New Media Alliance - Jim Kouri

By Jim Kouri

The National Legal and Policy Center, an organization that achieved success as a plaintiff in the 1993 lawsuit to open the meetings and records of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s health care task force, criticized President-Elect Barack Obama for selecting Eric Holder as his Attorney General nominee. NLPC promotes ethics in public life, and sponsors the Government Integrity Project.

According to NLPC President Peter Flaherty, “Holder is not ethically qualified to serve as Attorney General. His track record is not one of independence or objectivity. Instead, he has been guided by politics and self-interest.”

On December 21, 1994, federal Judge Royce Lamberth, who presided over the litigation to open the health care task force, asked Holder, who at the time was the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, to investigate Ira Magaziner for possible perjury and criminal contempt of court. He also suggested that Attorney General Janet Reno should appoint an independent counsel to investigate.

Reno announced on March 3, 1995 that she would not appoint an independent prosecutor. On August 3, 1995 Eric Holder announced that he, too, would not prosecute Magaziner.

Magaziner, who headed up the task force, asserted to plaintiffs in a March 3, 1993 statement that no outsiders, or non-government employees, were taking part in the task force. When task force documents were later produced, it was obvious that dozens of outsiders had taken part. It was not a small point. The presence of outsiders would trigger the Federal Advisory Committee Act, requiring that task force meetings be opened to the public. Magaziner’s claim stood for several months. Magaziner and other participants in the task force took no action to expose it or to correct the record.

An example of an outsider was Lois Quam, a vice-president of United Health Care Corporation, a for-profit managed care provider. United Health Care stood to financially benefit from the decisions of the task force, not to mention the reams of inside information to which she would become privy.

Quam’s participation also helped fuel a controversy directly involving Hillary. The Clintons were investors in a closely held limited partnership called ValuePartners 1, which held a block of United Health Care stock. The partnership shorted a number of health-related stocks including United Health Care. At the time of his death, Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster was in the process of putting the Clinton’s health care stocks into a blind trust, a task not completed until July 26, 1994.

At the time, NLPC accused the Clinton administration of a cover-up. Both Reno and Holder were appointed by Clinton, and Reno owed her job to Hillary. Additionally, the Washington Post reported in January of 1995 that Holder was under consideration by Clinton for appointment to a federal judgeship.

Flaherty concluded, “When Reno said she would not appoint a special prosecutor, it was even more appropriate for the case to be handled by the U.S. Attorney with jurisdiction. That was Holder and he should have acted. Holder’s failure to pursue Magaziner made a mockery of the law.”

Source: National Legal and Policy Center

by Jim Kouri

How many times have we heard mayors and governors, when faced with complaints regarding illegal aliens, claim that their police officers aren’t authorized or trained to enforce immigration laws? Too many times, if you ask me. Well, either these government leaders are too ignorant to to hold office or they’re out-and-out lying to the American people.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement directorate recently authorized 16 additional Alabama state troopers to enforce federal immigration law, following their completion of ICE training at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, AL.

A Florida deputy sheriff was also authorized to enforce federal immigration law after participating in the same class. That graduating class boosted the number of Alabama troopers trained and certified to a total of 60.

The Immigration and Nationality Act includes section 287(g), added in 1996, that grants local and state jurisdictions the ability to enforce immigration law with proper training and supervision by federal authorities. In 2003, Alabama became the second state in the nation to participate in the program by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Homeland Security. Florida was the first state to participate, in 2002.

While many politicians claim their police officers are not allowed to conduct immigration laws, their excuse for ignoring illegal aliens is a canard. Too few police agencies are taking advantage of the training offered by ICE and DHS.

“Partnerships with our state and local law enforcement colleagues have always been essential to our fight against illegal immigration,” said Paul Kilcoyne, ICE deputy director for investigations.

“ICE and the Alabama state troopers are building on an existing strong foundation by agreeing to train and certify law enforcement officers to carry out certain duties that are traditionally handled by federal immigration officers.”

Alabama Governor Bob Riley said the training and authorization allow the troopers, during the course of their regular duties, to question, detain and arrest individuals who are in this country illegally.

“Alabamians are proud that our state is at the forefront of a growing national effort to combat illegal immigration,” said Riley.

“This innovative and cooperative effort allows our state troopers to become force multipliers for America’s border security mission. We always welcome those who enter our country legally, but we won’t stand idly by and do nothing when we catch illegal aliens, some who have committed crimes like armed robbery, rape and drug smuggling, in our state.”

Joining Riley in praising the graduating officers, in addition to Kilcoyne, were Alabama US Rep. Mike Rogers; Michael A. Holt, special agent in charge, ICE, New Orleans; and James M. Wright, ICE section 287(g) program manager.

Rogers praised the troopers and expressed his appreciation to ICE and the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) for providing the training.

“This program is a win-win for the citizens of Alabama and for federal immigration officials,” said the congressman.

“The training our troopers received will help get criminal aliens and immigration violators who pose a threat to our national security and public safety off our streets. I applaud these troopers and the Alabama Department of Public Safety for participating in this important program,” he added.

The 16 troopers completed a five-week course at the CDP that mirrors the training ICE agents receive. The course focuses exclusively on immigration and nationality law and issues related to its enforcement, including cultural sensitivity and civil rights instruction.

Under the terms of the Alabama MOU, troopers do not conduct immigration-related enforcement actions at businesses and workplaces. They are authorized to enforce federal immigration law only as necessary in the course of their normal duties as state troopers, such as enforcing traffic law, responding to motor vehicle crashes and issuing driver licenses.

Since the first Alabama troopers completed ICE training in 2003, troopers have made 218 arrests of illegal aliens. Many of those arrested also had previous criminal convictions, including armed robbery, rape and drug smuggling. Others also were charged with crimes such as illegal possession of firearms and Social Security fraud.

The first class of 21 Alabama state troopers completed ICE training in October 2003 and a second class of 23 graduated in November 2005, with the third class completing the training program in 2006. All three classes were trained at the Center for Domestic Preparedness, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security training facility in Anniston, AL.

“We’re honored to have had the opportunity to once again open our doors to Alabama’s responders and to ICE, a sister DHS agency, for this very important training,” said CDP Director Marion Cain.

Since 1998, the center has trained emergency responders at the federal, state and local levels, delivering high-quality, cutting-edge preparedness training. The CDP specializes in advanced, hands-on training aimed at preventing, responding to and recovering from terrorist acts, particularly those involving hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction.

By Jim Kouri

Voter registration fraud is a serious problem that endangers the security of our elections and puts legitimate voters at risk of having their ballots devalued or stolen. To combat this issue, Congress made such fraud a serious federal crime. It is therefore deeply troubling to read continued reports of alleged voter registration fraud in many of the states that are considered to be “battleground states” and where the margin of victory or loss could be small.

On Friday, the Republican National Committee (RNC) launched a new Web Site, ObamaAcornTree.com. The Web site highlights Barack Obama’s connection to ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, a so-called nonpartisan group that is being investigated in widespread voter-registration fraud in states throughout the country.

Obama’s ties to the group include training ACORN employees, providing legal representation to the group, receiving their endorsement for his presidential bid, and compensating a known subsidiary. One story being investigated by some reporters is the $800,000.00 donation to ACORN by the Obama campaign. Obama spokespersons have told reporters that the donation was a bookkeeping error.

According to a Pittsburgh reporter, the campaign originally “misrepresented” the group’s work to the FEC.

“U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign paid more than $800,000 to an offshoot of the liberal Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now for services the Democrat’s campaign says it mistakenly misrepresented in federal reports.

An Obama spokesman said Federal Election Commission reports would be amended to show Citizens Services Inc. — a subsidiary of ACORN — worked in ‘get-out-the-vote’ projects, instead of activities such as polling, advance work and staging major events as stated in FEC finance reports filed during the primary.” (David M. Brown, “Obama To Amend Report On $800,000 In Spending,” Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 8/22/08)

As Obama once said said, “The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and in this case, he’s exactly right.

Obama’s spokespersons also claims he had a limited relationship with ACORN. However, the record shows that “[Obama] says he is drawn to politics, despite its superficialities, as a means to advance his real passion and calling: community organization. … In 1992 Obama took time off to direct Project Vote, the most successful grass-roots voter-registration campaign in recent city history.”

“Credited with helping elect Carol Moseley-Braun to the U.S. Senate, the registration drive, aimed primarily at African-Americans, added an estimated 125,000 voters to the voter rolls–even more than were registered during Harold Washington’s mayoral campaigns. ‘It’s a power thing,’ said the brochures and radio commercials. … Obama continues his organizing work largely through classes for future leaders identified by ACORN and the Centers for New Horizons on the south side.” (Hank De Zutter, Op-Ed, “What Makes Obama Run?” Chicago Reader, 12/8/95).”

This week alone, ACORN officials admitted to submitting fraudulent voter registration forms in Ohio and press reports confirmed that ACORN submitted hundreds of fraudulent voter registration forms in Kansas City, Mo., forcing local officials to wade through fraudulent voter registrations, potentially disenfranchising legitimate voters.

To view the RNC’s new Web site, click here: http://www.gop.com/obamaacorntree/.

By Jim Kouri

While Barack Obama’s friends and supporters in the news media downplay his friendship and business relationship with former terrorist and Marxist university professor Willam Ayers, one aspect of the Ayers terrorism saga that’s totally ignored is his reputation as a cop-killer.

For instance, in Nyack, New York, Ayers’ terrorist group the Weather Underground launched an armored-car robbery that left two Nyack, NY police officers — Officer Waverly Brown and Sergeant Ed O’Grady — mortally wounded. In addition, the Brinks armored-car driver, Peter Paige was also shot to death by the Weathermen.

Quite simply, Ayers’ group of killers left five children without fathers as a result of the brutal and vicious armored car robbery.

Progressives for Obama signatories include Weathermen Howard Machtinger, Jeff Jones, Steve Tappis and Mark Rudd. Machtinger helped author the the mission statement of the Weathermen that called for revolutionaries within the United States to wage a ‘people’s war’ and attack from within. The government would fall and ‘world communism’ eventually would be instituted.

In addition to the New York police officers killed, a 1970 pipe bomb in San Francisco set by the group killed another police officer and critically wounded yet another cop. When given the opportunity to serve on boards and appear at press conferences with Ayers, an up-and-coming politician named Barack Obama jumped at the chance.

Recently released records from the Richard J. Daley Library at the University of Illinois, Chicago show that Obama and Ayers attended board meetings, retreats and press conferences from 1995 to 2001 as directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge.

Another major fundraiser for Obama is William Ayers, who also sat on the board of the Woods Fund with Obama and is a professor at the University of Chicago.

Bill Ayers – along with his wife Bernadine Dohrn – was an active member of the Weather Underground, a radical left-wing group that advocated violence against the United State. Both Ayers and Dohrn went “underground” in 1970 after others in the group accidentally detonated a bomb in a Greenwich Village (New York City) townhouse. The blast killed three of the group’s members including Ayers’ girlfriend at the time.

While Ayers and Dohrn were hiding from law enforcement, the Weather Underground participated in the bombings of the US Capital, the Pentagon and a State Department building. In 1981 Ayers and Dohrn turned themselves in to federal authorities, but all charges were dropped as a result of alleged “government legal misconduct.” In his 2001 memoir, Ayers wrote, “I don’t regret setting the bombs. I feel we didn’t do enough.”

Ayers and Dohrn are known to have held at least one fundraiser for Barack Obama in their Chicago home.

During Obama’s last year on the board of The Woods Fund (2002), he participated in awarding grants, including a $70,000 grant to the Arab American Action Network, a Chicago-based group founded by Rashid and Mona Khalidi. In another suspected quid pro quo arrangement similar to those with Ayers and Rezko, Rashid Khalidi also held a fundraising event in his home for Barack Obama.

In the Middle East, Rashid Khalidi was known as a man to be reckoned with. From 1972 through 1983, Khalidi was the director in Beirut of the official Palestinian press agency, FAFA. His wife worked there as well.

According to sources who served in the US Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency, when the Khalidi’s left Chicago for Columbia University in New York, Rashid was honored with the Edward Said Chair in Arab Studies at that Ivy League university. Their goodbye party in Chicago included testimonials from Bill Ayers and Barack Obama.

By Jim Kouri

I’m not surprised that the GOP is allowing a partisan, left-wing pseudojournalist to be the moderator for a vice presidential debate, but some conservatives still get angry and sometimes shoot-from-the-hip in response to the media’s liberal-left bias. Below is the reaction of one of the top conservative leaders in the United States today:

By agreeing to the selection of Gwen Ifill to moderate the vice presidential debate, despite her obvious conflict of interest regarding the presidential election, Republicans have shown why they are called “the stupid party,” Richard A. Viguerie, the Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, said.

“How could the negotiators have signed off on a liberal moderator who has a book coming out on Inauguration Day heralding the ‘Age of Obama’?” Viguerie asked.

Ifill’s book, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, is due to be published January 20, 2009, according to the book’s page at Amazon.com. “Needless to say, the success of the book depends to a great extent on the outcome of the presidential election,” Viguerie noted. “As Greta van Susteren, a lawyer, pointed out: ‘In law, this would create a mistrial’.”

“Imagine if one of the officials at Super Bowl earlier this year had had a book coming out on Super Bowl Sunday entitled Dynasty: The Age of the New England Patriots. Can you imagine the New York Giants agreeing to that? But then, the New York Giants are a lot smarter than Republicans.”

Ifill’s book was mentioned by name in a July 21 Associated Press article by Kinney Littlefield. The roster of debate moderators was revealed August 5.

“Democrats don’t agree to debates on the Fox News Channel, where they might get tough questions,” Viguerie pointed out. “They agree to debates only when they get the home field advantage — only when the questioners are people who see liberalism as objective reality and who consider the opinions of conservative, mainstream Americans to be backward and ill-informed. And they get away with it because the Republicans don’t have the fortitude to do something about it.”