Police taser parties

Here we go again. Law enforcement inappropriately using a tool meant for use against violent out-of-control individuals.

A University of Florida student was at an event where John Kerry was speaking. The student was rambling on for a while asking several questions, including why Kerry capitulated so quickly in the 2004 election when it was clear that voting hanky-panky was going on. The student went on at length, and then the police dragged Andrew Meyer, 21, to take him out of the venue and tased him (with better video):



From coverage of the event:

As two officers take Meyer by the arms, Kerry, D-Mass., is heard to say, "That's alright, let me answer his question." Audience members applaud, and Meyer struggles to escape for several seconds as up to four officers try to remove him from the room.

Meyer screams for help and asks "What did I do?" as he tries to break away from officers. He is forced to the ground and officers order him to stop resisting. Meyer says he will walk out if the officers let him go.

As Kerry tells the audience he will answer the student's "very important question," Meyer struggles on the ground and yells at the officers to release him, crying out, "Don't Tase me, bro," just before he is Tasered. He is then led from the room, screaming, "What did I do?"

He was charged with resisting an officer and disturbing the peace. Kerry condemned the action:

"In 37 years of public appearances, through wars, protests and highly emotional events, I have never had a dialogue end this way," Kerry said in a statement. "I believe I could have handled the situation without interruption, but I do not know what warnings or other exchanges transpired between the young man and the police prior to his barging to the front of the line and their intervention. I asked the police to allow me to answer the question and was in the process of responding when he was taken into custody."

"I was not aware that a taser was used until after I left the building," he continued. "I hope that neither the student nor any of the police were injured. I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted."

***

And in a story that has received little coverage outside NYC, a veteran of the NYPD says his son was tased by cops four times during a community barbecue for no apparent reason, and beat him 15 times with a nightstick and choked him. (NYDN):

Retired Lt. Alexander Lombard said his son, Alexander Lombard 3rd, 17, was beaten by cops after they arrived at a "community sponsored" barbecue at 126th St. and Park Ave. last month.

"He's truly dismayed by the whole thing," Lombard said, standing next to his son in front of Police Headquarters in lower Manhattan. "He grew up with cops. He was raised to trust cops."

But Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said in a statement that a police sergeant "employed a Taser against the suspect's ankle" to subdue him after responding to a large disturbance at about 3:30 a.m.

..."The mere fact that he was hit with a Taser four times," Leader said, "and there's no resisting arrest charge, no criminal possession of a weapons charge - it's evident to me that this incident did not justify use of a stun gun."

[9/19 5AM: Sorry folks, I've been offline since this went up, woozy with a very bad cold. I've updated the post with the better video and corrected the details of the FL post. And no, rude behavior, even obnoxious behavior, is not grounds for tasing anyone for exercising free speech rights. Should he have stepped away from the mic? Maybe so. I will say this -- many a young black man knows what it's like to be errantly targeted beaten, shot, tased or attacked for absolutely no reason at all by overzealous law enforcement.]

Hat tip, Too Sense. Read the rest of this post...

One week after Petraeus says all is well, US bans almost all land travel by American govt. officials in Iraq

Imagine banning travel by land in an entire country. That's how bad things have gotten in Iraq. And just last week General Petraeus was telling us how well things were going. I'd like to see John McCain and Joe Lieberman, and George Bush, go back now for a surprise visit. Read the rest of this post...

Even the minor progress claims don’t hold up

Brian Beutler does the yeoman’s work of examining some of the more specific instances of "progress" cited by Ambassador Crocker in his testimony last week. It's a great examination of a few specific points, so check it out.

The big lie is often most difficult to disprove, making the idea that general, overall progress is being made is an attractive sell for the administration. When claims regarding any one element are refuted, officials move right on to the next, never fully engaging but playing a game of tag with the facts.

It is vital, therefore, to examine the particulars, and Beutler does so thoroughly. Regarding Crocker's important-sounding assertion that Iraq's economic growth will exceed 6 percent for 2007, Beutler explains that this number, which would sound good for a developed nation, is actually worrisome for a country in Iraq’s dire straits.

[I]t's typical for a country as damaged as Iraq to see its economy fluctuate wildly, resulting in spurts of growth much more substantial than 6 percent. In fact, Iraq's GDP has varied greatly since the 2003 invasion. It climbed 46.5 percent in 2004, after having fallen 41.4 percent in 2003, according to the Brookings Institution's Iraq Index. In other words, though 6 percent would constitute significant growth for a developed nation like the United States, it is nearly meaningless for a country that's experienced as much turmoil as has Iraq.

That’s absolutely correct, and even a much greater improvement in economic growth might be irrelevant to "the great majority of Iraqis, who don’t benefit from government salaries or oil industry profits." With unemployment estimated between 40 and 50 percent, fluctuations in the overall economy are unlikely to affect those who aren't connected to the oil industry or the government payroll.

Even Crocker's insistence that cell phone usage is a positive development is dubious. The heavy reliance on cell phones is due in no small part to the massive damage done to infrastructure – virtually no land lines work.

The reality is, Iraq's economy is in shambles. No business can reasonably be expected to succeed in a place with virtually no electricity, no freedom of movement, no safe structure for exchange, and no security. To pretend otherwise is embarrassing and false. Read the rest of this post...

Cheney using Petraeus's name to raise money at GOP fundraiser

I'm just trying to understand why Dick Cheney feels that it's appropriate to invoke General Petraeus' name at a GOP fundraiser. Or is that what Petraeus is really about, helping the GOP raise money for elections? Also, check out this quote from Cheney at the fundraiser:

"No one in politics, regardless of party, should hesitate to object when an American soldier at war is mocked and insulted."

Funny, since Cheney helped host the GOP convention that openly mocked Vietnam Vet John Kerry AND they mocked him for being wounded in action. Then again, you have to remember that Republicans love our troops in principle - like when giving speeches, holding photo ops, or hosting fundraisers - not in practice. Read the rest of this post...

GOP Senate Leader McConnell hurting in polls in KY over support for Bush and war

McConnell is up for re-election. This is getting interesting.

More than half of Kentucky voters disapprove of the way Sen. Mitch McConnell has handled legislative issues regarding the post-war occupation of Iraq, see the war as "not worth" it and are torn over McConnell's overall performance as senator, according to newly released poll figures.

The statewide Herald-Leader/Action News 36 poll, which was conducted last week and included 600 likely voters, found that 55 percent of those polled disapprove of McConnell's position on Iraq while 38 percent approve and 7 percent are undecided.

Similarly, 57 percent of Kentucky voters polled said the war wasn't worth the loss of life and expense while 32 percent feel the war effort was worth it and 11 percent are unsure. Voters are split on McConnell's job performance with 47 percent approving, 44 percent disapproving and 9 percent unsure.

But I'm sure the Republicans feel that losing every election in 2008 is a small price to pay for victory in Iraq. Read the rest of this post...

The milk just dried up

There's been a marked recent increase in the number of people asking me to write about their organization, campaign, or client. Whether it's a non-profit with some new-fangled incredibly-esoteric project, a politician promoting their latest highly-interesting-to-them but-kind-of-boring-to-you policy proposal, or a public relations firm being paid big bucks to push the lame ideas of yet another client, the volume of "give me free publicity" requests has skyrocketed of late.

Interestingly, at the same time, the number of ads these same groups are running on blogs has plummeted.

Now, you don't have to pay to get me to write about your story. (And the corollary, even if you paid me I still wouldn't write about a non-story.) You simply have to have a real story, and it has to be news. And by news, I mean that it has to be novel and interesting, and it has to matter. One thing I've learned over my extending years in Washington, DC: If you have to hire a high-priced PR firm to push your story, then it's usually not news. (And most of the non-PR firm pitches aren't news either.)

So in essence, these non-profits, political campaigns and PR firms are not asking me to write about a big news story, which IS what we write about, they're asking me to do them a favor by writing about something that might not interest my readers. And therein lies the problem. Why should I do them a favor when they've never lifted a finger to support my blog or the blogosphere at large?

Now, you might argue, "But John, you're just like a journalist - we shouldn't have to PAY you to write about us!" And that would be correct. I am like a journalist, sometimes, and you don't have to pay me to get me to write about your story. But like a journalist anywhere, your story has to be a real story before I'm going to write about it. And the notion that I'm going to do you a favor by writing about a non-story, when you've never before given me the time of day, is laughable.

And in any case, that's what advertising is for: non-stories. In politics, there's one sure-fire way to get your story/non-story in the paper - buy an ad. It's no different on the blogs. You don't expect favors from the Washington Post, why do you expect them for us?

My point isn't that the blogs should be bought, or can be bought. My point is that the blogs should be supported by the larger progressive community, and they're not. Liberal non-profits, political operations, and companies interested in reaching either a progressive audience or an inside-the-beltway crowd wouldn't think twice about spending $60,000 on a Washington Post ad, spending a good chunk of change on an ad in The Hill or Roll Call, or paying a PR firm a $20,000+ a month retainer to get their news on the blogs, among other venues (NOTE: the very best way to get me NOT to cover a story is to have a PR firm contact me). But the notion of spending $800 (or hopefully, several thousand dollars) on a blog ad gives them serious pause. Then they turn around and expect favors.

There's an old trite saying: "Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?" Well, the milk just dried up. Read the rest of this post...

The 22 most corrupt members of Congress

From CREW...

The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress are:

* Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
* Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
* Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
* Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
* Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA)
* Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
* Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)
* Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)
* Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA)
* Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
* Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-CA)
* Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV)
* Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA)
* Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA)
* Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM)
* Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
* Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
* Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
* Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL)
* Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-NM)
* Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

The two to watch are:

* Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-ID)
* Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) Read the rest of this post...

US spy chief wants MORE power to spy on you

The issue is kind of moot since the Republicans are willing to break the law in order to spy on innocent Americans anyway, so it really doesn't matter what the law says. I think back to a conversation I had over lunch with a well-educated America-friendly French professional last week in Paris. He asked me two simple questions: Does America still believe in freedom, does America still believe in liberty?

I'm not sure it does. And I'm starting to wonder if it ever did. Read the rest of this post...

Needed: A national strategy to end the AIDS epidemic

In June, I read this post by Gabriel Rotello. It was a great piece questioning the idea that the AIDS epidemic was over in the United States. There hasn't been much coverage of the continuing AIDS crisis in this country, but it's far from over. Coincidentally, in July, I got invited to attend meeting to discuss developing a strategy to end the AIDS epidemic in America. To be honest, I hadn't given the subject much thought. But after spending a day with some of the brightest people in the world of AIDS and other fields, I came away believing we need to step up the discussion.

Of course, to end the AIDS epidemic in America requires leadership. And, we're not going to have leadership until we have a new President. That's why the leading AIDS organizations and their allies "have requested that every Presidential candidate commit to developing a results-oriented national AIDS strategy designed to significantly reduce HIV infection rates, ensure access to care and treatment for those who are infected and eliminate racial disparities." What a concept, huh?

Here are the facts from a new site called appropriately enough National AIDS Strategy.org,

The wealthiest nation in the world is failing its own people in responding to the AIDS epidemic at home. Consider that in the U.S.:

Every year, 40,000 people are newly infected with HIV. The HIV infection rate has not fallen in 15 years.
Over a million people are living with HIV. In 2002, an estimated half of people living with HIV/AIDS were not in care.
African Americans represent 13% of the population but nearly half of all new HIV infections. In 2004, HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death among black women ages 25 - 34.

The unsatisfactory outcomes from our country’s response to AIDS have serious human and economic costs. A study published in 2003 found that failure to meet the government’s then goal of reducing HIV infections by half would lead to $18 billion in excess expenses through 2010.

Those are some serious ramifications in both human and financial terms. All of the major presidential candidates are offering their health care plans. Hillary Clinton unveiled her plan yesterday.

Every candidate needs to include a plan to end the AIDS epidemic in America. It's gone on way, way too long. Read the rest of this post...

Tuesday Morning Open Thread

Get it started. Read the rest of this post...

Is the EU stifling or helping competition with Microsoft ruling?

Conservatives will assert that the EU anti-trust ruling against Microsoft is hurting competition, because somehow, big companies are the only companies that understand how to compete. This argument might make a little more sense if Microsoft understood innovation or actually produced something innovative, but the Microsoft of today is so much different from the Microsoft of yesteryear. With halls full of people that are former big company consultants, the kind that used to be at IBM during their decline, Microsoft is decent at protecting their market position but dreadful at producing innovation and delivering it to the market.

Unlike the US who in recent years has been much more interested in coddling big industry and helping them maintain their position instead of thinking of consumers or small companies that truly are innovative, the EU is showing an interest in fairness as well as innovation. The EU court system is still young with many competing states in the mix whereas in the US, it is a much more mature system with only one country involved. More important is the fact that lobbying is not a force in Europe the way it is in the US.

There's no need to punish big companies just because they are big and successful, but there is also no need to protect them from competition either. This EU court ruling and the signal that it sends to industry is a positive development for small business as well as for consumers. We can see what happens with industry consolidation (think telecoms or banks in the US, for example) and the lack of benefits it provides to consumers, not to mention innovation. A balance in legal systems is not such a bad idea since the US courts are so uninterested in considering competition or consumers. Read the rest of this post...

For the millionth time, don't eat the salad because it's tainted

Remember when tourists used to say that about eating salads and raw veggies while traveling in Mexico or certain foreign countries? Not so surprisingly, the problem of E. coli in salads is popping up again just days after the AP ran a story about how nothing had changed in the produce industry since the E. coli deaths from tainted spinach last year. How many people have to get sick or die before the factory food industry wakes up to the problem? The problem also highlights the need for Democrats to gain more seats in Congress next year so they can step up the progress of proper food safety.

These problems are just another reminder of the failed programs of Newt Gingrich and the GOP who still believe that industry can regulate itself, despite what consumers see with their own eyes. Industry is simply not up to the task and consumers deserve a heck of a lot more. Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

Just made a few loaves of bread, white bread this time, just to see what it's like to make bread that's easy. Man what a difference this stuff is from making wheat bread (which is living hell). I put sesame seeds on it (still thinking of Greece). It's divine. Read the rest of this post...