October 23, 2010

"[D]eep divisions within the Justice Department... over whether the agency should focus on protecting historically oppressed minorities or enforce laws without regard to race."

Washington Post investigates and reports.

Andrew Breitbart enthuses:
So the Post does what nobody has been able to do – obtain deep sourcing inside the Department confirming what Adams and Coates have been saying for months. This is a devastating piece of work by the Washington Post. This is a rare moment where the old print media has returned to the higher standards of years past, and reported facts. A week from an election, it couldn’t have come at a worse time for Eric Holder.

66 comments:

garage mahal said...

Anndrew Breithouse.

Alex said...

as usual garage tries to slime the messenger instead of the message.

The Drill SGT said...

Ignore the Black Panther part, it's the racially biased law enforcement that is the scandal.

This was the money quote: “There are career people who feel strongly that it is not the voting section’s job to protect white voters,” the lawyer said. “The environment is that you better toe the line of traditional civil rights ideas or you better keep quiet about it, because you will not advance, you will not receive awards and you will be ostracized.”

I didn't see it here, but in other stories Coates, who is a liberal democrat career attorney (described in the article as:
. A respected voting expert, Coates had been hired at Justice during the Clinton administration after a stint with the American Civil Liberties Union.

was on record saying that he was told in no uncertain terms that he could not ask applicants if they believed in color-blind application of the civil rights laws.

The Crack Emcee said...

Should the agency focus on protecting historically oppressed minorities or enforce laws without regard to race?

Man, that's a tough choice. I - a black man - need protection from NewAge frauds and killers - almost all of them white people. No takers there, huh?

I guess they can go back to "protecting" the blacks with billy clubs.

Fen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
traditionalguy said...

This reminds us that The Liberal Rights Laws are to protect white upper middleclass educated female elites. They do not apply to Black men named Juan. Liberal Government, thy name is favoritism. I also wonder if the white men will someday be given small homelands among the Government's North American Federation owned lands.

Fen said...

Skin Color should be as relevant as Hair Color.

I'm actually shocked that there *remain* divisions over whether to prosecute based on the race of the perps, because every one of them who argued for racial enforcement should have been fired.

And if DOJ's boss doesn't replace him, he should be Impeached.

Fen said...

What it really means:

Obama is green-lighting his goons for election day.

Make sure you go with a friend, and that both of you film via cellphone (so you can get the assault of each other on tape)

Cedarford said...

Agree with Drill SGT. The Panthers are small potatos. The bigger matter is the mindset that civil rights laws are believed by many within Justice to only be for favored minority groups, and as the only approved "victims" favored minority groups therefore cannot abrogate the civil rights of any other group.
Even when one favored minority group preys on another (case of black thugs targeting illegal Latins for robbery) - Justice wants to stay out.

It is a scandal that started with the Panther idiots, but may finally get rid of that cancerous mindset at Justice and in academia that only certain groups deserve "equal protection by law".

Wince said...

If the Republicans take the House, there will be hearings.

It seems increasingly likely that the Democrats will look to draft Hillary in 2012, especially if the economy continues to sputter.

She's well positioned to distance herself from Obama and blame the Republicans.

Fen said...

She's well positioned to distance herself from Obama and blame the Republicans

Good analysis.

In hindsight, it does appear deliberate.

She's coming for you Bambi! Quick! File an EEO Complaint!

former law student said...

That zip code is 2/3 African-American, so which race is being intimidated? The white girl talking on her cell doesn't seem too disturbed. A Quaker charity operates Guild House West to house old poor people -- are any seniors intimidated? But let's go to the article:

That morning, the men stood a few feet apart on a narrow sidewalk in front of the polling place, forcing voters to walk between them.

Some in the neighborhood didn't see a problem. James "Jimmy" Whitmire, 74, who voted in the Guild House recreation room, said he saw nothing "that was destructive . . . nothing offensive." Three other residents who voted that day said in interviews that they agreed.
...
Calls poured into the Philadelphia district attorney's office reporting voter intimidation at Guild House. But staff members realized they were from cable news viewers as far away as Florida.

No call had come from a registered voter in Philadelphia.
...

Others from the Republican Party showed up that day, including Stephen Morse, a videographer. Morse pulled out a video camera and focused on Heath.

Less than 15 minutes later, Philadelphia police arrived. A one-page police report says officers allowed Jackson to stay because he was a poll watcher but asked Heath to leave.

"That's why you're going to be ruled by a black man, now!" Heath shouted as he departed, according to witnesses. They said he called Obama a "tool of the white man."

Morse raced back to the GOP headquarters. "This footage is golden," he recalled thinking.




None of the locals complained, only cable news viewers. Can you say "Fox News Channel." "This footage is golden" thinks Republican Party operative.

garage mahal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fen said...

We finally know why Former Law Student failed out - he never read the Constitution.

Fen said...

This is a rare moment where the old print media has returned to the higher standards of years past, and reported facts.

Credit where its due.

Start behaving like a real newspaper again, instead of a DNC shill, and I might just renew.

EnigmatiCore said...

Interesting how these hard-hitting exposes hit on Saturday.

The Drill SGT said...

FLS said...None of the locals complained, only cable news viewers.

That's just trying to shift the topic. Let's play a thought experiment...

Instead of 2 black men in a majority black neighborhood in philly dressed in para-military garb and carrying around a billy club talking trash to voters in 2008,

let's make it, 2 white guys in a majority white precinct in Alabama dressed in white robes carrying around axe handles talking trash to blacks in 1952

neither the whites in philly nor the blacks in Bama wanted to make public statements, does that mean that no voter intimidation thus occurred?

You gonna doubt your lying eyes?

Fen said...

FLS: That zip code is 2/3 African-American, so which race is being intimidated?

I mean, your first line is priceless.

It either means you've never been introduced to the concept of Minority Rights, or you think they don't apply to non-blacks.

Which is it? Both probably.

Anonymous said...

It seems like the old civil rights apparatus is still with us, and its goals and fight may be carrying through in the DOJ.

As long as the law (used traditionally in the deep South to protect against all manner of violence and chicanery, but elsewhere too) is applied equally, I don't have too much problem.

That's really the question for a concerned citizen.

Fen said...

Former Law Student, why don't you drop the userID. There's simply no way anyone who spent an hour in Law School would get that one wrong.

Besides, you've lost enough credibility this week to warrant a sock puppet.

garage mahal said...

Obama is green-lighting his goons for election day.

When a winger is accusing you of something, you can bet the house they're already doing it. You wouldn't know that if you just read this blog though. Like Kirk's planned "voter integrity squads" in IL, or the teahadis harassing voters in TX last week. Dick Armey thinks that there is already voter fraud going on in the "inner city", because he thinks blacks voting is fraudulent.

mesquito said...

That zip code is 2/3 African-American, so which race is being intimidated?

One for the ages, that comment.

former law student said...

neither the whites in philly

What whites? How many whites are registered to vote in that precinct? Any?

Fen said...

Libtard: When a Libtard is accusing you of something, you can bet the house they're already doing it.

/fixed

You were projecting again. You don't get to steal our insight into your own tactics. You don't get to revise history:

Obama told he people to "get in our face" and "punch back twice as hard". DNC Media spread the lie that its was the Tea Party who was violent. And SEUI Thugs started beating down black conservative men. MoveOn Goons biting off fingers of counter-protestors.

And Black Panther Racists squated in front of polls with batons, squawking about killing white babies.

And were given a pass.

Because prosecuting them would have had a "chilling effect" on the Democratic GOTV effort and its Brownshirt Gangs.

Fen said...

Former Law Students: How many whites are registered to vote in that precinct?

Priceless.

garage mahal said...

Over 100 segments on Fox on the black panther case

0 mentions of the voter intimidation case in 2006:

"A November 8, 2006, Austin American-Statesman article reported (from the Nexis database): "In Arizona, Roy Warden, an anti-immigration activist with the Minutemen, and a handful of supporters staked out a Tucson precinct and questioned Hispanic voters at the polls to determine whether they spoke English." The article continued: "Armed with a 9mm Glock automatic strapped to his side, Warden said he planned to photograph Hispanic voters entering polls in an effort to identify illegal immigrants and felons."

Hagar said...

The DrillSgt and Cedarford are right. The New Panther thing is not that big a deal as elections go in this country; it is the Justice Dept. response and attitude that is truly mindboggling, and, I think, dangerous for respect for "the rule of law."

FLS,
How do you know that the intimidation, if any, was not directed at the Black voters to remind them to vote as expected of them?

Cedarford said...

EDH said...
"If the Republicans take the House, there will be hearings.

It seems increasingly likely that the Democrats will look to draft Hillary in 2012, especially if the economy continues to sputter."

=================
Hillary is screwed because 34% of Dem Primary voters are black, and another 30% describe themselves as "liberal".
Even now, blacks approve of Obama by 91%. Tribal loyalty. If Obama was caught on all fours, naked, bent over a similarly naked young boy, and facing Mecca - Obama's approval numbers with blacks might plummet to 85%.
Besides blacks, liberals are the only other key demo favoring The One, by 53-55%.

What that means is any Primary challenge by Hillary is doomed.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Isn't there some phrase along the lines of, "Equal Justice Under Law", on a lot of Federal courthouses?

I guess that was only back before we became a nation of cowards.

garage mahal said...

Obama is green-lighting his goons for election day.

When a winger is accusing you of something, you can bet the house they're already doing it. You wouldn't know that if you just read this blog though. Like Kirk's planned "voter integrity squads" in IL, or the teahadis harassing voters in TX last week. Dick Armey thinks that there is already voter fraud going on in the "inner city", because he thinks blacks voting is fraudulent


Well, since I'm sure ACORN doesn't ring a bell, we can only note projection isn't solely the province of opera divas and no, Armey just said those are historically the districts where there are often more votes than voters. Very active graveyards, sort of like the widow asked about delivering a son a year after her husband died replying, "You can't keep a good man down".

PS Any links to these incidents?

The Drill SGT said...

What that means is any Primary challenge by Hillary is doomed.

agree. Hill's only hope is if Democratic adults convince the O to put his ego aside in th face of rock bottom polling and do a "LBJ"

I don't see Obama having that much character.

former law student said...

How do you know that the intimidation, if any, was not directed at the Black voters to remind them to vote as expected of them?


The article quotes Maruse Heath as calling Obama "The tool of the white man." Would a black man want other black folks to vote for the white man's tool?

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Are we really going to play the "Who feels more intimidated?" game?

Please, if you were better actors, you'd be in Hollywood with Mel Gibson and Charlton Heston and your other buddies.

I'm trying to figure out which performance was more ridiculous and less credible: The pretend faux-trage that permeates here over phony accusations of intimidation or the guy playing dress-up as a Black Panther.

garage mahal said...


Well, since I'm sure ACORN doesn't ring a bell, we can only note projection isn't solely the province of opera divas and no, Armey just said those are historically the districts where there are often more votes than voters.


ACORN's biggest crime is registering black voters. Which the right considers voter fraud.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Ohhhhhh!!!! Panthers!!!!

It's almost Halloween, you know.

KEEP FEAR ALIVE!

former law student said...

Why didn't the Justice Department investigate the man toting an AR-15 outside an Obama rally last August? I'm more intimidated by a guy with an AR-15 than a guy with a nightstick.

Fen said...

Ritmo said: [...]

Whatever. We know you don't believe your own bullshit:

it's worth reposting a Ritmo comment from one earlier last week, displaying what he's up to at Althouse, and why he comments here:

Ritmo Brasileiro said: "It's good to know that the stupidest threads are just ripe for the threadjacking. I'll be sure to leave a trail of turds on every one of the brain droppings here that suit my fancy. Getting you shit-eaters to complain about the taste after opening your mouths wide and saying "Ahhhh..." to every bad idea under the sun is very satisfying, I must admit."
- 10/16/10 10:28 AM

So obviously, Ritmo got stomped on today and needs attention. String him along as you like, just remember we're not running a free mental clinic here.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

There goes shit-eater Fen complaining about the taste again.

Open wide, Fen - you adorable little exercise in unwitting self-parody. The point is to be able to tell the difference between parody and reality.

And, oh yeah, KEEP FEAR ALIVE!!!!1!!1!

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

String him along as you like, just remember we're not running a free mental clinic here.

I didn't realize Althouse charges you for admission, Fen.

Fen said...

Former Law Student: Why didn't the Justice Department investigate the man toting an AR-15 outside an Obama rally last August?

The Secret Service cleared him, and he was assinged "police protection" during the event, and the FBI investigate and cleared the man.

Next equivalency?

Fen said...

Ritmo Brasileiro said: "It's good to know that the stupidest threads are just ripe for the threadjacking. I'll be sure to leave a trail of turds on every one of the brain droppings here that suit my fancy. Getting you shit-eaters to complain about the taste after opening your mouths wide and saying "Ahhhh..." to every bad idea under the sun is very satisfying, I must admit."
- 10/16/10 10:28 AM

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Fen's just pissed because his free speech has been abridged by the asylum warden. When she deletes his pitiful comments, he feels like he's been wrapped in the social networking equivalent of a straight jacket.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

I think Fen just vomited up a couple times.

Fen, you need to stop swallowing things you can't tolerate. Your mother told us all what a weak stomach you have.

Delicate little thing, that Fen.

Fen said...

*yawn*

Blue@9 said...

"That zip code is 2/3 African-American, so which race is being intimidated? The white girl talking on her cell doesn't seem too disturbed. A Quaker charity operates Guild House West to house old poor people -- are any seniors intimidated? But let's go to the article:"

Come ON, dude. Why are you trying so hard to be so obtuse. Are you seriously going to reach into the grab-bag of cheap apologias? You don't think it's fucked up and illegal on its face to show up to a polling location with a billyclub, talking about getting the "crackers" out of power? WTF, dude, please come back to sanity.

You really think that it's just no harm, no foul, because you can't dig up people who will admit that they were intimidated by neighborhood thugs? Jesus, by that measure you may as well just not investigate any crimes in inner cities, because, amazingly, no one comes forward to report crimes.

It's even more pathetic that you acknowledge the district is 2/3 black. Who was intimidated? Gee, maybe the 1/3 non-blacks and also blacks who are afraid of thugs with billyclubs.

What's next, are you going to justify campaigning at polling places? "Heck, no one complained and it's 2/3 Democrat anyway!" What about ballot-stuffing? "Hey, no one complained and it would hae gone Democrat anyway!"

Fucking pathetic dude. I can't believe you can't take off the ideological blinders for just one second to acknowledge that it's fucked up, illegal, and anti-democratic to show up at a polling place while brandishing a weapon.

You know damn well that a huge portion of election law is dedicated to making it easy and non-threatening to vote. This is why even police are normally told to stay away from polling places unless called. But guys in berets with billyclubs making threatening statements to voters? Oh, right, all good in your book.

Blue@9 said...

Ritmo, you seem to have a serious fecal-phagia-fascination. Any particular reason for this?

Unknown said...

garage mahal said...

Well, since I'm sure ACORN doesn't ring a bell, we can only note projection isn't solely the province of opera divas and no, Armey just said those are historically the districts where there are often more votes than voters.

ACORN's biggest crime is registering black voters. Which the right considers voter fraud.


ACORN's biggest crime is registering Mickey Mouse to vote - 50 times.

PS No links.

campy said...

Ritmo, you seem to have a serious fecal-phagia-fascination. Any particular reason for this?

That's just where his head is at.

Blue@9 said...

Jesus, can we get some better liberals in here? Seriously, guys, you really fucking suck at this. Between gm's "half a step behind but thinks he's won the game" attitude and FLS's mindboggling ignorance of anything relating to the law (seriously dude, did you drop out after 1L year? You don't have to be embarrassed about it), I'm just wondering why Althouse can't get any decent liberal commenters in here.

Moneyrunner said...

Fen,
Stop playing with him. Everyone knows Brazilians can't dance standing up.

garage mahal said...

ACORN's biggest crime is registering Mickey Mouse to vote - 50 times.

PS No links.


I don't need a link, but tell me-- did they get caught??

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Ritmo, you seem to have a serious fecal-phagia-fascination. Any particular reason for this?

You can't say it's my fascination when Fen's the one who keeps posting it over and over again ad infinitum.

BTW, just cause they're turds doesn't mean I don't believe them.

When I take a dump, I'll have Fen know that it's for real.

I just think it's the most appropriate response for a guy who thinks his own shit don't stink.

Lol.

Carry on.

Anonymous said...

"... as usual garage tries to slime the messenger instead of the message."

Garage does not have a message.

That is his message.

Anonymous said...

“The environment is that you better toe the line of traditional civil rights ideas or you better keep quiet about it, because you will not advance, you will not receive awards and you will be ostracized.”

Democrats control all the offices of our government. They hold all of the decision-making power ... not just the political offices. But deep down where all the government decisions take place.

Their message is simple: If you want to keep your job you'll keep your fucking mouth shut about their institutionalized and official racism.

You will not express your fears ... or you are fired. They can destroy you. They will destroy you.

Juan Williams was not the first and he won't be the last.

That's why, then the Tea Party takes over and a Republican is once again in the White House, it is important that the new Cabinet officials engage in a wholesale firing of all of the existing government employees from every position of any influence within our government. Do it legally, of course. Give them all plenty of rope. Then hang them. Late for work? Fired. Insubordinate? Fired.

It doesn't matter if they fight to get their jobs back ... make them fight. Many won't. A few might get to keep their jobs ... that's OK. Most will move on or be bankrupted by the fight.

End civil service. End tenure. Eliminate employment contracts. Eliminate government bonuses. Halve salaries. End pensions. Force them to buy health insurance for themselves.

Democrats must never again be allowed to corrupt our government.

Phil 314 said...

What whites? How many whites are registered to vote in that precinct? Any?

Oh, I guess its ok then.

George Bush was rightly criticized for rarely if ever admitting he was wrong. Why do you guys repeat the mistake?

Big Mike said...

Either the law applies equally to everyone, or we have no law at all. Just close the law schools, stop giving bar exams, shut down the superfluous law firms (i.e., all of them). Maybe the Professor can have Meade train her in gardening.

Anonymous said...

"When a winger is accusing you of something, you can bet the house they're already doing it."

We have our all black militaristic uniforms at the ready, and our billy club weapons. We're going to be standing outside the polling stations and yelling "Cracker" at any voters who dare to show up.

And I dare Attorney General Eric Holder to show his fucking face there.

Patm said...

Breithbart shouldn't be that impressed with the WaPo. Notice, they printed this story on a Saturday. Lowest circulation.

The Crack Emcee said...

We have our all black militaristic uniforms at the ready, and our billy club weapons. We're going to be standing outside the polling stations and yelling "Cracker" at any voters who dare to show up.

At which time I will wave, smile, and then vote 100% against your sorry ass.

Anonymous said...

"Notice, they printed this story on a Saturday. Lowest circulation."

Yes, but they've been forced to cover the issue ... when their preference would have been for it to be swept completely under the rug. Remember, this event occurred two years ago and they're only now covering the story.

You see, if this story never makes it into the newspaper, then it never happened. Black militant Muslim extremist violence at our polling places would then be free to flourish covered up by the nation's elite newspapers.

The Washington Post can put its finger into the wind, however. It knows what is about to happen: a million video cameras all programmed to upload to YouTube are about to descend on America's voting precincts where Democrats are committing extreme acts of fraud and violence to make Americans too afraid to vote against them.

This election, we're going to get it all on videotape.

Where we're going ... we don't need newspapers.

Fen said...

This election, we're going to get it all on videotape.

That's key. This election, one side is armed with baseball bats and the other with video cameras.

Guess which side Garage, Ritmo and Former Law Student are aligned with?

Godot said...

What that means is any Primary challenge by Hillary is doomed.

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."

Run Hillary, run!

___

Anonymous said...

If the locale was 2/3rds white, 1/3rd black, with guys in KKK outfits parading in front of the polling place waving weapons and hurling racial slurs, you can be sure a lack of blacks registered to vote would be cited as proof that blacks had been successfully intimidated, the Kluckers at the polls just being the visible tip of the intimidation effort, and a lack of complaints as proof of a climate of fear that stopped people from daring to speak out.

Reverse the races, and it's proof there wasn't anybody to intimidate, so no crimes were committed.

Synova said...

"We have our all black militaristic uniforms at the ready, and our billy club weapons. We're going to be standing outside the polling stations and yelling "Cracker" at any voters who dare to show up.

And I dare Attorney General Eric Holder to show his fucking face there.
"

This would actually be beyond funny. I only wish that I could afford the time in jail.

Because, you know, some people really would get arrested for doing that.

holdfast said...

Hey FLS - you know the dude with the AR-15 was blacker than the Preznit? Anyway, he was nowhere near the Obamessiah, which is why the USSS did not arrest him.

bagoh20 said...

So they admit they have a policy of racial discrimination, but believe they are justified, just like all the racists before them. How long do you have to be discriminated against to get the "historically oppressed" label? It would then follow that your oppressors would become historically racist assholes. Then, reparations!