The mass shooter James Holmes is a "WHITE TERRORIST".
The Niggerization of President Barack Obama continues. The right wing is on the attack of UN ambassador Susan Rice. They're doing a Niggerization of her over the five appearance on Sunday news programs over the ongoing (and beating the horse dead) Benghazi tragedy.
Republicans were crowing about the Department of Justice and Homeland Security's crackdown on domestic extremism. The Republicans were upset that a declassified memo about the rise of right wing extremism had conservatives blasting the president and others for singling them out as potential threats to society.
During the Aurora, Colorado shooting, numerous people were killed and injured by James Holmes, a mentally disturbed human being. What Juan Cole points out in this piece is that the media doesn't consider him a White terrorist.
I agree.
Juan Cole wrote the top ten differences between White Terrorist and Others.
1. White terrorists are called “gunmen.” What does that even mean? A person with a gun? Wouldn't that be, like, everyone in the US? Other terrorists are called, like, “terrorists.” 2. White terrorists are “troubled loners.” Other terrorists are always suspected of being part of a global plot, even when they are obviously troubled loners. 3. Doing a study on the danger of white terrorists at the Department of Homeland Security will get you sidelined by angry white Congressmen. Doing studies on other kinds of terrorists is a guaranteed promotion. 4. The family of a white terrorist is interviewed, weeping as they wonder where he went wrong. The families of other terrorists are almost never interviewed. 5. White terrorists are part of a “fringe.” Other terrorists are apparently mainstream. 6. White terrorists are random events, like tornadoes. Other terrorists are long-running conspiracies. 7. White terrorists are never called “white.” But other terrorists are given ethnic affiliations. 8. Nobody thinks white terrorists are typical of white people. But other terrorists are considered paragons of their societies. 9. White terrorists are alcoholics, addicts or mentally ill. Other terrorists are apparently clean-living and perfectly sane. 10. There is nothing you can do about white terrorists. Gun control won’t stop them. No policy you could make, no government program, could possibly have an impact on them. But hundreds of billions of dollars must be spent on police and on the Department of Defense, and on TSA, which must virtually strip search 60 million people a year, to deal with other terrorists.
Conservatives are so sensitive to the issue of being single out at extremists. This toxic environment caused by the likes of Fox News, talk radio and The Drudge Report has many White men becoming unhinged.
How many White people threatened the president?
How many anti-Black, anti-Hispanic, anti-gay, and anti-Muslim websites are out there?
It was reported that the perennial loser Mitt Romney was at McDonald's before he decided to head to the White House for his lunch with President Barack Obama.
The Drudge Report is splashing a story about Congress looking to do away with the $1 and $2 bills.
The talk of the fiscal cliff is still an ongoing issue and Republicans aren't going to support the president's plan.
The Republicans are two feet in the manure over taxing the rich. They rather cut Medicare and entitlements.
The president is getting frustrated with the constant gridlock.
Republicans continue their NIGGERIZATION of President Barack Obama and his United Nations ambassador Susan Rice, a potential successor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Republicans, get this through your thick heads!
You're losing! Big time!
The Blacks, Hispanics and women are trending towards the Democratic Party at a faster rate!
While you fools are stuck on this notion that the Democratic Party is catered to dependency, victimization, and other social norms, the political party is building a ground game of newly registered voters.
The young voters are more liberal! They're accepting gay marriage as a normal theme of life. They believe in government assistance in college loans, birth control and loans to start small businesses. They tend to be more into technology and believe in evolution. They believe in global warming. They are learning second languages to compete in a browner nation.
Blacks and Hispanics are criticized as "thugs" and "illegals" among your Republican fateful. The conservative wing of the Republican Party is trending towards extremism.
The American public wants the rich to pay more in taxes. You may not agree with it, but it's what the majority wants. If you're so invested in smaller government and the like, how about losing your pension, healthcare and your yearly pay as an elected leader.
With all these attempts to gain political power, Republicans maneuvering gerrymandering in political districts to field out moderates and legislators who refuse to toll the party line.
When you Republicans picked Mitt Romney, a rich old man as your presidential nominee, you've sealed your deal as a party for the people!
When Republicans have this ongoing obsession to defeat the president, slash funding for every safety net to help the middle class, the public will eventually reject it and send these fools packing.
Are you getting frustrated with Republicans?
I hope you are!
Because these guys are lining themselves for political defeat in 2014 and 2016.
I promise you this, that the president isn't done with getting his grassroots campaign. He wants to avoid the mistakes of the 2010 Midterm Election.
Now that he's boxed the Republicans in the tax fight, it's now up to the political party itself to get the ball moving.
Cause if the United States goes over the fiscal cliff, it's going to fall on the Republicans.
Teen shot and killed over loud music in Jacksonville.
The Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida has spawned many Americans to fight against legislation that agitates firing upon a threat without merits. This controversy in Florida has spawned many other individuals who claim the "Stand Your Ground" as a defense.
A Florida man appeared in court on Wednesday to face charges in the shooting death of an apparently unarmed black teenager in a case putting Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law back under the U.S. media spotlight less than a year after the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Michael Dunn, 45, is being held without bail on charges of second-degree murder for the Friday night shooting of Jordan Davis, who was also 17.
According to authorities, Dunn pulled into the parking lot of a Jacksonville, Florida, gas station alongside the SUV where Davis and three friends, all of them young African Americans, were listening to music.
Dunn asked them to turn their music down and, after an apparent exchange of words with Davis, he produced a gun and fired eight or nine shots at the SUV. At least two of the bullets hit Davis, causing his death.
Dunn, who was in Jacksonville for his son's wedding, sped off after the shooting but he was arrested on Saturday in Brevard County, Florida, police said.
Dunn's lawyer, Robin Lemonidis, told reporters that someone in the SUV brandished a shotgun and Dunn opened fire on the vehicle in self-defense.
"It will be very clear that Mr. Dunn acted responsibly, and as any responsible firearms owner would have acted, under these same circumstances," Lemonidis said.
She could not be reached for further comment on Wednesday but appeared to indicate that Dunn will invoke Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law in his defense.
The law gives legal protection to anyone, anywhere, to use deadly force in a case where a person is attacked and believes his life or safety is in danger.
Critics say the law, adopted under former Florida Governor Jeb Bush after a big push by pro-gun advocates, has been used to allow some Floridians to shoot and kill with impunity while also encouraging vigilante justice.
Florida man arrested. Claiming self defense.
The law fell under a firestorm of criticism earlier this year when police in Sanford, Florida, cited it for their initial refusal to arrest George Zimmerman to face murder charges in the killing of Trayvon Martin.
Police say no shotgun or other weapon was found in the SUV where Davis, a high school student, was shot and killed.
Formal charges against Dunn will be filed at a court appearance set for December 19, said Jackie Barnard, a spokeswoman for the State Attorney's office for the Fourth Judicial District of Florida.
"The investigation is ongoing and we're waiting for the sheriff's office to finish their investigation," she said. "We'll review the evidence and the State Attorney's office will make the appropriate charging decision."
This is an ongoing story, and we here at Journal de le Reyna will keep you informed about the latest issues surrounding this and the Trayvon Martin case.
Look here, if I have to deal with one more asshole in the Republican Party, I might just open up my own firearms and accessories store!
Republicans are two feet in the manure over tax increases on the upper income earners, they're scaring White people with talk of guns being confiscated, gays kissing in your face, and that woman who wants her "Obama phone".
They have worked a NIGGERIZATION on President Barack Obama, UN ambasssador Susan Rice, Attorney General Eric Holder, Shirley Sherrod, and Van Jones.
They can't get it through their thick heads that minorities are a growing majority.
They can't get it through their thick heads that women, civil rights activists and the LGBT community are going to push the extremist agenda of the Republicans right out of Washington, DC.
Congress is at 14% job approval. By far one of the worst U.S. Congressional Session ever!
This NIGGERIZATION of President Barack Obama has sponged inside these individuals heads!
I stated this one too many times!
GUN RIGHTS FOR WHITE PEOPLE! GUN CONTROL FOR BLACKS, HISPANICS AND MUSLIMS. I am really wondering how far these people will go!
With all these mass shootings in the country, one would of have thought that gun control laws were passed and more Americans are restricted from owning a firearm.
President Barack Obama hasn't signed one bill or an issued executive order to restrict ownership of firearms.
But tell that to those fear mongering idiots in the National Rifle Association. The gun lobbyist group has tried to push forth these bulletins to scare up fundraising. They advocate this crap to these gun owners in suburban America.
Cope Reynolds. An idiot with firearm could be dangerous!
A firearm dealer has banned Obama voters (likely Black and Latinos) from his store!
A gun store owner in Arizona has banned people who voted for President Obama from entering his store, even though Democratic voters were a small minority in his town.
Cope Reynolds, owner of the Southwest Shooting Authority in Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona, published an advertisement in a local newspaper, prohibiting Obama supporters from visiting his business.
“If you voted for Barack Obama, your business is NOT WELCOME at Southwest Shooting Authority. You have proven you are not responsible enough to own a firearm,” reads the ad, which cost the man about $250 to run in the White Mountain Independent newspaper.
Pinetop-Lakeside has a population of 4,280, only 736 of whom voted for Obama. Even though this is a small minority, Reynolds is still outraged by their political choice. He is particularly opposed to Democratic views on entitlements. He also fears that Obama would restrict gun rights.
“It is about the direction this country is going and the direction it’s been going for the last four years, and I feel like the people who voted for him are by and large the ones that are on the many entitlements and free stuff that they've been getting,” Reynolds said in an interview with Huffington Post.
Although Obama has not enacted any serious gun regulations since he became president, his mention of a possible ban on assault weapons during the second presidential debate sparked concern among gun owners.
Reynolds believes the president was waiting to impose tighter regulations once he had the security of re-election.
“There are a lot of people who feel like he’s going to take the guns away and rightly so,” Reynolds said. “I think that he will. I think that our rights will be infringed in a big way and very soon.”
But there’s one major problem with Reynolds’ new policy: it can be impossible to tell how someone voted just by looking at them, and it’s easy for Obama voters to lie. Asked by the Phoenix New Times how he weeded out Obama voters, Reynolds said he was just trying to make a statement.
“Obviously, this is nothing more than a political statement,” he wrote in an e-mailed statement. “Of course, it would be impossible to enforce. If they don’t say anything, we’ll never know. They could purchase whatever they wanted, and they would probably get a big kick out of thinking they are rubbing it in our face as they walk out the door.”
But those who own up to voting for Obama will not be served at the store.
Americans who are stupid make these type of signs!
“I should have as much right to post a sign on my door as those that post ‘No Guns’ on their doors,’” he added.
In 2008, Reynolds also bought an Obama mask on which he put a turban. He displays the mask in his store.
Reynolds said he supports Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, but only because "he's the lesser of two evils."
Reynolds said his disdain for Obama has nothing to do with race. He would have voted for Alan Keyes or Condoleezza Rice " if they were in the presidential race.
The talk of the nation is the perennial loser Mitt Romney being GQ Magazine's least influential person.
The president promised that he would take some ideas from the perennial loser. CNN reports that the President Barack Obama will meet with the former Republican nominee at the White House.
They will meet Thursday for their first meeting since the November 6 election, according to a statement from White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.
"On Thursday, Governor Romney will have a private lunch at the White House with President Obama in the Private Dining Room," Carney wrote. "It will be the first opportunity they have had to visit since the election. There will be no press coverage of the meeting."
That's rich!
What will President Barack Obama say to the perennial loser?
I know that Mitt Romney had nothing nice to say about his supporters! And from the last few weeks of chatter, most Republicans would rather see him go away!
And who says that President Barack Obama isn't willing to work with Republicans?
Yeah, we know it's those with the blinders on
No matter what the president does, conservatives will find some major issue with it.
It's part of the NIGGERIZATION of President Barack Obama.
They already acting like it's his "official" second term!
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky, Minority Leader), House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Virginia, Majority Leader). The 113th Congress will begin in January 2013. The Republicans are under fire for having mostly men in their leadership committees.
The Republicans control the House of Representatives. As they begin to shuffle the chairs around, many critics are pointing out that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is appointing mostly men to most of the chairmanship committees in the 113th Congress.
Not a single woman will lead any of the major House committees in the 113th Congress.
Republicans still simmering from their trouncing in the presidential election, they are doubling down on their racist, sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic, condescending, pain inducing rants about President Barack Obama and his allies in the Democratic Party.
With Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) running a NIGGERIZATION of UN Ambassador Susan Rice, the Republicans still trying to screw the president.
The Politico reports that the House Republican Steering Committee announced an all-male slate of committee chairs, including 12 returning lawmakers who will head up some of the most important panels in Washington. The chairs for the House Ethics Committee and House Administration Committee have yet to be chosen, so a woman could end up in one of those slots.
The Democratic minority does have leadership post for their members. Besides Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-California) being the Minority Leader, House Democrats are likely to have five women as ranking members committees: Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D- New York) or Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) on Appropriations, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-California) on Financial Services, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-New York) on Rules, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) on Science and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D-New York) on Small Business.
Halle Berry battles ex again over daughter - CNN.com: Halle Berry's lawyers returned to court Tuesday to ask a Los Angeles judge to keep her child's father away from their daughter because of a Thanksgiving Day fight with Berry's fiance.
The father, model Gabriel Aubry, claimed in a court filing Monday that the fiance, Olivier Martinez, ambushed him when he was dropping the daughter, 4-year-old Nahla, at Berry's Hollywood Hills home.
Jamie Foxx attracts conservative ire! He praises President Barack Obama as "our lord and savior" and they're upset over this. Seriously, the conservatives are outraged over this!
Sean Hannity can't get over the fact President Barack Obama won reelection. He can't get over it!
Still upset over the president's trouncing of perennial loser Mitt Romney. Sean Hannity and many other conservatives go to The Drudge Report and Newsbusters to find media bias in the mainstream media. What got the conservative agitator's attention was one celebrity praising the president.
Sean Hannity is an Obama obsessed agitator.
"The Obama loving mainstream media", screams Sean Hannity.
Sean Hannity has a panel of White people discuss Oscar award winning actor Jamie Foxx's performance at the Soul Train Music Awards.
Foxx (born Eric Marlon Bishop) is a comedian, singer, talk radio host and producer. The entertainer broke into the national scene as a sketch player in the 1990s comedy show In Living Color.
Foxx hosted the Soul Train Music Awards and made the statement that President Barack Obama was "our lord and savior" and the conservative media went ablaze over it!
Still upset over Blacks turning out in higher numbers, Republican legislators want to eliminate early voting and strip safety nets such as food stamps, welfare and unemployment benefits. White conservatives believe that Blacks are dependent on government and scream that liberal establishments are racists! It's the reasons why people like Newt Gingrich saying "[President Barack Obama] is the most successful food stamp president!"
Sean Hannity wasted a portion of his show to discuss this!
Paul Mercurio and Mary Walter were brought on Hannity's carnival of right wing agitation.
Mediaite reports that Sean Hannity was deeply disturbed by Foxx’s comments, calling them a “reminder of how obsessed left-wing celebritiesBLACKS really are with President Obama.”
Emilliano Terry was killed by his own mother. The little boy made national news after it was reported by his mother Camilia Terry that he was abducted by a stranger at a park.
We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the young boy Emilliano Terry.
Tragedy in the state of Ohio. In the city of Cleveland, there were reports of a missing young boy. The missing boy made the national news. People were searching around Cuyahoga County for the child. It was reported by the mother, Camilia Terry.
The police were convinced that the statements made by the mother weren't constant with the case.
They had a garbage truck tracked and ordered the company Waste Management to watch for any actions from the mother.
Newsnet 5 Cleveland, ABC affiliate reports the Cleveland mom has been arrested in the death of her 3-year-old son after police found what they believe is the body of the young boy at a waste-treatment plant, according to authorities.
Cleveland police said Monday they're holding Camilia Terry, 20, at Cuyahoga County Jail to await charges in the death of her son, Emilliano Terry.
Camilia Terry was arrested in the death of her son. The mother of three misled the public on the whereabouts of her son.
"We come here with heavy hearts, I'm sure you understand. Today, at approximately 4 o'clock, a body of a small child matching the description of Emilliano Terry was discovered at a waste treatment plant in Oakwood Village," Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath said, according to ABC News affiliate WEWS-TV.
"So, in other words, right now, currently, we are treating this as a homicide, rather than a missing person or abduction."
An autopsy will be performed later today to determine how Terry died.
Camilia Terry told police her son vanished Sunday just after 5 p.m. as she was pushing one of her other children on a swing in Kossuth Park.
"I'm calling you because I'm at a park and my son is missing," Terry told a 911 dispatcher.
"How long has it been since you last saw him?" a 911 operator asked.
"Fifteen minutes ago. I was looking everywhere for him, I can't find him," the mother of three told the dispatcher while sobbing.
Police and the FBI began searching for the boy Sunday. A volunteer group, the Guardian Angels, searched garages and abounded homes in the area, according to WEWS.
While the authorities where in Terry's neighborhood Monday, they noticed a garbage truck leaving the family's home, Det. Ed Tomba told reporters at a news conference Monday evening.
Police took down the truck's information and contacted Waste Management Inc. FBI agents went to the facility and found a body believed to be Emilliano inside trash bags, according to police.
Cleveland Police Commander Deon McCauley said Camilia Terry's story changed during questioning Monday.
Body found at Waste Management Center in Cleveland.
"Some time during the day, of today, the statements of Miss. Terry became very inconsistent and we decided that we would further investigate her involvement in this situation," he said.
Officers told WEWS that Terry has not admitted to any crime. Her other two children are now with Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services.
Cleveland police said they plan to search the family's home again, according to WEWS.
Earlier, Cleveland police have released the 911 call from Camilia Terry reporting her 3-year-old son missing from Kossuth Park on Sunday.
"I'm calling you because I'm at a park and my son is missing," the 20-year-old mother tells a 911 dispatcher.
Clearly upset, Camilia has trouble explaining which park they're at, with the dispatcher asking her to spell the name of the park that she sees on the sign.
"Kossuth," the woman spells out.
Camilia then describes her 3-year-old son Emilliano Terry to the dispatcher.
"He's wearing a red and black sweater with blue jeans and black and blue tennis shoes. He got a gray coat," Camilia explains.
Dispatcher: How long has it been since you last saw him?
Camilia: 15 minutes ago. I was looking everywhere for him and I can't find him.
The dispatcher tells her to stay at the park until police get there.
Dispatcher: Was there anyone else around?
Camilia: No, it was just me and my two other kids.
Still crying, Camilia hangs up with 911 after they tell her police are en route.
The young boy was reported missing around 5:05 p.m. Sunday. Camilia said she was pushing her 5-year-old in a swing and when she turned around Emilliano was gone.
The FBI is now involved in the search. They, along with Cleveland police, are looking at surveillance videos from nearby businesses to see what the cameras caught and corroborate the story.
This issue contributes to the ongoing coverage of missing people. One in particular is missing white woman syndrome (MWWS). Many critics say that the disproportionate degree of coverage in television, radio, newspaper and magazine reporting of an adversity, most often a missing person case, involving a young, white, upper-middle class (frequently blonde) woman or girl is unbelievable.
This degree of coverage is usually contrasted with cases concerning a missing male, or missing females of other ethnicities, socioeconomic classes or physical attractiveness
Washed up pop singer Chris Brown is up to his head up to water in another controversy. He's not only bringing attention to himself but the people who associate with him.
He and his on-and-off girlfriend fellow pop singer Rihanna have been irking the media for years!
Both celebrities are showing out in the public. Rihanna's topless and nude photos were leaked out.
Chris Brown gets into a heated exchange with a person on Twitter.
Comedian Jenny Johnson and Brown are feuding and it's gotten the attention of most of America.
Pictures leaked online of Rihanna naked.
Chris Brown can't escape his forever etched name in stone with domestic abuse. Since 2009, the pop singer has brought upon himself a whole of negative attention after he assaulted Rihanna (Robyn Fenty) before they were to perform at the Grammy Awards.
Chris Brown was given five years of probation for this incident. Since then, Brown had a few run ins with not only the media but the law.
Brown is currently engaged in a feud with Canadian rapper/singer Drake (Aubrey Graham). Drake dropped a verse about Rihanna and Chris Brown's feud and talked about his experience with her. Brown got into a fight with Drake in a New York club after they exchanged heated words at one another.
Jenny Johnson makes light of Chris Brown's problems. Brown caught wind of it! He first goes after her Jenny Johnson after a nasty Twitter exchange with Brown.
The 23-year-old singer responded to the comedian's tweets, in which she called him a "piece of sh*t," by telling her to perform oral sex on him and then threatened to defecate in her eye.
The Twitter feud resulted in Brown deactivating his Twitter account for a matter of hours, and in his absence some of his fans took it upon themselves to issue death threats to Johnson.
Jenny Johnson.
"Do u wanna know what im gonna do now ? Im gonna kill that Jenny Johnson for making Chris delete his twitter," wrote @NellyBreezy_, who also later deleted her own account."
Her sentiments were echoed by, @NinaBreezy16, who tweeted: "@JennyJohnsonHi5 whore bitch. if chris kill you i will have more respect of him .."
Likewise, anther fan using the handle @_Haineko_ wrote, "super mad right now if i see that jenny johnson i'll stab her to death."
And it's hard to believe, but a fan with the handle @rockykane9 wrote, "@JennyJohnsonHi5 I'M GONNA F*CKING RAPE & KILL YOU OLD WHORE F*CK"
Johnson hasn't been scared off by the numerous replies she's received, which have mostly told her to "eat a dick," but she did tweet that she's "alarmed" by how many death threats she's received and is encouraging everyone, "including @Twitter to look through them. Not cool."
Brown's fans have stuck by him no matter what, and some of the female members of Team Breezy, made headlines for tweeting statements, including " I'd let Chris Brown beat me up anytime ;) #womanbeater," and "Chris brown can beat me any dayyyyy damn he's so sexy," referencing his infamous assault on Rihanna in 2009.
"Team Breezy! Lets stop sending death threats!" Brown tweeted back in May. "I know y'all bout that life but it's the wrong message! Ur turning haters into victims!"
So now his millions of stans are threatening people with death online!
Great. More controversy!
Add on the controversial pictures of a nude Rihanna and we have a real party going on around here.
TMZ reports that Chris Brown and Drake will NOT face criminal charges stemming from their alleged involvement in a massive nightclub brawl this summer in NYC -- law enforcement sources tell TMZ, there just isn't enough evidence to move forward with the case. According to law enforcement sources, the investigation into the bottle-smashing brawl at WIP nightclub on June 14th has been concluded and no criminal charges will be filed against Chris, Drake, or any member of their entourages. There will be no further investigation.
An Israeli spokesman for the Defense Force made himself the butt of ridicule and brokered more hostility between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama. Netanyahu, the conservative leader of the country of Israel has been at odds with the president over the tensions with Iran and the recent cease fire of the Palestine territory of Gaza. Hamas, the conservative Islamic faction of government and Israel are at odd once again over blockades and sanctions. The United States declared Hamas, a terrorist organization.
Now you would think that Israeli would respect President Barack Obama. Alas, they don't!
ABC News Report that one of the Israeli military’s most visible spokesmen is under fire for a photo he posted on his Facebook page captioned “Obama style” in which his face is smeared with mud.
Sacha Dratwa posted the photo in late September, but since the furor he has restricted access to his account. A screengrab of the original post circulating online showed that it drew mixed reactions, with one commenter saying, “You know this is racist, yeah?”
In the photo, Dratwa appears to be smeared in mud from the Dead Sea, a popular activity for many visiting and living in Israel. Dratwa responded to a user on Twitter accusing him of racism saying, “I’m not a racist, please stop [spreading] lies about me.” He also posted a response on Facebook saying the firestorm around the photo misrepresents his opinions and is a “cynical use of the information” on his profile.
“I am, and have always been, completely candid about my beliefs and have nothing to hide,” wrote Dratwa on Sunday. “The aforementioned photos do not reflect my beliefs and have no bearing whatsoever on my position in the IDF.”
Dratwa, 26, is originally Belgian and heads the Israeli Defense Forces new media desk, active in engaging Israel’s supporters and critics on social media. The IDF’s Twitter account and various web sites were regularly updated during Israel’s operation “Pillar of Defense” against Hamas in the Gaza Strip last week, distributing the latest numbers and highlighting Israel’s efforts not to kill civilians.
“What we try to do is to be fast and get information out before the old media,” Dratwa told Tablet Magazine last week. “We believe people are getting information from social media platforms and we don’t want them to get it from other sources. We are the ones on the scene, and the old media are not on the scene as are the IDF.”
The IDF declined a request to comment.
When Max Blumenthal did an investigative video about Israeli sentiment of President Barack Obama, some of the people who were interviewed were saying pretty racist and disrespectful things about him.
Israel is the center of most of the Middle East conflict. The Muslim nations are tired of the United States allying with Israel at their expense.
Grover Norquist. The Republicans are putting distance between the tax rights advocate and other conservative agitators.
Grumbling from supporters has the national party rethinking!
Could Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge, Fox News, and Grover Norquist be the reasons to why Republicans are out of style?
The cracks are coming!
There's too much division post election. Still you have bunch of bitter ass Americans still upset that President Barack Obama trounced perennial loser Mitt Romney.
Matt Drudge's website attracts extremists!
The Republicans lost two easily held on U.S. Senate seats. They managed to hold on the U.S. House of Representatives for now! They redistricted the areas to make it harder for Democrats to win.
Republicans wrapping themselves in the culture war have taken a toll among the American public. They allow the demographics to shift and now Republicans are primarily an all White elitist male party.
They successfully painted a NIGGERIZATION of President Barack Obama with baseless lies about his religion, birthplace and political standings.
You can't argue with someone with two feet deep in the manure over fictitious lies.
Some think the president is a Muslim.
Some think the president is a socialist.
Some think the president is a racist.
Some think the president has no experience in leadership.
Some think the president is coming for the guns.
Some think the president spends time with celebrities instead of running the country.
Some think the president doesn't deserve credit for any of America's achievements.
Some think the president deserves the blame for America's failures.
Some think the president is a giver to food stamps, welfare, and government assistance.
Rush Limbaugh's rhetoric represents the mindset of most Republicans.
And all of this stuff has riled up Blacks and Hispanics. This type of stuff made the turnout higher among those in the 18 - 29 age bracket. And all of these attacks on the president are an attack on the Black community as a whole. All this stuff has put the Republican Party in the placing of lunatics and idiots.
The perennial loser Mitt Romney also set them back hard. He represents a field of failed candidates who tried one too many times. Besides the name of Bush still simmers among most Americans.
What happens in the long run if the Republicans continue to stick to their attacks?
They lose!
So now there's talk about trying to bring other groups into the fold.
The cracks are showing within the Republican Party.
Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Congressman Peter King (R-New York) are distancing themselves from Grover Norquist.
David Brooks and Steve Schmidt are warning Republicans to avoid Rush Limbaugh and Matt Drudge as sources of information.
Many Republicans aren't looking into WorldNetDaily, Twitchy and Breitbart as much as they used to!
Republicans are considering to move themselves back to the middle. They want to be conservative! Not extremists!
They have a long way to go! Especially among Hispanics and Blacks.
Many Americans who voted for Barack Obama as their president want the high end earners to pay a little more in taxes. That's a theme Republicans are not supporting. They're feeling the pressure and it's seems to be working.
That's not what Andrea Tantaros said, but that's what she believes. The United States Department of Agriculture has the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help Americans who have to feed their families.
Republicans are still simmering over their loss in the presidential election. Conservatives are fuming over the rise in food stamps. They still think that individuals who depend on government assistance as "parasites".
Those "parasites" voted against the Republicans and sent perennial loser Mitt Romney and many others packing!
The Five is on Fox News. The show replaced Glenn Beck in 2011.
Since the show's beginning they've had a handful of individuals debate the latest issues around Washington, DC and America. The show is round table of conservative agitation with former Jimmy Carter adviser Bob Beckel, the token liberal.
Tantaros, Bob Beckel, Greg Gutfield, Dan Perino, and Kimberly Guilfoyle are the feature players of the show.
What was said on that program makes you wonder why Republicans have no heart for the middle class!
What was said makes you wonder why Mitt Romney shown disdain for the American people!
This type of nonsense is regurgitated through Americans who have no clear understanding of reality. These individuals show no compassion towards those who are government assistance.
I've stated this once again for the ones who read this and many articles posted by me and LeReyna:
The safety net includes social security, disaster relief for hurricanes and earthquakes, disability, food stamps, farm aid, Medicare, Medicaid, the Pell grant, veteran's assistance and welfare. The middle class, lower class and those who are too poor are the core of the safety net. With the rising food and gas prices, people are turning to food stamps, food banks and government assistance to keep themselves from landing in the homeless shelter. Without a safety net, these people will rob and kill those who have the luxuries of having food in the refrigerator or in the pantry. They would steal fuel, water, bread and meat to keep feeding their families. And yet, these Republicans and their conservative allies are thinking the poor are the reasons for the economic recession. Perhaps those who complain about the poor, should walk a day in that person's shoes!
The Republican Party and its allies in the conservative movement are heartless when it comes to the lower and middle class. In their warped minds, the lower class and those who are too poor are stealing from the taxpayers by accepting food stamps, welfare and necessaries.
We've seen how conservatives reacted to the Lifeline Phone program. An Ohio woman who supports President Barack Obama (by the way, she's Black) was harping about the "OBAMA PHONE". The woman was considered middle class and she was saying that the president was giving away "free stuff" if he's elected!
Now if you're a rational person, you've ignored that! But in the minds of conservatives, this woman is a government parasite, and the word salad of racial slurs and Obama name dropping.
If you're wondering about the dog whistle comments by perennial loser Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), when it comes to food stamps and poverty, you'll hear them say that they're trying to create prosperity not dependency!
The Republicans and their conservative allies are trying to create a NIGGERIZATION of the president.
With talk about the first Black president being aloof, a giver to dependency, and willing to allow events happen while he's partying with celebrities are dog whistles to White conservative males.
Think Progress and the Huffington Post has reported that Fox News' Andrea Tantaros, who co-hosts "The Five," likened food stamps to a dieting technique during her appearance on Fox Business.
When host Stuart Varney asked her if she could live off $133 to spend on food monthly, Tantaros replied, "I should try it because do you know how fabulous I’d look?"
She continued, "I’d be so skinny. I mean, the camera adds ten pounds, it really does. I’d be looking great." Varney seemed fairly amused by her answer.
Congressman Jesse Jackson (D-Illinois) resigns from Congress. He is caught up in a political scandal and its taking a toll on his sanity.
After easily winning election despite being about 70% away from his constituents, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Illinois) is resigning from Congress.
The son of Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson has been at the Mayo Clinic for depression and bipolar disorder. The embattled congressman sent his resignation letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) this week. This likely Democrat but it could be a Republican pick up if they line up a candidate.
Jackson leaves a legacy behind. He also leaves behind a controversy.
His personal issues from his health, to reports of having an mistress have taken a toll on his sanity!
But is he just trying to distract the country?
He is currently under investigation for misuse of campaign fundraising. He also embroiled in the scandal that cost former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich his position. When Barack Obama, resigned from the senate to become the President Of the United States, Blagojevich was caught on tape telling people that he's willing to make a price for the seat. Jackson was hoping he could become the next Illinois senator. The FBI issued an arrest warrant for the governor. The governor resigned soon after.
President Barack Obama wanted the seat to go to Tammy Duckworth, Valarie Jerret or Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois). Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris to seat. Burris is also under investigation for potential corruption. Burris chose not to seek reelection and in 2010, the seat went to Mark Kirk, a Republican congressman.
Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson, the father of embattled congressman
Blagojevich was sent to federal prison. The FBI is closing on Jackson. There could be charges for corruption against Jackson.
The current governor Pat Quinn (D-Illinois) will have to issue a special election for the seat shortly.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Jackson's political star was on the rise until allegations surfaced in late 2008 that his supporters offered to raise as much as $6 million for Blagojevich in return for the governor appointing him to the Senate seat vacated by the president-elect. Though Jackson was never charged in that case, a House ethics panel investigation into his actions was ultimately eclipsed by a federal criminal probe based in Washington, D.C., into alleged misuse of campaign dollars.
Jackson's resignation letter to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, was Jackson's first acknowledgment of the ongoing federal corruption investigation.
"I am doing my best to address the situation responsibly, cooperate with the investigators, and accept responsibility for my mistakes, for they are my mistakes and mine alone," Jackson said in the two-page letter. "None of us is immune from our share of shortcomings or human frailties, and I pray that I will be remembered for what I did right."
Jackson's Washington legal team, which recently added former federal prosecutor Dan Webb, a Chicago partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, indicated that while Jackson's political fate has been settled, there's more to come in a court of law.
"We hope to negotiate a fair resolution of the matter but the process could take several months," they said in the statement.
Despite admitting "my share of mistakes," Jackson said his deteriorating health — and treatment for bipolar depression — kept him from serving as a "full-time legislator" and was the reason for his resignation.
Jackson's decision to step down came little more than two weeks after his re-election to another two-year term despite a lack of campaigning. He disappeared from the public eye in June after taking a medical leave from the House for what aides had initially described as exhaustion.
Jackson formed a political tag-team with his wife, Ald. Sandi Jackson, 7th, who over the years has received hundreds of thousands of dollars as a paid political consultant to her husband. Despite her role on the City Council, the couple maintained an upscale home in Washington and sent their children to school there. Sandi Jackson has refused to discuss her husband's political future or the investigation into his campaign spending. She could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
Jackson's resignation immediately launched a field of possible successors —to be nominated and elected in special elections early next year — that could involve more than a dozen Democratic contenders, some of them political has-beens and others up-and-comers representing a new generation of leadership.
Thanks to all our readers here at Journal de la Reyna.
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While we celebrate Thanksgiving and the official holiday shopping season, I want you to make sure to acknowledge of brave men and women who are fighting overseas. Besides Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas are important days for our U.S. military.
While we're here in the United States eating, working or even taking a moment to share a few users on YouTube and their Thanksgiving experiences.
The First Lady of The United States has concerns with urban areas being targeted with food that makes people obese. First Lady Michelle Obama has made a goal to help curb obesity in the United States.
An ongoing battle this Thanksgiving week.
The White House details it through her 60 Let's Move GO! Movement.
Perennial loser Mitt Romney in La Jolla, California pumping his gas. No Secret Service, no crowds of people, no campaign staff, no more Paul Ryan, and of course no more coverage of him.
He'll spend his time wondering how many coupons he'll clip out! He doesn't have to worry about the daily briefings. He can make all the peanut butter and honey sandwiches in own his kitchen (of one of the four homes he owns).
The only way he'll be in the White House is if President Barack Obama invites him. As far its goes, he's going to be a "regular guy"!
The very bitter man who called the people support President Barack Obama, "victims" or "dependents of government". The people Mitt Romney claimed are receiving "gifts" support the president and not him!
Where the mighty have fallen!
It's just not the same when the cameras aren't rolling.
A hot mess be the perennial loser Willard Mitt Romney age 65.
End of the road for Kevin Clash, the famed voice of Elmo.
This controversy is ongoing. We'll keep you informed over here at Journal de la Reyna. Also portions of this comes from E! News, TMZ and CBS New York.
Kevin Clash thought his troubles were over! I guess not!
The famed voice of preschool icon, Elmo has officially resigned from the Sesame Workshop after another accuser came forth with accusations that he had underage sex with Clash.
Clash was suspended from Sesame Workshop after he exchanged emails with the first accuser. The first accuser is now public and telling his story.
Before we continue, there's something we have to get out the way! The Drudge Report and many conservative outlets already found a reason to get upset. Of course, they're going to insert President Barack Obama into the fray. Despite this having nothing to do with him, the gay conservative agitator Matt Drudge will make it an "I told you so" moment! The reasons why!
President Barack Obama and supporters of public television hammered perennial loser Mitt Romney.
Romney wanted to cut the Corporation For Public Television which funds PBS and NPR.
Now with the Clash controversy, many Republicans and their conservative allies are throwing down their gauntlet of hate!
This controversy force him out of the closet.
Clash admits he's a Black gay man after the accuser known as Sheldon Stephens told Sesame Workshop about their relationship. The individual is now 24, and he claimed that Clash met him when he was 16 and they had sex soon after.
Sheldon Stephens, the first accuser's mugshot.
Clash denied this and took himself out of the public eye for a moment. When the accuser didn't provide enough information, the accusations were dismissed. Clash released a statement of relief.
That's until the next accuser came forth with accusations of Clash engaging in sex with him. This second accuser doomed the famed entertainer's career.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Sesame Workshop called the controversy surrounding Clash’s personal life “a distraction that none of us want” and that Clash “has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job.”
The company called Clash’s resignation “a sad day for Sesame Street.”
“Sesame Workshop’s mission is to harness the educational power of media to help all children the world over reach their highest potential,” the company said in a statement. “Kevin Clash has helped us achieve that mission for 28 years and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization.”
As the announcement was made, a lawsuit was being filed in federal court in New York charging Clash with sexual abuse of a second youth. The lawsuit alleges that Cecil Singleton, then 15 and now an adult, was persuaded by Clash to meet for sexual encounters.
The first reports on the incident with Singleton said it happened in 1993, but a corrected complaint said was actually 2003, according to a published report.
“Since I found out that there were other people or victims in a similar circumstance, I felt very guilty,” Singleton said at a news conference. “I felt really guilty because regardless of my maturity or my experience at 15, they were likely not the experiences of any normal 15-year-old.”
Last week, Sesame Workshop announced that Clash was taking a leave of absence from the popular kids’ show following allegations that he had a relationship with a 16-year-old boy.
Clash denied that charge, calling it “false and defamatory.”
That accuser, Sheldon Stephens, now 23, recanted his claims a day later and said through an attorney that his sexual relationship with Clash was adult and consensual.
Clash, 52, has been with “Sesame Street” since 1983.
Clash is not the first member of the “Sesame Street” troupe to puppeteer Elmo – Brian Muehl and the late Richard Hunt also had brief stints with the little red monster – but Clash is responsible for creating the character’s distinctive voice and personality.
On its own Web site, “Sesame Street” says “it wasn't until Clash started performing him in 1984 that the effervescent monster became the huge international sensation that he is today.”
Clash also performs Hoots the Owl, and has portrayed the characters Dr. Nobel Price and Baby Natasha.
Cecil Singleton, the second accuser, a transgender woman.
This is not the first time that a member of the “Sesame Street” cast has been hit with controversy. Back in 1980, Northern Calloway, the actor who played Hooper’s Store assistant and later owner David, was arrested amid a nervous breakdown in Nashville, after beating a woman with a metal iron and damaging two homes before being found by police in a state of psychosis wearing only a T-shirt.
But Calloway, who was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, remained with the show for another nine years, until he was dismissed and his character was written out. He died in 1990.
Clash and Sheldon Stephens entered into a settlement in which Clash agreed to pay Stephens $125,000, but in return the agreement provides the following:
"Stephens agrees that immediately upon execution of this Agreement, his counsel, Andreozzi & Associates, P.C., shall release the [following] statement ... 'He [Stephens] wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.'"
Kevin Clash's newest accuser, Cecil Singleton, held a press conference Tuesday afternoon in which he described in detail the nature of the sexual relationship he had with the puppeteer nine years ago when he was just 15 years old.
"[There was] groping, masturbation, and just a lot of intense kissing, touching, that kind of thing. Dry humping," he said. "But we did not have sex and it's imperative to note that. We did not have…sexual intercourse until years later when I was an adult."
Singleton added that he broke things off after two weeks.
"I just remember telling myself that he seemed to really like me and... let me spare him now because I know that I can't do this," noted the accuser. "If I had to make an educated guess and say if we had stayed together we more than likely would have had sex at that age."
Now we're starting to get a better idea of the "distraction" in Kevin Clash's personal life that prompted Elmo's right-hand man to tender his resignation from Sesame Street on Tuesday.
More than a week after a 24-year-old wannabe model recanted allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with the famed puppeteer when he was 16, a second man has now come forward claiming to have had a sexual encounter with Clash when he was a minor.
In a lawsuit filed against Clash in federal court in New York and obtained by E! News, Cecil Singleton, who's also 24, claims he met the 52-year-old children's entertainer on a gay phone chat line in 2003 when he was 15.
Per the complaint, Clash "was an unmarried adult male living a prominent public life centered around the entertainment of toddlers, while at the same time he was, in secret, preying on teenage boys to satisfy his depraved sexual interests."
The court docs noted that Clash "persuaded, induced, coerced, or enticed Cecil Singleton to meet him," whereby the former "groomed [his accuser] to gain his trust by, among other things, taking him to nice dinners and giving him money."
Elmo, one of America's most famous Muppet!
The complaint went on to add that as a result, Singleton suffered personal injuries, but while the sexual improprieties happened years ago, the plaintiff "did not become aware that he had suffered adverse psychological and emotional effects from Kevin Clash's sexual acts and conduct until 2012."
Singleton's lawsuit seeks $5 million in damages.
The plaintiff's attorney, Jeff Herman, said: "According to our lawsuit, Kevin Clash preyed on vulnerable teenage boys, like Cecil Singleton, to satisfy his depraved sexual interests. By coming forward now, Cecil hopes to spare the lives of others like him and to begin his own healing process."
A lawyer for Clash could not be reached for comment.
But after resigning from Sesame Workshop for good on Tuesday following what he initially described as a leave of absence, the Being Elmo star told E! News in a statement: "Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work Sesame Street is doing and I cannot allow it to go any longer. I am deeply sorry to be leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately."
On my hiatus from blogging on my own blog, Journal de la Reyna and YouTube, I seen a lot of famous celebrities die this year. Today we mourn the loss of Billy Scott. He was one of the golden voices of the 1960s. He is among famous Black celebrities we mourn this week. Of course, I didn't get an opportunity to send my condolences to two known celebrities who passed away this year.
Courtesy of the Huffington Post and Associated Press
Rhythm and blues singer Billy Scott has died in North Carolina at age 70.
Bill Kopald with the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame said Scott died from pancreatic and liver cancer Saturday at his home in Charlotte.
Born Peter Pendleton in Huntington, W. Va., he sang with various groups while in the Army. After he was discharged in 1964, he changed his name and with his wife, Barbara, in 1966 began recording as The Prophets. Their first gold record was 1968's "I Got the Fever." Other hits included "California" and "Seaside Love" as the Georgia Prophets.
The group recorded a number of hits in the 1970s in the beach music genre, a regional variant of R&B. Scott was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
In June 2012, actress Yvette Wilson died after losing her battle with stage 4 cervical cancer, according to multiple reports. She was 48.
Wilson was best known for her role as Andell Wilkerson on UPN's "Moesha" and its spinoff "The Parkers," and also appeared in the movies "House Party 2," "House Party 3" and "Friday."
In January, one of Wilson's friends created a website to help raise money for the actress' medical bills.
"Yvette has experienced kidney failure, kidney transplants and cervical cancer, among other things," the site reads. "Her cancer has come back after an extended retreat, and doctors are saying it's very aggressive this time out."
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The man who brought Soul Train died this year. Don Cornelius died in February 2012.
Gone but not forgotten.
Don Cornelius pulled $400 from his own pocket to launch the dance show on a local Chicago TV station in 1970. As host and executive producer of "Soul Train," he was soon at the throttle of a nationally syndicated television institution that was the first dance show to cater to the musical tastes of black teenagers and also helped bring black music, dance, fashion and style to mainstream America.
In the process of presenting the soul, funk and R&B of the day, the Afro-haired, dapper Cornelius became a TV icon, his sonorous baritone welcoming viewers to "the hippest trip in America."
Cornelius, 75, was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Wednesday after a family member found him in his home in Encino with a gunshot wound to his head, according to law enforcement sources. The wound appeared to be self-inflicted, but the death was being investigated by police. Friends say he had been in poor health.
On Wednesday, those who knew Cornelius recalled his impact on American culture.
"Don was a visionary and giant in our business," producer and composer Quincy Jones said in a statement. "Before MTV there was 'Soul Train'; that will be the great legacy of Don Cornelius. His contributions to television, music and our culture as a whole will never be matched."
Aretha Franklin said Cornelius "united the young adult community single-handedly and globally."
"With the inception of 'Soul Train,' a young, progressive brother set the pace and worldwide standard for young aspiring African American men and entrepreneurs in TV -- out of Chicago," Franklin, who appeared on the show, said in a statement. "He transcended barriers among young adults. They became one."
"Soul Train," which moved to Los Angeles and entered national syndication in 1971, featured other legendary artists, including James Brown, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5 and Barry White.
With its catchy introduction featuring an animated, psychedelic smoke-spewing locomotive, "Soul Train" became destination TV for teenagers across America in the '70s.
Magic Johnson was one of them. "Every Saturday morning I looked forward to watching 'Soul Train,' as did millions of other people," Johnson, chairman of Soul Train Holdings, said in a statement. " 'Soul Train' taught the world how to dance! Don's contribution to us all is immeasurable."
Beyond the music and the artists featured on "Soul Train," much of its popularity was attributed to the young dancers on the show.
Cornelius' teen dance party featured the talents of some of the best young dancers in the area, and one of the show's most popular features was the "Soul Train" line, with dancers going down the line and showing off their best moves.
Among those who went on to later fame are actress Rosie Perez, singer Jody Watley, rapper MC Hammer and Jeffrey Daniel, who taught Michael Jackson how to moonwalk.
In his 1996 book "Funk: The Music, the People and the Rhythm of the One," Rickey Vincent called "Soul Train" the "most undiluted showcase of black sexuality in the country" and "a cultural mecca for the entire decade of the '70s."
That there was a need for such a show was obvious to Cornelius, who had launched his career in radio only a few years before the show's debut.
"It was a period when television was a very white medium, and that didn't make sense to me," he told Billboard magazine in 2005, the year he received the Trustees Award from the Recording Academy for lasting contributions to culture as the creator of "Soul Train."
"I wanted to bring more of our African American entertainment to not only the black [niche] viewers but to the crossover viewers as well," he said.
Robert Santelli, executive producer of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, told The Times on Wednesday that " 'Soul Train' was to soul music what 'American Bandstand' was to early rock 'n' roll, and Don Cornelius was like a black Dick Clark.
"He and his program almost single-handedly made sure that soul music had a presence on TV. For many years, it impacted black culture, black pop culture and black pop music. Few people came close to what he accomplished in those years."
Santelli added that "it also was an entry into black pop music for white kids. You could be living in Des Moines or in Montana and you could connect with what was happening in urban areas. It was an important portal for a lot of white kids who were very interested in black culture."
The show's "overall sense of blackness at this particular time was groundbreaking," Todd Boyd, a USC professor of critical studies, told The Times on Wednesday. Cornelius "effectively capitalized on the changes that took place in America socially and politically and culturally in the 1960s" in the next decade by giving national exposure to acts that previously were seen only in segregated settings.
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Etta James died this year in January 2012.
Etta James, the earthy blues and R&B singer whose anguished vocals convinced generations of listeners that she would rather go blind than see her love leave, then communicated her joy upon finding that love at last, died. She was 73.
She died at Parkview Community Hospital in Riverside, said her sons, Donto and Sametto James. The cause was complications from leukemia, according to her personal physician.
James had been in failing health for years. Court records in the singer's probate case show she also suffered from dementia and kidney failure. Her two sons had battled their stepfather for control of her $1-million estate but in December agreed to allow him to remain as conservator.
James spent time in a detox facility for addiction to painkillers and over-the-counter medications, Donto told Reuters in 2010. And she had wrestled with complications since undergoing gastric bypass surgery in 2002 to remedy a lifelong struggle with her weight.
Julian and Joaquin Castro are the power players in the Democratic Party. Julian is the mayor of San Antonio and thought to be a rumored 2016 U.S. Presidential Candidate. His brother Joaquin was elected to be a member of Congress.
Joaquin Castro, Tammy Baldwin, Ted Cruz, Kyrsten Sinema, Angus King and many others will join the United States Congress.
Castro, a Texas state representative won easily a U.S. House race and he'll take the seat of retiring Congressman Charlie Gonzalez (D-Texas). His twin brother Julian, is the mayor San Antonio, Texas and is floated by some as a potential front runner for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Castro is one of the political voices the nation will be hearing from in the coming years. Joaquin being a resident of his brother's city will be a representative of his constituents.
Baldwin is a Democratic U.S. Congresswoman from Wisconsin. After a resurgence of embattled Governor Scott Walker, and former presidential nominee Mitt Romney picking Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), Republicans saw Wisconsin in play for the 2012 U.S. presidential elections. The state was expected to be a pick up for the Republicans. They've thought wrong! President Barack Obama carried the state easily and it helped Baldwin squeeze out a victory in the U.S. Senate race against the former Republican state governor and perennial candidate for president Tommy Thompson. Baldwin is the first openly gay person to be elected to office. Her victory rides the coattails of Elizabeth Warren, a consumer advocate who trounced Senator Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts) in a hotly contest race.
King is the former governor of Maine. Best known for his independence from the political parties, his victory came as no surprise. The Republican senator Olympia Snowe was a sure shot for victory. Her frustration with her Republican leaders led to her departure. She is one of the few pro-choice members of the Republican Party. She and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) are looked upon by President Barack Obama when it comes to tie breaking votes in a filibuster. The Republicans were hoping that they could win back the Senate on the basis of frustration with the president. The president hasn't put much influence in the senate races because of him being slightly toxic in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, Massachusetts, and Montana. Maine was different. Some residents were not fond of the direction of Tea Party endorsed Republican governor Paul LePage and Maine doesn't tolerate partisanship. The Democrats weren't fond of their candidate so they've decided put their efforts into a spoiler. King easily beat out the Republican and Democrat in the Senate race. And while it's likely he'll have committee with the Democratic majority, he'll push forth his brand of independence from the political fray. He and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will be the only elected members who aren't politically affiliated with national party.
Arizona welcomes its first openly bisexual woman Kyrsten Sinema to the House of Representatives. The Democratic nominee beat out a tight race against a Republican Vernon Parker. Arizona and Florida are the hub of controversy in the wake of long waits for voting. The president in his victory acceptance speech promised he'll deal with voter intimidation.
Congressman Ron Barber (D-Arizona) may be able to squeak out a victory if the recount goes his way! He is a tough fight for a full term. Barber was also a victim of a tragedy. His boss Gabrielle Giffords resigned from Congress this year after a traumatic injury resulting from a shooting from Jarrod Lee Loughner. Loughner opened fire on her and others killing six and injuring 30. The shooter was sentenced to life in prison for the tragedy. He may face the death penalty for the killing of a federal judge. Barber was picked to succeed her.
Ted Cruz, the Tea Party endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate won easily in the race in Texas. The state of Texas is a Republican stronghold. But to senate-elect Cruz, he's stated: "Not so fast!" Texas is a minority-majority state. Over 55% of the state's population is minorities. So that means approximately 35% of the state's residents are non-White Hispanics (or purely Latino) citizens. Blacks are 10% of the state's population and 15% are of other races (Native American, Asian American or mixed). Whites make up only 45% of the state's population. It leaves it open for a Democratic takeover if the Republicans stop the war on minorities. The Republicans are still two feet in the manure over immigration reform. The Cuban-American was born in Canada, ran against Texas lieutenant governor David Dewhurst in the Republican senatorial primary.
Tammy Duckworth was elected to serve as a congressowman in the state of Illinois. She beat controversial politician congressman Joe Walsh (R-Illinois)
Tammy Duckworth beats incumbent Republican congressman Joe Walsh in a hotly contest race. Her victory comes after many years of delay from the obstructionist Republicans. The president wanted to appoint her as a member of The perennial candidate for higher office achieved her goal of being a voice of the disabled veterans. Duckworth is the first Asian American elected in the state of Illinois. She served in the Iraq War in 2003 and was severely injured in an attack. Duckworth lost her right leg near the hip and her left leg below the knee from injuries sustained on November 12, 2004, when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. She is the first female double amputee from the Iraq war. The explosion "almost completely destroyed her right arm, breaking it in three places and tearing tissue from the back side of it." Duckworth received a Purple Heart on December 3 and was promoted to Major on December 21 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where she was presented with an Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal.
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