When the Press Attacks: Obama Wearing out his Welcome with Media … Not Even Nixon Tried to Control the Media Like Obama

Wow, who would have thought within the first year of an Obama presidency that the press would compare him to Richard Nixon. OUCH, that’s going to leave a mark, The Chosen One compared to Nixon. …  There’s change you can believe in … Stay tune for Fox’s new TV show, When the LEFT ATTACKS.

The media made Obama, they have carried the water for Obama and now they appear to be fed up with Obama. Has the media finally gotten tired of Obama’s lack of transparency and stonewalling of the media’s questions? What did the media expect? They created Obama by never asking a tough question, does the press now have buyer’s remorse, literally!

When liberal Helen Thomas thinks that Obama is trying to control the press, the Obamamessiah really has a problem. Is the media going to finally expose this President and the Administration for what they really are? They claim they are for oneness and transparency, yet have done nothing but stonewall, create media infomercials, have media plants, and pre-screen Town Hall questions. As Town Hall.com states … It’s about time, called on it for once.

“Nixon didn’t try to do that,” Thomas said. “They couldn’t control (the media). They didn’t try.

“What the hell do they think we are, puppets?” Thomas said. “They’re supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them.”

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JUSTICE: Bye, Bye Bernie … Ponzi Scheme Swindler Bernard Madoff Get Maximum 150 Years in Prison

Although no amount of prison time makes up for the billions that Madoff defrauded from the rich and poor alike, 150 years makes for some nice retribution.

Justice has been served in the Madoff Ponzi fraud. Bernard Madoff will not be seeing the light of day any time soon. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years for orchestrating the largest financial swindle in history. There is a special spot reserved in hell for Madoff for the thousands of unsuspecting people that he defrauded and stole their life savings. Previously a judge had ordered that Madoff forfeit $170 billion.

Madoff, from the penthouse to the big house

Bernard Madoff, the self-confessed author of the biggest financial swindle in history, was sentenced to the maximum 150 years behind bars for what his judge called an “extraordinarily evil” fraud that shook the nation’s faith in its financial and legal systems and took “a staggering toll” on rich and poor alike.

As one of the Madoff victims told the court, “Commit Madoff to prison for the rest of his life. “May Satan grow a fourth mouth where Madoff can spend the rest of eternity.”

The landmark sentence, one of the stiffest ever given for a white-collar crime, came just six months after Mr. Madoff, a pioneer on Wall Street, allegedly told his sons that his entire business was a massive Ponzi scheme. The penalty sparked a burst of applause in a courtroom packed with victims of the fraud.

Yet another example of why we hate defense attorneys. Check out this circular logic for defending his client. Some how because the defrauded money went to other investors, that’s supposed to lessen what Madoff did.

Mr. Madoff’s attorney, Ira Sorkin, said that Mr. Madoff was a “deeply flawed individual” but maintained that most of the fraud money went to other investors. He added that the $13 billion figure cited by the government as the net losses suffered by account holders since 1995 was overstated, since at least $1 billion in recovered assets will be returned to investors, and perhaps a lot more. The judge said that was irrelevant to the case. Mr. Sorkin said Mr. Madoff deserved only 12 years in prison, since he was 71 and had helped the government in its investigation — a statement Judge Chin questioned.

Ruth and Bernie Madoff … say good bye to the penthouse and Bernie, say hello to the big house.

Report: Ruth Madoff Agrees To Forfeit $80M

UPDATE I: Could 10 More People Face Charges in Madoff Ponzi Scheme Scandal?

It is rather hard to believe that only one man knew what was going on during the largest financial swindle in history. Will more be charged?

Federal authorities are pressing a probe of 10 associates of Bernard Madoff despite a sentence that means the mastermind of one of the biggest financial frauds in history will spend the rest of his days behind bars, The Associated Press has learned.

A person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, wouldn’t detail potential charges or say whether the 10 would include Madoff’s family or former employees. So far, only Madoff and an accountant accused of failing to make basic auditing checks have been criminally charged in the multibillion-dollar hoax.

SC Governor Mark Sanford Admits Affair with Argentinian Woman … From Missing to Wishing He was Missing … Appalachian, Argentina, Lost in Translation

BLAME IT ON RIO … OR IS IT ARGENTINA?

Mark Sanford, from Governor of South Carolina, to potential Presidential candidate to disgrace. At this point Sanford will be lucky to stay the Governor of SC after he admitted an affair with an Argentinian woman at a disastrous press conference yesterday. Maybe Sanford should have stayed in hiding after that debacle called a presser.

Really, Argentinia & Appalachian Trail are this close to each other.

Lost in translation … Who knew that a hike along the Appalachian Trail would translate to Argentinian Tale, or is it tail? One could have suspected that when the story came out of Sanford’s missing was a result of his hiking exploits, only to have his vehicle be found at the Atlanta airport, it was easy to suspect that something was amiss at the Circle K.

It is unbelievable that a man in Sanford’s position would act in such a selfish and reckless manner to his wife, his family and his state. Michelle Malkin aptly puts it … BASTARD!  Hot Air makes a good point on their lesson; however, I have to correct them on one detail. This does not pertain if you are a Democrat and your name is Bill Clinton.

The lesson: If you want to have a career in national politics, keep it in your pants. If you want to conduct affairs, stay out of politics. If you use your public office to lie to your constituents and your family, you deserve everything coming your way. No sniveling

One thing is for certain, Mark Sanford must go.

It has nothing to do with the affair per se, just like when President Bill Clinton was asked to resign. It’s not and never about the sex, that is between you, your wife, your family and your God. You must go because you were derelict in your duties as the Governor of the great state of South Carolina. Of course, the media will make it all about the sex and the affair as that is lazy journalism that sell. Sadly, this situation is about much more.

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Investigation to Take Place in Aruba for Corruption and Misgovernment … Go Figure … Corrupt or Safe, You Make the Call

CORRUPTION IN ARUBA … REALLY?

Say it isn’t so Joe, what a shocker … corruption in Aruba, who would have thunk it!

The corruption investigation will go on … As reported in Amigoe, an independent investigation will take place on possible corruption and “misgovernment” on Aruba.  Aruban Premier Nelson Oduber (MEP) announced earlier that there would be no investigation on corruption on the island. What else would one expect Oduber to say say seeing that it id his party in power and who will be scrutinized. For those that would claim that Aruba is “One Safe Island,” never mind the fact that such a notion would be lost on the family of missing and presumed dead Natalee Holloway. Can one really expect the truth when even the Netherlands states that there is corruption at the highest levels?

 Corruption in Aruba … Talk about going out on a limb

By that, she referred to the quoted abuses with governmental institutes of Aruba, in her letter to the Dutch parliament. “You will of course at least need investigation methods to determine this”, says the State Secretary.

However, Premier Oduber did not want to elaborate yesterday as to what the plan of approach should imply, except that it particularly should enervate ‘tall stories’.
On the question if the plan of approach also implies an investigation on possible corruption, he then responded with a ‘no’: “The plan of approach is not an investigation. The Kingdom has no right whatsoever to investigate internal affairs of Aruba.”

The Netherlands have long been worried and accused Aruba of corruption.

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Iran’s Guardian Council Admits Voter Fraud (Irregularities) in Presidential Election Over 100% voted in 50 cities) … While Protesters are Beaten & Killed in the Streets

Say it Isn’t so … Over 100% voted in 50 cities … no voter fraud here.

Of course the brutal Iranian regime gives a knew meaning the the term “hanging chads”.

Who knew that the Iranian Presidential elections were actually illegitimate and a fraud? Go figure. Where there is voter smoke fraud there is fire so the following comments by the Guardian Council spokesman hold little water, “the vote tally affected by such issues could be over 3 million and would not noticeably affect the outcome of the election”.

Iran’s Guardian Council has suggested that the number of votes collected in 50 cities surpass the number of people eligible to cast ballot in those areas.

The council’s Spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, who was speaking on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Channel 2 on Sunday, made the remarks in response to complaints filed by Mohsen Rezaei — a defeated candidate in the June 12 Presidential election.

“Statistics provided by the candidates, who claim more than 100% of those eligible have cast their ballot in 80-170 cities are not accurate — the incident has happened in only 50 cities,” Kadkhodaei said.

From The Astute Blogger … YES, VIRGINIA, THERE REALLY WAS MASSIVE FRAUD IN THE IRANIAN ELECTION

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Some Thoughts From a SM Reader … Iran: What if the people were armed?? Shouldn’t All People have Simple Freedoms?

The following is a guest post by a Scared Monkeys reader who was been moved and inspired by the people of Iran and their desire and quest for freedom. Simple freedoms that many of us in the United States sometimes take for granted. Imagine if the Iranian people had freedom of speech, the right to bear arms and assemble. The Iranian people just want their vote to count. That should be something that all Americans should respect, understand and support. How many times have we hear politician espouse and exaggerate the fact that voters were disenfranchised?

We have witnessed over the weekend the atrocities brought on those that would dare question their government over what is obvious to any thinking person a corrupt election. Why shouldn’t Iranians have freedoms similar to what you and I experience every day. Now imagine if your freedoms granted by the US Constitution were taken away.

Iran: What if the people were armed?

We hear from the anti-gun lobby now and again that America is the most violent society in the western modern world, and that the reason we are so violent is because of our liberal gun laws.  One can’t argue with statistics and we do have more deaths at the hand of guns than our counterparts (ie: Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Israel).  But that doesn’t tell the whole story.

When the great framers of our Constitution were debating this very issue in tap rooms and taverns from New York to Philadelphia, there were those that spoke out for strict laws about ‘the people’ (meaning the common folk, We the People) being allowed to own weapons. The arguments against guaranteeing this right ranged from the idea that the ‘common man’ could not be trusted with such weapons of destruction to the notion that if we have a just and free society, there would be no need for anyone to own arms except for our free society’s army.  Proponents of this right to own guns argued that there was not going to be a ‘standing’ militia so that in order to be ready to fight those who would try to conquer us, the citizens of this country must be armed.  Debate was vigorous. 

Wise minds prevailed and inserted the Second Amendment into our Bill of Rights of the Constitution.

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CHAOS in Streets of Tehran … Iranians Protest the Ahmadinejad Election Results and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

The Iranian people have had enough … and take to the streets risking injury and death. These people deserve our prayers and support.

The Iranian people have taken to the streets to protest and unjust election, and unjust dictator and an unjust supreme leader. Following the corrupt elections last week that saw Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad win in a questionable landslide, the Iranian people have had enough. As protesters march, the Iranian police use tear gas, clubs and water cannon as they tried to disperse the demonstrators.

The unrest left 19 people dead, hospital sources said. Unconfirmed reports put the death toll as high as 150 on the seventh day of post-election demonstrations.

Police were using tear gas, clubs and water cannon as they tried to disperse the demonstrators.

Iranian protesters residing in Japan shout slogans at a rally in support of opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi near the Iranian embassy in Tokyo June 20, 2009. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Iran’s Mousavi says ready for “martyrdom”

Mousavi said on Saturday he did not seek confrontation with the Islamic establishment, but was quoted by a witness as calling for a national strike if he is arrested.

“We are not against the Islamic system and its laws but against lies and deviations and just want to reform it,” he said on his website.

Finally after sitting on the sidelines and being non-committal, President Barack Obama makes a comment regarding the violence and protest in Iran, Obama calls on Iran to ’stop all violent and unjust actions:

The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.

Martin Luther King once said - “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian peoples’ belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness.

Go to Hot Air for some tremendous coverage of the events taking place in Iran.

UPDATE I: From the Gateway Pundit … Oh dear God please pray for the People of Iran who want nothing more than to live in a society where a vote actually counts.

Dear God– They’re shooting the unarmed democracy protesters on the street!
A woman is shot dead in Iran today.
(Warning: Very Graphic)

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Iran’s Election Results … President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Declared Winner in a Landslide, Who Needs to Count Votes

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Declared Winner

DEMOCRACY on display in IRAN, NOT!!!

Did anyone really think that an opposition opponent had a chance against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Did individuals, pundits, MSM and world leaders actually think that this was going to be a fair election? The results are in, it gave 62.6 percent of the vote to Ahmadinejad and 33.75 to Mousavi. Interestingly enough, the opposition candidate even lost in his own home town.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Really you can trust the elections results, I am for Peace

The Obama Administration is skeptical of Election results. Really? The  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad government capable of fraud? NEVER! Of course this is the same Iranian government that US President Obama says its okay for them to have nuclear capability as long as they use it for energy and good. If Ahmadinejad cannot be trusted with election results, does anyone really want to trust him with a nuke?

U.S. analysts find it “not credible” that challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi would have lost the balloting in his hometown or that a third candidate, Mehdi Karoubi, would have received less than 1 percent of the total vote, a senior U.S. officials told FOX News.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini apparently has released a statement calling the results “final” and hailing the election as a legitimization of the regime and its elections.

Clashes have erupted over the election results between supporters of the main election challenger to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. At Red State, they have the translation to the protest going on in Iran over the election fraud … “death to this liar government.” Works for us as well. The Gateway Pundit has more.

 Iran elections (Updated Saturday)

Mousavi wrote a second letter to the clerics in Qom Saturday. The implication, says Iran analyst Trita Parsi, is that the fight may escalate and the legitimacy of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may increasingly come into question.

“I don’t think anyone anticipated this level of fraudulence,” Reuters cited the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Karim Sadjadpour. “This was a selection, not an election. At least authoritarian regimes like Syria and Egypt have no democratic pretences. In retrospect it appears this entire campaign was a show: (Supreme Leader) Ayatollah (Ali) Khamenei wasn’t ever going to let Ahmadinejad lose.”

It Appears that Aruba Reads Scared Monkeys for More than Just Information on Natalee Holloway … Rudy Croes as Well

Well look here, a news publication in Aruba is using the blogs and Scared Monkeys.com for a reference to their article on Justice Minister Rudy Croes. The Scared Monkeys post they are referring to is Rudy Croes … “Aruba Breaks Ties with Netherlands” posted on June 2, 2007.

So do the many critics and haters still think that blogs and namely Scared Monkeys are irrelevant? Hmm? Isn’t it amazing where a post, story, comment or opinion might just wind up. In this case Sol Di Pueblo referenced a story that in many respects did not directly have to do with missing Natalee Holloway, but in stead the actions of Justice Minister Rudy Croes. However, in some ways it has everything to do with Natalee.

Isn’t this interesting. The Aruban Justice Minister making such outlandish comments. Aruba won’t cooperate with the Dutch in the future. You mean they have cooperated in the past? Some where Betico Croes is rolling over in his grave at what things have become.

Scared Monkeys has been referenced and quoted across the internet and in newspaper publications, radio, CNN Inside the Blogs (click watch) and TV. If you do not think that all this is relevant and read by many as being important, don’t tell that to the Dr Phil attorneys who used numerous pages of Scared Monkeys in the Deepak/Satish Kalpoe law suit as exhibits. This does not even touch on the information and details that help families, search teams and law enforcement that never get referenced in print, maybe only in a cryptic message. Scarted Monkeys set forth in early 2005 to try and make a difference, inform and bring people together for a common purpose. Thank you all for taking part in that mission.

Having met and known both Rudy Croes and his brother Betico, one thing is for certain … Rudy, you are no Betico Croes! To borrow a line from Simon & Garfunkel and slightly alter it, all I can say is … “Where have you gone Betico Croes, Aruba turns it’s lonely eyes to you.”

Solo Di Pueblo: Click on pic to enlarge

Had Betico Croes not met an ill-timed accident in 1985 and subsequent death in Aruba in 1986, I can honestly say that the Natalee Holloway disappearance might be solved today instead of the obstruction of justice, corruption, nepotism and favoritism that occurred. There used to be some really great, strong and honorable men in Aruba. Men who were willing to make a stand and do what was right  for Aruba, not just individuals. In many respects Betico Croes gave his live for Aruban Independence … are there any honorable Arubans left that are willing to come forward to give of themselves for “Justice for Natalee”? So that your island can once again gain it’s honor back … as well as it’s tourism.

Maybe the bias folks at Wikipedia can stop taking down the references that are put up when it pertains to Natalee Holloway as SM not being a news source.

Daily Commentary - Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 - Anniversary of a Tragedy, Disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba

• Still no justice for Natalee Holloway. Those responsible will answer to a higher justice.

 Daily Commentary - Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 - Anniversary of a Tragedy [1:06m]:    | Download