New York news conference: “Sweet Caroline” Kennedy’s sour political debut

Andy Martin on the transfiguration of Camelot to Spamalot. Why does Barack Obama want an obviously unqualified Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg in the U. S. Senate? Andy Martin comes up with a wild theory.

New York news conference: Wednesday, December 31st

Internet powerhouse Andy Martin writes on “Sweet Caroline” Kennedy’s sour political debut

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION NEW YORK DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF WEDNESDAY (TODAY) NEWS CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK

NEW YEARS EVE NEWS CONFERENCE BY INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN
SAYS CAROLINE KENNEDY IS “NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME”

(NEW YORK)(December 31, 2008) Time is Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg’s enemy: the longer she has to run a non-campaign for appointment to Hillary Clinton’s U. S. senate seat, the worse she looks. But first we start with some catty questions.

Regular readers of ContrarianCommentary.com know we function as a “red meat” source for investigative journalism and international commentary. We serve filet of Obama tartare on a regular basis. But in this New Year’s Eve column and news conference set in celebratory midtown Manhattan, we begin with two unpleasant inquiries for “candidate” Caroline Kennedy. No one has yet pursued these “Page Sixy” questions, but they are self-evident given Kennedy’s diffidence about discussing herself and her qualifications to represent New York in the U. S. Senate.

There is some support for our inquiries. In an interview with the New York Times, Caroline equated questions about her decision-making process at home with “women’s magazines” inquiries. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/nyregion/28kennedytranscript.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Kennedy%20+%20transcript&st=cse

And so the first question: where’s Ed? Mrs. Kennedy is, of course, a married woman. To Edward Schlossberg. But her husband appears to have taken a hike. He is nowhere to be seen. Are they living apart? Is this another “troubled” Kennedy marriage? Does he approve of her “campaign” for the senate? Did he counsel against it? Mr. Schlossberg’s absence in Mrs. Schlossberg’s campaign for office seems very peculiar.

Kennedy told the New York Times she and Schlossberg are close. But she had no recollection of the moment when the two of them discussed and decided on her campaign. How could she forget such a dramatic moment? So soon after it took place?

Does Ed’s business dominate his life 24/7? Where are the photos of the two together?

Especially for a first-time candidate, a husband/helpmate would sooth the pain and irritation of being exposed to the media. Maybe there is a good explanation for Schlossberg’s disappearance; he could be in Uganda with Rahm Emanuel on a “long-planned” vacation. Nevertheless, the mainstream media have tiptoed daintily around the question of Mrs. Schlossberg’s missing husband. We do not. Where’s Ed? People have a right to know if her family distress would distract her from senate duties.

Secondly, why does she look so old for such a young woman? Yours truly, who stopped counting at the Jack Bennyesque age of 39, is struck by how old and lined Kennedy’s face looks for such a young and pampered woman. Fifty today is not old. Kennedy looks twenty years older than her age. Is Mrs. Kennedy Schlossberg up to the rigors of serving in the senate and then campaigning across the state over the next two years? With her fortune she can obviously afford the occasional facial. She needs one.

She also seems to be a little slow on the uptake: she says that the attacks of 9/11 motivated her to seek public office. That was seven years ago.

It seems that each day brings new bad news for Caroline. The latest, Mayor Bloomberg’s associates are effacing themselves from her campaign. http://www.nypost.com/seven/12302008/news/regionalnews/bloomberg_aide_cools_on_kennedy_146537.htm

And then there’s the Governor himself. The one “voter” in Kennedy’s “campaign.” He sent her a lump of coal on Christmas Eve: the governor compared Kennedy’s efforts to, well, “This whole thing sounds more like the prelude to a high school musical than the choosing of a senator." Ouch. That’s a sour note for an off-Broadway production struggling to make it to the Great White Way.

Finally, there is New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who suggests Kennedy is a (Mayor) Bloomberg stooge. Silver is not being golden for Kennedy. Camelot Spamalot. Caroline has been transfigured from a legacy to a Monty Python charade. Doesn’t Mr. Silver know who Caroline is?

Camelot, where art thou?

Kennedy has shown one qualification for politics: she’s two-faced. When Hillary Clinton was the front-runner, she was a Clinton backer. When Barack Obama took the lead she switched to Obama. Loyalty may not be her strong suit. Where’s Ed?

Kennedy’s use of the term “you know” 142 times with the New York Times (I did not count myself) even drew the attention of the London Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/4015918/Caroline-Kennedy-repeats-you-know-142-times-in-interview.

It is obvious that despite her lifetime in the public eye, Caroline has no forensic ability. She may have a law degree but she is a “lawyer” in name only. One of the things lawyers learn to do is banter, schmooze, talk about their cases, clients, etc. She is stiff, formal, distant.

The New York Times interview and transcript are probably the most devastating evidence against Kennedy. The interview is painful to read (see above). Kennedy shows no ability to take a stand, state a case, make a plain remark. Which brings us to Barack Obama.

Obama is supporting Kennedy Schlossberg. Will that make a difference? My guess is “no.” Obama does not swing much of a bat in New York. Pressure from him could backfire. Why would Obama want someone who is obviously so unqualified in the senate?

But then John McCain’s summer ad said it all: Obama is the world’s greatest celebrity. And there are no greater celebrities than the Kennedy dynasty. They backed Obama. He is repaying the favor, maybe.

So why does Obama want Kennedy Schlossberg in the Senate? Why “senator” instead of “ambassador?” Here’s my wild theory: In 2012 Obama dumps Joe Biden (“Sorry, Joe”) and adds Kennedy to the ticket. Celebrity galore. Obama-Kennedy. According to Caroline in the N Y Times, she had her “senator” signs ordered before she spoke with her husband in their completely forgettable discussion about her running. Obama is probably printing his 2012 signs, already.

And so, this must be a difficult New Year’s Eve for Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. Instead of all coming together, her efforts seem to all be coming apart. All the gold in her massive fortune can’t buy love from Sheldon Silver. High school musical, indeed. Sad.

Happy New year everyone.

We’ll be back with more ContrarianCommentary in 2009.

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

Internet powerhouse and columnist Author Andy Martin

WHAT:

Internet warrior Andy Martin says that Caroline Kennedy’s off-Broadway debut as a politician will never make it to the Great White way in Washington

WHERE:

New York, NE corner of Park Avenue and 50th Street

WHEN: Wednesday, December 31, 2008; 8:30 P. M.

MEDIA CONTACT: CELL (917) 664-9329 (Andy will be in the air most of Thursday and arrives at JFK on American Airlines Flight 160 at 4:20 P.M.)

ANDY E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York promoting his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008.

Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed for signing) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com

Barack Obama’s obsession with Islam

Obama author Andy Martin lays out the facts on Obama’s obsession with Islam. Obama has denied he was “born Muslim,” and it appears he was not; rather, his real father was Frank Marshall Davis, an atheist. But Obama undeniably was “raised Muslim,” by his stepfather Lolo Soetero, says Obama expert Andy Martin. In his “first newspaper interview” after being elected, Obama had no specific answers about any issue except one: he was going to give a “major” speech in an “Islamic capital.” Obama’s obsession may have triggered Israel’s war against Gaza. What does Obama’s Islamic obsession portend for American foreign policy? Maybe nothing, says Andy. Obama’s only one true religion is Obama himself. Obama worships Obama. Andy Martin is the author of “Obama: The Man Behind The Mask.”


Internet powerhouse Andy Martin on Barack Obama’s Obsession with Islam

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


PART TWO OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY EXPERT ANDY MARTIN’S FOUR-PART SERIES ON THE NEW MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT

BARACK OBAMA’S OBSESSION WITH ISLAM

(SAN DIEGO)(December 30th, 2008) Over four years ago I wrote the first story disclosing Barack Obama’s Muslim heritage, and reflected on his attempts to obscure that heritage. Now Obama is manifesting an obsession with Islam. How’s that for a 180 degree change?

During the past four years I have been smeared, pilloried, attacked, abused and, yes, Obamabots even criticized me. They called my columns on Obama’s Islamic roots “smears” and created a “stopthesmears.com" website to debunk my claims. They carefully parsed his religious history with the skill of a Philadelphia lawyer. But everything I wrote was true and fact-based. Or at least based on Barack Obama’s “facts.”

Now Obama is parading his obsession with Islam out where everyone can see it.

In all fairness, as my investigation in Hawai’i into Obama’s past progressed, I came to believe that “Barack Obama, Senior” was not BHO’s father. Rather, I now believe that Frank Marshall Davis was Obama’s biological father. Obama’s mother, Davis and Obama’s “father” had cooked up a scenario to protect the already-married Davis. CNN tried to make a big issue out of my claim that I no longer believed Obama was “born Muslim.” Well, I was wrong. Because I believed Obama about the facts of his birth, which turned out not to be facts at all.

But Obama was raised Muslim, in Indonesia, and his family registered his religion as “Islam” at one of his Jakarta schools. Those are documented facts. Obama’s own sister has admitted the family attended mosque on holidays.

Why did Obama suddenly come out of the closet and start parading his religious obsession with Islam? He thinks he can now get away with it.

In what the Chicago Tribune called “Obama’s first newspaper interview since his Nov. 4 election,” what was on Obama’s mind? Islam and his Islamic name. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-interview10-2008dec10,0,4677261.story

The Chicago Tribune interview and its bizarre focus were immediately eclipsed by the Blagojevich “sale-of-the-senate-seat” scandal and receded into obscurity. But not for ContrarianCommentary.com.

As soon as the Tribune interview was published, speculation began about where Obama would give his “Islamic speech.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-obama-muslims_slydec11,0,6054788.story

Then reality intruded. Amir Taheri, who was born in Iran and knows a thing or two about Islam, threw cold water on Obama’s Islamic pretensions and pretentiousness, see http://www.nypost.com/seven/12152008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/dubious_dialogue_144214.htm

Taheri showed that Obama was just blowing smoke. Again. And Taheri threw a bouquet to Andy, stating that Muslims considered Barack Obama to still be a Muslim and not a “true convert to Christianity.” Heavens!

Let’s start with the name. Why has Obama’s name changed since 2005? In 2005 he took the oath as U. S. Senator. There was no “Hussein” then. He was still in the Islamic closet, hiding his heritage. Now, in 2009, he wants to be a “Hussein.” What changed between 2005 and 2009? Nothing, except that Obama now believes he can get away with his Islamic heritage in the White House where he couldn’t in the Senate.

Obama told the Tribune he wanted to give a "major" speech in an Islamic capital? Taheri ridiculed the suggestion. Obama told the Tribune he wanted to bring “inclusiveness and tolerance” to the world. Oh really? I was not aware that U. S. was exclusive and intolerant.

President George Bush has bent over backwards to be inclusive and tolerant. He has hosted Islamic iftar dinners in the White House. He has said ”Islam is not the enemy” in so many speeches that people got tired of hearing that denial. Outside the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan the United States has worked to build bridges.

President Bush did launch his tragic attack on Iraq, but he never suggested he was attacking Iraq because it was Islamic. In fact, Iraq had been one of the most secular nations in the Arab world, until the Bush family, father and son, made a mess of our Middle East policy.

What is significant is that in his “first interview,” Obama’s mind was focused on Islam and not on more worldly topics such as economics. As to every topic but Islam posed by the Tribune reporters, Obama had no answers, only a staff that was preparing policy suggestions. The single issue on which Obama was prepared to give a straight answer was Islam: he’s heading for an “Islamic capital.” If that’s not an obsession, what is?

The Tribune interview may have literally convinced Israelis to launch a war on Gaza. Last Sunday I held a San Francisco news conference and stated that Israel had rally targeted Obama, not Gaza, with its rein of terror on Gazans. I may not think much of the Israeli leaders but they are not stupid. They have been trying to undermine Obama all year, through clandestine websites and leaked disinformation.

Then they saw the Tribune interview on December 10th. Israeli leaders had the same reaction I did: Obama is finally admitting he is obsessed with Islam. Israelis saw the handwriting on the wall and decided to torpedo Obama’s Islamic fantasies before he reached the white House, by launching a preemptive war that will demolish any hope Obama has to seek reconciliation with Islamic nations.

What was Obama’s reaction to the Israeli "terrorism?” Not a peep. He said ”Bush is the president,” and left it at that. Bush may be the president, and decide America’s response, as wrongful as that reaction was/is. But Obama did not forfeit his right to free speech when he was elected president. Obama had a free speech right, a duty if you will, to let the world know where he stood on the issue of Israeli terrorism. Obama remained mute.

So, it may be that Obama’s Islamic scam is just another one of his speech and photo-ops pseudo-events, Berlin II. Maybe he can find an Islamic rock band to stage a concert, and then he can speak to the “Islamic world.” It sure beats a day job.

George Bush was an isolated president, and an inexperienced one. Americans have paid in blood for Bush's shortcomings. In eight years he knew nothing about the world, and he learned nothing. He became more isolated as his policy failures slowly strangled him.

Obama is not Bush. Obama has lived abroad (earlier this year I defended his claim to international experience against Hillary Clinton’s ridicule) and Obama is intelligent. No one should assume he is stupid; he isn’t.

But Obama is obsessed not only with Islam; he’s obsessed with himself.

Barack Obama’s only one true religion is Barack Obama himself. He is the most isolated president-elect in history. “Little Barry Obama” wants to have the biggest “bubble” in the world, and the media have played along. And someday soon Obama’s bubble is going to be pricked. Then we will see where Obama’s obsession with Islam will lead him. Or where the Israelis lead him. It won’t be pleasant.

In the meantime, while Little Barry Obama chills in his $9 million bunker in Hawai’i, the Israelis are blasting unarmed women and children into heaven with American taxpayer-supplied weapons. Rather than having “only one president,” right now it looks as though America doesn’t really have any president. Will we really have a president on January 20th, or is Barry Obama just all smoke and mirrors? And Islam? Little Barry Hussein Obama.

Read the Tribune, and Taheri, and send me your reactions and opinions.

TO COME:

Part Three: Israel, Egypt and the Middle East breakdown; the possible collapse of the Mubarek “Dynasty,” Thursday January 1st, New York

Part Four: Barack Obama and the Israeli Government; Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton; Four years of Coming Conflict; Friday, January 2nd, New York
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed for signing) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He has almost forty years of experience in the Middle East, and is regarded overseas as America’s most respected independent foreign policy, military and intelligence analyst. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see www.Amazon.com or www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

San Diego News Conference today: Andy Martin condemns Israeli butchery in Gaza


“America has become its own worst enemy,” Andy Martin says. Martin says Israel is a “failed state” and the greatest threat to world peace. The senseless attacks against Gaza are doomed to failure.

San Diego news conference: Tuesday, December 30th

Internet powerhouse Andy Martin says that Israeli butchery is doomed to failure

Martin says American media convey “Israeli propaganda” about the Middle East

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION SAN DIEGO DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF TUESDAY (TODAY) NEWS CONFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN CONDEMNS ISRAELI BUTCHERY IN GAZA, SAYS ISRAEL IS A “FAILED STATE”

MARTIN SAYS THAT UNITED STATES FOREIGN POLICY IS LINKED TO ISRAELI TERRORISM, AND “LITTLE BARRY OBAMA’S” LEGACY IS BEING DESTROYED BEFORE IT BEGINS

MARTIN EXPLAINS WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND WHAT U. S. MEDIA DO NOT TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DUE TO ISRAELI PRESSURE AND PROPAGANDA

“PLEASE DO NOT ASK ‘WHY DO THEY HATE US’ THE NEXT TIME AMERICA IS ATTACKED,” MARTIN SAYS. “THEY HATE US BECAUSE AMERICA IS SUPPORTING ISRAELI TERRORISM AND TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE MASSACRE OF A CIVILIAN POPULATION””

(SAN DIEGO)(December 30, 2008) The Israeli butchery continues in Gaza. Little Barry Obama (“LBO”) is secluded in his $9 million hideaway in Hawai’i, and George Bush is going “right on” to the murder and mayhem in Gaza. The American people continue to be drugged by Israeli propaganda as U. S. media endorse Israeli terrorism. What does all this mean, and why is all this happening now?

On Sunday I held a San Francisco news conference at which I pointed out Israel’s attack on Gaza was in reality a declaration of war on Barack Obama (“Little Barry Obama”). Israel fears Obama and wants to destroy his foreign policy before it begins. Little Barry Obama thinks that by saying the “U. S has only one president” he can escape responsibility for the consequences of Israel’s bloodthirsty attacks. He can’t. Obama’s cowardice can no longer protect him from reality, and U. S. media can't insulate him from the disaster he faces on January 20th. Israel has guaranteed that his administration is DOA.

I don’t mean to pick on the San Diego Union-Tribune but I read the U-T this morning only to see Israeli propaganda on the editorial page. Is the U-T an Israeli agency? Of course not. But Americans have been drugged with Israeli propaganda for so long they no longer have any idea what is happening in the real world That is why we squeal “Why do they hate us?” every time the U.S. attacked.

The U-T said the “vast majority” of persons killed in Gaza were Hamas soldiers. Who counted the dead and separated them? There is unavoidable evidence civilians are being massacred by bloodthirsty Israeli pilots, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/29/AR2008122902490.html?hpid=topnews

Is the term “bloodthirsty” an unfair one to attach to Israeli pilots, who are “merely following orders?” Not really. Half the population of Gaza is children under 16. When indiscriminate bombing is conducted, it is obvious that half the casualties, dead and wounded, will be children. That is terrorism against helpless children and an unarmed civilian population, all courtesy of taxpayer-subsidized weapons from the United States.

Now you know why the children of the world are growing up to hate us.

Do I support Hamas? Not on your life. I have no love for that group. But no one is willing to admit the truth: Hamas was created by the Israelis as a counterweight to the PLO. Israel created Hamas and is now being consumed by his own creation.

It is also true in life, as in the law, that bad people can have a good case. Or as we learned from Justice Stewart in law school, “a thief is entitled to deny he is a burglar.” Hamas has a good case despite being a bad organization. (I abhor and condemn religions extremism in any religion which is why I am no admirer of Hamas.)

Israel claims that it “withdrew” from Gaza three years ago. That is simply not true. Israelis simply replaced one form of occupation with another. Israelis merely replaced physical occupation with an external siege. Gaza is under siege in the air, on land and at seas. Israel has been trying mass starvation to starve the Gazans into submission. The policy has been a complete failure.

Now Israel is trying mass terror bombings to subdue the civilian population. What's next? Gas chambers? Gas chambers are the only one of the Third Reich's evil weapons that the Israelis have avoided. To date. Will the Israelis succeed in making Gazans abandon Hamas? Mass murders have never succeeded in changing civilian attitudes. Israeli bomber pilots are nothing but recruiting agents for Hamas, Hizballah and Al Qaeda. Osama is laughing at us.

So what about the “violations” of the ”case fire?” Who’s guilty there? Both sides, with the major guilt being Israeli. It is absolutely true that Gazans are sending rockets into Israel. What would you do, what would Americans do if someone blockaded our country? To turn around a letter to the editor in the Union-Tribune today, what would Americans do if our neighbors started blockading the U.S? We would fight back. Gazans are fighting back. Why? Because Israel continues to starve them into submission.

No Palestinian has ever made an honest deal with an Israeli government official. The entire Israeli leadership is composed of two-faced liars, deceivers and shameless frauds. Israel offered Hamas a “deal” six months ago: stop the rockets and we will open the gates, ending the siege. The rockets largely stopped, but the gates never opened. It was just another evil Israeli game. And so in time the rockets resumed. So who broke the cease fire? Is Israel under siege, or is Gaza? Who is blockading whom???

Israeli politicians are now running for election and bragging about their bravery, blood-soaked hands, and shameless butchery. That is the way you appeal to public opinion in Israel. Not all Israelis are evil; on the contrary, most Israelis want peace, just as long as they can keep the Palestinian property they have already looted.

But just as in the United States, evil elements exercise a disproportionate influence over democracy. The leading candidate for Israeli leader is an extremist who favors endless war and occupation. Nice “peace” platform, that. When Yasser Arafat was alive, Israelis said Arafat was the “obstacle to peace.” Arafat has been dead for years. Funnily enough, the Israelis keep manufacturing new “obstacles to peace.” Maybe they really don’t want peace? Maybe they can’t face reality any more than Palestinians?

Gazans today offered Israel an honest deal: end the blockade and we will end the rockets. Will Israeli leaders agree to end the blockade? Not on your life. They refuse to admit Hamas exists just the way Hamas refuses to admit Israel exists. Neither one will negotiate with their nonexistent adversary.

What about the two-faced Egyptians, who also grovel for American dollars? They are as guilty as the Israelis. Hypocrisy and greed are not in short supply in the Middle East.

Where does Little Barry Obama fit into all of this? The Israelis tried to defeat Obama by using disinformation during the recent campaign, and failed. Now they are trying to destroy his administration and his foreign policy before LBO even takes office. LBO is too stupid to see what Israelis are doing to him, so he luxuriates in his $9 million Hawai'ian bunker and hopes the Israelis will go away. They won’t

Please do not respond to this column by accusing me of being an anti-Semite. I am not. Telling the truth abut Israeli terrorism is not anti-Semitism, it's telling the truth. I do not care for either side in the Middle East. I proffered the Andy Martin Middle East Peace Plan in 2000, and it is still the only comprehensive and rational solution to the controversy.

I have many more Jewish friends than Muslim or Arab ones, and it pains me to have to pain them by writing the unpleasant truths about Israeli terrorism. But with me, the truth comes first. I have no agenda but the truth; Israel has become both a failed state and the most dangerous terrorist state in the world. When did one of George Bush’s “Axis of evil” ever attack civilian populations with American taxpayer-subsidized weapons? Never. America and Israel have become their own worst enemies.

Israel is not an American “ally” in the Middle East; it is the greatest threat to the security of every American anywhere in the world. The people who speak of Israelis as “allies” all have their palms out behind their backs, waiting to be greased with campaign contributions.

Those of you who support Israeli aggression, keep cheering them on. The world is increasingly coming to hate the U.S. and that is exactly what Israeli leaders want. They want Americans to be tarred with the same brush as the monsters in the Israeli government. But, please the next time the U.S. is attacked, don’t ask “why do they hate us?” "Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." They hate us because we finance Israeli aggression against helpless and innocent victims.

If you don’t want to read the truth, just don’t read what I have to say. It’s still the truth. If you do read, read it and weep.

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

Internet powerhouse and Obama Author Andy Martin

WHAT:

Internet warrior Andy Martin says that “Israel has become a failed, terrorist state that is the greatest threat to world peace

WHERE:

San Diego, California; corner of India and Fir Streets, Basilone Fountain

WHEN: Tuesday, December 30, 2008; 6:00 P. M.

MEDIA CONTACT: CELL (917) 664-9329

ANDY E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com

TO COME (revised schedule):

Part Two: Barack Obama’s Obsession with Islam, Tuesday, December 29th, San Diego

Part Three: Israel, Egypt and the Middle East breakdown; the possible collapse of the Mubarek “Dynasty,” Thursday, January 1, New York

Part Four: Barack Obama and the Israeli Government; Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton; Four years of Coming Conflict; Friday, January 1st, New York
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed for signing) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008.

Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He has almost forty years of experience in the Middle East, and is regarded overseas as America’s most respected independent foreign policy, military and intelligence analyst. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see www.Amazon.com or www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Andy Martin: Israel has declared war on Barack Obama

San Francisco News Conference Sunday, December 28th: Middle East expert Andy Martin says that although Palestinians are dying in Gaza, Barack Obama is the real target of Israeli attacks. Part One of a new Four-part series.


Internet powerhouse Andy Martin says that Israel has “declared war on Barack Obama”

Saturday, December 27th was “the day the music died for Barack Obama,” says Middle East expert Martin

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF SUNDAY NEWS CONFERENCE IN SAN FRANCISCO

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN COMMENTS ON THE GAZA SLAUGHTER AND ISRAEL’S DECLARATION OF WAR ON BARACK OBAMA

PART ONE OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY EXPERT ANDY MARTIN’S FOUR-PART SERIES ON THE NEW MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT

MARTIN SAYS THAT, AS ALWAYS, PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH HAS ADOPTED A FAILED, COUNTERPRODUCTIVE APPROACH TO THE ISRAELI ATTACKS

(SAN FRANCISCO)(December 28, 2008) Internet powerhouse Andy Martin will hold a San Francisco news conference today, Sunday, December 28th to provide his analysis of the new Israeli attacks on Gaza. Martin says that although Gazans are being slaughtered, Barack Obama is the real target of the Israeli assault. “Israel has come out into the open and declared war on Obama,” Martin says.

Martin has extensive experience in the Middle East, having been in Israel, Jordan, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. He served as a Baghdad Bureau Chief and was a strong opponent of the 2003 invasion.

“The week between Christmas and New Year’s is traditionally a quiet one, which is why I made good on promises to launch our National Conversation on Obama on the West Coast this week,” Martin says. “Frankly, I am surprised that Israel has chosen now to declare war on Barack Obama. I am scrambling to get back to New York on December 31st.

“This is the week that the real world intruded on Barack Obama’s ‘fantasy island’ vacation in Hawai’i. Obama has been living in a dream world. Rather appropriately, as Israel was attacking Gaza, the lights also went out across Oahu. Coincidence?

“This is the week reality also intruded in the Middle East. Arab nations and Muslim nations have been expecting a ‘new deal’ from Obama (see Part Two, San Diego, below). The ‘new deal’ is dead. Attitudes are going to harden overnight. Israel’s Ehud Barack says he wants a ‘fight.’ He may get it. Just not where he wants it.

“Obama will be seen as impotent in the face of Israeli bombs and aggression. Obama’s White House is supposed to be run by a pro-Israel champion, Rahm Emanuel.

“The claim that Israel was ‘responding’ to Hamas is disingenuous and inaccurate,” Martin says. “Both sides have been provoking each other. Israel has blockaded the people of Gaza for years and tried to starve them into submission. Israel never ‘withdrew;’ Gaza has continued to be under siege on land, in the air and at sea.

“Both sides are pursuing failed policies. Israel has tried to destroy Gaza and Hamas, and has failed miserably. Hamas is stronger today, perhaps because Hamas was originally a creation of Israeli domestic intelligence (Shin Bet). Likewise, Hamas’ rockets have not achieved any great results. But the new killing will only undermine Israel and strengthen Hamas. I would not be surprised to see Hizballah chime in with attacks on Israel’s northern border.

“The claim by President Bush that Hamas ‘broke the ceasefire’ is also inaccurate and unbalanced. Israel has been conducting attacks and repeatedly violated the cease fire. Both sides were negotiating in Egypt to renew the ceasefire. As a result, Egypt is now humiliated.

“By failing to condemn the indiscriminate murder of civilians, President Bush has ensured that he will leave office in disgrace as a helpless, pitiful pygmy in Middle East politics. Eight years, wasted.

“U. S. policy and Israeli policy is exactly backwards. Instead of trying to isolate Hamas, our policy should be to engage them, to open all barriers, so that the people of Gaza are free to travel and conduct commerce. I don’t know which Israeli politician expects to gain politically from the latest mayhem, but in the long run the Israeli people are being led to disaster by increasingly radical governments that are out of touch with reality.

“Five years ago in opposing the attack on Iraq I predicted that Israel would be the big loser. Five years later, I have been proven correct. Iran has been strengthened, not weakened, by the American removal of Saddam Hussein. Israel’s regional position is deteriorating, not strengthening. Many opportunities for peace have tragically been ignored. Remember when Israel and the U. S. said peace would come after Arafat died? How many years has Arafat been gone? The West Bank? Another coming disaster, on Obama’s watch. The ‘Israel lobby’ may be able to intimidate Congress, but it is impotent to influence the Middle East. Condo ‘This Condo Should be Condemned’ Rice has proven useless and incompetent.

“This week Gazan blood has been shed. It is only a matter of time before Israel also pays the price in blood. These are rational polices for the United States to pursue or support? In our four-part series we will analyze and evaluate the next four or eight years of conflict and confrontation in the Middle East. Those who hoped for peace and progress are likely to be bitterly disappointed. Israel’s attacks on Gaza potentially endanger not only every Israeli but every American as well. American taxpayers are subsidizing the purchase of Israeli’s instruments of death and destruction. We are equally culpable. And we wonder why they hate us.

“Is Rahm Emanuel going to be the one to impose reason on Israel? No way. Indeed, Emmanuel may find himself the first casualty of the Israeli attacks. Emanuel’s position as chief of staff has now become untenable (see Part Four, New York).

“Mr. Obama, welcome to the real world, where big boys play with live bombs and real people die, where politicians make real decisions, usually bad ones. The make-believe world of presidential campaigning ended December 27th,” Martin states. “Hurry home.

“Israel has declared war on Barack Obama. He is the real target of Saturday’s attacks. How will Obama respond? I am not optimistic.”


NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

Internet powerhouse and Obama Author Andy Martin

WHAT:

Internet warrior Andy Martin says that “Israel has declared war on Barack Obama;” an analysis of the Gaza slaughter

WHERE:

Hilton Hotel Financial District, 750 Kearney Street, San Francisco (call for room number).

WHEN: Sunday, December 28, 2008; 2:00 P. M.

MEDIA CONTACT: CELL (917) 664-9329

ANDY E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com

TO COME:

Part Two: Barack Obama’s Obsession with Islam, Monday, December 29th, San Diego

Part Three: Israel, Egypt and the Middle East breakdown; the possible collapse of the Mubarek “Dynasty,” Tuesday, December 30th, San Diego

Part Four: Barack Obama and the Israeli Government; Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton; Four years of Coming Conflict; Wednesday, December 31st, New York
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed for signing) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008.

Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He has almost forty years of experience in the Middle East, and is regarded overseas as America’s most respected independent foreign policy, military and intelligence analyst. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see www.Amazon.com or www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

San Francisco news conference Friday: Who is paying for Barack Obama’s expensive vacation in Hawai’i?


Andy Martin raises disturbing questions about Barack Obama’s possible misuse of taxpayer funds and campaign cash. Martin says Obama’s lavish and extravagant lifestyle is an affront to the American people at a time when ordinary Americans are losing jobs and cutting back their spending. Obama is sending negative racial stereotypes by parading around half naked in Hawai’i and apparently misusing public funds to support his Superfly lifestyle.

Internet powerhouse Andy Martin asks the question mainstream media are afraid to address: who is paying for Barack Obama’s lavish vacation in Hawai’i?

Andy Martin’s “national conversation” on Barack Obama moves to the west coast with embarrassing questions about who is footing the bill for Obama’s “Superfly” lifestyle

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FRIDAY NEWS CONFERENCE IN SAN FRANCISCO

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN DEMANDS THAT BARACK OBAMA DISCLOSE WHO IS PAYING FOR HIS LAVISH AND EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLE IN HAWAI’I

MARTIN SAYS OBAMA MAY ELEVATE ARROGANCE, CORRUPTION AND RIPPING OFF AMERICAN TAXPAYERS TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH HIS INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR HIGH LIVING AT PUBLIC EXPENSE

(SAN FRANCISCO)(December 26, 2008) Internet powerhouse Andy Martin will hold a San Francisco news conference today, Friday, December 26th to demand that Barack Obama disclose who is paying for his lavish and extravagant “vacation” in Hawai’i. Martin brings his “National Conversation” on Obama to the West Coast with stops in San Francisco and San Diego through December 31st.

“There are four possible sources of payment for Obama’s expensive lifestyle in Hawai’i: (1) Obama’s personal funds and resources; (2) money from private donors; (3) Obama’s campaign cash; (4) “Transition” money from U. S. taxpayers. Who is footing the bill for Obama’s private airliners, and $9 million home rentals?

“Americans are losing their jobs. Auto workers are being asked to return to pre-war wages. People are reducing spending, corporations are cutting back. And America’s ‘Marie Antoinette Obama’ is spending money like there’s no tomorrow.

“Obama is not a wealthy person, certainly not wealthy enough to personally foot the bill for airliners and the rental of $9 million residences. So who’s paying?

“If Obama is misappropriating Transition funds paid for by taxpayers to subsidize his vacation that amounts to stealing from the federal government and every American.

“If Obama is using campaign cash to support his lavish lifestyle that also appears to be illegal; at a minimum Obama owes taxes on funds he is converting to personal use.

“If someone is paying Obama’s bills, who is that person or persons? We have a right to know who is buying influence and access with Obama.

“During a campaign for office, contributors legitimately support the candidate’s activity and of necessity pay for everything associated with moving around and campaigning, including transportation, hotels, food, etc. No one questions campaign spending. But the campaign is over. So where is Obama’s Hawai’i cash coming from? Obama is spending a fortune on a ‘vacation’ that is costing someone a bundle. If Obama is stealing his vacation money from taxpayers, that is an outrage and reflects contempt for the hard times Americans are experiencing.

“What’s wrong with flying commercial, instead of using chartered airliners? Staying in hotels instead of $9 million homes? If Obama thinks he can satisfy the boobs who voted for him by running around half-naked at the beach he is in for a real shock on January 20th.

“The president of the United States should set an example of austerity and restraint during this period of economic challenge. But Obama is going in the opposite direction, trying to revive the ‘imperial presidency’ with the vengeance of a master rip-off artist. Super-fly Obama seems to think the American people owe him and Michelle a lavish and extravagant lifestyle. What a disgrace. In making fools of us Obama is making a laughingstock of the presidency.

“And what a disgrace no one in the mainstream media has started acting the unpleasant questions about where Obama is getting his money to pay the expenses of his vacation in Hawai’i,” Martin will state.

“Obama is also using military facilities as though he is already the president. He is not. He is a private citizen. He resigned his senate seat and turned it over to Governor Blagojevich. He has no official status right now. So why is he treating the military as though he is commander-in-chief? And what about his phony salutes? Obama obviously thinks the military and ordinary Americans are chumps.”

SATURDAY: Martin probes further into Barack Obama’s arrogance and corruption

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

Internet powerhouse and Obama Author Andy Martin

WHAT:

Internet warrior Andy Martin demands that Obama immediately disclose who is footing the bill for Obama’s substantial expenses to and from and in Hawai’i.

WHERE:

Hilton Hotel Financial District, 750 Kearney Street, San Francisco (call for room number).

WHEN: Friday, December 26, 2008; 2:00 P. M.

MEDIA CONTACT: CELL (917) 664-9329

ANDY E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed for signing) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see www.Amazon.com or www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

A Christmas Greeting from Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin

Andy Martin reflects on 2008 and looks ahead to 2009: "We have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season," Andy says

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN SAYS WE HAVE A LOT TO BE THANKING FOR THIS CHRISTMAS—BE THANKFUL!

AMERICA AND AMERICANS WILL NOT ONLY ENDURE, THEY WILL PREVAIL

(CHICAGO)(December 21, 2008) If you listen only to the mainstream media, you would think the world is coming to an end. They report endlessly and breathlessly on the financial crises, military crisis, crises of the spirit and soul, crisis of every dimension and description. Good Lord.

I would like to add a hopeful message to the cacophony of negativity.

We have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. America and Americans will not only survive, we will endure and prevail.

Why am I so confident when others are so despondent? The first love in my family was the study of history. While spending part of my high school years in England, I read Winston Churchill's "History of the English-Speaking Peoples," cover to cover. History has a way of reminding us that life goes on, and hope endures. As a theology student I studied both the Christian and Hebrew traditions. Once again I was reminded that through the ages, we have advanced and we will continue to advance.

Don't get me wrong, in the short run politicians can always screw things up. I have waded through the rice paddies of Viet-Nam, and crossed the deserts of Iraq. There are a few other less-than-touristy places where I have also alighted over the decades. I know what a mess politicians can create. And they keep doing it. They have no sense of history. But I also know they eventually pay for their mistakes.

And so at the end of the year and the start of a new one, I am left with optimism, not pessimism, about out the future. I believe we should give thanks for all of the great gifts that endure in this life, and not feel sorry for ourselves as we meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Wall Street? Things are getting better, not worse. The greed of some individuals, their insatiable appetite for a free lunch, created serious imbalances in our economy. First the little people were made to pay for the sins of the big guys. Now the big guys are paying for their own sins. The rich may have had a "let them eat cake" attitude at the start of the financial crisis; now they are the ones out looking for day-old bread.

Greed will always be with us. It is one of the less laudable aspects of the human condition, summed up in perhaps one word: more. Some people always want more, and always want to take more than their fair share. But over the course of decades, financial crises tend to right themselves.

I have my own sharp differences with the recent "bailouts." The big guys are still in there trying to grab more than their share. Still, we have 535 people in congress, some of which will hopefully act as a check on the greed of both Wall Street and their fellow travelers in the Executive Branch.

The good news: people will always wants to save money for a future need, and be paid interest for their forbearance; and there will always be others willing to borrow money for a productive purpose and willing to pay for the privilege of using others' savings. In the long run, markets do work because markets are an integral part of the human condition. Borrowing and lending will continue. Banks will survive. Markets will prevail.

International crisis? There are plenty of those. The British have a great little phrase, "mickey," a term which suggests a sense of unwarranted arrogance and entitlement on the part of someone. Well, the United States has had the "mickey" knocked out of us. And it's all to the good. The arrogance and sense of entitlement that began in the Clinton years and reached an apotheosis in the Bush White House have been knocked down and deflated. I was never a fan of the "Bush Dynasty," and I'm still not. I'm ready to take on the Obama Dynasty on day one.

Obama begins with his own wacky agenda. After studying him for over four years, I do know him. So I don't trust him. But then I don't trust politicians in general. With over forty years peering over their shoulders I know they must be watched, and checked. Please give thanks that there are those of us willing to take the risks of watching and commenting on political excesses locally, nationally, internationally.

If there is one goal I wish we as Americans could focus on with greater clarity and energy this holiday season, that goal would be making our government more humble, more accessible, more humane, more modest. Obama is already showing signs of extreme "emperoritis," with his insufferable swagger and arrogance. But his followers will soon be frustrated—some of them already are—and thereafter disappointed and disillusioned.

The Democratic Party of 2009—we can be thankful—is not the Democratic Party of 2001 or even 1993. Democrats had to make adjustments to win power, and they still only barely made it. If John McCain had been a better leader instead of a great officer, he would have kept the White House in Republican hands. Oh well.

Democrats may crow about their "mandate." In less than twelve (12!) months filing begins in Illinois for the 2010 election. "Mandates" have a way of dissolving into reality.

Republicans are now going to have to make adjustments and corrections to regain power. If they remain fixated on peripheral issues, they will stay out of power. If they become a loyal opposition and stern critics of the Democrats' excesses, which are as predictable as the sunrise and sunset, they will offer practical alternatives to Democratic mismanagement and will project a strong voice for the future.

Republicans went from "extinction" in 1964 to recovery in 1968. Four years. 1974 anyone? 1976? 1980? Change has happened before. Change will happen again. Your move, Mr. Obama.

Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, please remember that power and politics flow according to their own secular cycles. For that we can be thankful.

As usual, ContrarianCommentary.com will be at the front of the parade in fighting "emperoritis" in both parties. If my religious studies motivate me in any direction, it is to fight relentlessly against the emperor complexes of individuals in Washington. I have been an independent conservative for over forty years; I see no reason to stop now.

The past year also saw some surprises for ContrarianCommentary.com. Yours truly the "Internet Powerhouse" became "Public Enemy Number One" to the Hard Left. From the front page of the New York Times on down, we came under attack for serving up the unpalatable essence of Barack Obama and delivering the unpleasant truths about the coming electoral disaster. (We will have a lump of coal for our detractors in a day or so.)

The Hard Left continues to attack us, and for that we can be thankful as well. If they are still excoriating us, and ramping up their criticism in expectation of our forthcoming revelations about Barry Obama, we are becoming more relevant, not less, as your independent source of information and commentary. Thank you Hard Left for making us your Number One Internet Bogeyman.

Do I expect a perfect world any time soon? Not on your life. It is our imperfections that keep us going in circles, learning old truths over and over again, and turning as always to faith when we fall short. Thank God for Christmas.

During the recent campaign I coined an expression, "The United States of America will open for business on November 5th." What I meant by that was whoever won the election, America and Americans would still be there as a source of strength, and a source of resistance, for the winner. Today, I update my slogan: The "United States of America Will Open for Business on January 21st." Barack Obama is but a temporary occupant of our great see, and our special seat in the White House. If he governs wisely, he will be respected. If he pursues arrogance and self-aggrandizement as his polestars, he will soon be neutered and removed.

I won’t comment on the Pastor Rick Warren contretemps. It seems to me Obama has a right to choose whom he wants to deliver a prayer at his inauguration. To those who are disappointed and disheartened by the choice of Warren, I can only say, fasten your seat belts, your love affair with Barry O will end in tears. He is not the man you thought he was. And America won't let him be that man. Your dream has already died.

To Obama's opponents, the same cautionary message: fasten your seatbelts, and always deliver your message with civility and common sense. You're going to win this round, only to be disappointed in the next one. Life's like that. On and on it goes.

Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for. Each of us individually. Americans. And the world.

As a Christian, I wish all of you an unhesitating Merry Christmas during this season of holidays and celebrations. I will be there to welcome you in my church, whether you come every week, or only twice a year, or only discovered the warm welcoming message of Christ this season. To our readers of other religions, or no persuasion at all, we extend the very best of warm and sincere wishes for happiness, fulfillment and faith in your tradition.

And on December 26th we will launch the next phase of our National Conversation About Barack Obama in San Francisco and San Diego.

Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for.

So be thankful!

Peace.

Andy

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: www.Amazon.com or www.OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
Please give generously. Our ability to continue the fight to defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see www.Amazon.com or www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Illinois Supreme Court backs Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin in Blagogate battle

The Illinois Supreme Court backed Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin by blocking efforts to remove Governor Rod Blagojevich through the judicial process. Martin asked the Illinois Supreme Court to reject politically motivated efforts seeking to have the court itself remove the Governor. The court backed Martin's interpretation of the Constitution. Constitutional scholar Andy Martin says that due process must be followed, even in the case of persons who are thought to be guilty. He deplores the "lynch mob" atmosphere in Illinois. Martin says Barack Obama is guilty of a "Chicago Way" cover-up and is undermining his future presidency by his role in "Obamagate." Andy Martin is also demanding that Barack Obama remove Rahm Emanuel for his role in Blagogate.

Drip, drip, drip: "Obamagate" stench grows
When will Rahm Emanuel resign?

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN SCORES A MAJOR VICTORY AS
THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT AGREES WITH HIM AND DISMISSES LISA MADIGAN'S PETITION TO IMPROPERLY REMOVE ROD BLAGOJEVICH

THE STENCH OF OBAMAGATE CONTINUES TO SPREAD; WHEN WILL RAHM EMANUEL STEP DOWN?

(CHICAGO)(December 18, 2008) Last week Internet Powerhouse law professor Andy Martin attacked Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan for filing a frivolous petition with the Illinois Supreme Court and seeking to use the court as a vehicle to peremptorily remove Governor Rod Blagojevich from office. Martin, a constitutional scholar, petitioned the Supreme Court to deny Madigan's attempt to remove the governor through the judicial process. (Martin's pleadings are posted on the Internet at his blogs, see below.)

This week the court agreed with Martin and accepted Martin's interpretation of the Illinois Constitution.

The crusading Illinois corruption fighter continues to demand that Rahm Emanuel step down from any role in an Obama White House: "The stench of Obamagate is spreading," Martin says. "When will 'Barry O' face the inevitable and dump Emanuel? We at ContrarianCommentary.com are continuing to provide the cutting edge commentary and analysis of 'Blagogate,' which we have identified as morphing into 'Obamagate.' We are focusing attention on Obama's role in the scandal as the 'man behind the curtain,' in the words of Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass."

Although the political maneuvering continues in Springfield, Martin is expected to be the "corruption fighting candidate" in any special election to replace Obama.

"Each day another small piece of the Obamagate puzzle drips out," Andy states. "Today's Sun-Times reports that Rahm Emanuel did indeed speak to Governor Rod Blagojevich himself, to negotiate a successor for Obama's seat. Well? http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1337789,CST-NWS-rahm18good.article

"Emanuel is involved in Blagogate up to his neck. And Obama is involved in Obamagate up to his neck, because it is obvious he is orchestrating a massive cover-up of his manipulation, using the U.S. Attorney's office as a beard. U. S. Attorney Fitzgerald should not allow his office to be used in this manner, because he is also slowly being drawn into the machinations of Obamagate, with obvious implications for a conflict of interest.

"There was some confusion last week as to why I would defend Rod Blagojevich. First, as a matter of policy I do not defend individuals in the public arena. I was defending the Illinois Constitution by seeking to prevent Lisa Madigan's misuse of the Constitution. She and her father are acting as a team of attack dogs. That's not the way the legal system should operate. Daddy and daughter have obvious conflicts of interest. Lisa Madigan's brazen publicity ploy in filing a frivolous petition with the court backfired.

"Second, I was repulsed by the lynch mob atmosphere fostered by the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune and other media. Under our system, even a guilty man is entitled to a defense. 'Audi alteram partem' is an ancient common law doctrine, Caritativo v. California, 357 U.S. 549, 558, 78 S. Ct. 1263 (1958)(Frankfurter, Douglas, Brennan, JJ, dissenting) The newspapers were calling for the Governor's scalp without regard to a full and impartial review of the facts. We don't throw shoes in America; we are supposed to be wedded to civility and due process.

"Third, Barry Obama was obviously involved in Blagogate. His people were wheeling and dealing with Blagojevich. Obama is completely responsible for the subsequent cover-up, which we now call 'Obamagate.' This is a classic example of the kind of president Mr. Obama is going to be: scheming, evasive, manipulative and mendacious.

"If Barack Obama has a shred of integrity left, he should stop hiding behind the U.S. Attorney, whom he is also going to taint in due course, and tell the truth and nothing but the truth about his role and Emanuel's role in Blagogate. The 'Chicago Way' of cover-up and corruption will not work in the White House. He must tell the truth. Today.

"It's time for the media to end their 'Obamadaze' and demand that Obama stop playing games with the truth."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see www.Amazon.com or www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Legal experts line up behind Andy Martin as the stench of "Obamagate" grows

Barack Obama continues to evade questions over his role in the sale of his senate seat. Why is Barack Obama unable to "confirm" whether Rahm Emanuel met with Rod Blagojevich? Is Emanuel on tape, or isn't he? Does Barack Obama know? What's the truth? What's the secret? The "circus" in Illinois grows as all of the players start bumping into each other while trying to maximize their publicity. Can it get any worse? It will. ContrarianCommentary.com is first with the best, straight from the cesspools and sewers of "Barack Obama's Illinois."

"The Blagogate Chronicles, Part Six”

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

LEGAL EXPERTS SUPPORT INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN'S ANALYSIS OF BLAGOGATE/OBAMAGATE

WHY IS RAHM EMANUEL STILL ON OBAMA'S STAFF?


(CHICAGO)(December 17, 2008) Last week ContrarianCommentary.com began providing cutting edge commentary and analysis of "Blagogate," which we identified as morphing into "Obamagate."

While none of the sources/links cited below are actively working with us, we thought you would like to know that their remarks and conclusions strongly support our "early bird" analysis.

First, we attacked Attorney General Lisa Madigan for filing a frivolous petition with the Illinois Supreme Court, and we moved to intervene in her case. We are asking the court to throw out her claims. A former Supreme Court justice has questioned the legality of Madigan's petition seeking to remove Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258283

Madigan's Supreme Court filing was nothing more than a smear and publicity stunt designed to assist her father, House Speaker Michael Madigan, with his own crusade against Blagojevich. Conflicts of interest, anyone?

Second, after Blagojevich's arrest we immediately questioned whether a "crime" had been committed by the governor. Tuesday's New York Times now raises the same question. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/us/politics/16legal.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Johnston&st=cse

We were a week ahead of the competition.

Lawyers will always tell you that contrary to the mob psychology and inflammatory propaganda of the Chicago media, there are always two sides to any case, see e.g.
http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2008/12/defense-lawyers.html

Third, we told you that Obama's role in Blagogate smelled, and we christened the growing scandal "Obamagate." In a major development on Tuesday, which was not reported by any of the Chicago papers but appeared only in the New York Times, Obama was "rope-a-doping" again with the facts. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/obama-continues-to-build-cabinet-answer-blagojevich-questions/?scp=1&sq=%22Obama%20news%20conference%22&st=Search

Obama's claim that he had "not confirmed" whether Rahm Emanuel presented a list of names to Governor Blagojevich is a joke. Obama's weasel words are going to land him in the dumpster.

In his first "crisis" as a national leader, Obama has lied about "what he knew and when he knew it," and engaged in a pathetic Nixonian-style cover-up about the involvement of his own staff. He thinks he's cute. In the end, Obama will be the architect of his own downfall. "Barry the Liar" is desperately trying to ride this one out. We won't let him.

In the meantime, ContrarianCommentary.com is almost always first with cutting edge facts and analysis of Blagogate and Obamagate. Keep it here. We'll be there for you. With over forty years of experience fighting and exposing corruption, we've written the book on Barack Obama's ties to the cesspools and sewers of Chicago and Illinois politics.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see www.Amazon.com or www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

NEW YORK NEWS CONFERENCE MONDAY: Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin demands that Barack Obama fire Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

Andy Martin says "there is a cancer growing on Barack Obama's presidency." After over forty years, Andy still remains on the cutting edge of fighting political corruption in Chicago.


Internet powerhouse Andy Martin becomes the first columnist to demand that Rahm Emanuel be removed as White House Chief of Staff

After over forty years, Andy Martin still remains on the cutting edge of fighting political corruption in Chicago.

"The Blagogate Chronicles, Part Five”

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF MONDAY NEWS CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN DEMANDS THAT BARACK OBAMA REMOVE RAHM EMANUEL

MARTIN USES JOHN DEAN'S WATERGATE PHRASE: "THERE IS A CANCER GROWING ON BARACK OBAMA'S PRESIDENCY"

"BLAGOGATE" HAS NOW BEEN FULLY ABSORBED BY "OBAMAGATE" AND OBAMA'S CAREER IS ENDANGERED, MARTIN SAYS

(CHICAGO)(December 12, 2008) Internet powerhouse Andy Martin will hold a New York news conference today, Monday, December 15th to demand that Rahm Emanuel step down as White House Chief of Staff. Martin's demand on Monday will be part of a weeklong series of his columns and news conference addressing the growing "cancer" of "Obamagate" in Chicago.

"Watergate began as a 'two-bit burglary' and brought down a president," Martin states. "What began as a two-bit drama involving the erratic Rod Blagojevich is becoming a threat to Barack Obama's presidency. Obama's ship will sink before it ever leaves port.

"Numerous media, including the New York Times, have disclosed that Obama's White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel spoke to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich about Obama's senate replacement. Therefore, Obama's remarks last week that 'he' had not spoken to Blagojevich, and that his staff was assembling a 'log' of Obama-Blagojevich contacts, were blatantly incomplete and evasive. It was just more Obama 'law professor gobbledygook.'

"Is it believable that Emanuel produced an Obama 'wish list' of potential Blagojevich senate appointees without clearing the list with Obama? No one could believe such nonsense. Emanuel and Obama spoke, and Emanuel and Blagojevich spoke. Those are the facts. And facts are hard things to ignore, especially when they are staring you in the face.

"Once again Barry Obama is demonstrating his complete contempt for the American people and his similar contempt for the media we rely on to inform us. He knew last week that Emanuel met with Blagojevich. Why didn't Obama come clean and admit that fact? He has a Nixonian personality, that's why.

"Now, the stake-through-the-heart: How can Emanuel have access to FBI materials and be supervising the FBI from the White House, when he is on FBI tapes involving a criminal investigation, and when his own neck is on the line? Obviously he cannot.

"Emanuel should be toast as a White House insider. Emanuel has shown that he is nothing more than a slimy Daley Machine pol, working for another slimy Chicago pol, Obama, who will lie, evade, avoid and prevaricate to deceive the American people. We do not need Obama's 'Nixon II' administration.

"U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is increasingly being compromised by 'Obamagate' (Wednesday's column and news conference will discuss this aspect of Obamagate). Obama's secrecy, evasiveness and manipulation are gradually becoming an independent criminal conspiracy and 'obstruction of justice.' Hello, Watergate. 'It isn't the crime; it's the cover-up.'

"How is Emanuel going to deal with Fitzgerald when both of them know Emanuel is on the tapes? How? How is Obama? Now we know why Emanuel was 'missing in action' and visiting City Hall last week with a bunch of children. He's part of the investigation. On tape.

"Obama said last week he would provide a 'log' of contacts between his staff and Blagojevich. I'm still waiting. Watergate, again: Obama is 'stonewalling.' Why are the mainstream media suddenly so patient and pliant and supine? At what point does media complicity become an embarrassment to the entire United States? Is there no urgency to produce the log? Why? A cover-up.

"Should the American People have someone in the White House supervising the FBI and Justice Department who is on tape in an ongoing criminal investigation, indictment and likely trial? I don’t think so.

"Cut now, Obama, cut now. Just ask Rod Blagojevich. He claims to be an expert on 'testicular fortitude.' http://www.ilcampaign.org/press/news/illinois/2005/2005-5-17BlagoFamily.html

"None of this surprises me," Martin says. "It is all predicted in my best-selling book."

TUESDAY: Martin probes further in the sewers and cesspools of Blagogate/Obamagate.

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

Internet powerhouse and Obama Author Andy Martin

WHAT:

Internet warrior Andy Martin demands that Obama immediately remove Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff because of his presence on the "Blagogate Tapes."

WHERE:

909 Third Avenue, public sidewalk in front of FDR Station, New York

WHEN: Monday, December 15, 3:00 P. M.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639; CELL (917) 664-9329

ANDY E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see www.Amazon.com or www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Andy Martin slams Barack Obama and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in Illinois Supreme Court filing, for mendacity in “Blagogate/Obamagate”

What is Barack Obama hiding and when is he going to tell the truth about his staff’s role in Blagogate?

Internet powerhouse and legal scholar Martin says that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, however loathsome he may appear, is entitled to due process of law. Martin accuses Chicago media of fostering a “lynch mob” environment in the state.

Following is the main petition being submitted by Andy to the Illinois Supreme Court. Copies of other documents, as well as attachments of court filings, are available on request.


No. ______________




IN THE
SUPREME COURT OF ILLINOIS





_______________________________________________________

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,

Plaintiff-Movant,

v.

ROD BLAGOJEVICH, Governor
of Illinois,

Defendant-Respondent.

_______________________________________________________




MOTION FOR LEAVE TO APPEAR AND BE HEARD IN THIS PROCEEDING,
AND LEAVE TO OPPOSE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S “BRIEF IN SUPPORT
OF MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE VERIFIED COMPLAINT…”













DATED: December 12, 2008





Respectfully submitted,




ANDY MARTIN
NATIONAL LITIGATION CENTER
P. O. Box 1851
New York, NY 10150-1851
Toll-free tel. (866) 706-2639
Toll-free fax (866) 707-2639
E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com (text only)

ADDITIONAL COURTESY COPY REQUESTED TO:

ANDY MARTIN
REGIONAL LITIGATION SUPPORT
30 E. Huron Street, Suite 4406
Chicago, IL 60611-4723

SERVICE OF NOTICES IS RESPECTFULLY
REQUESTED BY FAX OR E-MAIL

Additional e-mail address
available upon request



MOTION FOR LEAVE TO APPEAR AND BE HEARD IN THIS PROCEEDING,
AND LEAVE TO OPPOSE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S “BRIEF IN SUPPORT
OF MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE VERIFIED COMPLAINT…”


Preliminary Statement
Attorney General Lisa Madigan (“the AG”) and President-elect Barack Obama are attempting to stage a political coup against the people of this state by using this Court as a political instrument to accomplish their goals.
This Court should decline the invitation to participate.
The AG, and others acting in concert with her, are not acting out of disinterested motives but rather are maneuvering to seize the Governor’s office for their own personal benefit, which is precisely the type of behavior that they attribute to their opponent the Governor.
Some of the justices are personally familiar with the participants in this proceeding. Movant submits it would irretrievably damage and embarrass this Court if the justices thereof were seen to be playing political favorites and favoring the “Madigan Family” to the exclusion of the Illinois Constitution and the general public interest.
Courts usually avoid constitutional questions when there are narrower, non-constitutional grounds to deny relief. Here, the court is being used as a political bludgeon to short-circuit and avoid proper constitutional procedures. The AG’s father has realized that he apparently lacks the votes to remove the Governor by impeachment in the General Assembly, so he is using his daughter and her public office to remove the Governor through unprecedented judicial action amounting to a usurpation of power and a de facto political coup.
This Court should properly defer to the traditional Constitutional remedies and summarily dismiss the proceeding, suggesting that impeachment is an available and unexhausted avenue available to all involved.
The Court is further compromised as an institution by the machinations of Barack Obama, his employees and his supporters. Abner Mikva, a prominent Obama supporter, has suddenly surfaced as a “Special Assistant Attorney General” to send a political message to this Court: Obama wants action.
Why is Obama concerned? He is apprehensive because he wishes to avoid producing his staff members for interrogation by the media, and he has failed to produce a log of his staff’s contacts with the Governor despite the alleged “emergency” nature of the Governor’s misconduct and despite the lynch mob atmosphere that has triggered a proceeding in this Court.
Obama's lassitude, in view of his claims and the AG's claims of an "emergency," suggests he is trying to avoid scrutiny of his role and his staff's roles in "Blagogate."
In the current situation, Obama’s staff may have been caught red-handed engaging in back-room politics with the Governor. Mr. Obama wants this Court to protect him from the consequences of his long history of involvement in Chicago politics and support for Daley Machine policies and public officials.
This Court should decline Obama’s invitation. Where, as here, legislative remedies are available and unexhausted, Obama, the AG and their political organizations should not be able to substitute their preferred remedy of judicial activism as a substitute for traditional constitutional processes.
In this “Opposition” the undersigned will attempt to convince the Court that (1) he has standing to be heard in this matter, as a personally and directly interested person; (2) that the AG does not have the exclusive authority to conduct political cases in this or any other court; (3) that the “facts” are not as they are alleged to be by the AG; and that (4) that there is no precedent, nor does the AG cite any, for judicial usurpation of the normal political process where there is a conflict between the legislature and the Governor.
For all of the foregoing reasons, the undersigned asks this Court to summarily deny the AG’s petition as facially insubstantial and unmeritorious and to grant him leave of court to appear and be heard.




I.
THE UNDERSIGNED HAS STANDING TO APPEAR,
PARTICIPATE AND BE HEARD IN THIS PROCEEDING

1. The Undersigned-an overview
The undersigned probably does not exaggerate when he states he is probably the person with the longest experience still active in the courts and politics of this state who has an unblemished record of fighting corruption at every level of Illinois state government.
As a young law student at the University of Illinois College of Law, the undersigned was asked by reporters at the Chicago Daily News to help them research legal issues and study factual claims involving claims against two justices of this Court (Ray Klingbiel and Roy Solfisburg) who were accused of impropriety.
Although the undersigned was only a small part of the team that exposed and helped remove the justices, he paid a very high price for his honesty and integrity.
Somewhere in the basement of the Supreme Court Building, the files in MR 1207 may still contain the affidavits of two men whom Barack Obama this week profusely praised as paragons of integrity, Senator Paul Douglas and Senator Paul Simon. Both senators furnished affidavits to this Court of the undersigned’s integrity.
Like the proverbial mailman, who is dauntless in the face of bad weather, in the ensuing decades the undersigned has pursued corruption where he has found it, in the executive, legislative and judicial branches, and in both federal and state agencies, see e.g. AndyMartin.com for details.
2. The undersigned’s political issues in this proceeding
a. If the undersigned is a corruption fighter, why is he here opposing the AG? The AG claims to be fighting corruption. Unfortunately, by her current actions in filing this proceeding the AG is fostering corruption, not fighting it.
b. The undersigned was the first to question the suspicious behavior of the U. S. Attorney and FBI (Appendix pp. 3-8), though others have now joined the chorus of questioning, Appendix pp. 13-14. The undersigned announced earlier this week that he would be a candidate in any special election in 2009 or in 2010 for the seat. Thereafter, the undersigned decided to forego being a political candidate if the Governor decided to appoint the undersigned to serve on a nonpartisan basis, Appendix pp. 9-12.
As soon as the AG learned that the undersigned was working diligently to claim the senate seat, she petitioned this Court to prevent the Governor from making the appointment.
c. The undersigned was on the statewide primary ballot in 2006, and again in 2008, so his standing claims of being a candidate are both bona fide and documented by an extensive history of political involvement.
3. Based on the foregoing direct, personal interest as a senate candidate, the undersigned has a particularized, personal interest in this matter and the standing to appear, to be heard and to participate fully in any and all proceedings. Someone is ultimately going to claim a vacant senate seat. The undersigned has every right to come forward to prevent the AG from gaining control of the process in this forum, in the General Assembly or anywhere else, to protect his own rights as a candidate.
II.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT HAVE THE EXCLUSIVE
POWER TO INITIATE POLITICAL PROCEEDINGS IN THIS COURT

It is a well worn rubric of Illinois law that the Attorney General is the sole legal officer of the State. No citation is necessary for that unexceptionable proposition. But the Attorney General is not the chief political officer of the State, and she certainly does not have the right to exclude other voices when she is advancing and articulating positions in which she has a personal conflict of interest and self-interest.
In addition, neither the Illinois Constitution, Article V, § 6, nor Rule 382 of this Court, foreclose the filing of a petition by any interested citizen. Unlike common or garden variety litigation, where the AG is “supreme,” the AG’s supremacy does not extend to constitutional disputes involving political questions in which the taxpayers qua taxpayers are only peripherally interested and in which the rights and powers of political officials and candidates for public office are being adjudicated.
Thus, while the AG has exclusive authority to speak for the State on matters of state policy, the question of whether to remove the Governor from office is not a matter of State policy but rather a political question in which this Court must ensure the fullest possible participation by every voice in the State.
To do less than allow the public to be heard would raise the suspicion that the Court was being influenced and controlled by political cronyism instead of the Illinois Constitution.
III.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS INFLATED AND MISSTATED THE FACTS
Central to an understanding of the mendacity of the AG’s arguments in this Court is a careful analysis and parsing of her claims of “facts.”
1. The AG argues that a vast series of interlocking conspiracies involving the Governor has been documented, and that all of the AG’s allegations are supported by proven “facts.” That is not true. These conspiracies may exist, but they have not yet been proven.
2. In dealing with facts, this Court must apply a rigorous standard of scrutiny in determining what is real and what is unreal.
3. Despite the fact that the Governor has allegedly been under scrutiny for five (5) years, the USA lacks sufficient “facts” to support a Grand Jury indictment. This Court is well aware that obtaining a grand jury indictment is not a particularly high standard to satisfy. If the USA lacks sufficient facts to satisfy the minimal standard for a grand jury indictment, the proverbial "ham sandwich," how can the AG justify her inflated “factual” claims against the Governor? She cannot.
3. The limited facts we do have are contradictory and have been edited in a self-serving manner. What has been produced in public is an “Affidavit” that takes the facts in the order in which they support the USA and FBI, not the order in which they support the provable truth at trial. Could this court allow a finding of guilt to stand if it were based on self-servingly redacted “facts” currently available? Not likely.
When the only truth, the only “facts,” we have are those which have been massaged and edited and manipulated by prosecutors, then the facts are not facts at all. They are one side’s version of an inflammatory and controversial proceeding.
4. As the undersigned noted in his first column on the controversy (Appendix pp. 3-8), what was stunning about this transparently outrageous example of prosecutorial abuses was that no “victims” were identified in the FBI Affidavit. Sam Zell and others at the Chicago Tribune have honestly stated they were not aware of any pressure to dismiss employees.
Likewise, all of the “extortees” in the “senate seat sale” matter have denied being extorted. So where are the undisputed and documented facts sufficient to establish victims who will testify to being victims? There are none. On the contrary, when the “victims” deny the existence of crucial elements of the offenses of which the Governor is being accused by the AG, it is clear there are no credible facts in this matter.
Is the Governor foul-mouthed on occasions? Who among us has not used expletives on occasion? Is his wife also a salty-worded lady? Undoubtedly. But since there is no evidence she committed a crime, why are her vulgar comments included in the “facts” of the FBI’s affidavit?
“Facts” are being misused merely to smear and scandalize and prejudice potential grand and petit jurors, and to smear the Governor and provide cover for precisely the public lynching that is now being sought in this Court.
The Governor has been chosen by the voters twice. He should not be removed from office on the capricious “facts” and hearsay allegations contained in the record before this Court. There is, moreover, a very wide gap between foul-mouthed behavior and federal criminal activity; but no one could be aware of that gap from reading the inflammatory coverage in the news media or the allegations of federal offices of a “crime spree” in their public appearances.
5. In sum and substance, the AG has presented the type of lattice work of “facts” that she would quickly condemn and demolish if any criminal defendant in a case where she represented the People were making similar “factual” assertions. There is only one standard for facts: the full and fair truth. And the truth has yet to see the light of day in “Blagogate.”
6. Finally, Barack Obama and his staff appear to be manipulating and concealing relevant facts which might place the Governor in a more understandable light. Last month, David Axelrod said Obama and the Governor had met to discuss the senate seat. This week, in an episode reminiscent of Watergate, Mr. Axelrod claimed his factual statements were erroneous. All that was lacking was for Axelrod to use the term “inoperative,” to raise the specter of Watergate.
Mr. Obama, moreover is being very leisurely about producing the “log” he has promised to document his staff’s contacts with the Governor’s staff. If this matter is such an emergency, why is Obama acting so casually? Perhaps he is expecting the AG to act as a beard for his own staff’s involvement in the controversy, and thereby to avoid having to address these issues, by allowing the AG to short-circuit the investigatory process with an immediate public lynching, all courtesy of this Court.
Likewise, the AG has come to this Court and asked the Court to remove her political opponent, the Governor. That is not the proper role for the Court at this time.
7. If the Court disagrees with the undersigned and believes that further proceedings are necessary, the Court should invoke the testimony-taking provisions of rule 382 and direct testimony at which all interested parties, including the undersigned, can subpoena, confront and cross-examine the AG’s witnesses under oath, with full subpoena power for reluctant witnesses such as Mr. Obama and his staff.
Then and only then could the Court be confident it has a factual record on which to base future action.
Until testimony is taken under oath by this Court, and there is confrontation and cross-examination of the participants in the alleged conspiracies, and genuine “truth-seeking” is under way, this Court lacks any factual record on which to act. The AG’s unsubstantiated factual claims lack any credibility or authenticity and must be disregarded.
IV.
IMPEACHMENT IS THE PROPER CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDY
The Illinois Constitution provides for the process of Impeachment to remove Executive Officials, Article IV,
V, § 14. Impeachment of corrupt public officials is an ancient common law remedy that appears in virtually every state constitution in this nation, as well as in the U. S. Constitution. Impeachment is not intended to be quick and easy; on the contrary it is a complex process designed to afford the accused due process similar to that which the official would receive in a criminal proceeding.
There is no doubt that in the current controversy impeachment could be invoked to indict and try the governor as provided for in § 14. But the Madigan Family is apparently aware that it lacks the legislative votes to convict and remove the Governor through normal constitutional processes, and so has adopted the brazen strategy of asking this court to make history by misconstruing common English and accepted definitions of “disability” to remove the Governor by judicial fiat.
The Court would be irreparably damaged as an institution if it succumbed to the temptation to act in this preemptory and inappropriate manner.
It is a truism of the law that courts avoid extreme remedies when less extreme and nonjudicial remedies are available. There is no reason for this Court to assume jurisdiction of the controversy when the Constitution affords the General Assembly the plenary power to proceed with impeachment and there is no evidence of reluctance on the part of legislators to proceed in that manner.
But even if the General Assembly was reluctant to impeach, and even if the Madigan Family lacked the votes to convict and further their political plans, what possible justification could there be for this court to usurp legislative prerogatives? There is none whatsoever.
V.
THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROCEEDING, BOTH IN FRONT OF THE COURT AND BEHIND THE CURTAIN, HAVE SELF-INTEREST, NOT THE PUBLIC INTEREST, AT THE CORE OF THEIR APPEARANCE BEFORE THIS TRIBUNAL

1. This proceeding turns on the interpretation of a simple, single word with a well-worn definition in common usage, “disability.” The AG has tried to stretch the term “disability” to make the word’s impact in the Illinois Constitution coextensive with the legislative procedure of impeachment. But it is clear that if this Court were to accept the AG's interpretation of the term “disability,” impeachment would be rendered nugatory and a meaningless procedure under Illinois law. Why would the general Assembly impeach if the Court could simply remove with the stroke of a pen?
The AG relies on one dictionary for her definition of disability. The undersigned reached for the dictionary under his desk (Appendix pp. 1-2). In his dictionary “disability” is defined as either “the condition of being disabled,” or, more pertinently: “Law. A legal incapacity or disqualification.”
Nowhere does the definition of disability fit the AG’s tortured definition of covering conduct involving an arrest without indictment and conviction of a crime. The Illinois Constitution gave the General Assembly the power to define “disability”, Article V, § 6 (d), but the legislature has never done so, which is why both the AG and the undersigned rely on dictionaries.
But wait. The legislature has in fact defined disability in a different context, Appendix. § 15 ILCS 335/4A (Appendix pp. 19-20) where the term “disabled person” is defined. Since this is the only definition of the term “disabled,” and the term “disability” is coextensive with “disabled,” this Court should adopt the General Assembly’s definition of "disabled” and reject the AG’s.
2. Although the undersigned was the first to raise questions about the USA’s circus in arresting the Governor, he has been followed by others who have raised similar questions, see Appendix pp. 13-14. They also question the federal government’s behavior toward the Governor. Thus, the AG’s attempt to inflate and expand what is at the core a very deficient and defective series of federal criminal insinuations should cause this Court to pause and ask, why? The answer is, of course, self-interest and conflict of interest on the part of the AG and her father. In Illinois there is never any other explanation.
3. The Fifth Amendment to the U. S Constitution requires a grand jury indictment before a defendant faces criminal charges (except for misdemeanors). As of the writing of this petition, there has been no indictment, only an arrest. A mere arrest does not even come close to being clothed with legitimacy sufficient to remove an elected public official. Sp why is the AG using such a fallacious claim to seek the Governor’s removal? That is an obvious “asked and answered” question, see above. The AG and her father lack the votes to proceed through the democratic process, so they are asking this court to rule by judicial fiat.
4. Although the AG claims she is acting in a “public” capacity, she is motivated solely by the apparent political interests of her father and herself. Her interest in advancing to the Governor’s office is well-known. It appears that an elaborate scheme has been created to (i) protect Barack Obama from the embarrassment of having to disclose and detail his contacts with the Governor; (ii) to allow the Madigan family to realize their dreams of controlling both the legislative and executive branches of Illinois government simultaneously. Their only request is that the justices of this court approve their de facto coup against democratic processes. For shame.
The media have created a lynch mob atmosphere, with inflammatory editorials calling for the removal of the Governor. Removal for what? On the basis of edited phone calls, no doubt taken out of context, and before the Governor is even charged with a crime? The efforts of self-interested politicians such as the AG to use her current office to create public panic and hysteria, and to profit thereby with her own political advancement, should stop at the doors of this Court.

CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, this Court should summarily dismiss the AG’s petitions and proceedings and direct that any further activity proceed pursuant to the Illinois Constitution’s procedures for impeachment.
The undersigned would also appreciate it if the Court granted him leave to appear and be heard in this matter.
Once the Court rules that due process applies to the bizarre activity involving the Governor, the AG’s plan to seize power by judicial fiat will collapse of its own weight.
In forty years of fighting corruption in this state the undersigned has never seen a more brazen political scheme to use and abuse the judiciary for personal political benefit than the documents submitted in this proceeding by the AG.

Respectfully submitted,


ANDY MARTIN

Constitutional scholar/Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin will oppose efforts to remove Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

Andy Martin charges Illinois Attorney General with “Pirate Politics.” Martin accuses Illinois Democrats, Barack Obama and the “Madigan Family” of trying to subvert the Illinois Constitution and staging a de facto coup against the people of Illinois.

Internet powerhouse Andy Martin will defend Illinois Constitution against attacks by the “Madigan Family”

Martin asks Illinois Supreme Court to strike Madigan’s attack on Blagojevich as “frivolous litigation” and abuse of the public trust

The Blagogate Chronicles, Part Four”

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FRIDAY NEWS CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN ASKS ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT TO ALLOW HIM TO DEFEND THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION AGAINST DEMOCRATIC PARTY PREDATORS

MARTIN CHARGES THAT WLS-AM DEFAMED HIM AND THAT CHANNEL 7 ANCHOR RON MAGERS IS TRYING TO SMEAR MARTIN WITHOUT AFFORDING ANDY ANY OPPORTUNITY TO DEFEND HIMSELF

“MEDIA SMEARS, CROOKED MADIGAN FAMILY POLITICS, SOMEONE HAS TO STAND UP AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION,” SAYS ANDY. “I’LL DO IT.”

“I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN ILLINOIS FOR OVER FORTY YEARS, AND THIS IS THE BIGGEST CASE EVER,” SAYS ANDY.

“I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR I AM DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE, NOT ANY INDIVIDUAL AND NOT BLAGO PERSONALLY”

MARTIN CHARGES “MADIGAN FAMILY” WITH “PIRATE POLITICS”

(CHICAGO)(December 12, 2008) Constitutional scholar and Internet powerhouse Andy Martin will hold a 5:30 P.M. Chicago news conference today, Friday, December 12th to announce that he will ask the Illinois Supreme Court for permission to appear in and defend Governor Rod Blagojevich from the predatory political manipulation of the “Madigan Family.”

“Sleazy and crooked politics in Illinois fell to a new low today when the ‘Madigan Family’ joined with the Obama Gang in trying to stage a coup against the incumbent Governor.

“The issue is no longer whether Rod Blagojevich is right or wrong. The issue is whether our Constitution can come under assault by predatory politicians in the Democratic Party.

“I first met and worked with Abner Mika forty-three years ago when he was a reformer in the Illinois legislature. Abner has now become the follower of a 'cult' involving Barry Obama. I am saddened that Ab has now become an Obama doormat and that he is joining with Lisa Madigan to stage this outrageous political coup. I would only point out that Mikva held very different views about removal from public office during the impeachment of Bill Clinton.

“It is not my role to defend Blagojevich personally. I am sure he will have counsel. But I am asking the Illinois Supreme Court to allow me to defend the Constitution of Illinois against the predatory politicians of the Democratic Party.

“What the latest attack on Blagojevich means is that the ‘Madigan Family’ is trying to cut a deal to seize a U. S. Senate seat in conspiracy with Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, and to short-circuit the democratic process of impeachment. This is Illinois ‘Pirate Politics’ of the first order. How is Madigan’s self-interested use and abuse of public office any different than Blagojevich's?

“Lisa Madigan’s filing in the Illinois Supreme Court is utterly and completely frivolous. She may be a good politician, and she may have a powerful daddy, but she is obviously an incompetent lawyer. And she has taken along with her a bunch of mendacious Democrats.

“Republicans have a duty to defend out limited and divided government. Today Lisa Madigan has joined forces with Barack Obama to stage an attempted coup against an unpopular incumbent. There is a right way and a wrong way to remove a public official. Pirate Democrats chose the wrong way.

“I will be asking the Illinois Supreme Court to disqualify Lisa Madigan and to strike her petition as having been filed in violation of a naked conflict of interest on her part,” Martin will state.

“Finally, I also note that Ron Magers went on WLS-AM yesterday and slimed me. If Mr. Magers wants to attack me, he should do me the courtesy of allowing me to defend myself. WLS told me they were not interested in allowing me to defend myself against his false claims. For shame. Media smears are apparently part of an orchestrated campaign to take down the governor and anyone who stands up against the dirty politics on all sides of the Democratic Party. I will stand up for democracy and our Constitution and Mr. Magers and Channel 7/WLS-AM be damned.”

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

Constitutional scholar and Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin

WHAT:

Andy Martin will fight Lisa Madigan in the Illinois Supreme Court, ask court to dismiss her petition against Governor Rod Blagojevich

WHERE:

Southeast corner of Huron and Wabash Streets, Chicago

WHEN:

Friday, December 12, 5:30 P. M.

MEDIA CONTACT:

(312) 440-4124; (866) 706-2639; CELL (917) 664-9329
-----------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: www.OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed shipment) from the publisher are available.
-----------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money for the ongoing fight against Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
“Our ability to continue to defang and defeat Barack Obama after Election Day is directly dependent on the generosity of every American. The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a BILLION dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com

-----------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329

E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Andy Martin says Blagogate is morphing into Obamagate

Martin now questions the motives behind the arrest of the Illinois governor. Constitutional expert Martin says the shenanigans involving Barack Obama and Rod Blagojevich are a spreading cancer that reflect a de facto coup by Obama’s supporters in Illinois government and possibly the U. S. Attorney’s office. Martin says the stonewalling by Obama’s senior advisers and Obama’s casual response to requests for facts about his role reflect something amiss in the Obama camp.


Obama author Andy Martin believes “Blagogate” may be morphing into “Obamagate,” as Obama’s evasiveness takes a toll on him

Martin says Illinoisans may have been the victim this week of a “de facto political coup” by Barack Obama & Co.

Does Obama have a “Deep Throat” in the federal government in Chicago?

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

DOES OBAMA HAVE A “DEEP THROAT” INSIDE THE U. S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE? IS THAT DEEP THROAT PATRICK FITZGERALD OR SOMEONE CLOSE TO FITZGERALD?

WHY IS IT TAKING OBAMA “SEVERAL DAYS” TO ASSEMBLE A SIMPLE LIST OF CONTACTS BETWEEN HIS TINY STAFF AND GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH’S OFFICE?

IS OBAMA “PLAYING FOR TIME?” IT APPEARS SO

DOES “STONEWALLING” BY EMANUEL AND AXELROD RAISE THE WATERGATE QUESTION, “WHAT DID THEY KNOW AND WHEN DID THEY KNOW IT?”

(CHICAGO)(December 12, 2008) “Blagogate,” of course, concerns the questionable conduct of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. But as Blagogate metastasizes, “Obamagate” is starting to emerge.

Obama may not be guilty in Blagogate, but he is acting guilty. His evasiveness is significant. The obvious evasiveness of Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod is highly significant. This is the way Watergate began.

I first walked into the federal courthouse in Chicago forty years ago. After spending forty years in a building on and off, you learn a lot about the place, and the people who work there. Something stinks in Blagogate, and that odor is now morphing into Obamagate.

Obama said Thursday he needs a "few days” to compile a list of contacts. A few days? He sure isn't taking the arrest of the governor seriously, or acting expeditiously. His response time reflects a leisurely attitude to getting the facts out. It also reflects deliberate evasiveness. I read Lynn Sweet’s comments today from Boston, and David Axelrod apparently refused to provide the date when he last spoke to Blagojevich, http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/1327703,CST-NWS-sweet12.article Why couldn’t he give a simple, straight answer?

Rahm Emanuel was attending a children’s concert when Obama was announcing his HEALTH team. HEALTH team. Emanuel took a walk, and stonewalled.

The cover story that Valerie Jarrett was never interested in the senate seat is hogwash. Can you image how powerful her role could be if she was sitting inside the senate caucus as an Obama intimate? She may not have had a burning desire to be a U. S. Senator, but to say no one was interested in seeing her appointed to Obama’s vacant and unused seat is blarney.

On and on it goes.

Let me tell you straight up where I am heading. I think Obama has a “Deep throat” in the U. S. Attorney’s Office. It could be Fitzgerald, but probably not. Rather, someone close to Fitzgerald is the mole.

Governor Blagojevich’s behavior is certainly loathsome and possibly criminal. But that is no excuse for the lynch mob circling his office. Blago is not going quietly into the night. There will be dog fighting of legendary proportions. And slowly, but inexorably, Obama is being sucked into conflict. Obamagate is rising from the ashes of Blagogate.

By inauguration day, Obama could be bleeding. He could be politically dead before he even takes the oath of office. Obama, after all, is a man of “confidence,” not substance. He has created public “confidence” that he will do something. But what? Public confidence can erode in an instant, as it did for Blagojevich.

All we have seen to date is edited and thus self-serving government versions of tapes that raise serious doubts among lawyers. I was the first to question the strength of the federal case; others are following me. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-oped1212crimedec12,0,7874931.story

ContrarianCommentary.com usually leads, and we are on the cutting edge of this story.

I had a feeling during the Tony Rezko trial that the U. S. Attorney’s office was protecting Obama. The criminal case against Barack Obama concerning the Rezko land deal for the purchase of Obama’s mansion was a good deal stronger than the criminal case against Governor Blagojevich involving the “sale” of Obama’s senate seat. But the prosecutors walked away from a strong Rezko-Obama charge, while they are now trying to pump up a weak Blagojevich crime. Who did it, and why?

Likewise, Obama was tipped to the Blagojevich situation some time in November. Not every one was in on the tip. Obama kept the information close to his chest. There was also an unseemly haste on Tuesday to absolve the Obama campaign of any wrongdoing. Deep throat, can you hear me?

Finally, anyone following Blagogate would be a fool to believe that Blago has no evidence to support his defense or to undermine the government’s case against him.

What has happened this week in Chicago, under the auspices of federal prosecutors and Barack Obama, is nothing less than an attempted coup. The FBI released “edited” tapes. Blago was not allowed to present a defense. And a chorus of media goons starting demanding an immediate resignation. This was a de facto coup. And it may have failed. It may have backfired.

Rather than Blago shaking down Obama, the facts may ultimately show that when Blago stood in Obama’s way, however wrongly, Obama used his juice inside the federal government to remove Obama forcibly. I have always felt that Obama has dictatorial inclinations. We may have seen the first installment this week in Chicago.

Go back and look at the 1969 film “Z” by the director Costa-Gavras. What first appears to be a mistaken killing turns out on closer inspection to be an attempted coup. Or, go see the new movie “Doubt” this weekend. Both films deal with the distortions of reality which can take place when all the facts are not known.

Obamagate? You heard it here first.

After forty years in the U. S. Courthouse I can hear the ghosts. You see and learn a lot in 40 years. And what I have seen tells me something is terribly wrong with Blagojevich’s arrest. What’s wrong with Blagogate is Obamagate.

[P.S. I have been warned I could be in danger. I tend to discount such suggestions. But if anything does happen to me, you will know who was behind it.]
[P.P.S. This column is the first chapter of what I expect to become a very long and complex story. Obamagate has a long way to go.]
----------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: www.OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed shipment) from the publisher are available.
----------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money for the ongoing fight against Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
“Our ability to continue to defang and defeat Barack Obama after Election Day is directly dependent on the generosity of every American. The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a BILLION dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He is currently based in New York selling his new book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. He is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (3120 440-4124 or (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Internet powerhouse Andy Martin offers to serve as interim U. S. Senator from Illinois on a nonpartisan basis

“Blagogate” bombshell: Illinois Governor could name independent reformer to the U. S. Senate. In a letter to embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Illinois corruption-fighter Andy Martin offers to serve as interim U. S. Senator on a nonpartisan basis. “Everyone in Illinois politics knows me,” says Martin. “I go back forty years fighting corruption and irritating both political parties with exposures and disclosures. And I am the only person in the state who has the experience and immediate resources to have a senate office up and running when Congress convenes in January. Once the senate seat issue is taken of off the table with my appointment, the politicians can fight out their other differences without compromising our voice in Washington.” Martin pledges not to campaign for reelection or engage in political activity during the 2-year appointment.


Internet powerhouse Andy Martin suggests that Governor Rod Blagojevich name Martin as interim U. S. Senator

The Blagogate Chronicles, Part Two”

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FRIDAY NEWS CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN ASKS GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH TO NAME MARTIN AS INTERIM UNITED STATES SENATOR

MARTIN AGREES NOT TO CAMPAIGN OR DO FUND RAISING FOR ANY 2008 ILLINOIS ELECTION

“CHOOSING ME WOULD CONFOUND BOTH PARTIES AND PLACE A REFORMER IN THE SENATE,” SAYS MARTIN. “THEY WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME REJECTING MY APPOINTMENT”

(CHICAGO)(December 12, 2008) Internet powerhouse Andy Martin will hold a Chicago news conference today, Friday, December 12th to announce that he is asking Governor Rod Blagojevich to name Martin as interim U. S. Senator.

“The Governor’s options are limited,” Martin will tell a Chicago news conference on Friday. “If he tries to make any traditional or conventional choice for the interim appointment, everyone will immediately and ruthlessly attack. So for practical purposes he has lost the power of appointment. But the People of Illinois should not lose their voice in Washington.

“Likewise, the Washington Post’s call today for a special election would be costly and deny Illinoisans a voice for many months.

“I am a well-known figure in Illinois politics. I have a record of over forty years fighting corruption in both parties. No one can accuse me of ‘pay to play’ or anything remotely related. I have devoted my entire life to exposing and opposing political corruption in Illinois.

“I have contemplated being a candidate in any special election or 2010. But I think I can be of greater service to this great state by foregoing any further ambitions in 2009-2010, and offering to serve the People of Illinois without conducting campaigning or fundraising, on a nonpartisan basis as interim U. S. Senator. If the Governor selected me, his opponents would have a hard time denying the seat to an independent reformer and corruption fighter.

“The reality is that the hysteria of the past few days will pass, no later than the approach of Christmas. If I were a lawyer advising the Governor, I would urge him not to resign, but rather to hunker down and fight back. That advice obviously contemplates an extended period of uncertainty.

“The Attorney General’s threats to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to remove the Governor are nothing but media-inspired blather. Article V, Section 6 of the Illinois Constitution does not remotely give the Attorney General the right to seek to remove the Governor for political reasons. General Madigan’s vacuous threats are as inappropriate as the Governor’s own behavior.

“I am not a ‘politician’ and I will file and record with the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, prior to taking the oath as U. S. Senator, an enforceable contract allowing the voters to remove me if I breach my solemn commitment not to campaign, not to file with the Federal Election Commission and not to open a campaign account. As a matter of contract law, I will deliver ‘consideration’ of $10 to the Illinois Treasurer’s office.

“I promise to serve independently of any party, and on as nonpartisan a basis as possible. I will not sit with either party in the Senate. I promise to devote myself unselfishly over the next two years to solving our great national problems, and to helping heal the wounds which are now laid bare to the people of this state, to the nation and to the world, as a result of Illinois’ unfortunate history of greed and graft.

“Because of my extensive legal and legislative experience I can be effective from day one. I don’t need a learning curve. I have the resources to have my senate office up and running when Congress convenes in January.

“I am as an unlikely a choice for senator as anyone can imagine, but my selection would both frustrate everyone in the political world and ensure that Illinoisans had an immediate voice in Washington over the next two years.

“I would obviously have to step down as a leader of the anti-Obama movement.

“The Governor will hopefully act expeditiously on my suggestion and offer,” Martin will state. “In all likelihood it is the best, and only, offer he will receive or can successfully accept to fill the vacancy. My appointment as interim U S. Senator will probably be the Governor’s last opportunity to redeem the pledge of reform that he made six years ago.”

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

Internet Powerhouse and Author/Editor/Internet Columnist Andy Martin

WHAT:

Andy Martin suggests that Governor Rod Blagojevich name Martin as interim U. S. Senator. Martin agrees not to seek election and to avoid any campaigning or fund raising activity. He would serve on a nonpartisan basis.

WHERE:

Southeast corner of Huron and Wabash Streets, Chicago; afterwards, Martin will proceed to the Thompson Center where he will deliver his offering letter to the Governor’s office.

WHEN:

Friday, December 12, 2:00 P. M.

MEDIA CONTACT:

(312) 440-4124; (866) 706-2639; CELL (917) 664-9329

--------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329

E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

“Chicagoblanca” is coming to a theater near you, starring Barack Obama and Andy Martin in a remake of the firm classic “Casablanca”

Andy Martin says Barack Obama should be “appalled” at himself, not Governor Rod Blagojevich. “Chicagoblanca” is coming to a theater near you, starring Barack Obama as a venal police chief who profits from the winnings of his corruption in Chicago. In an inspirational end to “Chicagoblanca,” Barack Obama and Andy Martin run off to Indonesia, where they open a “Café Chicago” and sell booze to the locals. “I’m still a ‘Jakarta street kid at heart,’” Obama says on arrival in Jakarta. Cheers!

Coming to a theater near you: “Chicagoblanca,” featuring Barack Obama as Captain Barack Hussein Renaud

The “Blagogate Chronicles, Part One”

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Coming: a new cinematic thriller, with Captain Barack Hussein Renaud “appalled” by corruption in Chicago

“Dead men tell no tales; the live one is also a crook”

Andy Martin and Barack Obama run off to Jakarta in a remake of the classic film “Casablanca”

(CHICAGO)(December 12, 2008) “Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” Election Day/matinee star Barry Obama is coming to the silver screen in a new role starring as “Captain Barack Hussein Renaud,” the Prefect of Police in Chicago who is “appalled” by the discovery of corruption in his home city. “I am shocked, shocked, to learn that there’s corruption going on in Chicago,” is one of Obama’s signature lines in the remake of the World war II love story “Casablanca.”

Just as Claude Raines, starring as Inspector Renaud, feigns “shock” at the discovery of gambling in the original film, while carrying off his winnings, Barry Obama will feign that he is “appalled” by the corruption in the casino that has been his base of political power for over a decade, while carrying off his winnings for being part of Chicago’s corrupt political culture.

Obama who claims he could not pay his credit card bills eight years ago, has become rich enough to refuse his U. S. Senate salary, all as a result of his participation in the corrupt politics of his “home” town.

In a stirring scene with breathtaking beauty, “We’ll always have Hawai’i,” Obama tearfully abandons the corruption of Honolulu for the venality of Chicago as outrigger canoes carry “Barry O” to a waiting pirate galleon en route to Occidental College. Unbeknownst to Obama, Andy Martin is an undercover corruption fighter on the ship “Chicago’s Fortune.”

The Chicago Tribune protested when Senator John McCain broadcast ads highlighting corruption in Chicago.” says Andy Martin. “If McCain had not been such an incompetent idiot, he would be heading to the White House today. McCain had the issues; he was too ham-handed to use them.

“Barack Obama has claimed he is ‘appalled’ at the corruption in Chicago. He cites three ‘selfless’ public servants; two are long dead and the third, Dick Durbin, is a crook who uses his wife as a ‘bag man’ lobbyist.

“If Dick Durbin is Obama’s prime example of living integrity, we better “fasten our seat belts” as we include a scene in Chicagoblanca loosely based on “All About Eve.”

Who is this man Barry Obama, soon to be Barack Hussein Obama, kidding? If he didn’t know there is corruption in Chicago, and that Blagojevich was a crook, he is too incompetent to serve as one of Blagojevich’s toll collectors on the Illinois Tollway, let alone as president of the United States.

Does George Bush know about Obama’s lack of intelligence? Bush has refused to allow Obama to move into Blair House early. Maybe GWB should reconsider. Obama is a stranger to Washington, having barely visited the place. ‘Bama might miss the inaugural parade if it doesn’t march past him at Blair House.

“I invite any sentient being to ‘Google’ Obama + ‘Illinois corruption’ and see how many times Obama has denounced corruption or the Daley Machine. On the contrary, BHO has regularly endorsed the politics of sleaze, from African-American neighborhoods plundered by Obama’s sponsor Tony Rezko right down to the kleptocracy of Richard Daley’s City Hall. Obama has been an integral part of corrupt politics in Illinois. Period. He should be ‘appalled’ at himself, not Blagojevich.
“My book, ‘Obama: The Man Behind The Mask,’ is a ‘Chicago story’ retelling the history of Obama’s long-time links to organized political corruption in Chicago. Obama has coexisted comfortably in the ‘iron triangle’ of Chicago politics,” Martin says. www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-10-dec10,0,7674669.column
Andy Martin will also play a starring role in “Chicagoblanca” as a cynical cafe owner and political reformer who ends up in Chicago but refuses to run off with the girl he loved in Honolulu. Instead, Andy runs off with Barry Soetero Obama, to Indonesia, where they set up a “Café Chicago” and make a killing selling booze to Muslims.

*****COMING NEXT: President-select Barack Hussein Islama, in a new starting role as the Muslim prince who captures the hearts of America’s liberals and is torn asunder by the challenge of picking an “Islamic capital” from which to proclaim the surrender of the American people to the Caliphate of Osama Bin Laden. Includes some violence and gory scenes of slaughtered Americans ( R ).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed) from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money for the ongoing fight against Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com.
“Our ability to continue to defang and defeat Barack Obama after Election Day is directly dependent on the generosity of every American,” says Executive Director Andy Martin. “The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for. But while Obama has raised more than a third of a BILLION dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
-----------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his new book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Andy Martin on the Illinois scandals: Blagojevich may not be guilty as charged

Andy Martin says prosecutors may be as guilty as the crooks in Illinois. Chicago corruption fighter and law professor Martin says that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich appears to have been the victim of prosecutorial overreaching and a shabby attempt to smear the governor in the media. ‘Blagojevich may be guilty,” Andy says, “but not ‘guilty as charged.’”


Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin raises questions about the feeding frenzy over Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ILLINOIS CORRUPTION FIGHTER ANDY MARTIN SAYS HE IS “UNDERWHELMED" WITH SOME OF THE CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST THE ILLINOIS GOVERNOR

SPEAKING AS A LAW PROFESSOR, MARTIN SAYS THERE IS A WIDE GAP BETWEEN SLEAZY POLITICS AND CRIMINALITY

(CHICAGO)(December 11, 2008) Since the mid 1960’s (yes, 1960’s) I have been fighting political corruption in Illinois. I began as a young law student at the University of Illinois. And you know what? The more successful I was in exposing and fighting corruption over the decades, the more vicious the attacks directed at me by the Illinois establishment.

The “establishment” in Illinois is corrupt. That is why corruption is so resilient and why efforts to permanently extirpate crooked politics have been a failure. Today I am confronting the children and grandchildren of the crooks I was fighting in the 60’s. And the new generations are just as corrupt as their forebears.

When I was a very small part of a team that exposed two crooked Illinois Supreme Court judges in 1969, the Supreme Court retaliated by attacking me. So I don’t have to take a back seat to anyone, including U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, when it comes to fighting corruption. Or in expressing cynicism about the way the system operates and endures over the decades.

But I also know that Mr. Fitzgerald’s prosecutors routinely abuse their powers. His office has prosecuted and persecuted innocent persons because of their views on the Middle East. The FBI often acts like a Gestapo agency. No public official, including corruption-fighters, can be given a blank check or uncritical acclaim. To do so is demagogy, not democracy.

Governor Rod Blagojevich must be the most reviled person in America today. He is front-page news everywhere. But is he guilty? Potty-mouthed Blago is also one of my recent opponents. I have sued the governor to block his corruption. Unlike Barack Obama, I was against Blagojevich when it was unpopular to be the governor’s adversary. So I am not here to defend Blago’s tactics or his record.

Still, under our system of justice, even a guilty man, let alone an innocent one, is entitled to his day in court. After all of the news conferences and media coverage generated by the prosecutors, how can the governor obtain a fair trial? Good question.

There is a deeper problem with the Blagojevich prosecution, however. In the real world, in the courts, there is a wide gap between sleaziness and criminality. Just because some activity is gross does not mean that it constitutes a crime.

I have read the Blagojevich indictment. I can loosely separate it into four parts: (1) the Rezko-connected charges; (2) the Tollway and related local corruption charges; (3) the Chicago Tribune charges; (4) the “sale” of Barack Obama's senate seat.

Let’s go backwards.
Obama’s campaign guru David Axelrod said last month that Obama and Blagojevich had discussed filling Obama’s seat (the Axelrod clip is on the internet). Oh, that was last month. Yesterday Obama undermined what Mr. Axelrod said, and denied any contact with the governor. Who do you believe?

I have previously written that there is an appearance of impropriety, a suspicion if you will, about the way Obama resigned early, because the early resignation of his senate seat allowed Blagojevich to start selling the office earlier. Was there a link?

Did all of the sound and fury and profanity on the “Blagojevich tapes” constitute a criminal act? I am underwhelmed. Earlier this year I predicted that Tony Rezko, an Obama-Blagojevich kingpin, would escape the most serious charges lodged against him at trial. I was proven correct. The jury agreed with me.

Now I am willing to predict that if Blago ever comes to trial, he will be acquitted of the Obama-related charges. Prosecutors abused their powers by including inflammatory accusations that reflect extreme sleaziness and corruption on Blago’s part, but not criminal conduct. The eavesdropping on the governor was, in its own way, as sleazy as the governor’s own behavior.

Since the dawn of organized civilization (if what we have in Illinois can be called “civilization”), people have traded favors. Politicians routinely engage in quid pro quo, or tit for tat, negotiating. The “senate seat” criminal charges against Blagojevich suffer from a stark defect: there is no victim there. “Candidate 5,” Representative Jesse Jackson, Junior, has angrily denied any impropriety. I believe him.

Promising to raise funds in exchange for support is not a crime. Asking “what can you do for me if I do for you?” is similarly not a crime.

There may be instances where the demand and offer are too explicit, but mere political bantering and positioning and negotiation are not criminal activity. This is what I expect Blago’s lawyer to argue at trial. The indictment does not allege that anyone claims to have been a “victim” of Blago’s extortion and fraud. Without an overt act to demand cash, there is no crime. Sleazy? Undoubtedly. Criminal? Not likely.

Maybe some new “senate seat victim” will appear before trial. I doubt it. I’m not exactly sure, of course, but I doubt the prosecutors will produce anyone who says “he extorted me.” Thus, the most scandalous charges against the governor were apparently inserted precisely to generate scandal, and to draw attention from the other aspects of the indictment. Trial by newspaper and TV news should concern every American.

Backtracking again, the Tribune accusations look like more smoke and mirrors. Is Blago's language outrageous? Absolutely. He is as sleazy as we thought. But does what he said constitute a crime? Again, I doubt it. People often talk in outrageous terms in the privacy of their own office, when they are sitting around a table blabbing among themselves. Should all of us fear making an outrageous statement at home, just in case the FBI is listening in? When a football coach exhorts his players to "kill" the other side he is not soliciting murder.

What was interesting when the accusations broke on Tuesday was the way Tribune employees denied having any inkling of extortion. Without a Tribune employee to say “I was extorted” there was and is no crime.

The prosecutors’ claim that they acted to stop a “crime spree” was strange. And suspicious. You don’t “stop” a crime before it is committed; you prosecute after a crime is committed, particularly a “white collar” crime where evidence of intent is elusive and the need for actual proof of motive is essential. Once again, I am doubtful of the prosecutors’ motives and tactics.

Scrolling backwards again, I am not as certain of the charges related to the Illinois Tollway, which has been a notorious sinkhole for corruption since the first day it was opened to vehicular traffic. We were fighting Tollway corruption back in the 1960’s. The more things change.

Finally, the first issue, the Rezko-related accusations in the indictment. Tony Rezko, of course, is the man who financed Barack Obama’s mansion in Chicago, and raised money for all of Obama’s campaigns. He got Obama his first job, at Rezko’s law firm. Rezko was convicted of some of the smaller crimes, and acquitted of the major accusations against him.

Rezko was also a fundraiser for Blagojevich. The Rezko-related accusations are the government’s strongest criminal case, but the least “sexy,” since there is nothing new. Most of the Blago charges involve Rezko matters that were disclosed earlier this year.

In perspective, it appears that the “non-crime” crimes, such as the senate seat sale and the Chicago Tribune caper, were added to the genuine crimes as a means of attracting media attention and allowing prosecutors to conduct a publicity parade against Blagojevich. For shame.

It would be easy for me to ignore the obvious and glaring defects in the Blago prosecution and remain silent. After all, I am a corruption-fighter and he is a crook. But my love and loyalty to the Constitution compel me to condemn government overreaching just as honestly as I condemn criminal activity. Over forty years of experience teaches me that you must always stand up for the truth even at peril to yourself.

I have stood against corruption in Chicago and Illinois, and I have paid a horrible price for my defiance of the crooked establishment. I am routinely reviled by judges and the media on the basis of false and malicious accusations. Still, because I am confident of the truth, I am proud to fight on and move forward, whatever the price. Even my life.

I can’t speak for Blago, but I expect him to mount a defense. I think it unlikely he will resign. More likely, he will stand and fight. Maybe. Maybe not. (Blago may have even set his own trap for the prosecutors; but that's a story for another day.) I am convinced that if the charges against him go to trial, however, many of them will be found vacuous and wanting.

Finally, when it comes to criminal prosecutions, America is a sick society. I understand the need for the rare “perp walk,” where an accused criminal is moved from one area to another in front of cameras [see e.g. Conradt v. NBC, 536 F.Supp.2d 380 (S.D.N.Y. 2008)]. But even in the case of common criminals, some courts have condemned the prejudicial aspect of such police behavior. I don’t like it. Storming the governor’s home at 6:00 A.M? And dragging him out in handcuffs? That was disgraceful conduct by the federal government. The reality is that our governments, state and federal, are crass bullies that do everything they can to demean defendants and to deny them a fair trial.

How is what happened to Blago any different than the early stages of what the Nazis did to the Jews? (Before the concentration camps.) The “knock at the door” is a phrase we associate with Nazism, Stalinism and dictatorships, not our “democracy." Blagojevich received a knock at the door. “We are here to arrest you.” At 6:00 A.M.

For all of his vulgarities, Blago was the chief executive of a state. His attorney could have been called and asked to come in with his client for a conference. Was there any need to handcuff him at 6:00 A.M? None whatsoever. Once again, the FBI-Gestapo and overzealous federal prosecutors were trying to win their case in the media before it would actually be tested in a courtroom. Disgraceful behavior.

The manner in which Blagojevich was treated, and many other similar defendants are treated every day, is barbaric. Did we really need to have O. J. Simpson chained and appearing in rags in court to be sentenced on TV? Or was this display a subliminal threat by the “system” to every Black man. We can do to you what we did to O. J. Slavery is only a night’s sleep away from today.

The Romans liked to stage parades, and drag chained people through the streets. Jesus Christ was subjected to a similar display, which we reenact as Good Friday. As Jesus himself would say, don’t talk about the sliver in the other man’s eye, when you have a log in your own eye. We are just as savage today in America as they were in biblical times. The Cook County (Chicago) jail is a disgrace to humanity and a dungeon of Victorian squalor.

Sadly, no one has commented on the outrageous manner in which the “United States” treats defendants. Many aspects of American society, and in particular the prosecution of crime, remain uncivilized and unprincipled.

Bottom line: Blagojevich may be guilty of something, but not the “crimes” you are reading about in the newspapers and seeing on TV. Save this column and read it “after the trial.”

----------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his new book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Andy Martin says “appearance of impropriety” links Barack Obama to indicted Governor Rod Blagojevich

Andy Martin says Barack Obama’s early “resignation” of his U. S. Senate seat appears to have been part of a corrupt scheme involving Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to resell the seat on an expedited basis. At a Chicago news conference December 10th, Martin will demand that Obama “come clean” about his links to the indicted Illinois governor. Obama author/expert Martin says “The cesspools and sewers of Chicago politics are already overflowing, and Obama hasn’t even been sworn in yet.”

Obama author Andy Martin demands that Barack Obama make “full disclosure” of Obama’s links to the “Senategate” sale prosecution involving Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF WEDNESDAY NEWS CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN SAYS “I TOLD YOU SO: THE DALEY MACHINE’S FIRST SCANDAL ERUPTS EVEN BEFORE OBAMA TAKES THE OATH OF OFFICE. NOW WE KNOW WHY OBAMA RESIGNED HIS SENATE SEAT EARLY: SO BLAGOJEVICH COULD GET A HEAD START ON RESELLING IT.”

“WHAT DID OBAMA KNOW, AND WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?” MARTIN DEMANDS

ANDY SAYS BLAGOJEVICH-OBAMA-REZKO LINK POINTS TO A CORRUPT DEAL TO RESELL THE SENATE SEAT TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.

“THE CESSPOOLS AND SEWERS OF CHICAGO POLITICS ARE OVERFLOWING,” SAYS MARTIN

(CHICAGO)(December 10, 2008) Internet powerhouse Andy Martin will hold a Chicago news conference today, Wednesday, December 10th to demand that Barack Obama make a full and immediate disclosure, under oath, of his links to indicted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s “Senategate” seat sale prosecution.

“Ho, ho, ho, Santa Obama came early,”. Martin says. “‘Play to pay?’ I am embarrassed to say that I have been proven wrong by Obama & Co. I thought they would wait until the inauguration to start their financial shenanigans. Obama is out of the starting blocks earlier than I expected.

“Did Obama ‘resign’ his senate seat early to give the Governor an edge in peddling the vacant office to the highest bidder? There is no doubt that Obama’s expedited resignation of his senate seat last month, long before he was required to step down, empowered Blagojevich: it gave Blago expedited authority to enrich himself with an early sale.

"David Axelrod has said Obama and Blagojevich discussed a senate replacement. Was the Obama machine oblivious to what was going on under its nose in downtown Chicago? If they claim they do not know what is happening in Chicago politics, are they going to proffer the same defense about their lack of understanding of world politics? Obama’s minions obviously had to know what Blagojevich was up to. Resigning early allowing Blago to cash in early. There appears to have been a deal between Blago and 'Bama. Whoa.

“Finally, Obama’s peculiar, expedited resignation makes sense. The possibility that Obama and Blago made a deal is inescapable. It flies in your face. Obama continued to act in his self-styled capacity holding a non-existent office, ‘Office of the President-Elect,’ while the Daley-Obama machine was in high gear trying to resell his seat. The appearance of an Obama-Blagojevich-Axelrod ‘Senategate’ conspiracy stinks to the high heavens. The sewers and cesspools of Illinois politics are overflowing. The stench is so prevalent it may even scare off Santa,” Martin says.

“Governor Blagojevich’s #1 fund raiser, Tony Rezko, was--no surprise--Barack Obama’s #1 fundraiser as well, and helped raise money to fund the purchase of the ‘Obama compound’ on the south side of Chicago. Is there a connection between these men? Obama, Rezko and Blagojevich are linked like a string of German sausages.

“Can you imagine what Washington is going to be like when the Obama-Daley looters descend on the capital? The sacking of Rome will look like a weenie-roast by comparison.”

Martin’s book “Obama: The Man Behind the Mask,” details the long history of links between Barack Obama and sleazy/corrupt Illinois politicians. Martin is currently exploring with his publisher whether to prepare a second book on the fall 2008 campaign and the aftermath of Obama's election.

Andy Martin is Illinois’ most respected corruption fighter; he has over forty years of experience exposing the vermin that control the levers of power in the city and state, see AndyMartin.com. Barack Obama is only a Barry-Come-Lately to the Illinois corruption derby.

Martin is a likely candidate in any special 2009 election or the 2010 election to replace Obama in Washington. He has not offered to buy the office.

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

Internet Powerhouse and national anti-Obama leader, Author/Editor/Internet Columnist Andy Martin demands that Barack Obama disclose his links to the “Senategate” seat sale scam

WHAT:

National anti-Obama leader Andy Martin says the links between Blagojevich, Obama and Rezko raise the inescapable “appearance” that Obama was part of a deal for him to resign his senate seat early so that Blagojevich would get a head start cashing in by reselling the Senate seat to the highest bidder before January.

WHERE:

Southeast corner of Huron and Wabash Streets, Chicago

WHEN: Wednesday, December 10, 3:00 P. M.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639; CELL (917) 664-9329

TO PURCHASE BOOK: Immediate shipment from http://www.amazon.com/ or signed copies (delayed shipment) from www.OrangeStatePress.com

----------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies from the publisher are available.
----------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money for an ongoing fight against Barack Obama.
http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com. Our ability to continue to defang and defeat Barack Obama after Election Day is directly dependent on the generosity of every American."
The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions for political action, and unlimited donations for persons wanting to support our legal action (court costs, fees, travel, etc.); there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised more than a third of a BILLION dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He is currently based in New York selling his new book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Is a Washington, DC news conference showcasing anti-Obama scam artists?

The U. S. Supreme Court becomes ground zero in a con game by anti-Obama profiteers. Paranoia spreads as hucksters undermine the anti-Obama movement. Con artists such as Philip Berg seek to cash in by filing false legal claims against Barack Obama. The Chicago Tribune suggests this travesty will never end. You be the judge.

Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin slams "hucksters" who are lying to the public to profit from anti-Obama sentiment

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ARE THERE REALLY "RUMORS" COMING FROM THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, OR ARE PARANOID CON ARTISTS UNDERMINING THE ANTI-OBAMA MOVEMENT?

WHO IS PHIL BERG AND WHY IS HE RAKING IN THE CASH FOR FILING CRACKPOT CLAIMS ABOUT BARACK OBAMA?

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN BLAMES THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA FOR FAILING TO DO THEIR JOB, BUT SAYS CREATING LIES IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY OBAMA'S OWN FABRICATIONS

(CHICAGO)(December 8, 2008) Over four years ago I created the anti-Obama movement by disclosing that Barack Obama was lying about his religious heritage. I went on to publish the first questions about Barack Obama's citizenship (and forced Obama to admit I was right) as well as making a continuing series of disclosures about the man. But I am increasingly concerned that the anti-Obama movement is passing into the hands of fast buck artists such as a corrupt Philadelphia lawyer, Philip Berg, and other con artists or profiteers who do not have any legitimate basis for their inflammatory accusations against Obama.

Con men make it difficult for honest columnists to present legitimate questions about Obama. There is no way I can compete with the litany of lies that is being marketed as "facts" and "law" to a deceived public.

Three basic points:

First, people have a constitutional right to dislike Obama. In our free society no one can tell us who to believe, and who to follow. Every American leader in recent history has also had his rabid opponents. There is nothing new about the militant anti-Obama partisans. Indeed, in a healthy democracy, skeptics keep politicians in line by exposing their lies and shining light on suspicious activity. In principle, I strongly support the anti-Obama movement, because I am one of those skeptics.

Second, Obama has been his own worst enemy in creating doubt and fanning speculation about himself. He is an unknown man. He has secreted his college records from occidental College. He has secreted his records from Columbia University, and he has secreted his records from Harvard Law School. What has oozed to the surface has linked Obama to the most unsavory and anti-American elements in our society. Bill Ayers, anyone? Khalid Al-Mansour, an anti-Semitic, anti-white Black nationalist, has been exposed as someone who raised money to finance Obama's legal education. What?

Obama refuses to discuss an of these matters.

Obama posted a laser-printed abstract of his birth record on the Internet at FactCheck.org, and falsely portrayed this document as a "copy" of his "original birth certificate." It was nothing of the sort. But Obama fooled a lot of people with his big lie. Why did he lie, and why did he falsely represent what he was posting? Good question. But by constantly and repeatedly lying, Obama has been the biggest source of suspicion concerning his birth and family history.

Third, the decline of mainstream media (MSM's) has helped fuel crooks and paranoids on the Internet. Last month in Honolulu I began a nationwide series of "Conversations" about the future of Obama's opponents. I was surprised by how little was known about Obama, even by his legitimate and sincere opponents. The MSM's never did their job.

Last month I also exposed a Philadelphia con artist, Philip Berg, who has been issuing increasingly fraudulent claims and making increasingly irrational arguments against Obama. Berg claims to be a "Hillary Clinton supporter, when he is nothing of the sort.

Last week an advertisement ran in the Chicago Tribune challenging Obama's qualifications for office. There were legitimate questions contained in that ad, as well as gross exaggerations and undocumented accusations. In my opinion, the ad would have been more powerful if it had stuck to the facts, and Obama's lies, instead of creating a new round of deception and misrepresentation by his opponents.

Who is to separate the wheat from the chaff? Monday, three people who have filed lawsuits against Obama are holding a Washington, DC news conference. Readers and citizens should have a "contrarian" commentary on the three lawyers who are attacking Obama.

First, Philip Berg. As near as I can tell, Berg is a scam artist and nothing more. He filed a crackpot lawsuit to collect money and, one presumes, to put the money in his pocket. I spoke with Mr. Berg before he filed his lawsuit, and advised him his claims were injurious to Obamas legitimate opponents. Berg didn’t care. He just wanted to scream—and ask for money.

Berg filed a paranoid lawsuit in federal court and, as I told him it would be, the case was promptly tossed out. He then filed a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals and, for good measure, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to cancel the 2008 election. I have lost track of Berg's wild charges. A few days ago I heard from a woman in Florida who made the paranoid claim that Berg has provided "secret evidence" to the Supreme Court. Yah, sure. People will believe anything. What was her source for the claim about Berg? Directly or indirectly, no doubt Berg himself.

The irony in Berg's lawsuit and the two which I discuss below is that they are pinning their hopes on Justices Thomas and Scalia. These two judges have done more than anyone else to close down and lock out citizen participation in the judicial system. So are we to assume that judges who have been locking the courthouse doors by issuing restrictive interpretations of "standing to sue" are now suddenly going to reverse themselves and reject the pronouncements of their entire judicial careers? Could happen, of course. But highly unlikely.

Second, there is a lawyer from New Jersey named Leo Donofrio. No one had ever heard of Mr. Donofrio before he popped up and also demanded to stop the 2008 election. Unlike Berg, Donofrio followed the correct legal highway, by petitioning state officials, and then working his way up through the state courts, before filing with the U. S. Supreme Court. There is no question that procedurally, Donofrio has followed the correct path.

But do Donofrio's claims make sense? Donofrio claims Senator John McCain is not "natural born" because his father was serving in the military when the senator was born. That claim is complete nonsense. Donofrio makes a similar accusation against Obama. If Donofrio had some track record of being either a legal scholar or an recognized advocate, I would look more deeply at his claims. But Donofrio has no track record as an attorney at all. Would you listen to a "surgeon" who was making radical new surgical claims if he had no record of any medical accomplishments? Not many people would.

Finally, there is Alan Keyes and his lawyers in California. I am not an admirer of Alan Keyes. He is a charlatan and huckster who carpet bagged in Illinois and appealed to some right-wing morons in the local Republican Party. Keyes helped elect Barack Obama to the Senate in 2004. In the process, Keyes administered a blow to Illinois Republicans from which they have not yet recovered. "The rest is history."

But, amazingly, Keyes has the best case of the "DC threesome." Keyes' name was on the ballot last month. Undoubtedly he has standing to challenge Obama. Unlike Berg and Donofrio, who are representing themselves, Keyes actually has an independent lawyer who is therefore responsible for filing a meritorious claim at the risk of his own career.

I don’t know a thing about California law, where Keyes' case was filed, but he is certainly following the outline I presented on a talk radio program last month: people could challenge Obama's election at state election agencies and thereafter in state courts. Keyes has apparently gone to court on a proper basis. His petition seems to be the most valid, and the most rational, of the three that that are popping up at the Washington news conference on Monday.

But Keyes is also a political profiteer. He uses his political activism to run a very lucrative business. Keyes is not a Republican and he is not even a politician. Rather he uses the political grandstand to merchandise his views for profit, and he makes a very good living at it. It's a free country, and his activity appears to be legal. So if people who agree with him want to financially support him, that is their right and privilege.

The level of paranoia that these cases are spawning, however, is exploding beyond reason. I spoke to a woman last week who seemed rational. By Friday she was accusing me of hurting Obama's opponents by telling the truth about them. She was not the first person who told me I should accept lies if they were being spread for a good cause, namely opposition to Obama. I refuse to do so.

Are there questions about Obama's birth certificate? Indeed there are. I have filed my own lawsuit in the state courts in Hawai'i, the only courts that actually have jurisdiction over Obama's document, to release the certificate. On October 31st I prompted a big lie from Hawai'i officials: Chiyome Fukino issued a statement on her official state letterhead stating that she had "personally seen and verified…has Senator Obama's original birth certificate on record in accordance with state policies and procedures."

What do those weasel words mean? She could have an "original birth certificate" confirming he was born in Kenya, as the extremists want to believe. And why is she covering up the original document? The birth certificate is no longer a private document; it is a part of American history. Whether you love or hate Obama, he is now a part of our history, a big part. I have asked the Hawai'i judge in my case not to insult the intelligence of the American people by falsely claming he is protecting Obama's "privacy." That's nonsense.

Interestingly, however, I am the only investigator who has actually filed a lawsuit seeking access in the proper state under the proper court procedures seeking the proper material. That does not guarantee me a win, but it makes my lawsuit in Hawai'i a serious one, in comparison with Berg's frivolous claims in federal court. Why is no one else seeking the truth in Hawai'i? Maybe they would prefer to peddle their lies. Lies seem to be more profitable. And cheaper to produce.

The latest "lie" is that there is "evidence" that Obama was born in Kenya. If I had a shred of credible evidence that Obama was actually born in Kenya, I would jump on it. And, do you know what? Bad as they are, even the MSM's would be all over the story. That claim first crossed my desk last spring. But there is not a shred of credible evidence that Obama was born in Kenya.

Over the past few months there has been a bogus operation called the African Press International that has been peddling lies and exaggerations about Obama and—no surprise—they are linked to Philip Berg. http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2008/10/michelle-obama-african-press-update.html

Berg was also the originator of the plan to bombard the Supreme Court with letters. I don’t know how many have been sent, but they would never be helpful to a litigant with a legitimate claim.

People who are not lawyers often misunderstand the "right to petition" clause of the First Amendment. The "right to petition" is not an unlimited right to do what you want where you want with any and all public officials. You can’t just barge into the White House and "petition" the president. Likewise, over the past 200 years Courts have developed procedures for petitioning them. Sending letters to judges is not one of them. Once again, the purveyors of paranoia are misleading the public, by falsely claiming that the "right to petition" allows them to harass judges. It does not.

Over the past four years I have made serious charges or accusations against Obama. They have all proven to be factually accurate. And where my opinions have changed after more research and investigation, I have openly acknowledged that fact. Rather than trying to excite people with lies, I have tried to do exactly the opposite: present the truth so we can have an informed debate on Obama's limitations and weaknesses.

But in the case of Obama I have constantly been told that lying is the right approach when the truth is not available or inconvenient. The ends justify the means when you are against Obama. I disagree. Berg doesn’t care about truth, facts or credibility. He is using lies as a fund raising mechanism, to exploit the anti-Obama element that is as rabidly and blindly anti-Obama as the "Obamabots" are pro-Obama. I do care about the facts and truth.

Finally, an article in today's Chicago Tribune helps explain why the Internet has become such a forum for the delivery of misinformation. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obama-birth-certificate1dec08,0,7258812.story

As MSM's have declined, and news organizations have been striped of their resources, hucksters have moved in to sell paranoia and disinformation at a profit. Jerome Corsi followed me to Honolulu, and falsely claimed the Governor had "sealed" Obama's birth records. He never corrected his story when the Governor denied his claims. The truth was expendable. He did nothing to challenged the Governor's rebuttal. He just went on to new claims.

Likewise, WorldNetDaily.com has published writers who have been both sources of accurate information about Obama and also provided gibberish masquerading as "constitutional" analysis. Junk sells. People who hate Obama will believe anything, and pay for the privilege of being deceived.

I would love to believe Obama was born in Kenya. Yes I would. And if anyone can show me any evidence of that fact, I will look at it seriously. But the "caller" I spoke with last week now claims she has the exact time when Obama was born in Mombassa. She has become unhinged because of her irrational hatred for Obama. She also believes Obama's "grandmother," who supposedly claims she was present when Obama was born. Sadly, the old woman who was originally but falsely portrayed as "granny" by Obama himself (shooting himself in the foot, again) is probably senile and is not his grandmother at all. She was not his father's mother, period. But Obama managed to fool the Chicago Sun-Times. That paper falsely labeled her as "granny" on its web site for months.

Maybe Obama is reaping what he sows: he lies to the public, and his lies boomerang on him when they are exposed and fuel new speculation. But at the end of the day, even Obama's lies have to yield to the facts and the truth. And the fact and truth is that his "granny" is not his granny, and the possibility she was present at his birth is remote to nonexistent. Obama exploited a senile old woman for his own disinformation purposes, and now his opponents are doing the same.

Maybe Obama and his paranoid protesters deserve each other.

Where do we go from here? First, let me make an obvious observation. Politicians are given a very wide berth in our political system. From Senator Joe McCarthy, who falsely claimed he had a list of "200 communists" in his pocket, down to the present, politicians and political activists have unfortunately used and abused free speech with exaggerations and disinformation. Obama himself is a master of disinformation and misrepresentation. The constitution protects these exaggerations.

But misusing the courts is entirely a different matter. As I told Phil Berg in August, no one has a right to file a false pleading in a federal court and claim "I saw it on the Internet." Courts want documentation, not hyperventilation, for arguments presented to a judge. Courts are not a political forum, even if some judges abuse their powers. Courts are not a place for liars, incompetents and con men. That is why Berg and Donofrio are likely to lose, and likely to disappoint their supporters, who will no doubt immediately spawn a new round of "rumors" and fabrications about the "real" basis for their defeat.

Almost every day I get e-mails talking about "rumors" about what is happening at the Court. Rumors from whom? You get the picture.

Secondly, I will continue to strive and search for the truth. I have often said I follow the fictional Sergeant Joe Friday, "Just the facts, ma'am." The facts may not be easy to get to, and judges may rule against you. But that is no reason to fabricate "facts," and I refuse to do so.

In addition, as any honest and experienced lawyer knows, in a court of law if you mix lies in with the truth, the lies will undermine the truth and destroy your case. Lawyers who file fantasies in court seldom win, and they often do damage to the very causes and clients they claim to be supporting.

The fact is, Obama has been the source of a great many lies, and he refuses to tell the truth. Why? But, on the other hand, how could sensible people vote for someone like that? These are legitimate issues. But just because they are legitimate issues does not mean they can be fashioned into legitimate lawsuits.

Finally, blame the MSM's, and blame them legitimately. But, at the end of the day, we still need to confront and attack Obama on his lies, and not create and concoct our own lies to fight back.

By all means, feel free to ask me to attack and expose Obama. I delight in doing so. But please don’t ask me to lie about him. I won’t do it.

----------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama. http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com. Please give generously up to the maximum of $100. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions; there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his new book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Obama author Andy Martin’s questions about Barack Obama persist in a Chicago Tribune ad

Barack Obama and The Psychoed: Is Andy Martin the man Obama wishes would “stay away?” Internet Powerhouse Martin challenged Barack Obama’s citizenship on February 8, 2007. Since then, Obama has been forced to admit he was born with Kenyan nationality, and Martin’s probing questions and commentary continue to raise a firestorm of controversy from the White House to the Internet.

Andy Martin lit a bonfire under Barack Obama in 2007; the flames are still burning brightly and show no signs of burning out

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ON FEBRUARY 6, 2007, INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN LIT A BONFIRE UNDER BARACK OBAMA WHEN MARTIN RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FACTS CONCERNING OBAMA’S CITIZENSHIP

MARTIN’S 2007 CONCERNS HAVE METASTASIZED AND CONTINUE TO CAUSE INCREASING PROBLEMS FOR THE MYSTERIOUS MAN WHO CLAIMS TO BE PRESIDENT-ELECT

WHAT IS BARACK OBAMA HIDING, AND WHY WON’T HE RELEASE THE DETAILS ABOUT HIS PAST?

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE ADVERTISEMENT TODAY IS ONLY THE LATEST INSTALLMENT IN A CONFLAGRATION CREATED BY ANDY MARTIN’S RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

(CHICAGO)(December 1, 2008) On February 8, 2007, ContrarianCommentary.com published the first research and commentary questioning Barack Obama’s citizenship. http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/08/barack-obama-is-citizen-of-kenya.html (see comments);
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1977605/posts

There were questions then; there are questions today, almost two years later.

Obama later admitted the claims we made in 2007 were accurate; he was indeed a dual citizen of Kenya at his birth. http://fightthesmears.com/articles/5/birthcertificate (scroll down)

But Obama continues to conceal a wealth of critical personal information about his past.

Obama may have thought his “election” would put to rest questions about his birth, or his early years in college and law school. He had it exactly wrong. Doubts about someone who was merely a candidate have morphed into persistent and insistent demands for “President-elect” Obama to disclose more about his personal history so that Americans can have a complete picture of the man who now claims to be their future leader. http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/12/01/obama-birth-certificate-rears-its-ugly-head-again/?icid=200100397x1213691203x1200912886

Obama is stonewalling these demands.

The public’s concerns fall into two areas: (1) questions about Obama’s birth and citizenship, and (2) questions about his early years as a college and law student.

The demands for information about Obama’s birth raise constitutional questions. We do not subscribe to all of the claims that have been made about Obama’s birth; indeed, we reject many of them because they are unproven. But we are still unable to express a definitive opinion about where he was born. Over four years after we began to study Obama, his origins are still opaque.

Obama’s own family has given conflicting information about the hospital where Obama was born. Obama’s presence in Washington State days after he was allegedly born in Hawai’i are troubling, particularly given the claim that his mother was "poor." Maybe there are easy answers for all of these question. But Obama has been the prime mover in raising doubts about himself, and he continues to be the only reason the doubts have become a cloud on his election.

Obama posted a “birth certificate” (“certificate of live birth”) on the Internet at FactCheck.org. He falsely claimed this was a copy of the “original.” It was nothing of the sort. It was a laser-printed “abstract” from a database.

Our lawsuit in Hawai’i and the contemptuous comments of a Hawai’i judge that he was protecting Barack Obama’s “privacy” form an important part of the Chicago Tribune ad on December 1st. The mere thought that Hawai’i politicians could manipulate and conceal an important document in American history (whether we like Obama or not, his name was in the ballot and he received a lot of votes) shows just how corrupt Hawai’i and how contemptuous Obama’s cronies there can be.

Regarding the second area of controversy, there are reasons to believe Obama portrayed himself as a Muslim in seeking college admission, and may have sought affirmative action assistance. A respected New York official has claimed that Obama’s law school expenses were paid by a Saudi Arabian activist, Khalid Al-Mansour. Obama has tried to ignore these obvious issues. But the more he ignroes them and refuses to deal with them openly and honestly, the longer they will persist.

“As I was going up the stair, I met a man who wasn't there;

H e wasn’t there again today; I wish, I wish he’d stay away.”
Hughes Mearns, The Psychoed

As Barack Obama has ascended his stairway to the White House, Andy Martin has been there. Andy is the man who will not go away. He keeps asking the tough questions. He keeps fighting for the truth, and nothing but the truth, about who Barack Obama really is. The American people have a right to know.
----------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say that Andy Martin’s book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies from the publisher are available.
---------------------------------------------
URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama is raising money to oppose President-elect Barack Obama. http://CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com. Please give generously up to the maximum of $100. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama is directly dependent on the generosity of every American.
“The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama limits itself to $100 maximum contributions; there are no bundlers, fat cats or illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised almost a billion dollars, his opponents have raised virtually nothing. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will."
E-mail: contact@CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com
---------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting experience in radio and television. He is currently based in New York selling his new book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]