J. Christian Adams on the Administration’s intercession in the Black Panther voter intimidation case.
Read the whole thing; it explains the legal vacuity and the legal incompetence of the Administration’s actions (dismissing the case despite clear and overwhelming evidence of federal violations).
But the conclusion is worse:
Most disturbing, the dismissal is part of a creeping lawlessness infusing our government institutions. Citizens would be shocked to learn about the open and pervasive hostility within the Justice Department to bringing civil rights cases against nonwhite defendants on behalf of white victims. Equal enforcement of justice is not a priority of this administration. Open contempt is voiced for these types of cases.
Some of my co-workers argued that the law should not be used against black wrongdoers because of the long history of slavery and segregation. Less charitable individuals called it “payback time.” Incredibly, after the case was dismissed, instructions were given that no more cases against racial minorities like the Black Panther case would be brought by the Voting Section.
Refusing to enforce the law equally means some citizens are protected by the law while others are left to be victimized, depending on their race. Core American principles of equality before the law and freedom from racial discrimination are at risk. Hopefully, equal enforcement of the law is still a point of bipartisan, if not universal, agreement. However, after my experience with the New Black Panther dismissal and the attitudes held by officials in the Civil Rights Division, I am beginning to fear the era of agreement over these core American principles has passed.
Just keep chanting, liberals; “conservatives are racist; conservatives are racist;conservatives are racist;conservatives are racist;conservatives are racist…”
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Aw, Mitch you just love your chanting points, and you just love projecting them onto others.
I looked at the story in the link you provided, and believing in the importance of multiple sourcing information, and clearly believing you have demonstrated the problems with relying on possibly prejudiced reports that are seeking to create an intended impression of facts where some may be left out, I looked not only at this report but at others.
If these men who were supposedly posted outside a polling place were behaving in any manner which was illegal or without the consent of the polling judges, or other officials……..why wasn’t there a call to the police?
There appears to have been no objection on the part of the voters, or the polling staff. The weapon in question appears to have ‘resembled’ a police baton, but does not appear to have been illegal for the party in question to have, nor is there any indication that it was ever ‘brandished’ or used in a remotely threatening manner that I could find reported in the local press.
While the local black panthers claim the individuals were acting in conjunction with an effort on their part to keep polling places safe – not to intimidate anyone – I couldn’t actually confirm the individuals in question were members of the black panthers.
I am curious why it was the republican organization that was unwilling to speak to reporters, and I am a bit skeptical that we are supposed to take on faith that there are these multiple others inside the very large DoJ who are critical of this decision, but we cannot verify this.
I’m guessing that pretty much every decision in the DoJ results in people on the inside who disagree, just as I’m sure you do not agree with every decision made by your superiors where you work. That doesn’t make those decisions wrong, or entirely wrong, just because you disagree. Nor does the claims made by Adams prove that the decisions were wrong for the reasons Adams claims.
The question that is not answered here that occurred to me was to wonder if Adams is one of those attorneys added to the DoJ under the Bush administration in an attempt to poltiicize it to favor the Republicans.
An important item of information I see missing from this piece, which concerns me and which raises my skepticism about its accuracy and fairness is that the original 60’s and 70’s Black Panther organization was one of violence and radicalism, and was considered a hate group.
However that group has long since ceased to exist, and has no relationship whatsoever to the group in this post, they are entirely unrelated, sharing only elements of their name, not hatred, not radicalism and not sharing violent views, rhetoric, or advocating violence.
I’m guessing that since you didn’t include that information, that you were unaware of it rather than trying to shade the information to your side. But it is a critical point that makes a big difference to how this story is understood, and I appreciate having the chance to present it here in a comment. I myself don’t like their choice of name because I disapproved of the original black panther movement, but I can recognize the differences between the organizations.
Hopefully, equal enforcement of the law is still a point of bipartisan, if not universal, agreement.
Under Eric Holder? Hee hee. Ha ha. Hahahahahahahaha!
Get to the back of the bus, Berg. It’s payback time, and that poor, repressed son of Hawaii is bringing on the whoopass!
Doggie, these thugs were standing in front of the polling place in paramilitary uniforms holding nightsticks. I don’t think even you can misconstrue the intention.
Not only were they standing in front of the polling place with their uniforms and nightsticks, they were verbally challenging people entering the polls. And not with a softly stated “May I help you?”
Actually, the accounts seem to differ substantially as to what went on at the polling place. What you call paramilitary uniforms looks more like the kind of cammo you can find hunters walking around wearing in a walmart, not necessarily a uniform.
You would have us believe that this kind of activity went on with the consent of the polling officials, staff, and voters? No complaints to the police? Approval of the cops too? And the local republican party – the one that refuses to answer any questions by reporters – couldn’t effectively complain either? And there are no state level polling laws that were violated by this? If there were also state laws that were violated – 2008 was not only a federal election, remember – then why didn’t the state AG pursue this? That is a big one for me, a too-big unanswered queston to make this version of events plausible.
as KR likes to point out *crickets*
I would remind you that these events took place in 2008; the organization has existed only since 2004. Given how poorly Alberto Gonzales handled his job as Sec of Justice – he can’t get a job anywhere as a lawyer now – I also have to wonder if there was some screw up like the bad handling of the Senator Ted Stevens fiasco that got him off the hook due to incompetence.
I don’t want to see this kind of so-called security outside my own polling place, but neither do I have any idea what kind of crime problems this are might genuinely have that necessitated some sort of security. Other than that, there are far too many questions, and disagreements with the accounts of what happened to accept the worst case scenario that these men were thugs or that they behaved inappropriately. The reality of this case is NOT what is represented here, and you should not accept this account uncritically any more than you should have ever believed the James O’Keefe hoax material.
It is not clear if these individuals were volunteers, or hired, and if hired by whom. Simply having the approval of this new and improved / less violent black panthers organization is an unclear link that they were members or employees of that organization.
I would still point out to you that the failure to differentiate this organization from the better known, violent earlier Black Panther group is significant, and I have yet to see an explanation from Mitch for that omission.
Kermit, can you explain to me how it is that an organization – the Black Panthers – that does not have any paramilitary group, and does not have anything to do with such activities – came to provide security in what you describe as paramilitary uniforms? (the reason for my interest in the exact relationship between these individuals, the BPanthers, and the polling officials, as omitted in this article to which Mitch linked)
Or, because of this, perhaps, are you too willing to believe what you wish to see rather than question critically
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/06/23/republicans-to-the-unemployed-youre-lazy/?sms_ss=email
I would remind you that there were all sorts of assumptions made about O’Keefe and his bizarro pimp outfit as it related to the ACORN videos, and that it turned out he lied about wearing it in the video interviews, and that he lied about numerous other items he presented as fact, and that not one single investigation into the accusations he made relating to those interviews was substantiated once they were investigated and the unedited tapes were submitted to authorities – and that it turned out it was his conduct, not ACORNS, that was at issue.
Those same kinds of questions are at issue here. It is an aphorism that if something is too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. It is equally the case that when something is too bad to be true, and when there are as many contested facts and unanswered questions as there are here, it may not be true either.
I do not support thuggery at polling places just as I do not support illegal minors engaging in prostitution. I’m just not as convinced as you are that the former is true here, as I was unconvinced that latter was true when claimed by O’Keefe.
DogPrescottPile, are you alright? The verbal diarrhea and all. You are not convinced the sun is up by looking out the window, not unless you received your daily update from your overlords.
Wow! Deegee certainly has sunk to new levels. Your support of Black Panthers wielding intimidating weapons outside of a polling place is appalling.
And Mitch was spot on, I saw the chants of “conservatives are racists” over on PenisBlog.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Black_Panther_Party
there’s your info DG
I think I’ll start an organization called “The New Klu Klux Klan”. It will be unfair, of course, to draw any conclusions about “The New Klu Klux Klan” based on a similarity with the name of a violent, conspiratorial white nationalist group.
Kermit, can you explain to me how it is that an organization – the Black Panthers – that does not have any paramilitary group,
Er…huh?
The Black Panthers in the sixties were heavily involved in paramilitary activites; they had their own armed security service.
and does not have anything to do with such activities
The Black Panthers were historically very heavily involved in such activities.
came to provide security in what you describe as paramilitary uniforms?
Er…huh?
Or, because of this, perhaps, are you too willing to believe what you wish to see rather than question critically
Erhm, you and Pen would probably be well-advised to tread very lightly about that particular line; you’ve both been busted passing off transparent chanting points that didn’t pass even momentary scrutiny, over and over, in this comment section.
I would remind you that there were all sorts of assumptions made about O’Keefe and his bizarro pimp outfit as it related to the ACORN videos, and that it turned out he lied about wearing it in the video interviews
I’m not sure how it is that you think that any of O’Keefe’s transgressions, even if true and if relevant to his coverage of ACORN (and they are largely not!) has any bearing on this issue. They are not linked in any way…
…other than the media’s unwillingless to challenge any of the left’s sacred cows.
Plus I saw the video. There was not much to mistake. Them was some badass mutha – (Watch your mouth!).
“Er…huh?
Hey, Mitch, it is called revisionist history.
After being completely taken to task, don’t expect deegee to respond.
Mitch, Dog Gone mentions O’Keefe and ACORN as a way of signaling that no matter what she sees re: the panthers intimidating people outside of a polling place, she will simply not believe it.
If it conflicts with liberal orthodoxy, then it can not have happened and it must be fakery by fox news, Glenn Beck, or Breitbart.
If there was youtube video showing white nationalist paramilitary stationing themselves in front of a polling place, Dog Gone’s belief meter would have gone off the scale.
No gentlemen, I looked into the events described by Mr. J.C. Adams. And I watched multiple videos of the supposed polling location with the two men.
One it turns out was a designated poll watcher, and his friend with the stick – which was held, not ‘brandished, not waved at anyone, not used to menace anyone – lived in the neighborhood. Police were called not once, but twice, and found no wrongdoing, although they did ask the man who was not the designated poll watcher (the designated watcher was vouched for by polling officials) to leave after several hours (maybe they thought he was loitering or something).
I’m guessing that the actual poll officials, and the two police reports, and the video which demonstrated this was NOT intimidation is the real reason this was not pursued. Which is the kind of thing you will believe if you only look for reverse racism and thug behavior from black people.
So far as I know these guys do not engage in paramilitary militia style training in the woods, or in urban areas, and are not out on weekends shooting 50 caliber weapons at innocent trees. OR doing equivalent militia style activities in urban areas. more show than go, compared to serious paramilitary groups with stockpiles of weapons and ammo and survival supplies.
Terry, in looking at ‘voting intimidation 2008 election’, I did however find instances of GOP voter intimidation, in multiple states like this one in NM
which does appear to be a legitimate claim of intimidation:
New Mexico GOP Sued For Voter Intimidation – 11:54am
Oct 27, 2008 … New Mexico GOP Sued For Voter Intimidation … that individuals had illegally voted in the June, 2008 Democratic primary election. … Since so many people are invested in this election, you may well see people in the …
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/…/new-mexico-gop-sued-for-v_n_138199.html –
ToE has clients all afternoon, but I will try to ask him this evening to track this down with his PACER access to court dockets and see what the outcome of this was. Because I am not going to rely on hufpo either.
Sorry gentlemen, but the source Mitch quoted is not reliable, and this would have been a very good occasion to try looking at multiple sources for the full story, so you can learn the other side of it before jumping to conclusions.
And the NM case is far from the only instance of blacks and minorities being intimidated and harrassed, apparently by white conservatives / republicans / McCain supporters.
Are ANY of YOU upset about those better documented instances of intimidation? *crickets*
And no, the more I see of the Black Panthers the less I like them, but that is not the same as reverse racism getting them off the hook for a crime.
I notice none of you were too quick to explain why it is there were no police reports of complaints, no local DA, no state AG’s taking action either.
Sheesh – next time you might want to look into that before you buy into a story.
Dog Gone, we know there was no voter intimidation in the NM case because no one was arrested and no charges were filed . . . see how it works? Or is that only true when the thugs are probable democrats?
A piece spoon-fed to Huffpo by ACORN. You are a ridiculous person, Dog Gone.
Note that the article says that ACORN helped register 80,000 New Mexicans in 2008. Nonsense, we know from ACORN’s own statements that they do not verify residency when they register voters.
You shouldn’t base your political opinions on poor journalism, Dog Gone.
Yeah, it seems to be a pattern; any allegation against a conservative, no matter now stretchy and now obviously biased the source, how thin the gruel or easily it’s debunked, is true, while…
…well, you get the picture.
Dog Gone, did you believe this poll when Kos released it?
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/poll-republicans-think-obama-is-a-socialist-and-palin-more-qualified-to-be-president.php?ref=mp
‘Cus Kos now says that the polling company defrauded him and gave him false data. Lol!
The guy that wrote the TPM story has this for a bio:
Moulitsas has two bachelors degrees and a JD from a top tier law school. He got scammed by the polling company because they told him what he wanted to hear.
You are in the same boat, my dear.