The Future of Politicians and Juries
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posted by Aaron Turpen @ 6:10 AM
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Friday, May 18, 2007
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Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Criminal Career of Rudy Giuliani
Since I've been sort of pumping Ron Paul for President, I figured it's only fair to give some time to the other candidates. So, here's a piece on Rudy Giuliani, one of the GOP's favorite poster boys...
The Criminal Career of Rudy Giuliani by Paul Craig Roberts
by Paul Craig Roberts
Republican magazines have begun their pimp operations for the GOP's 2008 presidential candidates.
In a recent issue of National Review, Jennifer Rubin, described as "a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.," pumps up Rudolph Giuliani as "America's mayor" and "America's prosecutor."
Giuliani is a media creation. Giuliani was unknown until in search of name recognition he staged a stormtrooper assault on the financial firm Princeton/Newport involving fifty federal marshals outfitted with automatic weapons and bulletproof vests. On another occasion he had two New York investment bankers hauled off their trading floor in handcuffs.
Giuliani's victims had done nothing and were exonerated. But Giuliani's media stunts served to turn public sentiment against white-collar defendants.
Giuliani once bragged that by giving negative treatment to his targets, "the media does the job for me." Giuliani certainly had no difficulty manipulating Wall Street Journal reporters James B. Stewart, Daniel Hertzberg and Laurie Cohen or The Predators' Ball author Connie Bruck. Milken, who had done nothing except make a lot of money by proving Wall Street wrong about non-investment grade bonds, was branded the "Cosa Nostra of the securities world."
Milken's "junk bonds" financed such household names as CNN, Barnes & Noble, Stone Container Corporation, Time-Warner, Safeway, and Mattel. Milken provided capital to companies with promising futures that lacked investment-grade credit rankings.
Milken operated out of Los Angeles, not Wall Street. His earnings and those of his upstart firm, Drexel Burnham Lambert, aroused envy and hatred among the Wall Street hot shots. Milken failed to use his money to purchase political protection in Washington.
Instead, he gave his money to organizations that help poor black children.
Milken was set up perfectly for an ambitious and unscrupulous prosecutor like Giuliani. Giuliani leaked to his media pimps that a 98-count indictment was coming down against Milken. As Milken had done nothing and Giuliani had no case against him, Giuliani's strategy was to coerce Milken into a plea bargain. When Milken failed to send his attorneys to work out a plea arrangement, Giuliani used Laurie Cohen to report eighteen times in the Wall Street Journal that Milken would imminently face an expanded superseding indictment of between 160 and
300 counts.
To increase the pressure on Milken, prosecutors threatened to indict Milken's younger brother, Lowell, unless Milken made a plea deal. US Attorney General Dick Thornburgh quipped to his deputies: "A brother for a brother." Afterwards, Giuliani's assistant US attorney, John Carroll, told Seton Hall Law School students in April 1992 that Lowell Milken was a "sort of ready chip in the negotiations." Giuliani even went so far as to send FBI agents to hound Milken's 92-year old grandfather.
Milken's attorneys concluded that Giuliani, lacking any case, was far out on a limb and desperate for a face-saving plea. They worked out a plea to six minor technical offenses that had never carried any prison time. But Giuliani was determined to have his victim, and Milken was double-crossed by sentencing judge, Kimba "Bimbo" Wood, and spent two years of his life in prison.
Giuliani's assistant US attorney John Carroll later bragged to Seton Hall Law students that in the Milken case "we're guilty of criminalizing technical offenses. . . . Many of the prosecution theories we used were novel. Many of the statutes that we charged under . . . hadn't been charged as crimes before. . . . We're looking to find the next areas of conduct that meets any sort of statutory definition of what criminal conduct is."
It is a damning indication of the collapse of American law that an assistant US attorney can be well received when he brags to law school students that federal prosecutors frame Americans with novel interpretations that create ex post facto law and violate mens rea - no crime without intent - the foundation of the Anglo-American legal system.
In his book, Payback: The Conspiracy to Destroy Michael Milken and His Financial Revolution, University of Chicago law professor and dean Daniel Fischel proves Milken's innocence. But when prosecutors are corrupt, innocence is no protection.
Giuliani's crimes were not limited to Milken and Princeton/Newport. After investigating, I concluded that Giuliani framed Leona Helmsley with the suborned perjury of one of Helmsley's accountants, whose own infraction in helping to defraud the Miller Brewing Company was dropped in exchange for false witness against Helmsley.
I wrote about Helmsley's frame-up in National Review, and my story was picked up by one of the TV shows of the era. Both Alan Dershowitz and Robert Bork share my conviction that Helmsley was framed with suborned perjury.
Today National Review is a Giuliani partisan, as is the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. During Giuliani's "white-collar crime heyday," the Wall Street Journal editorial page was busy exposing Giuliani's duplicity and misuse of the media to create cases against innocent targets.
Giuliani rode his prosecutions of the rich to the NYC mayoralty, just as he rode 9/11 to become a GOP presidential candidate. Giuliani's career never served justice; it served his personal ambition, his ego. That a person so short on integrity could become a candidate for president is a damning indictment of the US political system.
The account of Giuliani's prosecution of Milken comes from my book with Lawrence Stratton, The Tyranny of Good Intentions.
Copyright © 2007 Creators Syndicate, used under Fair Use.
-----
Got comments? Email me, dammit!
Permanent link for this article which can be used on any website:
The Criminal Career of Rudy Giuliani by Paul Craig Roberts
by Paul Craig Roberts
Republican magazines have begun their pimp operations for the GOP's 2008 presidential candidates.
In a recent issue of National Review, Jennifer Rubin, described as "a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.," pumps up Rudolph Giuliani as "America's mayor" and "America's prosecutor."
Giuliani is a media creation. Giuliani was unknown until in search of name recognition he staged a stormtrooper assault on the financial firm Princeton/Newport involving fifty federal marshals outfitted with automatic weapons and bulletproof vests. On another occasion he had two New York investment bankers hauled off their trading floor in handcuffs.
Giuliani's victims had done nothing and were exonerated. But Giuliani's media stunts served to turn public sentiment against white-collar defendants.
Giuliani once bragged that by giving negative treatment to his targets, "the media does the job for me." Giuliani certainly had no difficulty manipulating Wall Street Journal reporters James B. Stewart, Daniel Hertzberg and Laurie Cohen or The Predators' Ball author Connie Bruck. Milken, who had done nothing except make a lot of money by proving Wall Street wrong about non-investment grade bonds, was branded the "Cosa Nostra of the securities world."
Milken's "junk bonds" financed such household names as CNN, Barnes & Noble, Stone Container Corporation, Time-Warner, Safeway, and Mattel. Milken provided capital to companies with promising futures that lacked investment-grade credit rankings.
Milken operated out of Los Angeles, not Wall Street. His earnings and those of his upstart firm, Drexel Burnham Lambert, aroused envy and hatred among the Wall Street hot shots. Milken failed to use his money to purchase political protection in Washington.
Instead, he gave his money to organizations that help poor black children.
Milken was set up perfectly for an ambitious and unscrupulous prosecutor like Giuliani. Giuliani leaked to his media pimps that a 98-count indictment was coming down against Milken. As Milken had done nothing and Giuliani had no case against him, Giuliani's strategy was to coerce Milken into a plea bargain. When Milken failed to send his attorneys to work out a plea arrangement, Giuliani used Laurie Cohen to report eighteen times in the Wall Street Journal that Milken would imminently face an expanded superseding indictment of between 160 and
300 counts.
To increase the pressure on Milken, prosecutors threatened to indict Milken's younger brother, Lowell, unless Milken made a plea deal. US Attorney General Dick Thornburgh quipped to his deputies: "A brother for a brother." Afterwards, Giuliani's assistant US attorney, John Carroll, told Seton Hall Law School students in April 1992 that Lowell Milken was a "sort of ready chip in the negotiations." Giuliani even went so far as to send FBI agents to hound Milken's 92-year old grandfather.
Milken's attorneys concluded that Giuliani, lacking any case, was far out on a limb and desperate for a face-saving plea. They worked out a plea to six minor technical offenses that had never carried any prison time. But Giuliani was determined to have his victim, and Milken was double-crossed by sentencing judge, Kimba "Bimbo" Wood, and spent two years of his life in prison.
Giuliani's assistant US attorney John Carroll later bragged to Seton Hall Law students that in the Milken case "we're guilty of criminalizing technical offenses. . . . Many of the prosecution theories we used were novel. Many of the statutes that we charged under . . . hadn't been charged as crimes before. . . . We're looking to find the next areas of conduct that meets any sort of statutory definition of what criminal conduct is."
It is a damning indication of the collapse of American law that an assistant US attorney can be well received when he brags to law school students that federal prosecutors frame Americans with novel interpretations that create ex post facto law and violate mens rea - no crime without intent - the foundation of the Anglo-American legal system.
In his book, Payback: The Conspiracy to Destroy Michael Milken and His Financial Revolution, University of Chicago law professor and dean Daniel Fischel proves Milken's innocence. But when prosecutors are corrupt, innocence is no protection.
Giuliani's crimes were not limited to Milken and Princeton/Newport. After investigating, I concluded that Giuliani framed Leona Helmsley with the suborned perjury of one of Helmsley's accountants, whose own infraction in helping to defraud the Miller Brewing Company was dropped in exchange for false witness against Helmsley.
I wrote about Helmsley's frame-up in National Review, and my story was picked up by one of the TV shows of the era. Both Alan Dershowitz and Robert Bork share my conviction that Helmsley was framed with suborned perjury.
Today National Review is a Giuliani partisan, as is the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. During Giuliani's "white-collar crime heyday," the Wall Street Journal editorial page was busy exposing Giuliani's duplicity and misuse of the media to create cases against innocent targets.
Giuliani rode his prosecutions of the rich to the NYC mayoralty, just as he rode 9/11 to become a GOP presidential candidate. Giuliani's career never served justice; it served his personal ambition, his ego. That a person so short on integrity could become a candidate for president is a damning indictment of the US political system.
The account of Giuliani's prosecution of Milken comes from my book with Lawrence Stratton, The Tyranny of Good Intentions.
Copyright © 2007 Creators Syndicate, used under Fair Use.
-----
Got comments? Email me, dammit!
Permanent link for this article which can be used on any website:
posted by Aaron Turpen @ 6:12 PM
1 Comments
Monday, May 14, 2007
Homeland Security Template: Alabama
Libertarians Are Terrorists, Says the State of Alabama
http://www.chrisbrunner.com/2007/05/09/libertarians-are-terrorists-says-the-state-of-alabama/
The Alabama Department of Homeland Security (ALDHS), established in
June of 2003, has recently constructed a website that defines Domestic
Terrorists as those who oppose gun control and a strong federal
government.
Under the heading "Anti-Government Groups", the site displays a flag
that is widely considered one of the first symbols of American
patriotism and reads, "In general, these terrorists claim that the
U.S. government is infringing on their individual rights, and/or that
the government's policies are criminal and immoral. Such groups may
hold that the current government is violating the basic principles
laid out by the U.S. Constitution."
While Anarchism is defined by a lack state control and Communism is a
maximization state control, two polar opposite concepts, the page that
follows reads, "Anarchists groups are the 21st Century's version of
left wing or communist groups of the last. Anarchists believe that any
government or organization that has power over others.will eventually
become corrupt and abusive."
If I'm not mistaken, the idea that government, if not kept in check,
will become corrupt and abusive was first made popular in this country
by our founding fathers, not a bunch of terrorist anarchist groups.
This was the very reason for the implementation of the United States
Constitution! In fact even Section 35 of the Alabama Constitution
warns of this danger is it declares, "the sole object and only
legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the
enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government
assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression."
The Alabama.gov site continues, "Most of these groups operate around
larger urban areas and colleges/universities. Some are focused on
issues such as World Trade, International Debt, and military
involvement in foreign cultures. The theme is always the same. Big
[government] is bad. Rich are using the poor to stay rich. Our
government in particular is using its power immorally."
In short, if you oppose gun control, taxes, military intervention,
most of our national debt being held by foreign nations, or just a
large federal government, you might be a terrorist!
The very idea that those who value their personal rights and
liberties are being labeled terrorists by the State of Alabama is not
only absurd and egregiously offensive, it completely contradicts the
ideals our federal and state governments were founded on! The people
of Alabama should be outraged!
These Alabama.gov pages can be reached by visiting the Alabama
Homeland Security TAP Course, clicking on "Domestic Terrorists", and
then on "Anti-Government Groups".
-----
Got comments? Email me, dammit!
Permanent link for this article which can be used on any website:
http://www.chrisbrunner.com/2007/05/09/libertarians-are-terrorists-says-the-state-of-alabama/
The Alabama Department of Homeland Security (ALDHS), established in
June of 2003, has recently constructed a website that defines Domestic
Terrorists as those who oppose gun control and a strong federal
government.
Under the heading "Anti-Government Groups", the site displays a flag
that is widely considered one of the first symbols of American
patriotism and reads, "In general, these terrorists claim that the
U.S. government is infringing on their individual rights, and/or that
the government's policies are criminal and immoral. Such groups may
hold that the current government is violating the basic principles
laid out by the U.S. Constitution."
While Anarchism is defined by a lack state control and Communism is a
maximization state control, two polar opposite concepts, the page that
follows reads, "Anarchists groups are the 21st Century's version of
left wing or communist groups of the last. Anarchists believe that any
government or organization that has power over others.will eventually
become corrupt and abusive."
If I'm not mistaken, the idea that government, if not kept in check,
will become corrupt and abusive was first made popular in this country
by our founding fathers, not a bunch of terrorist anarchist groups.
This was the very reason for the implementation of the United States
Constitution! In fact even Section 35 of the Alabama Constitution
warns of this danger is it declares, "the sole object and only
legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the
enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government
assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression."
The Alabama.gov site continues, "Most of these groups operate around
larger urban areas and colleges/universities. Some are focused on
issues such as World Trade, International Debt, and military
involvement in foreign cultures. The theme is always the same. Big
[government] is bad. Rich are using the poor to stay rich. Our
government in particular is using its power immorally."
In short, if you oppose gun control, taxes, military intervention,
most of our national debt being held by foreign nations, or just a
large federal government, you might be a terrorist!
The very idea that those who value their personal rights and
liberties are being labeled terrorists by the State of Alabama is not
only absurd and egregiously offensive, it completely contradicts the
ideals our federal and state governments were founded on! The people
of Alabama should be outraged!
These Alabama.gov pages can be reached by visiting the Alabama
Homeland Security TAP Course, clicking on "Domestic Terrorists", and
then on "Anti-Government Groups".
-----
Got comments? Email me, dammit!
Permanent link for this article which can be used on any website:
posted by Aaron Turpen @ 10:26 AM
0 Comments
Ron Paul For President
Here's some info on Congressman Ron Paul, who is trying for the Republican nomination for President in 2008. For those of you who don't know, Paul was the Libertarian candidate for President in the early 90s.
Big government has had its chance. Now it's time for real change. It's time for Ron Paul.
Meet Congressman Ron Paul
Congressman Ron Paul is the leading advocate for freedom in our nation's
capital. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Paul
tirelessly works for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free
markets, and a return to sound monetary policies. He is known among his
congressional colleagues and his constituents for his consistent voting
record. Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed
measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. In the words of
former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception
to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.
Ron Paul was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated
from Gettysburg College and the Duke University School of Medicine,
before proudly serving as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force during
the 1960s. He and his wife Carol moved to Texas in 1968, where he began
his medical practice in Brazoria County. As a specialist in
obstetrics/gynecolo gy, Dr. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies.
He and Carol, who reside in Lake Jackson, Texas, are the proud parents
of five children and have 17 grandchildren.
While serving in Congress during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dr.
Paul's limited-government ideals were not popular in Washington. In
1976, he was one of only four Republican congressmen to endorse Ronald
Reagan for president.
During that time, Congressman Paul served on the House Banking
committee, where he was a strong advocate for sound monetary policy and
an outspoken critic of the Federal Reserve's inflationary measures. He
was an unwavering advocate of pro-life and pro-family values. Dr. Paul
consistently voted to lower or abolish federal taxes, spending and
regulation, and used his House seat to actively promote the return of
government to its proper constitutional levels. In 1984, he voluntarily
relinquished his House seat and returned to his medical practice.
Dr. Paul returned to Congress in 1997 to represent the 14th
congressional district of Texas. He presently serves on the House
Committee on Financial Services and the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs. He continues to advocate a dramatic reduction in the size of
the federal government and a return to constitutional principles.
Congressman Paul's consistent voting record prompted one of his
congressional colleagues to say, "Ron Paul personifies the Founding
Fathers' ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his
principles will never be compromised, and they never are." Another
colleague observed, "There are few people in public life who, through
thick and thin, rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul is
one of those few."
Brief overview of Congressman Ron Paul's record:
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He is the only Congressman who is consistently ranked # 1 by THE
CONSERVATIVE INDEX, routinely scoring a perfect 100%.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the
U.S. treasury every year.
Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation
each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=8Hfa7vT02lA , Ron Paul's responses from
the May 3, 2007 GOP debate.
http://ronpaul2008.com/
-----
Got comments? Email me, dammit!
Permanent link for this article which can be used on any website:
Big government has had its chance. Now it's time for real change. It's time for Ron Paul.
Meet Congressman Ron Paul
Congressman Ron Paul is the leading advocate for freedom in our nation's
capital. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Paul
tirelessly works for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free
markets, and a return to sound monetary policies. He is known among his
congressional colleagues and his constituents for his consistent voting
record. Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed
measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. In the words of
former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception
to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.
Ron Paul was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated
from Gettysburg College and the Duke University School of Medicine,
before proudly serving as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force during
the 1960s. He and his wife Carol moved to Texas in 1968, where he began
his medical practice in Brazoria County. As a specialist in
obstetrics/gynecolo gy, Dr. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies.
He and Carol, who reside in Lake Jackson, Texas, are the proud parents
of five children and have 17 grandchildren.
While serving in Congress during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dr.
Paul's limited-government ideals were not popular in Washington. In
1976, he was one of only four Republican congressmen to endorse Ronald
Reagan for president.
During that time, Congressman Paul served on the House Banking
committee, where he was a strong advocate for sound monetary policy and
an outspoken critic of the Federal Reserve's inflationary measures. He
was an unwavering advocate of pro-life and pro-family values. Dr. Paul
consistently voted to lower or abolish federal taxes, spending and
regulation, and used his House seat to actively promote the return of
government to its proper constitutional levels. In 1984, he voluntarily
relinquished his House seat and returned to his medical practice.
Dr. Paul returned to Congress in 1997 to represent the 14th
congressional district of Texas. He presently serves on the House
Committee on Financial Services and the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs. He continues to advocate a dramatic reduction in the size of
the federal government and a return to constitutional principles.
Congressman Paul's consistent voting record prompted one of his
congressional colleagues to say, "Ron Paul personifies the Founding
Fathers' ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his
principles will never be compromised, and they never are." Another
colleague observed, "There are few people in public life who, through
thick and thin, rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul is
one of those few."
Brief overview of Congressman Ron Paul's record:
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He is the only Congressman who is consistently ranked # 1 by THE
CONSERVATIVE INDEX, routinely scoring a perfect 100%.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the
U.S. treasury every year.
Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation
each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=8Hfa7vT02lA , Ron Paul's responses from
the May 3, 2007 GOP debate.
http://ronpaul2008.com/
-----
Got comments? Email me, dammit!
Permanent link for this article which can be used on any website:
posted by Aaron Turpen @ 9:34 AM
3 Comments
