Bush DOJ decided New Black Panthers no major case

UPDATE: Fox News guest Kirsten Powers made the mistake of thinking for herself. A must-see video:

Several of you have clamored for me to say something about the alleged voter intimidation case in Philadelphia, which involves a thuggish group who call themselves the “New Black Panthers.” (While I was no fan of the original Black Panthers, they don’t deserve to have their reputation further befouled by this group. The two groups are in no way related.)
I was loathe to comment since I know that no rational discussion will follow. How could it? It was clear from the beginning that this was not a case of voter intimidation against anyone who might vote for John McCain. As many observers noted on that day, no matter how badly those two New Black Panters were behaving (and the police were called and responded), it’s a HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC PRECINCT. As blogger Ben Smith noted way back then, “You don’t typically intimidate your own voters.”

But solid reporting from Media Matters and Adam Serwer of The American Prospect ought to put this nonsense to rest (it won’t, but it should). The charges against the New Black Panthers were downgraded by the Bush Department of Justice:

The decision not to file a criminal case occurred before Obama was even in office.

This means that the case was downgraded to a civil case 11 days before Obama was inaugurated, 26 days before Eric Holder became attorney general, and about nine months before Thomas Perez was confirmed as head of the Civil Rights Division.

From Media Matters:

# Adams has admitted that he does not have first-hand knowledge of the events, conversations, and decisions that he is citing to advance his accusations;
# The Bush administration’s Justice Department — not the Obama administration — made the decision not to pursue criminal charges against members of the New Black Panther Party for alleged voter intimidation at a polling center in Philadelphia in 2008;
# The Obama administration successfully obtained default judgment against Samir Shabazz, a member of the New Black Panther Party carrying a nightstick outside the Philadelphia polling center on Election Day 2008;
# The Bush administration DOJ chose not to pursue similar charges against members of the Minutemen, one of whom allegedly carried a weapon while harassing Hispanic voters in Arizona in 2006;
# No voters have come forward to claim that they were intimidated from voting on account of the New Black Panthers standing outside the polling center in 2008;

So, no matter how many times J. Christian Adams declares that the Obama administration refuses to protect the rights of white people — and no matter how many times Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh repeat it — it’s not true.
(See my first post of the day about facts before you respond.)

335 comments Add your comment

TGT

July 12th, 2010
5:22 pm

BTW Ms. Tucker,

In case you haven’t heard, you were mentioned on Rush’s show today. Of course it was not in flattering terms, but any press is good press, right?

TGT

July 12th, 2010
5:23 pm

I really couldn’t care less, but in keeping with tradition: FIRST!

T-Town

July 12th, 2010
5:30 pm

Politics, man politics. Don’t ya jest love it?

joan

July 12th, 2010
5:48 pm

Enter your comments here

joan

July 12th, 2010
5:51 pm

So much for freedom of speech Tucker. You can spew all the venom you want, but God forbid anyone talks back.

David Granger

July 12th, 2010
5:51 pm

Cynthia, I have no doubt that you are correct that the voter intimidation occurred in a heavily Democratic precinct. But there is also no doubt that it DID occur. If you have any doubt, listen to Malik Shabazz himself admit it:

http://biggovernment.com/sright/2010/07/09/new-black-panther-party-president-admits-to-philadelphia-voter-intimidation-holders-justice-department-still-silent/

May I ask you a question, Cynthia? Just because this precinct is 70% Democratic, do you honestly feel that an action such as this against white voters (who may themselves have been on the way to vote Democratic) should therefore be IGNORED?

Bob

July 12th, 2010
5:56 pm

Is the statute of limitations up or can the mighty Kenyon file charges ?
Can you tell me that if a hooded klansman like Robert Byrd stood at a polling place with a billy club you would call it minor ?

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
5:57 pm

David Granger, First off, the case hasn’t been ignored. Secondly, the Bush administration made the decision to downgrade it to a civil case and not pursue criminal charges. I hope you read the post.

Christopher

July 12th, 2010
5:57 pm

Ms. Tucker,

You may or may not be correct in your description of voter intimidation intentions (Think-If voters are intimidated, would they actually come forward in the presence of individuals of whom they are not necessarily confident will protect their civil rights?); however, it is quite interesting that you neglect to identify the entire scene. How can you omit the hate speech that should unquestionably be attached to your story? The apparently ignorant New Black Panther president angrily shouted the importance of killing “cracker” children and the women who bring them in to this world. Is this language intentionally intimidating? In order to report or explain a topic in mass media, one should sincerely provide all information to the reader in order for him or her to develop an informed opinion. Unfortunately, you did not provide an unbiased perspective of the scene and, as a result, will undoubtedly prevent many others from forming an educated unbiased one.

Paul Leinweber

July 12th, 2010
5:57 pm

You have to be kidding me… What a pathetic article….. Not to mention the Title being “Bush DOJ decided New Black Panthers no major case”….. This is a blatant LIE the OBAMA admin did… can you say racist!!!!! I have not read one but I bet million that this author wants to Tag Tea Party Patriots as racist with ZERO evidence and I also bet she would not bother to point out the Congressman from my state who claimed racial slurs were slung has recanted.

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
5:57 pm

joan, what exactly are you talking about?

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
5:57 pm

Bob, Did you read the post?

Kamchak

July 12th, 2010
5:58 pm

So much for freedom of speech Tucker. You can spew all the venom you want, but God forbid anyone talks back.

Poor wittle victim, joan.

joan

July 12th, 2010
6:01 pm

Kamchak, you have no idea what you are talking about, but go ahead and weigh in. You have never needed to know the substance of anything to take a firm, and liberal position on it.

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
6:01 pm

Paul Leinweber, You should read my first post of the day. It was about facts, those stubborn things.

Some People are stupid

July 12th, 2010
6:02 pm

Paul-
Exactly what she said in the earlier argument. People tend to ignore facts.

When did Obama’s DOJ dismiss the case? I swear you ideological people make me sick sometime

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
6:02 pm

Christopher, If voters were intimated, they are certainly free to come forward NOW.

joan

July 12th, 2010
6:02 pm

By the way, when I did explain to Tucker about my statement after she asked about it, that wasn’t posted either. So, either you are politically correct, or polite, or whatever the criteria is, then you are simply not posted. Hey, it is her site, and her prerogative, but she loses credibility with me for sure.

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
6:04 pm

Joan, Please take a Xanax or have a martini. Calm down. I haven’t taken down any of your posts today. You must be running afoul of the program that prevents links from posting. Take out the links and any foul language. Then try again.

Slim

July 12th, 2010
6:08 pm

The right has lost all rational thought, my guess is a Republican couldn’t light a fire if you spotted them a match and some lighter fluid, it would be comical if I didn’t have to share the air we breath with these cretins…..

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
6:09 pm

Please, Slim, don’t call those with whom you disagree “cretins.”

Christopher

July 12th, 2010
6:09 pm

Ms. Tucker,

Unfortunately, the New Black Panthers have intimidated prospective voters in general. Televised and web-promoted videos stating the desire of the self-identified “King” to murder white people and particularly white women to prevent them from having additional white children have contributed to the silence that currently exists.

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
6:11 pm

Christopher, I can find any number of videos of white supremacists wishing to murder black people. That doesn’t keep me from voting.

Kamchak

July 12th, 2010
6:11 pm

Kamchak, you have no idea what you are talking about, but go ahead and weigh in.

Lemme guess—your posts have disappeared.

You’re not the only one that has happened to. Right now, Jay’s, Cynthia and Kyle’s sites are acting up. Did it occur to you that what is happening could be weather related or something is wrong with the ajc’s server?

Not everything is about you.

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
6:21 pm

I think a lot of us have become use to black racism and are no longer really intimidated by it, more saddened.

It is true that voter intimidation cases almost never get brought.

Christopher

July 12th, 2010
6:22 pm

Ms. Tucker,

Unfortunately, not everyone is as strong-willed and minded as you or I. I am hopeful that these groups, white/black/hispanic, etc., are more closely watched by law enforcement and government officials in the future.

truthmattersfa

July 12th, 2010
6:36 pm

so just to be clear, Ms. Tucker, individuals are allowed to stand in front of a polling place showing a nightstick? Yes or No? You are okay with that and have no problem with it?

Second, why do you keep bringing this “the Bush administration made the decision to downgrade it to a civil case and not pursue criminal charges. I hope you read the post.” up in an effor to distract from the real issue? The 3 individuals were found guilty of civil violations and then the DOJ mysteriously dropped the case before the sentencing was complete.

“As many observers noted on that day, no matter how badly those two New Black Panters were behaving (and the police were called and responded), it’s a HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC PRECINCT.”

Again, this makes it allowable to stand in front of a polling place on election day brandishing a nightstick?

btw, your citation of Media Matters, is the final straw in the laughable “unbiased” and “truthful” charade you’ve put forth.

truthmattersfa

July 12th, 2010
6:37 pm

oh and when a bunch of KKK members stand in front of a polling place in the deep south this November, holding clubs, nightsticks, guns or other weapons, I expect to see an article from you on the blog pointing out their actions constitute “no major case”

Jimma

July 12th, 2010
6:44 pm

Ms Tucker, don’t call Media Matters and American Prospect solid reporting, because they’re anything but solid or responsible. Two left-wing hit squads, regardless of your so called facts. The Obama administration and Eric Holder in particular are not interested in justice in the New Black Panther Party’s voter intimidation case or enforcement of our immigration laws. Did you see personally witness any of J. Christian Adam’s testimony? You and the corrupt people you advocate for have no credibility, and the voters will make that clear in Nov.

Scout

July 12th, 2010
6:46 pm

…………….. and the chasm between two “America’s” just keeps getting wider. This does not bode well for out future.

truthmattersfa

July 12th, 2010
6:46 pm

btw, on a completely unrelated note (well somewhat related as it deals w/ ctucker’s repeated dishonesty and untruthfulness), anyone else notice the irony of the fact that in an article about “the tendency of human beings — especially those who are committed political partisans — to ignore actual facts and believe what they want to believe..” good old ctucker herself cited a newspaper column from the Wash Po which itself was untruthful and mangled several facts??

1) Beheadings have happened in Arizona
is.gd/dpBDn

“In January 2010, Congressman Rob Bishop visited our ranch here in Santa Cruz County , Arizona . During that visit, I related to him an incident that occurred on June 27, 2008, in one of our pastures west of the ranch house. “On that day, one of our ranch hands was working horseback and discovered a human head near a trail believed to be used by drug and alien smugglers.”Although the head was missing the lower jaw, it was immediately apparent that much of the mass and flesh of the head was still present. The cowboy searched the area in hopes of finding the remainder of the body to no avail.”The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office was notified and they took possession of the head on that same date. We suspect that the head may have been placed along side the trail as a warning to other drug and alien traffickers using the trail.”

2) Crime rate along the border has been increasing.
is.gd/dpBCF

The rural crime rate for 2006 has moved up by about 75 and the 2007 rate has moved up by about 100 while the big city rate is relentlessly dropping,

3) Phoenix WAS the 2nd most dangerous city for kidnappings in the world in 2009.

is.gd/dpBBJ

In what officials caution is now a dangerous and even deadly crime wave, Phoenix , Arizona has become the kidnapping capital of America , with more incidents than any other city in the world outside of Mexico City and over 370 cases last year alone.

ctucker, if you wanted to write something interesting about immigration you could profile Joslyn Johnson, now a widow due to an illegal immigrant. Don’t worry she’s black so that fits your narrative perfectly.

is.gd/dpBAE

Scout

July 12th, 2010
6:47 pm

Daddy, are those Black Panthers coming over for dinner again? They scare me.

hnf

July 12th, 2010
6:49 pm

to be fair, i think fox is carelessly allowing for the inference that the issue is whether or not criminal charges should have been sought (as opposed to merely civil relief). aag perez isn’t an appointee, i see no basis for doubting his testimony under oath.

but, while the testimony helps to exculpate obama/holder as to any charge that they intentionally saved these guys from criminal prosecution, it doesn’t necessarily have any relevance to claims the justice department (then under the obama admin.) declined to seek harsher civil relief (i.e., monetary damages).

i’m not saying they did or did not; just wanted to make it clear that “bush’s d.o.j. chose not to seek criminal prosecution” doesn’t have anything to do with a claim that “obama’s d.o.j. refused to seek proper relief under other available civil statutes on the basis of race”. finally, perez’ didn’t testify that the decision to forgo criminal charges was made at the same time or before the complaint for injunctive relief was filed. his statement that such a decision was, in fact, made at some time happened to immediately precede his statement that the complaint was filed on jan. 9.

there’s an inference to be drawn there, and while it’s probably correct, it’s not verifiable from that testimony or any other source i know of. he is a lawyer, likely capable of careful word selection.

hnf

July 12th, 2010
6:52 pm

my point being: injunctive relief is many times preliminary and rarely the exclusive form of relief sought.

Jase

July 12th, 2010
6:58 pm

As many observers noted on that day, no matter how badly those two New Black Panters were behaving (and the police were called and responded), it’s a HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC PRECINCT. As blogger Ben Smith noted way back then, “You don’t typically intimidate your own voters.”

How was it determined that Samir Shabazz and his trusty side-kick were supporting the Democratic Party?

Soames

July 12th, 2010
6:58 pm

This whole issue is a bunch of nonsense that only a few bad apples participated in…kinda like that tea party racism CT likes to refer to on a monthly basis. I did find the Rev. Jackson’s comments hysterical regarding LeBron James. The Reverend made a mockery out of himself and the civil rights movement. As usual, the Reverend is all about him….always has been.

It is definitely a Monday..LOL
.

thebob.bob

July 12th, 2010
7:05 pm

The extremists on the Right don’t care about facts. the eye-bulging, teeth-barred nutjobs lost their minds when Obama was nominated and their heads exploded with rage when he got elected. There is nothing you can say that will calm them down.

Elections have consequences. They lost and can’t handle it. Some even have gone so far as o demand “2nd Amendment” solutions or even the overthrow of the Government by force and violence.

Why do they hate America and Democracy???

jconservative

July 12th, 2010
7:06 pm

On civility, or the lack of it.

Joan, you are always trashing your fellow citizens but you do not address the issues. The topic today is why the Bush DOJ decided to drop criminal charges against someone calling himself a “New Black Panther”. And why some blame the Obama DOJ for something the Bush DOJ did. But that is not new, we have been doing that since Adams and Jefferson had at it.

Nothing in Cynthia’s column gives us a clue as to why criminal charges were dropped. My educated guess is that it was due to a lack of evidence for criminal charges. They went with civil charges because of
the lower threshold of evidence required. But that is only a guess.
And the issue is not worth my time to investigate.

You know it is possible to discuss an issue without calling anyone a name. It is possible to discuss an issue without trying to degrade your fellow citizen.

Cynthia Tucker and I rarely agree on anything. But we engage in a discussion of the issues by addressing the issues.

You know it is possible to disagree on the issues and still remain civil. Case in point: the most conservative and the most liberal justices on the Supreme Court are the two closest friends on the Supreme Court. They never agree on the issues but are never disagreeable. If you see one at a social event you see the other (both are huge opera fans). If you see one on a family vacation you see the other (famous picture of both riding elephants in India). Yet they work in an environment where you are forced to lock horns every week.

If they can do it why can’t you? You never addressed the issue today so we do not know your opinion on the charges being downgraded.

mattyohe

July 12th, 2010
7:33 pm

I can’t imagine anyone whose first post is “Enter your comments here” had anything important to say.

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
7:35 pm

jconservative, As usual, your civility is a breath of fresh air

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
7:35 pm

Hooray BLOG Intimidation! Woot woot!

ctucker

July 12th, 2010
7:37 pm

Jimma, A Bush Justice Dept appointee testified that he downgraded the charges. That’s where the reporting came from

Keep up the good fight!

July 12th, 2010
7:38 pm

Ahh the stupidity continues….’Daddy are the minutemen coming to dinner…they scare me worse than the Republican wingnuts.”

You give them facts and they respond with nonsense. Another ACORN repeat….but but but…it does not fit into the agenda that the everything about Obama is against old white men like Scout

Port O'John

July 12th, 2010
7:38 pm

Hey Joan — that “Enter Your Comments Here” post was the most intelligent thing you’ve put on this space in quite a while — but let me edit if for you:

“Enter Fox News Comments Here”.

That’s better.

Reality Check

July 12th, 2010
7:40 pm

Ms. Tucker, your credibiliy is on the line here. I would suggest you check yourself, and your sources for bias. You can’t defend the indefensible.

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
7:41 pm

Leftist Comments: You’re stupid and so is your face!
Rightist Comments: see above.

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
7:44 pm

And just because I am feeling froggy:
“So, no matter how many times J. Christian Adams declares that the Obama administration refuses to protect the rights of white people — and no matter how many times Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh repeat it — it’s not true.
(See my first post of the day about facts before you respond.)”

Cynthia (et. al)
Riddle me the tanning ban tax! Who does that target? Is that protecting white people’s right to remain pale?

Scout

July 12th, 2010
7:51 pm

Keep up the good fight! :

At least be original. That’s close to plagerism.

By the way, the Minutemen helped found this country …………. not the Black Panthers.

Some People are stupid

July 12th, 2010
7:51 pm

uga_b
-uhmm who wrote the legislation..oh yeah a bunch of white men. Ask them why they taxed tanning. LAst time I check the president doesn’t write laws

hnf

July 12th, 2010
7:52 pm

ms. Tucker,

are you referring to a perez as a bush appointee? i could be wrong, but I don’t think perez is an politically appointed aag. and, technically, he never testified to the specific date of the decision nor whom all was involved; only that an injunction was filed Jan 7.

the issue, whatever it’s merit, is whether the doj under holder declined further, more apt civil action. the testimony of one aag is far from positive even if 100% truthful. you should at least avoid playing so fast and lose, if not acknowledging that as a possibility, however unlikely to have merit.

Port O'John

July 12th, 2010
7:53 pm

Its not really a stretch for the GOP to blame the downgrading of the charges to a misdemeanor on Obama, after all it was a decision made only 11 days before he was sworn in. The RNC chairman just claimed that Afghanistan was a war of Obama’s choosing (Bush started that in 2001).

So by that logic, everything that happened under the Bush administration is Obama’s fault.

See how the GOP and Fox News work their magic?

hnf

July 12th, 2010
7:54 pm

far from dispositive. damn cell phone autocorrect.

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
7:54 pm

Last time I checked, they do advance agendas. He campaigned on it. It is referred to as OBAMACARE not BUNCHOFWHITEMEN CARE Some people can’t legitimately advance an argument or recognize humor.

I do agree with you that Obama hasn’t really done much of anything except play golf.

mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack the LIAR Obama - BEND OVER, Here comes the CHANGE!

July 12th, 2010
7:56 pm

You all know Black crimes on whites and NOT punished as a hate crime. That’s why I have a carry permit, and am NOT afraid to use it, PERIOD.

Go ahead Cindy, tell me I’m wrong, and back it up with facts. Give me ONE black acused of a hate crime on a white, just one.

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
7:57 pm

Is there legitimately anything this man is responsible for? Not repealing the Jones Act? Stealing money from pensioners by giving GM unions favored status, thus repealing hundreds of years of financial contract law precedence? Did he at least pick out the durn dog?

Keep up the good fight!

July 12th, 2010
7:59 pm

Scout….mockery is not “plagerism” nor is it flattery. We’re laughing at you and the stupidity symbolized by your commentary about Obama’s daughter rather than an intellectual post about the facts.

The current “minutemen” is a group no where related to the original minute men from Boston (or more specifically Concord, Lexington and the surrounding area). Just because a group usurps the names and taints it does not entitle them to respect. But you dont care about the real American history…just on your Fox news Tea Party view of “patriotism” and “minutemen”.

Rev. Shauntelle Thunderclap

July 12th, 2010
8:02 pm

So, Cynthia, I assume it would be okay for the Klan to hang out, swinging ax handles, at the polls in heavily Republican areas? I mean, chances are very few people there would vote for a Democratic candidate anyway . . . .

Your routinely ludicrous, specious “logic” only serves to discredit your arguments, and is representative of the astonishing hypocrisy of the Left.

Bill Tetzlaff

July 12th, 2010
8:09 pm

Wow, most of the above comments are consistent with discussions I’ve had with conservatives here in Ocala, FL. They completely ignore the point of the article and the facts backing it up and instead attack around the edges. Nothing in your article defended what happened, but you’d never know it by just reading the comments.

kayaker 71

July 12th, 2010
8:13 pm

CT,

You must have watched the tape of these black thugs outside of the voting precinct. You also must have listened to the sound bite of the one interviewed who said that, “I HATE WHITE PEOPLE, ALL OF THEM!!!!”. If I said those same things, I would be labeled the worst kind of racist that every posted a comment on this blog. You will never acknowledge that these thugs are the worst kind of racists around, simply because they are black and being that, they can do no wrong. Another case of selective indignation. It’s getting pretty old.

stranger in a strange land

July 12th, 2010
8:18 pm

Scout @ 0646 – the ‘chasm’ is very troublesome – no matter what ’side’ you’re on relative to this issue

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
8:19 pm

Bill,
Here are the basic facts. Voter intimidation cases rarely go forward because they are hard to prove. Criminal charges require beyond a reasonable doubt versus preponderence of evidence, which is a much higher standard (think 90% v. 51%). The Bush administration as highlighted by Cynthia did not push forward with criminal charges. Civil charges, with the lower standard, were brought. The defendants did not show us resulting in a default judgment for the USA. At this point, the case is won and the government could choose to enforce fines or injunctions. They did seek an injunction on the one man with the nightstick. Under the Obama administration, they did decide to drop the cases against the remaining defendants.

None of the above is arguable or even all that relevant. What the former DOJ attorney alledged was the motive behind dropping the case. Of course this is hearsay and not admissable in court but fine for the court of public opinion. None of Cynthia’s information refutes this claim by Adams, which is unknowable by anyone except those who made the decisions. Just like their is no evidence supporting Adam’s assertions outside of the circumstances of dropping the case, which commonly happens for voter intimidation.

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
8:21 pm

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
8:22 pm

[...] to use this to say Obama is protecting them. I guess George Bush was protecting them too huh? Bush DOJ decided New Black Panthers no major case | Cynthia Tucker Good question… What did the Bush DOJ do about voter intimidation of black voters across the [...]

Cary

July 12th, 2010
8:48 pm

Since the downgrading was Bush’s fault, Obama should make it right by filing crimimal charges immediately.

Fang1944

July 12th, 2010
8:57 pm

Even according to Fox News not much of anything happened. One Panther acted like a punk. The police moved him along. BFD.

Mkitch

July 12th, 2010
9:05 pm

How dare Obama let his Black Panther thug buddies off the hook for this…

You mean it was Bush that let them off the hook?

Well… uhh… How dare that black panther guy say bad things about white people. White people would never do that.

uga_b

July 12th, 2010
9:08 pm

George Bush dont care about white people.

James

July 12th, 2010
9:10 pm

I hope you will continue to follow this story line. Cynthia, please keep posting updates on this issue of the Bush DOJ downgrading the charges. We need to know more.

Mario

July 12th, 2010
9:10 pm

Someone should tell Christopher that he has the fact wrong and the video where these NBP fools are saying kill whites is not from the polling place and FOX is trying to play those vids from another event to give some background into the hate group.

godless heathen

July 12th, 2010
9:12 pm

I hadn’t thought about the racial context of the tanning bed tax, but it does add a new dimension. A tanning bed owner/operator should file a discrimination suit. It’s about as clear an example of discrimination based on the color of one’s skin as can be imagined. Could you see imposing a special tax on tacos, malt liquor, or really baggy pants.

Baggy pants worn with the waist below the buttocks are clearly a health hazard and have undoubtably led injuries that strain our health care system. Let’s put a $10 a pair tax on each pair of baggy shorts sold and a $200 fine on anyone caught wearing them in public.

Scout

July 12th, 2010
9:14 pm

Keep up the good fight!

Look ! ……………… there goes a puppy !

Scout

July 12th, 2010
9:15 pm

Stranger in a strange land:

You are correct sir. Those on both side of our War Between the United (oxymoron) States of America and the Confederate States of America had more in common that liberals and conservatives do now. Dark days ahead.

Scout

July 12th, 2010
9:17 pm

Daddy, sometimes I read the Atlanta Journal and Constitution Websites for extra credit at school. Why are some people so mean to Scout?

tiredofitall

July 12th, 2010
9:23 pm

personally, I can’t wait for the asteroid to hit and wipe out this sorry excuse of a species since the “real” Americans are too cowardly to do anything but whine.

Hector

July 12th, 2010
9:30 pm

Cynthia please dont accuse bloggers of needing drugs or substances to calm down

LOLO

July 12th, 2010
9:35 pm

I didn’t really see a condemnation from Ms. Tucker, just excuses for the Obama administration with typical deflections pointing towards Limbaugh and Beck and a disassociation from the original Black Panther group of thugs and the new ones. Both administrations should have pressed for a case with more fervor. What a waste of a read.

Greg

July 12th, 2010
9:39 pm

Cynthia, the New Black Panthers did this in a “HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC PRECINCT” because even they are not stupid enough to think they could get away with a stunt like that in a heavily conservative precinct where Americans who appreciate and exercise their Second Amendment rights vote.

Del

July 12th, 2010
9:47 pm

Oh, please…it doesn’t matter whose watch it was on, those thugs should be behind bars. Anyone who try’s to defend them is a racist.

[...] You know, the Bush administration decided to pass on this case. Thoughts? Whatever. Yu mo gui gwai fai di zao! Yu mo gui gwai fai di zao! Opened up my profile to comments; leave one? Thanks! :D Reply With Quote   [...]

Facts Matter

July 12th, 2010
9:57 pm

Of course the New Black Panthers would scare little conservatives into wetting their huggies, what doesn’t make them scream like French schoolgirls at the sound of a cap gun? These are the same jellyfish that were so panic stricken after 9/11 that they were ready to throw the Constitution in the shredder for anyone that claimed they could protect their candy backsides.

SquirrelX

July 12th, 2010
9:58 pm

Embarrassing to write or say anything but negative against these wimpy thugs. Just like the KKK, a stiff breeze would blow them over- their is not one ounce of toughness among any black panthers. I trust all of you far left libs know that just because you blog doesn’t mean that you assimilate with Obama or he, Holder, or little Rahm likes or respects you. At the end of the day, you are same as those that followed Cheney or follow Palin. CT- I have been reading the AJC for 3 decades- I know you wrote an artice about 6 or 7 years ago proclaiming that there has never been a case of voter fraud or intimidation. This case has nothing to do with Bush and is everything about current politics.

SquirrelX

July 12th, 2010
9:59 pm

Fact Matter- any time any where- bring your Huggies- grown very tired of tough talking bloggers. Any time any where tough guy.

kayaker 71

July 12th, 2010
10:00 pm

CT,

You have rejected my post twice now. Too close to home??

Tommy Maddox

July 12th, 2010
10:02 pm

Jim in Ga

July 12th, 2010
10:13 pm

Cynthia, Kennesaw, Ga. is one of the highest concentrated areas of Republicans, but that doesn’t mean a Democrat won’t be voting there. How can you say that no intimidation went on because it’s a highly populated area for Dems. I’m pretty sure that even that precenct isn’t 100% Dem.

Jeanjeanie

July 12th, 2010
10:15 pm

Everything I have read from Cynthia Tucker is such crap, and I real a lot of articles and opinions. Journalism isn’t what you do best Cynthia, I think it’s called leftist propaganda. But as an independent, you didn’t convince me to vote for a democrat, so you’ll have to try harder.

stranger in a strange land

July 12th, 2010
10:18 pm

Scout at 0915 – good analogy. More polarization to come. To borrow a cliche and a recent movie title: There will be blood.

El

July 12th, 2010
10:19 pm

Typical. A black woman defending black terrorists. Any more of this and you’re going to provoke a race war.

Bratty1

July 12th, 2010
10:22 pm

Anyone want to wager how many SCREAMS of racism Cynthia Tucker would shriek if a couple KLANSMEN with sticks were standing in a polling place doorway, WHETHER OR NOT the DOJ felt like prosecuting?

Double standard Tucker would need smelling salts and more ink, for the thrice daily blogs about the KKK intimidating voters.

Scout

July 12th, 2010
10:28 pm

stranger in a strange land :

Sad but probably true ……….. eventually. I hope not in my lifetime.

Lewis

July 12th, 2010
10:30 pm

From what I read above, police were called and took care of the problem. Some idiots with an offensive stance showed up where they shouldn’t and were dealt with. Is anyone alleging this is part of some sort of national movement to intimidate voters/whites or others? Now, if police had refused to respond due to some sort of political direction they’d been given, then we’d have a real problem. But no one is alleging that, are they? Don’t try to read more into this than there is. Unless there is some pattern of similar incidents occurring on a large scale this is just not worth all the commotion.

Waynesworld

July 12th, 2010
10:38 pm

I do not even know why Ms Tucker even try to post the truth. It just hurts some of you to know that Fox News lies.
I think most of you should just go to …..

stranger in a strange land

July 12th, 2010
10:44 pm

scout – amen & good night

Waynesworld

July 12th, 2010
10:44 pm

The police were called and no one was arrested. So now the police did not do their job?
If their was assults, why no arrests?
Please tell me Teabaggers how does this make sense.

BTW- Ms Tucker is not the only news group that is reporting this develpment in this story- Many news groups are reporting it today and the truth hurts does it not?

[...] Bush DOJ decided New Black Panthers no major case | Cynthia Tucker [...]

leo

July 12th, 2010
10:47 pm

As a hispanic i see things from a different perspective. Barack does not like white people. He panders to Blacks and Hispanics even when it comes to things that both parties should agree with. Like immigration and the rule of Law. An illegal immigrant comes to this country and immediately is afforded all civil rights but doesnt want all the laws to apply to them. OH….by the way. BUSH DROPPED THE CHARGES 2 WEEKS BEFORE OBAMA TOOK OFFICE. FRANKLY TIMING WAS A INTEGRAL PART OF THIS EQUATION. ALSO JUST BECAUSE BUSH DIDNT DO IT DOESNT MAKE IT RIGHT. STANDING IN FRONT OF A POLLING STATION WITH A NIGHTSTICK IS WRONG . AGREED , TUCKER ?????

tim

July 12th, 2010
10:53 pm

Ok…I am a white man..49 living in Dallas. I am married to a black woman and have a beautiful daughter.. so do not play the race card…
If I go down to the next street market on Sunday and talk about killin’ negro babies..have much press you think I am gonna get and you think I get thrown in jail for inciting violence against a race..
Get real…Where is Sharpton’s , Jackson’s condemnations…you best get ready, cause I do not want it, but a race, class war is simmering and if you do not wake up and write your opinions equally, you are just as guilty as the one who lights the fuse…Wake up those who are complacent…

MiltonMan

July 12th, 2010
10:59 pm

According to Cynthia the Clown I live in North Fulton which is 90% republican so I can intimidate any Democratic scumbag that comes around. Thanks CT for this gem.

florishes

July 12th, 2010
11:01 pm

Cynthia, I have so much respect for you…Thanks for all you do and for your clear and logical leadership….I always try to catch you on TV. Fanned & Faved.

Real American

July 12th, 2010
11:06 pm

So the baggers are mad because the Bush Administration made the decision that the charges did not have merit? LMAO

Billybob

July 12th, 2010
11:12 pm

Do you agree with the behavior of these guys Tucker?

Barry

July 12th, 2010
11:22 pm

Since someone asked for “witnesses” , Have at it ! This a Democrat “Civil Rights” attorney that worked for Bobby & Ted Kennedy . He worked in MS during the early civil rights era ! He defended blacks against “voter intimidation” . Lets` see what this democrat poll worker says about the intimidation you are claiming didn`t happen ? The Truth Shall Set You Free ! youtube.com/watch?v=9sDoYYQdGOA

Nice Deb

July 12th, 2010
11:24 pm

” …solid reporting from Media Matters and The American Prospect”???

You’ve got to be kidding me, lady. That tells me all I need to know about you, right there. Maybe if you had sharper discernment skills, you would have noticed by now, that the folks at Media Matters are shameless hacks who are paid to lie and obfuscate. And it’s never too difficult to pick up on.

The Bush Administration “downgraded” the case from criminal to civil, huh? As if that’s some kinda major GOTCHA? As if that excuses the Obama DOJ from dismissing the civil case, last May, when of course it’s always been reported as a civil case that was dropped…What is your point exactly? That it’s okay to stand in front of polling stations in paramilitary garb, brandishing weapons shouting epithets at voters, and intimidating them from voting? (Yes, there are eyewitnesses that have testified to that). It was a slam dunk case, and the Holder DOJ dropped it. The cute “downgraded to civil case” meme doesn’t fly.

Kevyn

July 12th, 2010
11:24 pm

Wow… Fox News Lies…THANKS CYNTHIA…for telling the truth!

Scout

July 12th, 2010
11:25 pm

The “Black Panthers” are nothing more than ex-felons, current felons and low level street thugs who should still be in lockdown in a maximum security prison somewhere. They are just one notch above Al-Qaeda.

Mr Charlie

July 12th, 2010
11:27 pm

Let me ask you this CT, if a group of white Klansman carrying nightsticks were videotaped in front of a historically republican voting precinct, and Obama downgraded the charges a civil status, would you be OK with it?

Actually, I agree with you that it is not a big deal, but I also think it is not big deal to ask a voter to provide an ID when voting.

Go figure.

Mr Charlie

July 12th, 2010
11:29 pm

“The “Black Panthers” are nothing more than ex-felons, current felons and low level street thugs”

Otherwise known as Obama’s base voters.

mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack the LIAR Obama - BEND OVER, Here comes the CHANGE!

July 12th, 2010
11:40 pm

Look at this JOKER. NObama is SO ONE TERM. So much for a 7-0 record.

Obama is headed for a second term.

Using his “13 Keys” formula, American University history professor Allan Lichtman has predicted that President Barack Obama will be re-elected in 2012.While former Republican House speaker and possible presidential contender Newt Gingrich has predicted that Obama has just a 20 percent chance of winning in 2012, Lichtman said that “nothing that a candidate has said or done during a campaign, when the public discounts everything as political, has changed his prospects at the polls. Debates, advertising, television appearances, news coverage and campaign strategies — the usual grist for the punditry mills — count for virtually nothing on Election Day.”

In an interview with AOL News, Lichtman said he devised his formula after studying election outcomes from 1860 to 1980 and has correctly predicted the outcomes of the last seven presidential contests. “No other system has come close to that record,” he said.

“Politicians hate the keys because you can’t manipulate them,” Lichtman said. “It’s not campaigning that counts. It’s governing that counts.”

Using the formula he laid out in his book, “Keys to the White House,” Lichtman bases his prediction on 13 conditions, or keys. When five or fewer are false, the incumbent party candidate wins. When six or more are false, the other party candidate wins.

Lichtman considers passage of health care reform a positive key for Democrats, one of nine he said that favor the incumbent party and its president. He said Obama has four keys turned against him, two short of the “fatal six negative keys” that would doom a second term. In his rating, he assumes Democrats will lose seats in Congress this fall, the economy will remain sluggish and there will be no cataclysmic setbacks in Afghanistan.

Here’s how Lichtman breaks down the keys to Obama’s political future:

• KEY 1: Party mandate. After the midterm elections, the incumbent party holds more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives than it did after the previous midterm elections. (FALSE)
• KEY 2: Contest. There is no serious contest for the incumbent-party nomination. (TRUE)
• KEY 3: Incumbency. The incumbent-party candidate is the sitting president. (TRUE)
• KEY 4: Third party. There is no significant third-party or independent campaign. (TRUE)
• KEY 5: Short-term economy. The economy is not in recession during the election campaign. (TRUE)
• KEY 6: Long-term economy. Real per capita economic growth during the term equals or exceeds mean growth during the previous two terms. (FALSE)
• KEY 7: Policy change. The incumbent administration effects major changes in national policy. (TRUE)
• KEY 8: Social unrest. There is no sustained social unrest during the term. (TRUE)
• KEY 9: Scandal. The administration is untainted by major scandal. (TRUE)
• KEY 10: Foreign/military failure. The administration suffers no major failure in foreign or military affairs. (TRUE)
• KEY 11: Foreign/military success. The administration achieves a major success in foreign or military affairs. (FALSE)
• KEY 12: Incumbent charisma. The incumbent-party candidate is charismatic or a national hero. (FALSE)
• KEY 13: Challenger charisma: The challenging-party candidate is not charismatic or a national hero. (TRUE)

Scout

July 12th, 2010
11:48 pm

Mr Charlie :

LOL !

Scout

July 13th, 2010
12:10 am

Laura

July 13th, 2010
12:13 am

I find this article so offensive. In 1972 I went to vote for Democratic nominee George McGovern for president. All the “keys” were locked on every democratic candidate in every voting booth. I called the Democratic headquarters and they laughed at me. They said “Upper Arlington Ohio is a 90% republican district, we don’t have time to worry about it”. I definately felt like I was harrassed even though it was a 90% Republican district. Despite practicing law in 3 states for 34 years, I did not bother to vote again until 2008, and I voted against the democrats.

J.R.

July 13th, 2010
12:15 am

I am currently negotiating for a pay-per-view pitting the KKK against the New Black Panthers. Let these ignorant morons fight it out to the death, and leave decent people alone.

Lil' Barry Bailout

July 13th, 2010
12:32 am

Your defense of the Obama administration for not pursuing the case is pathetic and predictable. We’re supposed to take the word of George Soros’s Media Matters over that of a career prosecutor.

No sale.

The Idiot Messiah dropped the case because he sees it as payback against whitey. Racist.

ken

July 13th, 2010
12:43 am

Once again, you are lost.

[...] meme  has finally been established. Our friends at Media Matters have done themselves proud. And Cynthia Tucker, writing for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution enthusiastically dove [...]

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution – Cynthia Tucker [...]

motts

July 13th, 2010
1:50 am

seem’s like we have a lot of parnoid folks on board,you got ppl talkin’ about how much fire power
they have,and that they are not afraid to use it,Big deal just don’t shoot yourselves in the foot,lol.
Now i think most of u folks have reached the age of reason,you do read articles competley before
you comment on them,right?
1st thing do not blame the actions of a few on the many,2nd thing fox news is out to jam obama,by
any means possible,3rd thing if you think the gop is gonna make your life any better,i got a “52″
hudson hornet to sell you for a dollar.”WHAT PARTY PUT THIS COUNTRY IN THE HOLE,think now
think real hard……………………………………have you figured it out yet? judge not a man by the color
of his skin,but rather by the contents character……MLK.

The nightshift

July 13th, 2010
1:53 am

“It was clear from the beginning that this was not a case of voter intimidation against anyone who might vote for John McCain. As many observers noted on that day, no matter how badly those two New Black Panters were behaving (and the police were called and responded), it’s a HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC PRECINCT. As blogger Ben Smith noted way back then, “You don’t typically intimidate your own voters.”

Cynthia is not a mind reader. To excuse this obvious intimidation by sayng that most of the voters are Democratic is quite simply absurd. What kind of thinking is that? If 1,000 people voted at that precinct and 5% of them were republicans should those 50 people be intimidated by these bullies? What a mind boggling statement. I thought Cynthia was all about protecting the rights of minority views. Apparently the republican minority in this precinct shouldn’t have these protections because Cynthia said it is a “heavily Democratic precinct”.

As for quoting media matters I can’t believe Cytnia would stoop to quoting this far left hate site. Unbelievable. This is nothing more than a vile, one sided hate site and Cynthia thinks they should be treated credibility? Unreal.

debra

July 13th, 2010
2:17 am

too bad you are not telling the whole story.. like the part where they DOJ under obamas regime did have them drop the civil case after it had been won by default. this is pitiful reporting…I take it you and the ever nasty Keith Obieman head rant at msnbc are an item… twisting the story to your own liking and then acting like there is a shred of fact here… sad but you may get a shot on a main stream tv show this way… no truth in journalism these days…

Vinny

July 13th, 2010
4:31 am

Enter your comments here

Mark A. Traina

July 13th, 2010
4:42 am

Progressives (Liberal’s) cry whenever some black person’s right are being violated and rightfully so. I just cannot understant why the same people aren”t pitching a BITCH when a black or hispanics committ crimes against a white people. Racism works in all directions. I was recently appalled to hear members of the Black Panther Organization saying, “We need to kill white people and their babies”. What if someone had said we need to kill black or hispanic people and their babies? Why do we have a Ms. Black America? What would happen if white people decided to have a Ms. White America? Or a Ms. Hispanic America. How about a WET Network or aHET Network? How racially dividing America in various sections based on race. Obviously, there should be no BET or Ms. Black America. For that matter we should all refer to ourselves as AMERICANS, not African or Hispanic Americans

MAY GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MARK A. TRAINA (Italian American) But if we go to war with Italy, shame on them cause I am a PROUD AMERICAN

Mark A. Traina

July 13th, 2010
4:47 am

Progressives (Liberal’s) cry whenever some black person’s right are being violated and rightfully so. I just cannot understand why the same people aren”t pitching a BITCH when blacks or hispanics committ crimes against white people. Racism works in all directions. I was recently appalled to hear members of the Black Panther Organization saying, “We need to kill white people and their babies”. What if someone had said we need to kill black or hispanic people and their babies? Why do we have a Ms. Black America? What would happen if white people decided to have a Ms. White America? Or for that matter, a Ms. Hispanic America. How about a WET or HET Network? How about racially dividing America in various sections based on race.

Obviously, there should be no BET or Ms. Black America. For that matter we should all refer to ourselves as AMERICANS, not African or Hispanic Americans

MAY GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
MARK A. TRAINA (Italian American) But if we go to war with Italy, shame on them cause I am a PROUD AMERICAN! I bleed Red, White and Blue through and through! (504) 231-3056

A CONSERVATIVE

July 13th, 2010
5:03 am

.. CYNTHIA….As USUAL….YOU ARE LYING….THROUGH TOUR TEETH…

Pandora

July 13th, 2010
6:02 am

Tucker has to use media matters because the AJC won’t cover it. interesting that the Soros mouthpiece is Tucker’s authority.

Jeff

July 13th, 2010
6:42 am

Ms Tucker, when you start taking theses situations as seriously as you do when 3 Klan members show up on a 50 acre farm in south Georgia, I’ll be back to the table to discuss racial issues with you. But you’re going to have to go first. No more coming to the table to ONLY discuss white racists. And yes, you refusal to equally address racism has an affect on my relationships with AA’s in my life. So you are hurting racial relations.

Jimmy62

July 13th, 2010
6:55 am

Downgrading is a little different than dropping completely. If Bush downgraded it, it’s probably because a new President was about to take over, and it wasn’t politically tenable at the time.

However, the most interesting point here is not who downgraded the case (a different animal than dropping it), but that Cynthia is willing to defend people caught on film carrying nightsticks outside a polling precinct. Who cares if it’s a 70% Democrat area? Does that mean it’s ok to intimidate the other 30%? Cynthia, you live in a strange, whacked out world where everything must be looked at through a racial or partisan lens,

Ragnar Danneskjöld

July 13th, 2010
7:00 am

Dear Ms. Tucker, I am late to the party but your post is curiously silent on the core issue: do you think the video depicts illegal voter discrimination? I respectfully think it does, and that it rises to the level of criminality. Curious about your thoughts, whether you think similarly activity by the KKK in a white majority precinct would constitute illegal voter discrimination.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
7:03 am

Harry Reid

July 13th, 2010
7:04 am

Glad Obama doesn’t have a Negro dialect when he is helping me raise money! Can’t wait to send a Muslim in space!

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
7:06 am

I heard everybody in the Obama administration got a key ring with the Diebold Source Coding on it…..

cris

July 13th, 2010
7:07 am

Cynthia wrote”“You don’t typically intimidate your own voters.”. This would make sense if we did not know that ever time there is a riot or civil unrest, the black community burns down and loots their own nieghborhoods.

Ragnar Danneskjöld

July 13th, 2010
7:13 am

Apologies to all, in my pre-coffee stupor @ 7:00 I wrote “discrimination” when I was thinking “intimidation.”

ken

July 13th, 2010
7:18 am

100,000 jobs LOST today in the gulf because we have an administration that is LOST.

Norm

July 13th, 2010
7:44 am

Totally peaceful Tea Party folks are called dangerous racists by democrats. The Obama adninistration turn a blind eye to black on white hate speech, which looks like racism to me. I was verbally assaulted in the steam room before the Obama election for saying I did not like Obama or McCain. I was bold enough to say only a racist would say not voting for Obama was racist. When lambasted about Bush on almost a daily basis, I told them I didn’t like Bush but I thought Gore was slightly worse and Kerry was way worse. I even explained that if I knew if there was going to be a republican congress I would have voted for Gore because neither party in full control can be trusted. My wife convinced me to not to renew my gym membership. I can only imagine what would happen at the gym if I truthfully answered a question about what I think of Obama administration so far. I would steadfastly say race has nothing to do with it unless Obama is making decisions for racial reasons, but I would still fear physical violence. If being black or white comes ahead of being American, then politicians and the folks who elect them, cannot represent everyone fairly. If Bush had behaved anywhere near as badly as Obama, Pelosi and Reid, I suspect the Tea Parties would look like Sunday School picnics in comparison to liberal hate group reaction. It seems to me democrats are nearly always unhappy about something and cannot even win with grace and dignity. Sore losers can be explained by human nature but sore winners is a difficult concept to explain. The only explanation I can think of is malcontents are never happy. My wife is so dismayed by the treatment I, a 70 year old white man, got at the gym, that she is afraid to ask for a republican ballot at a black mega-church where we vote. I keep telling her that being angry and argumentave is a far cry from physical violence.

Cynthia is Sexy!!

July 13th, 2010
7:57 am

The New Black Panthers Party…Same game, different name. Im sure their meetings are quite the eye opener.

hahaha!!!

July 13th, 2010
7:59 am

A new list of the 10 most welcoming cities to live in has just been released and each one has a black population that is essentially non-existent. Thoughts Cynthia? LOL!!!

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
8:01 am

Norm

Sorry you were verbally hassled.

At least your home and cars were not vandalized as mine were. Repeatedly.

I just kept cleaning up the mess and getting new Obama signs.
Dismayed? Yes I was. Afraid? Hell no.

just pathetic

July 13th, 2010
8:01 am

So using Cynthia’s pathetic spin, it should be just fine for a group of Klansmen to hang out in front of a polling place in the next election while holding nooses.

amiee

July 13th, 2010
8:02 am

CT,

Since anyone that criticizes Obama is a racist, doesn’t that mean you and your fellow liberal sheep in the media are racist for criticizing Mr. Steele?

the implosion continues!!!

July 13th, 2010
8:05 am

Shocking!!! New evidence is coming out that Obama stole the primary win from Clinton. And the evidence is being complied by a Lib!!! It’s also coming out that Franken criminally stole his election as well with illegal votes from prisoners. Not that this surprises anyone, but it’ll be interesting to see if any ko.oks like Cynthia or her fellow sheep in the media touch these stories with a 10 foot pole.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
8:08 am

Mr Implosion sir…

Evidence? Links? Data?

casual observer

July 13th, 2010
8:09 am

Solid reporting by media matters? Give me a break! Obviously no voter intimidation?! If there are men dressed in Black suits carrying clubs outside a voter precinct and you contend there isn’t any voter intimidation? You are an idiot. There is no rational conversation that can go on in your world. How the heck do you continue to have a job?

thetruthwillsetyoufree

July 13th, 2010
8:10 am

Cynthia, thanks to you the AJC is doing fantastic on its subscriptions, isn’t it? When are the “execs” over there going to wise up and hire real journalists for their newspaper.

dirk

July 13th, 2010
8:11 am

ever notice how the majority of blacks in this country are in the southeast, yet the southeast is as red as you get? While the rest of the black population is spread thin throughout the rest of the country. You want to make this entire nation red? Let’s send all the blacks in the southeast to all the liberal blue states and let them live beside them and work with them for just a year’s time and then rotate them to another state. Before you know it, the entire nation will be red since they will finally know first hand what it is like to experience what we are forced to endure and suffer through on a daily basis.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
8:13 am

Mr Implosion sir

Nevermind

I looked it up.

Tin foil hat time.

miguel

July 13th, 2010
8:17 am

Why would the Bush administration prosecute them when they were leaving office in 2 months? Who in their right mind thinks that would have given them any time to do anything they would have needed to do? Its obvious CT knows absolutely nothing about anything, especially how the courts work, but the liberal writer at Media Matters is just as clueless.

MiltonMan

July 13th, 2010
8:20 am

Obozo’s wife now ranting to the NAACP about tea party members being racists. Dear Lord, I pray that you bring November here alot faster. Amen.

comet

July 13th, 2010
8:20 am

Someone stole my thunder above, but seriously, why do Obama defenders routinely point to comparisons to Bush? How can you invest years of your life screaming at the top of your lungs that Bush was an idiot in every facet of his leadership, and then say “well hey, Bush did it too so it’s all good?” I thought Obama was the “Chosen One” and Bush was Satin? Why would the Chosen One want to repeat the “evilness” of Bush?

MiltonMan

July 13th, 2010
8:22 am

dirk, Fulton, Clayton & DeKalb are blue and perhaps the worst ran counties in this state. Clayton has crappy schools, DeKalb has to go overseas to find teachers to teach math/science & Fulton is only relevant because of North Fulton.

I'm here from the government and I'm here to help

July 13th, 2010
8:27 am

Racism works one-way in ctucker’s world.

Mike

July 13th, 2010
8:30 am

The hypocrisy is thick.

This independent notes that Ms Tucker has not come out denouncing the black racsim that is so obviously evident in the New Black Panther videos. Her defense in not doing so is that she can find examples of white racism too. Brilliant.

Facts are our friends. The facts are not 100% clear to me on this. As has been mentioned, just because an inhunction was filed before the official decision to drop the case was made, does that mean the decision to drop the case was made simultaneously? Not clear. Ms. Tucker cites very biased websites for her support. Sometimes such sites have truth, but often they skew the facts. It is what she accuses the right of doing. Yet she has engaged in exactly the same behavior.

A mirror please, so I can give it to Ms. Tucker and show her what bias looks like!

Knowing all the facts here would be nice. I wonder why the DOJ has ordered all its personnel to ignore the subpoenas from the Civil Rights Commission?

Listen Everybody

July 13th, 2010
8:32 am

Cynthia, they are so filled with hate for you that you can warn them of a heavy falling object about to smack them on the head and they would spew venom at you. These people are not interested in facts; it’s all about negative emotions and not being able live down the fact that Democrats took control of both houses in 2006 and a Democratic (man of color) won the presidency in 2008. Not defending the Black Panthers, but when, in the history of this nation, did the Black Panthers ever go into any white folks homes in the middle of the night and dragged out family members and lynched them because a white man looked at a black woman in the wrong way? They don’t read your columns. They only see Cynthia Tucker as the author and immediately begin spewing venom regardless the content of the piece. Thankfully rational people from afar who read their comments realize not all Georgians are agonizing with the aflictions of these venom spewers. Heaven forbid a black woman with an opinion that does not mirror their own gets her opinion in print for the whole world to see. Be safe, my sister.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
8:32 am

comet says

“I thought Obama was the “Chosen One” and Bush was Satin? ”

That’s where his problem lies.

He thinks Obama is the Chosen One…we know he’s the President.

Oh, and Bush was never “Satin”…..more like polyester.

Kamchak

July 13th, 2010
8:48 am

…more like polyester.

I’m thinking sackcloth.

Avenger

July 13th, 2010
8:50 am

Scout. “and the chasm between two “America’s” just keeps getting wider. This does not bode well for out future.” Noooooo – Apparently you don”t know (most likely choose not to know) about the 40s’,50s’,60s’, and 70s’. Now – that was a CHASM!

andygrd

July 13th, 2010
8:50 am

If you have not noticed, there are nut jobs on both sides of the isle. You have President Bush and President Obama bashers. I would rather see an honest debate about the issues rather than what the New Black Panthers did, or what Mel Gibson said, or the other crazy items forced feed to us by the media.
However, if you are going to call it, then call it both ways. Both the right and the left news outlets focus one side of the issue, or fail to report issues… There is no journalist integrity today. I can learn more from watching the Learning or Discovery Channels.

The White Devils You Say!

July 13th, 2010
8:55 am

Ms. Tucker – You still don’t get it. Discrimination is just that – white on black, black on white, white on brown, brown on white, yellow on black, black on brown, brown on yellow, etc… Is your new motto HEIL OBAMA. Holder, by the way, is his Himmler.

Avenger

July 13th, 2010
8:56 am

Scout. “Daddy, are those Black Panthers coming over for dinner again? They scare me.” Noooo -
Blowing up churches and killing little girls – that scary. By the way, some justice didn’t come of that case until decades later.

lj

July 13th, 2010
9:00 am

Yep…. and if the KKK was picketing the voting booths of a heavily conservative area and calling for the murder of all men and women of color, there would be no problem- right Cynthia?

Dear Cynthia- you have no concept of the meaning of freedom. You are blind to what prejudice and racism actually means. Your double standard of right and wrong is disgustingly similar to the New Black Panthers.

Racist.

Cindi Lane

July 13th, 2010
9:02 am

There is no news here…making something out of nothing. Fox news has reported this accurately. They reported that this case turned into a civil case under Bush. The case was not dropped by Bush, all you liberals sit back and selectively report the “news” and look for ways to bring down Fox news. In fact, MSNBC spends more time beating up on Fox than reporting the news. You and all the liberal media outlets are the resons why everyone watches Fox-the only news outlet that reports all news-not just selected news.

joe

July 13th, 2010
9:07 am

new BP, old BP, same ole same ole…If two white guys dressed in white hoods were standing in front of a polling place in any city, we’d have the national guard out there within 30 minutes. What these guys did is a crime and should be punished for it (a real punishment, like jail…not some edict that says he can’t be anywhere near a philly area polling place with a CLUB in his hand). The rants that have been played on the news programs lately of these new BP’s are a disgrace…’you gots to kill dem crackas, you got to kill some white babies…unbelievable. I’m all for free speech, but these BP’s cross the line and should be dealt with accordingly. Also anyone who supports their efforts are nothing but racists.

JKL2

July 13th, 2010
9:08 am

Where’s favorite son Jimmy Carter? He’s running all around the globe making sure stuff like this doesn’t happen. Now we have a slam dunk case in his own back yard and he completely drops the ball.

Way to defend bad behavior Cynthia. I guess next you’ll be sticking up for armed robbery because the robber really needed my stuff and it’s just not fair that I had things he wanted.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
9:09 am

Every one watches Fox?

Everyone?

Cable News Rating July 9th showed a million nine watched Fox News Prime Time.

Over 330 million people in the US.

Fuzzy.

ken R

July 13th, 2010
9:10 am

Bill Tetlazff, Thr article never condemmed what they did either. Plus I don’t know of anyone who is leaving a job in 11 days to do anything. Just because one party didn’t do anything doesn’t give the other party a pass.
If this were White people doing this the Blacks would riot, and Cynthia you were correct, you would be better off not writing at all, on anything.

Avenger

July 13th, 2010
9:10 am

Scout. “By the way, the Minutemen helped found this country …………. not the Black Panthers”
Guys ( C Vinson, R. Russell, S. Thurmond, G Wallace, J. Helms, J. Eastland, and many others)who looked like the minutemen screwed this country up so badly that we are still dealing with that evil baggage. Matter of fact, one could easily say they help create the Black Panthers. You people are a dollar short and a day late to be sitting around moaning and bitching now. Your disdain should be directed at those bigoted clowns.

MAC

July 13th, 2010
9:15 am

You lost me at quotes from Media Matters.

Why not just quote The Daily Kos?

If J. Christian Adams was a Bush-admin whistleblower, you would be all over it. If the person who actually worked there has a case, let him make it without trying to undermine him before it’s determined, through an independent investigation, whether he’s right or wrong.

Marie

July 13th, 2010
9:19 am

Go right ahead Cynthia and blame it on Bush. I will go with your facts that the Bush administration downgraded the case or decided not to pursue criminal charges against the NBPP. However, since the case had not been settled and was still in progress, the Obama administration (ala Eric Holder) could have made the decision to REVERSE the decision of the previous administration and proceed with criminal charges against the NBPP.

The Bush Administration also decided not to hold trials for Al-Queda terrorists held at Gitmo. But Obama, Holder, and company have decided to they indeed want to hold court for these terrorist. So please don’t give me this nonesense that this was a Bush decision and act as if Obams’ hands were therefore tied and he could not act differently.

BULL!!!!!!!!!!

Hayes

July 13th, 2010
9:22 am

It is amazing how we as Americans are so quick to disrtegard the facts. As Ms. Tucker states, the Bush Administration made the call to downgrade the case. This is not some attempt to blame the Bush Adminstration but rather a fact. They clearly decided there was not enough evidence to support moving forward with the case. This is not to condone their actions but we must realize that sometimes this happens in our legal system. Let’s also not disregard the fact the police were called to the polling place. I guess the New Black Panthers paid the police off. I did not read anyway in her article where she condones the actions of the Panther’s (although I do feel the comments about the precinct beiung 70% democratic irrelevant to the issue at hand).

For those who continue to blame the President for this decision and are expressing outrage, where is your outrage concerning the police officer who murdered the young man in Oakland and only received a 4 year sentence because he was convicted on a manslaughter charge? Isn’t that young man’s life just as about as the right to vote without intimidation? The legal system did not work for this young man. Our legal system is not perfect but it right more often than it is wrong.

Let’s put away the political ideology and start to examine the facts. Let’s stop simplying relying on snippets from the media that are clearly designed to promote a specific point of view. Let’s stop voting based on the endorsement of some elected leader. Let’s research and read the complete set of facts and then engage in healthy debate.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
9:23 am

MAC

We get you can’t deal with Media Matters and Kos, but can you say
that the quotes are incorrect?

Williebkind

July 13th, 2010
9:26 am

Has anyone heard who or what group planted the bomb for a big oil executive’s wife. She is 62yrs old and had a bomb explod in her face. The bomb was reported as having nails in it and some struck her face. I do not believe this is the Tea Party work! I do believe this is a progressive liberal wacho’s work. It must be because the big three medias are not doing much investigative reporting. The progressive liberals are violate. It has been in their entire history. So do not let the progressive liberals point fingers at the Tea Party or other conservative groups without a direct challange with the facts.

Keith

July 13th, 2010
9:31 am

Maybe thie Black Panther presence was designed to create enough disruption to let the illegals registered by ACORN get thru the voting line without being challenged.

Russ

July 13th, 2010
9:33 am

Cynthia, the Holder DOJ dropped the case in May 2009. You are so misleading with your summary of the “facts”. How do you keep your job?

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
9:39 am

ACORN – squirrel

smithers

July 13th, 2010
9:40 am

I say, Kill the crackers!

Avenger

July 13th, 2010
9:44 am

Kayaker. “If I said those same things, I would be labeled the worst kind of racist that every posted a comment on this blog.” You would be labeled that because you would remind people of the evil devils that bombed churches that killed little girls. Evil deeds have consequences. Of course you double talkers would like for people to believe that history doesn’t matter.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
9:45 am

Russ

May 2009: DOJ obtained default judgment against Shabazz for carrying weapon outside polling station. On May 18, 2009, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania entered default judgment against Samir Shabazz.

That’s how it dropped…..

CT fan

July 13th, 2010
9:48 am

Thank you Cynthia for this article. Although this (non) “story” is getting heavy rotation on the Faux News Channel, many RESPONSIBLE journalists have pointed out that it was the BUSH administration that decided that this “story” or case was of little consequence and chose NOT to prosecute. It just kills them when they cannot pin something on Obama.

Big D

July 13th, 2010
9:49 am

CT, thanks for doing the piece, bravo.I don’t see the facts as being bullet proof and as an intelligent person would not expect you not to have a left leaning opinion.
This is the sad part…I had high hopes that this president Would bring people together and he has failed miserably. I grew up on a military base and in the black community in the south during the sixties and seventies. I’ve seen everything good and bad about both cultures and I have never seen a more polarized state of affairs than now.
I dislike this administration because it has done nothing short of bold face lying and using race and the lack of objective dissemination of facts to further an obvious statist progressive agenda. There are people now who have CLEARLY seen this as dangerous to the fabric of our country and are in the motions of correcting this. They are NOT all Right wing, wing nut, neo-con Republicans they are a mixture of former Democrats and moderates and conservatives that see through the baseless and empty rhetoric this President is only capable of.
It is on the backs and brains of the white and black races that created this country ( Yes I know about all the others, think percentage) and we have been successfully divided and conquered . I personally don’t know one republican or conservative who was willing to follow G. Bush on all his policies blindly, but I see the left now as robots like the ones in I-Robot following Obama like lemmings off a cliff.
As Yamamoto was once to have said ” I believe we have awakened a sleeping giant”.
The good and the free of this country will not stand for much more and much to my dismay the left just keeps on adding more fuel.
“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty” T. Jefferson.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
9:50 am

Oh and Russ

Civil Rights commissioner: “[N]o citizen has even alleged that he or she was intimidated from voting.” In an April 23 hearing on the DOJ’s decision in the case, Civil Rights Commissioner Arlan Melendez stated that “no citizen has even alleged that he or she was intimidated from voting,” which “was clear to the Justice Department last spring, which is why they took the course of action that they did.”

Seems the big scarey guys only scared YOU.

Russ

July 13th, 2010
9:50 am

Granny – yup dropped
When none of the defendants filed any response to the complaint or appeared in federal district court in Philadelphia to answer the suit, it appeared almost certain Justice would have prevailed by default. Instead, the department in May suddenly allowed the Black Panther party and two of the three defendants to walk away. Against the third defendant, Minister King Samir Shabazz, it sought only an injunction barring him from displaying a weapon within 100 feet of a Philadelphia polling place for the next three years—action that’s already illegal under existing law. Quite a judgment Granny! Now Samir can go ply his wares at any polling place except in Philadelphia. I am sure he learned a lesson.

CT fan

July 13th, 2010
9:53 am

RE: ACORN, another non-story that got heavy rotation on Faux News. Despite several high level investigations, including Republican led ones, there have been no reports of any funding issues with ACORN. And throughout all of this mess only one lawsuit has been filed. That lawsuit was actually against the young ‘journalists’ that comically dressed as a pimp and prostitute (in a heavily edited tape that was aired, however, if you look at the whole tape you will see a much diffferent story). Yes, the state of California is persecuting the two for illegally taping a conversation with an ACORN employee. The same ACORN employee that the two led you to believe was conspiring with them, when he actually reported them to San Diego authorities. People, I know hate and racism can be a powerful tool.. but open your eyes. Stop listening to the propaganda spewed by Faux, drug addict Rush, and the other loons.

DK

July 13th, 2010
9:56 am

Can somebody please tell me why the DOJ dropped the charges after the defendants were found guilty by default? The case was won, so what were they thinking?

joebatch

July 13th, 2010
9:57 am

Dear Ms. Tucker,for several years i have enjoyed you as a columnist and watching you when you are on MSNBC.you write about what is in the news not just to put your spin on it to make you look good or whatever it is that these people are responding to it. seems as tho they don’t read the article and then try to give a intellectual give and take on the subjects at hand but just spew hate,insults and venom at you it seems that in Atlanta you are as hated as President Obama by certain sub groups.i’m glad i did not move to Atlanta when i had the chance but i am in Las Vegas,NV which has become sharon angle teabagger land so you can run but not hide it seems.however i was reading Bob Hebert in todays NYTIMES (Outside the Casino) 07-13-10 and the article was about how wall street has been able to go back to their old tricks and greed while main street suffers still from the meltdown they caused by their greed and indifference to anyone but the rich and themselves and why we as a country let this continue to keep going on at our expense.i could not think of a good enough response to make at the time but after reading your article today and before the answer became very clear to me the reason that all of this is allowed to keep going on is that 99.99%of the population is more focused on hated and bigotry than anything else so while all the attacks are directed to say you after you write an article the powers that be are getting away with everything they can and more because people seem to be more focused on their hatred than anything else except for taking time for the trifling and petty news of the day.read Mr. Herbert’s column and see why the questions he asked are so simple to answer.we are our on whose enemy,it seems that spewing hatred is much more important than looking to see for real the reasons why we are in the very bad situation we are in as a country and why it will get even worse in time, but folks just keep pouring on the hate because that while make it all alright in the end won’t it?

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
9:58 am

Russ

AGAIN….nobody NOBODY alleged intimidation.

Perhaps the case should not have been brought to the bar at all.

Perhaps in doing so the Bush DOJ was being hyper partisan/borderline racist?

lovelyliz

July 13th, 2010
9:58 am

MS Tucker, don’t assume that some people read or can even discern fact from fiction.

Russ

July 13th, 2010
10:00 am

Come on Granny – no one alleged intimidation? What kind of argument is that in the face of the videos and recent statements from the Party itself?

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
10:01 am

Steinbrenner has passed

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
10:02 am

Russ

The correct argument. No one alleged intimidation.

Repeat No One.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
10:06 am

Russ”

[N]o voters at all in the Philadelphia precinct have come forward to allege intimidation.” A July 2 Main Justice article reported that “no voters at all in the Philadelphia precinct have come forward to allege intimidation,” adding, “The complaints have come from white Republican poll watchers, who have given no evidence they were registered to vote in the majority black precinct.” MMA

Madison

July 13th, 2010
10:09 am

Granny, Cynthia strongly (and rightly so) chastised me for calling you an idiot. I do feel like an apology is necessary because it’s just wrong to compare someone to another that has a deplorable lack of a IQ. Therefore, to all the idiots in the world I apologize! Cynthia you don’t have to bother banning me this column told me all I ever want to know about you.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
10:10 am

joebatch, thanks so much for commenting on this site. I agree that, much of the time, we are our worst enemy. Oh, I love Bob Herbert’s column!

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
10:10 am

Madison

Learned manners from the Cliff notes eh?

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
10:11 am

CT fan, Yes, conservatives did exaggerate the whole ACORN conspiracy story.

Big D

July 13th, 2010
10:11 am

Granny, Reuters Today…Obama hits new low in believing he can govern…60%.
Just because you get the job doesn’t mean you can do it.
I think we call it …uh… Peters principle.
He has definitely risen to the point of incompetent, not by being stupid, by underestimating the intelligence of the country.
You can fool some of the people sometime, but not all the people all of the time.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
10:12 am

Big D, I have to disagree with you strongly. I haven’t seen any instances where this administration “uses race.” The opposite is true: Obama shies away from the subject of race.

Halftrack

July 13th, 2010
10:16 am

CT, Basic principles should be followed at all precincts. Poll watchers should be clearly identified with badges, uniforms, etc. Persons who hang around the Polling place should be directed to leave the premises and stay away from voters. This should be applied to all Americans and citizens. We should all be concerned about obeying the law, and seeing that others, regardless of race or nationality are treated equally under the law. It is this implied dignity and respect that all voters should be treated with. Hollering about “Crackers”, Honkies, or the N word or carrying weapons of any kind, are all in the same unlawful category and intimidate people. Principles tell us that a disregard of the laws should not be tolerated by any citizen.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
10:16 am

Big D

I saw that early this morning.

Did you happen to notice that the same poll shows the numbers for the GOP even worse than that?

Big D

July 13th, 2010
10:16 am

CT, Pleassse….he brought up race more than any other candidate in history.
” you may notice I don’t look like the others” and on and on.
Sorry, between himself and his minions he has been very much a social divider.

TommyJack

July 13th, 2010
10:17 am

CT: Let’s say we had a Republican-heavy polling place. And the KKK picketed. Would the Justice Dept ignore it? Hmmmm?

Big D

July 13th, 2010
10:17 am

Granny, sure did and rightly so…but they are not in control.

hnf

July 13th, 2010
10:19 am

Granny Godzilla,

Surely you recognize that victims of intimidation crimes/civil violations are relatively unlikely to report to law enforcement for the same reason they are a victim in the first place: they are, in fact, intimidated. it’s often not worth the trouble for any one voter, who must then continue to live in the neighborhood and risk further harrassment for reporting.

be clear on one thing, at least: the allegation under review by the civil rights commission has nothing at all to do w/ the decision to not pursue criminal charges, but only whether a decision to not seek more apt, harsher civil penatlies (fines) was made on an improper basis. this decision was made in the spring of ‘09, not on the date the complaint for injunctive relief was filed.

ms. tucker has reframed the issue to produce an easier resolution, more favorable to an administration she supports, by selectively citing the testimony of one asst attorney general who avoided speaking to the primary issue at hand. she also incorrectly referred to him as a “bush appointee” when, in actuality, he’s not a political appointee at all; convenient mistake?

personally, i don’t think there’s anything to it; but to say that it has been dispositively resolved by the testimony and editorials she cites to is dishonest, to say the least.

Tommy Maddox

July 13th, 2010
10:20 am

If I stood in front of my old school, Venetian Hills Elementary School, on voting day, wearing paramilitary garb, toting a rebel flag and a whip, and spouting off all kinds of trash to the folks walking in, do you think the law would drop the charges against me [presuming I survive the event]?

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
10:23 am

Big D

You are correct, the GOP is not in control (except for that whole tyranny of the minority and unprecedented use of filibsuters silliness)

However, I think the GOP’s approval ratings being lower than Obama’s
may mean they won’t get the votes you think they’ll get.

Big D

July 13th, 2010
10:23 am

Granny, unlike you I have the ability to see life through objective lenses.
Wrong is always wrong and right is always right, I give no measure of credence to either party when they screw up and the Republicans of past are as stupid as Democrats.
What the poll reflects is a country waking up (finally) to the realization that we are headed for a bad train wreck and it is time to stop bitching and start doing.

I'm here from the government and I'm here to help

July 13th, 2010
10:24 am

smithers
July 13th, 2010
9:40 am

I say, Kill the crackers!

Do you really want a race war? If so, when was the last time whitey lost one?

Josh

July 13th, 2010
10:24 am

CYNTHIA YOU ARE WRONG. THE COMPLAINTS WERE NOT FILED UNTIL JANUARY. FOUR MONTHS LATER (OBAMA IS PRESIDENT AND HOLDER IS ATTORNEY GENERAL) DROPPED THE CHARGES AGAINST THE BLACK PANTHERS. YOU USE MEDIA MATTERS AND THE AMERICAN PROSPECT (BOTH VERY FAR LEFT LIBERAL BIASED MEDIA SITES FOR YOUR EVIDENCE AND THEY ARE LIARS!

HERE IS THE TRUTH:

www. liveleak.com/view?i=5b3_1254510953&c=1

THERE IS A SPACE INBETWEEN THE PERIOD AND THE FIRST L IN THE ADDRESS. WHEN YOU COPY AND PASTE, REMOVE THE SPACE.

TommyJack

July 13th, 2010
10:27 am

Josh: Caps lock key. Find it.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
10:28 am

hnf

Surely I don’t recognize any such thing. There may be some Americans
who would be intimidated, but I think most Americans are brave and true.

I think it’s the fringe right that has reframed a non issue into their
scandal du jour, and I think Americans are finding that stuff tiresome.

But as you say….you don’t think there’s anything to it …

Eraserhead

July 13th, 2010
10:28 am

The Bush administration filed the case in 2009. Holder ordered the case dismissed in 2010.

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
10:31 am

Big D

I have a coupon from Lens Crafters it appears you might have use for.

k thx bye

The credibility factor

July 13th, 2010
10:31 am

You know you’ve lost all credibility when you start trying to pass off reporting from far left hate sites like Media Matters and the American Prospect as legitimate news sources.

And since when is it okay to intimidate the minority of republican voters in a heavily democratic precinct simply because the precinct is heavily democratic? That has got to be one of the dumbest editorial statements I’ve ever read.

Williebkind

July 13th, 2010
10:33 am

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
9:50 am
“Seems the big scarey guys only scared YOU.”

Then that is all it takes to prosecute them! Oh that is right I forgot you do not prosecute liberals being racist.

Dan Priem

July 13th, 2010
10:34 am

It is easier to get a conviction on a Civil case than a Criminal case. The standards are different. For example, Simpson got off on Criminal Charges, but got convicted on civil charges – just for an unrelated example. So, to say or infer that Bush dropped charges, as Olberman reported last night, is a complete distortion. You didn’t mention that the DOJ WON the Civil case, but dropped pursuing the case before sentencing. Maybe I missed that? More distortion and lies from the left.

hnf

July 13th, 2010
10:34 am

Granny Godzilla: “Surely I don’t recognize any such thing. There may be some Americans
who would be intimidated . . . .”

It took exactly two consecutive sentences for you to contradict yourself. Thanks, you made that easier than I could’ve imagined. The fact that “some Americans” could be intimidated, and thereby have their right to vote encroached upon, makes this (and all other cases like it, including the Minutemen, etc.) very significant.

Josh

July 13th, 2010
10:36 am

From the liveleak article I posted @ 10:24 AM

“In January, the Justice Department filed a civil complaint in Philadelphia against the New Black Panther Party after two of its members in black berets, black combat boots, black shirts and black jackets purportedly intimidated voters with racial insults, slurs and a nightstick. A third party member was accused of managing, directing and endorsing their behavior. The incident was captured on videotape.”

“Four months later, the Justice Department dropped the charges…”

“Before the charges were dropped, a federal judge in April had ordered default judgments against the Panthers after they refused to respond to the charges or appear in court. The Justice Department also was in the final stages of seeking sanctions when a delay in the proceedings was ordered by Loretta King, acting assistant attorney general.”

Big D

July 13th, 2010
10:46 am

Granny,
I’m not going to call you stupid, but within your comments it is clear you are intellectually irrelevant.

Williebkind

July 13th, 2010
10:49 am

Liberals can not lead and do not know how to follow. That is a train wreck!

Granny Godzilla

July 13th, 2010
10:50 am

hnf

upon reflection i was not as clear as i would have liked to be.

however, the fact remains that NO ONE alleged intimidation.

and here we are nearly two years later, and with all the hubbub
being manufactured over this, you’d think someone, any one would pop up….

The Credilbility Factor

Unless one has data to prove that said sites statements are false
all you have is a personal vendetta not credibility.

Williebkind

You can’t have it both ways. Tort reform or filing suit against all the people who scare you.

Williebkind

July 13th, 2010
10:54 am

The black panthers are a joke! They hide behind laws that protect them from whites because they are black. That gives them courage to do and say things from a cowardly platform. If whitey bitch slaps one then Holder would prosecute whitey with exteme prejudice.

Josh

July 13th, 2010
10:55 am

@Granny

I read the leftist biased liberal articles CT posted. Now I ask you to read the unbiased liveleak article I posted.

Here are the main facts listed in the article (and remember liveleaks is either supporting the left or right, they simply list the facts):

“In January, the Justice Department filed a civil complaint in Philadelphia against the New Black Panther Party after two of its members in black berets, black combat boots, black shirts and black jackets purportedly intimidated voters with racial insults, slurs and a nightstick. A third party member was accused of managing, directing and endorsing their behavior. The incident was captured on videotape.”

“Four months later, the Justice Department dropped the charges…”

“Before the charges were dropped, a federal judge in April had ordered default judgments against the Panthers after they refused to respond to the charges or appear in court. The Justice Department also was in the final stages of seeking sanctions when a delay in the proceedings was ordered by Loretta King, acting assistant attorney general.”

uga_b

July 13th, 2010
10:57 am

Cynthia, was Sotamayor not championed due to her race? No president shines away from race; this one is no different.

I have yet to see anyone prove how not pursuing a criminal case but pursuing the civil case somehow supports the dropping of charges already won. I have yet to see anything to refute that the case could have been dropped by the Civil Rights attorneys due to race. The fact someone who knows libel laws pretty well wouuld come out is pretty interesting. However, it is all hearsay and conjecture at this point.

Just be happy we have something to take our minds off Obama’s mishandling of the economy and oil cleanup. FoxNews is doing him a favor.

b6542

July 13th, 2010
11:00 am

The alleged journalist CT has it SO wrong. Time to change the kitty box with this one…..

Voter Un-Intimidated

July 13th, 2010
11:00 am

Malik Shabazz would have loved it when I took his night stick from him and used it for a dildo on him! This man is a registered idiot and should have been procecuted for hate crimes! But, I guess the long worn out race card only applies to white people! This man sings the praises of Osama Bin Laden, also!

Call IT

July 13th, 2010
11:11 am

Again, the FAR LEFT RADICAL AT HER BEST!

Barry will be out of office soon!

Enough Said!

JohnD

July 13th, 2010
11:19 am

Just remember, there is Cynthia’s truth, the conservative truth, and, somewhere in the middle, the real truth.

uhoh

July 13th, 2010
11:21 am

Your assumption that any of those on premise would “come forward” to file a complaint is silly. Most of the voters in that district likely don’t “come forward” much other than to pick up a govt check.

Longfellow

July 13th, 2010
11:21 am

It is quite apparent that a large number of your “conservatve” readers(though at times astonishing they pocess the ability to read) are Haters of the first order.

WAR

July 13th, 2010
11:31 am

the first black panther party were men and women who wanted to protect their neighborhoods from police and others who took advantage of blacks during the 60s and 70s. the new black panther party has some of the same principles, but are completely ineffective in their approach to accomplish any goals.

the naacp is defunct. the nation of islam is defunct. the black panther party is defunct. the sclc is defunct. the rainbow coalition is defunct. the “network” is defunct. sad time in the black community for organizations.

the nra will take them though.

WAR

July 13th, 2010
11:34 am

the honorable el-hajj malik el-shabazz is better known as malcolm x. this malik shabazz is not the same person and they do not come from the same culture, history, or religion. malcolm x was an activitist for the advancement of blacks and other oppressed peoples (after his trip from mecca).

this malik shabazz is… well, i don’t know.

D. King

July 13th, 2010
11:38 am

Tucker,
Did it ever occur to you that Media Matters also has an agenda, and are being less than truthful here ?

The Bush admin filed a civil complaint against the New Black Panther party people. There were several eyewitnesses who heard the NBP guys using racial slurs toward white people. One was carrying a nightstick. That is voter intimidation, plain and simple.

The Obama DOJ got a default judgement against the NPB’s because the defendants never showed up in court.

You should read what J. Christian Adams says before you pass judgement based upon Media Matters, who, btw, was not present at the Obama DOJ, as Adams was.

WAR

July 13th, 2010
11:42 am

finally, the first black panther party used california’s laws to its advantage. that is reason why the organization openly carried fierearms–even into the state capital–until governor reagan had the laws changed. the new black panther party is in no way, shape, form, or fashion anywhere what the original party was.

enough on the history lessons.

WAR

July 13th, 2010
11:45 am

d king
it wasn’t voter intimidation because no one was intimidated. people went in and voted for the candidate of their choice. notice the nbpp did this “intimidation” in a predominantly democratic area. they would have never performed this event in a predominantly republican area. never. they pick and choose the confrontation instead of addressing the problems that affect the communities they claim to serve.

WideAwake

July 13th, 2010
12:31 pm

The haters are out in full swing. They have tried every propaganda to discredit the black community, such as, welfare, abortion, christianity, ignorance, stealing jobs, unamerican, country back, van jones, black panthers, and the list goes on.

It is a shame–what these so called christians will do to hide their racism. The congress man, republican community, fox news have all use polarization to destroy a nation. They will go after puerto ricans, mexicans, blacks and soon asians and others who do not follow what they preach until they have their world back.

John

July 13th, 2010
12:33 pm

What a complete lie. The lawsuit was FILED in January by the Bush DOJ, then your boy Obama was President at the end of the month. It then was DROPPED in May by the Obama DOJ.
Get your facts right Ms Tucker!!!

Williebkind

July 13th, 2010
12:47 pm

WideAwake

July 13th, 2010
12:31 pm
“They have tried every propaganda to discredit the black community”

Nope! There is enough in the black community to do it (like CT) there is no need for whites to get involved except to say they see it.

Williebkind

July 13th, 2010
12:51 pm

The black panthers in the beginning and in the end are no better than the KKK. The KKK was around longer and had more opportunity to do bad things and did do bad things. Maybe that is what the black panthers are upset about! They have not had the opportunity to hang whitey yet.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
1:00 pm

John, I have my facts right. You don’t.

WideAwake

July 13th, 2010
1:06 pm

Williebkind: I’m not sure where you going with this. Again, republican congressman, fox news, teaparty, and the christian rights have tried everything to discredit the black community.

Sorry you don’t agree but again unless it is your point of view you probably wouldn’t.

WideAwake

July 13th, 2010
1:07 pm

Just like you people show yourselves for what you truly are….

WideAwake

July 13th, 2010
1:08 pm

John: Just like your boy Bush dropped all his balls.

tsam

July 13th, 2010
1:08 pm

Joan, shutup. Did anyone face prosecution for comments? No. Stop making discussions and arguments a freedom of speech issue. If you had any brains at all, you might just be able to figure out that the ability to freely comment on these discussion is the result of free speech.

Avenger

July 13th, 2010
1:16 pm

Kayaker. Evil deeds of history have consequences. The KKK was the terrorist arm of the “American People” for hundreds of years. The Black blow hard doesn’t hold a candle to those monsters. Of course double talkers like to ignore facts and mix apples with oranges. Either you people are ignorant of history or KKK sympathizers – neither of these is good.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
1:19 pm

Avenger, Pls stop clogging the site with the same comment over and over. I don’t want to have to put you in time out

WideAwake

July 13th, 2010
1:38 pm

Why were the black panthers there in the first place?

My understanding was that flyers were going around in philly telling anyone who had warrants they would be arrested. I am wondering who would do such a mean thing.

But wait during the 2008 elections, virginia flyer stated different dates for voting, hispanics in florida were told they would be arrested for being illegal, watermelons and food stamps for black people.

I guess the Black Panthers had a reason…..

Alistair

July 13th, 2010
2:03 pm

Listening to these Right Wingers on this board you like Nath are no different than some of the White South Africans who are complaining about their lost as being they privilege statics.

uga_b

July 13th, 2010
2:11 pm

John,
Like she has said numerous times “her facts”. Bush did drop the criminal lawsuit. They did file a civil lawsuit. Obama’s administration won it by default judgment; issued sanctions; removed some and settled on a lesser injunction.

None of this is particularly out of the ordinary. The interesting part is the whistle blower, who definitely has right political leanings. The real question is whether he is lying or if the policy is in place. The bad thing in my opinion is that I wouldn’t be surprised either way.

uga_b

July 13th, 2010
2:12 pm

Cynthia, you made foxnews during lunch by the way. Megyn Kelly then shouted down one of her guests, which I think indicates to me she has gotten defensive over all the criticism.

Alistair

July 13th, 2010
2:24 pm

WideAwake:

Good point, there was no mentioning to that story.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
2:48 pm

1. The DOJ received clearance to move ahead with injunctions against 2 members of the NBPP and 1 against the party itself. The case was over and won on a default judgement since no members of the NBPP decided to show up to court to answer the charge. Therefore any BS about them not having enough evidence to move forward was just that, BS. Why do you need need more less or any evidence after the verdict has been given. 2. Once the DOJ learned of the verdict they then downgraded the punishment by eliminating 2 of the injunctions and reducing the severity of the third snatching defeat from the jaws of victory as many have said. 3. I am sure Ms. Tucker would be fine if the tables were turned with the idiot Klan doing the exact same thing in a majority Conservative district and I hope that she will be on “This Week” this Sunday to say so, so that we may all hear it for ourselves. If she does that I will obviously be dubious but at least she has the courage to be consistent when it is not an easy thing to do. Show some character Ms. Tucker.

Joe

July 13th, 2010
2:52 pm

Unbelievable. Ms Tuckers bigotry is unfathomable. That this should not raise the blinds off the editors @ AJC really puts this in the light. She seems to imply that some racism is acceptable. And gets away with it. Even CNN fired someone for stupidity with the comments about the Hamas cleric. But that was for people thousands of miles away. It can only be left to conclude that the AJC is a racist newspaper

Linda

July 13th, 2010
2:55 pm

So it was decided “criminal” charges would be downgraded to “civil”. That isn’t the issue. In a nutshell:
11/4/08 NBPP Voter Intimidation in PA
1/07/09 DOJ Files Lawsuit Against NBPP
4/20/09 Court enters default judgement against NBPP, (defendants were a no-show in court)
5/15/09 Obama Admininstration Moves to Dismiss Charges Against NBPP
6/8/09-11/10/09 Three Letters Sent to Attorney General Holder on the case…no response
As reported during interview on America Live with Megyn Kelly with Former DOJ attorney J. Christian Adams, yes (gasp) on the Fox News Channel.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
2:57 pm

Uga_b she was not being defensive. Kirsten had no idea what she was talking about and had not studied the case and Megyn called her on it. What is wrong with that?

indy989

July 13th, 2010
2:58 pm

Oh now you did it Linda. Confusing the whole thing by bringing more facts into it.;)

uga_b

July 13th, 2010
3:02 pm

Indy989
I don’t disagree with her assertions; she just usually handles herself better. There was no need to shout. Most of the Democrats they have on have to twist the facts some (like here in this blog) or just shout Bush did it. I feel bad because they are usually put in indefensible positions. And let me be clear, I am not against catfights.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
3:10 pm

uga_b,

If they feel that they are put in indefensible positions then why do they go on? Kirsten has been a long time member of the Fox News Team and understands the nuances associated with debate. Step 1, have the facts straight. She did not so she got rocked. We are reaching an asymptotic point where so much indefensible behavior is going on by many, not all or probably even most, on the left that they have no way to defend all of it. You can only keep knocking a pile of stuff down for so long until it becomes too high.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
3:12 pm

The shallowness of Ms Tucker’s reasoning just shows you how hard it has become to defend these sort of actions.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
3:19 pm

I will however give her kudos for at least having the courage to discuss this issue unlike so many in the “Main Stream Media”.

augrad1996

July 13th, 2010
3:19 pm

This article is misleading. The Bush administration filed civil charges against the Panthers and the Obama admin dropped the charges. End of story. Could a criminal trial have been successful without any injuries? I am not sure. Point is though that Obama’s DOJ dropped this case.

What is crazy to me though is that the Tea Party is considered a racist group yet I have seen no video evidence of this. There IS video evidence of racism among the New Black Panthers but the MSM chooses to ignore that. Now you must ask WHY is that so?

Jimmy62

July 13th, 2010
3:28 pm

The Justice Department is saying the facts don’t support the allegations. But they won’t explain what facts don’t support the allegations. We have Black Panthers strutting around a polling place with nightsticks allegedly expressing racial slurs towards white people. Is that true or not? If it’s true, then the civil judgement should not have been dropped. If it’s not true, then where’s the evidence? I’ve yet to see anyone say that there were not Black Panthers strutting around a polling place with nightsticks allegedly expressing racial slurs towards white people. I’ve heard plenty of excuses made for them, for various reasons like “But they’re black!” or “They’re Democrats” but no refutation of the basic facts.

Next election I’m going to dress up in paramilitary clothes and carry a nightstick and yell threatening racial slurs at black people at my local precinct. Somehow I have the feeling I’ll end up in jail, while these jokes got less than a slap on the wrist, and people like Cynthia are lining up to defend them.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
3:30 pm

augrad1996

More to your point, it is my understanding that Andrew Breitbart has offered $100,000 to anyone who can show him conclusive proof of Tea Party member’s acting in a racist manner, or something approaching that end. With the number of people at these rallies and the number of Camera Phones that there are in this country, if there is so much racist hate percolating from the Tea Party movement then why haven’t we seen any credible evidence? The NAACP is moving to vote on a resolution as we speak that calls out the Tea Party as a group with Racist Ties and values with no evidence to that fact. But no mention of the NBPP case? That is why the NAACP has fallen so far from it’s once great place in this nation as a voice of liberty and freedom. It is now nothing more but a hypocritical wing of the far left only good for being manipulated as a blunt tool used to attempt to strike down those with which the left feels threatened by.

Ivan Cohen

July 13th, 2010
4:12 pm

One of the posters would have the KKK and the Black Panther Party fight it out to the death. Who would step in to fill up the void. Yep, none other than the Aryan Brotherhood. Think the National Guard or any of these Christian(child,just put it in the hands of Jesus)preachers, liberals and conservatives(some of my best friends are black)is going to be a buffer to these fanatics, guess again. It has been stated that the NAACP and other organizations were defunct. Then I believe the theory also applies to: Moral Majority, Promisekeepers and the Christian Coalition. Mark A. Traina, there already is a Miss America and from its inception up to the time Vanessa Williams was crowned the pageant was lily white. One can go to an Ayran website and find remarks about killing blacks, hispanics, jews along with their babies. No other group would be around except for the blond blue eyes. America is divided by markets on television, home shopping channel, lifetime channel catering mostly to women, country music channel, etc. The era of bland, predominately white television program being foisted upon other ethnic groups in this country is over. No matter how hard one tries, ain’t no going back. Nothing nostalgic about those days at all, everybody will not be sanitizing their history books like Texas.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
4:18 pm

Ivan Cohen – So what is your point again?

Ranger

July 13th, 2010
4:53 pm

So, Media Matters is a credible source? That puts this version in doubt automatically.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
5:08 pm

uga-b, Just saw the video. Kelly was most unprofessional, threatening to cut off the guest’s mike.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
5:10 pm

The credibility factor, Who was intimidated? No one has claimed he or she was intimidated.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
5:11 pm

Josh, Here is the truth: The Bush administration downgraded it to a civil case. The Obama administration sought and got an injunction against the guy with the club.

Ranger

July 13th, 2010
5:13 pm

Enter your comments here

ODDOWL

July 13th, 2010
5:28 pm

The crazy BPP member who was talking trash at the polling site was just trying to sell wolf tickets. simply phony bravado. If that thugg Panther member had been serious, he would have gone to an all white Republican polling site in the suburbs and intimidated the white boys. I think the Panther member chose to sell his wolf tickets at the heavily Democrat polling site rather than a Republican polling site was because of concern for his safety more than anything else. This whole controversy was fabricated by Sean Hannity WABC radio and the Fox Fantasy News network.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
5:29 pm

yes, it’s another faux controversy

Sean Noonan

July 13th, 2010
5:35 pm

Megyn handed Kristen her ass, plain and simple.

Rick

July 13th, 2010
5:42 pm

Para-military garb, nightclubs, kkk hoods..what’s the differance? I found the film intimitating. They would have had to use force to stop me, personally. But how many people walked by, or may hesitate to vote next time? Anybody who thinks this is not morally wrong has a sad heart. I live in an integrated area and happily see the mixture. I don’t care if my children marry white, black, red, yellow, etc.etc. People are people. And I love everybody, by the Golden Rule, even if sometimes it can be a sheer determination of the will. This type of threat, white or black, is sickening to me. I easily love Martin Luther King Jr. Does that make me white or black. Where is God? Where is Love in all this? A stone heart is not a good thing. There is no room in it for empathy or compassion. It’s hard, empty of life, it is dead. This behavior is disgusting. Anyone who believes it to be fine is not aware of the loving strength of individuality, and that all people are created equal. I’m just a man who tries to look up to everyone. Nobody special.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
5:45 pm

Rick, I haven’t heard anybody suggest the New Black Panthers’ behavior was morally right. Here’s the question: How big a deal was it? Criminal charges? Prison sentence? It’s sickening to hear the racism coming out of their mouths. But there is NO EVIDENCE they kept anyone from voting. Remember, in a criminal justice system, you need evidence to prosecute.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
6:05 pm

Ctucker @ 5:08 – She threatened to cut the mike off because Kirsten was not allowing her, Megyn, to interact with her, Kirsten, and move the discussion forward.

Ctucker @ 5:10 – Tell that to Bartel Bull. If you do not know of which I speak let me know and I will hook you up with the facts. If you do know then you are being intellectually dishonest in my opinion.

Ctucker @ 5:11 – Here is the truth the Bush Admin downgraded it to a Civil. The Obama/Holder DOJ manged to get 3 injunctions. The Obama/Holder DOJ then decided to drop 2 of the injunctions and downgrade the third for no discernible reason. The reason they offered was complete and utter BS. The Obama DOJ then put out a directive, according to Adams, that no cases where the def is black and the plaintiff is white will be moved on. They will remain unadressed or dropped altogether.

Ctucker @ 5:45 Once again there were complaints filed by several including a black poll watcher and Bartel Bull who is not in any way close to a conservative. Only as close as RFK was anyway. Also, you don’t need evidence to carry out a sentence once the verdict has been handed down.

I hope that you will let me know when if you will be on “This Week” this Sunday or not. If so I hope that you have the courage to bring this up although I doubt George Will has the intestinal fortitude to truly debate this subject as it should.

Once again, I do think that you show a lot of character in responding to this issue. I think that it would show a lot more if you were to bring it up in a forum where your direct interaction is more likely.

hnf

July 13th, 2010
6:23 pm

There’s nothing more unprofessional than sloppy journalism; specifically, blatant factual misstatements. Tucker can’t help but make multiple in this post alone, but then proceeds to call another journalist unprofessional:

“Jimma, A Bush Justice Dept appointee testified that he downgraded the charges. That’s where the reporting came from [sic]”

The testimony Tucker cites is that of Thomas Perez, a 2009 appointee of Pres. Obama. Perez was in no way affiliated with the D.O.J. during the Bush administration; he was a professor of law at the Univ. of Md.

“The Obama administration sought and got an injunction against the guy with the club.”

As even the source Tucker cites to recognizes, the complaint for injunctive relief was filed in January, 2009—prior to Obama’s inauguration. The Obama administration did nothing other than cut the original complaint down to limit the parties affected. “Sought” implies some sort of affirmative action on the part of the actor. Refraining from voluntarily dismissing that complaint doesn’t qualify “seeking”.

hnf

July 13th, 2010
6:51 pm

Tucker even block quoted a statement making it clear Perez, the testifying witness she refers to as a Bush appointee, preceded even Obama by a substantial amount of time: “ . . . and about nine months before Thomas Perez was confirmed as head of the Civil Rights Division.”

Not only is that embarrassingly sloppy, it’s a pretty good demonstration of how ideological predisposition complicates even the most straightforward of facts for some people (e.g., the author of this editorial). Start with a conclusion, then secure the factual support, right? I tend to agree with this lady as much as not on matters of pure opinion—but factual distortions and inaccuracies that lend support to positions make journalists like this (and Rush, Hannity, Maddow, etc.) utterly abhorrent.

Brian white

July 13th, 2010
7:07 pm

Ms.Tucker I’m a life long AJC reader.Do you think the new black panther party is a racist organization ?

truthmattersfa

July 13th, 2010
7:11 pm

“The Obama administration sought and got an injunction against the guy with the club.”

Then they dropped the case Ctucker. You’re the last person to comment on anyone “getting their facts straight”. Speaking of which you still have not corrected the record when you said “She (Aunt Zeituni) never ignored the deportation order.”

truthmattersfa

July 13th, 2010
7:13 pm

“Remember, in a criminal justice system, you need evidence to prosecute.”

No one is talking about criminal proceedings except you & Media Matters. Why do you keep bringing up a completely irrelevant issue??

eyesopen

July 13th, 2010
7:26 pm

“This means that the case was downgraded to a civil case 11 days before Obama was inaugurated, 26 days before Eric Holder became attorney general, and about nine months before Thomas Perez was confirmed as head of the Civil Rights Division”

Merely because a civil action as opposed to a criminal action was filed against the defendants on Jan 7 2009 under the Bush DOJ did not preclude the filing of criminal charges later. Indeed, the Bush DOJ got the ball rolling on this case. So, it was in fact the Obama DOJ that both “downgraded” the injuctions and spiked the effort against the New Black Panthers, for those who find facts a useful foundation on which to form one’s judgment.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
7:54 pm

eyesopen, That’s a case of fact-twisting to come to the conclusions you want.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
7:58 pm

truthmattersfa, I’m talking about it because several conservatives have talked about it.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
7:59 pm

Brian white, Sounds like they’re racist.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
8:19 pm

Ctucker @ 7:59 – Then why have they not been denounced by the NAACP? Doesn’t the NAACP have a history of condemning those with outwardly racist views? Does the NBPP Advance the efforts of Colored People?

indy989

July 13th, 2010
8:22 pm

ctucker @ 7:58 I think that truthmattersfa’s point was that the fact that it was reduced from a criminal to a civil complaint is a straw man argument and a red herring.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
8:23 pm

ctucker @ 7:54 I think that is a bit of the pot calling the kettle black.

eyesopen

July 13th, 2010
8:26 pm

Nothing was downgraded by the Bush DOJ is my point.The allegation made by Adams is not that the Obama DOJ failed to pursue criminal charges, it is that its softening of the injunction against one of the defendants and its dismissal of charges against the other two defendants is a manifestation of a policy under the Obama DOJ to uphold the law only when the victims are minorities. True or not, this is a serious complaint unless we have no problem with becoming a country in which it only matters when my ox is getting gored.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
8:26 pm

indy989, Since I’m not a member of the NAACP, I won’t attempt to speak for the organization.

hnf

July 13th, 2010
8:27 pm

seems you only respond to the extreme and/or baseless comments. it appears you simply unable and unqualified to handle the rest.

ctucker

July 13th, 2010
8:28 pm

So, indy989, once the matter is a civil complaint, what penalties should apply?

indy989

July 13th, 2010
8:36 pm

Ctucker @ 8:26 I am not asking you to speak for the organization. I am only interested in your opinion. Maybe I should have stated my question as such. I apologize for not being more clear. I like many have stated my personal opinion on the subject and would like to hear yours.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
8:40 pm

Ctucker @ 8:28 I am not the one to decide what penalty should apply. My point is that there was no reason for the penalties to be downgraded. If you believe that they were downgraded for good reason I would like to hear those reasons. It was not as the DOJ said “lack of evidence to move forward with the case”. That is a pure canard. The case was already determined by a court of law. So then why were the charges downgraded?

Dan Priem

July 13th, 2010
8:42 pm

Actually, they converted the case from Criminal to Civil. The proof standards are less with Civil. Remember OJ getting off on criminal but being convicted on Civil charges.

The DISMISSAL, was Obama’s. And to hint at anything else is dishonest.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
8:52 pm

Dan Priem – I misspoke, I meant to say the penalties were downgraded.

Buckagon

July 13th, 2010
9:01 pm

The comments on this story show what can only be deliberate encouragement of liberal and Democrat mischief by the malpracticing AJC and its abject neglect of journalistic standards or the truth. Everyone knows for certain that if two robed Klansmen were standing outside the polling place in say, a white area in John Linder’s District, with nightsticks shouting invective, we would have a hyper-national story and CRIMINAL prosecutions, to say nothing of civil prosecutions which would be national stories for months.

Buckagon

July 13th, 2010
9:15 pm

Rereading C Tucker’s talking points, the word flabbergasted doesn’t do my mind justice to her contention that essentially it couldn’t have been intimidation because it was a liberal district anyway. CT, your sense of justice is all wrong. You have to stop making excuses for unlawful behavior, bad characters, dangerous situations and illegal actions simply because the violator is liberal, black, socialist or fascist. Honestly, I’ve seen more coverage and TV chatter of Mel Gibson than of these New Black Panther guys.

Bob

July 13th, 2010
9:24 pm

Not true??? Are you insane !!! Kill the cracker babies ???? On tape/// Alleged??
How corrupt can you be !

Michael Harris

July 13th, 2010
9:35 pm

Megyn Kelly was over the top in the video. But I started my career as an SEC Enforcement attorney in the late 1960s. At the time the SEC obtained injunctions to restrin a defendant from selling the same company’s stock without registration or fraud. /during my tenure at the SEC, injunctions became broader applying to “any other seciruty.” Here the DOJ got an “any other poliing place remedy forever. The DOJ won by default. So the Holder DOJ takes a meaningful injunction vs people as abhoren as any Nazi or Klansman and (i) for the lead defendant narrows it to make it almost meaningless and (ii) as to the other defendants dismissed the case. The real question is why? The case was over. The smell of politics is palpable.

Mario

July 13th, 2010
10:20 pm

Can you even have a voter intimidation civil case? Isn’t voter intimidation a criminal charge? I don’t get why conservatives are trying to hold on to a civil case of voter intimidation with no victim, makes no sense to me, but I’m no lawyer.

Jojo

July 13th, 2010
10:25 pm

If the case is so egregious why not get criminal charges?

indy989

July 13th, 2010
10:27 pm

Mario @ 10:20- there were victims and complaints were filed. The point is not the case itself. The point is that the outcome of the case or the penalties, were reduced at the last minute even after the verdict was rendered. Why was this done? The motivation behind the reduction in penalty is what most on the “Conservative” side are trying to get at. Many, including myself, view this move by the DOJ as purely political.

indy989

July 13th, 2010
10:30 pm

Jojo @ 10:25 – Criminal charges were filed initially then reduced by the Bush DOJ as I understand it. I am not sure of the motivation behind that. Some have said that it was because it is easier to prosecute a Civil case rather than a criminal one.

Once "Recent" Reader

July 13th, 2010
10:52 pm

Wow, I came upon this post after googling to get more facts about when/who dropped criminal charges . . . .and that was after Fox go wild on it for the past week. Of course not once did I hear them mention the criminal charges were dropped by Bush Admin . . .maybe they might have mumbled something into their hands . . .you know like the ALL IMPORTANT small print at the bottom of the contract that most of us ignore:) I then noticed my AJC moniker in the comment Name field . . . .as I normally come on for Falcons games!! Fun stuff. I liked this posts as it seemed to have a good balance of conservatives/liberals . . ..and the always fun Whackos . . .along with the necessary balance of responsible/sane posters. I haven’t watched Fox tonight, but I wonder how they’ve been side-stepping the Bush Admin impact on this case . . . .or if they are even mentioning it. I’m sure they may mention it and find another angle of attack on the President . . . .or just move on to their next Attack that is not founded on facts . . . .until the facts prove them wrong. Such propaganda out of that station . . ..I actually used to think they were fun and entertaining when Bush was in office. Now their non-step negativity is just emotionally a big downer!

Rick

July 14th, 2010
3:18 am

C, I’m no lawyer, but this intimidation was real. It was a case of assault. Not battery, but assault. What more evidence is needed? The video alone, I thought was scarry. There was terror! And this type of thing should not be done or copied. My God in heaven, what a terrible portrayal of human rights. And it’s in America. We only possess someone in as much as they love us. This is not winning hearts and minds. It is poisoning them. Whether or not one is for or against these men, it is poison for all. As far as a penalty goes, how about, if any actions of the like are done again, anywhere and anytime, (not just for two years in one city), assault charges be given with due process. Put the charge up with other assault charges, and penalize accordingly. There’s nothing harsh in this. This warning would be for anybody at any voting poll. Anybody. The man in the video, I would say was ‘raising a bit of Cain.’ By the way, C, thanks for writing me back. Peace. Rick assault n.) An apparently violent attempt, or willful offer with force or violence, to do hurt to another; an attempt or offer to beat another, accompanied by a degree of violence, but without touching his person, as by lifting the fist, or a cane, in a threatening manner, or by striking at him, and missing him. If the blow aimed takes effect, it is a battery.

Reda StCyr

July 14th, 2010
3:47 am

Typical right wing FixNews fool She wont allow her guest to speak because she knows her guest makes so much sense

miff

July 14th, 2010
8:17 am

You are right Cynthia, Kirsten can’t think for herself, since she’s only reciting DailyKos/Michael Moore type propaganda. A. The guy had a WEAPON in front of a polling location. B. The young man that made the video SAID it was intimidating. C. The man is a proven RACIST that incites hatred and MURDERING of white people and their BABIES.

The case was filed during Bush’s presidency and then it was dropped by Eric Holder. You Mrs, are one of the most dishonest, bigoted, dangerous people in America.

the implosion continues!!!

July 14th, 2010
8:23 am

granny,

If you watched tv other than MSNBC and CNN, and read websites other than DailyKos and DemocratUnderground and this very propaganda blog you would have heard of if just fine. I suspect you have heard of it and in typical liberal fashion are just lying through your teeth, well, dentures.

jack

July 14th, 2010
8:32 am

hahahahahaha!!!!!! Megyn straight handed that Commie her lunch!!! Kristen is dumber than dirt and was clearly grasping for straws!!! Love it!!!

Fix

July 14th, 2010
8:35 am

Wow. I’m still not understanding the radical leftist logic. We were told for 8 years how incompetent and evil Bush, how everything he did was dead wrong, yet, they are routinely making the argument to defend Obama that “hey, Bush did it too,” even though it’s an outright lie every time. I just find it hilarious that the “stupidest human being ever born” was apparently now really a genius since the Kenyan Marxist is “mimicing” him.

James

July 14th, 2010
9:53 am

You should retract this article. By making one phone call, you could have discovered that career attorney Mark Kappelhoff, chief of the criminal section, made the decision to not pursue criminal action. Kappelhoff is a longtime democratic donor and was appointed to a political position by Obama immediately after inauguration. Maybe it was a reward for helping sweep this under the rug. You should feel shame for your part in promoting disinformation.

Chris

July 14th, 2010
12:41 pm

Ms. Tucker, is this not just a distraction attempt by those on the left? Isn’t this whole controvesy over Holder’s actions not to pursue the civil charges against these New Black Panthers? What does the DOJ under Bush downgrading the criminal charges to more winnable civil charges have any bearing on this topic? Why should this, as you say, put to rest any of this controvesy? Why has this topic only been reported on left wing blogs and certain MSNBC primetime shows? I ask these questions respectfully and would like to hear your response. Thank you.

panix

July 14th, 2010
1:02 pm

This “downgrade” talking point is apparently supposed to excuse the Obama administration’s decision to dismiss virtually the entire civil voter intimidation case and to neuter the injunction sought against the one remaining defendant so substantially that what was left was little more than a minor annoyance.

These claims by a nonlawyer betray a fundamental ignorance of the difference between civil and criminal prosecutions and a total misunderstanding of how things work at the Justice Department and the Civil Rights Division. First of all, although the Civil Rights Division has a Criminal Section, the vast majority of its voting-rights prosecutions are civil cases conducted by the division’s Voting Section. Whenever someone violates the Voting Rights Act and does so in a way that is potentially both a civil and a criminal violation, the division must decide whether to proceed first with a civil or a criminal case. With most voting cases, the decision is usually to go with a civil case, particularly if there are elections coming up in the near future. That is because civil cases have a lower burden of proof and give the government the opportunity to obtain almost immediately a temporary injunction to stop the defendants from engaging in the same wrongful behavior as the case winds its way through the federal courts.

Criminal cases can take longer to develop, particularly since the government usually has to convene a federal grand jury to return an indictment. Also, criminal cases focus like a laser beam on individual defendants, whereas civil cases can include an organizational defendant (like the NBPP).

The focus for the Civil Rights Division is always on the best way to get the remedy that is needed to stop and prevent the recurrence of the voter intimidation or other wrongful behavior as soon as possible. In this particular case, when the decision was being made in January of 2009, the division knew there was going to be another election in May in Philadelphia. The fastest to way to make sure there would be no thugs in paramilitary uniforms and jackboots smacking batons into their fists at polling places in the upcoming election was to file a civil complaint and obtain a restraining order against the individual defendants and the New Black Panther Party. In fact, one of the defendants dismissed from the case was once again credentialed as a Democratic poll watcher in the May election.

Once the division obtained a judgment and an injunction in the civil case, they could have decided to further pursue a criminal prosecution against the individual New Black Panthers, but the number one priority had to be getting a civil injunction as expeditiously as possible before the next election.

not-barain-obawashed

July 14th, 2010
2:27 pm

Bush Department of Justice? The BUSH DOJ? hahahahah Now do all the Libs feel better that it was the BUSH DOJ and not the Obama DOJ…. who’s prez again?

richard

July 14th, 2010
3:37 pm

After reading the blog post and the comments below, I am reminded of Dr. King’s quote:
“Nothing pains some people more than having to think”.

Bobby

July 14th, 2010
3:56 pm

How do we know this was voter intimidation and not voter protection? And while I shouldn’t be, I’m really amazed and alarmed at the racist hate that’s been put up on this board. It’s really sad and discusting.

Denny Neff

July 14th, 2010
4:22 pm

Ms. Tucker, Please read the Civil Rights Commission investigation on this. One of the two men was charged and jailed (the one carrying the club) the other left between 9:30 and 10:00 AM and it was deemed there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him. Obama DOJ declined to proceed with the civil action. Check your facts.

Jeff Macmillan

July 14th, 2010
9:06 pm

This is not over….stay tuned. A coward has found his voice.

KTD

July 15th, 2010
2:33 am

Ms. Tucker, I really don’t care what race someone is or what party they support, if you stand outside of a polling place in a paramilitary uniform waving a nightstick around you are in the wrong. What about that is so hard to understand?

Reda StCyr

July 15th, 2010
2:37 am

What good does it do to keep talking about a subject the people whom believe what they get from Fix News & Limbaugh are told to disregard any truth and they do
This is nothing but another distraction from the real important subject of Jobs & unemployment for those who can’t find work
Republicans & Corporate America are doing all they can to try and make this President fail by blocking all of his meaningful legislation, the continuing outsourcing of needed jobs and all they not outsourcing they employ illegals & under pay them
The purchase of most all of our national media does not help the situation either, because it keeps those on the fence & politically uneducated, even more so that they come up with this kind of extreme ignorance.

I urge the few we have left n media, with guts to stand up against this kind of distraction & talk about the real issues important to this country

ctucker

July 15th, 2010
7:16 am

KTD, Did you read anything that suggests I thought the New Black Panthers were right?

Chris

July 15th, 2010
11:18 am

Ms. Tucker, why are you only responding to comments that you can easily refute? Isn’t this whole downgrading of charges a Democratic talking point meant to be a distraction? The controvesy today is over Holder’s actions to not pursue the civil case further. The criminal charges being downgraded is not relevant to this whole argument. Not even a little bit.

ctucker

July 15th, 2010
11:21 am

Chris, How far should Holder have pursued the case. The Obama Justice Dept got an injunction against the man with the club. What would you have wanted the DOJ to do?

Wildebeast1

July 15th, 2010
11:28 am

I’m surprised at how many people haven’t thought about the issue that if there is no plaintiff, it is impossible to pursue a civil matter in the court. But, apparently, the talking head in the FOX video believed that fast and loud talk has the image of truth, that demonstrates the pedantic nature of their broadcasts when they are wrong on the issues.

Doesn’t FOX NEWS have anybody who can explain the in and outs of the law to their commentators?

Men driving pick-up trucks with guns racked at the rear window, flying the confederate flag can be just as intimidating as a man carrying a billy club, but more things need to be considered than the act by itself.

Chris

July 15th, 2010
12:38 pm

Personally Ms. Tucker, I don’t think the case should’ve been narrowed to include only the individual carrying the nightstick. But, that’s a judgement call with many legal and political implications. If your stance is that the injunction against the one man is sufficient, that’s a perfectly reasonable position to take. My disagreement with your post here is that you stated that this controvesy should be put to rest because the DOJ under Bush downgraded the criminal charges to civil ones. That has no bearing on how Eric Holder handled the civil case. For the record, I think going after Holder for this, of all issues, is a mistake by conservatives. I think there are many more bigger issues to go after Holder about. But, that’s for another day. Thanks for responding Ms. Tucker.

hnf

July 15th, 2010
12:55 pm

Wildebeast1,

I think you’re the one most in need of an explanation of the “ins and outs of the law”. Yes, a plaintiff is a prerequisite to any civil matter; but I think you’ve foolishly and ignorantly assumed that only private parties may be plaintiffs. The DOJ has standing to pursue both criminal and civil remedies under the Voting Rights Act; how do you think the complaint for injunctive relief was filed in the first place?

Only the Criminal division can pursue criminal charges; so, by your misguided understanding of the law, the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ would be largely impotent.

I’ve never read such an unbelievably dumb statement before. They made some nonsensical comments, but how you see yourself as fit to criticize is unfathomable.

HyenaKiller

July 15th, 2010
5:40 pm

One word for you, HYPOCRYTE!! Just like all left leaning loons.

Matt

July 15th, 2010
8:37 pm

So Miss Tucker you are saying that if it was a heavily republican district then it would be okay for some white motorcycle gang members to hang out front and crack their nuckles,,,, what if in that heavily democratic neighborhood their were a few republicans,,,,, I mean seriously, a few voters who are not democrats surely should have the right to vote without having to walk past those 2 guys….

Miles Ellison

July 16th, 2010
11:46 pm

How do people who are illiterate operate computers?

BillieT

July 17th, 2010
2:15 pm

The Washington Post summarized this case as follows:
Early last year, just before the Bush administration left office, the Justice Department filed a voter-intimidation lawsuit against the men, the New Black Panther Party and its chairman. But several months later, with the government poised to win by default because the defendants didn’t contest the suit, the Obama Justice Department decided the case was over-charged and narrowed it to the man with the nightstick. It secured only a narrow injunction forbidding him from displaying a weapon within 100 feet of Philadelphia polling places through 2012

So much for the pesky facts parroted by Tucker from some far left watchdog site who manufactures “factoids” for Tucker and her kindred spirits.

Joe McGough

July 18th, 2010
9:03 am

Cynthia: Re Candor About Racism:
It isn’t racism when you hire your friends or relatives over better qualified applicants. This isn’t always small scale either. I became the personal friend of the personnel manager of a billion dollar corporation. One of his problems was to re-balance the religious diversity of the institution because his predecessor had hired Catholics by preference. My father worked for a billion dollar corporation whose open policy was to consider the relatives of employees first. In both cases, the motivation would be sticking with what you understood best. Hiring human beings isn’t simply a matter of who got the highest grades from the best schools or indeed who has the biggest muscles, In past years the FBI liked to hire Catholics because they tended to respect hierarchy and be loyal not because they were white. If your father and uncles show up sober for work every day it’s likely you will too. I would think both of these motivations would have a negative effect on the hiring of minorities but it’s not racism even with a small r. Is it fair? Yes, because in a sense the successful applicant has a letter of recommendation from a respected source that the passed over applicant doesn’t have and in this sense the successful candidate has better credentials.

CB

July 19th, 2010
11:45 am

I see a lot of you on here saying that it doesn’t matter where they were doing the “intimidation”…how many white people do you know frequent the projects? which is where this “intimidation” was done. Stop being so scary! Are you guys really allergic to facts…Bush DOJ dropped charges b 4 Obama took office, what is so hard to understand? Now some of you are going to say that doesn’t matter (which is STUPID) but I think when the Prez took office he had more pressing issues on his mind…white people stop with this reverse racism mess, it makes you sound like pathetic teenage girls…please come wit some facts and then lets talk…
Black people don’t even know who the NBP are, so stop grouping them 2gether with the rest of us…as u see no one was paying them n e attention

Dave in PA

July 21st, 2010
10:22 pm

My guess is that the Bush DOJ thought that the civil case would be the fastest and easiest way to get a conviction because the burden of proof is much lower. My question is if two tea party members were standing in front of a 100% white polling place with night sticks, would you be blowing that off and making excuses for them?

Lois McPhail

July 27th, 2010
5:48 pm

July27, 2010
This story is back on the news because 7 republican senators are demanding the Justice Dept. investigate this and are making it seem the Obama Adminstration is refusing to do the investigation because head of DOJ and Obama are black. Bush is white and it happened under his watch so I think we should investigat him and his administration for not following the law cause he is white.

Michael Harris

July 29th, 2010
10:50 pm

Cynthia, What good is the injunction. The man with the club has a temporary ban from violating the law in Philadelphia. So he will go to Camden. Please respond to my earlier email about how meaningless it is in contrast to what the court entered before politics got in the way.