Random Shots in the Dark (9)

Once upon a time, there was a city named Chicago......

How come nobody in the news media mentions anything about Governor Rod Blogoyevich being a DEMOCRAT? Can you imagine the uproar if he were a Republican?

I notice on Keith Olbermann's ridiculous show, "Countdown", that he gives a few minutes to the Blago scandal then goes right back to beating on Bush, Palin and O'Reilly. Talk about Mr Irrelevant!

Note to Dingy Harry (Reid) and Nancy Pelosi: How about that "Culture of Corruption" you are always talking about?

If the Governor of Illinois (whose wife is a pretty successful businesswoman-thanks to the fact that her hubby is Governor) needs money so desperately, is it possible that there is another woman in the picture?

Isn't it time that Blago declare that he is an alcoholic and go into rehab? Already, some in the media are speculating that he may be crazy. That would be a great excuse for a corrupt Democrat-he's nuts. He's a victim.

The least this guy could have done is arrange a World Series title for the Cubs.

Speaking of Chicago, isn't it interesting that Blago spends most of his time there instead of Springfield-commuting by plane when necessary. Think he wants to stay close to the real power center in Illinois? What-you thought it was Springfield?

Has the FBI taken a statement from Obama yet? If not-why not?

I wonder if there is anything on those FBI tapes about "Candidate number 5's" dad raising the money for the Senate seat. For you folks who get your news on the CBS Evening News-and are a couple of days behind-that would be Jesse Jackson Jr and Sr respectively. You know Jesse Sr is an old pro at raising money. If JJJ, as he says, refuses to do the "pay for play" business, he is certainly no "chip off the old block".

Speaking of which, do the other Jackson sons still control the top Budweiser distributorship in Chicago? Jesse Sr once threatened a lawsuit against Anheuser Busch for its lack of minority distributors. Now all is cool. David Horowitz reported that the Jackson Bud business is worth some 33 million a year. Say, that could probably buy a Senate seat from old Blago, don't ya think?

If JJJ is so innocent of trying to buy the Senate seat, how come the attorney and prepared statement?

And if all that isn't enough, controversial pastor-and noted historian-Jeremiah Wright crawled back into the pulpit at Trinity United Church of Christ last Sunday. During his "Gates of Hell" sermon, the wacky pastor noted the date-December 7, 1941-as the day America dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and killed 80,000 civilians.

Just think. If all this stuff had broken five years ago, people would be clamoring for "America's Sheriff", Mike Carona, to be sent to Chicago to "clean up the mess".

Speaking of Senate seats, I hear Fran Drescher wants to replace Hillary Clinton as New York Senator. I can't wait to hear her speeches. Then again, might be better than listening to Hillary. Fran Drescher as a senator.....Next it'll be somebody like Al Franken.

Moving on to other matters...

Boy, those prisoners at Guantanemo will be so happy to leave that place when Obama closes it down. No more volleyball and soccer. No more prayer rugs. No more sunshine and great weather. Here's what they are going to get in US prisons: Twenty-three hour lock downs in isolation so's the Crips, Bloods, Neo-Nazis, Mexican Mafia boys and other assorted lower social orders don't use them as bunk muffins before they stick a shiv between their ribs. Thanks a lot, Obama!

What's with the rioting in Greece? Is the big bad conservative government taking away some of the freebies that the Euros are so accustomed to getting from socialist governments? It must be Bush's fault. No wonder some on the American left are seriously suggesting that Bush step down right now so the Messiah can get to work solving all the world's problems. Surely the riots in Greece will cease as soon as Obama takes his seat on the right hand of God.

....and peace shall prevail throughout the land-unless Tony Rezko and Rod Blagoyevich spill the beans.

What Does Santa Want for Chris......er, the Winter Solstice?

"Hee, hee, hee"

What About Patti Blagoyevich?

Governor Rod Blagoyevich leaving home this morning through the back gate into a rear alley. The Governor had shrewdly figured out that reporters would only be waiting in front of his house.



From all descriptions of Rod Blagoyevich's wife, Patti (aka Lady MacBeth), the Illinois First Lady is no meek figure standing quietly in the background while her husband runs the ship of state. Patti has apparently drawn the interest of investigators as well since her husband was elected Governor. A successful real estate salesperson, she apparently had a lot of well-connected clients including none other than Tony Rezko. She is apparently also quite outspoken-at least if you listen to the FBI tapes. On one conversation which the Governor was having with an aide about the Tribune Editorial staff and the sale of the Chicago Cubs, she is heard in the background shouting for all the "bleeping bleepers to be fired-bleep em." Why I even read somewhere that she said, "Bleep the Cubs." (unforgivable, in my view). More seriously, she apparently, according to the complaint, participated with her husband in a lengthy conference call regarding the famous Senate seat up for sale. So the question begs, why wasn't Patricia Blagoyevich indicted as well?

My speculation, based on my experience as a retired federal agent, is that Mrs Blagoyevich is being held as leverage. In other words, her legal predicament depends on her husband cooperating with the Government. If Rod cooperates fully and honestly about Illinois corruption, his wife can be left out of the indictment. If Rod chooses not to cooperate, then Mrs Blagoyevich may be charged as well-if the evidence is sufficient against her. Distasteful? perhaps, but it is legal, and it is done that way on occasion. In other words, in exchange for cooperation, breaks can be given.

But who would Rod give up in return for consideration being given to his wife-and himself? Well, a cardinal rule is that the Government needs to work its way up the ladder of the criminal organization-not down the ladder. To use an analogy, had Hitler been captured alive at the end of World War2, it would have been unconscionable to give him a break to testify against, say, Hermann Goering.

So it must be assumed that if Rod Blagoyevich has any cards to play either to help himself or protect his wife, he would have to give up someone bigger than himself. The problem for him is that there is no one in the Illinois State Government who is bigger than he is. That leaves him one card left, which I will leave to your imagination. Most observers who know anything about Rod Blagoyevich are certain he will try to make a deal for himself.

That takes me to my next point. Anything and everything that Rod Blagoyevich says to investigators and prosecutors will have to be completely corroborated. If Blag winds up being a Government witness, no jury will believe a word he says, nor should they. In fact, the presiding judge would instruct the jurors to be sceptical of his testimony and accept it only when accompanied by corroborating, independent evidence.

Settle in, folks. It's going to be a long ride.

Who is the "Queen of the Whores"?

"Who's in charge here?"


One of my old DEA colleagues used to tell the story of when he was an agent in Newark during the Watergate scandal (before Nixon resigned). On one occasion, he and a partner were at the local women's jail interviewing a prisoner about a drug case. Sometime during the interview, the topic of Watergate came up, and my colleague asked the woman if she thought Nixon was involved or had knowledge of the criminal activities. The woman's answer was classic:

"I may not have a whole lotta education, honey, but I know one thing; you don't get to be queen of the whores by bein' no virgin."

This has all been brought back to me in the last 36 hours following the arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagoyevich on federal corruption charges. Speculation is rampant over how much involvement Barack Obama did or didn't have with Blagoyevich in naming a replacement for his Senate seat. The central point at this juncture is taped conversations where Blagoyevich refers to "Candidate number 1", who Obama was recommending but not promising anything other than "appreciation" (which in politics can be a loaded term).

While no smoking gun has come out against Obama, it is obvious to any savvy observer that Obama is the one person who has risen to the highest level out of the old Chicago Democratic machine of politics. Fairly or unfairly, a lot of people are wondering-especially today- if he could have risen to where he is with clean hands.

Yesterday, he was asked if he had had contact with Blagoyevich regarding the Senate seat replacement. He stated that he had not. Then it was revealed that David Axelrod was on video November 23 advising reporters that the two were in contact regarding the replacement. Avelrod has now issued a statement to the effect that he misspoke.

Today, the LA Times asked Obama pointedly if he or any of his Representatives-including Rahm Emanuel- had discussed the matter of a Senate replacement with Blagoyevich. Obama cut the question off and stated that it would not be appropriate to talk about the matter.

Red flag? Possibly.

In fairness, I should add at this point that what Blagoyevich is quoted as saying on the tapes about Obama has to be considered exculpatory since the Governor explicitly stated that the Obama people were not willing to give money to get their preferred candidate selected ("Candidate number 1"). Yet, Obama could (and probably will) find himself being subject to an interview by the FBI and/or called to testify. If so, he needs to tell the truth-or become part of a cover-up (if there is anything for him to cover up).

And finally, today, Jesse Jackson Jr. appeared at a press conference with his attorney. He confirmed that he was "Candidate number 5", but vigorously denied being part of any "pay for play" scheme or having done anything illegal. He said he wrongfully assumed that he would be judged solely on his merit and qualifications for the Senate seat.

Isn't that the way it's always done in Illinois politics? I'm also wondering how Jackson knew he was "Candidate number 5" and not possibly "Candidate 2, 3, or 4".

Only time will tell if Governor Blagoyevich is the "Queen of the Whores", or if it goes higher.

Let's Play, "Name That Candidate!"

"Which candidate will it be, Rod?"

"Let's go with Candidate number 5, Howie."


"Candidate number 5, what's in the box, Patti?"

Juicy Fruit in Orange County-The Carona Trial

George Jaramillo and Mike Carona


Today, in the on-going trial of ex-Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, the star witness was an ex-OC Sheriff's Department secretary named Sandra Murphy-formerly Sandra Trujillo. Her testimony was the most salacious heard to date.

Murphy testified that she became involved in an affair with Carona beginning in 2000 when she was working for Asst Sheriff George Jaramillo (who has previously pleaded guilty to related charges). Jaramillo at that time, was also a partner in a law firm with co-defendant Debra Hoffman (whose trial has been severed from Carona's). Carona was also involved at the time in a sexual relationship with Hoffman according to trial documents.

(If you Cleveland Browns fans are having trouble following this, there is a flow chart available from one of my recent posts on the trial. It will help you keep track of the relationships.)

Anyway, Trujillo went on to testify that she was having trouble with Jaramillo sexually harassing her. He would, according to Trujillo, put his hands on her in inappropriate places. He also reportedly asked her to participate in group sex with him and a couple of his girlfriends, and he showed her nude photos of the ladies in question.

At some point the Orange County Sheriff's Department received an anonymous letter alleging the above sexual harassment by Jaramillo. During the ensuing investigation, Carona told Murphy to deny everything, and that he (Carona) would make it all cease and go away.

In another juicy anecdote, Murphy described an incident in which Jaramillo was caught in a patrol car engaging in a sexual act with a woman. She described how she and the Sheriff cooked up an "alibi" for Jaramillo's wife to the effect that Georgie was getting the woman to sign a petition of some sort in the vehicle (or maybe he was signing the petition, it's not clear.)

And finally, Ms Murphy described a time when Jaramillo told her that he had an audio of Carona having sex in an SUV with some woman in San Francisco. Apparently, so the tale goes, the Sheriff had accidentally activated his cell phone and was "broadcasting live".

(You laugh. There is an old DEA anecdote of a supervisor having sex in his government vehicle one night and accidentally keying his radio mike. He was broadcasting to the radio room and every other agent in their official cars. That was also in San Francisco, by the way.)

But I digress. So what was the purpose of all this salacious testimony? It went to show that Murphy had a close enough relationship with Carona that she had knowledge of their corrupt inner workings. She also testified about Carona's plan to get Debra Hoffman appointed to some board in Sacramento.

In cross-examination, Carona's attorney tried to play up the fact that Murphy is now married to an OC Sheriff's Deputy-one who has close ties to former Commander Bill Hunt-who unsucessfully ran against Carona a couple of years back (see flow chart).

Tomorrow will be the last day for the prosecution, it was announced. That means that George Jaramillo will not be called to testify for the Government-understandable after today's testimony.

The Friends of Governor Blagoyevich

"Be my friend, Godfather..er, I mean Governor. Make me Senator."


Just a couple of days ago, I awarded the first annual Golden Penguin award for "Jerk of the Year" 2008 to John Edwards. That was premature on my part. Next time, I will wait until December 31 to announce the 2009 award. Had I known what was going to occur today, I would have saved the award for Governor (soon to be ex-Governor, hopefully) of Illinois, Rod Blagoyevich.

Let me state at the outset; Today is not a "sad day" in Illinois as many are saying. Today is just business as usual in Illinois, where their Governor, Rod Blagoyevich, has been indicted on federal corruption charges. Consider this; in the past 35 years, three Illinois governors have gone to prison for corruption; Otto Kerner, Dan Walker, and George Ryan. Now this. Just yesterday, Blagoyevich had stated that he wasn't worried about anybody listening to his telephone conversations. This morning, he was arrested at his home by the FBI. (Also arrested was his Chief of Staff, John Harris.)

It has been widely reported that Blagoyevich had been under federal investigation since 2003-2004. The governor has been suspected of selling appointments, contracts and engaging in other corrupt practices, largely through his "Friends of Governor Blagoyevich" organization. The Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times have reported on it as it developed. The whole Tony Rezko episode was carried out with Blagoyevich under a cloud because Rezko was the Governor's bag-man. Today's news is no surprise, especially to those in Illinois in general and Chicago in particular. The only thing this guy didn't do was buy a pennant for the Cubs (unfortunately).

The indictment, which consists of some 78 pages, outlines a host of criminal allegations against the Governor. Tony Rezko's name is mentioned often since he began singing as soon as he was convicted. (His sentencing has been postponed.)
Here are some of the allegations contained in the indictment:

That Blagoyevich tried to get the Chicago Tribune to fire its editorial staff because they had been writing critical articles about him. In exchange, the Governor offered state financial assistance to the Tribune Company in their efforts to sell Chicago's Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs. (The Cubs, who are up for sale, are owned by the Tribune Company.)

That Blagoyevich was threatening the director of a children's hospital that he would rescind an 8 million dollar state grant unless he got a $50,000 "contribution".

But that was all peanuts compared to the charge which apparently necessitated the initiation of an FBI wiretap in recent weeks. It is alleged that Blagoyevich, who has the power to appoint the successor to Barack Obama's Senate seat, was, in effect, putting it up for auction to the highest bidder.

According to the tapes, there were five candidates, referred to as "Candidates 1-5". It is alleged that Blagoyevich referred to "Candidate 1" as someone (apparently a "she"-speculated to be Valerie Jarret) Obama favored to replace him. Problem was, the Obama people were not offering the Governor anything but "appreciation". This led Blagoyevich to refer to Obama as a "mother-------".

Blagoyevich apparently favored "Candidate 5", and numbers were thrown out like $500,000 in return for the nomination. (Today, there is wide speculation in Chicago that "Candidate number 5" is Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. though that has not been confirmed.)

In addition, there are several references to statements made by Blagoyevich that he intended to make money from the appointment, and that if a big enough offer was not made, he would nominate himself (which he could do).

Aside from Blagoyevich, this case is also raising questions about the Chicago Tribune and Barack Obama. Today, the Tribune, obviously embarrassed, reported that US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald had requested them to hold off on reporting on the case some 8 weeks ago. Tribune Editor Gerould Kern also published a statement that the newspaper had not fired any of its editorial writers (see below):

"The Chicago Tribune investigated allegations of misconduct involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich independent of the U.S. attorney's criminal probe.

As a standard practice, our reporters contact individuals involved in these stories for confirmation and comment prior to publication. Consequently, we contacted the U.S. attorney's office in the course of our reporting.

On occasion, prosecutors asked us to delay publication of stories, asserting that disclosure would jeopardize the criminal investigation. In isolated instances, we granted the requests, but other requests were refused.

The Chicago Tribune's interest in reporting the news flows from its larger obligation of citizenship in a democracy. In each case, we strive to make the right decision as reporters and as citizens. That's what we did in this case."


And Obama? US Attorney Fitzgerald stated today that nothing in the Blagoyevich complaint is connected to the President-elect. Today, Obama was asked by reporters if he had discussed his Senate replacement with Blagoyevich. He stated that he had had no recent contact with the indicted Governor. He also stated that he "was saddened and sobered" by today's events. Beyond that, Obama said that it would not be appropriate to comment any further since the matter was in the criminal justice system.

However, there is a possible contradiction to Obama's words. On November 23, his campaign chief, David Axelrod, told reporters that Obama was in contact with Blagoyevich regarding the replacement to his Senate seat. The Obama camp is now saying that Axelrod "misspoke".

What this indictment means to President-elect Obama is not yet clear. He and Blagoyevich have had a rather long association in their political careers. They have been prominent supporters of each other's candidacies. That, of course, does not incriminate Obama in any way. What is not yet known is what Tony Rezko has said about Obama to the Feds. What will Blagoyevich do now that he is facing a long prison term? Will he roll over and turn on others? Will he incriminate Obama in any way? That, of course, is mere speculation. Tonight on MSNBC's "Countdown", commentator Jonathan Alter speculated that Blagoyevich might decide to cooperate and give information on Obama to the Feds that he (Alter) termed as "lies".

I know from my own experience as a federal agent that there is only one fish bigger than the governor who he could offer up to make a deal.

It has been common knowledge ever since Tony Rezko was indicted, that Blagoyevich was sweating. I even said it on this blog. It is also common knowledge that Rezko was connected to both the Governor and Obama. None of that incriminates Obama. A lot rides on what Rezko and Blagoyevich have to say about Obama-if anything. Their words, of course, would have to be taken with great caution and be corroborated fully.

But what is important here is that when Obama takes office, it must be clear that the US Attorney's Office in Chicago be allowed to pursue this case wherever it goes. President Obama will have the power to name his own US Attorney to the post to replace Fitzpatrick. Will he do so? Will the next Attorney General support the US Attorney's Office in Chicago no matter where that investigation leads them? Or will they be ordered to cut a deal with Blagoyevich that doesn't require him to incriminate anyone else? Will the US Attorney's Office be allowed to determine who "Candidates 1-5" are (if they don't already know), and whether they attempted to buy the Senate seat being left vacant by Obama?

Could Blagoyevich, in fact, be allowed to make a deal either before trial or before sentencing-if convicted-that doesn't require him to incriminate certain other people in his corrupt career as a politician? It's possible, but it would be highly suspect.(Want an example of that? Remember John Huang, who arranged all those illegal campaign contributions for the Clinton campaign? He made a plea deal with the Reno Justice Department, got probation, paid a fine, did some community service-but never had to give up certain other people-if who know who I mean.)

I want to reiterate that there is no evidence that has come out that incriminates Barack Obama in any wrongdoing. Yet, I would bet a beer that this indictment is the first step in a major political issue that will be around quite a while. This has the potential of getting much, much bigger.

Who are "Candidates 1-5"?

Who are the "Friends of Governor Blagoyevich"?

My Exchange with Dr Iftikhar Ahmed of the London School of Islamics

Today, I received a comment on one of my postings from Dr Iftikhar Ahmed of the London School of Islamics. The post in question was the appearance of Dr Muzammil Siddiqi at Chapman University in a discussion about the relationship between Muslims and Jews. Dr Ahmed's comments are not related to the post in question. I assume I was one of many addressees to get the same message. I have noted that this individual sends comments to several blogs on the subject of Islam. The topic he is discussing is education for Muslim children in the UK. Below is his text followed by my response.

"British schooling has been mis-educating and de-educating Muslim children for the last 50 years and for the first time the Muslim leadership openly declared that British school is a home of institutional racism where there is no place for foreign culture and languages. Institutional racism is depriving Muslim children of the chance to go to their own faith schools. It leads LEAs to reject or delay approval of Muslim schools. Policy makers like Mr. Graham Lane and others like him do not want to see even a single Muslim school in the United Kingdom. The British teachers have no respect for Islamic faith and Muslim community. Western education system can easily deprogram Muslim children and force them to adopt un-Islamic values. Let the Muslim parents decides how and where to educate their children. According to MORI social research institute on behalf of Bristol LEA, nine out of ten Muslim parents agreed with the model of an Islamic secondary school set up within the state system. I rejected British schooling for Muslim children in the early 70s.

A child who has English as a second language is seen as having a special need – not as having a skill to be lauded from the rooftops. Bilingual children think in different way. Language has a profound effect in shaping the ways people think and act. Certain concepts are embedded in words that do not translate. There are repertoires of phrases which exist in Arabic or Urdu because there is no English equivalent. State schools are slaughter houses and are not suitable for bilingual Muslim children. Muslim children in the UK may lose out when they join reception classes because the school’s values and language reflect those of the dominant native culture, rather than those of their home. Almost all recent research literature agrees that if you want children whose home language is not English to excel in English –medium schools, it is important to nurture and acknowledge that first language along side their English development. Cultivating bilingualism could and should promote pupil’s linguistic development. Muslim children need bilingual Muslim teachers as role models.

Taxpayers’ money spent on schools should be handed to parents as vouchers to be used for their children’s education as they wished. Funds may be given to parents to set up their own schools. Lady Uddin argues strongly for the benefits of faith-based schooling, rejecting claims made in reports on the 2001 riots in Oldham, Burnley and Bradford that polarised schooling contributed to community division. Culturally separate groups, communities and institutions do not have to be the causes of social instability. There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim pupils are in majority, all such schools may be designated as Muslim community schools to be managed and controlled by Muslim Educational Trust and Charities.
Iftikhar Ahmad
www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk"


At December 8, 2008 5:34 PM , Gary Fouse said...
"
Dr Ahmad,

Since I live in the US, I am not prepared to speak in detail about the school system in the UK as it pertains to immigrants, their language or cultural needs. As a language teacher who has studied linguistics to some extent and who is married to a Mexican immigrant, I have more than just a passing knowledge of issues affecting Spanish-speaking Mexican school children in the US.

As to bilingual education, it is a system that has been tried in some US states-with not much success. I am a firm believer in total immersion for children. When I lived in Italy, my children were one and four years of age when we arrived. Quickly, they became fluent in Italian through interaction with Italian kids. We were not living separate from the Italians.

Now I would like to address another issue as one who has lived in three different countries myself-and learned the languages of all three-as an adult, which as you know is much harder than for children.

The main point I want to make here is one about immigration and assimilation. When a family makes the decision to immigrate from one country to another to establish permanent residence, that family should commit itself to assimilating into that culture. The family should also expect that their children will assimilate into that country's culture.

Assimilating means much more than learning the language. It means adapting oneself to the traditions, the culture and the values of that nation. It means giving loyalty to the nation once you become a citizen.

It means that it is your responsibility to change and adapt. It is not the responsibility of the host country.

No one is saying you have to change your religion or throw away traditional values. If you want your children to speak Arabic or Urdu, fine, but teaching or maintaining that language among your children is the responsibility of the immigrant family-not the host country. If you want to raise your children as Muslims, that is your right in the UK-and America. We, unlike some Muslim countries, have full freedom of religion.

However, with assimilation, immigrants have to accept some other things may come to pass if they choose to live in another country. Your children will be exposed to the host culture. They may someday desire to convert to another religion. They may desire to marry someone from the host country. I am sure that for you that is a problem if your daughter chose to marry a native who was not Muslim, or if your son or daughter desired to convert to another religion. You would not like that, but under American law, you would have no recourse if they were adults. As you well know, things like "honor killings" are illegal in the West.

I know there are many aspects of Western culture that you may find disturbing, such as drugs, sex, prostitution and such. Many of us Westerners are also disturbed by them, but it is the price we pay for living in free societies.

The point I am making here is that it should not be the responsibility of the host country to adapt itself to its immigrants. It is the other way around. It should not be the responsibility of the UK to provide you with Islamic schools within the public school sysyem. In the US, if you want to have your child in a religious-based school or one where another language is the language of instruction, you can send your child to a private school-and pay the tuition. Public schools in the US are funded by tax-payers and we have no desire to fund private schools as well for our immigrants.

Sir, what you are advocating in the UK strikes me as nothing less than arrogant. If you came to the US and demanded those things, my reaction would be for you to go back to whatever country you or your parents immigrated from where you can live the life you want according to your principles and in your own language.

Is it really in the interest of British Muslims that they become isolated from British society? I have read quite a bit about Muslims in the UK. I find it outrageous that Muslims in the UK would stand on street corners with placards reading, "Behead those who defame Islam", or insulting the Brits and Western society.

I know from reading some of your other writings on the Internet that you are an advocate for Islam who defends the faith and its adherents from charges of terrorism. I will leave that debate for another day if you choose to respond. What I will say is this;

I have no problem with you defending Islam. You should defend Islam. But you don't need to defend it from us. You need to defend it from those people who call themselves Muslims and are bringing disrepute to Islam by their violent and hateful deeds-such as just occurred in Mumbai.

I thank you for your comments."

Japanese-Americans-The Relocation and the 442nd

Japanese-American relocation camp during World War 2


One of my blogging colleagues, Findalis, of "Monkey in the Middle" (linked), in her Pearl Harbor remembrance, also pointed out another aspect to our war against Japan that should not be forgotten. That is the re-location of Japanese-Americans from the West Coast and the exploits of the 442nd-an Army unit that fought in Europe that was made up entirely of Japanese-Americans.

After Pearl Harbor, there was a fear that the large presence of Japanese-Americans on the West Coast might represent a 5th column. Anti-Japanese fever was at a high pitch in those days. In February 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which resulted in Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast being shipped to inland relocation centers, principally in the wide open western states. It did not matter whether they were first-generation immigrants or born in the US and possessed American citizenship. Though the treatment was as humane as possible, the conditions in these camps in places like Manzanar, California (in the desert), Topaz, Utah, Gila, Arizona, and Heart Mountain, Wyoming, were harsh.

What also happened is that thousands of Japanese-Americans lost their property and businesses. Most never recovered their possessions after the war, yet they remained what they had been all along-loyal Americans. (About a decade ago, surviving relocatees were granted reparations in the amount of $20,000.)

And who was one of the leading proponents and agitators for the relocation? None other than the then-Attorney General of California and later Governor, Earl Warren, the icon of the left after he ascended to the Supreme Court. Years after he left the Court, Warren never apologized for his actions that helped lead to the relocations. On at least one occasion, Warren was due to speak at a California University, and Asian-American students announced that they would respectfully ask him to explain his position in those years. Warren cancelled one such appearance, and on another occasion, told the students that they should direct their questions to the Federal Government, which carried out the policy.

The other part of this chapter in our history is the actions of the 442nd Infantry Combat Team, which fought for America in Europe and was the most-highly decorated unit (per capita size) in World War 2. They had volunteered to serve the country which was imprisoning them and their families and fought with incredible bravery and distinction. They called themselves, "Buddha Heads", a term that I grew up with in Los Angeles after the war.

Being from West Los Angeles, I grew up with and went to school with lots of Japanese-Americans. This was only 10-20 years after the end of the war. The Japanese-American kids were totally assimilated and mixed freely with white friends. Interracial dating was common-and would become more common as the years passed by. In fact, it was considered sort of "fashionable", if that is the right word, for a white girl to have a Japanese-American boyfriend. As I said above, we referred to the Japanese-American kids as "Buddha Heads." It was not a pejorative; it was a term they used to refer to themselves. My point in all this is to illustrate how quickly Japanese-Americans (at least on the surface) overcame the feelings from the war. The experiences of their families was a subject we never discussed with each other in our high school years. (If you are wondering, almost all Asian-Americans in West LA at that time were of Japanese descent. Those of Filipino, Chinese, Korean descent, etc. were not too common in West LA at that time.)

None of the above is to diminish the importance of Pearl Harbor as a symbol. To visit the site of the USS Arizona is an unforgettable experience. We must never forget Pearl Harbor, but it should never color our perceptions of any other American. Of course, we have reconciliated with the nation of Japan and anti-Japanese feelings that were so strong after Pearl Harbor have faded and died out. We should, however, also never forget that American citizens of Japanese ancestry were treated unfairly.

Finally, there were, to my knowledge, no documented cases of treason or sedition by any Japanese-American. (The Tokyo Rose case involved a young Japanese-American woman who found herself in Japan at the outbreak of the war.)

Dayton Mosque Update- No Update

Dayton, Ohio


I previously reported on an alleged incident in Dayton, Ohio on September 26, in which it was reported that two men had approached a Dayton Mosque during a religious service and allegedly sprayed a chemical substance through a window and into a ten-year-old girl's face. The police were called, as well as HazMat but could find no trace of any chemical. At the time, The local Muslim community tied the incident to the recent distribution of the DVD, "Obsession", a video that they deemed Islamophobic. When I was alerted to the incident by one of my co-respondents, I thought it was appropriate to report on it and express my concern over any such possible attack.

The incident gained widespread publicity on the Internet and was labeled as a "Gas attack". In the blogosphere, blogs like Daily Kos quickly labeled it a hate crime. A blogger by the name of Chris Rodda, who contributes to Daily Kos, put out a piece about the incident decrying it as a hate crime in sensational terms under the headline:

"Muslim Children Gassed at Dayton Mosque After Obsession DVD Hits Ohio."

Below is one of her observations:

"....This, apparently, is what the scare tactic political campaigning of John McCain's supporters has led to -- Americans perpetrating a terrorist attack against innocent children on American soil."


As the incident was widely disseminated throughout the blogosphere, other observers suspected it was a hoax designed to manufacture a phony hate crime.

In the days following the incident, the investigation seemed to go nowhere. The Dayton police announced that they did not consider it a hate crime. As the search for the suspects went on, it was reported that a can of pepper spray had been found somewhere not far from the mosque. Then it was reported that police had found the pepper spray inside the mosque in a carry-bag.

It seems the last thing that has been reported is that a ten-year-old boy, whose parents belong to the mosque, was being questioned by the police.

Last week, I sent a query to Dayton Daily News reporter Lucas Sullivan, who has been covering the case. This was my second such query-Mr Sullivan has been gracious enough to answer both my queries. On this second occasion, he informed me that there was no new information. The websites of the Dayton Mosque and CAIR have no mention of the incident.

So where does this take us? I suppose forensic tests may still reveal something, but at this point, I strongly suspect that there was no hate crime committed by outside persons. It could be that a couple of kids got a hold of a can of pepper spray and the girl got sprayed by another kid.

My point, however, is this; the public-especially in Dayton- needs to know what did or did not happen. If there is an innocent explanation, that needs to be revealed. If there are a couple of crazies out there who sprayed a girl with a chemical substance, hopefully, they will be captured. If, however, this was a manufactured hoax on the part of someone connected with the mosque, then that has to come out as well. It will not do for the city to simply let this thing die a quiet death since there has been a host of accusations thrown out about a hate crime being committed. The citizens of Dayton especially have a right to know the truth.

December 7

Never forget.

Fousesquawk's First Annual "Jerk of the Year" Award

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman. Tonight, we are announcing the first annual Fousesquawk Golden Penguin Award for "Jerk of the Year", 2008.

The nominees are:

Jeremiah Wright for his performance of "God 'Bless' America".
Hillary Clinton for her performance of "The Backstabbers".
John Edwards for his role in "Two Men and a Baby".
Bill Ayres for his role in "The Patriot Games"

"The envelope, please."






And the Golden Penguin goes to...........





"Senator, you're on."