Saturday, June 30, 2012

Pussycat Dolls Don't Cha Live HD

The Pussycat Dolls - Buttons Official Video - YouTube.flv

Justice Department shields Holder from prosecution after contempt vote

The Justice Department moved Friday to shield Attorney General Eric Holder from prosecution after the House voted to hold him in contempt of Congress. 
The contempt vote technically opened the door for the House to call on the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia to bring the case before a grand jury. But because U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen works for Holder and because President Obama has already asserted executive privilege over the documents in question, some expected Holder's Justice Department to balk. 
Deputy Attorney General James Cole confirmed in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner that the department in fact would not pursue prosecution. The attorney general's withholding of documents pertaining to Operation Fast and Furious, he wrote, "does not constitute a crime." 
"Therefore the department will not bring the congressional contempt citation before a grand jury or take any other action to prosecute the attorney general," Cole wrote, in the letter obtained by Fox News
A department official told Fox News the letter was "pro forma" -- or a formality -- considering that ex-Attorney General Michael Mukasey in 2008 also refused to refer two Bush White House aides to a grand jury after they were held in contempt. 
Republicans nevertheless blasted the Justice Department for the move. Frederick Hill, spokesman for House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, said "it is regrettable that the political leadership of the Justice Department is trying to intervene in an effort to prevent the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia from making an independent decision about whether to prosecute this case."
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, also wrote in a letter to Machen that the Cole letter "has put the cart before the horse." He suggested the U.S. attorney has not yet had a chance to make an informed decision on whether to move forward with the case. 
The move by the Holder Justice Department, though, means Republicans are likely to take their case to civil court as they seek documents pertaining to Operation Fast and Furious -- which was already the unofficial plan. Along with the criminal contempt resolution, Republicans also passed a civil contempt measure Thursday allowing them to go to civil court to try and get an order that would compel the Obama administration to release the documents. 
Issa, R-Calif., had acknowledged Thursday night that it was "very possible" the president would instruct the U.S. attorney not to prosecute Holder. He indicated Republicans would use the civil courts to get what they want. 
"The House has authorized me to hire staff and legal staff who can pursue civilly through the courts to try to get a federal judge to order, separately, this discovery," he said. 
Hill also told FoxNews.com that the next stop probably would be civil court, but he suggested the threat of criminal prosecution still looms. For now, the Obama administration can argue that its executive privilege claim over the documents protects Holder from the possibility of prosecution. 
But if a civil court rules that claim invalid, Hill said, "then basically Justice has lost that shield." 
If the administration still refused to turn over the documents the Republicans want, then they could start looking at prosecution more seriously. 
Republicans technically have a handful of other options if the Justice Department still refused to take the case to a grand jury. 
Republicans could move to appoint a special prosecutor or even move to impeach. The last time that happened with a Cabinet member, though, was in 1876 -- with the impeachment trial of war secretary William Belknap. 
Hill said lawmakers are not looking at that option for Holder. They remain focused on the civil court route. 
Machen and Holder also have spoken fondly of one another in public, further casting doubt on the possibility that the U.S. attorney would ever bring the case before a grand jury. 
Machen is one of the two U.S. attorneys Holder tapped to lead an investigation into the recent rash of security leaks. In early June, Holder praised Machen and the other attorney as "great U.S. attorneys who have shown a willingness to take on difficult cases." 
Meanwhile, Issa continued to add fuel to the debate over Fast and Furious when he entered into the Congressional Record a letter detailing a secret wiretap application pertaining to the operation. 
In the letter, Issa claimed the affidavit contained "clear information that agents were willfully allowing known straw buyers to acquire firearms for drug cartels and failing to interdict them -- in some cases even allowing them to walk to Mexico." 

Friday, June 29, 2012

PRINCESS KAORU NAKAMARU SPEAKS - FIFTH DIMENSION COMING - HYPERBOREANS A...

BLACK DON'T CRACK

ROMANS WERE NOT WHITE

THE ANCIENT AFRICAN HISTORY

 
When Scientists say Africans are the Father and Mother of civilazition they dont mean Kemet. They dont just mean West Africa. They mean THE ENTIRE WORLD and every race and every people in it!!!!!!! 

THE STORY OF HAM (CHAIM)SHEM(SEM)

   
Noah and his wife=The Original Black Man and Woman. His sons Ham/Shem and Japeth are the three major genetic variations that are the foundation of ALL so-called races on the earth.
 

Spectacular Colorado Supercell Thunderstorms

  Yes, we are black and beautiful. As we look about us, we must also recognize that we have allowed ourselves to be manipulated into a position of complete dependence on our enemy for the means of survival. Some of us are working vigorously to develop a Plan B for our survival. I says somewhere that a 'remnant' will survive. This means that a 'majority' will not survive. The question is; "Will you be among that 'remnant' or will you be among those who failed to survive?" Let us stop thinking in terms of individuality, independence and personal freedom. Let us, instead begin to think in terms of nationhood, interdependence and collective freedom. Someone said, "A balled up fist does a lot more damage than an open handed slap to the face." Get my drift? We have much work to do. Let be about getting this work done while there is still time, my brothers.

SaLuSa 27-June-2012

 Action is taking place but as you have realized it still does not hit the main Press outlets, but the news will become so important that a point will come when it can no longer be hidden or ignored. Governments like to be in control and have always tried to cover up news about demonstrations or rebellions amongst the people. However, once the media gets hold of the real truth behind what is happening, they will take the side of the people. Naturally there will still be those who take a defensive view of the happenings, fearing that the changes are going to seriously affect them. People do not want to face the idea that they are about to lose their power, or in some cases their ill gotten wealth. No one will escape the financial changes or sharing of wealth, which shall be even greater by the inclusion of Trust Funds set up for this occasion. Be assured that immense planning has gone into ensuring that this immediate period allows for everyone's needs to be considered. It will take time to cover everything but first the old system must be rid off and a new one put into its place.

At the last moment there are inevitably stumbling blocks, but in the context of the whole mission they will not cause any undue delay. However, the pressure is mounting on those in the front line to get matters completely under way. It does require a lot of co-ordination and although we are mainly in the background we can nevertheless exert our authority to move things along. In fact in certain instances such as the cabals attempted false flag operations, we have been very much at the heart of matters. As always we do encourage you to take the lead as it was never intended that we did your work for you. The reasons are involved with karma, and you are expected to clear up problems created by yourselves. They do in fact go back a very long time during which periods you have met the same conditions throughout many lives.

Certainly you have made much progress since the turn of the century, but even so have had to make a supreme effort to stop the plan of the Illuminati reaching fruition. We have been part of the movement to enlighten people as to the threats against them and their liberty, and it has been very successful. Prior to that time you were being lulled into accepting the changes that were insidiously introduced bit by bit, that were removing your rights brick by brick. Thinking that they were infallible has allowed us to use the arrogance of the dark Ones to turn the tables upon them, and they have been taken unawares.

You should savor the coming times as you claim back your sovereignty, as it is nothing less than you deserve for having been treated as slaves for so long. As individuals it does not matter too much what you may have done in the past, as you came to Earth to experience duality. All of you have had your ups and downs and it is what you are today that really counts. It comes down to having learnt the lessons that you needed to evolve, and you will all know how you stand in that respect. If you consider yourself to be of the Light you are undoubtedly on that path, and are unloading any baggage that you have accumulated. You are beginning to understand your true self, and live up to your desire to be of the Light and you will know better than anyone else how you are doing. Be of good heart, compassionate and loving to all souls and if you are able to do so, you are well on the way to ascending.

Times are approaching when communities may need to come together to assist those who may well be confused by what is about to happen. It will seem as though the world is being turned upside down, and the future uncertain. Some areas may be inconvenienced by shortages due to normal services being restricted. So it is important that you care for each other when the need arises. The problems will only be temporary with no long term difficulties, as we are well prepared and already know where help will be needed. Face the future with cheerful anticipation and help maintain the peace that is essential at this time.

We of the Galactic Federation are so pleased for you that at last you can really see the outworking of all the efforts, that have been put in to bring an end to the restrictions that have blighted your lives. The Controllers are on their way out having been severely restricted in their ability to fund the vast operations they ran. When the banking changes are made that will further reduce their power, and no longer will shady or illegal deals be possible. Dealings that are open and transparent will be the order of the day, and possible because the rogue dealers will have been removed. However, much has come from the top establishment and that also will change with more accountability. You have capable people who know what needs to be done and we will work with them.

Your consciousness levels continue to rise and that is a good sign and your assurance of reaching a level high enough to ascend. The advantage is that you are now less likely to step backwards and it will become easier to keep your focus on the Light. You are getting immense help and the pathway through the final months has more key points to come, that will assist your upliftment. We continue to confirm that in spite of delays, everything proceeds well and we are ready to spring into action at a minutes notice. We are in fact present on Earth in ways that are not immediately apparent, as we have bases that give us useful access to our allies. We can also more easily keep track on certain members of the Illuminati that are trying to avoid having to surrender.

We wish your media would drop their hesitation to report the real news, as if it were carried out honestly it would reach more people who as yet have little idea of what is about to happen. In the meantime we look to you to spread the news where and when possible, and soon we shall arrange that our allies are given a voice that will reach the general public. Communication is very high up on our list and you shall see that a new system will be introduced far superior to what you have now. We want everyone to be able to use it and it will involve the use of free energy.

I am SaLuSa from Sirius, and thank you for your ongoing perseverance.

THE BIRTH CANAL OPENS

The birth canal opens. It’s that time. Men and women hold hands and wait for the new life. Speculation doesn’t help but only amplifies the uneven energy. Masters of “Authority” strike a pose. They become a side show on this ever changing stage. I turn from the chaos wondering how much I can brush off and how much will stick, sinking into the fibers of my being. At the end of the day I have to let it all go in order to claim myself. No expectations. No opinions. No calculated assessments of where we are and where we are going. The one point of awareness that I can feel is that of light. I rest there letting all the debris fly by my head at warp speed. The light pulsates. It grows. It envelopes me. The silence. I stay with it. My resting point. You will know when it’s time to celebrate. People from the outside won’t have to tell you. You will know because the “celebration” will be the culmination of all that you are, revealed to you in a moment and in that moment you will embrace the totality of your true self, the oneness that was always you. This is the biggest gift that you can give to yourself. This is truly the birth. The recognition of your own “self” in all that is. The recognition of you, the keystone that locks it all into place. Celebrate your ability to be at peace through this storm and the labor of it's creation.

      

OUR SPACE BROTHERS AND SISTERS

   The people of this planet should begin to prepare themselves to meet what is essentially our space family; namely, those cosmic humans who seeded Earth with its population in the first place and who are now here to benefit this planet and ensure that a Divine Plan for the end of this cycle (as predicted in the Mayan calendar and other native or non-native traditions) succeeds.

Our space brothers and sisters come from such star systems as the Pleiades, Sirius, Andromeda, and Arcturus, to name a few. They, like us, worship and serve the same God. However, unlike us, they strictly follow the natural or universal laws of nature, that prohibit harming another, deceiving, stealing, or any other immoral or unethical acts. In this, they are dissimilar to many of us here on Earth, who behave primitively and immorally compared to them.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

BLAME OBAMA

Expanding Consciousness With Dr Delbert Blair 06/28 by light 08 Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Expanding Consciousness With Dr Delbert Blair 06/28 by light 08 Radio | Blog Talk Radio

PRESIDENT OBAMA,2012,.

Obama: Supreme Court ruling on health care a victory for all Americans

Obama: Supreme Court ruling on health care a victory for all Americans

By Bill Mears and Tom Cohen, CNN
updated 2:12 PM EDT, Thu June 28, 2012
Watch this video
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: President Obama calls the ruling a victory for the American people
  • Republicans criticize the Supreme Court, call for repealing the law
  • The Supreme Court finds the "individual mandate" is constitutional as a tax
  • The 2010 Affordable Care Act is the signature legislation of the Obama presidency
Washington-- In a landmark ruling that will impact the November election and the lives of every American, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the controversial health care law championed by President Barack Obama.The narrow 5-4 ruling was a victory for Obama but also will serve as a rallying issue for Republicans calling for repeal of the Affordable Care Act passed by Democrats in 2010.
An administration official described the White House reaction as elation, while GOP opponents criticized the high court's reasoning and promised an immediate repeal effort.
"Today's decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives are more secure because of this law," Obama said in a televised White House statement.
Photos: Health care and the high courtPhotos: Health care and the high court
Certain Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign reported a fund-raising spike of $300,000 just after the high court's decision was announced, and Romney said defeating Obama in November is the only way to get rid of the law despised by conservatives as a costly expansion of government.
Thursday's decision impacts how Americans get medicine and health care, and also provides new court guidelines on federal power.
Romney: I'll do what justices didn't
Ruling on individual mandate explained
How will the court's ruling affect you?
CNN Explains: Health care reform
The most anticipated Supreme Court ruling in years allows the government to continue implementing the health care law, which doesn't take full effect until 2014. That means popular provisions that prohibit insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing medical conditions and allow parents to keep their children on family policies to the age of 26 will continue.
In the ruling, the high court decided the most controversial provision -- the individual mandate requiring people to have health insurance -- is valid as a tax, even though it is impermissible under the Constitution's commerce clause.
"In this case, however, it is reasonable to construe what Congress has done as increasing taxes on those who have a certain amount of income, but choose to go without health insurance," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. "Such legislation is within Congress's power to tax."
He later added: "The federal government does not have the power to order people to buy health insurance. ... The federal government does have the power to impose a tax on those without health insurance."
Roberts joined the high court's liberal wing -- Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan -- in upholding the law. Four conservative justices -- Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas -- dissented.
"To say that the Individual Mandate merely imposes a tax is not to interpret the statute but to rewrite it," Scalia said in dissent. "Imposing a tax through judicial legislation inverts the constitutional scheme, and places the power to tax in the branch of government least accountable to the citizenry."
The polarizing law, dubbed "Obamacare" by many, is the signature legislation of Obama's time in office.
It helped spur the creation of the conservative tea party movement and will be a centerpiece of the presidential election campaign.
Romney called Obamacare bad policy and a bad law, adding that defeating Obama in November is the only way to get rid of it.
"What the court did not do in its last session, I will do on the first day if elected president of the United States, and that's to repeal Obamacare," he said Thursday after the court's decision was announced.
Obama used the focus on the issue to spell out the benefits of the law that remains unpopular with many Americans. The principle upheld by the high court's ruling is that no American should go bankrupt because of illness, the president said.
"I know the debate over this law has been divisive," Obama said. "It should be pretty clear that I didn't do this because it was good politics. I did it because I believe it is good for the country."
He said the country can't afford to "to refight the political battle of two years ago or go back to the way things were."
Other Democrats celebrated the policy victory.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California, who helped push through the law when she was House speaker, cited the late Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, a longtime proponent of health care reform who died before the bill became law.
"Now he can rest in peace," Pelosi told reporters, echoing an earlier phone call she made to Kennedy's widow.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Obama's former White House chief of staff, called it a "historic day."
"The president had the courage to bend the needle of history and did something presidents have tried to do for 60 years," Emanuel said of broadening health care accessibility.
In his opinion, Roberts appeared to note the political divisions of the health care law, writing that "we do not consider whether the act embodies sound policies."
"That judgment is entrusted to the nation's elected leaders," the opinion said. "We ask only whether Congress has the power under the Constitution to enact the challenged provisions."
The narrow focus of the ruling on key issues such as the individual mandate -- limiting it to taxing powers rather than general commerce -- represented the court's effort to limit the government's authority.
"The framers created a federal government of limited powers and assigned to this court the duty of enforcing those limits," Roberts wrote. "The court does so today."
On the individual mandate, the opinion said that "the Affordable Care Act's requirement that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax.""Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness," Roberts wrote.
Republicans immediately seized on the ruling to accuse Obama of lying to the American people when he said during the protracted political debate on the bill in 2009 that it wasn't a tax.
In an interview with ABC, Obama said then that the various provisions of the health care law were intended to create an all-inclusive system, so that penalizing people who refused to join was not a tax.
"For us to say that you've got to take a responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase," Obama said, noting that "right now everybody in America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that a tax increase. People say to themselves, that is a fair way to make sure that if you hit my car, that I'm not covering all the costs."
Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, a leading tea party voice against the health care law, complained that the ruling "means now for the first time in the history of the country, Congress can force Americans to purchase any product, any service."
"This is truly a turning point in American history. We'll never be the same way again," Bachmann said, adding that "this is a more far-reaching decision than anyone had expected or imagined."
Roberts, however, wrote in the majority opinion that Congress exercised an authority it held to assess a tax, rather than create any new taxing authority.
In another part of Thursday's decision, the high court ruled that a part of the law involving Medicaid must change.
The law calls for an expansion of eligibility for Medicaid, which involves spending by the federal government and the states, and threatens to remove existing Medicaid funding from states that don't participate in the expansion. Thursday's ruling said the government must remove that threat.
Several groups that follow the health care law closely said they were keeping an eye on the potential impact of the Medicaid ruling.
In his remarks, Obama acknowledged a need to improve those parts of the health care law that need it.
According to a poll released Tuesday, 37% of Americans said they would be pleased if the health care law were deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Twenty-eight percent said they would be pleased if the Affordable Care Act were ruled constitutional, the NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey showed, compared with 35% who said they would be disappointed if the court came back with that outcome.
But nearly four in 10 Americans surveyed said they would have "mixed feelings" if the justices struck down the whole law. The survey of 1,000 adults was conducted June 20-24.
Previous surveys have indicated that some who oppose the law do so because they think it doesn't go far enough.
The Supreme Court heard three days of politically charged hearings in March on the law formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The landmark but controversial measure was passed by congressional Democrats despite pitched Republican opposition.
The challenge focused primarily on the law's requirement that most Americans have health insurance or pay a fine.
Supporters of the plan argued the "individual mandate" is necessary for the system to work, while critics argued it is an unconstitutional intrusion on individual freedom.
Four federal appeals courts heard challenges to parts of the law before the Supreme Court ruling, and came up with three different results.
Courts in Cincinnati and Washington voted to uphold the law, while the appeals court in Atlanta struck down the individual mandate.
A fourth panel, in Richmond, Virginia, put its decision off until penalties for failing to have health insurance take effect in 2014.
The act passed Congress along strictly partisan lines in March 2010, after a lengthy and heated debate marked by intense opposition from the health insurance industry and conservative groups.
When Obama signed the legislation later that month, he called it historic and said it marked a "new season in America."
While it was not the comprehensive national health care system liberals initially sought, supporters said the law would reduce health care costs, expand coverage and protect consumers.
In place of creating a national health system, the law bans insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions, bars insurers from setting a dollar limit on health coverage payouts, and requires them to cover preventative care at no additional cost to consumers.
It also requires individuals to have health insurance, either through their employers or a state-sponsored exchange, or face a fine beginning in 2014. There are, however, a number of exemptions. For instance, the penalty will be waived for people with very low incomes who are members of certain religious groups, or who face insurance premiums that would exceed 8% of family income even after including employer contributions and federal subsidies.
Supporters argued the individual mandate is critical to the success of the legislation, because it expands the pool of people paying for insurance and ensures that healthy people do not opt out of having insurance until they need it.
Critics say the provision gives the government too much power over what they say should be a personal economic decision.
Twenty-six states, led by Florida, went to court to say individuals cannot be forced to have insurance, a "product" they may neither want nor need. And they argued that if that provision is unconstitutional, the entire law must go.
The Justice Department countered that since every American will need medical care at some point in their lives, individuals do not "choose" whether to participate in the health care market.
The partisan debate around such a sweeping piece of legislation has encompassed almost every traditional hot-button topic: abortion and contraception funding, state and individual rights, federal deficits, end-of-life care, and the overall economy.
During arguments on March 27, Justice Anthony Kennedy said the law appeared to "change the relationship between the government and the individual in a profound way."
Roberts argued then that "all bets are off" when it comes to federal government authority if Congress was found to have the authority to regulate health care in the name of commerce.
Liberal justices, however, argued people who don't pay into the health system by purchasing insurance make care more expensive for everyone. "It is not your free choice" to stay out of the market for life, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said during arguments.
The legislation signed by Obama stretched to 2,700 pages, nine major sections and some 450 provisions.
The first lawsuits challenging the health care overhaul began just hours after the president signed the measure.


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

THE JACKSONS ,TOUR ,WITHOUT MICHAEL,

Without Michael, Jacksons prepare to tour   ©AP  BURBANK, Calif. (AP) -- Guided by a thumping bass line from their backing band, the Jackson brothers strut forward to a row of four microphones, thrusting their pelvises along the way, before launching into "Can't Let Her Get Away," a song their superstar sibling released on his "Dangerous" album. If they had Afros and matching powder blue suits, it might feel like 1977 again.
Bing: Listen to music from the Jackson 5
It doesn't. They're casually sporting sunglasses, workout gear and a few more pounds than when they, along with the future King of Pop, were simply known as the Jackson 5. (Also, "Can't Let Her Get Away" was released in 1991 after the group fizzled out.)
Nearly three years since Michael died while preparing for his comeback tour, four of his brothers — Marlon, Jermaine, Tito and Jackie — are set for their own return to the stage as The Jacksons. It hasn't been easy.
"The brothers don't know this, but I've broken down several times and cried during rehearsals," said Jermaine during a recent rehearsal break on a soundstage in Burbank, Calif. "I'm so used to Michael being on the right and then Marlon, Jackie, on and on. It's just something we never get used to."
The brothers are launching their "Unity" tour on Wednesday, five days ahead of the third anniversary of Michael's death from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol on June 25, 2009.
"For me, this cycle that comes around every year — this day, that day — that doesn't affect me because it affects me every day," said Marlon. "When that day comes around, it's the same. You learn to live with it. I still wake up sometimes and go, `Jeez. I can't believe my brother's not here.'"
Following Michael's death, the four brothers appeared in the A&E reality series "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty," which chronicled their loss and attempt to stage a comeback before their brother died.
More: Whitney Houston's mother to perform tribute?
Jermaine said the brothers have wanted to reunite on their own for years, but after Michael's passing, they needed time to heal — and the tour is another step in that process. They're rearranged their classics to suit their voices, and Jermaine said the group plans to pay tribute to Michael during their shows with a slideshow and medley that will conclude with the tune "Gone Too Soon."
"There's certain songs that make you feel the sorrow," said Tito. "Then again, there are other songs that bring so much joy and happiness, such as 'ABC' and 'I Want You Back' and the up-tempo stuff like 'This Place Hotel.' I just imagine how he used to walk and spin and do all these things. You can feel his presence here."
The Jacksons' tour kicks off at Rama Casino in Ontario, Canada, and is scheduled to end July 29 at the Snoqualmie Casino Amphitheater in Snoqualmie, Wash. Other stops include Detroit's Fox Theatre, Los Angeles' Greek Theatre and the Harlem's sold-out Apollo Theatre, where the Jackson 5 won an amateur night in 1969 before rocketing to fame.
Michael later forged unprecedented success as a solo artist. His superstardom was unrivaled, and his brothers couldn't capture similar acclaim or sales with their solo projects or last studio album, 1989's mostly Michael-less "2300 Jackson Street," but their legacy as a group has remained unchanged. The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
While various combinations of the brothers have reunited to perform over the years, including at last year's "Michael Forever" tribute concert in Wales, "Unity" will mark the first time the brothers have toured together since their final "Victory" outing in 1984. (Marlon said Randy, who officially joined The Jacksons in 1975, elected not to join the tour but noted that the youngest Jackson brother was welcome at any time.)
"We have a certain magic," said Jackie. "Once we get out here and run it down a couple times, it comes back to you. I'm not (moving) like I used to, but we still got it."
Will the fans think so — and will they turn out to see The Jacksons, whose ages now range from 55 to 61, perform their hits without Michael.
Last year, Cirque du Soleil launched "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" in Las Vegas. The show featuring dancers and acrobatic acts performing routines set to M.J. tunes has been among the top touring acts this year, and "Immortal" will return to Vegas for a residency at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
However, Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of concert industry trade publication Pollstar, doesn't believe The Jacksons will achieve similar success with their smaller endeavor.
"The Jacksons were really all about Michael," said Bongiovanni. "The Cirque du Soleil show was successful because it was Cirque du Soleil and Michael's music. I don't know if that portends much for the remaining brothers and their ability to generate enthusiasm for ticket sales."
The brothers are undaunted, hoping to release an album of new music then go back out on tour.
"It's like riding a bike," said Marlon. "You never forget, but you do need to tweak a few things."

HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTE TO CITE HOLDER FOR CONTEMPT.

House Republicans vote to cite Holder for contempt in 'Fast and Furious' scandalUpdated 4:25 p.m. - A House committee voted Wednesday along party lines to cite Attorney General Eric Holder for contempt, capping a mounting and contentious fight between congressional Republicans and the Obama administration over a gun-running controversy in Mexico.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led by Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., center, considers whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 20.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted 23-17 to favorably report a contempt resolution against Holder to the full House, which could take up the resolution and vote to advance it.
Their vote followed a claim this morning by President Barack Obama, who invoked executive privilege Wednesday to withhold documents a House committee is seeking.
Comments rapidly grew more heated throughout the day, culminating in the vote.
A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner suggested administration officials had lied earlier or were now "bending the law," while Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings said the committee's GOP chairman "had no interest" in resolving the issue and was trying to pick a fight.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., speak on Capitol Hill after a House panel voted to cite Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress over statements made regarding "Fast and Furious."
In a letter to the committee chairman, Darrell Issa of California, a Justice Department official said the executive privilege applies to documents that explain how the department learned there were problems with an investigation in Arizona of gun-running into Mexico, called Operation Fast and Furious.
At the start of a hearing, Issa called the president's action "an untimely" assertion of privilege. The committee was later to vote on whether to cite Holder for contempt of Congress for failing to turn over the documents. If the panel approved that, the contempt citation would then go to the full House. Technically, if the full House approved, there could be a federal case against Holder, but history strongly suggests the matter won't get that far.
First Read: What happens after the contempt vote?
"The president has asserted executive privilege," Deputy Attorney General James Cole said in the letter to Issa. "We regret that we have arrived at this point, after the many steps we have taken to address the committee's concerns and to accommodate the committee's legitimate oversight interests."
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Rep. Elijah Cummings hears from Rep. Dennis Kucinich during a House Oversight Committee hearing on June 20, 2012.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, raised another question after the president invoked the privilege.
"Until now, everyone believed that the decisions regarding 'Fast and Furious' were confined to the Department of Justice. The White House decision to invoke executive privilege implies that White House officials were either involved in the 'Fast and Furious' operation or the cover-up that followed," said Boehner's press secretary Brendan Buck. "The administration has always insisted that wasn't the case. Were they lying, or are they now bending the law to hide the truth?"
Rep. Cummings of Maryland, the committee's ranking Democrat, had a different take. He said Issa could have settled the matter with Holder reasonably but has instead resorted to "partisan and inflammatory personal attacks."
The likelihood of a contempt vote rose after Holder and Issa failed to reach agreement Tuesday in a 20-minute meeting at the Capitol.
During the committee's year-and-a-half-long investigation, the department has turned over 7,600 documents about the conduct of the Fast and Furious operation. However, because Justice initially told the committee falsely the operation did not use a risky investigative technique known as gun-walking, the panel has turned its attention from the details of the operation and is now seeking documents that would show how the department headquarters responded to the committee's investigation.
In Fast and Furious, agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Arizona abandoned the agency's usual practice of intercepting all weapons they believed to be illicitly purchased. Instead, the goal of gun-walking was to track such weapons to high-level arms traffickers, who had long eluded prosecution, and to dismantle their networks.
Just as a House Committee is expected to vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, President Barack Obama has asserted executive privilege over the documents sought by this group. NBC's Pete Williams reports.
Gun-walking has long been barred by Justice Department policy, but federal agents in Arizona experimented with it in at least two investigations during the George W. Bush administration before Fast and Furious. These experiments came as the department was under widespread criticism that the old policy of arresting every suspected low-level "straw purchaser" was still allowing tens of thousands of guns to reach Mexico. A straw purchaser is an illicit buyer of guns for others.
The agents in Arizona lost track of many of the weapons in Operation Fast and Furious. Two of the guns that "walked" in the operation were found at the scene of the slaying of U.S. border agent Brian Terry.
Holder and Issa met for 20 minutes Tuesday but failed to resolve the dispute.
Issa wanted the documents immediately. Holder told reporters he would not turn over documents on the gun-smuggling probe unless Issa agreed to another congressional briefing on the Justice Department material. Holder wanted an assurance from Issa that the transfer of the records would satisfy a subpoena from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which Issa heads.
"If we receive no documents, we'll go forward" with a contempt vote, Issa told reporters.
If the committee votes to recommend that Holder be held in contempt of Congress, its recommendation would go next to the full House for a vote although House leaders are not required to call it up for a vote. They could instead use the threat of that to press for renewed negotiations.
Historically, at some point Congress and the president negotiate agreements to settle these disputes, because both sides want to avoid a court battle that could narrow either the reach of executive privilege or Congress' subpoena power.
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Ordinarily, deliberative documents like those Issa is seeking are off-limits to Congress. In Operation Fast and Furious, the Justice Department's initial incorrect denials are seen as providing justification for the additional demands.
Issa and the House Republican leadership have asked whether the department's initial denial in a Feb. 4, 2011, letter to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, was part of a broader effort to obstruct a congressional investigation.
The material "pretty clearly demonstrates that there was no intention to mislead, to deceive," Holder told reporters.
After executive privilege was asserted, the committee moved ahead with discussion of the contempt citation.
Issa said that "more than eight months after a subpoena and clearly after the question of executive privilege could have and should have been asserted, this untimely assertion ... falls short of any reason to delay today's proceedings."
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, said a vote should be postponed.
"The administration has the constitutional right to claim executive privilege and refuse to produce those documents," Kucinich said. "It would be a shame to produce a titanic contest between two branches of government."

Sunday, June 17, 2012

PRESIDENT OBAMA


Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on Fear and Racism in America

ROSEWOOD


The Rosewood massacre was a violent, racially motivated conflict that took place during the first week of January 1923 in rural Levy County, Florida, United States. At least six blacks and two whites were killed, and the town of Rosewood was abandoned and destroyed during what was characterized as a race riot. Racial disturbances were common during the early 20th century in the United States, reflecting the nation's rapid social changes. Florida had an especially high number of lynchings in the years before the massacre, including a well-publicized incident in December 1922.

Rosewood was a quiet, primarily black, self-sufficient whistle stop on the Seaboard Air Line Railway. Spurred by unsupported accusations that a white woman in nearby Sumner had been beaten and possibly raped by a black drifter, white men from nearby towns lynched a Rosewood resident. When black citizens defended themselves against further attack, several hundred whites combed the countryside hunting for black people, and burned almost every structure in Rosewood. Survivors hid for several days in nearby swamps and were evacuated by train and car to larger towns. Although state and local authorities were aware of the violence, they made no arrests for the activities in Rosewood. The town was abandoned by black residents during the attacks. None ever returned.

Although the rioting was widely reported around the country, few official records documented the event. Survivors, their descendants, and the perpetrators remained silent about Rosewood for decades. Sixty years after the rioting, the story of Rosewood was revived in major media when several journalists covered it in the early 1980s. Survivors and their descendants organized to sue the state for having failed to protect them. In 1993, the Florida Legislature commissioned a report on the events. As a result of the findings, Florida became the first U.S. state to compensate survivors and their descendants for damages incurred because of racial violence. The massacre was the subject of a 1997 film directed by John Singleton. In 2004, the state designated the site of Rosewood as a Florida Heritage Landmark.

Rosewood (Spike Lee-John Singleton) - Racism in America

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Crush On Obama

Are You In? — Barack Obama

Are You In? — Barack Obama   
       
Remember how far we’ve come.

From the Academy Award® winning director of An Inconvenient Truth:

The Road Weve Traveled