Ted Stevens Case: Sarah Palin Denounces...Herself? Clears...Bill Ayers?

She will never apoligize or even admit when she is wrong. The accusations about the liberal media will fly over this matter. Will be fun to watch.

Intresting....the drama of politics

I was under the impression that the only way for a conviction to be overturned, is by due process, or a presidential pardon.

That our system was consisting of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. That the Attorney General was the administrator of the judicial branch, not it's king, or final arbiter, which would be the Supreme Court.

Allowing anyone in government to assume powers they don't have is a dangerous game, that we should have learned during the last administration.

The office of Attorney General was established by Congress by the Judiciary Act of 1789. The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the President of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments."[1] Only in 1870 was the Department of Justice established to support the Attorney General in the discharge of his responsibilities. (Clipped from Wikipedia:Attorney General)

The key word in his title would be Attorney, not Judge. He's assumed a power he doesn't have. If he wanted to see any action taken, his only power would be to ADVISE that court action should be taken, not overrule the action of ANY court.

Maybe our schools are hopelessly inadequate for a reason. If you have money, you can get a REAL education, and the rest are relegated to sanctioned ignorance. That nobody's bothered to question the overturning of a court decision by an Attorney General is absolutely astounding, and an indication as to just how blissfully willing we are to just let things go.

This is a sad day for due process, justice and America.

Let's get real and take off our partisan blinders for once Mr.Christopher. Whatever Senator Stevens was or was not, he was not a terrorist, a killer and a traitor which Ayers certainly was no matter what technicality shamefully let him escape punishment for the blood on his hands.

Ken- As Attorney General it is Holder's duty to file a motion to vacate the conviction if it was gained by unethical and unconstitutional means. I applaud Holder for holding to the rule of law regardless of party affiliation. Bush scared me when he tried to unconstitutionally politicize the DOJ.

Ken12:04PMApr 2nd 2009

The office of Attorney General was established by Congress by the Judiciary Act of 1789. The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the President of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments."[1] Only in 1870 was the Department of Justice established to support the Attorney General in the discharge of his responsibilities. (Clipped from Wikipedia:Attorney General)

The key word in his title would be Attorney, not Judge. He's assumed a power he doesn't have. If he wanted to see any action taken, his only power would be to ADVISE that court action should be taken, not overrule the action of ANY court.

Maybe our schools are hopelessly inadequate for a reason. If you have money, you can get a REAL education, and the rest are relegated to sanctioned ignorance. That nobody's bothered to question the overturning of a court decision by an Attorney General is absolutely astounding, and an indication as to just how blissfully willing we are to just let things go.

This is a sad day for due process, justice and America.
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A prosecutor has the right to determine if the case should continue, based upon legal issues. The judge can disagree or agree.

Sarah Palin blows with the wind and talks out of both sides of her mouth. Examples - oil industry, bridge to nowhere, family values, protection of caribou and moose from wolves (but not herself), etc., and now this! LOL Amazing that people give her any credence.

James Cunningham12:13PMApr 2nd 2009

Let's get real and take off our partisan blinders for once Mr.Christopher. Whatever Senator Stevens was or was not, he was not a terrorist, a killer and a traitor which Ayers certainly was no matter what technicality shamefully let him escape punishment for the blood on his hands.
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Your accusations about Ayers are totally false. Where do you people come from! Ayers was a protestor, not a terrorist or traitor, and DID NOT kill anyone! You people run around saying that you want to revolt against Obama - so what does that make you - a terrorist and traitor? Get my point? Probably not.

"Gov. Sarah Palin, like many in both political parties, had called on Stevens to step down after the jury conviction. But she sympathized with his plight in a statement Wednesday.

"Senator Stevens deserves to be very happy today. What a horrible thing he has endured. The blatant attempts by adversaries to destroy one's reputation, career and finances are an abuse of our well-guarded process and violate our God-given rights afforded in the Constitution," she said.

http://news.aol.com/article/alaskans-have-mixed-reactions-to-stevens/410025?flv=1

"Stevens was convicted of seven felony counts of lying on Senate financial disclosure forms to conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and home renovations from a wealthy oil contractor."

Professional Woman: Correct. Holder can only file a Motion to Vacate. It is not within his power to vacate the conviction. It must have sufficient legal grounds for the Judge to enter an order that would vacate the conviction. Then it would be up to the DOJ to bring a new indictment if they wanted to try the case again.

Steve Seivers12:09PMApr 2nd 2009

Ken- As Attorney General it is Holder's duty to file a motion to vacate the conviction if it was gained by unethical and unconstitutional means. I applaud Holder for holding to the rule of law regardless of party affiliation. Bush scared me when he tried to unconstitutionally politicize the DOJ.
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Thank you Steve! Good explanation. Upholding the laws of our country seems to be a trend in THIS administration.

Plus it probably saved the tax payers money, because it would have been appealed and because of the illegal actions of the prosecutor on the case, it would have been thrown out because of lack of due process.

Steve Seivers12:40PMApr 2nd 2009

Professional Woman: Correct. Holder can only file a Motion to Vacate. It is not within his power to vacate the conviction. It must have sufficient legal grounds for the Judge to enter an order that would vacate the conviction. Then it would be up to the DOJ to bring a new indictment if they wanted to try the case again.
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Thanks again Steve.

Stevens was a US Senator,Bill Ayres was a radical terrorist that tried to blow up buildings in the US,Ayres is quoted as saying he is not sorry for his role in this,wish he had done more,professor or not the guy is not right in the head,he tried to destroy the same country that supports him and Bombing Bertha,his wife,real intelligent,typical liberal thinking,destroy the country you live in.

"Guilty as hell. Free as a bird. America is a great country”—William Ayers, 1981 (It helps to have great connections, too. Bill Ayers father was CEO of Commonwealth Edison.)


Bill Ayers' famous quip may come back to haunt him. There is no statute of limitations on murder charges.


On February 16, 1970, someone planted a bomb at San Francisco's Park Police Station. It was placed in a window of the business office and timed to explode at shift change, when the maximum number of officers would be there, either finishing up or starting their work.


It was a powerful blast, throwing one officer in the station parking lot completely over his patrol car and sending shrapnel for over two city blocks. The bomb fortunately detonated a few minutes early so the destruction was less than it might have been. Still, nine were wounded, one -- Officer Robert Fogarty -- badly enough that he retired from the force on disability, and one, Sergeant Brian McDonnell, 45 year old married father of two, was killed.


On Thursday, March 12, 2009, Cliff Kincaid of America's Survival Inc. held a press conference at the National Press Club, launching the Campaign for Justice for Victims of Weather Underground Terrorism, to focus public attention on evidence that may finally bring the alleged perpetrators to justice: Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn.

For full article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/03/guilty_as_hell_free_as_a_bird_1.html

briget12:55PMApr 2nd 2009

Stevens was a US Senator,Bill Ayres was a radical terrorist that tried to blow up buildings in the US,Ayres is quoted as saying he is not sorry for his role in this,wish he had done more,professor or not the guy is not right in the head,he tried to destroy the same country that supports him and Bombing Bertha,his wife,real intelligent,typical liberal thinking,destroy the country you live in.
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No matter your little rant, sweet, I still contend that this was not a "terrorist" act. Just because the slandering Palin said so, does not make it so. No one died in this act! Granted it was a poor way to protest. Most of us did peaceful protests in many ways.

It was a protest against the Vietnam war because of the fact that many of the people of his generation were being killed for NO REAL PURPOSE other than for people to make money! Vietnam was NO threat to us. The people protesting the war were very upset about the deaths of so many young people that were FORCED to go there by the draft. The average age of the soldier there was 19 years old.

YOU weren't even thought of yet, let alone born yet, when all this happened. How can you even try to condemn a protest against the government if you don't understand the reason for it!

The country was not supporting his views and the views of many young people then! Destroying one building is not destroying the country! My how you blow things out of proportion when it fits your stupid little agenda.

Professional Woman: The protest was against the Vietnam war,alot of my class mates died in that war,one family lost three sons,how dare you try to tell me how to think about the cowards that were protesting here,when young and descent men were dying,and the ones that survived came home to jeers from idiots like you and Ayres,were was your support for are service men,tell them your protest were not acts of terrorist.

"10 things to know about Bill Ayers. A primer
By Lynn Sweeton October 13, 2008 10:38 AM from the Oct. 12, 2008 Chicago Sun-Times

BY ABDON M. PALLASCH AND CHRIS FUSCO
Sun-Times Staff Reporters

John McCain is hammering Barack Obama about his ties to Chicago educator Bill Ayers, co-founder of the Weather Underground, a group that used violence in the 1960s and 1970s to try to end the Vietnam War.


For a week now, the McCain-Palin ticket has been making Ayers an issue. And the attacks continued Friday, with an ad that calls Ayers the "leader of a terrorist group that bombed the U.S. Capitol." The ad also says "Obama's first campaign was launched at a gathering at Mr. Ayers' home."

Bill Ayers has declined to comment to the Sun-Times or any other media since Sen. Hillary Clinton first raised his name in the Democratic primary.

Who is Bill Ayers? Obama responds to ad tying him to '60s radical What did Obama know about Ayers, when?

But is everything the Republicans are saying true? Here's a look at the Obama-Ayers relationship.

1. Was Ayers the leader of a terrorist group?

The FBI labeled the Weather Underground "a domestic terrorist group" whose members took credit for bombings of the U.S. Capitol, Pentagon and other government buildings. The bombings were designed to cause property damage, not hurt people. Ayers never has been accused of killing anybody.

But three Weather Underground members accidentally killed themselves while making bombs in New York City in 1970. In 1981, two police officers and a security guard were killed when other members of the group committed an armed robbery.

2. How long was Ayers "underground"?

Ayers and his wife, Weather Underground member Bernardine Dohrn, were on the lam 10 years before surrendering in 1980.

3. Were they ever convicted of "terrorism" charges?

No. Ayers faced federal riot and bombing-conspiracy charges, but those charges were dropped because of illegal wiretaps, break-ins and mail interceptions by authorities. Dohrn served less than a year behind bars for non-bombing activities tied to the group.

4. How are Ayers and Dohrn viewed now?

At least before this campaign, they were mainly seen as respected college professors. After getting his doctorate in education at Columbia University, Ayers joined the University of Illinois, where he gained a national reputation pushing innovative -- some say controversial -- approaches to educating at-risk youth. Dohrn has a national reputation for pushing reforms of the juvenile justice system. Ayers has published 15 books. He sits on civic boards with Mayor Daley, who in 1997 awarded Ayers the city's "Citizen of the Year" award. Ayers and Dohrn live in Hyde Park, not far from the Obamas.

5. So how well do Ayers and Obama know each other?

Ayers and Obama served on separate boards associated with the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, an education-reform group that Obama began chairing in March 1995 and continued to work with through 2000. Ayers served on the Chicago School Reform Collaborative, which made recommendations to the board on grant awards during those years. Ayers and Obama occasionally would see each other in those roles.

Also, Ayers served alongside Obama between December 1999 and December 2002 on the board of the not-for-profit Woods Fund of Chicago. That board met four times a year, and members would see each other at dinners the group hosted.

The RNC's statement that "Obama's first campaign was launched at a gathering at Mr. Ayers' home" stems from a 1995 "meet-and-greet" coffee that Ayers and Dohrn held for Obama at their home when Obama was making his first run for the Illinois Senate. Obama's presidential campaign has described the event as an opportunity for Ayers and Dohrn to introduce Obama to their neighbors.

In 2001, Ayers gave $200 to Obama's campaign. A year ago, the two met walking through the neighborhood where they both live.

6. How does Ayers respond to the Republicans' charges?

He doesn't. He has declined to comment to the Sun-Times or any other media since Sen. Hillary Clinton first raised him as a potential problem for Obama in April during the Democratic primary.

7. What does Obama say about Ayers?

During a primary debate, Obama underplayed his relationship with Ayers: "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago, who I know, and who I have not received some official endorsement from," Obama said. "He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis. The notion that somehow, as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago when I was 8 years old somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn't make much sense."

8. Is it fair for McCain to criticize Obama on this issue?

Factcheck.org has this take: "Voters may differ in how they see Ayers, or how they see Obama's interactions with him. We're making no judgment calls on those matters. What we object to are the McCain-Palin campaign's attempts to sway voters -- in ads and on the stump -- with false and misleading statements about the relationship, which was never very close. And Ayers is more than a former 'terrorist,' he's also a well-known figure in the field of education."

9. Has Ayers ever apologized for what he did with the Weather Underground?

Not exactly. In 2001, Ayers told the Sun-Times he regretted that "people were hurt, that three of my dear friends were killed, that we were stupid, immature, intolerant and unwise. I regret that I hurt people's feelings." He did not regret "throwing myself as wholeheartedly as I could figure out into opposition to war and to the system of racial injustice."

A review of Ayers' memoir Fugitive Days that appeared in the New York Times on Sept. 11, 2001, quoted Ayers saying, "I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough." Three days after the terrorist attacks, Ayers clarified: "My memoir is, from start to finish, a condemnation of terrorism . . ."

10. Are all former alleged terrorists/radicals shunned?

No. Former IRA bomber Gerry Adams is welcomed at the White House as a peacemaker. Former PLO leader Yasser Arafat was too. Former Students for a Democratic Society member and Ayers friend Tom Hayden was elected to the California State Assembly. Former Black Panther Bobby Rush is a congressman representing Chicago, as is former Puerto Rican independence activist Luis Gutierrez."
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So now will you two let this thing go? Ruby there is nothing in the record about Ayers being involved in any San Francisco bombing. What is your idiotic point anyway!

Ken,

Quickly. You simply have absolutely no understanding of how the law works. Something called ahem... THE LAW allows him to do that. The case was riddled with constitutional error and a prosecutor has an absolute right to drop the charges if justice requires doing so. It's in the Oath.

Ironically, this is a Dem AG, following the law to a tee, protecting the constitutional rights that belong to everyone regardless of party, and that's it.

You write a gross misstatement of the law above. Not even in the ballpark of sanity. That's why the internet sucks sometimes.

Professional woman:You can print all the articles you want to,the truth is the truth,Bill Ayres and the Weathermen and the protestors owe the soldiers of the Vietnam war an apology,the war right or wrong is not the point,the point is they laid down their lifes for our country,when goons like Ayres was trying to blow it up.How dare anyone of not support the brave men in uniform.