Friday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 09:37:14 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)

Share This: Digg!

It's been a busy work day and I'm just getting online for the first time since this morning.

There's no verdict yet in the retrial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

After years of avoiding the Casey Anthony case for lack of interest, I actually listened to an hour of testimony on Headline News as I was driving home from the jail -- probably because some commenters here have expressed an interest and I know nothing about the case. [More..]

It was just crime scene testimony by experts about bugs and maggots, the location of duct tape and some things about hair -- all very technical. I had no visuals, but from the audio, I thought the defense attorney had a nice style and asked questions in a way that allowed a lay person to understand the subject and relevance.

I thought the two expert witnesses I heard were good. They didn't argue or get defensive under cross-examination, they just pleasantly answered the questions, conceding "Yes it's possible" to a question about an alternative theory, realizing their concession doesn't invalidate their opinion.

The prosecutors may have been disappointed, though, if they were trying to establish the experts' opinion as irrefutable fact.

The prosecutor objected more than the defense during my listening time, but in a quiet way. And while he spoke too quietly for me to make out his objections, I could tell what they were from the judge's response. Things like lack of foundation or outside the scope of direct examination or the area of expertise of the expert. Example: the prosecutor objected that the expert who found the maggot in the trash bag wasn't qualified as an entomologist to testify about the life span of maggots (even though on direct he said the maggot was in the late phase of its life cycle) so the defense shouldn't be asking him such questions. To which the defense asked to lay a foundation and the expert said he had taken an entomology course. (The problem may have been more that the expert didn't see the maggot inside the trunk but in the trash bag a long time afterwards, so how would he know when the maggot entered the late phase, but I'm not sure about that.)

The judge seemed even-handed in ruling on the objections. He also allowed recross and redirect of the same witness a few times -- unusual for late on a Friday afternoon in my experience. Everyone wants to go home by then.

Of course it's not possible to assess a trial that's lasted weeks by listening to an hour of testimony on what could be minor points, especially when I don't have a clue as to the facts of the case, but it does seem to be serious trial with competent participants. I would have expected by late Friday afternoon, the lawyers and judge would be fairly fried from the week's proceedings, but it doesn't seem like they were.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome

< What She Said | Anthony Weiner to Take Leave, Seek Treatment >

Legal

Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice. TalkLeft does not give legal advice.

TalkLeft is not responsible for and often disagrees with material posted in the comments section. Read at your own risk.

Friday Night Open Thread | 68 comments (68 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

Forgotten hero... (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by desertswine on Fri Jun 10, 2011 at 11:08:56 PM EST

Clara Luper dies. The sad thing is that the ideals she lived for are under attack again.

Can we eliminate all of his benefits instead (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by MO Blue on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 07:56:31 AM EST

Talk about a disgusting human being.

So Joe Lieberman is proposing that we raise the Medicare eligibility age. That's a truly cruel idea; as it happens, I know several people who are hanging on, postponing needed medical care, hoping that they can make it to 65 before something terrible happens. And if I know such people in my fairly sheltered social circles, just imagine how widespread such stories must be. Krugman
There are a ton of people like that and with this job market there are likely to be a whole lot more to come. If you lose your job, you lose your insurance and if you lose your insurance over the age of 55 it's very expensive to buy it. Now, the new health care plan will eventually end things like denial for pre-existing conditions and rescission, but it's not going to help with those expensive premiums for quite some time (if ever.) And people over 55 tend to start having some health problems which make those premiums more expensive. digby

I had group employee retirement health insurance and the year before I became eligible for Medicare more money was going out for premiums and deductibles than was coming in. No way I could have survived financially if I had to operate under this system for years.

BTW for those who have forgotten, Obama's insurance legislation allows premiums for people over 50 to be substantially higher. IIRC it is 3 times higher.

It's the only reason my Moms... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 08:57:14 AM EST

is still working, the health insurance through her job. Otherwise she'd be retired w/ partial SS benefits. We could probably swing it for her if not for backbreaking healthcare costs. It sucks.

Krugman is right...all too common tale. It's one thing if we're really broke and we have no choice to raise the age. But we can't know if we're really broke until we end the occupations and foreign bombing campaigns, abolish the DEA and several other useless or non-priority acronyms, pardon mad prisoners...all the harmful and wasteful spending. Then and only then is it prudent to consider such drastic measures that have a tremendous detrimental effect on people's lives.

After working for a company for (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by MO Blue on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:29:01 AM EST

25 years, I was forced into early retirement. The company also structured their share of the premium for retirement insurance to a fixed dollar amount rather than a percentage of the premium. In three years, the premium went from under $50 a month with low co-pays and no deductible to $459 a month for a policy that had fairly high deductibles.

These people who are saying people live longer and can stay in the work force longer are purposely not looking at the reality of companies finding ways of getting rid their older employees in their 50s so that they can save on salaries and benefits. Many of then find themselves in the position of not being able to find comparable positions and often being denied low paying jobs without benefits because they are over qualified. The policies being pursued by both parties will ensure that corporations and the rich become even more obscenely wealthy and more and more of the lower 98% descent to abject poverty. If there is a hell, I'm sure that their is a special place reserved for them for their actions.

: Yep... (none / 0) (#15)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:58:26 AM EST

I'm seeing the older employees being shown in companies I deal with at work. Replaced by younger folks with no firsthand knowledge of what decent pay and benefits those jobs once offered...happy for a gig, any gig.

kdog, please check your email (5.00 / 1) (#47)
by caseyOR on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 05:13:56 PM EST

for an important missive from your captain. :-)


More of this poor excuse for a human being's (none / 0) (#52)
by MO Blue on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 07:31:24 PM EST

"fixes" for Medicare.

And the rest of his ideas in this op-ed are really not much better. He wants to shift costs to seniors by adding co-pays to Medicare and increasing premiums to 35% of program costs. He also wants to "reform Medigap," which he says leads to overutilization, and he wants to raise additional taxes on the wealthy to pay for the program. But what Lieberman fails to address are delivery system reforms that would, at the root, attack overstuffed provider payments. Notice who Lieberman puts the burden on in his reforms: patients. Notice who he leaves out. He wouldn't allow Medicare to negotiate for prescription drugs to lower costs. He wouldn't put dual eligibles into Medicaid, to provide similar care to patients with lower provider costs for the government to pay. He wouldn't touch reimbursement rates. He wouldn't further phase out Medicare Advantage, the private insurance alternative to Medicare.
In other words, Lieberman's plan lets all the industries around health care off the hook. And given that he has represented the interests of the Connecticut insurance and pharmaceutical industries throughout his entire career, none of this is surprising. link

: Note Lieberman does not want gov't negotiating w/ (none / 0) (#66)
by jawbone on Sun Jun 12, 2011 at 09:19:46 PM EST

pharmaceutical companies on drug prices. Gee, wonder why that was left out....
And, why is he so concerned that people who pay private insurers for supplemental plans use those plans? Does he feel private for-profit insurers are entitled to, well, ever more profits? I mean, it's not like he's not from insurance company HQs up there in CT, and they've lined his political donations pockets for years and now he wants to return the favors? Or just help his wife's company? (Surely, no conflict of interests in that family.)
Probably he feels it's wrong for the Medicare plan to make things easier for seniors to figure out what to purchase by having the same mandatory offerings over a range of affordability options.
And...he must be Obama's --or Pete Peterson's?-- stalking horse on this.
Time to shoot this trial balloon down and shred it.
What an odious politician.

I find your comment confusing (none / 0) (#53)
by MO Blue on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 07:49:15 PM EST

My friend has catastrophic coverage and her deductible is $10,000. My deductible under an employee retirement plan prior to going on Medicare was approximately 3 times your stated deductible of $700. That $700 is also lower than the Medicare deductible of Part A: (pays for inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, and some home health care) For each benefit period Medicare pays all covered costs except the Medicare Part A deductible (2011 = $1,132) during the first 60 days and coinsurance amounts for hospital stays that last beyond 60 days and no more than 150 days.

Somehow the idea that if you personally have really horrible insurance then it is O.K. to bring everyone else down to your level whether they can afford it or not is troubling to me. It seems that it would be much better if those who can afford good medical care would demand that everyone receive affordable health care not junk insurance that that forces them to pay more than their actual income for actual care.


: I was looking at insurance just yesterday (none / 0) (#56)
by nycstray on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 10:01:00 PM EST

since I'm going back to school and can get 'student insurance'. I had to lol at BC/BS. Their deductibles on all were 3-5k. And it wasn't that affordable (if you're a student). Thankfully, there are options that resemble me actually being able to go to the doctor and it's affordable.
BC/BS thinks students can actually afford insurance that offers very little care and will cost them that much (with the deductible)? In some cases, the out of pocket max was lower than the deductible, but of course, didn't include the deductible :P

Sending more loving thoughts (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:05:49 AM EST

to Jeff in Alabama. We can't imagine what it would be like to not be able to see your own child simply because they had "been out of country too long". How can there be such a thing out there taking away American's civil rights? You run the risk of not being able to be the parent that you are if your child is living out of country?

Also, with Alabama's new immigration laws (none / 0) (#7)
by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:08:23 AM EST

my husband said that he was glad that we all had a military I.D. As for everyone else down here, wow....better keep the tanning to a minimum. Our daughter gets very dark, she has an olive undertone. Her nickname was "bean" when she was little and in the summer I called her "coffee bean".


: Contemporary poet... (none / 0) (#13)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:37:55 AM EST

Ryan Bingham speaks for me...Hey Hey Hurray!

Hey hey what can you say you might head out to Californ-i-a
Think you got you something to say, who knows who cares anyway
Oh no don't make a stand you might piss off the government man
He might put a pistol in your hand, put you on a boat to go play in the sand
Sand castles in the sky, Jimmy's gonna play when I die
Face first in the mud, don't talk back cause he's got a gun
On the road driving fast, see how long your heart can last,
Can that gypsy see your past, save your ass from the devils wrath
Hell no, I won't go, I'm gonna roll bones with the devil you know,
Take all of his silver and gold, put it in the hands of the poor folks
Hey hey what can you say, is Wal-Mart squeezing out your brain,
Whipping your ass with a restaurant chain, pumping that poison in your vein,
Tell the blind that they will see, but they can't afford that pharmacy,
Cut 'em down if they don't agree, do you really care what a sick man needs
Down on the ground you freaked out clown, can't be saying them things out loud,
Better off turning that smile to a frown, hands on your head till you all calm down
Hey hey what do you say,
Is everybody scared of the man these days,
Scared to be you, scared to be me,
Scared to believe that you can see,
People in need, dying of disease
Oh know where do you go, blisters on your feet with your frozen toes,
Preacher man trying to save your soul, teaching you things you already know
Hey hey what can you say, the cops will taser all of your brains,
Can't be saying those crazy things, ain't enough money in change these days,
Corporate money singing jing a ling, won't you believe in the president's ways,
Give your rights away and say hurray
Hey hey what can say, they pulled the plug on your membrane,
Back to the streets with dope to blame, putting your voice back in its place
Hey hey what can you say, you think that they can change their ways,
I bet they can if they get paid, Prozac will come save the day
Hey hey what can you say, the big man spends your hard earned pay,
Yellow brick roads have turned to clay, choking blue collars to a dollar a day
Hey hey what can say, shut your mouth or get the way,
Speak your mind or go insane, it's a choice that you can make
How long can you get a long, do ya really need to drop them bombs,
Write your words down on a bong, roll that joint and smoke this song

iowa caucuses (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by The Addams Family on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:16:33 AM EST

For decades, Iowa has served as the official kickoff for the presidential campaign, providing the first real test for candidates hoping to win their way to the White House. But there are signs that its influence on the nominating process could be ebbing. . . .

an excellent development

good riddance, iowa caucuses

: It IS an excellent development (none / 0) (#32)
by sj on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 01:19:06 PM EST

According the article, Iowa will likely be a destination for all the tea partiers. May they all go down the hole together.
And can I say I loved this?

And there is still concern among some in Iowa that the party's conservative base may yet scare away candidates who are not seen as worthy of support.
"We look like Camp Christian out here," Doug Gross, a Republican activist and former nominee for governor, said earlier this year. "If Iowa becomes some extraneous right-wing outpost, you have to question whether it is going to be a good place to vet your presidential candidates."
Not directly in the article you referenced, but which provided a handy little link.

: That's for the Republicans. It's still (none / 0) (#54)
by tigercourse on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:25:50 PM EST

aflicting us.

: Good riddance to all caucuses (none / 0) (#72)
by hairspray on Tue Jun 14, 2011 at 09:42:04 AM EST

They are patently unfair. Anyone who read the report called caucuses vs primaries (my copy is gone) so google it, understands the nature of the game with the caucus system. Its a relic of the old backroom political game.

How To Be a One-Termer, by Barack Obama (5.00 / 2) (#29)
by Dadler on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 12:59:36 PM EST

June 11 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said the private sector must take the lead in creating jobs as the as the economy recovers, with the government assisting by making sure workers have the necessary skills.
"Government is not, and should not be, the main engine of job-creation in this country," Obama said in his weekly address on the radio and Internet. "That's the role of the private sector."

If these are not the words of an economic conservative, of a de-facto economic Republican, and a guy begging to lose, then I don't what would be.

A sane person, a person who wanted to help solve the problem, who wanted to keep their job, would say something like this: "Sometimes the government has to step in and create demand, thereby creating jobs, when the private sector is damaged or dysfunctional and/or still recovering from the crime spree it sort of survived. In other words, sh*t happens, and when it does we don't stand around and do nothing. When was the last time someone drowning was helped by being thrown a sack of bricks?"

He's done if this is his act. Done. Finished, and it won't be as close as you think.

Earth to Obama, earth to Obama...

Scoot over to the orange (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by nycstray on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 01:11:05 PM EST

and see how his weekly address went over on the FP ;)

but hey! we can now go get a degree in manufacturing skills for those non existent manufacturing jobs . . . .


: He must be talking about... (none / 0) (#34)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 01:30:43 PM EST

a tutoring program run by the 3-card monty guys outside the Port Authority, Grifting 101. Masters programs downtown on Wall for the more promising students.

: I couldn't believe that manufacturing (none / 0) (#61)
by MO Blue on Sun Jun 12, 2011 at 06:44:48 AM EST

gambit. After incurring large debts to obtain those degrees are the students going to be able to work for pennies in the countries where the U.S. has outsourced those manufacturing jobs.
Maybe the companies want to gear up for the time when they with the help of our government have pushed U.S. wages down to the level of the Chinese workers and the manufacturing jobs return.

There are many things that I can do, have done. (4.67 / 3) (#2)
by Gerald USN Ret on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 07:56:26 AM EST

There are many skills I have and patience during trying times is is one I have exercised many times. On ship and off, I never asked a man to do anything that I wouldn't do and in fact probably had done at least once if for no other reason than to experience it and better understand how to direct other people to do it well.

And before some of you get excited, I speak of getting nasty sooty, greasy with engines, of getting mucky with the bilge or pumps, of actually going overboard and cleaning a hull in filthy water to check on a repair.

And having said that as a testament to my strength of character and purpose, I then have to state there is no way in hell or high water I could sit and watch a trial about some insane person killing their precious children.

My knee jerk reaction would be just to toss them live into a very very deep hole, cover it up and get away from the scene quickly.

So anyway, I salute you on your fortitude.

I can see you in the voir dire part (5.00 / 3) (#4)
by Raymond Bell on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 08:31:12 AM EST

of the jury selection now.

"I've done real manly things, but I can't serve on this jury."


: Raymond, you are correct. (none / 0) (#9)
by Gerald USN Ret on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:18:04 AM EST

I would truthfully say "that from past experience I don't believe I could keep focus on the details of this terrible thing well enough to do a proper job on the jury."
Now having said that, if the judge and lawyers want me to suffer then they can seat me and make me stay there, and I will not run away physically but I admit that I would expect to have great difficulties keeping my mind on the proceedings.
I can do brief terrible things like hunt around in a "full" toilet to find a dropped wedding ring. My wife couldn't. Or even worse give my first born baby one of those anal glycerine suppositories and hold it in until and also while the worse smells and stuff that I have ever experienced in my life or my nightmares came out. We always had a supply of prune juice thereafter.
But to sit on a jury day in and day out while the remains of the cadaver, of a child killed by her mother, are discussed is beyond me.
[[I plead guilty!]] You got me! I am a sissy!!

Weiner may be toast now! (none / 0) (#10)
by Gerald USN Ret on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:22:53 AM EST

This out of RadarOnline just now.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/06/weiner-underage-girl-twitter-facebook-new-castle-polic e-investigation

By Alexis Tereszcuk
Radar Staff Reporter

Weinergate may have just crossed the line.

Police questioned a 17-year-old girl on Friday to ask her about her online communications with Representative Anthony Weiner, who has admitted that he had "inappropriate" relationships with at least six women, but said he thought all of them were over 18.

PHOTOS: Top Celebrity Sex Scandals

Two officers from the New Castle County Police Department went to the home of the high school junior at 4:30 p.m. local time to question the girl and her mother, according to FoxNews.com. A third officer arrived a short time later.

"I'm doing OK," the girl reportedly said.

PHOTOS: Sexy Sex Tape Celebs

The police officers left the house after about 30 minutes and were followed by the girl and her mother, who left in their own car. It was not clear if the girl and her mother were going to continue the conversation at another location.

The girl allegedly followed Congressman Weiner on Twitter after seeing him speak during a school trip to Washington DC on April 1. A source said Weiner began following her on Twitter and sent her a direct-message on April 13, but the details of their communication have not been released.

Congressmen aren't allowed (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by gyrfalcon on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:37:01 AM EST

to communicate with people under 17 now? Is that a new rule?

Weiner had occasional exchanges with hundreds, probably thousands of people through Twitter. All but a handful were, um, unremarkable.

There's no evidence, no testimony, no indication whatsoever that there was anything inappropriate in his exchanges with this girl.


How noble G-Falc... (none / 0) (#14)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:51:22 AM EST

but the reality is "weiner" and "17 year old girl" in the same sentence = exploding heads. We can wrap this case up I think.

And has been pointed, Jane Female 16 on the internet could be Joe Male 56 in real life, or vice versa...so I guess we all have to assume we are all minors now. I'm really an 86 year old nun btw:)


Noble? (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by gyrfalcon on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 11:03:43 AM EST

Not getting your point.

Of course the media's going to go nuts about the 17-yo, and they have, but nobody with an ounce of common sense would if there's no indication -- and there isn't -- that there was anything untoward about the communication.

As you point out, it's impossible to know how old somebody on the Internet is, so it's still possible he did something naughty with somebody underage pretending to be an adult. But really, yawn.


I meant noble of you... (5.00 / 1) (#23)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 11:25:07 AM EST

to expect evidence and facts and stuff. Your decency and common sense..noble and far to rare qualities.

Nobody is looking past the headlines on this last media salvo...are resignations accepted on the weekends or does he have to wait till Monday? I think its a foregone conclusion now, and whether good or ill to be rid of Weiner, the way these things go down is bad news for the Union, imo.


Add... (none / 0) (#24)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 11:31:53 AM EST

it would be really cool if I'm wrong, and Weiner holds a press conference every day next week putting the system(s) on trial...hold no punches, call out the bullsh*t...its not like he's got any friends or connects anymore in politics, he's got less to lose by the minute...and somebody with a mic has gotta do it.

A "Have you no sense of decency sirs?" moment.


We can be sure that the media (5.00 / 1) (#25)
by Towanda on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 12:03:27 PM EST

will canvass all members of Congress to determine if any others ever have had correspodence with teenagers.

'Scuse me, while I go doublelock the doors, turn out all the lights, unplug the phone, and get out the sunglasses and big hat to hide out from media at my doorstep any minute now. When my progeny were underage, both had to contact their members of Congress.

That was considered a good civics lesson then. Are teachers across the country scrambling to come up with some other class exercise, lest they be brought up before their rabid-these-days school boards for moral turpitude, encouraging minors to contact their members of Congress?

(And, yes, our members of Congress replied, so they had better be on the run now, too.)


Exactly my thoughtline... (none / 0) (#26)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 12:14:47 PM EST

its getting past amusingly ridiculous to harmfully so...approaching dangerous hysteria.

Is every minor to ever come in contact electronic contact to be subjected to an invasive police interview? Though I suppose the family could have refused to cooperate, if that is still allowed...haven't checked recently. Not to mention the Fox hounds, with the rest of the media who envy their ratings to follow.


Add... (5.00 / 1) (#28)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 12:17:10 PM EST

does no one remember the McMartin case? Not to compare the severity of the innuendo and/or accusations, just what hysteria can do.


we are being played rather successfully (5.00 / 1) (#36)
by ZtoA on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 02:35:07 PM EST

We are being played. The "media" is being played. This is an attack and Weiner walked into it which was stupid, but the attack was set up and waiting. Apparently a virtual attacker has a much greater anonymity than a mark. It does not need to be a 'vast' right wing conspiracy, it only takes one who knows the system, games it, traps a witless victim, knows who to call to get the word out - like Breitbart, Fox, and the police. Is it being reported who exactly called the police to get them to go to that 17 year old girl's house? Fox was already there! Frankly I would really dislike seeing this attack result in the resignation of Weiner. Yes, Weiner was reckless and witless, but his resignation would legitimize this kind of attack.

"But even by the standards of modern politics, Dan Wolfe and other members of the #bornfreecrew watched Mr. Weiner's account with particular ferocity, and a sharp focus on his interactions with women. In several instances the congressman dropped his online contact with women after they were identified by the crew, suggesting that Mr. Weiner might have been aware of its actions."
.....Mr. Wolfe, whose account vanished from Twitter last Friday, has been one of the more mysterious characters in the congressman's saga, refusing to reveal his real name even to the other members of the #bornfreecrew. He joined Twitter on Jan. 6 and began posting multiple messages criticizing both Mr. Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
By March, Mr. Wolfe had more than 1,000 followers and was actively befriending fellow conservatives. Group members joined him in scrutinizing those whom Mr. Weiner was following and their Twitter profiles, and commenting if the person he followed was a young woman.
....On May 5, Mr. Wolfe told him that he had a friend who knew Matt Drudge who had said that a scandal involving a member of Congress was coming soon. The same day that Meagan Broussard, 26, of Texas, said that she had received an e-mail from Mr. Weiner with a photo she had asked him to take, while holding up a white piece of paper that said "me."

nyt link


: Does it matter (2.00 / 1) (#62)
by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jun 12, 2011 at 08:42:19 AM EST

who reports a crime?
Or does the crime matter?
And yes, I know Weiner committed no "crime." But his actions speak for themselves.

hope you're not driving (none / 0) (#18)
by The Addams Family on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 10:43:03 AM EST

& not because of your 86-year-old age


: Busted... (none / 0) (#19)
by kdog on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 10:58:19 AM EST

w&b warming up for MM&W while I putz around with my laundry and what not.
Mother Superior will be on the rails...no worries:) To dangerous on the roads with all the cops and everything anyways.

Everyone (none / 0) (#33)
by Makarov on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 01:19:08 PM EST

on the internet is a 14 year old boy.


What are the chances . . . (none / 0) (#17)
by nycstray on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 10:09:30 AM EST

FoxNews will harass her (and others) more than Wiener ever did . . . . .?


Fox was already in her home (none / 0) (#20)
by gyrfalcon on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 10:59:57 AM EST

when the police arrived to talk to her, from news reports.


: who (none / 0) (#45)
by ZtoA on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 03:48:09 PM EST

called the cops?

: No, it seems that (none / 0) (#68)
by gyrfalcon on Mon Jun 13, 2011 at 09:07:34 AM EST

some Breitbartian (note, no indication the man himself, just wannabes) types were feverishly going over his twitterings, discovered this girl and tracked her down. They presumably tipped off both Fox and the cops, but I don't know that for a fact.

The part that you left out (5.00 / 4) (#16)
by MO Blue on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 10:05:41 AM EST

"They were made aware of an alleged contact between Congressman Anthony Weiner and an area teen," said Officer Tracey Duffy, a New Castle County police spokeswoman. "The teen has been interviewed and disclosed no information regarding any criminal activity." link

: Indeed (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by gyrfalcon on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 11:04:49 AM EST

And note the gleeful exclamation point in the subject line. I'm afraid he's going to be disappointed by your news.

The girl's mother said there was nothing wrong or (5.00 / 2) (#67)
by jawbone on Sun Jun 12, 2011 at 09:27:55 PM EST

inappropriate in Weiner's tweets with her daughter; the police agree. It is horrible that the Wierner rightwing hate squad and the MCM (Mainstream Corporate Media) have involved this girl in this scandal. With no reason.

I woke up to NPR going over these seemingly sordid details, with the clarification about no inappropriate messages about midway through the report. But the emphasis was on Wiener tweeting a --gasp!!!-- 17 year-old girl. Who had tweeted him after she, apparently, attended a speech he gave, (iirc).

Surely there was enough bad stuff about Weiner to satiate the strongest lust for lurid details, but, I fear, they wanted to tar Weiner with pedophilia even though there was none.

Wow.


A guy so obsessed (none / 0) (#69)
by gyrfalcon on Mon Jun 13, 2011 at 09:08:58 AM EST

with adult females is pretty much by definition not a pedophile. (And consorting with a 17-yo ain't pedophilia, either, for that matter.)


: OK--I almost changed pedophilia, but didn't bcz (5.00 / 1) (#71)
by jawbone on Mon Jun 13, 2011 at 06:12:39 PM EST

pedophile was what the MCM wanted the public to think about Weiner when the story was reported.
I mean, there are people saying it is wrong for an adult to tweet to a 17 year-old! I'm...taken aback by that.

Plugging my friend's book of baseball verse (none / 0) (#27)
by Dadler on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 12:15:21 PM EST

Tased & Amused, a humorous poetic recap of the 2010 season. Makes a nice Father's Day Gift. Peace. (LINK)

Casey Anthony Trial (none / 0) (#30)
by 1980Ford on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 01:10:33 PM EST

Jeralyn, if you want to catch up with nothing but the facts, check out the Nancy Grace page. Just kidding. The Christian Science Monitor probably deserves a reward for sticking to the trial facts in fair reporting.

Casey Anthony trial: Can duct tape be a murder weapon?

To me, it is a Nancy Grace v The Truth case and that is what makes it so compelling. Also, the judge let in all kinds of first time expert testimony.

Now the prosecution claims duct tape is the murder weapon because there would be no other reason for duct tape to be on a body, but maybe it was there to keep bugs out. Anyone familiar with decomposition or "CSI" would want to avoid that if possible. In other words, instead of being the murder weapon, maybe duct tape was to protect the body for a while, which would explain the heart on the duct tape.

Nancy (none / 0) (#35)
by The Addams Family on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 02:25:01 PM EST

she's had it

It was announced that he was (none / 0) (#37)
by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 02:44:02 PM EST

"following" a teenager on twitter. No evidence of anything back and forth, but with what he was doing....."following" someone's teenager is enough. If he has had anything back and forth with any teenager, anything suggestive at all in any way, he's done and treatment will not save him in the public's eye. If more women come forward, I think he's done too. I think he's announcing that he's going into treatment though because it has been announced he was following a teenager and/or more women may come forward. What a dummy. Treatment was a smart move, but if this thing gets any worse....well. And people who do this stuff usually get pretty wild the more they do it.


what kdog said too (none / 0) (#38)
by The Addams Family on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 02:48:38 PM EST

& at this point it doesn't matter if Weiner is telling the truth about the nature of his contacts with the 17 year old because who will believe him


: his colleagues in Congress (5.00 / 2) (#43)
by The Addams Family on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 03:33:06 PM EST

can't trust him anymore
he continued to lie even to his mentor Chuck Schumer as late as 10 minutes before Monday's press conference
so he can say till he's blue in the face that there are no more shoes to drop but his credibility is shot
the 17 year old was the last straw because who can say there aren't more & even younger
Weiner can't say anything now & be believed even if what he says is true

: If I was her mother (5.00 / 2) (#50)
by Militarytracy on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 06:35:53 PM EST

I'd be upset at this point.

Re the 17-yr. old girl: (none / 0) (#44)
by oculus on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 03:47:53 PM EST

Weiner spokeswoman Risa Heller also said that Weiner's interactions with the girl "were neither explicit nor indecent."

Not exactly a complete denial of inappropriate virtual contact. Plus, the girl's computer has many deletions apparently.


My computer (5.00 / 1) (#51)
by sj on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 06:36:42 PM EST

has many deletions as well. Your point?


Depends on what was deleted, which (none / 0) (#59)
by oculus on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 11:41:38 PM EST

may soon be "recovered."


: I agree (none / 0) (#60)
by sj on Sun Jun 12, 2011 at 12:49:08 AM EST

but simply having stuff deleted is not shocking enough to make into an accusation. When and if something inappropriate is recovered then it's worth commenting about.

Note on the Anthony trial (none / 0) (#46)
by ruffian on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 04:33:55 PM EST

They are working n Saturdays too, to minimize the sequester time for the jury, so I'm sure they are all extra tired through the whole affair.

I happened to be driving downtown last night and saw all of the media tents, trucks, etc. No one was reporting at the time, but it was still so strange to see it all in sleepy downtown Orlando. I have not been downtown in the daytime with all the activity - may have to check it out just out of curiosity.

Judge Perry seems to be doing a good job, by all accounts I have heard. Keeping things under control while giving Ms Anthony time to recover her emotions when she needs it. He seems to be making every effort to give her a fair shake, as of course he should, both as a human being and a judge trying to avoid grounds for appeal. I can tell you most of this town would have had no problem dispensing with the bother of a trial. Except for the downtown hotels and restaurants - I'm sure they are happy for the business.

We have an office pool for the date of the verdict. I have July 15.

Appeal Issues? (none / 0) (#49)
by 1980Ford on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 05:47:53 PM EST

There could also be the decomposition band of the hair analysis, which also isn't widely accepted science.

Dear Judge Eaton: Do you think there are any appeal issues that may result in reversal of a conviction? -- Catlina, Bradenton, Fla.

Some of the potential issues on appeal will be: (1) admissibility of Dr. Vass' testimony on the results of the new and novel scientific test (the "sniff test"); (2) the admissibility of the defendant's statements to the police; (3) the admissibility of the statements recorded at the jail; (4) the opinions of the medical examiner; (5) the sufficiency of the evidence to establish premeditation (assuming the jury finds the defendant guilty); and (6) the admissibility of the evidence provided by the cadaver dogs. There will no doubt be others. I never predict the ruling of an appellate court. -- Judge O.H. Eaton


Witnesses in the courtroom before they testified (none / 0) (#55)
by loveed on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 09:56:26 PM EST

I think this is very unfair.The mother ,father,& brother are allowed in the courtroom for the entire trial. The three have testified several times. They are material witnesses, especially the father (accused of sexually abusing Casey,and disposing of the body). Also all the evidence points toward the father.
It's funny I only watched this trial to see if she got a fair trial,but now I'm intrigued.This is truly a whodunit
The prosecution has overtried this case(really a sniff expert he sniffed the wrong can,a bug expert paid more than $23,000 for a couple of flies,photo-shop film maker). There are so many "gotcha moments" against the prosecution(my favorite, the police did not see a machete,or a cleared path that led to the body.
Baiz is a really good lawyer.


What does the lack of a cleared path prove? (5.00 / 1) (#57)
by ruffian on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 10:24:38 PM EST

Walking into the woods to dump a body does not require clearing a path, or a machete. You are not making a hiking trail to it. That would defeat the purpose of hiding it.


The guy that found the body (none / 0) (#58)
by loveed on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 11:10:49 PM EST

Is accused of hiding the body for several months to increase the reward. Crump called the police 1st in august to report the body(he found out he had to call the hotline in order to receive it).2nd call in sept..He told several people he was going to be rich for finding Caylee.this is why we will never know how she died.
Her body was found very close to her home(less than a mile). There were hundred of people searching this area several times. The police searched several times.
There are alot of strange things going on in this case!!!!


Really strange considering Anthony's (5.00 / 1) (#64)
by ruffian on Sun Jun 12, 2011 at 01:06:34 PM EST

own lawyer says Caylee drowned in the pool. So did the meter reader find the body and hide it on the off chance it would increase the reward? Pretty quick thinking there for someone that does not come across as super bright.

Still don't know what the fact that there was not a path cut to the body proves either way.


: Money is always the motive (none / 0) (#65)
by loveed on Sun Jun 12, 2011 at 04:10:31 PM EST

The prosecution knows this body was moved, after being placed there. Who knows why he cut this path to the body. It's a fact that he visited this area several times between August an Dec. there are witnesses to this.
You are right, he is not that bright. But money will make you do stupid stuff.

: Do not take at face value (none / 0) (#70)
by gyrfalcon on Mon Jun 13, 2011 at 09:13:18 AM EST

the, er, alternate theories about what did or didn't happen and who knows or doesn't know what being offered in comments to this blog.

The Belmont! (none / 0) (#48)
by lilburro on Sat Jun 11, 2011 at 05:20:48 PM EST

Everyone loves Master of Hounds right now for some reason. But Animal Kingdom was a strong closer during the Preakness...I think I'm gonna go with him.

: Put them back in the gate (none / 0) (#63)
by CoralGables on Sun Jun 12, 2011 at 10:59:32 AM EST

Run it again and you probably have yourself a winner. Animal Kingdom ran big after a less than fortuitous start.