The Los Angeles Times is reporting that yet another gun trafficking sting operation mounted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives called White Gun possibly allowed guns to get away into Mexico.
The Times notes that White Gun had been previously unreported.
Reportedly mounted at the same time as Operation Fast and Furious, the White Gun investigation is now on the radar screen of congressional investigators who have been working on the Fast & Furious scandal.
A federal judge disclosed Friday that former presidential candidate John Edwards has a life-threatening heart condition, a court source confirmed to CNN.
He was hale and hearty until he was indicted. Corrupt pols always seem to develop a terrible medical problem right around the time they do the perp walk. Good thing the federal prison system has an excellent medical staff.
Having two women will definitely cause heart problems not brought on by other risk factors.
Edwards had sought a delay in his criminal corruption trial, scheduled to begin this month. Attorneys and the federal judge met in a North Carolina courtroom Friday afternoon for a status hearing regarding the pending trial of Edwards, a former U.S. senator. Edwards appeared at Friday's hearing. His lawyers had made the motion for a delay under seal, but some of its details were publicly revealed by the judge in the open hearing.
The criminal trial has been delayed until at least March 26, according to the court source. Judge Catherine Eagles said she has been in contact with Edwards' cardiologist, who recommended a postponement, saying Edwards is scheduled to undergo surgery next month.
Could be as simple as a catheterization and ablation of the arrhythmia, could be as simple as placement of a pacemaker/defibrillator. Neither should delay a trial and neither would prevent him from serving time. Assuming he's guilty, of course...
Edwards has to provide the court with a written medical update by February 28, according to court records.
One legal expert, Marcellus McRae, a trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor, said he doubted that Edwards' illness would influence a jury verdict. "Edwards's illness may prompt the public, including potential jurors, to view him in a more sympathetic light. However, it is doubtful that this will have any impact on the outcome of his trial," McRae said. "Given the nature of the charges, his physical condition is of no relevance and he will have in theory recovered by the time the case went to trial in March in any event."
Edwards' attorneys asked in December to delay his criminal trial, saying he had an unspecified medical issue.
Edwards is charged with six felony and misdemeanor counts related to donations to and payments from his failed 2008 presidential campaign. He is accused of conspiracy, issuing false statements and violating campaign contribution laws. He denies any wrongdoing.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/14/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
When I first heard this today, they didn't mention what his "life threatening" condition was. I figured dandruff or male pattern baldness.
Posted by: Barbara ||
01/14/2012 11:50 Comments ||
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#12
The sudden public revelation of a 'health problem' is the equivalent of Teddy Kennedy wearing a neck brace after Chappaquidick. "I suffered too - see? - sniff...."
#13
I remember the movie Cas1n0, one of my all time favorites, when all the mafia guys had to go to court and they're all sitting there in wheelchairs and breathing with oxygen tanks and claiming they're tool old and too sick to stand trial.
What a load of crap.
I'll believe the Breck Boy needs surgery when he's under the knife.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/14/2012 14:35 Comments ||
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#14
Aww..Silky-Pony, "Please say it ain't so".
We all know that cute-ness counts; and you're about to be counted-out.
Hasta la vista Breck Gurly-man!
Solar panel maker Solyndra received a $528 million Energy Department loan in 2009 - and went bankrupt last year. The government's risky investment strategy didn't stop there, as a CBS News investigation has uncovered a pattern of cases of the government pouring your tax dollars into clean energy.
Take Beacon Power -- a green energy storage company. We were surprised to learn exactly what the Energy Department knew before committing $43 million of your tax dollars.
Documents obtained by CBS News show Standard and Poor's had confidentially given the project a dismal outlook of "CCC-plus."
Asked whether he'd put his personal money into Beacon, economist Peter Morici replied, "Not on purpose."
"It's, it is a junk bond," Morici said. "But it's not even a good junk bond. It's well below investment grade."
Was the Energy Department investing tax dollars in something that's not even a good junk bond? Morici says yes.
"This level of bond has about a 70 percent chance of failing in the long term," he said.
After a year of interminable feuds with congressional Republicans who made smaller, cheaper federal government a political crusade, President Obama on Friday signaled his intention to do some sail-trimming of his own. Trim out the non-socialist parts.
Obama asked Congress for the authority to consolidate the roles of several federal agencies which he said would lead to streamlined services and a smaller government workforce. If you believe this, you believe in Obamacare.
The proposal comes at a politically opportune moment for the president, who has faced sustained Republican criticism that his administration has failed to tame a bloated federal bureaucracy.
With an eye squarely on his reelection campaign, Finally, a smidgen of truth!
Obama announced that he would initially focus on merging sprawling entities that deal with small businesses in a bid to save $3 billion by eliminating more than 1,000 jobs over the next decade. Wow. A hundred jobs, every year! I'm amazed!
His announcement came a day after he notified Congress of his intent to raise the national debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion to cover increased U.S. spending commitments. On the other hand ...
Other lawmakers expressed concern that the reorganization could harm U.S. trade policy, noting that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which is among the agencies the president would consolidate, was established to serve a distinct role. If you need to know anything more than that, it's at the link.
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/14/2012 11:07 ||
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I cannot imagine what Obama is really up to, but Congress should not allow him to carry anything sharper than a soup spoon!
#2
This is going to be played - "See, the Republicans really aren't concerned about cutting government."
Of course the stupid Trunks don't have a plan to whip out immediately with even bigger cuts in the bureaucracy to play - "I'll see you and raise you." If they did, they should have flooded the net with it by now to get into to the Donks OODA loop.
James O'Keefe is drop dead brilliant! Wouldn't it be fun if the RNC invalidated the primary and New Hampshire had to redo it -- a lesson learnt for all involved. The video is at the link, along with a link to the original Daily Caller story.
#1
As far as I can tell, the official response is to threaten legal action against O'Keefe - his actions being felonious and all. No interest in fixing the problem he illustrated for everyone - everyone already knew about it anyway. No, the big push is to punish those who strive to embarass the people in government.
#2
Just in case anyone missed it in all the holiday rush. In the alternate reality of the left, they can't see this as the real voter suppression [devaluing/debasing the value of valid votes in a democratic process].
[Bangla Daily Star] Republicans got a stark reminder Thursday of President Barack Obama's The campaign's over, John... juggernaut re-election campaign, as he and his Democratic party scooped up nearly $70 million in the last months of 2011.
While the Republican White House hopefuls stumped in South Carolina and Florida -- which hold their primaries on January 21 and 31, respectively -- Obama campaign chief Jim Messina announced the robust haul of campaign cash.
The Democratic total included more than $42 million for the embattled president's fight for a second term, a pitched battle shaped by the sour US economy and voter concerns about high unemployment.
Another $24 million filled the coffers of the Democratic National Committee, which acts as the White House's political arm and will fund Democratic candidates at all levels in the November 6 elections.
"The biggest difference between 2008 and 2012 from a fundraising perspective is that some supporters have begun to think that somehow other people are going to take care of things and it will be fine," he said.
Translation: they didn't get nearly as much as they expected.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/14/2012 00:00 ||
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I sincerely hope they spend it all, run out, ask for More, and LOSE.
Nothing AFTER the election to take home with them.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/14/2012 4:56 Comments ||
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#3
The Walker opponent got large amounts of money also. Unions are a big part of this but I believe money is flowing in from outside this country. The occupy movement is another example. Anyone who wishes this country harm could do allot of damage and not get their own hands dirty.
#4
If you want to see something funny, check out www.stevebridges.com; he impersonates several presidents and i have been told that Bambi is really upset with Bridges' portrayal of the Annointed One. So he has my support (Steve, not Waffles)
#3
Okay... this gets interesting from a statistical strategy point of view. All the pundits have been arguing that Ron Paul is 25% Romney 38% and others mixed. The argument goes.. whom do the rest of the votes go to without the minor players.
This is now a match up or Romney and Paul .. the pundits will get an answer for a Southern State.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
01/14/2012 8:45 Comments ||
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#4
So the choice in VA is a ham sandwich, or a ham sandwich laced with PCP. Think I'll sit this one out.
#5
Better hold your nose, get out and vote for Romney, Random, lest Virginia's delegates go to Paul.
You know the Dems are going to turn out in force to vote for him in the Republican primary. :-(
(For those not familiar, Virginia has open primaries. You just have to be a registered voter to vote in either party's primary - though you can't vote in both the same day.)
Posted by: Barbara ||
01/14/2012 9:25 Comments ||
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#7
Judge is right. The rules were clear. Gingrich, Perry and Santorum failed. For all the whining about how 'hard' it was, it isn't hard at all. 400 signatures in each district? You hire people to get that done. Romney and Paul did, the others relied on volunteers.
Oops.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/14/2012 10:04 Comments ||
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I suggest voting for Paul; he won't win the nomination anyway, and it would be healthy for the party to be forced to acknowledge substantial support for his 'non-mainstream' positions. We don't want to go entirely to hard money or isolationism, but we do need to take a step or two in that direction.
#10
That's a good point, Glenmore. Although I'd be much more comfortable if we were voting for SecTreas or Fed Chairman.
Barbara, those are good points too. But that's the thing. I see pros and cons whether Tweedledee or Tweedledum wins the VA primary, which is why I'm thinking I won't bother. I will turn out in Nov. to vote for whoever is not BHO.
#12
Then again, Glenmore, Paul is not running to send a message. He is running for the office of President. My concern is that he will actually win. 6-12 months of a thorough domestic housecleaning would be great, but we don't get to say "Paul for one year, Romney for the other three."
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
A federal judge disclosed Friday that former presidential candidate John Edwards has a life-threatening heart condition, a court source confirmed to CNN.
After a year of interminable feuds with congressional Republicans who made smaller, cheaper federal government a political crusade, President Obama on Friday signaled his intention to do some sail-trimming of his own.
His announcement came a day after he notified Congress of his intent to raise the national debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion to cover increased U.S. spending commitments.
[Bangla Daily Star] Republicans got a stark reminder Thursday of President 
