Rapist Soldier

This is an undated photo released by the U.S. Army of Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman. A military jury began deliberating on Friday, Aug. 3, 2007, whether an Army soldier took part in the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl. Pfc. Jesse Spielman, 22, of Chambersburg, Pa., is charged with rape and murder in the March 12, 2006, slaying of the girl and the killings of her family. The attack took place in Mahmoudiya, a village about 20 miles south of Baghdad. Associated Press © 2007

UPDATE:

Source: NPR

A soldier convicted of rape and murder in an attack on an Iraqi teenager and her family was sentenced Saturday to 110 years in prison.

The sentence was part of a plea agreement attorneys for Pfc. Jesse Spielman had made with prosecutors that set the number of years he could serve in prison, regardless of the jury's recommendation. More HERE

NPR's Black Bloggers Roundtable Debate at Mirror on America

There is a "hot" conversation over at Mirror on America regarding NPR and the program "Black Bloggers Roundtable." African American Blogger Angry Independent believes NPR's Black Bloggers Roundtable show has blown it again. Here is just a bit of what he had to say, along with a link to his full post and comments.

By The Angry Independent

I have been ill and really did not want to blog today at all.... but this silliness bugs me... mainly because I know there are more astute African American bloggers available for this show. Yet News and Notes brings on the same crew over and over again. This is the same crew (except for one) that trashed Michael Moore's film "Sicko" a few weeks ago.

First Farai Chideya refers to Jasmyne Cannick as a Political blogger.... yet she rarely offers any substantive political commentary on the show. Let's be truthful here.... Cannick is an entertainment & pop culture blogger....not a serious political blogger. In fact, she constantly expresses her disinterest in political issues, and instead focuses on the latest events in the entertainment world.... Black entertainment in particular.

But that's not what really annoyed me.... what annoyed me was the nonsense spouted by blogger Michael David Cobb Bowen. On the show he stated that Iraq was being turned around because of the surge. WHAT? I guess he missed the report of the 142 people killed yesterday and the new problems within the Iraqi Government. Bowen must be tapping into the Bush propaganda machine, which has created a completely different reality for those who want to avoid the facts about Iraq. More from the Angry Independent HERE

PS, I regularly blog with The Angry Independent and have been invited to be a guest bloggers with him recently on the Rude Pundit Blog. I have also been invited to participate in NPR's Black Bloggers Roundtable on Wednesday August 15th. I'm not sure if my invite is due to the Angry Independents' continued post regarding NPR's need to bring more African American "political" bloggers to the program, but I'm sure it did not hurt. I hope NPR scheduled the Angry Independent. He needs to be on the program, like so many African American Political Bloggers.

NPR has posted a link saying:

-- The blog, "Mirror on America," ripped our weekly Bloggers' Roundtable segment, saying, "I know there are more astute African American bloggers available for this show."

It's great that African American bloggers are stepping it up. It's also great that corporations and media are listening and responding.

John Edwards Populist or Posturing?

Contradictions, contradictions, contradictions. There is an interesting article in Mother Jones Mag regarding John Edwards and his new left leaning populist campaigning. The article highlights how primary voters who lean toward the left of the Democratic Party, the candidacy of John Edwards has presented a series of impossible contradictions— Check it out I think you will find the article informative. Clearly the John Edwards has a number of challenges. Check out the article, let me know what you think.

Hat Tip: Mother Jones Mag

Is John Edwards' Leftward Turn About Populism or Posturing?

Washington Dispatch: As his poll numbers sag, the presidential candidate has stepped up his populist rhetoric. He often speaks of "the two Americas"—the gap between rich and poor—but there are two sides to John Edwards as well.

For primary voters who lean toward the left of the Democratic Party, the candidacy of John Edwards has presented a series of impossible contradictions—the latest being the fact that the further down he dips in polls and in fundraising numbers, the more he starts saying the kinds of things they have been waiting to hear from a mainstream Democrat for twenty years or more. At a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Saturday, Edwards told an overflow crowd:

I think there are powerful interests in Washington DC…. The entire system is rigged, and it's rigged against you…. From insurance companies to drug companies to oil companies, those people run this country now…. And I think you got to take them on and beat them, I don't think you can sit at a table and negotiate with them. The idea that they are going to voluntarily give away their power... that will never happen…. They have billions of dollars invested in making sure there is no change, that the system continues exactly like it's continuing today.

At a stop in Iowa a few days earlier, Edwards took his populist rhetoric a step further, characterizing the attention to "silly frivolous nothing stuff" (presumably including his $400 haircuts and his former hedge fund salary) as a backlash—apparently, with the support of the mainstream media—by the rich and powerful, especially corporations, who are threatened by his campaign... More HERE

Iraq War Update

CBS/AP are reporting two large blasts rocked Baghdad Wednesday, killing at least 67 people and wounding dozens more, and the U.S. military said another explosion had killed three American troops on Tuesday.

AAPP says: All of this after we made sure Saddam was hung.

In the deadliest blast, a fuel tanker at a gas station was blown up by a suspected suicide attacker in western Baghdad, killing at least 50 people and wounding about 60 more, police said. The blast occurred in Mansour, a primarily Sunni neighborhood on the western side of the Iraqi capital.

Two police officers, both speaking on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said the explosion was the work of a suicide attacker.

About four hours earlier a parked car bomb killed 17 civilians and left a gaping crater in a busy square in central Baghdad, police said.

Another 32 people were wounded by the blast, a police officer said on condition of anonymity out of security concerns. More HERE Meanwhile, Sunni Group Exits Iraq Cabinet, A move WaPo reports, that deals major blow to Maliki's efforts to build cohesive government; Baghdad car bombs kill 75.

That's not all in Iraq and outside of Iraq, now we learn a Marine has been found Guilty of Conspiracy to Murder Iraqi Man. Hell, Why are we there? Why are we not impeaching these people?

InteligentaIndigena Novajoservo

Visit InteligentaIndigena Novajoservo™

Impeach Cheney

Hat Tip: Afro-netizen for the link.

Conservatism

Psychologists say conservatism is a mental illness

do you agree?

Republican thief

The longest sitting Senator in U.S. history is a liar, a thief and a Republican. WaPo is reporting on Agents from the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service who raided the Alaska home of Sen. Ted Stevens (R) yesterday as part of a broad federal investigation of political corruption in the state that has also swept up his son and one of his closest financial backers, officials said.

WaPo also reports Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator in history, is under scrutiny from the Justice Department for his ties to an Alaska energy services company, Veco, whose chief executive pleaded guilty in early May to a bribery scheme involving state lawmakers.

Contractors have told a federal grand jury that in 2000, Veco executives oversaw a lavish remodeling of Stevens's house in Girdwood, an exclusive ski resort area 40 miles from Anchorage, according to statements by the contractors.



Crooks and Liars is covering the Senator Ted “Tubes” Stevens story and is reporting on how the grumpy old fart found the IRS and FBI raiding his house. Another Republican ripping the American taxpayer.

Nike 400 Black employees 7.6 Million

Black folks spend mega millions buying NIKE shoes, while black workers folks who work for NIKE are discriminated against.


Nike settles Chicago race case for $7.6 million

PORTLAND, Ore. -Nike, Inc. has reached a $7.6 million settlement in a class-action race discrimination lawsuit filed on behalf of 400 black employees of the company’s Chicago Niketown store, the company said Monday.

The lawsuit, filed in 2003, claimed managers at the retail store used racial slurs to refer to black workers and customers. They also said the store segregated black employees into lower-paying jobs as stockroom workers and cashiers rather than giving them lucrative sales jobs. And they alleged managers made unfounded accusations of theft against black workers and directed store security to monitor black employees and customers because of their race.

More HERE

Twista - twisted and let go by McDonalds

Twista, You go Punked!

Twista

Source: WTOP News

Rapper Twista, who was tapped by McDonald's to perform during its nationwide concert series, has been dropped from the lineup because of his "controversial lyrics," the fast food giant said Monday.

The Chicago rapper is better known for his lightning-fast rap delivery than particularly raunchy content: His hits include "Slow Jamz," with Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, and "Overnight Celebrity." However, he does use explicit language and reference drugs in his some of his rhymes.

McDonald's, which initially signed the rapper to perform in Chicago for its 10-city concert series, said it could no longer support Twista for the Aug. 7 performance.

"Although we respect free speech and artistic expression, we do not condone or perpetuate derogatory language," said spokesman William Whitman in a statement. "We want to ensure these free concerts are fun as well as appropriate for all of our customers."

When asked why they booked the rapper, given his content, the company referred back to the statement.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Twista said that in some ways, he was surprised by the announcement, "especially after hearing from certain people that represented McDonald's that they were fans of the music and they were excited about the whole thing and that they backed me, and then to hear a few a days later that I was actually not on the show."

More HERE

Is McDonald's sending a signal to other companies? Are black thinkers in McDonald's tired of negative black rappers? Is Twista a scapegoat? Should corporations stop contracting with rappers who degrade black women, or glorify drugs and violence or was McDonald's aware that African American bloggers are beginning to put together list of corporations who support black rappers?

What do you think?

African American Bloggers getting RUDE with Rude Pundit

I've been asked to proudly lower the level of political discourse and be a guest Blogger on the Rude Pundit's blog. Starting Thursday there will be a week of Rude guests.




Source: Rude Pundit

Yes, It's that time of the year again, when the Rude Pundit takes his summer walkabout in Red State America. And since sometimes he needs to empty his brain for a little while in a way that doesn't involve a bottle of Jameson's, he's going to a beach in a place that's never heard of Senor Frog's. So he sent out a call to a few BWR's (Bloggers Who Rock) to get his back. Starting this Thursday, August 2, here's the way-cool line-up of guest bloggers:

Thursday, August 2: Liza Sabater of Culture Kitchen

Friday, August 3: African American Political Pundit

Monday, August 6: Shark-Fu of Angry Black Bitch

Tuesday, August 7: Angry Independent of Mirror on America

Wednesday, August 8: Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend, Pandagon, and, for August, at least, Americablog; and Terrance of Republic of T

Yeah, they're all African American bloggers. And they're A-game ass kickers who would make Bill O'Reilly eat his own arm on live television. So, while the Rude Pundit contemplates sand and surf and SPFs and MILFs and fiction books that don't involve scarred-headed wizard boys, the condo's open. Come on in and have a good time. The vodka's in the freezer, the take-out menus are in the tackle box, and the acid is hidden at page 108 of that new Dick Cheney book. The party starts Thursday.

Until then, you'll have your usual dose of rudeness at Rude Pundit

Self Destruction

Bloggers' Roundtable: YouTube Debate, 'Ghetto Mess'

News & Notes

African American Bloggers discuss the recent CNN/YouTube Democratic debate, the controversy surrounding Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), and the name change of BET's provocative new show Hot Ghetto Mess.

Guests included freelance writer and novelist Angela Winter, who writes the political blog Politopics; Avery Tooley, whose blog is Stereo Describes My Scenario; and social commentator Christopher Rabb of Afro-Netizen.