Supermax prison: Obama's books objectionable
By MATTHEW BARAKAT – 5 days ago
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALe...

…..” Last year, Abu Ali requested two books written by Obama: “Dreams from My Father” and “The Audacity of Hope.”
“But prison officials, citing guidance from the FBI, determined that passages in both books contain information that could damage national security.
“A prison spokeswoman referred questions to the FBI, where a spokeswoman was looking into the matter Thursday evening.
“The documents detailing the prison's rejection of Obama's books are included in court papers for a resentencing hearing scheduled later this month for Abu Ali, a U.S. citizen.
“The rejection is just one indication of the harsh conditions imposed on inmates at the supermax prison, according to Abu Ali's lawyer, Joshua Dratel …”

but I haven't seen much about it elsewhere. The kids getting kicked out of the pool made longer headlines, and should have. But this story and the story of the Chicago cemetery should also have bigger play. By the way, please forgive my lack of url-fu.

Supermax prison: Obama's books objectionable
By MATTHEW BARAKAT – 5 days ago
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALe...

…..” Last year, Abu Ali requested two books written by Obama: “Dreams from My Father” and “The Audacity of Hope.”
“But prison officials, citing guidance from the FBI, determined that passages in both books contain information that could damage national security.
“A prison spokeswoman referred questions to the FBI, where a spokeswoman was looking into the matter Thursday evening.
“The documents detailing the prison's rejection of Obama's books are included in court papers for a resentencing hearing scheduled later this month for Abu Ali, a U.S. citizen.
“The rejection is just one indication of the harsh conditions imposed on inmates at the supermax prison, according to Abu Ali's lawyer, Joshua Dratel …”

but I haven't seen much about it elsewhere. The kids getting kicked out of the pool made longer headlines, and should have. But this story and the story of the Chicago cemetery should also have bigger play. By the way, please forgive my lack of url-fu.

I'll bet you can't wait to see “Black in America 2.” <<<eye roll>>>

If not a living will, then MAKE YOUR WISHES KNOWN.

Coburn + Congressional Subpeona = Testify or Be Locked UP in the Senate Jail.

And remember to change beneficiaries when changes happen in the family. Special needs trusts differ from state to state, but if you have a family member who has special health care needs, you should check with a knowledgeable attorney on how to set up a trust.

Have a will even if the only thing you own is a car. And please, PLEASE, Let people know where your papers are. Insurance, deeds, birth/marriage/death certificates, military discharge papers, etc.

I had an uncle who was a funeral director, and there is nothing worse than folks being in mourning but frantic at the same time 'cause they can't find Daddy's insurance paper… Auntie said she owned this house… Now you know Paul ain't never divorced that heifer…

OOOoooh, I could write a movie script from some of the stories he would tell.

Why you make me spit out my tea? Now, I gotta clean the computer screen.

Damn.

http://tinyurl.com/n8q5zy

“Speaking of life after your political career tanks, l'Affaire Ensign had been briefly overshadowed by Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) and his taxpayer-funded search for a love ranch on the pampas so he could be with his Argentine girlfriend. But last week it zoomed back to the forefront.

In fact, Sen. John Ensign's sexual affair with former campaign staffer Cynthia Hampton, the wife of his former chief of staff — and news last week that the Nevada Republican's parents magnanimously gave the Hamptons $96,000 “out of concern” for the couple and their kids — now looks a far better bet to get us through the traditional summer news doldrums.

However, even though Ensign himself claimed “extortion” to describe Doug Hampton's requests for money, it is unclear whether anyone in the prosecutorial world is actually taking a hard look at the goings-on.

Everyone's conduct in the matter may raise questions, we were told, but it is far from clear whether there is sufficient basis to initiate a criminal investigation. (There's still the matter of an alleged severance payment to Cynthia Hampton by Ensign of at least $25,000. That payment was not reported, as required by law, to the Federal Election Commission.)

It's also unclear if there is going to be any action by the fearsome Senate ethics committee. A potentially key witness, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), is a close friend of Ensign's and urged him to end the affair. But Coburn said last week he would “never” testify before the committee or in court. He noted that he counseled Ensign “as a physician” — Coburn is an obstetrician and gynecologist — and as an “ordained deacon,” and therefore could not be compelled to testify because of doctor-patient privilege and religious privilege.

That seems pretty conclusive to us — after all, if a guy can't trust his OB-GYN, who can he trust? But some lawyers think neither assertion, though quite creative, would stand up in court. (There's little chance at this point that the committee will haul Coburn in to testify, with or without some goofy claim of privilege.)

Even so, Coburn's got other options, perhaps better ones, we were advised. He could hustle on out and get a law degree real quick, then claim retroactive attorney-client privilege — a recognized and formidable barrier to compelled testimony. To be absolutely bulletproof, however, he may want to marry Ensign — they'd have to travel to Iowa — and then rely on the ironclad spousal privilege.”