H.R. 45, called “Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009” is being brought to us by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL). Simply put, the law will require a license to own a “qualifying” firearm. A qualifying firearm is defined as every handgun as well as any semi-auto firearm that has a “removable magazine.”

If the bill becomes law, every one of us who already owns a qualifying firearm must apply for a special federal license in order to keep the firearm and stay within the law.

I’ll get into more about the bill later, but first let’s take a look at Rep. Bobbie Rush, the man responsible for this travesty. Following are a few selected tidbits from his biography.

The Author/Sponsor

First elected to the house in 1992, he represents Illinois 1^st Congressional District, located principally on the South Side of Chicago – yes, another Chicago politician. His district is a minority-majority district and has a higher percentage of African Americans (65%) than any other congressional district in the nation.

He enlisted in the army in 1963 and joined the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (remember them?) in 1966 while stationed in Chicago.

He went AWOL in 1968 and co-founded the state’s Black Panther Party. His connection to the Black Panther Party began unraveling shortly after a 1969 police raid resulted in the death of two Black Panthers. Rush had left only hours before the raid. If you have any question about the Black Panthers’ ideology, try this link to their Ten-Point Program:

http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/1966/10/15.htm.

Isn’t it ironic that Bobby Rush, who supposedly was a co-founder of the Black Panthers, apparently doesn’t buy into Point 7 of his own Ten-Point Program in which it’s stated that, “The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States gives a right to bear arms. We therefore believe that all Black people should arm themselves for self-defense.”

I saw nothing in H.R. 45 exempting black folks from the licensing requirements – maybe Bobby expects to add an amendment to exempt New Black Panther Party members from its requirements?

Bobby Rush was the “defense secretary” of the black panthers. His own son was a gang banger who got himself killed. Bobby’s nephew killed a guy in a drug deal and in 1969 and Bobby himself served six months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm.

He introduced a bill in 1993 that would have banned handguns for anyone not in law enforcement.

He was a co-sponsor of legislation that calls for congressional hearings to weigh whether the government should provide restitution to descendents of slaves – also see Point 3, one of the tenets of the Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program.

The American Conservative Union gave his 2005 voting record 4 points out of a possible 100, while the liberal Americans for Democratic Action gave him 100 points (out of 100).

This is the man who was responsible for the introduction of H.R. 45 on the first day of the current session – thought you should know.

The Bill

Thanks to Bobbie’s publishing the link on the Message Board, the full text of the bill can be found at:

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h45/text

H.R. 45 is essentially a reintroduction of H.R. 2666, which Rush introduced in 2007.  H.R. 2666 contained much of the same language as H.R. 45, and was co-sponsored by sixteen well-known anti-gun legislators - including Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, Charlie Rangel, Barbara Lee, Dennis Kucinich, Alcee Hastings, and Jesse Jackson – the usual suspects.

H.R. 45 currently has no co-sponsors. 

The bill requires (under penalty of fines and/or imprisonment) each gun owner to apply for a special federal license. To secure the license, the applicant must supply a passport-type photograph, name, address, and place of birth, a thumb print, a certification that any firearm will be safely stored and out of possession of persons under the age of 18, an authorization by the applicant to release to the Attorney General or an authorized representative any mental health records pertaining to the applicant and finally, must be dated and signed by the applicant.

Next, the applicant must pass a written firearms exam, testing the knowledge and ability of the applicant regarding safe storage, safe handling, the use of firearms in the home and associated risks, the legal responsibilities of firearms owners as required by all applicable Federal, State, and local laws. And, as if that weren’t enough, any other subject as the Attorney General determines to be appropriate.

Then, if you manage to pass through all of the filters imposed by the bill, you’re issued a tamper-resistant license good for five years. The original fee for securing a license is “not to exceed” $25.00. There is no limit specified for a renewal – supposed they decided to increase the renewal fee to $1,000?

The bill makes it illegal to sell or receive, deliver or otherwise transfer, a qualifying firearm to anyone who is not a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, collector, or individual. A sale or transfer must go through a licensed dealer who verifies (through contact with the Attorney General) that the receiving party is licensed. A record of the sale or transfer must contain a tracking number issued by the Attorney General as evidence that the transaction has been verified through the licensing system.

The records created by a sale or transfer will include all information necessary to identify the firearm, the name of the individual who is transferring the firearm and the name of the transferee.

And get this - HR 45 has an innocent-looking line that says “strike the second sentence of 18 USC 926(a).” That's the line that says the federal government cannot make a central registry of gun owners. Simply by removing that line, H.R. 45 establishes a permanent national gun owner registry.

Criminal penalties range from fines (not specified) and/or two years imprisonment up to ten years imprisonment, depending on which provision was violated.

Under HR 45, if you can't pass a complex test written by the U.S. Attorney General, pay the fee, give up fingerprints and a biometric-capable photo of yourself (that can be turned into a digital facial-recognition number and used as a de facto national ID), every gun you own will become contraband and subject to confiscation, while you stand trial before imprisonment.

Now that the Supreme Court has made it clear in the Heller case that government can't ban guns, the Brady's have stopped saying they want to ban guns. So the virtually treasonous Bobby Rush bill doesn't ban guns, it bans gun owners, maybe by the millions. How many gun owners read poorly or don't test well? How many can't explain local, state and federal gun laws? They'd become prohibited possessors under HR 45. Are there any limits to what the AG can put on the test? The bill doesn't mention any - it gives the AG a free hand to include anything (what’s the square root of silly putty?).

And if there’s any question about Obama’s new Attorney General Eric Holder, he has already told the Supreme Court that a total gun ban in your own home is just fine and doesn't violate the Bill of Rights.

Maybe you've noticed that virtually none of this addresses criminals or crimes. Innocent gun owners are the target. This is about controlling the public and its private constitutionally protected property. Criminals are guaranteed to ignore the entire plan, and in fact, criminals CANNOT apply, since they can't possess firearms in the first place.

How much will it cost to implement and maintain the functionality of this bill while at the same time, effectively throwing out the 2^nd Amendment?

Some may think this hokey – obviously, I don’t. This post is an unabashed public “thank you” to all who have visited my blog, Pesky Truth – and especially to those who left comments.

While I can’t speak for all bloggers, I believe that the vast majority of us maintain a blog because we have something to say. In blogging, we now have a mechanism that allows us to publish our thoughts, our concerns, or even what makes us laugh - an opportunity that has only become widely available in recent years.

For me, I’d still write even without a public outlet. I find that the mere exercise of writing about a subject yields tangible benefits, not the least of which is usually research on, and analytical thought given to, details related to the subject. In other words, the exercise of creating a new post generally results in a more informed position on the subject.

So, even though I (we) do get personal satisfaction out of publishing a post on a subject about which I (we) feel strongly, it is much more rewarding to know that others are reading it. Whether readers agree or disagree, the feedback is important – and fun.

Since my first post on June 30, 2008, I’ve been pleased to see my readership increase. My first eleven posts got NO comments at all. Now, at least I have evidence that some are reading what I write – and that is very satisfying.

the currency exchange window at my local bank. There was a short line ... Just one lady in front of me.

She was an Asian lady who was trying to exchange yen for dollars,

and she was more than a little irritated.

She asked the teller, "Why it chane??

Yesterday, I get two huna dolla fo yen. Today I get Huna eighty??

Why it chane, why it chane?"

The teller shrugged his shoulders and said, "Fluctuations".

The Asian lady says, "fluc you white people, too".

It was obvious that he had taken quite some time to lovingly arrange them and she was immediately touched by the amount of thought he had put into organizing the display.

The following is a cut/paste of a post I published on July 22, 2008. In it, I postulated on how negotiations between then-candidate (now president) Obama and the leader of the Iranian HateAmericaOCrats, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, might transpire if they actually met face-to-face.

~~~

“Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has taken a hard line with the European powers and with the U.N. … and it’s working. He’s buying time; he knows that no one (short of Israel) is going to attack him. He can continue to thumb his nose at the world, with little chance of negative consequences. Even when countries are finally fed up with Iran’s posturing, the most he can expect will be a few additional sanctions.

Ahmadinejad won’t go to the bargaining table with Obama thinking that he’ll have to make concessions. He’ll go in with a hard-line position and wait to see what kind of “carrot(s)” Obama will offer so the negotiations could be touted as a “success.” Iran will be smart (from their perspective) to refuse to make any meaningful concession. Since Obama will yield, and make no mistake, Obama will yield. He’ll ease existing sanctions, send them a few billion “foreign aid” dollars, and give them nuclear power technology, if they’ll just refrain from developing a nuke.

They’ll agree, and Obama will revel in his own magnificence, believing that he’d shown the world that negotiation did work – he was right all along. He’d played showdown with Satan himself and won. People will see his face on burnt toast and in rock formations, and the faithful will pray to him. “Obama Akbar” will become a common salutation among the left, replacing “know wat ahm sayin?” in the vernacular.

But Iran will continue their program, fully aware that they’d faked Obama out of his shorts, and in another year or so, there’ll be a nuclear test. They’ve just upped the ante. Now what, President Obama? Negotiate some more?

If Israel doesn’t take them out first, it’s inevitable. And guess what? Obama will blame it all on Bush.”

~~~

This reprise was prompted by a story that I read today (2/2/2009) on Breitbart (by AFP, dated 1/31/2009), reporting that “Obama has begun discreet talks with Iran, Syria.” These were “high-level but discreet talks,” according to Jeffrey Boutwell, an official of the Pugwash group, an international organization of scientists which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995.

I believe that Obama will want something that he can claim as a success so badly that he will give Ahmadinejad anything short of keys to the honor bar. And something touted as a “success,” a “breakthrough,” or a “softening of Iran’s hard-line policy” will be announced, and that success will justify our relaxation of sanctions and whatever other concessions he used to buy the words.

This, notwithstanding Mahmoud’s latest rants calling for the U.S. to apologize for our transgressions, our “crimes” against Iran. I also believe that Obama will agree to wording of such an “apology” that Ahmadinejad can tout as “America apologizing” while at the same time, Obama will publicly deny that any such apology was issued.

Seriously, how great must Obama’s delusion of his own capabilities be to assume that he (Obama) can succeed when all of the experienced, high-level diplomats of the U.S., the European Union and the U.N. have failed to move Iran one millimeter off of its advancement towards becoming a nuclear power?

He won’t succeed, he’ll just be arrogant, egotistical, and naive enough to believe that he did and so will his mesmerized followers.

But Ahmadinejad knows better, and he’ll just keep on truckin’ until he has the bomb. Then the “fit will hit the shan” and Obama will  deny any responsibility and blame Boosh.

I stumbled upon a reference to Edgar Allen Poe’s Raven the other day and remembered my fond memories of the poem. In this case, “fond” is perhaps not exactly truthful – it seems that I was required to memorize the poem as punishment in high school for some long-forgotten action.

But, I’ve always marveled at the construction of the poem (the beat, if you will). It’s technically called “trochaic octameter” (whatever that means) and is pretty unusual in its formula – and difficult to mimic.

Following is an updated version of Poe’s masterpiece (admittedly, a hack job) as I finally had to say “nevermore.” I could go on for a few more days cleaning and polishing – making it better no doubt – but I’ve got to move on to other things.

Until what?

Until the end of the world as we know it, that’s what.

If we could count on it, we retirees could start spending money that we’d squirreled away. If that money wasn’t necessary to keep beans on the table for the next ten or twenty years or so, why not spend it? We can’t take it with us. And the result of that explosion of spending would be a financial kick in the pants for our economy.

Who knew … that all it would take was the end of the world to provide an economic boost to all of the economies on the planet?You can believe that the next four years would be different if we came to believe that on the twenty-first of December in 2012, our world would end.

Why would we need extended warranties? Twenty-year guaranteed water heaters or roofing shingles are no longer a good buy. Why not get married? It’s no longer a lifetime commitment. We wouldn't need term limits or 30-year mortgages, why diet, why exercise, why abstain from anything? If it feels good - DO IT! This could go on and on.

We’ve always had the “soothsayers” saying all manner of sooth about the imminent end of the world, so what’s different about this new year, 2012, and a specific date, December 21?

Probably more than you wanted to know – but surely enough to run a chill up your spine.

The following predictions/statements/facts, etc. do have a consistency of referencing the same year for all manner of catastrophes, with the mother of all catastrophes – the end of the world – as the centerpiece.

The Maya civilization, known for advanced writing, mathematics and astronomy, flourished for centuries in Mesoamerica. They developed a number of extremely accurate calendars, including a “long count” calendar which was used to identify dates far into their future – the calendar has been extremely accurate for 5,128 years since its beginning … only it ends on December 21, 2012. No more dates after that … it just stops … on December 21, 2012 (cue spooky music here).

On the Mayan Long Calendar the day designated as 4 Ahau 3 Kankin (13.0.0.0.0) falls on December 21, 2012 and this day will mark "El Fin de los Tiempos" or the end of the long cycle at which time humanity will experience a new beginning. On this day, according to the Mayas and subsequent Meso-American civilizations, the return of Kukulcan (Quetzalcoatl) will take place.

There is an incomplete inscription (Tortuguero Monument 6) that records this date. It is also to be found carved on the walls of the Temple of Inscriptions in Palenque, where it functions as a base date from which other dates are computed.

The ancient Mayan astronomers accurately predicted, over 1500 years ago, the precise alignment of the Earth, the Sun, the star cluster Pleiades and of the center of our Galaxy (Hunab Ku) that will take place at the end of the present long cycle on the Gregorian year 2012, on December 21^st, at 11:11 universal time.

Note that according to the U.S. Naval Observatory (the official timekeeper for the United States), the winter solstice in 2012 will occur at 11:11 UT on December 21 … exactly (more spooky music).

The Hopi Indians have a prophetic tradition dating back thousands of years. They believe that there were three previous worlds and the accounts of the ending of each of those worlds were as prophecy foretold. We are currently living in the “Fourth World” which the Hopis believe is the last world, and will be purged by fire (called the “Great Purification”). According to Hopi elders, events have already occurred that were said to be part of the “final stage” leading up to the Purification and end of the Fourth World. They say, the end is nigh.

The date December 22, 2012 is the End of the I Ching calendar according to Ethnobotanists and fractal time experts Terrence and Dennis McKenna. They present their ideas in “Invisible Landscape: Mind Hallucinogens and the I Ching” (1993). The McKenna brothers, by matching the levels of patterns with key periods in history, have identified the end of the I Ching time scale as December 22, 2012. This is the only point in which the level of novelty reaches its maximum, and everything that happens from that point on is new.

The term “novelty” is characterized as a culmination of multiple events, each of which is unusual and rare, coming together into an entirely new and unique event – never having before occurred.

Nostradamus and the Book of Revelations reference similar events that culminate in the 2012 timeframe – although not specific to the December date. These have to do with a comet or planet (or parts thereof) impacting with the earth, raining down fire from the sky. Nostradamus includes a reference to 45 degrees latitude in his “fire from the sky” quatrain – incidentially, New York City happens to be at 45 degrees latitude.

The Book of Revelations (chapter 8) speaks of a comet or planet that brings great destruction upon the world and triggers WW III. Revelations gives no specific date as to when this event will happen. But, the BIBLE CODE does seem to give a date when a previously unknown comet/planet will impact the Atlantic Ocean and flood NYC, between 2010 and 2012 AD.

According to the prophecies of St. Malachy, who was born in 1094, the line of Pontiffs has come to an end. St. Malachy, canonized by by Pope Clement III on July 6, 1199, undertook to list in advance the proper succession of Roman pontiffs from Celestine II to "the end of the world". St. Malachy prophesied that there would be 112 Popes after Celestine II. John Paul II was number 110. Pope Benedict XVI is the current pope at number 111. The next pope would be the "False Prophet" mentioned in St. John's Revelation and who will deliver the Roman Catholic Church to Satan. Number 112 will NOT be a legitimate Pope. He will be the "Grand Anti-Pope" or the Anti-Christ who is also known as the "Abomination that Causes Desolation" mentioned in Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11 and Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14.

In a recent report, NASA predicts a sharp increase in the number of sunspots and sun flares, peaking in 2012, said to surely cause electrical failures and satellite disruptions. The sun is currently near minimum on its 11-year activity cycle, the report explains, but is expected to produce solar storms that will increase in intensity and frequency as it approaches peak activity levels in 2012.

The NASA report warns that if the sun's activity over the next few years flares to the level of the May 1921 "superstorm" or the so-called Carrington event of 1859, a "perfect storm" that Space.com called "the most powerful onslaught of solar energy in recorded history," the U.S. may not be equipped to handle the damages.

The report listed possible cascading effects of a major solar storm as "disruption of the transportation, communication, banking and finance systems, and government services; the breakdown of the distribution of potable water owing to pump failure, and the loss of perishable foods and medications because of a lack of refrigeration." In addition, the researchers warn, "Emergency services would be strained, and command and control might be lost."

And what about the “coincidental” alignment of Sun, Moon and the earth - centered in the Milky Way galaxy on December 21, 2012? This is the alignment that was predicted by the Mayans over 1500 years ago. It is significant because gravitational release of hidden asteroids can take place.

That means that if there is a lose asteroid in a stealth path, it could deviate from its path and come towards the earth. The biggest problem with the terrestrial science is that we cannot see these stealth asteroids till they hit us or go past us.

There’s lots more from Edgar Cayce, Albert Einstein, and even Merlin (the sorcerer) but their predictions about polar shifting and fire raining down from the sky can be interpreted to fall into a 2012 timeframe, but there are no specific mentions of the year 2012.

Is any/all of this true?

It is true that these people actually said these things, that’s pretty well documented. It is not true that we can be assured that all of these predictions will happen. If you are intrigued by these theories, the Internet is a source of unending information (over 71,000,000 hits on “December 2012”).

I found the “coincidence” interesting – that so many had zeroed in on December, 2012 (never mind the 21^st) as a time of catastrophe on earth.

Will December, 2012 end up being like January, 2000 – a non-event?

Big Three Automakers Get Ultimatum

Detroit, MI, December 29, 2008

On Monday, sources close to the Obama administration-elect released details of a plan to transform the auto industry. To qualify for taxpayer bailout funding, the Big Three automakers would have to agree to a reorganization plan developed by the DNC brain-trust (an obvious oxymoron).

The plan calls for GM, Ford, and Chrysler to stop production of all current automobile models and instead re-tool for entirely new replacement products. The industry will be required to standardize on only three automobiles. Each “Victory Car” will be based on an older production model but be reduced in size – somewhat shorter and narrower, and be limited in power. The name “Victory Car” was chosen to celebrate the automobile industry’s victory over taxpayers.

Each company will build a single model. Each model will be designed to address a specific volume and price point. The low price/high volume model will be manufactured by Ford. The mid-priced/medium volume model will be built by Chrysler, and the high-priced/low volume vehicle will be produced by GM.

Standardizing on only three vehicles will allow companies to reduce production costs and become more profitable.

The low-end model (internally code named the “Bean”) would be based on the 1971 Ford Pinto. Ford still has the tools and dies for the Pinto, thereby reducing costs and enabling the company to begin production quickly. Briggs and Stratton has been selected to provide engines for the new Pinto Bean.

The second new model will re-employ assembly lines that previously produced the 1973 AMC Gremlin. After buying AMC in 1987, Chrysler moved the production facilities to a Guadalajara, Mexico plant where the Gremlin is still manufactured today under the name “Coche Malo” (which loosely translated means “crappy car”).

The third model will be based on a scaled-down version of a 1950 Buick Roadmaster. Complete with the trademark four portholes and toothy grille, the low volume auto will appeal to the discriminating buyer. The original Buick’s straight-eight engine and Dynaflow transmission will be replaced by an Evinrude V-4 making sixty horsepower and a Vespa scooter transmission. An eight-track tape player will be standard equipment on the luxury model.

Since the new downsized models will be shorter and narrower than contemporary automobiles, road lanes, bridges, and parking space requirements will be reduced, giving the effect of adding roadway and parking without any expenditure (other than re-striping).

The savings in fuel usage, highway accidents, and wear on the infrastructure is estimated to amount to $8.3 Billion.

The DNC has undertaken the responsibility to distribute the savings and has awarded itself a ten-percent consulting fee ($830,000,000) for developing the innovative plan with another ten-percent share going to president-elect Obama for his organizational skills during the plan’s development. As an inducement to Congress to pass the legislation, democrat party leaders have also proposed paying a ten-percent bribe bonus to each member of Congress to recognize their creativity and unity in writing and passing the landmark legislation.

When questioned on the arithmetic of awarding ten-percent shares to 537 recipients, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bristled at the suggestion that the plan “did not compute.” When reminded that there are only ten ten-percents in 100%, she flew into a rage, “The Republicans are just trying to confuse the public with arcane mathematics.” “That sounds like the same old George Bush fiscal mumbo-jumbo; he’s applying his trademark “fuzzy math” to scare ignorant citizens.”

Pelosi’s statement confirms that her intellectual brainpower does not exceed that of potato salad.

Jeff Foxworthy, the host of “Are You Smarter Than a 5^th Grader.” Has challenged Speaker Pelosi to come on his show and take the challenge. Vegas odds makers have established odds of 15-1 that Mrs. Pelosi will not be “smarter than a 5^th Grader.”

To test the “does not compute” theory, Pesky Truth put the question to Mrs. Krabappel’s 5^th Grade class at the Bart Simpson Talented and Gifted school. They calculated that there would be a shortfall of $437,410,000,000.

So, as is the norm in the world of democrat financial forecasts, there apparently would be a “small” discrepancy between funding and actual costs.

Speaker Pelosi concluded, “If, in the unlikely event that there is a shortfall, I would look to new sources of revenue to raise the funds necessary for a full distribution to all 537 participants.”

Ed. Note: The following is a related article, exposing some of Pelosi’s fund-raising ideas.

New Funding Sources Explored – A Tax That Stinks

Washington, D.C., January 2, 2009

Aides said that the Speaker Pelosi and Senate Leader Harry Reid already have been discussing expandifying (a Bushism) the federal tax on gasoline and adding a new luxury tax on either condoms or condominiums (the aide was unsure which). Senators Kerry and Kennedy have proposed a new environmental pollution fee for citizens caught releasing personal flatulence without first licensing offsetting flatus credits.

Sources suggest that the credits purchased to offset occasions of flatulence would be used to buy neighborhood-sized Air-Wick and Fabreeze air fresheners.

The gas penalty fee is an offshoot of one of former VP Al Gore’s creative proposals for a greener planet. The Gore proposal was based on a study showing that a fully mature, average sized human released an average of 500 ml. of flatulent gas (disbursed) during 14 events each day. The study also found that the flatus from 6.8 billion humans accounted for 3.4 Trillion liters of gas each year – a staggering (and malodorous) environmental pollutant. Thus, he proposed his “Penny a Puff” tax of one-half cent per “event.” Based on 14 events per day, the tax would cost approximately $25.55 annually for each person on the planet. Those third-world inhabitants unable to pay would be bailed out by the American taxpayer.

Feminists have vowed to demonstrate and to promote a national “Not Tonight, I Have a Headache” day to lobby for the exemption of females from the tax since women’s bodies are incapable of producing farts. Skeptical? Just ask any woman for confirmation.

Coincidentally, a single-source government contract has been awarded to a Washington, DC start-up called “Harness the Breaking Wind, LLC.”

Pesky Truth has learned that VP Gore, Senators Kerry, Kennedy, and Reid, and Speaker Pelosi are on the firm’s Board of Directors and that each owns twenty-percent of the company. The company will produce personal fart-scrubber devices that, when worn at all times, would exempt the taxpayer from the “Penny a Puff” tax.

A grassroots group has formed around Libertarian activist Pete Moss, who has formed a 501(c)(3) organization to promote a “Free the Flatus” agenda. The group believes that natural human gasses should not be confined, but should be allowed to roam unfettered in a free-range environment. Mr. Moss announced the organization’s slogan (“If You’ve Got the Smarts, Release the Farts”) at a recent press conference.

In a game of political chess, embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich named Roland W. Burris to fill president-Elect Obama’s remaining term as U.S. Senator – an obvious “in your face” move designed to befuddle the Illinois legislature as they continue to debate his impeachment.

There’s something that you should know about Roland W. Burris.

As state Attorney General, Burris sought the death penalty for a man named Rolando Cruz, who was convicted of raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl in the Chicago suburb of Naperville. The crime took place in 1983. But by 1992, another man (Brian Dugan) had confessed to the crime, and Burris' own deputy attorney general was pleading with Burris to drop the case, then on appeal before the Illinois Supreme Court.

Burris refused. He was running for governor at the time and “didn’t want to seem soft on crime.”

"Anybody who understood this case wouldn’t have voted for Burris," Rob Warden, executive director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, told ProPublica. Indeed, Burris lost that race, and two other attempts to become governor.

Burris' role in the Cruz case was "indefensible and in defiance of common sense and common decency," Warden said. "There was obvious evidence that Cruz was innocent." Deputy attorney general Mary Brigid Kenney agreed and eventually resigned rather than continue to prosecute Cruz.

In her resignation letter, Kenney claimed Burris had "seen fit to ignore the evidence in this case." "I cannot sit idly by as this office continues to pursue the unjust prosecution of Rolando Cruz," she wrote. "I realized that I was being asked to help execute an innocent man."

Under Burris’ direction, state prosecutors carried on with the prosecution, even after DNA evidence excluded Cruz as the victim's rapist and linked sex offender Brian Dugan to the crime. Brian Dugan had already confessed to the crime and will (finally) stand trial for the rape and murder next year.

The Illinois Supreme Court reversed Cruz’s conviction and awarded him a new trial – in which he was acquitted. In late 1995, Cruz finally walked free after serving 11 years on death row for a crime he did not commit.

Burris’ ambition was so important that he was willing to send an innocent man to death row to achieve a political goal.

In case you missed it, here it is again – only louder:

Burris’ ambition was so important that he was willing to send an innocent man to death row to achieve a political goal.

What kind of man (in this case I use the term "man" loosely) could do such a thing?

What a sad state we find ourselves in – that this sorry excuse for a man could be appointed to the United States Senate by another sorry excuse for a Governor. God help us.

There’s more - read the full story at: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/16981.html

Angered at being left out of the bailout bonanza, Congress has taken an unusual step to get in the payoff line with the introduction of H.R.1498. Titled the “Really Really Super Fair Distribution Act,” the RRSFDA would create a new congressional committee tasked with developing a formula that would determine the priority of financial assistance awards.

Because of their exemplary oversight of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, Rep. Barney Frank and Senator Chris Dodd were named as committee chairmen. Informally known as the Frankendodd committee, it was cobbled together from various members of Congress and suffers from massive size and abnormal actions. Only the intervention of Rep. Pich Forkk and Sen. Bernie Torches stopped the monster committee from wreaking havoc on the Congressional countryside.

The committee had already made it known that the first order of business will be to name Congress itself to the topmost priority on the list to receive funds. “It’s just downright un-American to bail out all of these failed industries when the 535 most important people on the planet are left scratching for their very existence,” complained Artesia Well, a spokeswoman for Rep. Frank.

Senator Dodd’s spokesman Al E. Gory concurred, “Taxpayers should be ashamed. We’re demeaning our congresspersons – the very best minds in the country – by forcing them to live on the meager stipends that they receive.” “How on earth can a congressperson be expected to survive on $174,000? Where would they be without tips?”

[Ed. Note: Remember to tip your congressperson]

With the rising cost of limo service, expensive restaurants, hotel luxury suites, and junkets to Hawaii or Europe, many of our representatives must either do without or secure additional campaign donations to fund these essentials. America’s ruling class shouldn’t have to demean themselves by flying coach or staying at ordinary, two-star hotels.

[Ed. Note: An informant known as “Deep Armpit” told Pesky Truth that three unnamed members were removed from committees when their names appeared on a Best Western mailing list. Two more were censured for eating at a Waffle House.]

“It’s no wonder that otherwise honest men and women must resort to creative financial mechanisms in order to make ends meet. It’s a national disgrace, and I hope that the country’s citizens realize that our Representatives and Senators are the very best men and women that the country has to offer; the royalty of the United States as it were. If not for their charitable benefactors (inaccurately called lobbyists), they’d all be on welfare and food stamps.”

Mr. Gory was quick to point out that Congress’ “income adjustment” was not a bailout, merely a long overdue salary adjustment. A Congressionally appointed task force studying Congressional pay determined that salaries should be brought into parity with entertainment celebrities and sports figures. The task force’s chairpersons, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and former Louisiana Representative William (cool cash) Jefferson were sympathetic to the needs of Congress and supported the income adjustment. Both are considered experts at creative funding sources.

Mr. Gory bristled at a question from a reporter when asked why the adjustment wouldn’t be classified as a bailout. He responded angrily, “A bailout is when taxpayers fund the rescue of a company that has proven that it cannot operate profitably. In the case of Congress, it can be shown that every action they’ve ever taken was done with profit as its primary intent.”

A survey taken the day after the congressional bailout plan was revealed shows Congress’ approval rating now hovering between 2 and 3 percent (3 % M.O.E.). When informed of the survey results, Senator Dodd commented off-the-record, “The public are smelly, misinformed, ignorant clods. They think that all we do is work a few months, give speeches, and travel the world on the taxpayer’s dime.” When challenged on that point by reporter Emma Lee LaTella, Sen. Dodd thought for a moment, grimaced, and mumbled “Nevermind.”

On a related note, the highly regarded, non partisan think tank, Lamé Thinking Ltd. just released findings of a study that tracks Congressional efficiency. Heso Lamé, the company’s CEO, stated that they found a direct correlation between congressional sessions and general government dysfunction.  “In other words, the country is better off when Congress is on vacation.” “We could assemble 535 second deputy assistant night managers from Dennys, IHOP, and Taco Bell and they’d do a better job.”

The study was referenced during a press conference called by a group formed to stop a congressional bailout. Angelena Jo Lee, the spokesperson for the group, stated the group’s dissatisfaction with Congress emphatically: “It’s time that they earned their income. We’re proposing that they be paid an hourly rate, something like $20-25 per hour, and if we like what they do, we’ll vote them a tip. The tip could be $1,000,000 or it could be $0, depending on the job they’ve done for the country.” “It’s time that we paid them what they’re worth.” “Accordingly, most of the current bunch wouldn’t crack $25,000.”

The press conference was disrupted when an angry Harry Reid authorized the release of the Congressional guard dogs. His stated intent was to “rid the Capitol grounds of smelly trespassers.” Oddly, the vicious dogs only attacked members of the press. It was later found that the journalists smelled “fishy,” causing the dogs to target them.

Pesky Truth has learned that the smell apparently resulted from the journalist’s part-time jobs wrapping fish in fish markets. It seems that many journalists have finally found a position where they’re able to leverage their job experience into additional income. For years, they’ve been providing fishy stories to a market whose capacity for logical reasoning was similar to that of a cod (never quite reaching halibut level). The articles always smelled fishy but the cod accepted them as truth.

Fish markets and pet stores are the last remaining purchasers of The New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times newspapers. Appropriately, the New York Times changed its format to a handy 16 x 24 size to facilitate its use in bird cages. They’ve also changed their masthead logo to “All the News That’s Fit to Poop on.” Since the reformatting, circulation among bird owners has increased by 77 percent.

My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels.
She asked, 'What's on TV?'
 
 I said, 'Dust.'

And then the fight started…

     ~~~

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.
She said, 'I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds.'

I bought her a scale.

And then the fight started…

     ~~~

When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive...

So I took her to a gas station...

And then the fight started…

     ~~~

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security.

The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's license to verify my age.

I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home. I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later.
 
The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'. So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair.

She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application.

When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office.

She said, 'you should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too.'

And then the fight started...

     ~~~

My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I
kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a
nearby table.
 
My wife asked, 'Do you know her?'
 
'Yes,' I sighed, 'She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'

'My God!' says my wife, 'who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'

And then the fight started...

     ~~~

I rear-ended a car this morning. So, there we were alongside the road and slowly the other driver got out of his car. You know how sometimes you just get soooo stressed and little things just seem funny?

Yeah, well I couldn't believe it... he was a DWARF!!!
 
He stormed over to my car, looked up at me, and shouted, 'I AM NOT HAPPY!'

So, I looked down at him and said, 'Well, then which one are you?'

Obama Revises Policy – Will Now Allow Unlimited Drilling

America’s dentists were relieved to hear that they will once again be allowed to drill. The president’s stated zero-tolerance policy towards drilling would have placed a permanent ban on all drilling. The lobbying group “Drill Me, Drill Now” presented the president’s representatives with a petition containing 1,330,880 signatures begging for relief. Spokesperson Hal E. Toesis clarified the intent of the “We Don’t Need no Stinkin’ Oil” bill, “president Obama recognizes the need to root out those pesky canals – and he feels your pain (his lower lip quivers and everything).” To further establish his empathy, he dribbled iced tea down the front of his white shirt while drinking from a glass. He blamed the unintended consequences of the bill on President George Boosh and his failed policies.

Ride-Sharing - Our Vehicle to Energy Independence

It’s a known fact that our use of petroleum products would decrease dramatically if we were able to transport more commuters with each gallon of fuel. A new bill (H.R. 1490) will be introduced Monday. Known as the Disadvantaged Urban Mobility Bill (D.U.M.B.), the bill will require wealthy citizens (annual income of $50,000 or more) to aid in the mobility of the poor. Whenever a wealthy person has any reason to use their vehicle, they will be required to drive to an inner city transfer hub, pick up a carload of the poor, and take them to “work,” (the major street intersection of their choice).

Any drivers attempting to circumvent the mandate would have their vehicle impounded and made available to disadvantaged youts to help them hone their hot-wiring and audio system removal skills. Improved education could lead to an Associate Degree in Enhanced Vehicle Acquisition and a more rewarding career in the growing orphan parts industry.

Scientists Discover Gender-bending DNA

“There’s still much work to do.” “We’ve made a great deal of progress, but we aren’t there yet,” was the primary theme of a seminar given by Yale Professor Himmso Befuddled. Dr. Befuddled revealed that DNA specimens from Rosie O’Donnell and Barney Frank were remarkably similar. In fact, they could hardly be distinguished from one another except for a single specific combination. Absent this one particular combination, Rep. Frank and Ms. O’Donnell would be the same person.

The most common form of chromosomal crossover is homologous recombination, where the two chromosomes involved share very similar sequences. The Frank/O’Donnell situation appears to be a case of recombination whereby the male/female combinations crossed over.

The crossover would account for the few differences between the two. For example, Rep. Frank’s delightfully effeminate lispth and larger breasts, and O’Donnell’s tendency to cuss, spit, and grab her groin. Another differential was Frank’s ability to silently “squeeze out” flatulence while Ms. O’Donnell proudly announced that she was the source of a particularly loud, foul-smelling release.

Obama, Congress to Push Redistribution Plan

The Obama administration, in concert with the democrat congress unveiled plans to submit H.R.1422, the “Pass the Ammunition” bill. Once signed into law, the bill would confiscate all ammunition from the wealthy (annual income of more than $50,000) and re-distribute it to the poor. “Our disadvantaged inner city citizens can’t afford to buy ammunition.” “It is class and race discrimination at its worst when the rich can stock up on hollow-points, +P and frangible loads and the poor can barely afford cheap and environmentally damaging lead handloads.” “How can you shoot nobody, when you ain’t got no bullets,” said Ifeelya Johnson, a block captain for the neighborhood crime-watch group, “Whitey Watch.”

Obama Already Having Impact on Fuel Prices

Drivers have president-elect Obama to thank for falling fuel prices. Even though “Four Dollar Bush” is still in office, the Big Oil companies have seen the future and voluntarily cut their obscene profits before being taken to the woodshed by “One Dollar Obama.” Even OPEC is praising falling revenues, knowing that it is a small price to pay to have a global-minded community organizer at the helm. “He will be much easier for us to deal with than that cowboy Boosh” said Ali Bin Hairy, OPEC’s Minister of Rhetoric.

Also taking credit for falling prices, Nancy Pelosi said, “Fortunately, the Congress passed energy legislation which brought the prices down.” “You can thank the democrat Congress for the plummeting gasoline prices,” Pelosi said. “When we took control of Congress following the 2006 elections, we said that we’d pass gas legislation, and pass gas we did.”

Obama Calls for a Summit Meeting of Heads of State

After receiving permission from First Lady Elect Michelle Obama, president-elect Obama sent invitations to Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, Bashar al-Assad of Syria, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to join him at in informal gathering to bond and share testosterone-laced activities.

Expected to be held at a yet to-be-determined South Beach hotel in Miami, entertainment is said to be poker, cigars, keg beer, stag films, and professional companions. Buy-in for poker is set as one million barrels of crude or one kilogram of fissionable material. To further entice the leaders, there will be a door prize of a next-generation Zumwalt-class Destroyer given to the lucky winner. All but Ahmadinejad have indicated their attendance; as he is reportedly holding out for a lap dance from Nancy Pelosi.

Obama Reveals His New Iraq Plan

“When I said that I’d bring the Troops home in sixteen months, I was referring to Euphronius Troop and Felonious Troop. The twins will receive orders to return to their U.S. bases early after my inauguration.” “Other military personnel will remain in Iraq under my new and improved plan, which will task them to support and train the New Iraq Army.” “Conditions on the ground and consultation with Iraq leaders will determine when the remaining 140,000 return home.”

Hailed as a radical departure from the failed Boosh plan, Obama explained that he had secretly been the chief architect of the “surge” that brought much of Iraq under control. A heated argument between Obama and General Patraeus ended when Obama intimidated the General and threatened to “kick his a$$.” Only then did the General relent and agree to the surge. And that his discussions with Nouri Kamal al-Maliki in July had led to the peace between Shiites and Sunni.

“In all humility, I can say that I alone have been responsible for organizing a communal peace in Iraq.”

Obama Responsible for 6,000,000 Saved Jobs

He promised to add 1,000,000 new jobs during his campaign, and as recently as last week increased the count to 2,500,000 jobs. Now, the administration-elect has determined that the jobs he has “saved” since his election is 6,000,000.

When asked how the number was calculated, spokesperson Jerry Mander explained: “Well, you take the 2,000,000 that would have been lost if the Republican plan to fire all school teachers had been implemented, and add the 2,000,000 that would have been eliminated if Boosh had closed all of the Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts shops, and finally add the 2,000,000 that would have been made jobless if Boosh had closed the United States Postal Service and all Federal Express offices, you arrive at the six million job figure.” He continued, “Because of president-elect Obama’s firm resolve and his negotiating skills, none of those things happened and six million jobs were saved.”