OMAROSA TWO-FACED SNITCH vs APRIL RYAN & TRUMP (TALE OF TWO BLACK WOMEN)

OMAROSA TWO-FACED SNITCH vs APRIL RYAN & TRUMP (TALE OF TWO BLACK WOMEN):

OMAROSA IS NOT A VICTIM & COMMITTED A CRIME; LAWYER UP.

SECRETLY RECORDING WHITE HOUSE CONVERSATIONS IS A NATIONAL SECURITY CRIME.

OMAROSA USED TRUMP & BLACK JOURNALISTS LIKE APRIL RYAN UNTIL NEITHER OF THEM NO LONGER MATTERED TO HER.

THE MEDIA SHOULD NOT HAIL OMAROSA AS A SHERO.

CLEARLY OMAROSA DOES NOT UNDERSTAND DEFINITION OF THE WORD "LOYALTY".


Post Sources: Washington Examiner, NY Times, Washington Beacon, CNN, Youtube


******* April Ryan warns Omarosa not to name-check her: 'Your lies and crazy behavior are catching up to you'


Omarosa Manigault Newman and April Ryan traded barbs Sunday after the former reality TV star said the White House exploited American Urban Radio Networks' Washington bureau chief by leaking a colorful, unflattering story about her departure from the Trump administration.

"Don’t reference me or use my name. Keep my name out of your mouth," Ryan wrote on Twitter. "You have done enough. Your lies and crazy behavior are catching up to you. Can you say National Security breach? Lawyer up!"

Ryan's comments follow Manigault Newman's explosive interview Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," which aired a tape the former star of "The Apprentice" recorded in the Situation Room of White House chief of staff John Kelly talking to her about "leaving" her role in the Trump administration. The tape has raised concerns that Manigault Newman breached national security protocol by taking a recording device into what is supposed to be among the most secure parts of the presidential complex.

"He knew that John Kelly was going to take me into the Situation Room, and lock me in there, threaten me, and say that things were going to get ugly for me, and there would be damage to me reputation," Manigault Newman said Sunday, referring to President Trump. "And you know what, the next day there was damage to my reputation because they then put out a story using and exploiting an African-American reporter to say that I was running around the residence and trying to break into a Christmas party, which is ludicrous."

Ryan additionally slammed Manigault Newman as "evil" during a Sunday appearance on CNN's "Reliable Sources."

"She was complicit, but she was doing all this knowing that there was going to be a payoff in the end for her, and then once she got upset with him or he got upset with her or whatever happened, she decides to turn on him," Ryan said of Manigault Newman's initial support of Trump, despite now calling him "a racist, a bigot and a misogynist.” "She’s not a friend, she’s a liar, and I would say she’s evil," Ryan added.

Manigault Newman is promoting her book, "Unhinged," which is set to be released Aug. 14. Ryan also has a memoir coming out. Ryan's "Under Fire" will be widely available from Sept. 1.

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***** April Ryan Calls Omarosa ‘Evil’ and a ‘Liar’


April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks and a CNN contributor, called former Trump administration aide Omarosa Manigault Newman a "liar" and "evil" on Sunday.

Ryan, a frequent critic of the Trump administration, appeared on CNN's "Reliable Sources" where she told host Brian Stelter about her own dealings with Newman.

The former Trump aide and reality TV contestant said earlier on Sunday that she had provided NBC a recording she made of her firing from the administration. Newman had worked on Trump's campaign and then in the administration for about a year before White House Chief of Staff John Kelly fired her.

She had previously known the president from being on "The Apprentice," the reality TV show hosted by Donald Trump before he was won the 2016 presidential election.

Ryan first explained her current relationship with the former Trump aide.

"I've known Omarosa for years and we are not friends anymore," she said.

The CNN contributor said that while working in the Trump administration, Newman made moves to derail her career and reporting.

"She's not a friend; she's a liar and I would say she's evil," Ryan said.

"I hope she can respond to that at some point soon, calling her ‘evil,’" Stelter said.

"She will. I'm sure she will," Ryan said.

Newman has been making media appearances to promote her new book, Unhinged.

Ryan is not the only one to criticize Newman recently. Trump himself called her a "lowlife" on Saturday. The president followed up his comments on Monday via tweet, saying "Wacky Omarosa" was "vicious, but not smart" and "People in the White House hated her."

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway's husband, George Conway, a Democrat, also said that claims Trump made racial comments about him were untrue. Pollster Frank Luntz also said Newman's claims he heard Trump make racial slurs were "flat-out false."

DAVID SHULKIN (OBAMA HOLDOVER) REPLACED BY TRUMP TO PRIVATIZE VET HEALTH CARE

DAVID SHULKIN (OBAMA HOLDOVER) REPLACED BY TRUMP TO PRIVATIZE VET HEALTH CARE:

VA HOSPITALS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN GIANT HOSPICE FACILITIES.

VA HOSPITALS EXPERIMENT ON VETS & ACTIVE DUTY TROOPS TO PROCURE FEDERAL DOLLARS.

VA HOSPITALS FOCUS ON SLOWLY KILLING VETS NOT HELPING THEM LIVE.

I AGREE VETS & ACTIVE DUTY TROOPS SHOULD RECEIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT FROM PRIVATE DOCTORS OR ON MILITARY BASES.

ALLOWING VETS TO RECEIVE PRIVATE MEDICAL CARE WILL SAVE MONEY AND HUMAN LIVES.

ALL VA HOSPITALS SHOULD GRADUALLY BE SHUT DOWN UNTIL VETS & TROOPS ARE REASSIGNED TO PRIVATE CARE.

REPLACING SHULKIN WAS A WISE MOVE BY TRUMP TO HELP MEN & WOMEN WHO DEFENDED OUR NATION.


Sources: ABC News, NBC News, Fox News, TIME, Youtube


**** Trump replaces embattled Veterans Affairs secretary with White House physician


President Donald Trump ousted Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin Wednesday, announcing his intent to nominate the White House physician, Admiral Ronny Jackson, in Shulkin's place and ending weeks of speculation about when the embattled cabinet official would leave the administration.

Trump tweeted a confirmation of the news, which was first reported by Reuters.

Jackson has been a White House physician to both presidents Trump and Barack Obama. Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Robert Wilkie will serve as interim secretary until Jackson is confirmed by the Senate, Trump said in a follow-up tweet.

Shulkin's departure comes amid a spate of other high level departures from Trump’s administration — including his secretary of state, his national security adviser, top economic adviser, and communications director.

Shulkin, who served as undersecretary in charge of the veterans’ health system during the Obama administration, clashed with Trump political appointees who surrounded him at the VA. Some of the tension arose from a central policy dispute: The Trump appointees, both within the VA and at the White House, want to see the VA transition to subsidizing private health care for veterans, while Shulkin resisted those efforts.

But the fight had become increasingly personal, particularly in the wake of an inspector general’s report in February that found taxpayers had picked up the tab for Shulkin’s wife accompanying him on a European business trip.

That provided ammunition to Shulkin’s foes, and, because he didn’t trust the Trump-appointed communications staff around him, he retained his own public-relations counsel.

Shulkin’s camp came to believe that Trump political appointees were trying to get him fired, according to reports. He sought White House permission to dismiss them, telling the New York Times earlier this month that he had secured that authority from Trump and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.

Jackson, for his part, stepped into the media spotlight earlier this year when he briefed the press on the results of Trump’s yearly physical examination. At the time, he deemed Trump "very sharp" mentally and in “excellent” overall health — but did recommend a better diet and more exercise for the commander-in-chief.

In recent weeks, Trump has said that he is "close” to assembling the Cabinet he desires — fueling the Washington rumor mill and increasing speculation about who might be next on the president's chopping block.

Shulkin is just one of several scandal-plagued Cabinet members in Trump's administration.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson are battling their own scandals, regarding high-priced travel and dining room furniture choices, respectively

RAHM EMANUEL FIRES CHICAGO POLICE CHIEF ONE YEAR LATER; FREDDY GRAY MURDER TRIAL BEGINS

Amid public outrage, one year after being re-elected as Mayor of Chicago, RAHM EMANUEL is finally moving forward with the LAQUAN MCDONALD Murder case.

Why was Laquan's Irresponsible Mother paid $5 Million in HUSH money when her 17-yr old Son was still in Foster Care when he was killed?

FREDDY GRAY'S Murder trial has begun to move forward in BALTIMORE.

Freddy Gray's family was also PAID OFF.

Thus none of the six Cops culpable for Freddy's Murder will spend time in Prison.

Under OBAMA'S Administration, Young BLACK Men & Boys in America are worth Dead than Alive.

We need to PRAY and keep demanding JUSTICE!


~ Analysis: After firing McCarthy, Emanuel faces bigger problem

Now that Rahm Emanuel has gone against his political instincts by firing his larger-than-life police superintendent, the mayor faces an even bigger political dilemma that could define his legacy.

He must find a worthy replacement for Garry McCarthy without making worse racial tensions brought to a boil by the Laquan McDonald shooting video.

The video played around the world of a white Chicago Police officer pumping 16 rounds into the body of the black teenager not only sealed McCarthy’s fate.

It also made the job of filling McCarthy’s shoes that much more difficult.

Hispanic elected officials will almost certainly demand that the permanent job be awarded to First Deputy Police Superintendent John Escalante, who will serve as acting superintendent until a permanent replacement is chosen.

But Escalante is already a political flashpoint. McCarthy’s decision to appoint him to replace retiring First Deputy Al Wysinger, who is African-American, infuriated the City Council’s Black Caucus and triggered demands for McCarthy’s ouster even before the Laquan McDonald video was made public.

Hispanics may also lobby behind the scenes for Hiram Grau, the former Chicago deputy superintendent and former state police director who was chosen by Emanuel to recommend police reforms as part of a five-member Task Force on Police Accountability.

Having succeeded in forcing Emanuel’s hand, black elected officials are equally certain to demand that McCarthy’s replacement be an African-American to restore public confidence between citizens and police in the black community so shaken by the department’s handling of the McDonald shooting.

Several aldermen are openly lobbying for Wysinger’s return, even though he is best remembered for being the statue who stood motionless behind McCarthy at news conferences.

“I believe in my heart that Al Wysinger will be a great choice to lead the department. Al has the respect of the community as well as the entire police department,” said Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), former chairman of the City Council’s Police Committee.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who lobbied hard for McCarthy’s ouster, said the new superintendent need not necessarily be black. But it must be someone willing to make the “structural changes” necessary “so there’s not an effort to cover up, deny, misplace evidence and perjure when bad things happen.”

“The mayor complains about the code of silence in the black and Hispanic communities that prevent people from coming forward and sharing information. What about the code of silence in the police department that protects bad cops?” Preckwinkle said.

Another strong black candidate is Charles Ramsey, the former deputy police superintendent who went on to lead the police departments in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Ramsey was Emanuel’s first choice in 2011 before pricing himself out of the market by demanding a salary in excess of $400,000.

The case for a black superintendent is strengthened by the fact that the surge in shootings and gang violence under McCarthy’s watch disproportionately impacted the African-American community and left many of those neighborhoods under siege.

They need only point to the execution murder of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee as proof. The boy was lured into an ally by a gang member seeking revenge after his brother was killed in a gang-related shooting.

That initial nationwide search for a new superintendent will be conducted by the Police Board, whose president, Lori Lightfoot, is another member of Emanuel’s Task Force on Police Accountability.

They will narrow the list to 10 candidates then winnow the names to three finalists from which the mayor can choose. Escalante will almost certainly be one of them unless he blows his audition.

On Tuesday, Emanuel was asked whether a new superintendent needs to be an outsider or black.

“I’m not looking for a type. I’m looking for a professional that can lead the department and make sure that they have a robust record of bringing results in public safety,” the mayor said.

“I want to have somebody that will meet the needs of public safety, help obviously in this issue of both changing the culture, putting in place the building blocks to restore the confidence and trust that we want to see in Chicago and have a record in the police department of invigorating . . . not only commitment to professionalism but the type of commitment I want to see to make the changes necessary.”

Lightfoot added, “It needs to be somebody with a track record of positive engagement with the community . . . There’s also a need for terrorism experience and ideas to combat violence and street crime.”

If Emanuel dares to chose a white superintendent, former Englewood District Commander-turned State Police Director Leo Schmitz would be a strong candidate. Schmitz was a star of the CNN documentary series, “Chicagoland.”

Former Mayor Richard M. Daley was a me-first politician who never hesitated to throw people under the bus, including two police superintendents: Phil Cline and Matt Rodriguez.

Emanuel is far more loyal to his people. It goes against his grain to create political scapegoats.

But the steady drumbeat for McCarthy’s ouster got too loud to ignore, particularly for a mayor who had promised during his second term to listen more to African-American voters, who were alienated by his record 50 school closings.

The Chicago Sun-Times may well have put the final nail in McCarthy’s coffin with a front-page editorial demanding his ouster.

“I have a lot of loyalty to what he’s done and him. But . . . no one person trumps my commitment and my responsibility to the city of Chicago and its future,” the mayor said.

Pressed to explain what his only police superintendent had done wrong, he said: “I have a lot of confidence in the work and results that he’s done. But our goal . . . is to build the trust and confidence of the public. And at this point and this juncture for the city, given what we’re working on, he has become an issue, rather than dealing with the issue, and a distraction.”

Emanuel has been under fire for keeping the McDonald video under wraps until after the April 7 mayoral runoff and waiting until one week after the election to settle the case for $5 million even before the McDonald family had filed a lawsuit. The video was released only after a judge’s order.

On Tuesday, the mayor was asked what responsibility he bears for the crisis of confidence that has, once again, undermined the trust between citizens and police in the black community so essential to solving crime.

“I take responsibility and none of us are above it . . . I have taken certain steps prior to this day. I’m taking steps today. As I told you, this is a work in progress in finding a solution [to police accountability]. It’s not the end of the problem. It’s the beginning of a solution towards the problem,” the mayor said.

Emanuel was asked about demands for his own resignation. He kept his cool and simply said a sarcastic, “Thank you.”

On Black Friday, the same day protesters infuriated by the McDonald video shut down Michigan Avenue, McCarthy insisted that the mayor “has my back.”

Instead, he got a political knife in the back delivered Tuesday morning after a series of conversations with his boss over the last few days.

The Emanuel-McCarthy dialogue started with the superintendent defending himself and making the case to finish the job he came to Chicago to do and ended with a realization that his tenure as superintendent, second only to Terry Hillard’s, had come to an end.

“After repeated meetings with community and faith leaders and conversations with elected officials, the mayor realized community support for the superintendent had gotten so low, he could no longer be effective in his job. It was an evolution of conversations that got him to that point,” said a mayoral confidante, who asked to remain anonymous.


~ First of Six Trials in Freddie Gray Death Begins With Protests

Demonstrations tied to the April police custody death of Freddie Gray continued on Monday evening, hours after jury selection got underway for the first of six officers slated to stand trial in his death.

Carrying signs that read, "Black Lives Matter," and chanting "No justice no peace! No killer police!" several dozen protestors marched through downtown Baltimore, making stops at City Hall, police department headquarters, and several popular tourist spots, including the city's famed Inner Harbor. No arrests were reported.

The protests followed day one of the jury selection process in the case of William G. Porter, 26, one of six officers indicted. He faces charges that include with manslaughter, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment for his alleged role in Gray's demise.

Sources: Chicago Suntimes, Fox News, NBC News, YouTube

CHRIS CHRISTIE Fires Top Aide BRIDGET ANNE KELLY For Her Direct Involvement In "BRIDGEGATE"

#BRIDGETKELLY


POLITICAL SCANDALS 101: HOW TO FIRE SOMEONE SWIFTLY


When faced with a POLITICAL SCANDAL it is imperative Elected & Appointed Officials Terminate someone.

Especially those Individuals Responsible.

It's a fact that Someone has to be FIRED Swiftly!

Someone has to be the "Fall Guy or Fall Fall Girl"!

If Not.........

Then Constituents will view the SCANDAL as an act of IMPROPRIETY........ CRONYISM........or WEAKNESS.

And if Voters don't TRUST their POLITICIANS all is lost!

Prior to speaking at his "BRIDGEGATE" Press Conference, Gov CHRISTIE Terminated one of his Top Aides BRIDGET ANNE KELLY aka the "Fall Girl".

A "Fall Girl" who was deeply mired in this "BRIDGEGATE" Scandal of her own free will.

STUPID!

ARTICLE: "Gov. Christie apologizes For GWB Scandal/ Fires Bridget Anne Kelly"

Governor Christie has fired Bridget Anne Kelly, the deputy chief of staff who ordered the lane closure at the George Washington Bridge in September as political payback to the Fort Lee mayor who did not endorse the governor for re-election.

Christie also instructed his close advisor Bill Stepien to withdraw from pursuing state GOP chairmanship and his consultancy for the Republican Governor’s Association – the powerful group that Christie is leading in 2014.

At a packed news conference in Trenton where he announced the firing, Christie apologized “for my failure to understand the true nature of this problem sooner than I did.”

At a packed news conference in Trenton where he announced the firing, Christie apologized “for my failure to understand the true nature of this problem sooner than I did.”

He also said he had "no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or execution" and was stunned by the "abject stupidity that was shown." Nevertheless, he said, he was responsible for what happened.

He said it was “completely unacceptable and showed a lack of respect for the appropriate role of government and the people we're are trusted to serve.”

He also said he had "no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or execution" and was stunned by the "abject stupidity that was shown."

Nevertheless, he said, he was responsible for what happened.

He said it was “completely unacceptable and showed a lack of respect for the appropriate role of government and the people we're are trusted to serve.”

The governor said he has instructed his staff to cooperate with the General Assembly investigation, the Port Authority Inspector General Investigation and any law enforcement investigation.

“I have nothing to hide,” Christie said. “We have nothing to hide. My administration has nothing to hide.”

He said he plans to personally interview his staff to root out if others had knowledge of or were involved in the lane closures. He said that if anything else is discovered he will make it public.

Christie said he was "embarrassed and humiliated" by his staff, one day after emails and text messages revealed his administration may have closed highway lanes to exact political retribution.

He added he was firing Kelly, "because she lied to me."

Christie said he is going to Fort Lee later today to apologize to Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich and borough residents.

The mayor has said he does not want to meet with the governor, but Christie is traveling to Fort Lee anyway.

The Record and other media reported Wednesday that Kelly, one of Christie's deputy chiefs of staff, had sent an email to David Wildstein, a Christie appointee at the Port Authority, saying "It's time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."

While many believed the closures were retribution against Sokolich, a Democrat who did not join other members of his party in endorsing Christie, Christie said previously that his staff and campaign had no knowledge of what caused the days-long tragic jam in Fort Lee. He said he believed Bill Baroni, who he appointed as deputy executive director of the transportation agency, who said the traffic jams were caused by a traffic study.

Both Wildstein and Baroni have resigned.

Christie said he was “blindsided” by the news.

Christie said he first learned of the issue after he had finished his workout and was called by communications staff that the story had broken on The Record’s website: NorthJersey.com.

“This is not the tone I set over the last four years in this building,” Christie said.

After the documents revealed Christie's staff and campaign had knowledge of the lane closures and Kelly apparently ordered them, the governor cancelled a planned Superstorm Sandy recovery announcement Wednesday. Six hours later Christie released a statement saying he had been "misled" by a staff member and that "people will be held responsive for their actions."

Christie said he knew nothing about the lane closures until they were eventually reopened four days later.

“I first found out about it after it was over,” he said.

He said he isn’t a micro-manager and gives his subordinates — staff and cabinet — discretion to make decisions. Christie said he didn’t know his campaign was even trying to pursue Sokolich’s endorsement. “I didn’t see this as political retribution because I didn’t see him do anything to us,” Christie said of Sokolich.

Christie said has not spoken to Kelly since the e-mail came out and does not know why she ordered the lane closure. He said he spoke to Port Authority Chairman David Samson on Wednesday and was convinced he did not know about the lane closure scheme.

Christie also apologized for a flip remark he made at a previous news conference that he had arranged the traffic cones himself when asked about the closures.

“I would never have made that joke if I knew the facts that came out yesterday,” Christie.

Christie said Stepien, his campaign manager on his last year’s reelection, was asked to leave his organization at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Kelly was fired at 9 a.m. today, Christie said.

He said Stepien had told him earlier that he had no involvement in the lane closures.

“I lost confidence in his judgment,” Christie said.


Sources: AP, NorthJersey.com

Joe Williams Blackballed By GOP For Negative Remarks About Romney; Politico's Biased, Double-Standard Journalism Policies

Would Politico Have Fired Joe Williams (a BLACK Reporter) for making Negative Remarks about Barack Obama?

NO!!!

If Joe Williams were WHITE and made Negative Comments about Mitt Romney would Politico have Fired him?

NO!!!!

I have witnessed WHITE Politico Reporters on Cable News speaking openly against Mitt Romney, yet I haven't heard where any of those WHITE Reporters were Suspended or Terminated.

Firing a BLACK Journalist for making Negative remarks about a WHITE Presidential Candidate, while refusing to Fire WHITE Journalists for making Negative Remarks about BLACK & WHITE Presidential Candidates?

What example of Journalism Integrity is that Politico???

This further proves Mitt Romney does have an Adversion to People of Color, especially BLACK people and that Media Organizations like Politico often lean more to the Right than they care to admit.

Hence Politico's Biased, Double-Standard Journalism Policies.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Joe Williams: how I became a victim of the ‘right wing noise machine’

As soon as the words escaped my lips, live on national television, I suspected I might have a problem.

I’d used the phrase trying to explain why Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney spent so much time chatting with Fox News, why he’s kept the mainstream press at bay, and why he seemed so awkward and stiff around Minorities.

It didn’t take long for my suspicions to be confirmed.

Within hours, my Blackberry was filled with racist hate mail, my Twitter account had been ravaged, I was on indefinite suspension, and my 28-year career was in jeopardy.

The Right Wing Noise Machine — a small cabal of self-appointed watchdogs on a perpetual hunt for perceived liberal bias — had struck again.

By now, my cautionary tale is familiar: after saying Romney, a Millionaire Businessman, is more comfortable with around people like him was like waving a red cape waving in front of a charging bull — namely, Big Media, an arm of the late Andrew Breitbart’s online empire, and DC Caller, a web site scandal sheet run by Tucker Carlson.

After rummaging through some 3,000 tweets, they cherry-picked ones designed to prove their flimsy case: that I was biased against Romney, a Racist against Whites and a representative of my employer’s slant against Conservatives.

At this point, I have to own my role in the story: I was careless on Twitter, ignored some warning signs, and realized too late that my followers weren’t the only ones watching me.

Life on the business end of a scandal, is mortifying; an old friend told me I’d raced past the blues singer and the rock guitarist to become the lead result in a Joe Williams Google search, for all the wrong reasons.

Yet it’s easy to miss the larger lesson in my cautionary tale — that a tiny group of organizations with internet access, a money pipeline and next to no credibility can coerce powerful, independent news organizations that pride themselves on speaking truth to power.

Rather than inform the public or operate as a legitimate check on the media, pointing out gaps in newsroom diversity or errors in coverage, members of the RWNM only care about their agenda: harassing, undermining, discrediting and embarrassing people who don’t agree with their view of the world.

Breitbart.com, the group that targeted me, is the same outfit behind the case of Shirley Sherrod, the Agriculture Department official who was fired after a video surfaced of her making racially inflammatory remarks — a video that was later shown to be heavily edited and taken out of context.

Another RWNM member: James O’Keefe, the conservative agent provocateur whose ham-fisted, out-of-context “stings” helped take down ACORN, an organization dedicated to registering minority voters, led to the firing of an NPR executive for making disparaging remarks about the Tea Party – and landed him in jail for tampering with the phones in the office of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) while trying to engineer another elaborate, phony set-up.

And Daily Caller, the group that posted embarrassing tweets of mine that had nothing to do with anti-Romney bias, employs Neil Munro, the reporter who harassed President Barack Obama by yelling out irrelevant questions during a White House press conference a few days ago.

Given that dismal track record — and the big “reveal” trumpeted by Breitbart himself, a decades-old video that showed Obama, as a law student, once said some nice things about Harvard Law professor Derrick Bell — it’s surprising that any allegations these groups make are taken seriously, and that major news organizations with solid credentials don’t tell these guys to take a long hike off a short pier.

Yet the specious claims and hollow arguments of the RWNM’s promoters somehow are still heard and accepted by those who have the power to change the dynamic.

Too often, however, they don’t, with results akin to a kid forking over his lunch money whenever the schoolyard bully decides to shake his fist.

Just ask Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC’s Up with Chris Hayes.

For simply questioning whether the word “hero” is overused to desensitize the American public to perpetual war, he got a face full of shrapnel from “outraged” RWNM conservatives who publicly questioned everything from his patriotism to his manhood.

Hayes issued an apology days later, but the Right Wing Message Machine’s phony outrage had done its work, adding more ice to the chilling effect it’s layered on American journalism and critical thought.

Reporters and news organizations have always prided itself on being fearless, independent and intrepid, willing to push back on government and stand up for free speech. Now, in a hyper-kinetic, hyper-partisan age, it seems we’re not even willing to push back on our own critics, which doesn’t bode all that well for my colleagues.

I’d bet my last dollar that I’m not the only journalist in Washington who’s written, said, tweeted or done something that Breitbart.com and company would see as biased. To paraphrase an old adage, they see themselves as hammers, and journalists are the nails.

To my great regret, I wasn’t the first person to stumble into their cross-hairs, and I’m certain I won’t be the last.

Unless journalists and their employers decide to stand up to the bullies, only one question remains: who’s next?





Joe Williams to leave POLITICO

Joe Williams, the POLITICO reporter who was suspended last week for controversial remarks he had made on television and Twitter, will leave his job.

"After some cordial discussions, Joe Williams and I mutually decided that the best step for him is to begin a transition to the next phase of his career," POLITICO Editor-in-Chief John Harris wrote in a memo to staff, sent early Saturday morning. "Joe is an experienced and respected journalist, with keen insights into politics. After nearly 30 years in the business, he has the authority and is ready to give voice to his insights and conclusions in a new setting."

"He’ll be on leave of absence during this transition, and he’s got my gratitude for the contributions he made here, both as reporter and editor. I have told Joe — and it’s a sentiment others who worked closely with him here share — that he’ll have my support as he prepares for what I expect will be a good and prominent next chapter in his career," Harris wrote.

In an MSNBC interview on June 21, Williams suggested that Mitt Romney was only comfortable around white people, prompting the conservative website Breitbart.com to flag a number of negative remarks Williams had made about Romney on Twitter. That night, Harris and Executive Editor Jim VandeHei sent a memo to staff announcing that Williams's remarks "fell short of our standards for fairness and judgment," and that he would be suspended pending review.

In response to this morning's news, Williams wrote: "While I'm disappointed at the circumstances of my departure, I'm grateful to John Harris for giving me an opportunity to work with him at Politico."



Ex-Politico White House correspondent Joe Williams pleaded guilty to assaulting ex-wife

It has been revealed that disgraced political commentator Joe Williams pleaded guilty and was convicted of assaulting his ex-wife, author Amy Alexander on May 24 of this year.

The former Politico White House correspondent who lost his job last month for a racial comment aimed at Mitt Romney received a $200 fine and six months probation.

The probation ends on November 24 this year and comes on top of a year long court order against the controversial reporter that compels him to stay away from his two children's school and to surrender all his firearms.

Williams and his wife divorced on April 7 2008 after approximately 12 years of marriage.

Previous to the court granting the divorce, Alexander had filed for restraining order against Williams on August 2, 2007, that was dismissed after Alexander withdrew the complaint.

Williams refused to comment on the allegations of domestic violence but his ex-wife did make a statement:

'I can't comment on a legal case but will say that I sincerely hope that Joe Williams finds his professional footing and that he also begins to take seriously his responsibilities as the father of our two children.'

The Politico reporter lost his job last month when he said that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was more comfortable around white.

Williams made the controversial comments just over a week ago on MSNBC and was let go by the political website in an announcement made on Saturday morning by the editor, John Harris.

'After some cordial discussions, Joe Williams and I mutually decided that the best step for him is to begin a transition to the next phase of his career,' wrote Harris.

Already suspended from his job for saying that the former Massachusetts governor was 'very comfortable' around 'white folks', Williams had tried to claim that he was the victim of a right-wing smear campaign.

However, as commentators and conservative websites trawled through Williams' Twitter account postings, they discovered other pointed examples of his apparent biased towards Romney.

Upon his initial suspension by Politico, the website claimed that his comments on MSNBC 'fell short of our standards for fairness and judgement'.

Referring to his tweets, he was also cited for 'an unacceptable number' of statements and for not being able to 'cover politics fairly and free of partisan bias.'

'Joe is an experienced and respected journalist, with keen insights into politics,' said the statement from John Harris.

'After nearly 30 years in the business, he has the authority and is ready to give voice to his insights and conclusions in a new setting.'

Williams himself was reported by Politico to have responded, 'While I'm disappointed at the circumstances of my departure, I'm grateful to John Harris for giving me an opportunity to work with him at Politico.'

Before his suspension for making racially-charged statements about Mitt Romney Joe Williams apparently had some other concerns about appropriate race relations in the political sphere.

White House reporter Joe Williams, who worked for Politico since April 2011, tweeted on March 30 of 2012, 'what's most irritating is the overlay of blatant racism. that's the secret sauce in the Politico s***burger'.

The controversy began while speaking as a contributor during Martin Bashir's MSNBC show, Williams, who is African-American said that Romney is more at ease when he makes his frequent appearances on Fox News Channel and implied that race is a consideration.

Saying that Romney 'is very, very comfortable' during his appearances on 'Fox and Friends', Mr Williams went on to comment, 'They're white folks who are very much relaxed in their own company.'

With a history of describing Romney and other Republicans in a controversial manner on his Twitter account, Williams was suspended after a meeting with Politico's founding editors John Harris and Jim VandeHei.

Shortly after the suspension was announced, his Twitter feed became private.

The Daily Caller was able to still view the account somehow, and asked Williams about the 'special sauce' Tweet.

He responded that on March 30 'I was having a bad day,' and then directed any further questions to his attorney.

'Regrettably, an unacceptable number of Joe Williams's public statements on cable and Twitter have called into question his commitment to this responsibility,' the Politico editors said at the time of his suspension.

They have not publicly commented about his allegations of racism at the political news outlet.

'(The MSNBC) appearance came in the context of other remarks on Twitter that, cumulatively, require us to make clear that our standards are serious, and so are the consequences for disregarding them.

'This is true for all POLITICO journalists, including an experienced and well-respected voice like Joe Williams.

'Following discussion of this matter with editors, Joe has been suspended while we review the matter.'

Making frequent references to racial factors during his MSNBC appearances, Mr. Williams stepped over the line it seems with his opinions last week.

'And (Romney's appearances on Fox & Friends are) unscripted. It’s the only time they let Mitt off the leash. But it also points out a larger problem he’s got to solve if he wants to be successful come this fall.

'Romney is very, very comfortable, it seems, with people who are like him.
'That’s one of the reasons why he seems so stiff and awkward in town hall settings, why he can’t relate to people other than that.

'But when he comes on ‘Fox & Friends,’ they’re like him.

'They’re white folks who are very much relaxed in their own company.'

The suspension of Williams follows his continued ridicule of Romney on his Twitter feed.

He has made tweets that allude to Romney being served his food by a butler: 'Jeeves knows my tastes' he wrote when Romney said he has never eaten anything surprising.


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Sources: Daily Mail, MSNBC, NY Mag, Politico, Russia Today, The Grio, The Root, The Young Turks, Twitter, Youtube, Google Maps

Charlotte School Principal Commits Suicide Prior To Being Terminated

Police: Northwest School of the Arts principal killed himself


Huntersville police said Tuesday they believe the principal of Northwest School of the Arts took his own life, days after parents had launched a public effort to protect him from an imminent dismissal from his job.

Barry Bowe, 54, was found dead in the garage area of his Huntersville home on Monday afternoon. Deputy Chief Michael Kee said all indications are that Bowe committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.

News of Bowe's passing stunned students and parents at Northwest, a performing arts magnet school on Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte. Many had rallied behind the principal in recent days when word spread that Bowe was being forced from his job in connection with a December incident in which someone pointed a gun at a student after a dance.

Parents said Bowe faced discipline because of allegations that security was insufficient.

Interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh said there had been "no final determination" about whether Bowe would lose his job over the dance incident. But Hattabaugh said that late last week, Bowe had been told his options included resignation, retirement or "due process."

Bowe told CMS officials that he wanted time to think, Hattabaugh said.

Grief counselors were sent to Northwest on Tuesday, and will remain at the school all week. Students wore black to school in memory of Bowe.

"Dr. Bowe's death will be a profound loss, particularly to the children whom he took under his wing," Ginny Brien, president of the Friends of Northwest School of the Arts wrote online. "I can hear his voice ringing in my ears - 'I love my kids.' "

A native of West Virginia, Bowe arrived at Northwest in 2008; he'd been principal of an arts magnet school in his home state.

Linda Kiser, a former CMS administrator who helped hire Bowe, said his background in arts education and ability to help students with special needs made Bowe stand out among other applicants. Bowe had degrees in music and photography, along with a doctorate in education administration, according to his resume.

'Unbelievably dedicated'

Kiser said Bowe was "unbelievably dedicated" and fought hard for Northwest. She said Bowe wanted to make the school strong academically as well as artistically. She said he worked hard to enroll students who had a talent in the arts. The school serves students in grades six to 12.

Kimberly Helms' daughter started at Northwest before longtime principal Charles LaBorde retired three years ago. Helms said she was worried that no one would be able to replace LaBorde. But she said Bowe had a great impact on the school.

Helms' daughter has some learning disabilities, including having problems with writing. She said Bowe worked with CMS officials to allow her daughter to use an iPad for her coursework. She is doing better this school year.

For his efforts at Northwest, Bowe was honored in October with a Friends of the Arts Award for School Administration from the N.C. Art Education Association.

In recent days, however, word spread among Northwest parents that Bowe's job was in jeopardy. They tried to rally support for Bowe via Facebook and other means Sunday and Monday after word began to spread that Bowe was given the choice to either resign or be fired by the district.

Security issues at dance

Parents said they believed the action stemmed from a Dec. 17 incident at the school, when someone allegedly pointed a gun at a teen outside the school after a dance. Some students said no security personnel oversaw the dance.

CMS normally requires security personnel at such events. The school system has said it was investigating the incident.

Hattabaugh said Bowe was told to follow up with employee relations on Monday. When he did not respond, Hattabaugh sent Bud Cesena, chief of CMS police, to Bowe's home. Cesena contacted Huntersville police.

"I can tell you unequivocally no final determination had been made," Hattabaugh said, calling Bowe's death "very unfortunate, very tragic."

On Tuesday, Hattabaugh appointed Mark Bosco, a former Northwest administrator and teacher who now works in the northeast administrative zone, as interim leader at Northwest.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Google Maps

James Carville To Obama: "Get Tough! Fire People!

What should the White House do? Panic!

People often ask me what advice I would give the White House about various things. Today I was mulling over election results from New York and Nevada while thinking about that very question. What should the White House do now? One word came to mind: Panic.

We are far past sending out talking points. Do not attempt to dumb it down. We cannot stand any more explanations. Have you talked to any Democratic senators lately? I have. It's pretty damn clear they are not happy campers.

This is what I would say to President Barack Obama: The time has come to demand a plan of action that requires a complete change from the direction you are headed.

I don't know how else to break this down. Simply put:

1.) Fire somebody. No -- fire a lot of people. This may be news to you but this is not going well. For precedent, see Russian Army 64th division at Stalingrad. There were enough deaths at Stalingrad to make the entire tea party collectively orgasm.

Mr. President, your hinge of fate must turn. Bill Clinton fired many people in 1994 and took a lot of heat for it. Reagan fired most of his campaign staff in 1980. Republicans historically fired their own speaker, Newt Gingrich. Bush fired Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. For God's sake, why are we still looking at the same political and economic advisers that got us into this mess? It's not working.

Furthermore, it's not going to work with the same team, the same strategy and the same excuses. I know economic analysts are smart -- some work 17-hour days. It's time to show them the exit. Wake up -- show us you are doing something.

2.) Indict people. There are certain people in American finance who haven't been held responsible for utterly ruining the economic fabric of our country. Demand from the attorney general a clear status of the state of investigation concerning these extraordinary injustices imposed upon the American people. I know Attorney General Eric Holder is a close friend of yours, but if his explanations aren't good, fire him too. Demand answers to why no one has been indicted.

Mr. President, people are livid. Tell people that you, too, are angry and sickened by the irresponsible actions on Wall Street that caused so much suffering. Do not accept excuses. Demand action now.

3.) Make a case like a Democrat. While we are going along with the Republican austerity garbage, who is making the case against it? It's not the Democrats!

We are allowing the over-educated, over-explanatory bureaucrat by the name of (Congresssional Budget Office director Douglas) Elmendorf do all the talking. Do not let him make your case. Let us make your case. Is it any wonder that we were doing better in the middle of the stimulus-spending period than we are doing with the austerity program?

4.) Hold fast to an explanation. Stick to your rationale for what has happened and what is going to happen under your leadership. You must carry this through until the election (never say that things are improving because evidently they are not).

As I watch the Republican debates, I realize that we are on the brink of a crazy person running our nation. I sit in front of the television and shudder at the thought of one of these creationism-loving, global-warming-denying, immigration-bashing, Social-Security-cutting, clean-air-hating, mortality-fascinated, Wall-Street-protecting Republicans running my country.

The course we are on is not working. The hour is late, and the need is great. Fire. Indict. Fight.

Sources: CNN, Politico, Youtube

BOFA Fires Employees Who Refuse To Rip-Off Customers! (Videos)

Jackie Ramos, Bank Of America Employee, Fired After Helping Customers


Bank of America fired Jackie Ramos after she took a stand against the bank's $15 "convenience" charges and $39 over-the-limit fees so she could sleep better at night.

"There was something inherently evil about my job," the 23-year-old said in a YouTube video she uploaded on Nov. 27, two days after her termination.

Ramos, of Fairburn, Ga., worked as a "customer advocate," which involved calling people who fall behind on credit card payments and either encouraging them to pay or modifying their accounts. But not all customers qualify for modification programs that will help them, and Ramos grew tired of saying no after six months on the job.

"So I stopped denying people," said Ramos. "I helped people get on programs that they didn't necessarily qualify for but who definitely needed the help."

Bank of America declined to comment on Ramos's video but confirmed her account of the firing.

"Ms. Ramos clearly violated some bank policies, particularly around misrepresenting customer information," said spokesman Tony Allen. "Perhaps more egregious, she encouraged customers to misrepresent their information."

Allen said that as of Oct. 31, Bank of America has modified over one million customer accounts totaling $10 billion in outstanding debt by lowering interest rates or modifying monthly payments. He said the bank expects to modify between 1.2 and 1.5 million consumer and small business credit card accounts in all of 2009.

In an interview with HuffPost, Ramos emphasized that she did not make the video out of any bitterness toward Bank of America, and she said that she does not consider her former employer any worse than other credit card companies -- she's angry about the whole system.

"I feel like there's a real credit problem in this country," she said. "Too many people are complacent... Slavery was also legal at one point in time. It was the law. Now we have 30 percent interest rates, $39 late fees and over-limit fees. I want the laws changed. I want the federal government to protect its people and do what it's supposed to do."

YouTube has been an effective venue for bank customers outraged that an industry kept afloat with taxpayer dollars is raising fees, interest rates and minimum monthly payments. Ann Minch of Red Bluff, Calif. won a reduced interest rate after she declared a "debtors' revolt" in September. Her video spawned imitators such as former Bank of America employee Ben Frasier of Douglas, Ore., who said "Bank of America will stop at nothing to turn an insane profit at your expense."

Personal finance guru Suze Orman hailed the "debtors' revolt" and said banks should take notice.

In her video, Ramos said she'd never forget one customer in particular -- a 24-year-old mother with cancer who'd recently lost her mom and husband but still wanted to pay off a $6,000 debt. The woman didn't qualify for any program that would help her.

"She sobbed on the phone telling me she couldn't afford the 30 percent interest... that we had her account on. She couldn't afford the $39 late fee, the $39 over-limit fee. She told me that we were her first credit card when she turned 18, we were her only credit card, and that she was a loyal customer. And given the time to be on this earth a little while longer she would have always remained a loyal customer.

"According to Bank of America, she doesn't have enough income to be put on a program, but she can however keep paying the high interest rates on the account, and fees, because at the end of the day, it is her account, she did rack up the debt, she was late, and she did deserve the 29.99 percent interest rate."

Ramos lives with her fiance and two-year-old son in Fairburn, Ga.






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Sources: BOFA, Huffington Post, Youtube, Google Maps

McChrsytal Fired? I Say No! Needed For Afghan War

Should The "Runaway General" Be Fired?


President Obama summoned his top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, to Washington on Tuesday after an article in Rolling Stone magazine portrayed the general and his staff as openly contemptuous of some senior members of the Obama administration.

In the article, “The Runaway General,” aides to General McChrystal are quoted making negative comments about Vice President Joe Biden, Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Richard C. Holbrooke, the special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. One of the general’s aides refers to James Jones, the national security adviser and a retired four-star general, as a “clown” who is “stuck in 1985.”

General McChrystal apologized for his remarks, saying the article was “a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened.” In a statement, he said “I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome.”

Should General McChrystal be dismissed for insubordination? Or do his remarks simply reflect a level of dissent that is not unhealthy and might be expected in a changing military culture?




McChrystal’s Fate In Limbo As He Prepares To Meet Pres. Obama


President Obama will confront the fate of his top commander in Afghanistan Wednesday after a firestorm over remarks the general and members of his staff made that were contemptuous of senior administration officials.

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal has prepared a letter of resignation, though President Obama had not made up his mind whether to accept it when they meet Wednesday morning.

“I think it’s clear that the article in which he and his team appeared showed poor judgment,” Mr. Obama said after a cabinet meeting Tuesday. “But I also want to make sure I talk to him directly before I make final judgment.”

In an article in Rolling Stone magazine, General McChrystal and his aides spoke critically of nearly every member of the president’s national security team, saying President Obama appeared “uncomfortable and intimidated” during his first meeting with the general, and dismissing Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. as “Bite Me.”

The firestorm was fueled by increasing doubts — even in the military — that Afghanistan can be won and by crumbling public support for the nine-year war as American casualties rise. And the remarks also laid bare the disarray and enmity in a foreign policy team that is struggling with the war.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, the general’s biggest supporter, released a statement criticizing General McChrystal for “a significant mistake” while Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was described by a senior aide as “deeply disappointed” by the comments.

Whether or not General McChrystal remains at the helm of the Afghan war effort, Mr. Obama will try to use Wednesday’s meeting to urge his fractious Afghanistan staff to pull together, said his press secretary, Robert Gibbs. The president, Mr. Gibbs said, will say that “it is time for everyone involved to put away their petty disagreements, put aside egos and get to the job at hand.”

But that may be easier said than done. At a time when violence in Afghanistan is sharply rising and several central planks of the president’s strategy to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat” the Taliban and Al Qaeda have stalled, many of the president’s top advisers have continued to criticize one another to reporters and international allies alike, usually in private conversations, and almost always off the record.

“Yes, we do hear them disparage each other,” said a senior European diplomat who works closely with the United States on Afghanistan strategy. “It’s never good to hear that.”

Bruce O. Riedel, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution who helped the administration formulate its initial Afghan policy, added, “This flap shows once again that his team is not pulling together, but is engaging in backbiting.”

The many Afghanistan team conflicts include complaints from the American ambassador, Karl W. Eikenberry, about Richard C. Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, who has been portrayed by some as disruptive and whose relationship with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan chilled last year after difficult meetings following the August election. For his part, Ambassador Eikenberry has had his own tensions with the mercurial Mr. Karzai.

In one episode that dramatized the building animosities, Gen. James L. Jones, the national security adviser, wrote to Ambassador Eikenberry in February, sympathizing with his complaints about a visit Mr. Holbrooke had recently made to Afghanistan. In the note, which went out over unsecure channels, officials said, General Jones soothed the ambassador by suggesting that Mr. Holbrooke would soon be removed from his job.

The Jones note prompted Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to complain to Mr. Obama, and her support for Mr. Holbrooke has kept him in his job. In the article, which was posted on the magazine’s Web site on Tuesday, one of General McChrystal’s aides is quoted as referring to General Jones as a “clown.”

The infighting has been made more severe by the increasingly perilous situation on the ground. Violence in Afghanistan is on the rise. The mission to pacify Marja and Kandahar is far off track. And the effort to create a viable Afghan government is increasingly in doubt because of widespread corruption. Criticism is mounting on Capitol Hill, even among the president’s backers, and many allies have announced that they are looking for the exit, with others expected to do the same in the coming months.

As the administration struggles to manage its relationship with Mr. Karzai, General McChrystal has proved to be the one American official most able to successfully deal with him on a daily basis. Beyond that, Mr. Obama’s war strategy is in many ways a McChrystal strategy. The general devised the plan, which called for thousands of extra troops to fight the insurgency and, perhaps more important, create a sense of security for the Afghan people.

There has been vigorous debate within the administration about how to proceed in Afghanistan, but General McChrystal and his aides did not overtly criticize administration policy.

Rather, the differences were personal, and publicly aired. One administration official described Mr. Obama as being particularly furious at a McChrystal aide’s characterization of him as not seeming “very engaged” during their first White House meeting.

Over all, the magazine article depicted General McChrystal at the head of a small circle of aides engaged in almost locker-room trash talk as they discussed foreign policy, the French, their allegiance to each other and their own concerns about course of the war. The civilian communications adviser who set up the interview, Duncan Boothby, has resigned.

Even though many advisers fear changing commanders at this stage of the war, there was speculation at the Pentagon and the White House about who could replace General McChrystal.

Over all, the magazine article depicted General McChrystal at the head of a small circle of aides engaged in almost locker-room trash talk as they discussed foreign policy, the French, their allegiance to each other and their own concerns about course of the war. The civilian communications adviser who set up the interview, Duncan Boothby, has resigned.

Even though many advisers fear changing commanders at this stage of the war, there was speculation at the Pentagon and the White House about who could replace General McChrystal.

Potential successors were thought to include Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez, commander of the NATO military corps headquarters in Kabul, which manages the day-to-day fight in Afghanistan. General Rodriguez is a confidant of General McChrystal and previously served as a senior military assistant to Mr. Gates. Another possibility is Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, in charge of the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, who has extensive experience in the Islamic world.

Another potential successor is Gen. James N. Mattis of the Marine Corps, currently commander of the military’s Joint Forces Command. General Mattis is a respected war-fighter with experience in counterinsurgency missions. Some have even suggested Gen. David H. Petraeus, who leads the United States Central Command and General McChrystal’s boss and mentor, could take over the Afghan mission himself.

As the president considers his options, he must also face his own struggles with the military. By all accounts, he felt that his commanders tried to manipulate him into going along with their Afghan strategy, through leaks to the press and public comments.

The military leadership, meanwhile, continues to be frustrated by what it sees as an unrealistic deadline for completing the mission. Some have also complained that a president distracted by a health care overhaul, a flagging economy and an oil spill has not been a forceful advocate for rallying the public behind the war.

The author of the Rolling Stone article — Michael Hastings, a freelance journalist — appears to have been granted intimate access to General McChrystal’s inner circle. Most of the comments seem to have been uttered during unguarded moments, in places like bars and restaurants where the general and his aides gathered to unwind.

A McChrystal aide is quoted saying of Mr. Holbrooke: “The Boss says he’s like a wounded animal. Holbrooke keeps hearing rumors that he’s going to be fired, so that makes him dangerous.” On another occasion, General McChrystal is described as reacting with exasperation when he receives an e-mail message from Mr. Holbrooke. “Oh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke. I don’t even want to open it.”

The article also describes a conversation in which General McChrystal and an aide talk about Mr. Biden, who is known to have opposed the decision to escalate the war. “Are you asking about Vice President Biden?” General McChrystal jokes.

“Biden?” suggests a top adviser. “Did you say ‘Bite me?’ ”

Military officers interviewed on Tuesday noted that while the general’s statements could be viewed as inexcusable and disrespectful, he never indicated a decision not to carry out Mr. Obama’s orders or fulfill the president’s strategy.

That distinction may be too subtle in the current phase of poisoned relations between the White House and the military, but it is significant to military officers. For example, when Adm. William J. Fallon, then in charge of the Central Command, was forced into early retirement in March 2008, it was because his statements to Esquire magazine were viewed as directly at odds with White House policy on Iran.

White House officials sought to play down the infighting within the administration’s Afghanistan team, though one senior aide expressed dismay at what he described as “an undisciplined, jocular culture” that called into question whether General McChrystal and his advisers were able to execute an operation “charged with leading 150,000 in a war that is pretty serious.”

Still, said Denis McDonough, the National Security Council chief of staff and one of the president’s closest aides, “the challenge isn’t that we’re all on each other’s holiday card lists.”

“The challenge is to make sure that we’re all advancing the national interest by staying on the offense against Al Qaeda,” he said.



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Sources: CNN, NY Times, Google Maps

Charlotte Schools' Administrators Firing Teachers In Front Of Students (Budget Cuts)

Teacher: CMS Gave Her Lay-off Notice In Front Of Class


A teacher at West Charlotte High School was upset Thursday after she said she received a layoff notice in front of her students.

Tabitha Miller, a Spanish instructor, told NewsChannel 36 she was handed a letter by principal Shelton Jeffries and asked to sign an a document acknowledging her dismissal at the end of the school year.

"I’m not bitter about losing my job," Miller said. "I’m just very upset about the way in which it was done."

Jeffries could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

A spokesperson for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Cynthia Robbins Shah-Khan, said she had no information on how the layoffs were handled at West Charlotte and could not comment.

About 360 instructors in CMS were expected to receive layoff notices Thursday, Robbins Shah-Khan said.

Miller, who has taught in CMS for 3 years, said she mistakenly registered for the wrong class when completing her teaching certification by a June 30 deadline.

She said she anticipates completing the requirements for her license by July 2, but said district representatives were not able to grant a waiver.

"I don’t think they treat us like people who have feelings and families," Miller said.

The layoff notices come as the school district faces up to a $78 million budget shortfall in the next fiscal year. As many as 1,000 employees could be trimmed from the payroll.

Students at West Charlotte High School told NewsChannel 36 they witnessed at least two teachers receive layoff notices in their classroom with students present.

Sophomore Xavier Wilkes said, while he did not witness the delivery of the notices, he was disturbed to learn how Miller and at least one other teacher were informed of their job status.

"I didn’t think it was very professional," said Wilkes. "I thought they could have pulled them to the side or told them after school. They could have done it in another way."







500 CMS Teachers Getting Lay-Off Warnings


About 500 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers will get preliminary layoff notices Wednesday, hours after the school board voted 6-3 to approve a 2010-11 budget that braces for big cuts.

The board voted to ask the county for a $15.5 million boost while planning for a cut of up to $20.7 million. With state cuts, the total could come to $78 million.

The board made only small changes to the $1 billion-plus budget that has been discussed for weeks. They voted 7-2 to eliminate CMS-TV, with about $350,000 going to save about seven teacher jobs.

To avoid forcing three popular magnet schools into later hours, the board instead decided to save $1.3 million by making students pick up the fees for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

Superintendent Peter Gorman and board members say the $332.8 million request, up from this year’s $317.4 million, is what the district needs to hold steady as costs and enrollment rise. They also realize the county doesn’t have that kind of money without making dire cuts to other vital services.

“The county commission’s going to send it back to us. We understand that,” board member Joe White said.

That’s why the plan includes five alternative scenarios eliminating up to $78 million in county and state money, with options that include laying off hundreds of employees. The board had earlier cleared Gorman to cut about 600 teachers, but Chief Operating Officer Hugh Hattabaugh said before Tuesday’s meeting that the numbers “look a little better than we anticipated.”

He said 170 teachers will lose their jobs because of low job ratings and/or lack of proper licenses. Another 20 in that category would have gotten layoff notices but have already resigned, he said.

Also getting preliminary notices are 240 teachers who are working on short-term contracts and 99 whose skills don’t match any available jobs. The 99 could still be placed if jobs open up. Layoffs are not final until a board vote, scheduled for June.

The number of teacher jobs eliminated by retirements has not been tallied, Hattabaugh said.

Cutting teachers will mean bigger classes, with high schools losing some of their specialized offerings that draw low enrollment.

Most members said Gorman did a good job of shaping a bleak budget to protect kids and classrooms as much as possible.

“I deeply regret the pain this has caused,” board Chair Eric Davis said, speaking to employees who will lose jobs. But he urged everyone to “commit ourselves anew to our students’ future.”

Board members Kaye McGarry, Richard McElrath and Joyce Waddell voted against the budget. They were on the losing end of votes to try to force Gorman to revamp his shakeup of administrative offices, with up to $3.6 million redirected to save teacher jobs.

McElrath and Waddell argued that grouping CMS’s highest-poverty schools under two “central” offices stigmatizes and segregates those schools. But other members said it’s student assignment, not administrative arrangements, that concentrate low-income and minority students in some schools.

McGarry said CMS remains “top-heavy.”

A much-protested plan to revoke neighborhood bus stops for 11 magnet schools survived Tuesday’s vote, leaving families worrying about losing students whose parents can’t get them to shuttle stops that may not be within walking distance of their homes.

“What will you do to protect access to these schools?” asked Odette Valder, a Northwest School of the Arts parent.

Three of those magnets – Smith Language Academy, Piedmont and Davidson IB middle schools – got a reprieve from proposed changes in their hours. Pushing their schedules later in the day would have let CMS tack their bus runs onto buses serving other schools, saving about $1 million.

Davis Military/Leadership Academy, a combined middle-high, will still move to a schedule that’s two hours later than this year’s, from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. That saves about $600,000 on bus costs.

The revised budget, introduced Tuesday, requires students to pay for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, a cost now covered by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The state will continue to pay the fees for students who qualify for low-income lunch aid, but CMS can cut almost $1.4 million from the 2010-11 budget by requiring other students to pay.

Each AP exam costs $86. An IB diploma exam costs $135 plus $92 per subject. Many students take exams in several subjects.

The latest revision also frees about $500,000, which can be used to save about 10 teacher jobs, Gorman said.

The N.C. legislature convenes Wednesday to start crafting a 2010-11 budget, and county commissioners will vote on theirs in June. CMS won’t know exactly how much it must cut until those decisions are made.


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Sources: WCNC, Google Maps