Perhaps the tithing harvest at his Eagle River Missionary Baptist Church has dropped below sustainable levels. That could be one reason why the infamous Reverend Dr. William Greene has inserted himself back into the news.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, Rev. Greene, who is the former Anchorage NAACP czar and the current chairman of the Anchorage Community Police Relations Task Force, claims that a decision made by the Anchorage Police Department to disband its Metro Drug Unit and to redeploy the officers into other APD units is driven by "racism". Greene claims that most of the officers in the unit have come to him with their concerns about "racial discrimination".
"That's one of the most diverse units in APD, and they have done everything that they possibly could to discredit that unit," Greene said. "These officers are not being treated equally. They are being treated like second-class citizens. ... I think disbanding is a form of intimidation." Greene also said he thinks some leadership at APD didn't like a unit made up mostly of minorities and wanted to spread them out into "Caucasian units."
Interesting. Spreading them out into "Caucasian units" would actually DIVERSIFY these units. Perhaps Rev. Greene doesn't celebrate "diversity", which would indicate that this whole national "diversity" propaganda campaign was never intended to promote genuine diversity where common American nationality actually takes precedence over individual heritage.
Oh, and by the way, Reverend, we're not Caucasian...we're WHITE.
But Rev. Greene wasn't done bitching. He also claims that unnamed APD officials have repeatedly threatened to shut the unit down because of underperformance, though many of the officers have been officially recognized for their work. He also claims that the Metro Drug officers have not been adequately trained and have been skipped over for promotions, and have even been followed around by white officers scrutinizing their work. Some Metro Drug officers allegedly haven't gotten performance reviews in years.
According to longtime APD spokeswoman Anita Shell, acting police chief Steve Smith had not yet heard about any of the complaints, but if there is an actual grievance, APD will let it take its course and review it. Earlier in the week, Smith explained that the move will let APD avoid duplicating the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, which targets high-level drug operations and with whom the unit works closely. This, of course, dovetails perfectly with Mayor Dan Sullivan's desire to eliminate as much redundancy in city services as possible in order to cope with a budget deficit that is likely to take a while to resolve.
APD Lt. Dave Parker also chimed in, saying that none of the Metro Drug officers will lose their jobs. Five of the eight affected officers will simply be redeployed into other units, including vice, which investigates street-level drug, gambling and prostitution crimes. The other three will continue working with the DEA to ensure continuity.
City spokeswoman Sarah Erkmann, an erstwhile contributor to The Alaska Standard, said the officers have met with the director of the city's Office of Equal Opportunity to discuss their concerns and the city agency initiated an investigation. Left unasked was the question as to whether Mayor Dan Sullivan had become previously aware of this situation and whether he factored it into his decision not to keep former police chief Rob Neun.
Rev. Dr. William Greene has a reputation for being Anchorage's premiere black race-hustler. One of Rev. Greene's most notorious outbursts of race-hustling occurred in September 2005, when the Anchorage Assembly fired then-clerk Elvi Gray-Jackson for her persistent failure to meet the Assembly's conditions of employment, and Rev. Greene went ballistic, visited Assembly Chambers, and deliberately defamed and smeared two members of the Assembly, Anna Fairclough and Dan Coffey with false charges of racism. This provoked a short-lived and unsuccessful recall attempt by Troy Maulden against one of Dr. Greene's Assembly sock puppets, Pamela Jennings.
Interesting how even though Rev. Dr. William Greene professes so much concern about "da brothas and da sistahs", he didn't choose to locate his church in Mountain View, Fairview, or Northeast Anchorage, where a greater percentage of "da brothas and da sistahs" live, and where the tithing harvest would likely be chump change, but instead planted his church in one of the richest parts of Anchorage, Eagle River, where he can tap into those "Platinum Tithers™".
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Friday, September 04, 2009
Andree McLeod Strikes Out Again; Ethics Complaint Against Former Palin Press Secretary Bill McAllister Deep-Sixed
Another Andree McLeod ethics complaint gets flushed, but that's almost like saying the sun rises in the east. The Anchorage Daily News reports that her complaint that former press secretary Bill McAllister worked on state time to benefit Sarah Palin's interest during and after her quest as the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate was unsubstantiated. The Department of Law concluded that no evidence of any violation of state ethics law was found, and so Deputy Attorney General Craig Tillery dismissed the complaint. This story was also posted on Conservatives4Palin.
Andree McLeod originally filed the complaint back on January 23rd, 2009:
-- Original ADN news story HERE
-- Original Alaska Politics blog post HERE
-- PDF document HERE.
By the way, I've noticed that McLeod has filed no ethics complaints since July 20th, shortly before Sarah Palin's resignation. Absolutely none since Sean Parnell took over. Coincidence? Isn't it obvious what McLeod's real objective was by now? It had nothing to do with ethics. McLeod was pissed off about not getting a patronage job, and so she used the ethics complaint system to run Palin out of office. Crap, even Forest Gump could figure that one out.
By the way, Bill McAllister has apparently registered on the ADN website and has posted several comments to this story. Most of the three comments were an ad nauseum recital of all the journalistic awards he won, but he did squeeze in this gem of substance: "As for the fallacious, malicious suggestion that I "asked" the Palin administration for a job well in advance of taking it, wrong. I never asked; I was approached. And I immediately resigned from Channel 2 upon accepting. Think about it; why would I wait months to double my salary? Not very logical." McAllister had been unfairly accused of lining up the press secretary job with Palin well before his departure from KTUU and then "softballing" the Palin administration in his reporting until his departure from KTUU.
Andree McLeod originally filed the complaint back on January 23rd, 2009:
-- Original ADN news story HERE
-- Original Alaska Politics blog post HERE
-- PDF document HERE.
By the way, I've noticed that McLeod has filed no ethics complaints since July 20th, shortly before Sarah Palin's resignation. Absolutely none since Sean Parnell took over. Coincidence? Isn't it obvious what McLeod's real objective was by now? It had nothing to do with ethics. McLeod was pissed off about not getting a patronage job, and so she used the ethics complaint system to run Palin out of office. Crap, even Forest Gump could figure that one out.
By the way, Bill McAllister has apparently registered on the ADN website and has posted several comments to this story. Most of the three comments were an ad nauseum recital of all the journalistic awards he won, but he did squeeze in this gem of substance: "As for the fallacious, malicious suggestion that I "asked" the Palin administration for a job well in advance of taking it, wrong. I never asked; I was approached. And I immediately resigned from Channel 2 upon accepting. Think about it; why would I wait months to double my salary? Not very logical." McAllister had been unfairly accused of lining up the press secretary job with Palin well before his departure from KTUU and then "softballing" the Palin administration in his reporting until his departure from KTUU.
How Some Alaska School Districts Are Handling The September 8th Barack Obama Speech; Many Alaskans Remain Suspicious Of Obama's Motives
Like other school districts around the nation, some of Alaska's school districts have had to grapple with community concern over the proposed speech by Barack Obama to be delivered to schoolchildren nationwide on September 8th at 12 Noon Eastern Time (8 A.M. Alaska time). And three of Alaska's school districts have disclosed their plans.
From the Anchorage Daily News:
-- The Anchorage School District has instructed teachers that if they want, they can air the speech on education and work it into their curriculum, and that parents can opt to not have their children watch. Schools will set up alternative activities for pupils who opt out.
-- The Matanuska-Susitna School District will simply leave it up to teachers and schools to decide to watch it or not.
-- Alaska Department of Education spokesman Eric Fry said his non-partisan state agency was also taking a hands-off approach, leaving it up to districts, as it does most decisions. This is different than most other states, where their respective Departments of Education aren't even expressing an opinion, but simply leaving it up to the districts.
From the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
An unofficial response from the Fairbanks-North Star Borough School District was posted in the comments section of this letter to the editor. The upshot is that the Fairbanks District will have teachers air the speech and then work it into their curriculum, and that parents can opt to not have their children watch, and will offer an alternative to those who opt out. She cautions that if a parent holds a child out of school, it may be counted as an unexcused absence, depending upon individual school policy. Here's the full comment by Heather Johnson, a health education teacher:
I classify it as an unofficial response solely because Heather Johnson is not an official district spokesperson.
Nevertheless, many Alaskans remain suspicious of Barack Obama's motives, although the Department of Education website clearly states that Obama will urge students to will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich, in reference to the plan for teachers to have students write letters to themselves outlining what they can do to help the president, said, "I don't believe that type of enlistment is a proper mission as part of their education. Especially when they were supposed -- then the faculty was supposed to collect these and then return them to see if the youth had met their goals." And Anchorage District Superintendent Carol Comeau reports that she has been inundated with negative e-mails. Watch KTUU Channel 2 news video embedded below:
As I contemplate the prospective impact of Obama's speech, I find it's a tempest in a teapot. I don't see how anyone will benefit by holding their kids out of school, particularly at the risk of an unexcused absence. There are more productive ways to express opposition to Obama's agenda rather than by using kids.
From the Anchorage Daily News:
-- The Anchorage School District has instructed teachers that if they want, they can air the speech on education and work it into their curriculum, and that parents can opt to not have their children watch. Schools will set up alternative activities for pupils who opt out.
-- The Matanuska-Susitna School District will simply leave it up to teachers and schools to decide to watch it or not.
-- Alaska Department of Education spokesman Eric Fry said his non-partisan state agency was also taking a hands-off approach, leaving it up to districts, as it does most decisions. This is different than most other states, where their respective Departments of Education aren't even expressing an opinion, but simply leaving it up to the districts.
From the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
An unofficial response from the Fairbanks-North Star Borough School District was posted in the comments section of this letter to the editor. The upshot is that the Fairbanks District will have teachers air the speech and then work it into their curriculum, and that parents can opt to not have their children watch, and will offer an alternative to those who opt out. She cautions that if a parent holds a child out of school, it may be counted as an unexcused absence, depending upon individual school policy. Here's the full comment by Heather Johnson, a health education teacher:
Being a teacher in the FNSBSD, I would like to take this opportunity to answer the questions that I read in this blog. The school district is planning on viewing the speech in classes - however the viewing is optional. Parents absolutely (as always) have the right to say that their child does not have to view the speech, and our school plans on offering an educational alternative for those who opt out. A student will not be penalized for not viewing, however their absence may be counted against them if they are out all day. Please check with your individual school for the answer to that.
The speech is being given in the morning, so please don't deny your child the education that the rest of the day will offer. With the flu going around, there have already been FAR too many kids missing school.
I do recommend that you allow your kids to watch this address to the country, no matter what your political beliefs may be. The address is that of EDUCATION. It is meant to encourage kids to continue growing academically and NOT become a statistic.
My own kids will be viewing this speech, and I think it will serve as a wonderful opportunity to open up various topics for discussion.
I encourage you to get involved in your kid's education, don't fight it.... TALK to them, ASK pertinent questions, EVALUATE together the outcome of the speech. Perhaps you can explain and teach your child that there are always going to be as many various thoughts and opinions as there are people in the world.
I would also like to reassure parents that teachers respect the differing views of ALL of our students. Our job is to make sure that each student gets their educational needs met in a fair and supportive manner. I have yet to "indoctrinate" anyone. I work extremely hard to make sure YOUR kid excels and learns every single day.
I hope this helps, rather than hinders, whatever your views and opinions may be.
Heather Johnson
Health Education Teacher
FNSBSD
I classify it as an unofficial response solely because Heather Johnson is not an official district spokesperson.
Nevertheless, many Alaskans remain suspicious of Barack Obama's motives, although the Department of Education website clearly states that Obama will urge students to will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich, in reference to the plan for teachers to have students write letters to themselves outlining what they can do to help the president, said, "I don't believe that type of enlistment is a proper mission as part of their education. Especially when they were supposed -- then the faculty was supposed to collect these and then return them to see if the youth had met their goals." And Anchorage District Superintendent Carol Comeau reports that she has been inundated with negative e-mails. Watch KTUU Channel 2 news video embedded below:
As I contemplate the prospective impact of Obama's speech, I find it's a tempest in a teapot. I don't see how anyone will benefit by holding their kids out of school, particularly at the risk of an unexcused absence. There are more productive ways to express opposition to Obama's agenda rather than by using kids.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
The Facts Behind Barack Obama's Proposed Direct Presidential Address To American Schoolchildren On September 8th; Should Parents Keep Their Kids Out?
On September 8th, 2009, at 12 Noon Eastern Time, Barack Obama will do something not known to have been done by any previous American President. He will deliver a 20-minute address to schoolchildren all over the United States. The details of this are posted on the U.S. Department of Education website. I've seen no local Alaska media coverage of this so far.
On the surface, this would seem like a marvelous idea. A sitting President attempting to connect directly with our rising young generation, striving to make himself and his vision directly relevant to them, even though they cannot "repay" him by voting for him at the ballot box. It gives all the appearance of a "selfless act".
However, a number of Americans think differently. Many believe Obama wants to use this opportunity as an excuse to indoctrinate impressionable kids with a "socialist" agenda. Much of the opposition to the speech has actually coalesced in Utah, where an elementary school principal in Farmington unwisely chose to show a motivational video entitled "I Pledge" to a group of students. This despicable video showed a bunch of trashy Hollywood celebrities engaging in Obama worship; at one point, you will see a hideously overtattooed circus freak kissing his biceps and rhapsodizing about wanting to be a "servant to Obama". This evokes memories of German citizens wanting to be "servants to Hitler", or Soviet citizens wanting to be "servants to Stalin". Watch the video, embedded below, and see for yourself.
The showing of this video has generated a huge backlash along the Wasatch Front, and the school principal ended up publicly apologizing for it. Nonetheless, the furor continues, and a national campaign to get parents to hold their kids out of school in protest of Obama's address on September 8th, referred to as a Parentally Approved Skip School (PASS) day, has taken root. Even popular conservative talk show host Glenn Beck has given it his endorsement.
As a matter of fact, a proposed model absence excuse has been posted on Free Republic for parents to use:
But does Obama really intend to indoctrinate our kids with a "socialist" agenda? According to the Department of Education website, Obama's 20-minute speech will focus on persisting and succeeding in school. Obama will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. Suggested classroom activities have also been compiled (K-6 HERE, 7-12 HERE).
Anyone care to explain to me how that's a "socialist" agenda?
The point is there is a difference between a partisan Obama-worshipping video cut by a bunch of trashy, reprobate Hollywood celebrities and an official Presidential address. To assume that Obama will automatically indoctrinate kids with socialism because of an Obama-worshipping video is an overreaction. The tactic of holding kids out of school for political purposes should not be used indiscriminately and should be reserved only for the most serious issues. Holding kids out of school on the annual Day of Silence is appropriate, because the underlying goal of the Day of Silence is the promotion and protection of the homosexual lifestyle as well as the recruitment of impressionable youth to the homosexual cause.
Holding kids out of school merely to protest a Presidential address constitutes the frivolous use of this tactic.
As social conservatives, we need to switch from "reformer" mode to "revolutionary" mode. Reformers run away and hide from problems; revolutionaries step forward and confront problems directly. We need to follow the example of the hundreds of "Redshirts" who boldly stepped forward to confront the Anchorage Politburo and stopped them from imposing the homosexual agenda upon Anchorage over the heads of the majority who oppose it by filibustering it into the Dan Sullivan administration so that Sullivan could veto it.
A more revolutionary approach to Obama's address was suggested on Free Republic. A poster wrote, “Instead of keeping the kids at home parents should go to school WITH their children and make sure that the indoctrination doesn’t happen. That is exactly what I will be doing. I’ll sit in my child’s classroom during the address and any discussion and I will be prepared with facts and information to better inform the teacher and students as needed. Why run away when you can meet this head on. I’ll correct all of the misinformation given during the address and I’ll reach more than just my kid, I’ll reach the whole class. Bring it on.”
While this solution is not available to every parent because most parents must work for a living, it would take only a few following this example to make an impact. We must quit running away from our schools and take them back. Remember, they are OUR schools - OUR taxes pay for them. The Anchorage School District does not belong to Carol Comeau - it belongs to US.
The time for reform is long past; the time for revolution is at hand. On September 8th, don't run away from our schools by holding our kids out.
On the surface, this would seem like a marvelous idea. A sitting President attempting to connect directly with our rising young generation, striving to make himself and his vision directly relevant to them, even though they cannot "repay" him by voting for him at the ballot box. It gives all the appearance of a "selfless act".
However, a number of Americans think differently. Many believe Obama wants to use this opportunity as an excuse to indoctrinate impressionable kids with a "socialist" agenda. Much of the opposition to the speech has actually coalesced in Utah, where an elementary school principal in Farmington unwisely chose to show a motivational video entitled "I Pledge" to a group of students. This despicable video showed a bunch of trashy Hollywood celebrities engaging in Obama worship; at one point, you will see a hideously overtattooed circus freak kissing his biceps and rhapsodizing about wanting to be a "servant to Obama". This evokes memories of German citizens wanting to be "servants to Hitler", or Soviet citizens wanting to be "servants to Stalin". Watch the video, embedded below, and see for yourself.
The showing of this video has generated a huge backlash along the Wasatch Front, and the school principal ended up publicly apologizing for it. Nonetheless, the furor continues, and a national campaign to get parents to hold their kids out of school in protest of Obama's address on September 8th, referred to as a Parentally Approved Skip School (PASS) day, has taken root. Even popular conservative talk show host Glenn Beck has given it his endorsement.
As a matter of fact, a proposed model absence excuse has been posted on Free Republic for parents to use:
But does Obama really intend to indoctrinate our kids with a "socialist" agenda? According to the Department of Education website, Obama's 20-minute speech will focus on persisting and succeeding in school. Obama will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. Suggested classroom activities have also been compiled (K-6 HERE, 7-12 HERE).
Anyone care to explain to me how that's a "socialist" agenda?
The point is there is a difference between a partisan Obama-worshipping video cut by a bunch of trashy, reprobate Hollywood celebrities and an official Presidential address. To assume that Obama will automatically indoctrinate kids with socialism because of an Obama-worshipping video is an overreaction. The tactic of holding kids out of school for political purposes should not be used indiscriminately and should be reserved only for the most serious issues. Holding kids out of school on the annual Day of Silence is appropriate, because the underlying goal of the Day of Silence is the promotion and protection of the homosexual lifestyle as well as the recruitment of impressionable youth to the homosexual cause.
Holding kids out of school merely to protest a Presidential address constitutes the frivolous use of this tactic.
As social conservatives, we need to switch from "reformer" mode to "revolutionary" mode. Reformers run away and hide from problems; revolutionaries step forward and confront problems directly. We need to follow the example of the hundreds of "Redshirts" who boldly stepped forward to confront the Anchorage Politburo and stopped them from imposing the homosexual agenda upon Anchorage over the heads of the majority who oppose it by filibustering it into the Dan Sullivan administration so that Sullivan could veto it.
A more revolutionary approach to Obama's address was suggested on Free Republic. A poster wrote, “Instead of keeping the kids at home parents should go to school WITH their children and make sure that the indoctrination doesn’t happen. That is exactly what I will be doing. I’ll sit in my child’s classroom during the address and any discussion and I will be prepared with facts and information to better inform the teacher and students as needed. Why run away when you can meet this head on. I’ll correct all of the misinformation given during the address and I’ll reach more than just my kid, I’ll reach the whole class. Bring it on.”
While this solution is not available to every parent because most parents must work for a living, it would take only a few following this example to make an impact. We must quit running away from our schools and take them back. Remember, they are OUR schools - OUR taxes pay for them. The Anchorage School District does not belong to Carol Comeau - it belongs to US.
The time for reform is long past; the time for revolution is at hand. On September 8th, don't run away from our schools by holding our kids out.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
American Patriot And Former Ohio Congressman James Traficant Freed After Seven Years Of Federal Captivity, But Too Late To Help John Demjanjuk
Former U.S. District 17 Rep. James Traficant Jr. (D-Ohio), widely considered to be a patriot by many Americans, has finally been released from prison after seven years of Federal captivity. Main story published by the Washington Post; other stories published by USA Today and WJW Channel 8. The Youngstown Vindicator published somewhat of a hit piece on Traficant on August 30th, and a second hit piece on September 1st.
Additional information from Wikipedia and FreeTraficant.com.
The 68-year-old Traficant, released from the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota, hailed a taxi and did not answer reporters' questions as he left the prison alone. He wore a T-shirt, shorts and knee-high white socks and carried some of his belongings in a plastic bag. Traficant reportedly wants to keep a low profile and spend quiet time with his wife, Tish, and children and grandchildren. He has not yet made plans about what he might do next. However, according to another Post article, his obligation to the Feds is not yet fully satisfied; he also has three years probation, during which he will be required to report regularly to a probation officer, be subject to unannounced home visits, and get permission before traveling outside northern Ohio. His conviction would not bar Traficant from running for Congress, according to U.S. Attorney Bill Edwards.
From the CNN Political Ticker, we get a video of him being directly escorted to the cab:
On Sunday September 6th, as many as 1,200 of his supporters are planning a welcome-home dinner for him in Youngstown, Ohio. He still has strong supporters there despite his felony conviction, and hundreds of people have bought "Welcome Home Jimbo" T-shirts. The area is part of the U.S. House District 17 which he so ably represented for nearly 18 years. WJW Channel 8 news video embedded below:
In 2002, in a trial in which Traficant represented himself, he was convicted of 10 felony counts, including accepting bribes from businessmen and taking kickbacks from his own congressional staff. But many people believe Traficant was particularly targeted because he led a then-successful effort to prevent the expulsion of John Demjanjuk from the United States on bogus charges that he was supposedly "Ivan the Terrible" at a European concentration camp during World War II. In addition, the Feds may have been deliberately gunning for Traficant because he beat the government's rap in a mob trial in 1983 by claiming he ran a one-man sting of the Mafia, which paid him $163,000 in bribes. The acquittal vaulted him to Congress, where he served his district faithfully for 18 years.
As a result of his conviction, he was expelled from the U.S. House by a 420-1 vote in 2002. Only Gary Condit (D-CA) voted No. He was the second House member since the Civil War to be voted out for unethical behavior. However, not all House members joined the witch hunt. Alaska's Very Own Congressman Don Young, fully respectful of the sovereignty of District 17 voters, voted Present instead of Yes. Obviously, Congressman Young wasn't going to vote No, but by voting Present, Congressman Young apparently also wanted to communicate his own doubts about the veracity of Traficant's conviction. The Anchorage Daily News took a gentle swipe at Young for that vote, but soon let the issue drop. Eight other House members also voted Present, including Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Sonny Callahan (R-AL), Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN), John Hostettler (R-IN), C.L. "Butch" Otter (R-ID), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Mike Simpson (R-IN).
Unfortunately, Traficant's release comes far too late to help John Demjanjuk. On April 14th, 2009, immigration agents began Demjanjuk's deportation, removing him from his home in a wheelchair. He was scheduled to fly to Munich from Cleveland, but the legal order was again reversed and another stay granted by the court. On May 7th, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Demjanjuk's appeal and on May 8th, he was ordered to surrender to U.S. Immigration agents for deportation to Germany. On May 11th, Demjanjuk left his Cleveland home by ambulance, and was taken to the airport, where he was deported by plane to Germany. He arrived there the next morning on May 12th. On July 13th, 2009, Demjanjuk was formally charged with an absolutely ludicrous 27,900 counts of acting as an accessory to murder, one for each person who died at Sobibor during the time he is accused of serving as a guard at the Nazi death camp.
Additional information from Wikipedia and FreeTraficant.com.
The 68-year-old Traficant, released from the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota, hailed a taxi and did not answer reporters' questions as he left the prison alone. He wore a T-shirt, shorts and knee-high white socks and carried some of his belongings in a plastic bag. Traficant reportedly wants to keep a low profile and spend quiet time with his wife, Tish, and children and grandchildren. He has not yet made plans about what he might do next. However, according to another Post article, his obligation to the Feds is not yet fully satisfied; he also has three years probation, during which he will be required to report regularly to a probation officer, be subject to unannounced home visits, and get permission before traveling outside northern Ohio. His conviction would not bar Traficant from running for Congress, according to U.S. Attorney Bill Edwards.
From the CNN Political Ticker, we get a video of him being directly escorted to the cab:
On Sunday September 6th, as many as 1,200 of his supporters are planning a welcome-home dinner for him in Youngstown, Ohio. He still has strong supporters there despite his felony conviction, and hundreds of people have bought "Welcome Home Jimbo" T-shirts. The area is part of the U.S. House District 17 which he so ably represented for nearly 18 years. WJW Channel 8 news video embedded below:
In 2002, in a trial in which Traficant represented himself, he was convicted of 10 felony counts, including accepting bribes from businessmen and taking kickbacks from his own congressional staff. But many people believe Traficant was particularly targeted because he led a then-successful effort to prevent the expulsion of John Demjanjuk from the United States on bogus charges that he was supposedly "Ivan the Terrible" at a European concentration camp during World War II. In addition, the Feds may have been deliberately gunning for Traficant because he beat the government's rap in a mob trial in 1983 by claiming he ran a one-man sting of the Mafia, which paid him $163,000 in bribes. The acquittal vaulted him to Congress, where he served his district faithfully for 18 years.
As a result of his conviction, he was expelled from the U.S. House by a 420-1 vote in 2002. Only Gary Condit (D-CA) voted No. He was the second House member since the Civil War to be voted out for unethical behavior. However, not all House members joined the witch hunt. Alaska's Very Own Congressman Don Young, fully respectful of the sovereignty of District 17 voters, voted Present instead of Yes. Obviously, Congressman Young wasn't going to vote No, but by voting Present, Congressman Young apparently also wanted to communicate his own doubts about the veracity of Traficant's conviction. The Anchorage Daily News took a gentle swipe at Young for that vote, but soon let the issue drop. Eight other House members also voted Present, including Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Sonny Callahan (R-AL), Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN), John Hostettler (R-IN), C.L. "Butch" Otter (R-ID), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Mike Simpson (R-IN).
Unfortunately, Traficant's release comes far too late to help John Demjanjuk. On April 14th, 2009, immigration agents began Demjanjuk's deportation, removing him from his home in a wheelchair. He was scheduled to fly to Munich from Cleveland, but the legal order was again reversed and another stay granted by the court. On May 7th, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Demjanjuk's appeal and on May 8th, he was ordered to surrender to U.S. Immigration agents for deportation to Germany. On May 11th, Demjanjuk left his Cleveland home by ambulance, and was taken to the airport, where he was deported by plane to Germany. He arrived there the next morning on May 12th. On July 13th, 2009, Demjanjuk was formally charged with an absolutely ludicrous 27,900 counts of acting as an accessory to murder, one for each person who died at Sobibor during the time he is accused of serving as a guard at the Nazi death camp.
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