Truly, you are a wise man. By executing Donald Jones, confessed murderer and crackhead, you are sending a message to crackheads everywhere: "Hey - murder is bad." I'm sure when that next crackhead is looking for his fix, he will pause and think about this case. In his crack-addled mind, he will reflect: "Has the US Supreme Court ruled on the constitutiality of Missouri's death system? Will my crime merit a death sentence.?" Perhaps your decision will lead crack-addicts to lead more thoughtfull, productive lives.
Or, you just allowed the execution of another poor, drug-addicted motherfucker, whose death will not change human behavior one iota. Well done, Governor.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/779B3A3A8829CAE286256FEF0013038B?OpenDocument
An interesting find by the folks over at Tapped, the running weblog of The American Prospect. The ostensible purpose of posting an article from 1985 is to point out that Jack Abramoff was a crooked scumbag twenty years ago, just as he is a crooked scumbag today. Anyway, here's what Tapped reproduces. (Look it's Sidney B)
Staff Shakeup Hits Conservative Group; 7 Fired at Lehrman's Citizens for America
By Sidney Blumenthal, Washington Post Staff Writer
The national leadership staff of Citizens for America, a conservative group headed by drugstore magnate Lewis Lehrman, was fired or prompted to resign last week amid charges of mismanaged funds.
Lehrman sped from political obscurity to national prominence, particularly among conservatives, with his surprisingly effective 1982 gubernatorial campaign against Democrat Mario M. Cuomo in New York, which Lehrman lost by a margin of 2 percentage points. Since then Lehrman has used Citizens for America (CFA) largely as a personal vehicle to keep his name and trademark red suspenders in the political spotlight.
According to Lehrman's friends, he still has political ambitions and is considering challenging Cuomo next year if the governor seeks reelection and a national campaign in 1988. One of those fired last week from CFA said the organization was "gutted." But Lehrman said in a telephone interview that he remains "very optimistic" about the organization's future.
Last week seven members of the CFA national staff were fired or quit. Apparently, Lehrman concluded that the organization's $3 million budget was being mishandled, although he declined to comment on the reasons for the shakeup. (In the previous six months, more than half the staff of 40 had left the organization, CFA sources said.)
Lehrman has not been closely involved in the group's day-to-day activities. Instead, he has raised money and traveled.
In early June, Lehrman went to Angola, where CFA staged a conference featuring four anticommunist guerrilla movements. There he gave framed copies of the Declaration of Independence to Afghan, Laotian, Nicaraguan and Angolan rebels.
When he returned, he discovered that he was "boxed out of the bookkeeping" of CFA, according to one of his personal aides. He sent in his private lawyer. "It was one big party," Lehrman's aide said. Jack Abramoff, executive director of CFA, and other members of the staff Abramoff had hired "had gone hog wild," Lehrman's aide -- who declined to be identified -- said. The financial "mismanagement" and "lavish spending," the Lehrman aide said, is still being untangled.
On July 15, Abramoff resigned. All those staff members associated with him no longer are associated with CFA. Abramoff could not be reached for comment. Grover Norquist, the former CFA national field director, is in South Africa, according to a CFA spokesman. [Gary] Willett, the former CFA comptroller, said, "Everything from my end is off the record."
So Abramof is bad and blah blah blah...I know. It's important for Tapped to point out, but I know. What I'm really interested in is what the Republican candidate for governor of New York is doing in Angola, giving out awards to Jonas Savimbi and crew. Savimbi and UNITA are responsible for tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Angola's fifteen year civil war. Don't give me this freedom-fighter bullshit. These guys were fighting for power and money, mainly in the form of diamonds and oil. And here we have a major a Republican figure (by mid 1980s standards) handing these fucks awards.
Meanwhile, Grover Norquist, the guy who has had his hand in everything the GOP has done for the past decade, is in South Africa somewhere. What do you suppose he's doing there? Petitioning the apartheid government to release Nelson Mandela? Not bloody likely. While Dick Cheney was occupied voting against resolutions in the House of representatives calling for Mandela's release, guys like Norquist were busy denouncing Mandela as a terrorist and communist sympathizer.
These guys didn't care about democracy then, they don't care about democracy now. Period.
I guess that someone, somewhere in New York City is drawing cartoons of George Bush - shooting gallery target style. You can check it out on this nimrod's blog: http://brain-terminal.com/posts/2005/04/14/peace-loving-ny-liberals
Kind of a shitty picture, isn't it? Chances are if you're a) over 5 years old and b) have visited a public restroom at least once, you've seen worse. What's Ace of Spades' response?
It's time for prosecutions and jailtime.
Sure it is, Ace. Sure it is. His justification?
"Republicans are pussies about this because they know the press will destroy them for 'chilling' the free-speech rights of those who would incite murder. But this is out of hand.
The sad thing is, Ace thinks this is a good argument. The best part? Here's the quote on top of his blog:
"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the blag flag, and begin slitting throats" - H.L. Mencken
No, it makes you look tough, Ace. Really. He ends with this sentence, which I just flat out don't understand:
These ever-growing cowardly chants of "Kill, Kill, Kill" have to be stopped before someone gets dead.
What the hell? Who is chanting that? I'll assume that that's some sort of paranoid fantasy on Ace's part and not an actual quote (You see, quote marks are supposed to be....fuck it.) But anyway, Tom Delay and John Cornyn making oblique death threats to judges? That's fine with Ace. Fox News playing Beethoven's Ninth while running footage of the US raining bombs on Iraq? I'll assume that's fine with Ace as well. But a cartoon somewhere in New York City!!!!! Call the FBI.
What a jackass.
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/075768.php
A new baseball season! And to go with that, my running commentary of the Yankees-Boston opener.
7:02 – Okay, I’m already sick of the crowd shots at Yankee Stadium. Hey look! There’s Billy Crystal! There’s a guy with his face painted with the Yankee logo and colors! Yankee fans - Shut The hell up. Let’s watch the goddamn game.
7:04: And here they are, folks. The most boring duo in sports, Jon Miller and Joe Morgan. Joe Morgan looks like he’s lost five pounds in his face. There’s a reason these two clowns call the Sunday night game. They put you to sleep.
7:11 And this first pitch is…wait they’re showing the crowd again. Look at all the flashbulbs! Wait, is there a game going on? Damn it! Keep the camera on the field.
7:12 Johnny Damon, you’re not going to going to bunt the 1-2 pitch from Randy Johnson. Pay attention! Seriously, Damon is the most overrated player in the American League behind Derek Jeter
7:14 Edgar Renteria strikes out looking. Looking bewildered actually. Look alive, Edgar.
7:15 Strike three to Manny Ramirez. Okay, that pitch was nasty. Johnson’s on today.
7:16 Jamey throws the remote to Pat, managing to toss it directly into Pat’s Qdoba bag. Pat is indifferent and goes back to his burrito He mentions that Hot Shot’s in Fenton should run a disclaimer in its ad to let people know it's not really a strip club.
7:19 David Wells is fat. Holy shit, is he fat!
7:19 Give that hit back, Jeter. Seriously. That’s bad luck to start a season with such an ugly hit like that.
7:22 Shot of Kevin Millar holding the runner at first. Haircut, man. And a shower.
7:24 Shot of Giambi in the dugout. Pat: “How come Giambi always looks like he got out of the shower?” Good question.
7:29 Ortiz smacks the ball down the line. Watch Ortiz do the Ortiz hustle down the line! Watch him slide! Man I love that guy.
7:31 Holy shit! Hideki Matsui leaps above the wall in left and robs Millar of a home run. Jamey: “Matsui smiled! That’s the first time he’s every smiled!”
7:34 Randy Johnson should retire. Jay Payton just got a hit to drive in the first run. Jay freaking Payton.
7:38 Another dirty Red Sox. Uh…another Red Sock. (?) Rule of thumb: When your hairstyle makes Randy Johnson’s mullet look respectable, it’s time to visit the barber. Mark Bellhorn, I’m looking at you.
7:40 Crowd shot: Hey it’s Donald Trump….and right next to him is Regis..and right next to him is…Bill…O’Reilly…? What. The. Fuck. Pat: “You couldn’t pay me to sit with those guys.” Second that.
7:44 Giambi gets a polite roar from the crowd. See how long that lasts if he hits .220 this year.
7:45 Brain Cashman looks like a beaten prisoner.
7:53 Damon safe at first. Way to cover first base guys! I’ve seen people in wheelchairs run faster than that.
7:54 Renteria hits into a double play. Good start, man.
7:59 Brian Cashman interview. He gets stumped on a steroids question re: ten days or ten games for a positive test. Cashman: “Uhhhhhh……..I….uhh……” Brian! Who gave you that black eye, Brian. “He loves me. Uh…..”
8:07 Is Renteria drunk? Bend down and pick up that ball! Wait, and now they’re calling that a base hit? What is that like a courtesy to guys new to the AL? First ball you duff we’ll let slide?
8:13 Wells balks home a run. Pull him now.
8:14 And Wells gets out of it. Lucky.
8:42 Giambi stretches out and ends up sprawled in the dirt but somehow manages to hold onto Jeter’s wide throw. Hell of a play.
8:43 Oh. Godzilla may be the coolest name in baseball. Maybe.
8:47 How many times is Wells going to hit Giambi tonight?
9:06 Now pitching…number 59…Blaine Neal. Who the fuck is Blaine Neal?
9:10 The Red Sox are living proof that defense in baseball is overrated. Johnny Damon just let a base hit bounce away not once, but twice. Of course, Manny is no where near the play to back up. Conclusion? Anytime you hear somebody praise a ball player’s “solid defensive skills,” that translates to, “Can’t hit worth a damn.”
9:11 A-Rod tags from second to third on a ball hit to Manny Ramirez, the left fielder. How often do you see a guy tag from second to third on the left fielder? Almost never on someone not named Manny Ramirez.
9:12 Well, see ya later Blaine Neal. Not that your defense helped you out much.
9:16 Shot of A-Rod in the dugout. He looks like he’s got a bad, fake tan. Too orange.
9:21 ESPN brings us an update of the women’s NCAA final four. Thanks for the update guys. Which sport is that again? Pat: “I have that in my bracket.”
9:26 Tino! I know he’s overrated, but I’ve always liked Tino.
9:30 And that’s why Tino is on the team. Diving plays like that. Awesome.
9:31 New feature on Sunday night baseball. “Sunday Night Sound Check” This week: Fat Joe! There’s Mr. Joe, trying to talk about how much he loves baseball. I think that’s what he’s saying. What the hell is going on here?
9:41 Renteria throws the ball away, Womack safe at first. Feels weird typing that since both those guys played here last year. Renteria’s got to be nervous. This has been a shitty game for him.
9:56 Morgan and Miller are debating the A-Rod/Arroyo slap last year during the playoffs. I think it was bushleague, Pat disagrees and says why not try it. Joe Morgan agrees with Pat, saying A-Rod’s slap at the ball was worth a try. Pat: “I change my position.”
10:01 I’m zoning out in this game. Miller on Matsui robbing Millar of a homerun: “In basketball that would have been goaltending.” Pat: “Nice, Jon Miller. Mixed Sports metaphors. (imitating Miller) ‘In football, that would have been an interception.’”
10:04 Godzilla goes deep. 3 hits for him. Jon Miller: “Sayonara!” Pat: “Goddamnit.”
10:06 And the crowd goes wild for Tino. They’re standing and chanting his name. “Let’s Go Tino!” Tino wants to hit this ball 800 feet. He settles for the walk. That takes a lot of discipline in that situation.
10:08 Pan camera to Paul O’Neil in the YES broadcast booth. O’Neil’s expression says, “I still hate all of you.”
10:10: Jon Miller: “The high cheese. That’s like the high heat. Or throwing gas. The high gas.” Joe Morgan: “Or like the low gas.” Pat: “I’m going home.”
10:17 Bases loaded and Jeter hits a dribbler back to the pitcher, Halama. And it goes Right through Halama’s legs. This is what happens kids when you, as a collective team, use spring training to go on a thirty day bender.
10:23 Michelle sends me a message: “I think they're (Red Sox) just not used to being on the winning end of things.” Me: “I think they're just not used to the sober end of things.”
10:23 (still): The lameness of my joke embarrasses me. I apologize to myself.
10:27 Tom Gordon comes in and promptly gives up a run. Meaningless to the outcome of the game, but enough to disturb my fantasy stats. Thanks, Flash.
10:31 Gordon strikes out the last batter to end this nightmare of a game.
Summary: Turns out I still dislike or hate the following things: The New York Yankees, The Boston Red Sox, Jon Miller, Joe Morgan, Yankees fans, baseball’s drama queen antics. Things I still love: baseball.