I'm Questioning Your Journalistic Integrity: The New Haven Register and a Dog Stabber

"Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pens...

the loser now might be later to win

for the times they are 'a changin'...

will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls..."

so said Bob Dylan as he commented that

those like the New Haven Register and 'journalists' who can't see their own filters

and ctiticize others who acknowlege theirs

are as blind as can be when it comes to 'integrity' and questioning that of others'

whom they don't know and have no firm knowlege of their work, and yet

cannot see their own constraints and biases.

The Register is a parody, really, of the mainstream media today;

CNN, CBS, NBC, Fox, even the NY Times and the Washington Post

aren't what they once were.

Ya gotta give Rolling Stone credit, they're breaking news regularly

and ending wars more effectively and doing so with vigor as somewhat of an empire

rather than the underground paper it started out as.

I remember the Village Voice and the Boston Phoenix before they took just

any advertising, but were selective. All reporting is advocacy.

Acknowege this and you're one step in the right direction.

I agree with you on your perspective on this case, Register Reporter,

but don't impugn my integrity in public in front of others or I reserve the right to do the same.

My favorite is the First Amendment.

The rest of that silly document we might just as well scrap and start over.

I haven't used her name because I chose not to do what she did in front of a friend awkwardly.

Its on the link to her article, I can't edit it out, otherwise I would.

I was covering the story of a dog stabbing incident, in which Princess, then an 8 month old Staffordshire Terrier mix, was allegedly stabbed by her owner 29 times near their Hamden, CT home and has since recuperated and as of today’s Meriden court appearance by the defendant, she will be able to be legally released to the Hamden Animal Control personnel and given a new home with a new and loving family. : ) I’ve been covering this case as the reporter I am, with my admitted liberal bias and pro-Princess stance, and at today’s court appearance one of the Animal Rights activists gave me one of the bright red t-shirts they wear which read in big white letters:

ABUSE AN ANIMAL…


GO TO JAIL!


It Should Be That Simple!

Princess the pup will soon have a loving new family! Yippee!!

That's biased reporting! :) <3

I’ve been covering the case at examiner.com/government-in-hartford/steven-alexander and at unabashedleft.blogspot.com (My articles on this case and notes have also been published by Patch.com, and used by several other outlets). since the defendant’s July 12th appearance at the GA 7 Meriden Superior Court. See articles elsewhere and to follow in order to see the strange details of this case involving a whacked out defendant, judge, prosecutor and courthouse. But this article is about Journalistic Integrity and Honesty.


I Unabashedly state my opinions and offer interviews and op-eds from an acknowledged and clearly stated liberal Democratic perspective. I’m honest in all my writings about my mission and goals. Please see my profile at Examiner or my mission statement at Unabashed Left to verify this indisputable fact. I try to gather facts to the best of my ability and use those facts and source them in order to present an argument once I’ve arrived at an opinion on an issue. If I determine there’s nothing to comment upon I don’t publish anything, if I see something contrary to my own personal perspective I will also publish that (for example, see today’s article praising the Municipal Wallingford Electric utility’s handling of Hurricane Irene, despite the municipality being administered by a Republican Mayor I vehemently object to under most circumstances, William Dickinson).”


Unabashed Definition: Spin—Anybody’s report on anything. For example, get yourself a Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup can. Get 5 people. Have all 5 people write a description of the can without using the words Campbell’s, chicken, noodle, soup or can. You’ll get 5 totally different descriptions. Or invite 5 people into your living room. Have all 5 write a description of your living room, and you’ll see a diversity of views. One may report about the artwork on the wall and the furniture. Another may emphasize building construction, heating vents, windows, carpentry, etc. No two even remotely alike. You get the picture. SPIN. IT’S IN ALL REPORTING.


Most get their news from TV and folks from my generation and prior bemoan the Liberal bias in the news or the right wing extremism of the slanderous and felonious Rupert Murdoch products like the Faux News channel. The talk about the ‘good old days of Walter Cronkite’ when the news was unbiased. Even Cronkite admits that he and his staff at CBS made conscious editorial choices to publish video of the bloodbath that was the U.S. aggression in S.E. Asia and he’s admitted to pumping NASA and the moonshots. He, Edward R. Murrow and others knew that we all filter everything and just need to acknowledge that in order to be journalistically honest and to maintain any degree of intellectual honesty. You search for truth, but that truth is always funneled through personal and organizational filters and an honest journalist, including hard news reporters acknowledge this. If the Washington Post employers of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were not biased in an acknowledged manner in the liberal and Democratic direction, they would not have had the opportunity to chase down the facts of the Watergate scandal, and it’s likely that the felon Nixon would have succeeded in finishing his term of office without his resignation. The NY Times has had a liberal bias. The NY Post and Daily News are historically conservative. We all know this.


MSNBC: left, liberal Democratic bias in prime time. Faux: right wing Tea bagging nuts. CNN: Right wing and faking it. CBS, ABC, the same. NBC: Opportunistic depending on which of the misogynist family of networks you’re watching at the time (ranging from MSNBC to CNBC).


I’ve been sharing my information, notes, and sources even offering rides to local journalists with other organizations in this particular case involving Princess, since I feel so strongly about it. I’ve been in close contact with one New Haven Register reporter covering this case in particular. The second time I went to an appearance, her car broke down, and she called and I spoke with her by phone offering her a ride should she need to get there in the future, and bemoaned her calling when she did since it was 10am and the appearance was scheduled for then and I was already outside the courthouse. From her reporting and our conversations, her feelings on the case were evident. She was sympathetic to the cause of the animal rights protesters, Princess and appreciative of the wonderful canine’s caregivers. She was instrumental in setting up a fund to offset the costs of Princess’ medical care and housing and this was confirmed by her animal rights friends, now mine as well, and by the Animal Hospital staff.


When I gave her credit in one of my articles for the “Princess Fund” I received an angry email from this ‘reporter’ suggesting that I should not report this, and I dutifully removed the reference from the article. I was not happy with this remote editing of a fact-based and confirmed detail of the story worth reporting, but I deferred assuming she was simply humble about her involvement.


Outside the courthouse today after the appearance I asked the Register ‘reporter’ to confirm whether she had reported that the defendant had been deemed competent at a courtroom appearance on July 1st, and her response was evasive, and when she finally answered all she would say was that if it was reported than it must have been. Classic political stonewalling language, to be honest. From a journalist, and I’ve never heard that kind of response from a reporter on this or any case. She clearly did not want to confirm her report which preceded my coverage of the case. The link to her article is here: http://newhavenregister.com/articles/2011/07/01/news/metro/doc4e0d0b2604c74359407145.txt and it is headlined: “New Haven man accused of stabbing dog found competent to stand trial” and was published July 1st, 2011. I was confused by this ‘reporter’s’ evasiveness, and her stand-offishness.


While the protesters and this Register reporter were still chatting at the courthouse steps I removed myself a bit to call the Animal Hospital caring for Princess, the veterinarian himself and the Hamden Animal Control department on my cell phone a few feet away. One of the activists and a friend came and joined me as I made the calls, and the Register ‘reporter’ came along after I had made the calls. I told them both about the calls, and the ‘reporter’ said to me that as a reporter “I shouldn’t be calling them.” I asked her why; she said she was “Questioning my journalistic integrity.” Awkward! Tension. Yes. Weird? Yup. You bet.

I maintained my cool as best I could in her presence, and told her that I was an acknowledged advocacy journalist, that I am Unabashed Left and that I acknowledge my perspective. I suggested that I acknowledge that my stories are usually op-ed pieces and that this is the goal of my writing projects unequivocally. She went to her car, and as I and my animal rights friend walked to our cars, I vented angrily with her expressing exactly what I am in this article.

Spin is spin. Animal abuse is animal abuse. This guy stabbed his dog 29 times and is getting off light and the courtroom nonsense is ridiculous. Hard copy competitor the Hartford Courant has editorialized calling the defendant’s treatment “lenient” and headlining their take on it “Nothing wrong with lawmakers criticizing judge” in the case in an article linked here: http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-judge-lawmakers-animal-cruelty-20110811,0,7145460.story

The New Haven Register has a long tradition as a right-wing daily paper in a liberal town, both on and off the editorial page. This reporter spins her articles as we all do, just as did Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. I acknowledge my bias. I trade notes and seek no credit on cases that I feel strongly about. I will use my gas and cash for causes I believe in. So will this reporter. Unbiased, no I’m not. Is the Register? NO! The Courant? No? Unabashed Left? DEFINITELY NOT! Do I acknowledge it? YES! Does the Register? NO? Does this reporter? I ask her that question as I email this to her.


Do I have journalistic integrity? She questioned it. My answer, YES! Does this Register ‘reporter’ if she does not acknowledge her ‘spin?’ NO is my answer. What’s yours?


I proudly reproduce my Purpose Statement found at the top of my moon logo profile page of Unabashed Left, your one-stop-shop for all your military affairs and comedy needs:

Unabashed Left

Purpose Statements: 1) To advance the principle that Pacifism, Liberalism, Environmentalism, Progressivism and membership in the Democratic Party are, in fact, not sins nor characteristics of which one need be ashamed. 2) To move us in the direction of a political culture which would enable public persons[office holders, media personalities, journalists, etc.] to proudly proclaim their true and admirable leftist tendencies, just as those on the right may do at present. :)

I recommend a donation to:
cthumane.org

Letters to a Judge, a Prosecutor, and an Admitted Dog Stabber :(

Princess, during a wonderful visit I shared with the recuperating pup on July 22nd with 2 activists

who have attended every courtroom appearance of admitted dog-stabber Alexander Bernard.

Princess is a bit shy now, but honored us with her affections and trust,

and the staff and attending veterinarian at North Haven Animal Hospital

are giving abundant love galore. :)

There is a bizarre series of events, beginning with the stabbing of beautiful, mild-mannered puppy Princess 29 times in May at a neighbor's Hamden driveway by her owner who has commented publicly on the incident, Alexander P. Bernard; culminating in several bizarre courtroom appearances by Mr. Bernard and Judge Philip Scarpellino's strange tirade from the bench on July 22nd. I've published articles here on Examiner.com, and a summary of them, my notes from the July 22nd appearance and a letter written by State Representative Diana Urban from North Stonington is included in this available article at: unabashedleft.blogspot.com/2011/08/strange-case-of-princess-dog-her.html.

It is difficult to be unbiased in cases such as this, and I've taken on somewhat of a role as an advocate for justice in this case. I call upon the General Assemby's Judiciary Committee to investigate the handling of this case by the Judge, the Assistant State's Attorney James Turcotte's office, and by the office of the Public Defender in the GA 7 Meriden Superior Court and for the General Assembly to beef up the legislation so that heinous crimes such as this may no longer be prosecuted as single misdemeanor charges with only 60 days in a local jail as the only consequence with the possibility of no record remaining.

A great article was penned by my colleague at Examiner.com, available here http://www.examiner.com/animal-rescue-in-hartford/update-puppy-stabbed-twenty-nine-times-still-held-as-evidence written by Hartford Animal Rescue Examiner Resa McLella.

I have mailed the following letters to Alexander P. Bernard, charged with animal cruelty in this incident, Judge Phillip Scarpellino, and Assistant State's Attorney James Turcotte. I've also emailed Judge Scarpellino. I request that Judge Scarpellino recuse himself from a case in which he's clearly now biased, and been lampooned by the normally staid Hartford Courant editorial staff on their editorial page and enraged many others, and I request a reply from the Judge. I've asked specific questions in these letters of both Mr. Bernard and Mr. Turcotte and I respectfully request answers to these questions in as prompt a manner as possible. These letters were mailed Monday August 22nd, and the public deserves responses to them, particularly by Judge Scarpellino and Attorney Turcotte before any action is taken at Mr. Bernard's next scheduled appearance at the very strange GA 7 Meriden Superior Courthouse. JUSTICE FOR PRINCESS AND ALL ABUSED ANIMIALS NOW!! The text of these letters follow:

**************************************


August 22nd, 2011

Judge Philip Scarpellino

GA7 Meriden Superior Court
Dear Judge Scarpellino;

Enclosed please find my published articles from Examiner.com/government-in-hartford, unabashedleft.blogspot.com, Patch.com, and elsewhere as well as notes from Alexander P. Bernard’s (charged with animal cruelty in the stabbing of Princess the dog in Hamden last May 29 times) July 22ndappearance and more. I (and many others) have witnessed many unusual events in this case, and enclose a copy of a letter I’ve forwarded as well to Assistant State’s Attorney James Turcotte, whose own behavior in this case and that of his office as well as his offensive personal call to me, all compromise this case. I believe that the only appropriate course for you to take following your own lengthy commentary from the bench on July 22ndis to recuse yourself from this case before it comes to any conclusion. Justice can NOT be served as long as you sit on this case at this point, sir, and I am most certainly not alone in that belief. In its editorial “Nothing Wrong With Lawmakers Criticizing Judge,” the Hartford Courant actually lampooned the comments I witnessed you making from the bench saying “The judge was not amused. He was, in fact, "upset" by the letter, "but not influenced by it," he said at a court hearing on the case.”
Judges being lampooned is not a good thing. One thing is for certain for anyone who witnessed that appearance; it is that you are not unbiased in this case any longer. The leniency with which this defendant has been treated--given the atrocity of the crime he’s publicly admitted to; having clipped his monitoring anklet in intentional violation of his conditions of release requiring his jailing on bond; and his antics in court on July 12thclaiming anger and disaffection with Public Defender Thomas Conroy and then at the appearance on the 22nddesigned to address his plan to get a new lawyer wherein this issue went unaddressed; and a brand new competency determination ordered by you after he was deemed competent by your own court just 21 days earlier; the ability of a defendant to manipulate GA7 from the Prosecutor’s office, to the office of the Public Defender, to the Judge; to your own anger and ‘upset’ at getting letters from legislators of both political parties—it is evident that you must recuse yourself now voluntarily from this case. In fact, I am calling on the Judiciary Committee in the General Assembly to look into this matter at this point. For your edification I enclose a copy of a summary article of all that I’ve published in Examiner.com, Patch.com, unabasheleft.blogspot.com, and elsewhere as well as my notes from Mr. Bernard’s July 22ndappearance before you at the Meriden courthouse.
Please, sir, use common sense and remove yourself from this case before Mr. Bernard’s next scheduled appearance on August 29thso that some semblance of justice might return to an important animal rights case being followed by many.


Sincerely,
Steve Alexander
Wallingford, CT 06492
unabashedleft@gmail.com

***************************************************


August 22, 2011
James Turcotte, Asst. States Atty
Meriden Superior Court

Dear Mr. Turcotte,


I’ve been following the case of Alexander P. Bernard (charged with stabbing his own 8 month old puppy 29 times in a Hamden driveway) as a journalist and am appalled by the Meriden court’s performance from all angles. In this case, the perpetrator has spoken publicly and admitted his actions, has already been deemed competent in his defense on July 1st, and yet your office raised no objections when Judge Philip Scarpellino ordered a second competency determination only 21 days later with no change in circumstances except the Judge’s revelation that he’s received a letter from State Legislators and indicating his rage at this letter publicly from the bench.
Animal cruelty, under CT law can be charged as felony and additional charges could have been made here. If not for stabbing your own 8 month old friendly puppy 29 times in broad daylight, causing a lung collapse and massive blood loss which threatened Princess’ life, then when? I visited this poor animal, under the loving care of the North Haven Animal Hospital and Dr. James Wells, and she is recuperating and yet scarred emotionally for life. Your own behavior towards me is unpardonable when I myself, ironically was in mourning when you made an offensive and vicious phone call to me as I sought solace from a church deacon.
I enclose copies of the articles and notes I’ve published pertaining to this case along with a photograph of Princess from my visit with her after Alexander Bernard’s last court appearance on July 22nd, that afternoon.
From the bench, Judge Scarpellino revealed on July 12ththat a misdemeanor conviction with a one year sentence after only 60 days served was offered and REFUSED by this admitted perpetrator. His courtroom machinations, pretending to be dissatisfied with Public Defender Thomas Conroy on July 12thand requesting a continuance for the purpose of getting a new lawyer, and then letting Conroy represent him at the next appearance and NO mention made of his efforts at securing alternate legal counsel even mentioned, all the while Judge Scarpellino offered his inane rant about the letter from State Legislators pertaining to the case all stink to high heavens. Something is up here, Mr. Turcotte. And a SECOND competency determination is uncalled for, sir! Especially with NO objection whatever from the prosecutor’s office which seems to be doing more to aid in Mr. Bernard’s defense than Mr. Conroy even. I object strongly to your phone call, in which you called identifying yourself only as “Jim” and doing that game-playing intimidation absurdity at 4:15 last week, designed to insult and absurdly unprofessional and deserving of cesure. I will follow up with the State’s Attorney’s office in New Haven.
60 days is NOT adequate punishment for this heinous crime, and I encourage your office to take responsibility for prosecuting this case. Thus far your office has only attempted to evade responsibility, give in to Scarpellino’s inappropriate activities, allow the defendant to manipulate your office and the entire GA7 Court.
My questions for you, Mr. Turcotte, as a journalist are simple.


1.At this point--given the facts of the case (stabbing a defenseless and friendly non-threatening 8 month old puppy 29 times in broad daylight); the fact that he clipped his monitoring anklet and required jailing on bond after his original release and his refusal of a generous one year/suspended after 60 days sentence—what sentence will you seek in this case?


2.Do you feel a second competency determination, as ordered on July 22ndafter Mr. Bernard was deemed competent on July 1st, is appropriate and why didn’t your office object to this order?


3.Given Judge Scarpellino’s anger and tirade in court regarding the letter by the state legislators, do you believe he should continue to oversee this case or should he be removed from the case and why/why not given his obvious personal entanglements/mistakes in the case?


Enclosed please find copies of the articles I’ve published at Examiner.com, Patch.com, unabashedleft.blogspot.com and elsewhere, as well as notes from Mr. Bernard’s July 22ndappearance. I thank you for your prompt replies either by email or ground mail. Please do NOT call me again for any reason Mr. Turcotte.


Sincerely,
Steve Alexander
Wallingford, CT 06492
unabashedleft@gmail.com

*******************************************************


August 22, 2011
Alexander P. Bernard 348008

New Haven Correctional Center

245 Whalley Ave.
P.O. Box 8000
New Haven, CT 06511


Dear Mr. Bernard;


I am a journalist who has been following your criminal case involving charges that you stabbed “Princess” and your consequent arrest on an animal cruelty charge. I enclose a summary of the articles I’ve published at Examiner.com, a letter written and signed by 22 State Representatives, and my notes from your July 22nd appearance at Meriden Superior Court. These articles and photos have also been published at examiner.com/government-in-hartford/steven-alexander, at unabashedleft.blogspot.com, also at patch.com and references made at the Meriden Record-Journal, the New Haven Register and the Hartford Courant.
Two animal rights activists and I paid a visit to Princess on July 22nd, and I enclose a photograph from that visit for your reference. She’s doing well medically, recovering from a pneumothorax (collapsed lung), massive blood loss and a total of 29 stab wounds. She is still fearful of unfamiliar people, but is receiving tender loving care at the Animal Hospital where she is still being cared for expertly and with the TLC any creature deserves.
Your next scheduled court appearance is August 29th and I eagerly await the outcome of this appearance. I certainly hope that justice is adequately and appropriately served in this case, as I’m certain any reasonable person would and I certainly hope this is the case with the attorneys and the judge involved here.
I would request some answers to a few questions if I might, Mr. Bernard and I invite you to submit the answers by ground mail or email if you have access to email.


1) Do you have remorse at the present time for this incident?


2) In your appearance on July 12th you stated that you were dissatisfied with your legal representation, Public Defender Thomas Conroy, and spoke for yourself on that day in court requesting a continuance in order to acquire different legal representation. At your July 22nd appearance Mr. Conroy represented you and spoke for you. Have you changed your mind and do you feel adequately represented by Mr. Conroy at this point? Did you seek other legal representation between July 12th and July 22nd? What happened in the interim to change your mind and enable you to make the decision that Mr. Conroy would represent you on July 22nd?


3) You were adjudicated competent to stand trial and aid in your own defense on July 1st, and on July 22nd a second adjudication was ordered for your competency. Why do you think this second competency determination has been ordered and do you feel that you are competent and responsible for your actions and for your legal defense? Was your attempt to discharge Mr. Conroy publicly in your July 12th appearance a part of the reason that your second competency adjudication was ordered in your opinion?


4) Do you believe that if a person is guilty of stabbing their own 8 month old puppy 29 times with a pocket knife, that a misdemeanor conviction and a one year sentence suspended after only 60 days served is adequate punishment for such a gruesome crime? Would you please explain this answer in detail, Mr. Bernard?


I thank you in advance for your reply should you choose to do so. I hope you’ll appreciate this opportunity to set the record straight from your standpoint. I hope to hear from you, particularly if you could before your appearance scheduled for the 29th.


Sincerely,
Steve Alexander
Wallingford, CT 06492

unabashedleft@gmail.com

****************************

I recommend a donation today to:

cthumane.org

MUAMMAR GADHAFI IS GOING DOWN: BUT WHAT ABOUT U.S. MILITARISM AND NATO'S ROLE?

Looks like Muammar is history, GOOD!

But let's do it peacefully next time, not with intercontinental military gambits for cash please.

John Lennon and Yoko sing "Give Peace A Chance."

How 'bout giving peace a chance first, (maybe last and always one day, too)?

As of 2am August 22nd local time it appears, according to reports by the media from the NY Times, CNN, NBC and the Washington Post that opposition forces are about to overthrow “Colonel” Muammar Gadhafi, with rebel forces within Tripoli, and reports that two Gadhafi sons have been captured, one his hand-chosen heir apparent, and both bound for the International Court of Justice at The Hague. If true, any sensible person will say good riddance.

Despot Hosni Mubarak was overthrown peacefully, for the most part,

earlier this year by heroes in Cairo, Alexandria and other

city squares, and he's pictured here in his cage

as he undergoes trial in Egypt for his

felonious conduct and murders.

The Nobel Peace Prize, won by Doctors Without Borders for their many humanitarian

good works! Donate today! :)

Our Awesome Incumbent President Barack Obama

Also Won The Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

I disagree with many of his policies on military affairs

and believe the State Department headed by our awesome Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

can be given more sway more quickly as his terms progress.

However the changes from rampant militarism and the

despotism which caused the rest of the civilized world to despise the

Administration of George W. Bush

who even antagonized our NATO allies

by calling French Fries "Freedom Fries" and what-not

because the French government chose not to walk in lock-step with Bush Administration policies

is still a breath of fresh air.

Thanks again, Barack!

A Gadhafi government spokesman reports 1,300 dead in just the past 24 hours in Tripoli alone. :( This is bad news, indeed. A small city by U.S. standards, with a population of only 1,000,000: Pity the poor residents of Tripoli and of Libya tonight who are NOT engaged in fighting. OMG! Pray please, if you are prone to prayer at all, send out good vibes or whatever you believe in, and I call on my many atheist and agnostic friends to do whatever they can from a humanitarian standpoint. And soon there will be a humanitarian mop-up operation required following this violent, bloody revolution, much unlike the more pacifist and admirable overthrow of Hosni Mubarak earlier this year in Egypt by peaceful heroes occupying squares in cities such as Alexandria and Cairo and overthrowing that decades-old despot! But please, he’s under trial at present in a cage from a hospital bed, under threat of the Death Penalty which is only murder by State with revenge as the motive, and a bad way to start the new regime in Egypt, let’s not kill Mubarak to show people that killing people is wrong, my Egyptian friends. http://doctorswithoutborders.com/ might be a good place to donate some cash tonight, earmarking your money for the Libyan civilian population. They appear to have some infrastructure in place and boots on the ground for the humanitarian mop-up operation to come. <3 Doctors Without Borders, a Nobel Peace Prize winning group! :)

I disagree with the NATO bombing campaign which enabled this overthrow. I don’t like Gadhafi or his rule, but I do NOT believe France, Britain and the U.S. have a say in it. France, usually credited or debited by American policymakers, depending on whether they are Republicans or Democrats, with being TOO pacifistic, took the lead in this bombing campaign, now proceeding for many months. The reason: simple. Libya happens to be a former FRENCH colony, and France has more financial stake in the affairs of Libya than any other developed consumer-driven economic power. Britain second, and the U.S. third. So the U.S. has only provided limited airpower compared to the French and British, but economics has driven the NATO charge here. Grays happen in International Affairs, and ‘goodbye to Gadhafi’ feels good, but the role of the Obama Administration and of NATO just tastes real bad. I’m sure it does to the families in Tripoli tonight who have no stake in the fighting. 1,300 at a minimum dead just in the past 24 hours in one small city for money. MONEY is what has driven the US foreign policy since WWII as well as economics and our demand for evermore consumer goods and an endless expansion of the American economy.

Its time to think about limiting the growth of the US economy, and scaling back our overseas military engagements. Iraq was based on lies that there were weapons of mass destruction, even Secretary of State and former General Colin Powell resigned due to the lies he was handed by DOD Sec. Rumsfeld, VP Cheney and Dubye Bush. Afghanistan has been a debacle, and when we’re finally gone it will revert to the tribal rivalries it’s endured for centuries. Our military involvements in Oman, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere are not answers. They are PROBLEMS. We need to halt violent ‘solutions’ to these perceived problems. We need to reverse our dependence on an oil based economy. We need to back off from the Netanyahu regime in Israel and support a negotiated PEACE with a legitimate Palestine with a right to self-defense. And President Obama should stop listening to the boys with their killing toys in the uniformed brass at the Pentagon and the male-dominated civilian leadership at the DOD. It’s time for Democrats to become liberals in every sense. And I beg of him as a fellow member of the United Church of Christ: ask yourself, Mr. President, the next time you have a choice between letting Hillary Clinton’s State Department take the lead or letting the military brass have their day yet again: WWJD? Would he choose bombing nations oceans and continents away, or would he “turn the other cheek” [Matthew 5:39] and choose the commandment “Thou shalt not kill?” [Exodus 20:13]. Amen.

Please consider a donation at this time to the awesome:

http://doctorswithoutborders.com/

RICK PERRY/DUBYA'S 1ST RUNNING-MATE BEFORE WATER-BOARDER CHENEY: UNABASHED PREZ BIO!

Before there was the waterboarding; hunting-companion-shooting VP [Cheney, of course] hand-chosen

 running-mate of

the most unpopular President ever to leave office, George Dubya Bush, the last Guv of Texas,

his hand-picked very first running mate was current Texas Guv and flip-flopping reactionary

brainless + dangerous semi-ideologue fool

Rick Perry.

You might ask why I chose the Lennono/McCartney Classic "Hello/Goodbye"

as my theme song for the Rick Perry Bio. Read, friend, read.

:)

Rick Perry is running for President and everyone figgers him to be yet another right wing Tea Party reactionary, always was and always will be. Think again. Both the Austin American-Statesman and the Texas Tribune have done recent review articles detailing Rick's support of Global Warming and environment advocate extraordinaire, and liberal U.S. Senator from the great state of Tennessee Al Gore when he was a Democrat before Perry parried and became a Republican. Hello. Goodbye.

There he is, the best American VP ever to not succeed to the Presidency even though he won a

Presidential Election, it was stolen by Rick Perry running-mate George W. Bush and his brother Jeb

in 2000 as you'll recall, in front of a pic of the planet Earth and the atmosphere he's been trying to

save since leaving office,

Al Gore!

Here's awesome Al showing off his well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize for teaching everybody

about the dangers of humans spewing out bunches of smoke into the atmosphere

uncontrolled and endangering our future, our children's future,

and every critter on the planet. Thanks Al. Rick Perry once

was Al's Campaign Manager in TX,

 now he says Al's views are a

bunch 'o bunk!

Lol dude!

Whereas one-time Democrat Perry liked Al Gore and what he stands for, the ever-opportunistic self-aggrandizing TX Guv said in 2007, again from the Austin American-Statesman,  "Virtually every day another scientist leaves the global warming bandwagon. ... But you won't read about that in the press because they have already invested in one side of the story." Ok, Rick, your sources for these ridiculous claims please??? And why, oh why, do you flip flop and yet nobody notices that you are nothing but an opportunist.

I have noted that many of my colleagues are still misspelling Guv Perry's name as Guv "Parry." Funny, ifya check out the definition of "Parry." Wiktionary.org defines it as follows:

Verb - parry (third-person singular simple present parries, present participle parrying, simple past and past participle parried)

1.To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack).


Noun -  parry (plural parries)

1.A defensive or deflective action; an act of parrying.

2.(fencing) A simple defensive action designed to deflect an attack, performed with the forte of the blade.

In defensive classes designed to prevent injuries with assaultive handicapped clients taught to me by the state Department of Mental Retardation I was taught to 'Pivot and Parry' with open hands to deflect potential blows in order to prevent assaults in a non-violent manner. Contrary to the common perception of Mr. Perry as a firm, rock-solid died-in-the-wool right-wing religionist, it seems that he is just another opportunistic TX Guv who believes pivoting when it is politically expedient is a good idea, and a bit paranoid like his TX gubernatorial predecessor, Dubya, and imagines that 'parrying' to deflect blows is essential to his political career.

A larger-than-life parrying Perry at his August 6th, 2011 "The Response"

Prayer Meeting in a stadium in Austin, TX that

he'd set up months ahead of time sending out invites to all 50 Guvs and what-not,

but once he decided the Republithief field of Prez contenders was weak and vulnerable

and that he wuz gonna run, tried to distance himself

from his own "prayer vigil" event and

even said he probably

wouldn't even

speak!

OMG!

Of course, Guv Rick Perry was George Dubya's hand-picked choice for Lieutenant Guv in 1998, but since Dubya became unpopular as a failed Prez who launched one unnecessary and illegal war, lying to everybody, including his own Secretary of State Colin Powell and the United Nations, about mythical 'weapons of mass destruction' and stalemating in Iraq for 7 years; stalemating in Afghanistan for 7 years; allowing the security breach that resulted in over 3,000 U.S. deaths on 9/11; the real estate/mortgage melt-down; the auto industry crisis; the banking crisis; and the "Great Recession" among other failures, Perry has parried on his views of his mentor and the man who made Rick Perry famous in Texas, George Dubya Bush and tries to appear as though he has nothing to do with him.

Awwwwwww.

There's Guv Perry

with

Dubya Bush

gettin' bear

hugs from

hiz running

mate!

And there they are together in 1998, side by side campaigners for Guv and Lt. Guv

of TX

George Dubya Bush and Rick Perry;

two peas in a pod!

Failed ideas

and

failed policies.

Of course Dubya's only other opportunity to choose a running-mate in his career

resulted in VP DICK Cheney, who believes waterboarding is good for America

shot his hunting partner, and was just plain mean and

incompetent and very unpopular, failed as a Defense Secretary and as

Vice President, just like Rick Perry has failed both as Lt. Guv and Guv.

For some reason The Beatles come to mind again and this funny home video version of the Lennono/McCartney

"The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill"

Rick Perry is responsible for 234 premeditated murders, with revenge as the motive, by signing off on state murders of prison inmates. This "Christian" doesn't believe in Christ's teachings. I shall restrain my tongue and pen here by simply quoting Christ from Matthew Chapter 5; Verse 39 wherein He unequivocally teaches His followers [The New International Version]: "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." And I also refer this hypocrite of a pathetic turncoat who utilizes his 'religion' for personal aggrandizement and enriching his wealthy Wall Street/Oil Company greedster pals to Exodus Chapter 20; Verse 13 and the Lord's Commandment handed to Moses in the words of the King James Version in it's black-and-white no-grey-involved nothing-less-than COMMANDMENT: "THOU SHALT NOT KILL." This is a guy who got his jollies in college by abusing chickens and placing them in a classmate's closet and blowing up M-80's in other student's toilets (the Texas Tribune), and a dude who has violated the orders of the International Court of Justice at The Hague and International Law by signing off on the execution of Mexican nationals despite treaties with Mexico preventing such murders, and an order by the Bush Administration that the states comply with these treaties! OMG! This fool is no Christian in his actions, outlook or ambitions!

Pro-execution signer of death warrants "Thou Shalt Kill" Rick Perry has

participated in the killing of more than 230 Texans

and 2 foreign nationals in violation

of international law.

Rick's another of those "Second Amendment Remedy" Whack-o's" like

Nevada crazy and U.S. Senate Tea Party loser Sharrrrrrrrrrron Angle.

Perry is a true whack-job, like his cohort in the Prez race on the Republithief side, Michelle "Pretzel-Twist" Bachman [yet he qualifies, also, as a blowin' in the wind depending-on-where-the-polls-show-I-should-go opportunist like Mitt Romney], who admires and endorses the ideas of her Oral Roberts University [now-defunct] Law School and one of it's  Secessionist professors John Eidsmoe. After a Tea Party rally held on April 15, 2009, Guv Perry told a group of reporters:

"Texas is a unique place. When we came into the union in 1845, one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that... My hope is that America and Washington in particular pays attention. We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, who knows what may come of that." [Both the Houston Chronicle and Fox News can be sited as references for these pro-secessionist remarks].

Perhaps as Prez, Rickster the Trickster would support one jobs program: A public works program wherein the Rio Grande would be lengthened and widened to surround the Sovereign Nation of Texas, and loaded up with gators and pirhannas so as to prevent intruders from the rest of Norte Americano. As tempting an idea to endorse as this may seem, given the gifts TX has offered such as the combined Pauls, Dubya and Perry, it ain't worth another civil war. ;o) Yer crazy as a loon Rick! Go home and stay home!

Guv Rick would like to see TX a sovereign nation and secede. Last time anyone tried that more Americans

died in the Civil War that resulted than in any other U.S. War. :(



And one last thing.  What's with the idea that each state should get two Republithief Prez candidates. Tim Pawlenty recognized the foolishness of two Minnesotans trying for self-aggrandizement and withdrew from this silly three-legged race of theirs this time around, leaving only that Pretzel Candidate from Minnesota, Bachman. From TX you still have the Trickster Rickster and the Dad 'o Rand:

C'mon Republithieves, only one candidate per state pleeeze, I can't take this much in the way of

belly laughs. Except when issues of war, peace, executions and secession are concerned.

Not funny "Mr. Christian"

Rick Perry.

Get outa here!

For all these reasons and more we continue to unreservedly endorse the re-election of our awesome incumbent President Barack Obama. The hit parade of Obama accomplishments in just 30 months in office:

1) Ending the reign of terror that was Osama Bin Laden.

2) Ending Don't Ask Don't Tell- The official Defense Department policy of legal discrimination against gay and lesbian heroes.

3) Negotiating and passing through the U.S. Senate the START treaty with Russia.

4) Passage of the highly successful $700 billion TARP bill.

5) Passage of the first-step Health Care Reform Act of 2010.

6) Removing 100,000 of our bravest and best from harm's way in Iraq and an end to the Cheney Administration-sponsored US aggression by December of this year.

7) Getting a $20 billion down payment from BP before the spill was even over.

8) Intimidating Tony "Wayward" Hayward into resigning as the immoral head of BP, taking a demotion and hiding out in Putin's Russia to avert prosecution by Attorney General Eric Holder.

9) Naming 2 women in a row to the U.S. Supreme court with brains.

10) Having a brain himself as President, post-George Dubya Bush.

11) Getting a debt ceiling bill passed despite the efforts of the reactionary ‘worst-ever’ U.S. Congress and the most incompetent U.S. House Speaker Tanman Boehner to stymie his every effort.

AND THE WINNING LINK TO DEFEAT THE LIKES OF PRETZEL CANDIDATE BACHMANN, WHICH-WAY-DO-I-TURN CANDIDATE ROMNEY, OR YET-ANOTHER-STUPID-TEXAS-GOVERNOR LIKE DUBYA BUSH EXCEPT PRO-SECESSION AND RENEWED CIVIL WAR ADVOCATE RICK PERRY AND TO RE-ELECT A GREAT GUY WITH REAL FAMILY VALUES IS:

barackobama.com  :)