Martin O'Malley on the Tsarnaev Death Sentence

 

 After the a jury sentenced Dzhohkar Tsarnaev to death for killing three people and maiming 264 exploding two bombs near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, former Governor Martin O'Malley weighed in.  

While the prospective Democrat Presidential candidate claims to respect the decision of the jury, his rhetoric reverts to a blame America first mode.  

Dead Man Walking Nun Gives Explosive Testimony on Boston Bomber's Private Remorse

Before the defense rested its case during the penalty phase of the surviving Boston Bomber's trial,  Attorney Miriam Conrad called to the stand Sister Helen Prejean, C.J.S. to testify about Dzhohkar Tsarnaev's character. The 76 year old nun gained renown for her book Dead Man Walking (1994), that has been made into a movie (1996) an opera (2000) and a play  written by Tim Robbins (2002).  Dead Man Walking chronicles insights of the mindset of convicted murderers drawn from interacting with two prisoners on death row. The experience lead Sister Prejean to become an ardent anti-capital punishment activist.

Sister Prejean met with Tsarnaev five times since early March 2015. Sister Prejean testified that the 21 year old Tsarnaev brother seemed genuinely sorry for his actions. In fact, Prejean quoted the Boston Bomber: "No one deserves to suffer as they did." Prejean purported that Tsarnaev's "face registered" what he was saying as "absolutely sincere".  CNN reporter Deborah Feyerick claimed this was nothing short of explosive testimony.



It's a pity that Dzhohkar Tsarnaev chose not to take the stand during the guilt phase, in which he was convicted on all 30 counts, nor during the penalty phase, so that the people could discern if it was real remorse or crocodile tears delivered through an earnest activist. Boston Bombing victims in the gallery shook their heads during claims that Tsarnaev was remorseful.

One revealing threat of testimony which was quickly quashed was when Sister Prejean started to speak about comparative religions.  Sister Prejean noted that the Catholic Church had become more and more opposed to the death penalty. The prosecution objected on that point (as they had been chary about an anti Capital Punishment advocate testifying in the first place).  Defense Attorney Conrad interjected "Let me stop you right there".

 Was this a quick acquiescence to an inevitable objection or did the Defense not want to be too explicit in revealing their hand to the jury on Prejean's presence? Defense experts note that if one juror objects to the death penalty, then the Defense achieves its objective and Tsarnaev gets a life sentence without parole.  It is thought that someone of Sister Prejean's stature might be able to influence the jury.

Another ancillary aspect of Sister Prejean's testimony was playing to the look of innocence.  Prejean testified that when she first met Tsarnaev: "I walked in the room, I looked at his face and said, 'Oh my God, he's so young!'" .  This played into the defense argument about youthfulness and impressionability.  It echoes the Tiger Beat style cover of Rolling Stone.  This innocent impression lends more sympathy then the fact that Tsarnaev was convicted of mounting a jihad inspired attack to punish American which killed three people and wounded 264 people.

Although it is understandable that an anti-Capital Punishment advocate like the Sister Prejean would want to testify on behalf of the Boston Bomber, it strains credulity that Tsarnaev's defense would rely on hearsay of remorse rather than have the convicted criminal show his true self up on the stand.

After eight days of testimony which called upon 44 witnesses, the defense rested its case after Sister Prejean's testimony.  The twelve jurors will begin deliberations on Wednesday to determine if Tsarnaev would be in line for a lethal injection or serving a life sentence (presumably at Supermax) without possibility of parole.

The Audacity of Snoop?

After public hue and outcry about the NSA collecting metadata of Americans without warrants, now President Barack Obama will now demand that private communications companies hold the information for six months (at whose expense? ) and the government will then use secret courts to access the information.  But wait, there will be an independent board to rubber stamp the rubber stamps of the FISA court.

What about the $2 billion 100,000 square foot  NSA data center that recently opened near Bluffton,  Utah (a.k.a.  Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center).  

NSA Data Center, Camp Williams, Bluffdale, Utah

Is that now a white elephant or will it continue as a black operation? Let me guess, the facility will supposedly be mothballed and the federal government will funnel communications companies money for the privately held data centers.  

Time will tell if Mr. Obama's long winded remarks on domestic spying pans out to any real reforms. The Obama Administration claims that the NSA program has saved lives, but no specifics were cited.  But we can point to egregious instances which the government dropped the ball (e.g. the Tsarnaev Brothers who conducted the Boston Marathon bombing).  Of course, Attorney General Eric Holder instructed the Department of Justice to expand the definition of "racial profiling" to include religion, even in national security cases.  So GIGO--Garbage In, Garbage Out.

It seems like it is just the Audacity of Snoop.

A Bit About Choosing Between Christ and Government Cheese

[L] Kay Daly, Executive Director of Christian Family Ministry (photo: Suwaunee Valley Times)

Fox News Radio's Todd Starnes reported how Christian  Service Center of Lake City Florida is being forced between choosing Jesus or Government Cheese.  For 31 years, this north  Florida ministry had been providing food the the hungry without controversy.  But when a state government worker showed up to negotiate  an agreement , Christian Service Ministry Executive Director Kay Daley was told that a "slight change" in the contract.  Now the governmental guidelines about where USDA food is distributed, there can be no religious information under the premise of "the separation of church and state". 

The Executive Order for Equal Protection of Faith Based and Community Organizations is supposed to allow governmental assistance as long as the religious activity does not create a barrier to individuals receiving their governmental assistance.   Yet the Christian Service Center was told that they were prohibited from distributing Bibles but this ban religious information that included  religious decorations, like "Jesus is Lord" banners and a copy of the Ten Commandments, where ever  USDA food is distributed.  Hence Stern's characterization of choosing Jesus or government cheese.

The organization asked if they needed to change their name from the Christian Service Ministry to comply and they were told no, but no praying, mentioning of chapel, distributing Bibles or beign around religious decoration.  The Christian Service Ministry chose to forgo USDA assistance in their ministering to the hungry.  Kay Daly mused:

“If God can multiply fish and loaves for 10,000 people, he can certainly bring in food for our food pantry so we can continue to feed the hungry.”

The Christian Service Ministry decided that they were a Christian ministry, which included helping people in need by praying with them, providing the Good News, worshiping and providing physical nutrition without government "help" and interference.  Other churches are reportedly pitching in the fill the void from the governmental help in feeding the hungry was withdrawn.  

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So the Christian Service Ministry was probably within their legal rights to conduct their social service ministry in their own space, but since a federal functionary did not probably interpret the lawcorrectly (and understands this Administration), it would cost big bucks to litigate to keep federal funds flowing to feed the hungry. No wonder why the Christian Service Ministry chose to forgo their cut of the Government Cheese.

Nevertheless, as Bob Dylan put it: "You don't need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows." The Obama Administration has been hostile for respecting the free exercise of religion, as has been seen in the HHS Qualified Health Plan(Contraception) Mandate arguing that the Freedom of Religion means the Freedom of Worship--so believe whatever you want in the pews but that respect ends at the church doors. Ministers are now routinely barred from mass casualtysituations like the Boston Marathon bombing, for fear of the separation of church and state.  This is a fundamental misunderstanding of Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Church of 1802 and is a reaction to aggressive atheism in small segments of the American polity.

SEE MORE at DCBarroco.com 

Kickstarting World War III?

Strange days are these.  Russian Federation President (and former KGB Officer) Vladimir Putin chimerically sounds like a reasonable diplomat regarding the Syrian crisis. The United States government is contemplating intervention in the Levant to support al Qaeda elements who is at war with America in Benghazi, Boston and Ground Zero on 9/11.  President Obama's White House address to the American people on Syria manages to simultaneously co-opt the Bush doctrine while criticizing his predecessor.

Would it be that far fetched to believe a Kickstart Campaign to start World War III?  Second City satirizes our Nobel Peace Prize winning President.

Hometown comics really know how to push this POTUS's buttons. All save the reset button,  Unfortunately, the gimmick Reset button which former Obama Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented to her Russian counterpart in 2009 was mistranslated and read "Overload". Symbolic or synchronicity for the second term?

NSA--Can You Hear Me Now? Not Good.

With the news of the National Security Administration (NSA) procuring metadata records of Verizon customers, there has been some rethinking of the classic cellular commercial.




It seems that we now know who the Verizon guy was checking in with--"The Big Guy" as the Teleprompter of the United States calls POTUS.

What the public can deduce from the NSA/Verizon scandal is that the Boston Bombers, Tamerlin and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were not Verizon Wireless customers.

h/t: Jerry Holbert

Sighting the Ship of Fools--Boston Bomber's Scrawled Confession

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev surrendering in boat after manhunt   [photo: AFP/CBS News]

While Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was held up hiding in a backyard boat in Watertown, MA after the Boston Marathon Bombing, he scrawled a confession.  The U.K.’s Daily Mail reports that the 19 year old thought that he was dying while hiding from the police.  Tsarnaev found a pen where he was hiding from the police and wrote on the interior wall of the boat.

The younger Boston Bomber’s apologia reveals that Dzhokar did not mourn his brother Tamerlan’s death as he was a martyr living in paradise.  Dzhokhar opined that he expected to join his brother soon.  Of course, Dzhokar may have been confused about his final destination.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev claimed that the bombings were retribution for American actions against Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The younger Boston Bomber claimed that the three innocent civilians killed and the 175 people maimed by the  Boston Bombings were “collateral damage”, like the thousands of Muslims who were victims of American violence.  Dzhokhar defiantly declared: "When you attack one Muslim, you attack all Muslims.”

 Abdul Ali Alharbi [photo: Okaz]

CBS News reported that investigators were interpreting this note as evidence that the Tsarnaev Brothers  were self-radicalized and that they were not Chechen stooges for a broader jihadist plot.  How convenient.  But what about the hub of strange activity surrounding Abdul Ali Alharbi, the well connected Saudi student hospitalized with burnt hands after the Boston Bombing who was then set to be deported by ICE under section 202 (3)(b) for “Terrorist Activities”?   Out of sight, (out of country), out of mind?


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If the Boston Bombing investigators are seriously pursuing the theory that the Tsarnaevs acted alone and letting other conspirators "slip away", they themselves are lost at sea on a ship of fools.  Unfortunately, such a pleasure cruise could run America’s ship of state aground.

SEE MORE at DCBarroco.com

The Most Interesting Woe-Man In the World?

It is amazing how Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's official story has changed about the Saudi so called student who was guarded as a person of interest before the Obama Administration dropped all concerns about an individual due to be deported as a terrorist. 

In a fluid investigation of an atrocity like the Boston Marathon Bombing, it is understandable the investigators might have false leads.  But it is curious how Napolitano's story has changed. On April 18th Big Sis sarcastically refused to answer any questions from Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC 3rd) about any person in custody.  Napolitano said on the record: :“I am unaware of anyone being deported for national security reasons at all...again, I don’t think that he was technically a person of interest or a suspect that was a wash”.

Less than a week later, Janet Napolitano testified before the Senate that the Saudi "student:

He was not on a watchlist.  What happened is — this student was, really when you back it out, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He was never a subject.  He was never even really a person of interest.  Because he was being interviewed, he was at that point put on a watchlist, and then when it was quickly determined he had nothing to do with the bombing, the watch listing status was removed..

Obviously, there was double speak from the Secretary in the DHS in that utterance as he was not on a watchlist before he was put on a watch list.   And now the U.S. government officially does not know where this material witness to the Boston Bombing has gone.

Napolitano also relied on the student visa, where he was supposed to be a student at the University of Findley, except this foreign exchange student never showed up for classes in Northeast Ohio, yet managed to be front and center for the Boston Marathon when there was a terror attack.  The government claims that the Saudi student transferred to Boston.  The problem is that the University of Findley has no records of the transfer.

There continues to be a hub of strange activity about the Boston Marathon bombing, but the bizarreness continues to emanate from between the beltways in the District of Calamity. But if America is still has the rule of law  instead of a rule of men, it might be woe for the most interesting Woman still in the Obama Cabinet.

h/t: The Blaze 

A Bit of Loony Toon Interviews with Boston Bombers' Kin

Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Aunt, Maret Tsarnaev, who lives in Ontario, Canada, gave a presser when Boston was on lock-down in pursuit of the fleeing terrorists.  She insists that they are being framed.





Hearing that your kin has killed and crippled scores of innocent people at the Boston Marathon might not compute so it is somewhat understandable the Maret Tsamaev would proclaim her newphews innocence when besieged by the press.   What is not as easily excused is seeking out the media to shill her fantastic viewpoint. 

On Saturday, the Blaze Radio Network’s Buck Sexton Show had an unprompted phone call from Maret Tsarnaev.  



At first, it sounded as is Ms. Tsarnaev was extending an olive branch to those impacted by the atrocity.  But shortly afterwards, she continued to peddle the narrative of “The boys were framed, there is no proof–you do the math.”  While it is possible that this was a crank call, the grief in the woman’s voice along with the consistency of the denial made it less likely that it was a Howard Stern cohort or other crank yankers.

Buck Sexton blazed with stinging impeachment of the Aunt’s proclamation of innocence, which he later seemed to regret, as he assumed that it was family still in denial.  Granted, that is a charitable assessment but it begs the question of why such a person would seek out media and push crackpot conspiracy theories.  It frankly sounds like a foundation is being laid for a “Loose Change” campaign which has persuaded a significant minority of people to believe that 9/11 was an inside job, despite all of the probative facts. 

SEE MORE at DCBarroco.com 

Boston Bombing Victim Instrumental in Identifying Terrorists

One of the more striking images from the Boston Marathon bombing was a photograph of a ashen hued, gravely  injured victim  being wheeled away from the terror site.

Carlos Arredondo assisting Jeff Bauman, at Boston Marathon Bombing
[photo credit : Charles Crupa/ AP]

Jeff Bauman, Jr.  is a 27 year old was waiting near the finish line to cheer on his girlfriend running in her first Boston Marathon.  After the first explosion, Bauman had lost both legs below the calf and his shirt was on fire. The man in the cowboy hat, Carlos Arredondo, stopped distributing flags, jumped over the fence and ran toward the victims laying on the ground.  Arredondo extinguished Bauman’s burning shirt with his hands, tore off a shirt to act as a tourniquet on a leg stump. Arredondo stayed with Bauman to comfort him until emergency workers reached the blast victim.

Bauman had to be resurrected during surgery as he had almost exsanguinated. Unfortunately, both of Bauman’s legs had to be amputated.  But while Bauman was still in intensive care on Tuesday under heavy sedation, he asked for paper and a writing utensil.  The patient wrote “bag, saw the guy, looked write at me.”  

When Bauman was put in contact with the FBI, he was able to describe the bomber as wearing “cap, sun glasses and a black jacket over a hooded sweatshirt.”  Bauman noted that he locked eyes with the terrorist who placed the backpack at the finish line.   This description was enough for law enforcement to eventually identify  Tamerlan Tsarnaev, suspect number 1.




As news broke out that Bauman was instrumental in identifying one of the terrorists, bloggers began a crowd-funding campaign to cover Bauman's medical costs, which had raised $160,000 by Friday afternoon. 

In addition, Jeff Bauman was visited at Boston Medical Center on Thursday by Silver Lining Playbook star Bradley Cooper and New England Patriots Receiver Julius Edelman.  The football player tweeted a photo with the Twitter message:  'Visited #survivor #stud #hero Jeffrey Bauman Jr. today. He was looking great and is a true inspiration. #strong'. 

Jeff Bauman, Jr. being visited by Bradley Cooper and Julius Edelman [photo credit: @Edelman11/Twitter]

After the hub of strange activity around the Boston Bombing and the the bloody manhunt which shut down Beantown on Friday, it is good to give fanfare for the common men like Bauman and Arrendondo who facilitated the capture of the terrorist bombers.  May there be more stories of heroics to bring ALL of the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon Bombing to justice.

A Bit of the Hub of Strange Activity With the Boston Bombing

One of the nicknames for the city of Boston is “The Hub” as Bostonians consider themselves living in “The Hub of the Universe”.   Alas, after the Boston Marathon Bombing, it has become the hub of strange activity.   The race of government investigators to find those responsible for exploding two IED bombs that currently have killed three people and severely injured at least 150 has been conducted over a strange path indeed.

On the one hand, it is wise to remember in breaking news stories that initial reports are often wrong and the fog of war can obscure the truth.  Yet on the other hand, the Fort Hood shootings and the Benghazi bungle has shown how the Obama Administration will consciously publicize false stories, obstruct the truth and deny responsibility when it comes to linking the White House to foreign inspired terrorism during President Obama’s watch. 

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Yesterday was a strange day in the Lamestream Media.  Major news organizations like CNN and Fox News were reporting at 1:30 EDT from tips from high placed police sources that a suspect in the Boston Bombings was going to be arrested.  CNN’s John King reportage revealed that it was a “dark skinned man, but he did lingustical gymnastics so as not to report that he was foreign or a Muslim.  



The media expected a 1 PM FBI briefing on the impending arrest that was delayed five times then cancelled.  It is strange that two prominent media sources were burned with this explosive information. 

But putting these strange events in the Hub can best be understood by breaking the Bostonian conceit that it is the Hub of the Universe.  Events our nation's Capital, the  District of Calamity (sic) may have severely impacted the Boston Bombing investigations.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry had a photo op scheduled with a Saudi counterpart.  At the last minute, the meeting became a closed door meeting and the photo op was explained away as a scheduling mistake.  It is strange that Foggy Bottom would have set up a photo op for a scheduling mistake. 

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama had an unscheduled meeting with the Saudi Ambassador.  It was a “walk by” meeting, so as not to have it on the White House schedule.  The procedure is for a lower level Executive Branch official to have a meeting with an open office door and the Chief Executive walks by and notices someone and then has a closed door meeting.

What makes these instances of Executive Branch minutia relevant is how the story changed in Boston.  Sudden, there was no suspect that was going to be arrested.  In fact, the Saudi who had been a person of interest was suddenly slated to be deported.  





This repatriation to the Saudi Arabia for  20-year-old Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi was being framed as being close to his family.  But  Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi comes from a prominent Saudi family which may be supporters of Wahabbism (the sect of Sunni Islam that inspires Al Qaeda).  So the young Saudi with powder mark burns on his hands would be an embarrassment to the Saudi Kingdom and might cause a diplomatic fissure with the United States. 

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A hospitalized Abdul Rhaman Ali Albabi [photo: Okaz]

When Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi was considered a person of interest, an event file was created.  According to ICE, the reason is under section 212 3B — “Security and related grounds” — “Terrorist activities”.   Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi ‘s visa had been revoked and he had submitted to voluntary departure.  But before these public papers were classified and he was quietly shuffled off to Saudi, The Blaze exposed the situation and officials are reconsidering their strategy.   But the Saudi newspaper Okaz reports that the Saudi consulate has been assured that all Saudis have been cleared, including Alharabi and Nura Kahlid Saleh al-Ajaji

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So if the reports  about the linkage with the Saudis and dark skinned males are accurate, it does not fit the narrative which the Obama Administration would approve.  

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Before jumping to conclusions, it would be wise for the facts to shake out.  Unfortunately, experience has taught that the Obama Administration and the compliant Lamestream Media are happy to shun inconvenient truths.  And the hub of strange activity around the Boston Bombing has done nothing to dispel this perspective. 

Strange days indeed. 

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