N.J.'s Daniel Van Pelt Goes to Prison.

November 29, 2010 at 3:11 P.M. (from a public computer) one italics removed and a single other "error" inserted after obstructions prevented me from writing at my home computer as part of the continuing censorship effort by New Jersey officials. Numerous harassing calls received. Just another day at the office. ("Does Senator Menendez Have Mafia Friends?")

November 29, 2010 at 10:26 A.M. Attempts to access my writings in "Critique" are obstructed this morning. A great deal of harassment makes writing from my home computer difficult. ("Jose A. Rodriguez, of the C.I.A."?) I will try to write from public computers later today. Unfortunately, this makes working on short stories or a novel from my home impossible. This may be the point of the censorship and harassment tactics. I cannot say how many writings have been altered or otherwise damaged this morning. I will try to make necessary corrections as soon as I become aware of them. Let us all push the "reset" button of life. How about a pick-up basketball game? ("Fidel Castro's 'History Will Absolve Me.'")

November 28, 2010 at 7:16 P.M. One letter was missing from a word since this afternoon. I have corrected this inserted "error." Perhaps it was only a coincidence. More New Jersey arrests are coming up.

November 28, 2010 at 4:55 P.M. Several obstructions made it difficult to access these blogs from my home computer. I will be "moving on" to public computers soon. ("What is it like to be tortured?")

George Packer, "George W. Bush's Decision Points," in The New Yorker, November 29, 2010, at p. 72. http://www.newyorker.com/ ("Self-serving and mediocre ..." Conclusory?)
George W. Bush, Decision Points (New York: Crown Publishers, 2010). ("Mission Accomplished!")
Simon Romero, "An American in Peru, Out of Jail but in Limbo," in The New York Times, November 27, 2010, at p. A1. (It is not difficult to see why Ms. Berenson was transformed into a symbol and scapegoat for Peru's and Latin America's contradictions. Please allow this young woman to come home to New York.)
Helene Cooper, "Obama Gets 12 Stitches in His Lip After Elbowing in Basketball Game," in The New York Times, November 27, 2010, at p. A11. ("Rey Decerega" -- no connection to the Cuban-American politicians or "Deuce Martinez" of the C.I.A.? -- did not apologize for his "accidental" elbowing of the U.S. Chief Executive. Same people behind Hillary Rodham-Clinton's "reset button" thing. "Manohla Dargis," perhaps?)
Charles V. Bagli, "A New Push to Rescue the Xanadu Mall Project," in The New York Times, November 27, 2010, at p. A16. ($1.9 BILLION spent not to build a mall is a new level of corruption and organized crime activity in America, thanks to New Jersey.)
Robert Pippin, "Liberation and Liberal Arts," in The Aims of Education: Selected Essays (Chicago: University of Chicago, 2010), pp. 163-183. (Humanities.)
James Whyte, "The Politics of Persuasion," in The Philosopher's Magazine, November-December, 2010, at pp. 62-68. (What is an argument?)
Nicole Colson, "Making Free Speech a Crime," in International Socialist Review, November-December, 2010, at p. 1. (Is he is or is he ain't?)
Scott McLemee, "Obama: The Man Who Couldn't," in International Socialist Review, November-December, 2010, at pp. 67-68. (Hope ain't what it used to be.)
Mary Ann Spoto, "Prison for Former Assembly Member," in The Record, November-December, 2010, at p. A3. (Business as usual in New Jersey.)

"Former Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt will be heading to a federal prison after being sentenced Friday to 41 months behind bars for accepting a $10,000 bribe from a corrupt real estate developer." (The Record.)

The continuing saga of New Jersey's political corruption borders on farce as voters and observers find it impossible to place any Garden State politician beyond suspicion or to accept the legitimacy of any court or legislative decision in the home of the mafia. Everything stinks of the feces of corruption in New Jersey. Nothing seems to be on the up-and-up:

"The 2.4 million-square-foot [Xanadu] project, which began in 2003 with futuristic visions of an indoor ski slope, a super-size ferris wheel, a concert hall, movie theaters, bowling alleys, restaurants and expensive shops, ran through two owners and a staggering $1.9 BILLION before work came to a halt nearly two years ago amid the financial crisis and the collapse of Lehman Brothers." (The New York Times.)

Are we worried about Tom Delay? Charles Rangel? ("Law and Ethics in the Soprano State.")

Very decent-sized and beautiful malls have been built in America for under $500 million. Rarely has this been done in an area already filled with 5 malls and within 20 minutes of the shopping centers of Manhattan. What were they thinking? Theft? ("New Jersey's Xanadu Mess.")

"In sentencing Van Pelt as part of the state's largest political corruption sting, U.S. District Judge Joel Pisano meted out the maximum sentence for a crime that he said has become all too common in New Jersey." (emphasis added)

Judge Pisano has, evidently, surrendered any hopes that political corruption can be controlled or made less humiliating (for America) in New Jersey where several state Supreme Court Chief Justices -- including the current occupant of the office! -- are tainted by suspicious "deals" and questionable associations, smelling of the foul appointment process as well. District Judge Pisano said: " ... to suggest that this won't happen again [N.J.'s political corruption or legal incompetence?] is something that all of us know better." ("Stuart Rabner and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" and "No More Cover-Ups and Lies, Chief Justice Rabner!")

"Van Pelt, 46, was convicted in May of extortion and bribery in a massive federal investigation into public corruption. He was found guilty of accepting a $10,000 bribe from disgraced developer Solomon Dwek, who was secretly working for federal authorities."

Is there any hope that the Obama administration will be moved to act in order to control public criminality, censorship, theft, computer crime in New Jersey? ("New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System" and "New Jersey's Office of Attorney Ethics.")

Probably not, despite the public nature of these crimes, because the White House seems off-balance and intimidated at the moment in all law enforcement or civil rights cases. Mr. Obama, this lethargy in response to criminality is damaging your image in the world. ("How Censorship Works in America" and "What is it like to be censored in America?")

"Obama and his Attorney General Eric Holder were supposed to represent a turn away from the worst excesses of the Bush administration's attack on civil liberties. In reality, the [current] administration's position in support of the material witness law was argued in front of the Supreme Court by then Solicitor General Elena Kagan -- who, today, is a sitting Supreme Court justice, nominated by Obama." (ISR, p. 2.)

If you believe that Justice Kagan is a civil libertarian, then you may be in for a disappointment:

"The administration has left a long trail of broken promises on civil liberties issues. Not only in the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay [that is] not closed, but the Obama White House has pushed forward with military tribunals -- something Obama spoke out against as a candidate. And none of the Bush-era torturers of prisoners of the 'war on terror' have ever been brought to justice."

"More recently, the Obama administration invoked 'state secrets' in an attempt to shut down a court challenge by the father of Anwar Al-Awalkie -- a U.S. citizen that [sic.] is reportedly on a list of those who have been cleared for assassination by the White House. ["Cleared?"] Awalkie has never been convicted or even put on trial, yet the Obama administration is not only trying to kill him, but claiming it has the [legal] right to do so. The administration is also currently seeking sweeping new laws that would allow them unfettered access to Internet communications." (emphasis added)

If these laws are enacted and if Americans may be killed by their government without due process of law, for secret reasons, then we have lost our Constitution along with our "security."

Is this what Mr. Obama was elected to achieve? I do not think so. Tell the White House what you think of these policies.