana. 

The junior senator from Louisiana, best known for escaping a prostitution scandal by the skin of his teeth in 2007, is angling to replace Bobby Jindal, who is finishing out his second term as governor.

Yes the thing that Vitter is best known for, I would argue the ONLY thing he is known for, is that his phone number was found among the records of the DC Madam, after she was arrested in 2006. Along with descriptions of some of the fetishes enjoyed by her clientele, which included the fact that Vitter liked to be diapered and treated like an infant.

This led to one of the most uncomfortable news conferences in American history, which featured David Vitter to play the victim, while the real victim, his wife Wendy Vitter, stood next to him trying not to look completely horrified.

As you can see she failed.

Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the DC Madam, later conveniently committed suicide as did at least one of her call girls.

Which I guess means that Vitter does not have to worry about anybody interviewing her and discovering any new embarrassing facts about his perversions that could be used to humiliate him in this latest leg of his political journey.

But have no fear, there are still plenty of us who remember that Vitter is a hypocritical son-of-a-bitch,  who hides behind the Bible and preaches morality, all while engaging in behaviors that would destroy the career of most politicians in this country. 

Diaper wearing, prostitute banging Senator Vitter calling for ethics probe against Senators Reid and Boxer. "Kettle, there is a Mr. Pot holding on line two."

Photo courtesy of LynnRockets

Okay hang on let's see if we can sort this out. (You might want popcorn for this.)

Apparently David Vitter, made famous after being associated with the D.C. Madam and found to have utilized prostitutes while wearing adult diapers, did this: 

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) has been tying up the Senate this week as he pushes an amendment that would bar the federal government from making payments toward health insurance that members of Congress buy in the Obamacare exchanges. Vitter has been trying to attach the proposal to an unrelated bill on energy efficiency.

Pretty douchey I know.

In response the Democrats did this:  

But Democratic senators are preparing a legislative response targeting a sordid Vitter episode. If Vitter continues to insist on a vote on his proposal, Democrats could counter with one of their own: Lawmakers will be denied those government contributions if there is “probable cause” they solicited prostitutes. 

According to draft legislation obtained by POLITICO, Democrats are weighing whether to force a Senate vote on a plan that would effectively resurrect Vitter’s past if the conservative Republican continues to press forward with his Obamacare-bashing proposal. 

Oh no they didn't! But yes, yes they did. 

Well this caused Vitter to reflexively fill his depends and then he got pissed. (Or pissed himself, that part is a little unclear.)

So Vitter performed the Senate version of throwing a tantrum: 

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) is calling for an ethics investigation of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), in response to Senate Democrats floating a bill that would block him from getting health benefits because of his prostitution scandal. 

In his call for an investigation, Vitter accuses Reid and Boxer, the chair of the Ethics Committee, of an attempt to influence his vote by "intimidation and bribery." 

Now just roll that around in your mind for a moment. The married Louisiana Senator who paid for sex with a number of prostitutes, and who dragged his poor wife out into the public arena to provide cover for his indiscretions, is now calling for a purely politically motivated ethic's investigation?

Personally I think that ANY issue which reminds the American public, and Vitter's constituents in Louisiana, of his past indiscretions is a good thing.

So as President Obama might say, "Please proceed Senator."

Army Sergeant who worked as sexual assault prevention coordinator is being investigated for sexual assault and being a pimp. WTF military?

Courtesy of New York Times: 

An Army sergeant who served as a sexual assault prevention and response coordinator at Fort Hood, Tex., is under investigation for allegations of pandering, abusive sexual contact, assault and maltreatment of subordinates, Pentagon officials said late Tuesday. 

The inquiry comes as the White House, the Pentagon and the armed services are struggling to deal with the deepening problem of sexual assault in the military. The Pentagon released a survey last week estimating that 26,000 people in the armed forces were sexually assaulted last year, up from 19,000 in 2010. A separate report recorded 3,374 sexual assault reports last year, a much lower number than the survey, suggesting that many victims are not reporting the crimes. 

The noncommissioned officer under investigation had been working as an “equal opportunity adviser and sexual harassment/assault response and prevention program coordinator” with a battalion of troops — about 2,000 soldiers — assigned to the Army’s III Corps at Fort Hood when the allegations surfaced, the Pentagon said in a statement. 

The suspect was not identified by name. One official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because no charges have been filed, said the portion of the inquiry related to pandering refers to allegations that the soldier was involved in managing a prostitution operation, perhaps involving a subordinate.

This of course comes on the heels of the sexual assault charges that were filed against a Lieutenant who was the Navy's chief sexual assault prevention officer.

I think there can be LITTLE doubt that the sexual assault in the military has reached epidemic levels that a comprehensive investigation  must be launched to get to the bottom of it, and then implement strict guidelines for the treatment of women in the armed services.

You know my daughter and I had a rather big argument about HER desire to join the military.

I rarely intrude on her life choices, but that time I was adamant that she not enlist, and much of the reason, besides the two wars of course, was the systemic sexual abuse and the demeaning of women that seems to be pervasive in the military these days.

One of the things about this story that upsets me is that THIS was exactly the kind of thing that is used to justify keeping women out of combat, or which keeps them from having the same opportunities afforded to their male counterparts.

Instead of placing the blame on those that victimize women, the excuse is made that "boys will be boys" and that this is the expected outcome when you allow women to enter a male dominated environment.

APD spokesman, Dave Parker, quits. Hmmm.

Courtesy of ADN:

Anchorage police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker said Friday he’s retiring at the end of the year. “I put in my papers today,” he said. Parker is an ordained preacher and, unlike spokespeople at many police departments, a badge-carrying cop. His last day will be Dec. 31.

Well isn't that interesting?

As many of you might know Parker was the gentleman who very quickly denied the National Enquirer's story of a link between Todd Palin and Shailey Tripp, as well as his involvement with her arrest for prostitution. At teh behest of the Palin's attorney by the way.

However later we learned that he had not exactly been completely honest in his statements.

It should be noted, though I have no evidence of any connections as of yet, that Governor Parnell's sex trafficking task force is currently hearing testimony about how wide speared the problem is in Alaska.

Probably not connected, but I will say that it is interesting timing in that I am pretty sure Officer Parker has some information about that troubling situation that the task force might be very interested in hearing about.

Alaska task force hears testimony on sex trafficking. Has anybody seen Todd Palin lately?

Governor Parnell signing sex trafficking bill.

Courtesy of the Huffington Post:  

Experts testifying before a new Alaska task force on sex trafficking said Monday the teenage victims often are too afraid and embarrassed, and sometimes too addicted to drugs, to come forward. 

The comments were made at a hearing to address sex trafficking, which authorities say is notoriously underreported. Among the most vulnerable are chronic runaways whose own parents have quit looking for them, said Detective Sgt. Kathy Lacey, who heads the Anchorage Police Department's vice unit. 

"Those kids are falling through the cracks," she told the panel. 

Jolene Goeden, an FBI special agent in Anchorage who investigates sex crimes, said there have been seven federal prosecutions of human trafficking cases, noting that not all of them were filed as trafficking cases. In the seven cases, 105 trafficking victims were identified. 

Recorded conversations with a victim identified as "Heather" also were played. She said her pimp initially was treated her well and told her she would not want for anything, then the relationship deteriorated to the point where she was beaten for being even a dollar short, hogtied and gagged and thrown into an "underground tunnel" for days. 

"It was brutal," she said. 

The state task force aims to gauge the prevalence of human trafficking and prostitution in Alaska, as well as the services available to help victims. It also plans a December public hearing in Bethel.

Apparently the task force will report its findings to the legislators by January 15th. 

I actually don't know how excited any of us should be at the possibility that Todd Palin will be investigated, but I DID send an e-mail to Parnell a while back telling him about Shailey's book, and telling him that if he was serious about really DOING something about this problem he would prove it by bringing Todd in for questioning and talking to Shailey and some of the girls she worked with as well.

I never received a response.

President Obama speaks about human trafficking at Clinton Global Initiative.

Photo courtesy of the Obama Diary.

Right now the conservatives are attacking President Obama for his appearance on the View and saying that he spent his day there rather than visiting with members of the UN or doing anything else important.

Well that View appearance was prerecorded, and what the President actually did yesterday was to give two incredibly important speeches, in between dealing with the problems of our country and the multiple crises erupting overseas.

I shared the UN speech with you yesterday, but I feel that the one he gave at the Clinton Global Initiative was just as important, so I have embedded it below.

Now this speech is about human trafficking and slavery in other countries, a renewed focus on what is happening right here in the United States, as well as what the Obama administration is doing about it.

In other words, Todd Palin might feel his sphincter puckering up while watching this speech. Because the President is now putting more resources into finding these traffickers in human cargo and brutal pimps and making it a priority to bring them to justice.

Perhaps its time for some of us to send the administration another copy of "Boys will be Boys."

Secret Service supervisor who quit in wake of the Colombian prostitution scandal was once assigned to Sarah Palin. Indentifies himself as "Palin stalker."

Courtesy of TPM Livewire:  

David Chaney has been identified as the Secret Service supervisor who retired under pressure this week in the wake of the prostitution scandal rocking the agency. Here’s a photo he posted on his Facebook wall back in 2009 of him protecting former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. 

“I was really checking her out, if you know what i mean?” he wrote in response to a friend, joking that he was a Palin “stalker.”

Well now, isn't THAT interesting?

Not to mention, creepy.