Power Abuse | Gryffn Musings

Oil Spill Cover-Up

July 21, 2010 at 8:40 amCategory:Uncategorized

oil spill cover-up

Jean-Michel Cousteau (center) was turned away from a wildlife sanctuary by the U.S. Coast Guard after they discovered that an AP photographer was on board.

They don't want you to see this:

oil covered dying bird

Last week, a CBS TV crew was threatened with arrest when attempting to film an oil-covered beach. On Monday, Mother Jones published this firsthand account of one reporter’s repeated attempts to gain access to clean-up operations on oil-soaked beaches, and the telling response of local law enforcement. The latest instance of denied press access comes from Belle Chasse, La.-based Southern Seaplane Inc., which was scheduled to take a New Orleans Times-Picayune photographer for a flyover on Tuesday afternoon, and says it was denied permission once BP officials learned that a member of the press would be on board.

Here is the New Rule from the Police State:

Journalists who come too close to oil spill clean-up efforts without permission could find themselves facing a $40,000 fine and even one to five years in prison under a new rule instituted by the Coast Guard late last week. A "willful" violation of the new rule could result in Class D felony charges, which carry a penalty of one to five years in prison under federal law.

It's a move that outraged observers have decried as an attack on First Amendment rights. And CNN's Anderson Cooper describes the new rules as making it "very easy to hide incompetence or failure". . . .by banning reporters from "anywhere we need to be" . . . .

Remember Adm. Thad Allen promised: "Media will have uninhibited access anywhere we're doing operations, except for two things, if it's a security or safety problem," Allen told ABC News in June. . . . LIES, LIES, and more LIES.

"[T]o create a blanket rule that everyone has to stay 65 feet away from boom and boats, that doesn't sound like transparency," [said Cooper].

"With this, the Gulf Coast cleanup operation has now entered a weird Orwellian reality where the news is shaped, censored and controlled by the government in order to prevent the public from learning the truth about what's really happening," writes Mike Adams at NaturalNews. . . .

Reporters have been complaining for weeks about BP, the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard working to keep reporters away from wrenching images of oil-covered birds and oil-soaked beaches.

Here is a suggestion: take an amateur photog along as an "aide". There are hundreds of us with Canons and Nikons and good lenses that can do the same job for you.

Photographers say BP and government officials are preventing them from documenting the impact of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Poseur

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June 21, 2010 at 7:12 amCategory:Obama

After 17 months of apologizing, kow-towing, bowing and begging for credit around the world, President Obama has shown what a real failure he is. Watching Obama’s handling of the BP oil spill shows he’s a negligent manager and a poseur who reflects poorly on America.

President Obama had an opportunity to show the world his management skills and the international team spirit that he brags about. Yet he did not bother meeting with Tony Hayward, CEO of BP, a British based company that is also the fourth largest company in the world.

In a spectacular failure of international cooperation, Obama (the "citizen of the world"), with his hubris and aloofness, refused the help of the 17 foreign countries that offered assistance. The international community, which previously had believed in Obama’s commitment to “rebrand” America’s image abroad, likely realizes that Obama’s rhetoric was little more than posturing.

Almost 54 days after the U.S.’ rude refusal of that initial offer, Obama, in a humiliating reversal, sent an appeal to other nations for the help they originally offered. What an idiot.

Inexplicably and stupidly, Obama was awarded a Nobel Prize, before any real achievement, for "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples", but when he had an opportunity to act presidential and collaborative in the international arena, he screwed up again. Yeah, that was dumb.

There’s also the “unprecedented” level of arm-twisting, name-calling, finger-pointing, blaming kinds of intimidation that seem to be Obama’s preferred management style. Epitomizing Obama’s spirit of international cooperation, Obama first sent Eric Holder to gather details for a prosecution– not exactly a move to encourage international cooperation.

Remember the kow-towing? Americans have seen Obama hugging Hugo Chavez and tolerating Daniel Ortega’s 50 minute anti-American rants. Doesn’t Obama understand that these thuggish and bullying dictators hate the American way of life? Clearly, Obama doesn’t get it — or agrees with them.

Various, failed programs of the Obama Administration, such as the Stimulus, Obama’s faux-job-creation efforts and entitlement expansion have caused our national debt to rise to titanic proportions. We are forced to auction hundreds of billions of dollars of U.S. Treasury bonds. Unfortunately, China holds approximately $900,000,000,000.00 of that debt.

He has done so much for this country and its people, no? And all of this in such a short time!

(Townhall – Lurita Doan)

Beware the White House

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November 4, 2009 at 5:52 pmCategory:Obama

…and its antics. They are up to no good.

Judge Napolitano

This White House is very tech savvy. It wants to "own your computer" when you sign up for the "Cash for Clunkers" program; it wants to monitor your browsing habits with "cookies;" and it wants you to report your neighbor if you notice anything "fishy." Now, it wants us to believe that the most recent Internet-related story involving third party healthcare e-mails is another mistake. Don't believe the government's excuses.

They know exactly what they are doing and aim to use (control) the Internet to shove its programs and bills (agenda) down our throats.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

The present administration has not even tried to hide its disdain and disregard for our privacy and our right to speak without intimidation.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment protects the right to anonymous speech; so — ot cannot try to find out who or where or why folks oppose the president!

Second, the statutes that the president has sworn to enforce make it unlawful for him or anyone in his name to take our names and information.

Third, the threat to deliver cookies to the computers to those who communicate with the White House is an egregious violation of privacy.

The Supreme Court rejected the idea that the First Amendment permits the government to make and keep a record of the faces and voices and ideas of its domestic political opponents. The Court called this "chilling" the right to speak freely; in other words, denying it the breathing room that free speech requires. The whole purpose of the First Amendment, the Court wrote, is to encourage — not discourage — open, broad, robust political debate; and any inhibition, real or threatened, that comes from the government is unconstitutional.

And the Obama Admin, he and his cohorts are downright Nixonian with their constant attempts to villify and punish those they do not like (e.g. FOX).

Beware!

from Beware of the Tech Savvy White House

More Dictates

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October 22, 2009 at 2:44 pmCategory:Uncategorized

Pay Czar's Authority to Restrict Salary Raises Questions for Small Business Owners

Ken Feinberg, Pay Czar I am so damned tired of being told what to do, what to say (what not to say), what to think, whom to believe, what to watch (or not watch). Who the hell are these people making these decisions for me? Why is Obama's judgment any better than yours when uit coems to YOUR LIFE?

Well, it isn't. And it IS time to tell them all to shut up. To shove it.

You know, when the news told us that Feinberg ordered steep pay cuts for executives at bailed-out firms, we might have cheered. But always question where this sort of power ends up. For now it is at OUR doorstep. He wants to dictate to small business owners – YOUR employers. The more they mess with business, the worse it gets. For us.

This Washington pay czar could have practically unlimited power to regulate compensation at any company that gets federal funding, lawyers say — even if his legal authority is sketchy.

The fact that Washington is again meddling with contracts — following a stalled attempt by Congress in March to halt AIG bonuses — has revived charges that the federal government is overstepping its bounds. Lawyers say Feinberg could be trampling on legally binding agreements.

But according to The Associated Press, the Federal Reserve is now proposing to police banks' pay policies — even for those that didn't receive a bailout.

Judge Andrew Napolitano, Fox News judicial analyst, said the government is embarking down a slippery slope.

"If bankers don't challenge this, if they supinely accept it out of fear of what the government will do if they do challenge … then you have a nation of sheep," he said.

"I don't think that anybody will fail to comply," said Sedgwick. "Any move the government makes can be challenged in court, but I'm kind of doubtful."

Baaaaa.

This Chicago-style of politics is disgusting.

Obama Wants Control of Internet

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August 28, 2009 at 7:26 pmCategory:Obama

Are we seeing a pattern here? A control-freak’s pattern?

A Senate bill would offer President Obama emergency control of the Internet and may give him a "kill switch" to shut down online traffic by seizing private networks.

Say goodbye to freedom of speech and all the other freedoms we enjoy. Obama has been squelching free speech – most notably anyone that disagrees with him – for quite some time now. This is way over the top.

Cybersecurity experts worry will choke off industry and civil liberties. Ya think??

"In the original bill they empowered the president to essentially turn off the Internet in the case of a ‘cyber-emergency,’ which they didn’t define," said Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance, which represents the telecommunications industry. We think it’s a very bad idea … to put in legislation."

The new legislation allows the president to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" relating to "non-governmental" computer networks and make a plan to respond to the danger, according to an excerpt published online — a broad license that rights experts worry would give the president "amorphous powers" over private users.

No Way, No Way, No Way

Geez, will someone wake up here?

But Rockefeller, who introduced the bill in April with bipartisan support, said the legislation was critical to protecting everything from water and electricity to banking, traffic lights and electronic health records.

The bill would also let the government create a detailed set of standards for licensing "cybersecurity professionals" who would oversee a single standard for security measures.

Yeah, and that is the foot in the door to control everything we do.

No Way, No Way, No Way

Walpingate

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June 23, 2009 at 3:19 pmCategory:Uncategorized

Gerald Walpin Recapping: Inspector General

Gerald Walpin was unfairly and illegally terminated

by none other, than Obama himself.

Hours earlier, Sen. Claire McCaskill, (Dem MO) criticized Obama for failing to specify why he fired Walpin – a stipulation Sen Barack Obama put into a bill he authored. He certainly knew the procedure since he put it into law!!

"The White House has failed to follow the proper procedure in notifying Congress as to the removal of the Inspector General," McCaskill said in a statement. "The legislation … passed last year requires that the president give a reason for the removal. ‘Loss of confidence’ is not a sufficient reason."

The proper procedure to remove any inspector general requires 30-days notice, plus reason given to Congress.

Walpin’s terrible deed was to investigate a "friend" of Obama’s (Kevin Johnson) who misused $850,000 in taxpayer funds distributed by AmeriCorps to the St. HOPE Academy of Sacramento. His referral to the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not result in the filing of criminal charges (gee, I wonder why??) — BUT St. HOPE officials agreed to repay half of its AmeriCorps grants. Guess they would not have done that if Johnson were innocent, huh? So IG Gerald Walpin was correct!

Republicans also want a look at what Michelle Obama has to do with this because … press reports already indicated Michelle was taking a strong interest in AmeriCorps activities, AND her former chief of staff, Jackie Norris, became a "senior adviser" to AmeriCorps. (article) Barack could not allow that!
from Politics

It gets murkier and murkier… let us not forget that this is the same Barack Obama who shut down a radio call show to stop unfavorable remarks. His thugs, his own SA or "brown Shirts" are Acorn people – and others. The corrupt and foul Chicago political machine has taken up residence in the White House. The tactics are the same and should NOT be tolerated – ever! By anyone!

Total Abuse of Power

President Obama wanted to get rid of a pesky Inspector General named Gerald. Gerald was a good guy, just going about his business and doing his job – to investigate misuse of taxpayer money.

One day, Gerald got too close to the truth at AmeriCorps where $850,000 was missing. He wanted to get to the truth of this when he was given one hour to resign – or be fired.

Curious thing though, the man who fired him, also wrote a law last year saying that no Inspector Generals could be fired — not without 30 days notice and a reason given to Congress. I do not think that was accomplished in that one short hour. What do you think?

Then this mean man slandered poor Gerald saying he was "confused" and "disoriented." Shame on Obama!

Gerald is a fighter, though and will not let this happen. He is not retreating into the woodwork as Obama wants him too.

Go Gerald!!
Go Gerald!!
Go Gerald!!

Talk about character assassination! Talk about ageism! If Walpin worked at any other agency, he have grounds for a lawsuit! Discrimination!! AND if Obama worked at any other business and said that about a co-worker, he’d be fired.

And he should be fired. From his current job.

"I am now the target of the most powerful man in this country, with an army of aides whose major responsibility today seems to be to attack me and get rid of me," Walpin said.

Bad Obama. Bad.

Politics