Daily Commentary – Tuesday, July 9, 2013 – No Surprise that Venezuela and Nicaragua Offer Snowden Asylum

• The presidents of Venezuela and Nicaragua offered Friday to grant asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden

Reversal of Fortune for Zimmerman Defense Team: Florida Judge Debra Nelson Okays Testimony About Trayvon Martin’s Marijuana Usage Prior to Shooting

A reversal of fortune for the Zimmerman defense team …

Judge Debra Nelson has ruled that the George Zimmerman defense team will be allowed to present to the jury that Trayvon Martin had small amounts of marijuana in his system prior to the altercation that occurred in February 2012 that left Martin dead from a gun shot. Judge Nelson had previously granted a prosecution motion to limit testimony about the government toxicology report, but changed her ruling after testimony by the medical examiner who performed the Martin autopsy.  The importance of this is that during Zimmerman’s call to a non-emergency police line, he told a dispatcher that a person he was observing, who turned out to be Martin, appeared to be “on drugs.” Guess what, it turned out to be Trayvon was.

Jurors in the George Zimmerman murder trial will be able to hear defense testimony that Trayvon Martin had small amounts of marijuana in his system at the time he was shot to death in February 2012.

In a ruling this afternoon, Judge Debra Nelson rejected a prosecution request to bar a portion of a toxicology report that revealed Martin had been smoking pot at some point prior to Zimmerman killing him with a single gunshot to the heart.

Nelson, who previously granted a prosecution motion to limit testimony about the government toxicology report, reversed herself in the wake of last Friday’s testimony by the medical examiner who performed the Martin autopsy. Zimmerman’s lawyers will apparently introduce findings from the toxicology report through the testimony of a defense forensics expert.

Many will say that all pot does is make one mellow and get the midnight munchies. However, that is the stereotype of pot use and what happens to most. Others say that the use marijuana actually get paranoid, irritable and aggressive. I have actually seen both happen.  In this case I hardly think that Trayvon Martin’s pot use is the “smoking” gun, but it does give credibility to Zimmerman’s account that Martin appeared to be on drugs.

A Special You Tube Thank You from Former Ohio Kidnap Victims Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus & Michelle Knight … Victims No More, They Are Getting Their Lives Back

THE FOLLOWING IS THE DEFINITION OF COURAGE.

The Ohio kidnap victims get their life back with love and support of family friends, loved ones … and you!

The three young women held captive in a Cleveland home for almost a decade break their silence and thank the public for their support in a public statement posted on YouTube. Kudos to the three young woman for taking their lives back and not allowing the animal who took so much for them to define them and ruin their lives forever.  Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were held captive by Ariel Castro in an unspeakable house of horror for a decade.

Smiling and appear upbeat, Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus speak separately in a three-minute, 30-second video released on YouTube.

“I may have been through hell and back, but I am strong enough to walk through hell with a smile on my face and my head held high,” Knight says, reading from a statement. “I will not let the situation define who I am. I will define the situation. I don’t want to be consumed by hatred.”

Knight says she is building a “brand new life.”

THANK YOU FROM AMANDA BERRY, GINA DEJESUS & MICHELLE KNIGHT

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

They say they appreciate the community’s financial help and prayers. DeJesus’ mother, Nancy Ruiz, is quick to thank the Cleveland Courage Fund. The fund is a bank account set up to receive donations to help the three women make the transition from 10 years of captivity to independence. It has received $1.05 million from 9,200 donors, and some of the money has flowed to the women and their families already.

In the video, an off-camera voice asks DeJesus what she would say to people who have contributed to the fund and have helped her and her family. “I would say thank you for the support.”

Berry calls the support unbelievable.

“Everyone who has been there to support us has been a blessing,” she says. She adds that she is getting stronger each day but continues to seek privacy.

Let’s hope these three young ladies are back on their way to getting some semblance of normalcy in their lives and are allowed to.

Even Bias News Media Forced to Admit the Obvious … ABC Admits There Is Not Enough Evidence To Prosecute George Zimmerman in Murder of Trayvon Martin (VIDEO)

From the outset, the liberal MSM has sought to put forth a false narrative with regards to the death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. Thanks to the race baiters and those in the MSM that would do their bidding to further the race card agenda, the case against Zimmerman for murder has been questionable at best. The media is completely invested in making sure that Zimmerman is guilty because he was a “white” Hispanic targeting a black boy. President Barack Obama, who has claimed that he did not get involved in making any phone calls to China or Russia with regards to NSA leaker Edward Snowden because he did not have to. Snowden’s actions have been called one of the greatest security breaches in American history. But some how that is not Obama’s job, but what is his job is to interject himself into a legal matter of which he knew nothing about and said, “if I had a son, he would look like Trayvon”. But Obama did not want to impair any investigation. Not at all Mr. President.

Now the prosecution’s case is imploding and after they have rested their case against George Zimmerman. Many, even those on the LEFT and who initially thought Zimmerman was guilty of murder, are left scratching their heads at the lack of any substantial evidence. It is the prosecution that legally has the burden of proof to prove that Zimmerman committed murder or manslaughter. However, after seeing what the prosecution presented against George Zimmerman, all anyone can say is, That’s it? Where is Barack Obama’s rebuttal to his previous prejudicial comment to Zimmerman that, there is no there, there?  Along comes ABC News forced to admit that they do not see how George Zimmerman convicts him of second degree murder or even manslaughter in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

Watch the video of ABC’s Dan Abrams Explains Why Zimmerman Is Likely To Be Acquitted.

Based on the legal standard and evidence presented by prosecutors it is difficult to see how jurors find proof beyond a reasonable doubt that it wasn’t self defense.”

Now that the prosecution’s case against Zimmerman is in, as a legal matter, I just don’t see how a jury convicts him of second degree murder or even manslaughter in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

So what happened? How can an armed man who shot and killed an unarmed teen after being told by the police that he didn’t need to keep following him, likely be found not guilty of those crimes?

I certainly sympathize with the anger and frustration of the Martin family and doubt that a jury will accept the entirety of George Zimmerman’s account as credible. But based on the legal standard and evidence presented by prosecutors it is difficult to see how jurors find proof beyond a reasonable doubt that it wasn’t self defense. [...]

For a moment, lets put aside the fact that many of the prosecution witnesses seemed to help Zimmerman in one way or another. [Translation: Let's ignore that the prosecution witnesses support Zimmerman's testimony]

As a legal matter, even if jurors find parts of Zimmerman’s story fishy, that is not enough to convict. Even if they believe that Zimmerman initiated the altercation, and that his injuries were relatively minor, that too would be insufficient evidence to convict. Prosecutors have to effectively disprove self defense beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Gateway Pundit adds the following video of the Rush Limbaugh Show who pretty much nails it in presenting the bias of the MSM and their need for Zimmerman blood or there will be riots. So much for innocent until proven guilty. I guess that is only for cause celeb cases that the MSM agrees with.

Reuters’ David Rohde on Obama Administration : “Terrible Optics” of President Barack Obama Golfing and Sec. of State John Kerry Yachting after Egypt Over-Throws Morsi

So somebody in the MSM finally decided to say it  … What the hell is Obama thinking?

David Rohde of Reuters criticized the Obama Administration on CBS’ Face the Nation this weekend. Rohde stated that the optics were terrible following what was supposed to be a strong statement by Barack Obama regarding the situation in Egypt. So some one in the media is finally questions Obama’s optics … “Terrible Optics” of Obama Golfing and Kerry Yachting as Egypt burns.

” … you have a bit now in Egypt where the president has a tough statement and then I don’t know how this happened, but it was terrible optics. The next day the President goes golfing, Secretary Kerry’s out on his yacht. What does that say to young people in Egypt, across the Middle East–whether they’re part of the debate–about America’s interest in the region?

RCP – VIDEO

Just curious, where has Reuters’ David Rohde been for the past 4+ years with regards to the “terrible optics” of Obama golfing or vacationing as record number of Americans are on food stamps, continued 7.6%+ unemployment, Americans are forced into part-time work rather than full time due to Obamacare and Americans losing their homes? How come no one has questioned those optics? Face it … Egypt and the Middle East is just learning what America has had to deal with, this president is apathetic and just does not care. Barack Obama has gone golfing 130 times since in office. Where was the MSM questioning those rounds of golf? Did theu just happen to missing those optics?