Deputy in Gibson Case Claims Harassment

LOS ANGELES - The sheriff's deputy who arrested Mel Gibson for drunken driving six months ago says his superiors have harassed him ever since a report detailing the star's anti-Semitic tirade was leaked to a celebrity new Web site.

Deputy James Mee was transferred to another assignment, interrogated for several hours, and investigators seized a computer and phone records during a search of his home, his attorney told the Los Angeles Times for its Thursday editions.

"His life and career would be a lot different had he not made that arrest," attorney Richard Shinee said.

Neal Tyler, a division chief who oversees the sheriff's office where Gibson was booked, denied that Mee was singled out and said he didn't know of any problems with Mee's treatment.

He declined to discuss Mee's specific complaints because of confidentiality rules, but he said, "I disagree with the assessment that personnel in the department or at the station have been relating to him or supervising him in an unfair manner."

Mee arrested Gibson July 29 in Malibu on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. An arrest report signed by Mee and posted on the celebrity news Web site TMZ said Gibson was belligerent and quoted him as saying: "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

The actor-director later apologized to the Jewish community and pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of drunken driving.

After Gibson's much-publicized arrest, investigations were opened into whether Gibson received preferential treatment, and into who leaked Mee's report to TMZ.

"My client has denied he gave the report to anyone," Shinee said.

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For the record, I do not like Mel Gibson. I dislike and distrust bigots. To me, any man who is capable of making some of the comments and slurs Mel Gibson has made in the past is capable of anything. Do I think he gave that report out? Yes. Did Gibson mean the slurs? Probably. It's hard for me to fathom how anyone with a conscience could go to a movie made by this man and contribute to this form of social injustice and hatred. I refuse to give him my hard earned money so he can have a big hit when he says such horrible things about other people. He is NOT the victim here. The people he slurs are the victims. Boycott. Boycott. Boycott.

Hitler

I want to take issue with the currently fashionable assertion that Hitler was a leftist. If “left” and “right” were defined simply economically, that would be a fair characterisation. Social factors also come into play. Neither wing of politics has a monopoly on social authoritarianism. Left-wing social authoritarianism is also called political correctness, and is characterised by attacks on others for being judgemental about people - in the world of the far left, judgementalism is the only sin. Everyone is of equal merit and only those who say otherwise are evil.

It should come as no surprise, then, that right-wing social authoritarianism stems from the opposite extreme of excessive moral judgementalism. In this view of the world, people living a certain lifestyle, or of a certain racial or cultural group, are judged immoral or inferior. Crucially, not only is this judgement made, but the social rightist goes on to say “and something should be done” - by, for example, criminalising homosexual sex, or banning Asian immigration. Islamist terror attacks also fall under the heading of right-wing social doctrine. Such dogma cannot be categorised as left-wing, despite its interventionist tendencies, because it is directly opposed to the leftist religion of equality and relativism. This is not simply an argument about interventionism versus non-interventionism, or authoritarianism versus libertarianism. BOTH sides want intervention, the far left to establish the equality of minorities and the far right to force minorities to conform.

Hitler was the most ruthless proponent of right-wing social doctrine in world history. Stalin, Mao and others massacred people in the name of equality, the common good and socialist dogma (the engineered famines, for example) and were social leftists. Hitler massacred people because he thought they were vermin and was a social rightist. The characterisation of Hitler as right-wing is fair because his genocidal crimes were committed as a result of his right-wing social ideals. That he was economically leftist is true but irrelevant.

The base problem is that (and this is of course old news) left-wing and right-wing are not adequate to describe the full range of political opinion. Social and economic leftism, for example, are lumped together by correlation - a lot of people who believe in forced social equality also believe in forced economic equality, but the two are logically distinct. If Hitler must be described as one or the other, then right-wing is the correct choice.

Sarah Takes On Mel Gibson

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Thank you, Sarah. This edition of The Daily English Show expresses my own feelings as well. While many of us have forgiven Mel Gibson; we also are wary of him. Many of the things he said regarding the Jewish People have been said before by the right. By Hitler. Just prior to WW2, Hitler said: "The Jews are responsible for all of the world's wars". Of course, this was basically an indictment of the Jewish Rothschilds family and their fortune, but it further stigmatized the Jews in the world's eye at that time. It is very disturbing to hear these same words come from Mel Gibson's mouth (even if he was drunk). Mel Gibson has condemned and ridiculed many minorities. I'd say that he really needs to put that bottle down for good. Everyone's good.

Michael "Kramer" Richards Makes Racial Slur in Comedy Club Act

LOS ANGELES - Michael Richards said Monday he spewed racial epithets during a stand-up comedy routine because he lost his cool while being heckled and not because he’s a bigot.

“For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, I’m deeply, deeply sorry,” the former “Seinfeld” co-star said during a satellite appearance for David Letterman’s “Late Show.”

“I’m not a racist. That’s what’s so insane about this,” Richards said, his tone becoming angry and frustrated as he defended himself. A clip from the show played on CBS before “Late Show” aired Monday night.

Richards described himself as going into “a rage” over the two audience members who interrupted his act Friday at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. Richards responded to the black hecklers with repeated use of the “n word” and profanities.

Jerry Seinfeld, who had issued a statement saying he was “sick over this horrible, horrible mistake” and calling it offensive, was scheduled as a Letterman guest Monday. He encouraged Richards to make a satellite appearance to talk about the incident, a CBS publicist said.

Richards, 57, who played Seinfeld’s eccentric neighbor Kramer on the hit 1989-98 sitcom and whose major credit since was a failed 2000 comedy, hadn’t spoken publicly about his remarks before “Late Show.” Calls to his representatives were not returned Monday.

His on-stage remarks were condemned by industry colleagues.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was at the Laugh Factory during Richards’ performance, said he was shocked.

“Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don’t happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining,” Rodriguez told CNN. “Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations.”

Shocking remarks
His Laugh Factory tirade began after the two clubgoers shouted at him that he wasn’t funny. A videotape of the incident was posted on TMZ.com.

Richards retorted: “Shut up! Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a f------ fork up your a--.”

He then paced across the stage taunting the men for interrupting his show, peppering his speech with racial slurs and profanities.

“You can talk, you can talk, you’re brave now mother------. Throw his a-- out. He’s a n-----!” Richards shouts before repeating the racial epithet over and over again.

Moderating his tone at one point, Richards tells the audience, “It shocks you, it shocks you” and refers to “what lays buried.”

While there is some chuckling in the audience throughout the outburst, someone can be heard gasping “Oh my God” and people respond with “ooh” after Richards uses the n-word.

Eventually someone calls out: “It’s not funny. That’s why you’re a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. ‘Seinfeld,’ that’s it.”

On Monday, about a half-dozen community activists gathered at the club to denounce Richards’ remarks and demand an apology.

“These kind of comments hurt all of us,” said protester Lita Sister Herron of the Youth Advocacy Coalition. She called Richards’ comments hate speech.

Club owner expresses remorse
The protesters also demanded an apology from the Laugh Factory. At a news conference a short time later, club owner Jamie Masada expressed remorse and said Richards will not be back at the club until he says he’s sorry.

“This is one thing we don’t tolerate. ... I personally apologize. I apologize from my heart,” Masada said Monday.

Richards did appear at the club Saturday, without incident, but that was because he had told the club he intended to apologize, according to a Laugh Factory statement Monday.

Rodriguez, also at the news conference, said: “I kept expecting a punch line. It didn’t come.”

Veteran publicist Michael Levine, whose clients have included comedians George Carlin, Sam Kinison and Rodney Dangerfield, called Richards’ remarks inexcusable. Comics often face hecklers without losing their cool, he said.

“It’s never seen anything like this is my life,” Levine said Monday. “I think it’s a career ruiner for him. ... It’s going to be a long road back for him, if at all.”

Daryl Pitts, a Laugh Factory audience member interviewed by CNN, compared the incident to another recent celebrity controversy.

“You think about Mel Gibson and what he said, and put that in the context of this, it’s very upsetting,” Pitts said, referring to Gibson’s anti-Semitic outburst during his arrest for drunken driving.

Scrutiny of Richards’ remarks likely will continue but won’t match the level prompted by Gibson’s behavior because Richards is far less famous, Levine said.

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Just what am I supposed to say? Michael Richards really let loose with the "Mel Gibsonisms", didn't he? I find racism appalling and as I have boycotted all of Mel Gibson's movies and refused to buy or rent any of his DVDs for the very same reason, (Gibson's a self-confessed BIGOT). All I have to say is I will not go to any of his shows again and I will not watch any movie, TV show, or otherwise unless he apologizes publicly to his fans. No more "Seinfeld" reruns for me until he does. If you'd like to see a video clip of just what Richards said, click on the Title of this blog and it will take you to the MSNBC site where you can view and judge for yourself. Michael, Michael, what were you thinking?

They're Bringing Back Mint Julips And "Darkies" Too

Trent Lott returns to Senate leadership

Mitch McConnell unanimously chosen to be Senate minority leader



BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 8:23 a.m. PT Nov 15, 2006
WASHINGTON - Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott, ousted from the top Senate Republican leadership job four years ago because of remarks considered racially insensitive, won election to the No. 2 post Wednesday for the minority GOP in the next Congress.

Lott returned to the center of power by getting the position of vote-counting GOP whip, nosing out Sen. Lamar Alexander. Sen. Rick Santorum told reporters that Lott beat Alexander by a 25-24 vote.

After an intense evening in which both men lobbied colleagues during floor votes, the Republican caucus elected Lott, a one-time whip and majority leader, by secret ballot. Lott will be the GOP's second-in-command to Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was elected unanimously to be the Senate minority leader in the new Congress.

The campaign

With the midterm elections finished and Santorum, another candidate for the post, failing to win re-election, Lott cast himself as the more experienced candidate and the better choice for a job.

Alexander, of Tennessee, was not new to the art of counting votes among finicky colleagues, any one of whom can use Senate procedural rules to hold up business or kill legislation. A former Cabinet secretary and governor and now a deputy Republican whip, Alexander cast himself as a morale-booster for a demoralized Republican caucus.

Remaining neutral was McConnell, who was uncontested to be the Republican minority leader. He'll replace Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who is retiring from the Senate under a self-imposed term limit and is a potential contender for the GOP presidential nomination in two years.

Dealmaker returns

Lott's victory over Alexander showcases his lobbying and vote-counting skills. Alexander had campaigned for the position for 18 months and the night before was predicting that he would win by as many as 30 votes. But Lott's last-minute lobbying -- by telephone, on the Senate floor, in the hallways -- turned the secret balloting into a comeback.

The win reinstates one of the Senate's best dealmakers, a skill certain to come in handy in a chamber split by one vote - at a time when both parties want legislative accomplishments to tout on the campaign trail in 2008.

Lott relished his duties as majority leader but stepped down in 2002 under pressure over remarks that were interpreted as racially insensitive. He has long hinted at making a comeback bid.

More to come

The GOP whip's race was but one source of suspense in the wake of the midterm balloting, in which war-weary voters stripped President Bush's party of its majority. Congress returned to a lame-duck session to pass a budget, and the Senate was considering Bush's nomination of a new defense secretary.

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats elected their leadership roster.

Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Minority Whip Richard Durbin of Illinois will ascend to majority leader and majority whip, respectively.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., will continue as the chairman of the party's campaign fundraising committee. Schumer also will add vice chairman to his title, making him No. 3 in the leadership and a chief strategist.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington will serve as conference secretary; Debbie Stabenow of Michigan will chair the steering committee; and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota will serve as chairman of the research-focused policy committee.

House Democrats choose their leaders on Thursday; House Republicans elect theirs on Friday.

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Well, I don't know about you, but I am totally disgusted. The Republican Party has somehow managed to NOT learn a lesson from their dreadful defeat in the elections. They seem intent upon a course of political disaster. The Trent Lotts in the party will bring about the demise of what little is left now. This is a slap in the face to good, decent Americans everywhere.

And You Thought Trent Lott Was Gone For Good

Lott running for whip post






After keeping his plans close to the vest since Election Day, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) formally declared his bid for minority whip on Monday evening.

Lott had refrained from openly discussing his intentions for the whip race even after GOP Conference Chairman Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), who was next in line based on seniority, lost his reelection bid last week. Few on Capitol Hill would second-guess Lott’s prowess at backroom maneuvering, and his silence had given way to questions about whether a new feint was in the works.

But Lott spokeswoman Susan Irby confirmed his bid in a statement. "Senator Lott is running for Republican whip. His name will be on the ballot. We are closing in on victory," she said.

Lott was forced to step down as Senate majority leader in 2002 after comments he made at former Sen. Strom Thurmond’s (R-S.C.) birthday party touched off a racially charged controversy and the White House threw its backing to now-Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.).

Frist’s fellow Tennessean, Lamar Alexander (R), has already declared his whip bid and continues to make calls lining up support before Wednesday’s leadership elections.

"We feel really good about where we are," Alexander chief of staff Tom Ingram said on Monday, projecting that the conference majority Alexander claimed late last week had grown to "majority-plus."

Ingram acknowledged that the secret ballot of Wednesday’s election means victory will rely on trusting that senators will stick to their public commitments. Still, he expressed confidence in Alexander’s whipping for the whip job, which has seen about 10 senators making calls on his behalf.

One source close to that whip operation said the Alexander camp has Lott’s support in the conference pegged at about a dozen senators.

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Why Is This Man Smiling?


You know, this says much about the Republican party nowdays. Trent Lott is as corrupt and vile a man as ever sat in the Senate, yet the Republican party is actually considering him as Senate Minority Whip. THIS is why the Republicans lost so many voters in this country. It is why they will continue to lose voters until the bitter end. It is why the party must repudiate Trent Lott once and for all.