Don't know what to make of this...but the story posted by Teresa Masterson of NBCPhiladelpia.com is worth following.

<snip>
It is strange that Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar never prosecuted Jerry Sandusky on child-rape charges 13 years ago, some speculate, because Gricar was known for being fiercely independent and hard on crime.

But it is even stranger that we cannot ask Gricar why Sandusky was not put behind bars because the tough-as-nails district attorney disappeared in 2005. And though he was declared dead July of this year, his body has never been found.

......(jump to later in story)

Ray Gricar’s car was found the next day in a Lewisburg parking lot and his laptop, sans hard drive, was found in the Susquehanna River, according to the Patriot-News.

Ray Gricar’s friend, Montour County District Attorney Robert Buehner Jr., told the New York Times that if the ardent district attorney had committed suicide, he would have wanted his body found. But in the case of possible foul play, no suspects have emerged from investigations.
<snip>

Full story:

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45243142/ns/...

I attended a teach-in down at LA City Hall yesterday, put on by Occupy Los Angeles. btw, it continues today also with various panels, livestream available.

http://occupylosangeles.org /

It was a wonderful event featuring Robert Reich, Robert Sheer, William Black, George Lakoff and many others. A lot of good information was shared. But something specific stuck with me that maybe we need to talk about more. For future actions.

Professor William K. Black, famous for his role prosecuting wrongdoers during the 80's Savings and Loan debacle, responded to a question about the Congressional Super-Committee. Basically, he said: "we cannot accept the LEGITIMACY of the Super-Committee". He said it several times. By year-end, the Super-Committee will do/not do it's thing. Whatteva. Whether we gag or exhale at their result, it's still not DEMOCRACY. It's still not our VOICE, and it is not in service to the 99%.

Questions: Is the Super-Committee legitimate or not? Do you have ideas for Direct Action?

responsible for negotiating things like the budget and debt ceiling? These USED to be matters for the House of Representatives and/or Senate to address. Fight it out among themselves. Then send the legislation (or lack thereof) to the Prez to either veto, sign or set aside for passage without signature.

Obama is doing a pretty bad job. But, worse, we've got a whole Democratic Congress sitting on its hands, while he gives away the shop. And those international wars? Who knows what is going on there, while the Chief Executive babysits idiots like Eric Kantor.

Remember the ludicrous summer of 2009, with the Gang of Six a**holes supposedly defining OUR healthplan? While Baggers of Koch were staging their hi-hystrionic displays at Town Halls AGAINST healthcare in general? The ginned-up video-ops made it easy to force Americans to settle for a crappy plan that kept Pharma and Insurance in control.

Now, a new 2011 Gang of Six is working, working, working to dump THEIR solution of the Deficit onto the American People. If the trial ballon floated here on Yahoo is indicative, we must mobilize now. Sixers will try to position their Adults forcing Kids to take medicine for our own good. This medicine is expensive and privatized. It doesn't include cutting Oil Subsidies. It doesn't cap Pharma prices, it doesn't add a Public Option to the health plan. Nothing about offshore profits or taxes on Wall Street. It doesn't cut our military budget or roll back bases. No stimulus, no revenue boosting aspects.

Do you think the Dems will put up a fight for a populist solution? This time?
Will Harry and Nancy use the 2011 Town Hall grassroots anger to hardball a better solution than the one hinted in this article?
Do you think the MSM would even COVER such a fight?

Yeah, sure.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110501/ap_on_...

I personally feel that all sides (Dems, Repugs and O) are milking and amping the staged drama, just to titillate their bases. And try to hold on to their marketable brand for fundraising purposes. Now we are focused on Women's Issues and Planned Parenthood. A desperate attempt to save something precious. Sort of like Little Nell on the railroad tracks. We saw this at year end. Then it was the Unemployed.

Character Arc: Orangina gets to look like he's a tough dude, man pants, like the Bag Lady challenged. Harry Reid, little dude, still doing his gosh darn best to flag that train away before it snuffs little Nell. And he's holdin' on, yes he's holdin on but he could sur' use some help. Tada! Charismaatically waiting in the wings, just as we're starting to give up hope, out comes Hop-a-Long Daddy-O, who will pretend he was the wise Solomon-like grownup that made peace in the schoolyard. Charisma Power.

This Story Arc isn't selling to me. GOP/Baggers will get most of what they want financially, with or without a shutdown. Obama rarely goes the mat for the working/middle classes. If there is a take away, it's done at the cost of something the working people or (gasp!) Progressives want. Nothing of $ub$tance is taken away from corporations, banks, 1%-ers or Wall Street. Maybe he's savin' it all up for the Pay-4-View event of November 2012!!

But...if Little Nell only loses a leg or arm on those tracks this time, I guess it's all worth it.

Tonight on Last Word, Lawrence O'Donnell interviewed WI State Senator Glenn Grothman, a pro-Walker Repug. The words were predictable, as you'd expect. His 'Tone' made me gag, and it's probably part of the messaging tactics. (see link)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42...

Patriarchal, Gruff, Full of Umbrage. Hamming it up as The Grown Up who came home and found wild-eyed kiddies raiding the cookie jar and painting on walls. We gotta do more than correct the facts. Unmask their posturings, their cover stories. They are liars, conspirators, RICO-level thugs and wouldn't last a day in jail. Which is where they belong.

Who are the REAL grown-ups? Men and women who work for a living, teach, put out fires, treat the sick, raise children in trying times and build our homes. Who are the BIG BABIES? Spoiled, over-fed, over-paid thugs that do the wet work for billionaires.

Belatedly, and under pressure from a Grand Jury. Guess why? Ding, ding ding.

Religion in general (and Catholicism in regards to pedophilia, surely) can never be a trusted, reliable part of any sane society. Never have been, never will be. And they continue their tax exemptions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/us/09pri...

Scott Walker is boilerplate Republican Tea Bagger. He hates unions, workers and the middle class. Got it.

But this time he went a bridge too far and that woke up the opposition. Public employees and their supporters could not sit back and have collective bargaining undone; they might, however, have passively agreed to rollbacks without a fight. Now, legions of activists are sifting thru Walkers past. Budget clauses are being scrutinized. We see permission to sell state energy assets without competitive bidding. The ginned up budget shortfall. Koch dealers on board. In a reverse Breitbart, the Gov was punked on tape. And it's viral online.

Just wondering. Did the 14 renegade Dems know any of this stuff beforehand? If so, were they raising a hue and cry? Did the WI Dem Party do it's work on the budget and the candidate? Did the press do its homework EARLY ON? Smart Baggers will back off the union thing (e.g., Rick Scott) but they'll still continue their campaign against the middle class.

We have our work cut out for us.

Found this on the NYT. And, yes, the Evangelicals from the USA are called out for stirring the hatred behind this. Religon is the best cover yet for hate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/world/af...

Some of my Progressive friends and I were wondering if a push for more manufacturing co-ops would be feasible at this point. The plusses are obvious: lots of unused factory space and equipment; trained workers with no jobs; environmental/green; and builds the tax base with good paying jobs. I also envision the US again supplying/making/designing its own goods regionally.

Question: I'm a city girl, worked in IT and healthcare and don't know ZIP about manufacturing, assembly or distribution. But out here in LA, we might have access to funding from ourselves; community banks; business parks without tenants; stimulus dollars; investors and outsourced employees. If any of you have done this in your own areas, I'd love to hear how it went. Or share a link....

Much appreciated.

I've been outspoken in my criticisms of the good folks of Florida and their electing Rick Scott. Now, the crow is mine to eat. Even though California avoided the worst of the Red-State, TeaBagging debacle by our electing a largely Blue Slate for key officers, we still have our marks of shame. We still have this mono-maniacial millionaire miscreant in a key position - he's now head of a committee with subpoena power. If you think Ken Starr and his minions created havoc, wait til Unca D does his thing. As new Chair of the House Oversight Committee he is totally revved up to launch a non-stop era of waste, obfuscations and stasis. He (with his money) was able to oust California Grey Davis throuh a recall - and then dumped Ah-nold into the slot. Where the fiscal woes got worse.

Now he will use the taxpayer's money to do this roadblock campaign non-stop. I have no doubt that he will have many allies: Red State corporatists and baggers will supplement his checks with their own and their corporations. Fox will trumpet each rumor and innuendo. Rush will rant and explode his gut daily. Issa is no doubt is hog heaven, wallowing in his upcoming notoriety.

I was stupid enought to think that when Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman got control of the House in 2006, THEY would dig into the Bush crimes. Reveal enough about Iraq and surveillance to wrap up those practices. NO. Impeachment was OFF THE TABLE, wasn't it Nancy?

I was stupid enough to think Obama would do some digging and accountabily too if he was elected. After all, he came from humbler routes and has a different view of the world, doesn't he? But - he tells us over and over - Americans want to look forward, not back. And so the abuses of power, lies and the war continues...along with the transfer of wealth and the death of hundreds of thousands.

Am I stupid this time to think that maybe, just maybe, Darrell Issa actually will issue those subpoenas. He's all set to look back - oh yeah! And I predict every other House chair will do likewise, lest they miss out the action and the headlines. And, if it meets with Wall Street, bankers, pentagons and Chamber of Commerce's strategic goals, Articles of Impeachment might just get voted on if they are submitted. And Issa, McConnell, the Kock-ie Bros and John of Orange will love every single minute of this ascendancy. Michelle Bachman and Scalie will teach Americans what their constitution really is - it will resemble Opus Dei and a trailer park.

And am I stupid to think that Obama and the Dems learned a lesson..?

Happy New Year, y'all. May CA-49 with it's military folks, defense contractors, retirees and Native tribes get what they deserve.

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) deny fully-earned Social Security Benefits to more than one million second-career public servants when they retire or when a spouse dies.

At this point, 15 states (including my state, California) fall under this provision, which was enacted in 1983. This was long before many current public employees joined the workforce. The other 35 states have passed legislation to eliminate this loophole from their retirement plans. More toxic is the GPO provision which does the same to surviving spouses of a wage-earner under this provision. You can Google to see if your state is one of them.

Lip service was paid over the years toward repeal. Representative Howard Berman introduced HR 235, but it sits in committee. Dianne Feinstein is likewise aware of the matter, but has not acted to push it. Out here in there is intense public pressure to cut the public workforce, cut public pensions and jobs are totally scarce. A matter that skated along during the good years is now getting critical. A strong effort is being made by a group called Social Security Fairness to push for a floor vote during the upcoming Lame Duck Session. Before the Catfood Commissars and anti-government, anti-SS types get the gavel.

Here is the site of the group coordinating for repeal.

www.ssfairness.com

They have a great PowerPoint on the facts, and action plans and lots of linkages. A webinar is being planned for after Thanksgiving. Sign up, circulate the info and spread the word. It's not just a matter for near-retirees, it's a critical way of standing up for the public commons, unions, aging parents and surviving spouses who could be caught in a cruel trap.

Just think, with all this RW Second Amendment Solution crapola and the new Bag-head politicians, a lot of the Left is thinking about guns and ammo too. Even an old-timer like me who just doesn't plan to be rolled over. Big money on the horizon for SOMEONE.

Once the entire USA is armed, wow. Just think of the bottom line for gun dealers, legal or otherwise: Their sales went thru the roof with Obama's Election, HCR and Tree-of-Liberty rhetoric. Now the other side is preparing for ?. I p*ss*s me NO END to think they'll have another $$ windfall as a result of the hubbub. Like a small-arms version of the military-industrial complex, they prosper on lies, chaos and fear.

Just driving myself crazy...Help me stop!

In 2006, when the Dems got the House - Pelosi said 'Impeachment is off the table'. There was an opportunity for ample under-oath hearings of Bush operatives, and possibly a Senate trial. Regardless of final vote, it would have restored some degree of transparency to the process. And assured the repugs that the other party is capable of push pack. It would have confirmed rule-of-law and some level of accountability. .

In 2008, when the Dems got the House, Senate and WH - Obama started his looking ahead/not back meme. Did not demand that the Bush moles be removed from their agency posts. No hearings. Eric Holder's DoJ seems to find no one worthy of prosecution for war crimes such as torture or outing a CIA agent. No real unveiling of corporate malfeasance, even tho the people were open to hearing it. All the sordid material we needed to de-validate the prior administration and GOP (regulatory agency capture, lobbying, election fraud, lying-to-war, civil liberties abuses) could have been at least AIRED. And the Dems could have claimed the high ground for transparency and rule of law. People would KNOW for sure the nature of the beast. And there's be lots of video clips to use in upcoming campaigns.

Now it's 2010 - four years of Democratic gutless and corrupt meandering. No true purpose and conviction. I shudder at the 2012 endgame.

I'm talking about California seceding from the USA and becoming a standalone nation. Really. I am not the only one thinking this way, even heard some election night pundits (David Weiner and Lila Garrett) on KPFK radio Pacifica say the same thing. Couldn't believe it - I thought it was only me!

Our state - crazy as it is - is not as functionally brain dead and right wing as the center and south. The same could be said of NY and New England. CA is blessed with rich farm land, high tech resources, national beauties, the entertainmen and is the world's 8th largest economy. we are demographicly young and culturally diverse. We have huge commercial ties to the Asian trade routes and frankly - we do not need those Red State asshats and their theocratic crapola. The derangement is so extreme that a president palin is quite feasible.

As the hosts on KPFK noted, the West and East can't go forward tethered to the psychosis that is invading the nation. And if in future years, the red parts get sane again, we can grant them passports to enter the nation of CA.

Any thoughts?