Missouri Governor Accuses Obama of Conspiring to Violate Civil Rights
by Bill Levinson
Please copy, paste, and circulate this press release from the Governor of Missouri.
Note the Web domain of the press release, governor.mo.gov. This is not “someone’s blog,” a “rumor,” or a “smear.” It is the official Web site of Missouri’s state government. The Governor of Missouri says openly that Barack Obama conspired to misuse his state’s law enforcement resources to “threaten and intimidate his critics.”
We cannot overemphasize the gravity of Governor Blunt’s accusation. While we are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice, “Conspiracy against rights” is a felony under the U.S. Code, Title 18 (Crimes). At present, Governor Blunt’s allegation is exactly that, and Barack Obama, like everybody else, is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. On the other hand, the court of public opinion is entitled to render a verdict before Election Day, and the following accusation needs to be either disproven or confirmed to the public’s satisfaction. We therefore encourage our readers to circulate Governor Blunt’s press release, which appears below, as widely as possible.
Please copy, paste, and circulate the following press release from the Governor of Missouri.
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Gov. Blunt Statement on Obama Campaign’s Abusive Use of Missouri Law Enforcement
Gov. Blunt Statement on Obama Campaign’s Abusive Use of Missouri Law Enforcement
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt today issued the following statement on news reports that have exposed plans by U.S. Senator Barack Obama to use Missouri law enforcement to threaten and intimidate his critics.
“St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer, and Obama and the leader of his Missouri campaign Senator Claire McCaskill have attached the stench of police state tactics to the Obama-Biden campaign.
“What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment.
“This abuse of the law for intimidation insults the most sacred principles and ideals of Jefferson. I can think of nothing more offensive to Jefferson’s thinking than using the power of the state to deprive Americans of their civil rights. The only conceivable purpose of Messrs. McCulloch, Obama and the others is to frighten people away from expressing themselves, to chill free and open debate, to suppress support and donations to conservative organizations targeted by this anti-civil rights, to strangle criticism of Mr. Obama, to suppress ads about his support of higher taxes, and to choke out criticism on television, radio, the Internet, blogs, e-mail and daily conversation about the election.
“Barack Obama needs to grow up. Leftist blogs and others in the press constantly say false things about me and my family. Usually, we ignore false and scurrilous accusations because the purveyors have no credibility. When necessary, we refute them. Enlisting Missouri law enforcement to intimidate people and kill free debate is reminiscent of the Sedition Acts - not a free society.”
If this allegation is true, Barack Obama needs to do more than grow up. Governor Blunt said explicitly that “I can think of nothing more offensive to Jefferson’s thinking than using the power of the state to deprive Americans of their civil rights.” The U.S. Code (Title 18, Crimes) has a specific name for this.
- TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 13 > § 241
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§ 241. Conspiracy against rights
If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or
If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—
They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
The “going in disguise on the highway” part probably refers to two or more night riders in sheets and hoods threatening Black people–the same constituency whom the Anointed One claims to represent–with repercussions for voting, exercising their right to free speech, and so on. In fact, a related section of the U.S. Code is known as the Ku Klux Klan Act for this exact reason.
In addition,
- TITLE 42 > CHAPTER 21 > SUBCHAPTER I > § 1985
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§ 1985. Conspiracy to interfere with civil rights
(3) Depriving persons of rights or privileges
If two or more persons in any State or Territory conspire or go in disguise on the highway or on the premises of another, for the purpose of depriving, either directly or indirectly, any person or class of persons of the equal protection of the laws, or of equal privileges and immunities under the laws; or for the purpose of preventing or hindering the constituted authorities of any State or Territory from giving or securing to all persons within such State or Territory the equal protection of the laws; or if two or more persons conspire to prevent by force, intimidation, or threat, any citizen who is lawfully entitled to vote, from giving his support or advocacy in a legal manner, toward or in favor of the election of any lawfully qualified person as an elector for President or Vice President, or as a Member of Congress of the United States; or to injure any citizen in person or property on account of such support or advocacy; in any case of conspiracy set forth in this section, if one or more persons engaged therein do, or cause to be done, any act in furtherance of the object of such conspiracy, whereby another is injured in his person or property, or deprived of having and exercising any right or privilege of a citizen of the United States, the party so injured or deprived may have an action for the recovery of damages occasioned by such injury or deprivation, against any one or more of the conspirators.
Governor Blunt’s press release uses the specific words “using the power of the state to deprive Americans of their civil rights,” “intimidation,” and “silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment.” We would like any attorneys who read this to weigh in on whether, assuming that Governor Blunt’s allegations are proven, this constitutes a violation of the U.S. Code as shown above.
Meanwhile, if these allegations are indeed true, then Barack Obama’s campaign can be compared legitimately to the Ku Klux Klan.
The link.
I wonder what the Obama campaign has to say about this “truth squad”. (While I would like for Obama to publicly support this, I doubt he is that inept.)
Comment by Michael Ejercito — September 28, 2008 @ 11:09 am
Perhaps hussein obama has received pointers from his cousin Odinga in Kenya on how to intimidate the opposition in his quest for power. Obama is nothing but a third world style thug who intends to gain power by force if necessary. If he can do this as a candidate, imagine what we are in for should he become president. Expect the constitution to be figuratively torn up, thrown in the trash and America would become a banana republic.
Comment by Laura — September 28, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
We know he did that in regards to the letters his campaign sent to those TV and radio stations about the ads the NRA intended to run.
On this “truth squad” matter, I have yet to see evidence that Obama asked public officials to use their offices to support his campaign.
Nevertheless, those public officials in the “truth squad” should avoid even the appearance of such a thing.
Comment by Michael Ejercito — September 28, 2008 @ 12:59 pm
Bill Levinson: Do we need another high roller who would gamble on the future of the west.We have had one gambler too many.
New York Times For McCain and Team, a Host of Ties to Gambling
By JO BECKER and DON VAN NATTA Jr.
Published: September 27, 2008
Senator John McCain was on a roll. In a room reserved for high-stakes gamblers at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, he tossed $100 chips around a hot craps table. When the marathon session ended around 2:30 a.m., the Arizona senator and his entourage emerged with thousands of dollars in winnings.
Mr. McCain supported tax breaks for casinos over the years, including one that helped Foxwoods in Connecticut. He has also gambled there.
A lifelong gambler, Mr. McCain takes risks, both on and off the craps table. He was throwing dice that night not long after his failed 2000 presidential bid, in which he was skewered by the Republican Party’s evangelical base, opponents of gambling. Mr. McCain was betting at a casino he oversaw as a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and he was doing so with the lobbyist who represents that casino, according to three associates of Mr. McCain.
The visit had been arranged by the lobbyist, Scott Reed, who works for the Mashantucket Pequot, a tribe that has contributed heavily to Mr. McCain’s campaigns and built Foxwoods into the world’s second-largest casino. Joining them was Rick Davis, Mr. McCain’s current campaign manager. Their night of good fortune epitomized not just Mr. McCain’s affection for gambling, but also the close relationship he has built with the gambling industry and its lobbyists during his 25-year career in Congress.
As a two-time chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, Mr. McCain has done more than any other member of Congress to shape the laws governing America’s casinos, helping to transform the once-sleepy Indian gambling business into a $26-billion-a-year behemoth with 423 casinos across the country. He has won praise as a champion of economic development and self-governance on reservations.
“One of the founding fathers of Indian gaming” is what Steven Light, a University of North Dakota professor and a leading Indian gambling expert, called Mr. McCain.
As factions of the ferociously competitive gambling industry have vied for an edge, they have found it advantageous to cultivate a relationship with Mr. McCain or hire someone who has one, according to an examination based on more than 70 interviews and thousands of pages of documents.
Mr. McCain portrays himself as a Washington maverick unswayed by special interests, referring recently to lobbyists as “birds of prey.” Yet in his current campaign, more than 40 fund-raisers and top advisers have lobbied or worked for an array of gambling interests — including tribal and Las Vegas casinos, lottery companies and online poker purveyors.
Comment by h peskin — September 28, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
Very Important link regarding the Presidential campaign.
http://www.mccainslobbyists.com/
Comment by h peskin — September 28, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
Here we are, discussing something as serious as suppression of the 1st Ammendment, and along comes Peskin and says “Oh, look over there!”
Comment by Shy Guy — September 28, 2008 @ 1:21 pm
Can you really blame him?
Comment by Michael Ejercito — September 28, 2008 @ 10:35 pm
UPDATE:
Comment by Michael Ejercito — September 28, 2008 @ 10:49 pm
All right, Plouffie, hold me accountable–oh wait, you don’t dare confront me because I am telling the TRUTH.
Comment by Bill Levinson — September 29, 2008 @ 12:11 am
An update .
Blunt said it appears two St. Louis County prosecutors have backed away from earlier statements by a KMOV television reporter that they would respond to any potential violations of Missouri ethics laws.
“I think in a lot of ways they have reversed course and I’m pleased with that,” Blunt said.
Comment by Michael Ejercito — September 29, 2008 @ 12:27 pm
Did you hear about how the Obama campaign tried to shut down the NRA ads?
PLEASE REPOST
Just recently, the NRA made ads illuminating Senator Barack Obama’s position of handgun policy.
The Obama campaign responded by writing a threatening letter to station warning them not to air the ads .
The campaign stated in its letter that because they do not need to air this advertisement, the stations “bear responsibility for its content when you do grant access.” They claim that the ads constitute false, deceptive, and misleading advertising, and that failure to prevent the airing of “false and misleading advertising” may be probative of an “underlying abdication of licensee responsibility.
”
First and foremost, political ads are protected by the First Amendment. There is no basis for a government agency to take down the ads, contrary to what the Obama campaign claimed.
Second of all, this is not the first time the Obama campaign tried such a stunt. When the American Issues Project ran ads linking Obama with William Ayers, the campaign filed a complaint with the Justice Department.
And third of all, the Obama campaign is all too familiar with false, deceptive, and misleading advertising.
They cite FactCheck. org to show the NRA’s ads are misleading and deceptive, and yet FactCheck. org exposed false, misleading, and deceptive advertising from the Obama campaign.
( Link , Link , Link , and Link )
Someone who puts out false, misleading, and deceptive advertising should not ask stations to refuse to air false, misleading, or deceptive advertising.
Comment by Michael Ejercito — October 5, 2008 @ 11:03 am