Cardinal George's Prediction - Faith in the Face of a Dark Future

"I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr". Francis Cardinal George, 2010.

Illinois Civil Unions will be blessed by Governor Pat Quinn at Millennium Park on June 2, 2011. Prior to that Bishop/Governor Quinn will see to it that homosexual couples will adopt children and that Catholic, Lutheran, or Jewish social service agencies be forced to drop adoption services.

There will be no conscientious objectors tolerated in Illinois.

Cardinal George, I believe made that prediction in reaction to the fury by which Gay Marriage advocates and their allies and pressure mounted on the thin shoulders of elected officials around the country where Same Sex Marriage initiatives took root - Massachusetts in particular. Governor Mitt Romney (R.) was especially spineless:

It's a complicated story. Massachusetts law prohibited "orientation discrimination" over a decade ago. Then in November 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ordered gay marriage. The majority ruled that only animus against gay people could explain why anyone would want to treat opposite-sex and same-sex couples differently. That same year, partly in response to growing pressure for gay marriage and adoption both here and in Europe, a Vatican statement made clear that placing children with same-sex couples violates Catholic teaching.

Then in October 2005, the Boston Globe broke the news: Boston Catholic Charities had placed a small number of children with same-sex couples. Sean Cardinal O'Malley, who has authority over Catholic Charities of Boston, responded by stating that the agency would no longer do so.

Seven members of the Boston Catholic Charities board (about one-sixth of the membership) resigned in protest. Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, which lobbies for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equal rights, issued a thundering denunciation of the Catholic hierarchy: "These bishops are putting an ugly political agenda before the needs of very vulnerable children. Every one of the nation's leading children's welfare groups agrees that a parent's sexual orientation is irrelevant to his or her ability to raise a child. What these bishops are doing is shameful, wrong, and has nothing to do whatsoever with faith."

But getting square with the church didn't end Catholic Charities' woes. To operate in Massachusetts, an adoption agency must be licensed by the state. And to get a license, an agency must pledge to obey state laws barring discrimination--including the decade-old ban on orientation discrimination. With the legalization of gay marriage in the state, discrimination against same-sex couples would be outlawed, too.

Cardinal O'Malley asked Governor Mitt Romney for a religious exemption from the ban on orientation discrimination. Governor Romney reluctantly responded that he lacked legal authority to grant one unilaterally, by executive order. So the governor and archbishop turned to the state legislature, requesting a conscience exemption that would allow Catholic Charities to continue to help kids in a manner consistent with Catholic teaching.

To date, not a single other Massachusetts political leader appears willing to consider even the narrowest religious exemption. Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, the Republican candidate for governor in this fall's election, refused to budge: "I believe that any institution that wants to provide services that are regulated by the state has to abide by the laws of the state," Healey told the Boston Globe on March 2, "and our antidiscrimination laws are some of our most important."

From there, it was only a short step to the headline "State Putting Church Out of Adoption Business,"
Catholic Services for orphans will disappear. Care for orphans as well as most 'social justice' initiatives - poverty programs, convict rehabilitation, industrial training and food distribution were pioneered by Catholics in Illinois. Civil Unions for homosexual couples was signed into Illinois Law in 2010 to the huzzahs of the Media. Immediately, the ramifications became clear. Any and all religious disagreement as to abortion or gay marriage at any level will be silenced.

American Clergy Sexual Abuse scandals and subsequent episcopal mishandling there of are the immediate and most handy straw men to toss up in editorials, op-ed pages and protest signage. Planned Parenthood, NOW, Immigrant Amnesty, Anti-War and Third World Solidarity movements, Public Service Unions, politicians and the media work together to advance each others mutually approved Progressive Brahmin agenda.

It is important that abortion be euphemized Woman's Choice.

It is important that homosexuals be married.

It is important that women be indistinguishable from men, if the fetus comes to term that is.

The Catholic Church is a problem and it will be silenced. Cardinal George of Chicago has never caught a break from the time that he put on the Red Hat. No matter what, Cardinal George would do or say he found himself the target of hostile media.

The Illinois Legislature will go along with the Same Sex/Gay Marriage coalition. That is a political given.

Illinois Catholics can expect a steady Chicago media bombardment of non sequiturs and straw men Sex Abuse calumnies in order to pin down elected officials, as was done in Boston, Baltimore and elsewhere. Catholic lobbyists will be about as welcome as a laugh on Channel 11.

The sad reality is that the State of Illinois was incapable of treating children services all through the 1980's and early '90s - Catholic lobbyist for Illinois Bob Gilligan notes -

Gilligan recalled that in the 1990s “the department was in disarray, so the state turned to Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish and many good private agencies to help them.”

The state went from having 46,000 children in the foster care system in 1997 to 16,000 today.

“The reason that is, is because the private agencies stepped up to the plate and they cooperated with the state to provide adoptive homes for children that were lingering in foster care far too long,” Gilligan said.

The conference director called it a “tragedy” that the same religious principles held by faith-based agencies that were so helpful to the state in the past could now be rejected under the new civil unions law.

It is all about agenda power and money. The Catholic Church is facing a dark future at the hands of Progressives, whether the agenda be Race, Women, Public Service Labor, Anti-War, Feminist, Green, or Abortion.

Cardinal George's words above should sober Catholics. Francis Cardinal George's words are coming true.


http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/illinois-catholics-fight-to-keep-adoption-services/

Happy Mother's Day - Enjoy These Home Videos of the Late Osama Bin Laden

Happy Mother's Day! Today is a day to remember mom and what better way to celebrate than with a bouquet of videos. This set of five unguarded and homespun moments from the life of the Mother of all jerks, Osama Bin Laden, courtesy of Navy Seal Team Six reveal the bearded terrorist making sense only to mules, Noam Chomsky, MSNBC, New York Times, Michael Moore and Lady Gaga fans everywhere.

Treat Mom to Sunday Mass, flowers, hugs, brunch, but don't forget the OSB collection.

Crawford Has Innocence Project's Protess Media Pals Copping Pleas

The big onion, that is the Innocence Project's David Protess and his methods, is peeling away. More so the choir Protess not only preaches to, but writes the libretto for, Chicago's media seem to be hiding or copping a plea.

Michael Miner of the Chicago Reader, a pioneer news organ that has made challenging investigations, arrests, interrogations, indictments and convictions of every African American career criminal over the last three decades its centerpiece-even maintaining the canon of John Conroy (no longer working for The Reader) on its main page, presented the work of Pulitzer Prize winning newsman William Crawford - Chimera.

Chimera takes a second look at the role of Protess, Innocence Project and the Chicago Media in its crusade to free violent recidivist criminal Anthony Porter at the cost of Alstory Simon's freedom.

David Protess was 'relieved' of duties with his thirty year post as director of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism Innoncence Project, over ethics issues concerning his direction of student investigators.

Eric Zorn, a Protess acolyte, has an interesting comment on yesterday's article by Mike Miner. Miner, himself, appears to copp a plea having been a devout Innocence project choir boy now appearing to help peel the Protess onion.

Why is Crawford so sure Porter is guilty and Simon innocent? His analysis relies far too much on pugnacity and sarcasm to persuade anyone else half as much as it's persuaded him. But he does give us reason to think the original case against Porter might have been stronger than anyone who knows of the case only by its reputation supposes — and that Protess’s team of investigators (most of them students) did a rather superficial job of looking into it.

But Crawford’s strongest argument is implied: Porter is guilty because Simon is innocent. And in trying to get readers to accept the idea that Simon would confess to a murder he didn’t commit, Crawford accuses the Innocence Project of manipulation and misrepresentation — the kind of tactics Protess is now being held accountable for, as in this long article in Thursday’s Tribune, and this one in Wednesday’s Daily Northwestern.

Oh, heavens! Not pugnacity and sarcasm? Sarcasm? Personally, I think that sarcasm flavors the sauce that has been poured on the facts that manage to find their where into print in Chicago.

Crawford offers much more - real analysis and actually journalistic leg-work, as opposed to a chatty call over to the Medill School for some copy.

Crawford describes, largely in Simon’s words, a visit to Simon’s home in Milwaukee by Paul Ciolino, a private investigator for the Innocence Project. Crawford writes:

.Barely conscious, Simon was awakened from his stupor around 6:30 a.m. by two men, armed with guns, who identified themselves as ‘police investigators’ from Illinois. They accused Simon of having murdered two individuals years ago in Chicago’s Washington Park.
The uninvited guests [Ciolino and an assistant] told Simon that Inez [Jackson], his ex-wife, and "other witnesses" had signed statements alleging that Simon had indeed committed the murders. Despite protestations from Simon that the two men were "crazy" and that they leave his house at once, Simon said the two so-called police investigators then slapped a video into a portable player. As the tape rolled, a black male appeared on the screen, claiming to have been a witness to the Washington Park murders. The unidenfied man — who much later would be found to have been an actor hired and scripted by Ciolino — said Simon was the triggerman.

Simon’s intruders then piled on. After playing the video and producing a copy of Inez’s signed affidavit, and that of her nephew, Walter Jackson, and others also incriminating Simon, Ciolino pulled a pink rabbit out of a black hat. The private eye glanced into a mirror hanging on Simon’s wall and spotted a news report flashing across Simon’s TV, which was otherwise not viewable. The TV was turned to Milwaukeee’s CBS station, which was broadcasting a news report in which Inez is seen asserting that Simon had committed the murders…

The surreal, outrageous events unfolding around Simon that morning, in his own home, triggered a well of fear within.

“Ciolino kept tell me that they had all the evidence they needed to convict me. That I was going to go down for these murders and end up on Death Row, and there was nothing I could do about it. After seeing this story on TV, I was no longer just angry, I was scared to death. For the first time, I believed that I was actually going to be charged with committing the murders,” Simon stated in a sworn affidavit.

Now the icing on the cake. Ciolino told Simon that all Protess wanted was to free Porter, that when Porter got out, millions of dollars would be flying around from book deals, Hollywood movies and the like. And Simon would be sharing in the largesse. Simon had to move quickly, however, because Chicago police were on their way to Milwaukee at that very moment to arrst Simon and return him to Chicago in chains to face the music.

“He [Ciolino] convinced me that he was actually trying to help me by giving me a way out before the police got to my house to arrest me. He said that if I gave a statement saying I did the crimes in self-defense, that he would get me a free lawyer, that the professor would make it so I would only have to serve a short time in prison, and that when I got out, I’d be taken care of financially and would not have to work again,” Simon alleged.

If Simon agreed and confessed, Ciolino promised Simon that a Chicago lawyer, a veteran member of the defense bar by the name of Jack Rimland, would take Simon’s case. And Rimland would take it free of charge. Simple as pie.”

And Simon, who’d been insisting on his innocence, eventually “caved.”

To underscore his account, Crawford quotes from a laudatory 2002 Chicago magazine profile of Ciolino by Bryan Smith. Here’s Smith’s account of Ciolino’s showdown with Simon:

Ciolino has been threatened with subpoenas and indictments more times than he can count by people who make their living finding reasons to throw people in jail. As a result, he knows he has to do everything by the book.
He danced close to the edge in the Porter case in getting Alstory Simon, the suspected real killer, to confess to the murder.

Showing up unannounced at Simon's house in Milwaukee, Ciolino said that he was a private investigator and that he had a videotape of a witness who said Simon had committed the Washington Park murders. The "witness" was actually an employee of Ciolino's. Watching the bogus video, Simon remarked, "Man, that guy wasn't there. He ain't no witness."

'Yeah?" Ciolino shot back. "How do you know that if you weren't there?" At that point, recalls Ciolino, "he looked at me like, 'Why did I open my mouth?"' Afterwards, Ciolino convinced Simon that if he confessed on tape, things would go easier for him. "We just bull-rushed him, and mentally he couldn't recover," Ciolino says.

So there was a phony videotape of a “witness” to the murders. And as my article mentions, Simon did wind up with Jack Rimland as an attorney. And he got 37 years not two.

So was Crawford wrong about any part of this encounter?

Ciolino calls it a “fairy tale.”

There was no mention of two years, no mention of a movie deal, he says. Simon asked for the name of a lawyer and Rimland was one of three names Ciolino gave him. The CBS newscast, which Crawford suggests was a setup, was “just dumb luck.” But it was because Inez Jackson had confessioned on TV the night before that Ciolino visited Simon early the next morning. “You go late at night or early in morning. If I’m up there at noon, [by then] Inez has a couple of bullet holes in the back of her head,” Ciolino says.

He tells me he happened to run into Simon in prison years later. Simon thanked him for doing him a favor. “I’m out of here in 15 years [with good behavior],” Simon said. Ciolino says to me, “Porter was going to be smoked! Somebody think Rimland did a bad job for him!” He goes on, “I’ll tell you what I’ll tell anyone else. If anyone thinks I’d tell a lie for Anthony Porter they don’t know anything about me. I’ve yet to meet the guy I’m willing to fall on my sword for. I didn’t care about Anthony Porter particularly as a person. It was all about what happened. And there was no way Anthony Porter committed that murder. Alstory did that murder, there ain't no question about it.”

I should add one thing. Paul Meincke of Channel Seven visited Simon in prison back in 2006 and reported that Inez Jackson now claimed “she was coached and coaxed into fingering her husband with promises of money from future book and movie deals on the Anthony Porter story. As for Simon himself, Meincke tells me today that he came away from Simon’s cell “with the distinct impression he could have been telling the truth. He seemed to be fairly genuine.” Meincke says a photographer with him had the same reaction.

Here is Eric Zorn's reaction:

Eric Zorn:
Simon's multiple admissions, apology to the victims, etc. make it hard to credit the idea that he was simply acting to go along with some scheme, but, as I wrote (and as you noted I wrote) it would have been better for Simon to have gone through the plea process with a lawyer who had no ties whatever to those with a stake in the outcome of the Porter case. Just seems like common sense. As does, by the way, my suggestion to Simon and his new attorneys that they release Jack Rimland from any bonds of attorney/client privilege so he, Rimland, can tell us his version of this story.
One last thing -- I reiterate my suggestion to Mike Miner that his blog also contain his columns. It seems perverse and very 20th century to separate them.

Posted by Eric Zorn on May 6, 2011 at 5:33 PM | Report this comment

Most flavorful

Pulitzer Prize Winning Newsman William Crawford Seems to Have the Progressive "Justice" Industry Squirming

Ever since the Mumia/Burge/Innocence/Gotcha Medill/Lawsuit Lotto Lawyer collective began charging police officers, City, County, State and Federal Justice Systems with systemic race-based torture, false prosecution and intimidation via editorial board, no newsman has ever questioned the roots of the conglomerate formed to challenge arrests, investigations, prosecutions and incarcerations of career murderers, gang-bangers, arsonists and felons. Until now.

A conglomerate consisting of University based foundations like the MacArthur Center for Justice, the Center for Wrongful Convictions, the Medill School of Journalism, the Innocence Project, lawyers like G. Flint Taylor and Jon Loevy, the editorial boards of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times and iconic columnists have fed off of one anothers input, assent and agendas to undermine any and all confidence in American Justice and Law Enforcement and made millions of dollars for lawyers and their convicted felon clientele. They have exacted millions of dollars from tax-payers via settlements and judgments.

The Jon Burge saga was crafted over three decades of constant drum beats of electric shock, suffocations, burnings, beatings and games of Russian roulette upon black men. However no court has convicted any police officer for torture. Jon Burge was convicted of perjury after years of legal three-card-monte by G. Flint Taylor. The MacArthur Center for Justice's Locke Bowman* who was wildly unsuccessful in tagging Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan with torture charges, contributes a regular screed about Police racism, torture, abuse, intimidation and official cover-ups in the daffy pages of Chicago Huffington Post.

Now the onion seems to be getting peeled. Innocence Project Leader Prof. David Protess is exiled from the Medill classroom over charges of ethics violations and manipulation of student methods. One of David Protess's celebrated clients,Anthony Porter is the subject of William B. Crawford's investigation entitled Chimera.

The Chicago Reader, which for thirty years touted the contributions of John Conroy, if not the the Ahab of Jon Burge, certainly the harpoon tossed by G. Flint Taylor of the Peoples Law Office, offers the work of William Crawford for public reading:

William Crawford is a retired 1973 Pulitzer Prize winning Chicago Tribune investigative newsman. For the last few years, Mr. Crawford has studied the

Last month Northwestern accused Protess of repeatedly giving "false and misleading information" to university lawyers who were trying to deal with a subpoena from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office for certain Innocence Project documents. Dean John Lavine suspended Protess from teaching this quarter and then Protess went on leave to try to reestablish a new Innocence Project outside the university.

Besides Protess's troubles, Sotos has one more thing going for him he didn't have in 2006—an analysis of the Porter/Simon case by William Crawford, a retired Tribune investigative reporter. Crawford tells me he heard about the case, asked Sotos if he could look through the files, and wound up spending three months compiling a hundred-page narrative he calls "Chimera." He's e-mailed it to everyone in Chicago he thinks might possibly care—particularly journalists and Medill faculty. "Our purpose here," Crawford begins, is "to set the record straight [and] get that record in front of those men and women, in private and public office, who are in a position to begin at once the task of righting the colossal wrong that has taken place."

Crawford was able to get Sotos and himself a meeting this week with Bruce Dold, the head of the Tribune's editorial board. (" I can't say if we'll do anything with his research," says Dold.) Other than that—and, I suppose, the column you're reading now—he appears to have accomplished nothing and possibly done Simon harm.

Crawford did an "extraordinary job" of putting the case record into narrative form, Sotos tells me, yet "the level of abrasiveness he brings is counterproductive."

The most flagrant example of that abrasiveness I've seen is an e-mail Crawford sent John Lavine badgering him for a response to "Chimera." Crawford tells me neither Lavine nor Al Cubbage, Northwestern's vice president for university relations, reacted to repeated e-mails until Cubbage finally asked Crawford to leave him alone. Full of typos, Crawford's final e-mail to Lavine ended with this:

"You have a good night. And I will be in that courtroom when you take the shirt off your back and give it to Alstory. And you tell Protess, who threatened me, you tell him, not in your words but in mine that I will kick his ass right up through the openings in both his ear.s [sic]

"My writing, has been sent everywhere: U.s. atty., Madigan, cook county state's attorye, justice department, every editorial writer. It ain't going away. And again, my amigo will own you and your dip shit school."

Crawford admits, "I guess I got a little pissed. If they think they can sit in their ivory tower ten years later and not even acknowledge I'm asking legitimate questions, they're dealing with the wrong person. I'm going to employ the same set of standards they used."

Lavine didn't respond to my request for comment. Cubbage said "Chimera" had no impact on the university's case against Protess, and he personally didn't read it.

Crawford has also repeatedly e-mailed Protess. In March, Crawford spotted an unflattering story about Protess in the Tribune and decided to needle him. "I didn't get a copy of the Tribune this morning. May I borrow yours?" Crawford wrote. Protess responded, "Sure. Which address would you like to have Anthony Porter and his friends deliver it to?" and listed several addresses where Crawford has lived or worked—a flourish Crawford believes was meant to intimidate him.

Exclaims Crawford: "He spends 90 days convincing the world Porter is innocent, and when Protess seeks to exact revenge, it is Porter he is going to send!"

Protess calls his e-mail merely a "jocular counter punch" to a "creepy" e-mail Crawford had sent him a few days earlier:

Professor,

Question: You ever own a 94 Forest Green Infinity, four door, LP Lyd880

Have a nice night.

Call me, Sapphire, cuz the discovery is going to begin.

Protess says that after seeing the "physical threats" made in Crawford's e-mail to Lavine, he stopped responding to him.

Crawford tells me he actually regards Protess as a secondary figure in the Alstory Simon story. "Chimera" is a tale full of big shots—lawyers, state's attorneys, judges—who Crawford says collectively perfumed Porter and screwed Simon, and he wants them all held accountable. He even says his fear is that Protess has been so weakened by Medill that he will wind up taking the fall alone. "My guess is they can make a sacrificial lamb out of him and then stand up and tell the world, 'We've cured the cancer.'"

Since, according to Crawford, I was the only journalist to actually read his report and get in touch with him, he had high hopes that I'd become his champion. When I asked about his e-mails he sounded forlorn, as if his last shot at making a difference was slipping away. He responded with an e-mail that began, "A final appeal."

"I ask that your story does not become my e-mails. . . " he wrote. "Everyone has a copy of my report. They are all sitting on it, pretending it doesn't exist. And if no one acknowledges it, the hope is it will go away. . .

"I ask you on behalf of a man who deserves rehearing, please keep him in mind. . . . Please do not make Simon pay for my indiscretions."

As for Simon, if there's even half as much reason to think he confessed falsely (as Crawford and Sotos insist there is), he'd make an excellent case study for Protess's Innocent Project. Indeed, says Protess, "I was so interested in Sotos's claim that I had lunch at Ina's with him and [cocounsel] Terry Ekl to hear their side. Their story ultimately didn't add up, and a criminal courts judge agreed."

Sotos remembers the conversation. "We told him we thought in his zeal to free Anthony Porter—which was laudable, they didn't have that strong a case against him originally. They snared an innocent person. He got really defensive."

It is clear that the conglomerate of Progressive Justice Crusaders is squirming.

Keep peeling this onion, Mr. Crawford.


*

Clinical Professor of Law, Northwestern
Director, MacArthur Justice Center

Locke E. Bowman joined the MacArthur Justice Center in 1992 and has handled a wide variety of civil and criminal litigation. His work focuses on cases involving police misconduct, compensation of the wrongfully convicted, rights of the media in the criminal justice system, and firearms control. He previously served as law clerk to Judge Hubert L. Will of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and was an associate at Mayer, Brown & Platt. He was also an assistant corporation counsel in the City of Chicago Law Department and a criminal defense lawyer at Silets & Martin before joining the center. Based on votes from fellow attorneys, Chicago Magazine named Bowman an Illinois “Super Lawyer” in 2005 and 2006 for his work in constitutional law and civil rights.

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8978152&postID=4775520044840949560

Your Obama Osama Playcard - A Moveable Feast of Fun and Facts!

Take a Bow! Sorry Mr. Presient. That was cruel.Huge hat tip to Bookworm Room!

I was as happy a teenaged boy with two . . .A's on his report card to learn that Osama Bin Laden the monster of 9/11 and Change was put down by Navy Seal Ream Six and CIA Spooks.

The narrative unravelled like a city kid's hard ball. No amount of black electrians tape seems enough to patch this White House - they can not even handle a victory.

A buddy of mine just e-mailed this to me from a website comments page:

Okay, what do we have here.
1) There was a firefight.
2) There was no firefight.
3) Bin Laden was “resisting.”
4) Bin Laden wasn’t armed. (Makes the concept of “resisting” interesting.)
5) He used his wife as a shield.
6) His wife was killed too.
7) He didn’t use his wife as a shield, she ran at a SEAL who shot her in the leg, but she’s fine.
Some other woman – the maid? – was used as a shield. By somebody. Downstairs.
9) That other woman – downstairs – was killed.
10) Maybe not. She was killed unless she wasn’t – and who was she, anyway?
11) Bin Laden’s son was killed.
12) Unless it was some other guy.
13) Bin Laden’s daughter saw him get killed. She’s undoubtedly traumatized, poor dear.
14) They were going to capture Bin Laden until the problem with the helicopter, which was:
A) It had mechanical trouble
B) It did a hard landing
C) It crashed
D) It clipped a wall with a tail rotor, effectively a crash
15.) They were never going to try to capture him, it was always a kill mission.
16.) No it wasn’t.
17) The chopper blew up.
18) The SEALs blew it up.
19.) Panetta said yesterday the world needed proof, the photo would be released.
20.) Obama said today in an interview he taped with Steve Kroft for “60 Minutes” to be broadcast Sunday that it won’t be released. It’s too gruesome, would offend Muslim sensibilities (something he worries about a lot – I personally do not give a warm fart on a wet Wednesday about Muslim sensibilities), and how would Americans feel if Muslims released pictures of dead Americans?
21.) Kroft – whose not a total idiot – pointed out that ever since “Black Hawk Down” days, Muslims have been doing precisely that, filming American bodies being dragged through the streets, filming Daniel Pearl’s head being cut off, filming any and everything.
22) Obama gets pissed at CBS, the tape gets cleaned up, that question disappears. (Inside info.)
23.) We got a “treasure trove” of stuff from hard drives, etc.
24.) There were no phone lines, and no internet access at the “mansion,” they didn’t even have TV – what “treasure trove?”
25.) There is obviously in the pictures of the place a large satellite dish. I guess they used it for making salads.
26.) And now, just today: apparently the idea was to capture him, but only if he was naked. There was a suspicion he might be wearing a suicide bomber type explosive vest, or belt. So if he’s not naked and you can’t see if he has a vest on or not – shoot him.

The idiot Carney – they actually managed to find someone who makes Gibbs look good – is currently twisting himself into knots trying to explain why the photograph that the whole world was expecting isn’t going to be released. (Obviously the thing to do is get Trump on the case, he’ll force Obama to release it.)

The military did great, the administration – or whatever that bunch is, kind of like “The Little Rascals” – have managed to turn it into spaghetti. The story has changed so many times in the course of a mere three days it’s a joke – the world would be better off if Panetta had left the little $hitwit on the golf course.

Is it me, or does that Jay Carney kid always seem to be on the verge of tears? The kid makes Old Possum Eye Gibbs seem like Sir Larry Olivier.

Arch-Eejit of Canterbury 'Uncomfortable' with the Demise of Osama Bin Laden

ArchEejit of Canterbury* Rowan Atkinson wants Great Britain to have Sharia Law. This splendid chap is 'uncomfortable' with the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

I get uncomfortable around lunatics and C of E Archbishops. Here's Muh Luhd's thoughts -

Dr Rowan Williams told The Daily Telegraph today: 'The killing of an unarmed man is always going to leave a very uncomfortable feeling because it does not look as if justice is seen to be done.'
The archbishop’s criticism of the operation follow remarks from the Bishop of Winchester, Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, who described the killing of Bin Laden as 'an act of vengeance' and said he fears terrorist reprisals by fundamentalists against Christians in Britain and around the world.

He also said that the assassination of Osama Bin Laden represented a failure of world order

World Order? Bash it all Rowney, does not the wireless pick up broadcasts besides the BBC ( 100% news on Emerging Nations)?

The world is less than orderly, Old Cock! Somalia, Libya, the Arab Spring States anywhere that Babu, Sammy and Mustafa chop limbs and stone stunners, Rowney Old Rump Rubber, you will be sure to find blood, hatred, corruption, and misery! The Wogs start at Dover after all! No that's Stepney! What? Haw?

Good stuff!

*eejit (plural eejits)

(chiefly Scotland and Ireland, pejorative) An idiot; a fool; an imbecile.

The Mysterious Ulsterman Blows No Drama Obama to Smithereens

There is a piece going around net that landed in my e-mail basket, after I wrote a blog offering in praise of Planned Parenthood's President Barack Obama on the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

I feel that criticism should always be tempered with recognition for accomplishment; otherwise, one is just another Keith Olbermann or Chris Matthews.

The killing of Bin Laden was huge. I felt the President deserved praise - he surprised me on that one.

Then this arrived, following a witty tune up from Non-Goo-goo pals like Mike Houlihan, Francis of New Haven, and others.

This is one in a series of pieces presented by a journalist calling himself The Ulsterman. This Insider dope might be a conservative fantasy presenting an imagined glimpse into the Obama War Room during those tense forty minutes while Navy Seal Team Six was killing Osama and Obama was wearing golf shoes in the War Room.

What makes this piece so believable that The Ulsterman actually has a White House insider is the presentation of Chicago's Valerie Jarrett* - called Obama's brain.

The Ulsterman offers either a genuine Q & A with an Obama insider bent on getting rid of Valerie Jarrett ( aide to Bill Daley?), or a fantasy for Glenn Beck fans.

Here is an excerpt from Obama Hesitated

The primary opposition to this plan originated from Valerie Jarrett, and it was her opposition that was enough to create uncertainty within President Obama. Obama would meet with various components of the pro-invasion faction, almost always with Jarrett present, and then often fail to indicate his position. This situation continued for some time, though the division between Jarrett/Obama and the rest intensified more recently, most notably from Hillary Clinton. She was livid over the president’s failure to act, and her office began a campaign of anonymous leaks to the media indicating such. As for Jarrett, her concern rested on two primary fronts. One, that the military action could fail and harm the president’s already weakened standing with both the American public and the world. Second, that the attack would be viewed as an act of aggression against Muslims, and further destabilize conditions in the Middle East. . . .Jarrett believed this would further delay Panetta from acting, as the responsibility for failure would then fall almost entirely on him. What Valerie Jarrett, and the president, did not know is that Leon Panetta had already initiated a program that reported to him –and only him, involving a covert on the ground attack against the compound. Basically, the whole damn operation was already ready to go – including the specific team support Intel necessary to engage the enemy within hours of being given notice. Panetta then made plans to proceed with an on-ground assault. This information reached either Hillary Clinton or Robert Gates first (likely via military contacts directly associated with the impending mission) who then informed the other. Those two then met with Panetta, who informed each of them he had been given the authority by the president to proceed with a mission if the opportunity presented itself. Both Gates and Clinton warned Panetta of the implications of that authority – namely he was possibly being made into a scapegoat. Panetta admitted that possibility, but felt the opportunity to get Bin Laden outweighed that risk. During that meeting, Hillary Clinton was first to pledge her full support for Panetta, indicating she would defend him if necessary. Similar support was then followed by Gates. The following day, and with Panetta’s permission, Clinton met in private with Bill Daley and urged him to get the president’s full and open approval of the Panetta plan. Daley agreed such approval would be of great benefit to the action, and instructed Clinton to delay proceeding until he had secured that approval. Daley contacted Clinton within hours of their meeting indicating Jarrett refused to allow the president to give that approval. Daley then informed Clinton that he too would fully support Panetta in his actions, even if it meant disclosing the president’s indecision to the American public should that action fail to produce a successful conclusion. Clinton took that message back to Panetta and the CIA director initiated the 48 hour engagement order. At this point, the President of the United States was not informed of the engagement order – it did not originate from him, and for several hours after the order had been given and the special ops forces were preparing for action into Pakistan from their position in Afghanistan, Daley successfully kept Obama and Jarrett insulated from that order.

If this be a legit Q & A - it is a game changer. Click my post title and read the whole thing.

If it is a fabrication - not bad for a conservative fantasy. Either way, if it rids public service of Valerie Jarrett, I'm all over it. Valerie Jarrett is a professional "Ain't She Great" resumes built upon Progressive clout and powered by personal wealth and connections.

*...Valerie Jarrett's real clout comes less from her career than from her extraordinary connections and seemingly endless capacity for extracurriculars. As one observer put it, "She knows everyone in Chicago." Obama's media adviser Anita Dunn recently cracked that "she may be one of the most plugged-in people in the United States." Or as Susan Sher says, "Whatever situation she's in, she rises to the top," enumerating how Jarrett did just that at City Hall, where she ended up in the famously difficult post of chairing the Chicago Transit Authority for eight years; at the Chicago Stock Exchange; and on the board of the University of Chicago Hospital, which she now also chairs. "She is like a god in Chicago, an icon," says Adrienne Pitts, a 40-year-old lawyer who takes every opportunity to see Jarrett speak at events around the city, something she does with less frequency now that Jarrett is so often traveling with Team Obama or helicoptering into problem situations or trying to catch some of the big, joyous campaign moments and watch history change. That is, when she can get away from her day job.

Mayor Daley Exits After Leaving Years Ago. We Will Always Have Cows on Parade

Yesterday, Mayor Richard M. Daley presided over his last official City Council meeting. He will officially leave office soon. He has his legacy.

When Mayor Richard J. Daley died, after sweeping the hapless Jimmy Carter into the White House, Bridgeport was swelled like a tic with genuine mourners and rump-kissers. Rich Daley, an Illinois State Senator, was being painted out of the life political. However, many people took to Rich Daley like Prince Hal in Shakespeare's Henry IV Parts One and Two - the guy everyone underestimated, who hung out with thieves and cut-purses in order to learn the motives and machinations of the devious, who learned common touch of the people - ' a little touch of Harry in the night.'

Daley succeeded in besting his rivals with support he had from working stiffs living in two-flats, raised ranches and bungalows, but unlike Prince Hal never became Henry V.

He left the neighborhood that nurtured him and turned his back on the bungalow world of working stiffs and squares, in order to bring about a Chicago touted as a World Class City.

Cows on Parade* seem a fighting icon for that 180 degree turn. The plastic cows evolved out of a sense of corporate culture that paid good money to tell all of us what is important.

The neighborhoods are in his rear view mirror. The shabby genteel and pious working stiffs boarding the Halsted, Western and Devon Ave. buses each morning and evening in order to put in the hours for pay and retun to the two flats, raised ranches and bungalows, pay tuition, taxes, assessments and then somehow find beauty, poetry, music and comfort on the own dimes will not be hanging paintings of Richard M. Daley in Polish Highlander, Knights of Columbus, Masonic and SAC clubs or the handful of neighborhood taverns. They did that for his Dad.

Cows on Parade will be how I remember the Richard M. Daley years.

*Richard M. Daley has placed a high importance on the partnership between private and public arts support since he took office as Mayor of Chicago in 1989. For Mayor Daley, the arts are a personal crusade. When the Cultural Affairs Commission needed a home, he called for the restoration of a beautiful old library where now, in addition to offices, daily events are open to the public in a rotating exhibition and performance center. His leadership in presenting the Cows on Parade sculptures led to numerous cities replicating the concept. Most recently, Mayor Daley spearheaded the creation of Millennium Park, a $450 million cultural mega-project in the heart of Chicago. First planned in 1997 as a way to create new parkland in Grant Park and transform an eyesore of railroad tracks and parking lots, it has evolved into one of the most significant millennium projects in the world. The 24.5-acre Millennium Park is an unprecedented cultural playground that features world-class art, music, architecture and landscape design, interactive public art, ice skating, and free classical music presentations. Featuring accessible fountains, sculptures, and skating rinks, kids and tourists can now visit day and night for free. Mayor Daley, along with his wife Maggie, established the “Gallery 37” program which has been recognized nationally as one the leading arts education programs in the country.

John " Really Smart Guy" Feffer Explains How Osama Outsmarted Obama

Kids, this really, really, really, really QUOTE Smart UNQUOTE Dude John Feffer - sotto voce Don't people who use that idiotic quote/unquote gesture make you want to turn their fingers into pretzels? Note to myself - They(Quote/Unquoters) are breathing your air to be sure, but they are as God made them.

I like to read while lunching . . .I am tucking away at my lunch here at Leo High School having put together a class list for Barney Janecki '46, and researched some out of town foundations and prepped for a meeting at the Pastoral Center tomorrow and doing a letter of recommendation for Denzel Tucker, Leo 2011 seeking financial help for his college of choice Ferris College. Lunch looks good -(TypeA) an oriental noodle salad with ginger dressing! I am reading an article in Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). It's a howl.

Academic John Feffer, who like Noam Chomsky and other celebrity nitwits, gets attention by offering the loudest and most publicly contrarian point of view on anything. Mother Theresa was a Brownshirt; Justin Bieber is a Genius; Osama Bin Laden is a laughing up a storm - that sort of stuff. If it is goofy, it gets passed off as thoughtful

Osama Bin Laden had two more orifices added to his noggin courtesy of Navy Seal Team # 6 at the insistence of Commander in Chief President Obama.

Here is Dr. Feffer - bubbly but really much too sweet form my leathery pallet - in all of his cranial splendor on just how Osama Bin Laden really pulled one over on the President by turning his bearded noodle into a colander:

We have, once again, played right into Osama bin Laden's hands. This might seem like an odd assertion, since the al-Qaeda mastermind is finally dead at the hands of U.S. Special Forces, most heads of state have voiced their congratulations, and practically the entire U.S. citizenry is unified in celebration.

Well, smoke my meat! if that don't taken the rag offen the bush! You mean to tell me that for the last three score and more of hours, I have been just shickled titless over the news of Osama's demise? Tell on, Feffer!

Bin Laden's death sends a particular message about the abuses of state authority — why is the United States in the business of targeted assassination? — that may resonate in the Islamic world. Likewise, with former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf condemning the attack as an infringement on his nation's sovereignty, bin Laden in death has been able to drive a further wedge between Washington and Islamabad.

You mean we might not be able to trust Pakistan?

Doc! You can't mean it! Wait . . .just a sec. . . .I swallowed the Leo Cafeteria noodle salad while reading your next sortie . . .let me get that out of my gullet. There. All better now let's see.

Martyrdom, holy war, the lure of power and economic profligacy: with these weapons of the weak, al-Qaeda has drawn the United States into a conflict that has sapped our moral, political, and financial resources. We have persuaded ourselves that we're in control, even in this last act of extrajudicial killing. But even here, bin Laden has managed to glorify himself at our expense.

These are the tools of bin Laden. We are the tools of bin Laden.

Dang, I thought that boring a couple of holes through Osama's melon was just EXTRA-judicial myself there Dr. Feffer. But hold the phone, Elmer! Bin Laden is using us like a finely crafted US Made Milwaukee Drill with a powerful 8.0 Amp motor and 0-2,800 RPM, the 3/8" Drill; it has the power to perform even the toughest applications? Please, Doc!

BTW- The former Paki Prez has family right here in Chicago - BTW. Money marble or chalk ;that they are bundling cash for President Obama's re-election.

President Obama - Warrior in Chief

In 1939, Poland had more troops than Germany; Russia had many more; France fielded a larger army.

The Nazi regime tooled for a new war - Blitzkrieg that combined mechanized infantry, tanks, and superior air cover. The tactics matched a strategy for a swift and brutal capture of territory while doling out a psychological despair to defenders. It worked - by and large.

Poland sent lancers against tanks. Russia exterminated its officer corps prior to Barbarossa. France sat in a fort. Warfare must be realistic. Supply, communication, weapons systems, and manpower must match intended outcomes.

Our carrier fleet is unmatched world wide, for now, but, is of little help in finding a terrorist's suburban villa in Pakistan. However, choppers full of motivated and professional warriors sent over the Afghan mountains by a Commander in Chief with a warrior's heart was just the ticket. Outcomes matched intent.

In 1991 and again in 2001, The Bush Presidents applied the doctrine of shock and awe - it worked by and large.

Terrorists, from the time of the 1920's Irish War of Independence under the direction of the IRA's Michael Collins*, through Menachem Begin's Stern Gang in Israel, to J.M. Kariuki's Mau-maus ( acronym for Let the Europeans go home to Europe) in Kenya, and up to the late Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaeda, apply indiscriminate terror -shootings, bombings, decapitations, or mutilations in an exercise of Hegelian will over human beings and any and all law. Acts of terror are preceded and followed by demands of all manner of construction. Acts of terror must be met with reality.

The rule of nations must be the rule of Law.

Counter-terrorism seems to be most effective when terrorists are personally held accountable by lawful governments. Elite specialists go in and kill them all. Strike fast and get out. The Israelis are past masters of this form of warfare. Use our intelligence capabilities and send in our best trained warriors to kill criminals. Terror meets reality. In his last nano second alive, I hope that Osama said, " I over-played my hand."

In some way, I hope he also knew who pulled the trigger - President Obama.

Not since President Reagan has a Commander in Chief earned the salute of his troops - President Obama is a Warrior -period.

Well done President Obama. You killed Bin Laden as much as the young warrior who pulled the trigger. No American can honestly criticize your courage, leadership, and dedication to the Constitutional Oath you took in 2009. More importantly you recognized the efforts of President GW Bush and displayed great grace in calling him with the news of Bin Laden's fate. President Barack Hussein Obama defended our Republic.

This is what being President is all about - I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States..

This is your moment, Mr. President. God Bless You and your Administration.


* Correction Michael Collins was a guerilla leader - limiting his activities to Military and Crown targets.

Michael Collins first became known during the Easter Rising in 1916. A skilled organiser of considerable intelligence, he was highly respected in the IRB, so much so that he was made financial advisor to Count Plunkett, father of one of the Rising's organisers, Joseph Mary Plunkett, whose aide-de-camp Collins later became.

When the Rising itself took place on Easter Monday, 1916, he fought alongside Patrick Pearse and others in the General Post Office in Dublin. The Rising became (as expected by many) a military disaster. While some celebrated the fact that a rising had happened at all, believing in Pearse's theory of "blood sacrifice" (namely that the deaths of the Rising's leaders would inspire others), Collins railed against it, notably the seizure of indefensible and very vulnerable positions such as St Stephen's Green that were impossible to escape from and difficult to supply. (During the War of Independence he ensured the avoidance of such sitting targets, with his soldiers operating as "flying columns" who waged a guerrilla war against the British, suddenly attacking then just as quickly withdrawing, minimising losses and maximising effectiveness.)

Collins, like many of the other participants, was arrested, almost executed[8] and was imprisoned up at Frongoch internment camp. Collins became one of the leading figures in the post-rising Sinn Féin, a small nationalist party which the British government and the Irish media wrongly blamed for the Rising. It was quickly infiltrated by participants in the Rising, so as to capitalise on the "notoriety" the movement had gained through British attacks. By October 1917, Collins had risen to become a member of the executive of Sinn Féin and director of organisation of the Irish Volunteers; Éamon de Valera was president of both organisations

CTA CEO Terry Peterson is not Black -He's Pure Gold! Remember Ald. Tom Murphy?

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Tom Murphy was the Alderman of the 18th Ward. The 18th Ward was remapped in order to make Tom Murphy 'demographically un-electable.' You see Tom Murphy was a real public servant - he was not a grand-standing blow-hard with an an on-going stool on the panels at WTTW.

As an Alderman, Tom Murphy represented his Ward and often found himself at odds with Mayor Daley. Murphy voted against property tax increases and raises for the City Council; can't have that.

The 18th Ward was re-mapped with many of the white precincts eliminated. The thoughts were that African American voters would only vote for an African American. Tom Murphy won in a landslide against four African American candidates. Then the City Council Black Caucus refused to allow Tom Murphy, who represented the African American families of the 18th Ward, to sit in the Black Caucus. The grand-standing blow-hards with on-going stools on the panels at WTTW played race against Tom Murphy.

This was one sweet bit of pure Tom Murphy from that campaign -

But Murphy said he doesn't believe the ward is split either racially or geographically. "I see it as a ward of 57,000 taxpayers," he said. "I see it as my job to treat everybody the same."

And he blames the media for reducing the ward's politics to a contest between black and white voters.

Today, grand-standing blow-hards with on-going stools on the panels at WTTW are beefing that the Emanuel Administration has no blacks at the top.

“For some black aldermen who must approve the appointments, it was another slap in the face. The only African-American member of Emanuel’s public safety team is former Chicago Police officer Felicia Davis, who will serve as deputy chief-of-staff for public safety.

Nobody is black at the top. At least Mayor Daley did have some African-Americans around him. It appears now that Mayor Emanuel has no blacks around him,” said Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), chairman of the City Council’s Budget Committee.

Reminded that newly-appointed Schools CEO Jean Claude Brizard is black, Austin said, “That’s not us. Even though that’s a sister agency of ours, that’s not in this City Hall.”

Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) noted that Emanuel’s landslide victory was sealed by carrying every one of the city’s black wards.

“There is a dearth of African-American professionals evident in his current team,” Dowell said.

Another slap in the face! Man, is that one tired string of nonsense. Race-baiters need new rhetoric.

Get this.

Ald. Howard Brookins (21st) added, “I’ve heard in the community, even with respect to Mr. Brizard, that he’s not from here. He’s not [really] African-American. He was born in Haiti. We just hope that we would be able to get some local folks. … Hopefully, this isn’t a sign of things to come — that it’s all outside people. But, we’ll see.”

Yeah, them Haitians look like Swedes, Howard.

Really? When did Terry Peterson get so pale?

Terry Peterson is, by the way an African American. More importantly, Terry Peterson is one of the best people in public service. Terry Peterson represented the 17th Ward at the same time that Tom Murphy represented the 18th Ward.

Terry Peterson ran the CHA. Terry Peterson ran Daley's re-election campaigns. Terry Peterson directed Rahm Emanuel's Campaign. Terry Peterson is CEO of the CTA.

Terry Peterson will see that career appointee Forest Claypool does not have too difficult a time as President of CTA. Voila!

Claypool replaces Richard Rodriguez, but Emanuel said he has asked Rodriguez to consider serving his administration in a different capacity.

Emanuel also announced that Terry Peterson, another longtime Daley loyalist, would continue as chairman of the CTA board.

But for his first transportation department commissioner, Emanuel looked beyond the city limits to tab Gabe Klein, a former Washington, D.C., official.

Tuesday’s announcement came a day after the mayor-elect presented Jean-Claude Brizard as his choice for CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.

Still on Emanuel’s to-do list before his May 16 inauguration is appointing a new police superintendent.

T'ain't no where near May 16, by my guesstimations. Still, the media need to get that slap in the face out there. Folks gotta be slug-nutty with them slaps in the face. Race matters. . . to boneheads and phonies.

Tom Murphy was a great alderman, black, white, lavender, or crimson. Terry Peterson is not black; he is gold.


http://www.chicagoreporter.com/index.php/c/Sidebars/d/White_Alderman_Counts_Black_Votes_in_18th_Ward

http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/emanuel-taps-forrest-claypool-to-head-chicago-transit-authority/

Osama Bin Laden Buried at Sea!

WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. official says Osama bin Laden has been buried at sea.

After bin Laden was killed in a raid by U.S. forces in Pakistan, senior administration officials said the body would be handled according to Islamic practice and tradition. That practice calls for the body to be buried within 24 hours, the official said. Finding a country willing to accept the remains of the world's most wanted terrorist would have been difficult, the official said. So the U.S. decided to bury him at sea.

The official, who spoke Monday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national security matters, did not immediately say where that occurred.

Osama is not welcome in Davy Jones' Locker - Capt. L.J. Silver (dec.)

What Was the Last Thing to Go Through Osama Bin Laden's Mind? A Bullet. President Obama Stands Twenty Feet Tall!

The old saying 'A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste' no longer applies. The wasted noodle of Osama Bin Laden is just dandy.

The billionaire Islamist Recluse who produced Al Qaeda's War on Civilization, ordered the murder of thousands of Americans on 9/11, orchestrated terror worldwide and continued his kideny dialysis treatments somehow, was introduced to Justice by a team of American heroes ( Navy Seal Team # 6 and CIA paramilitary commandos).

President Obama took down Bin Laden and was classy enough to phone the much maligned President GW Bush.

This is a nice start to May.

Well done Mr. President! God Bless the young people who took the war to Bin Laden up close and personal.

WWI Aviator and Adventurer Lt. Pat 'Brien - Suicide or Foul Play?

Lt. Pat O'Brien, RCAC, OMC or Momence, IL was an early American aviator, U.S. Army Flying Corps officer, Royal Canadian Air Corps combat pilot with two kills, POW who escaped a running prison train and hide from the Germans on a 370 mile dash to freedom from Germany to neutral Holland, celebrated author, speaker, silent movie star and world adventurer was reported to have killed himself in a Los Angeles hotel room.

There was an remains an air of mystery about O'Brien's death. Here are some interesting items from the Lowell, Indiana ( home to O'Brien's mother) Public Library from researcher Kevin McNulty and others:

Pat O'Brien Given British War Cross
Lieut. Pat O'Brien was in Momence for a few hours on Monday, having arrived direct from New York, and left the same day for Lowell to see his mother, leaving on Tuesday for Cleveland. Pat brought the information that he had received additional honors that conferred upon him by His Majesty, the King of England. Pat has been awarded the British War Cross, which is conferred upon officers for gallantry in action. The award of this great honor came as a complete surprise to O'Brien, and coming as it did is all the more appreciated. This medal is the highest war honor that is conferred by the British government, and is one of the very few in the United States that have ever been so honored.
The citation conferring this honor upon him was received by Pat a few weeks ago in New York. According to the regulations this medal should be pinned upon him by the King himself, but owing to the fact that he was unable to go to England at this time, a special ruling was made in Pat's case and the cross will be pinned upon him by the British ambassador to the United States. The ceremony will take place at the national Capital within a few weeks, in the presence of high British officials, and representatives of the American army. Sen. McCormick will be in charge of the ceremony, and the presentation will be witnessed by several of Pat's friends from all parts of the country.

The high decoration was bestowed by the King on December 16, 1919, but notice of the award reached Pat only three weeks ago. The cross is one of the most handsome decorations in the English army, being made of silver and suspended on a ribbon of British colors. Pat says if these decorations continue to come he will have to expand his chest to get room for them all. Of all the decorations which he has received, Pat prizes the war cross the most highly. -- Momence Press-Reporter.


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The following May 13, 1920, Lowell Tribune article appeared on page 1, column 3:
Pat O'Brien Married
Lieut. Pat O'Brien has just announced his marriage to Mrs. E.E. Allen, of Washington, D.C. The marriage took piece in Havana, Cuba, in January and Pat only told his friends a few days ago. Pat met his bride while in Washington and they were married three weeks later. They are now enjoying their honeymoon in California. Pat's many Lowell friends extend congratulations and best wishes to him and his bride.

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The following December 22, 1920, Lowell Tribune article appeared on page 1, column 5:
Lieut. Pat O'Brien Suicides
The entire country was thunderstruck last Saturday when it became known that Lieut. Pat O'Brien, the famous aviator, had been found dead in a room in a fashionable hotel in Los Angeles, Calif. It is thought that in a fit of despondency he took his own life. He had been separated from his wife whom he married less than a year ago, and this with his war experience, it is thought unbalanced his mind and caused him to do the rash act. The thought that domestic troubles might be the cause is borne out by the following note which was found near his body.

"Only a coward would do what I am doing. But I guess I am one. With all my war record, I am just like the rest of the people in this world -- a little bit of clay.
"And to you, my sweet little wife, I go, thinking of you and my dear, sweet mother, my sisters and brothers. And may the just God that answered my prayers in those two days I spent in making my escape from Germany, once more answer them.

"And bring trouble, sickness, disgrace and more bad luck than anyone in this world has ever had and forever that awful woman that has broken our home and has taken you from me.

"She caused this life of mine, that just a few minutes ago was so happy to go on that sweet adventure of death.

"Please send what you find back to my dear mother in Momence, Ill.

"To the five armies I have been in, the birds, the animals I loved so well, to my friends, to all the world and to adventure, I say good-bye.


"Pat O'Brien"
Lieut. O'Brien was born at Momence, where his mother and brothers and sister still reside, Many years ago he went west and when the war broke out he enlisted with the Royal Flying Corps of England and fought with them until he was captured by them and our people here have heard him tell of his wonderful escape from the Germans while they were taking him to a German prison camp. His leap from the train; his tramp of 72 days across the entire German country and finally arrived Holland and his return to this country a physical wreck, is all fresh in their minds. His many experiences are told in his book "Outwitting the Hun" which had a nation wide circulation.

Soon after his return to this country Lieut. O'Brien gave his famous lecture in Lowell. His lecture told in a vivid way the terrible experience he had in his escape from the Germans. The proceeds of the lecture amounted to $500 which was turned over to the Red Cross.

Perhaps no one had a greater experience in the World war and came back to tell of it, than did Pat O'Brien. His wonderful experiences will always be remembered by the folks here. Sincehe came back he has been on the chautauqua platform and gave lectures all over the country and at the time of his death he was in motion pictures. He was a young man who was greatly loved and respected by all those who knew him. He had visited here many times and numbered his friends by the score in this section.

Mrs. Maggie O'Brien, his mother, was prostrated when the news of her son's death came. One sister, Mrs. Ben Worley, resides here. They have a large circle of friends here who extend to them their heartfelt sympathy in their great hour of sorrow.

The remains will probably be brought back to Momence for burial.


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In an e-mail dated July 15, 2007, Marcia A. Tedford of Momence, Illinois, added the following information about Pat O'Brien:
Through the efforts of Mr. Rex Rowe with the assistance of Jack O'Brien, Momence, a grave marker for Lieutenant Pat O'Brien, Royal Flying Corps, 1916-1917 has been placed.
The heroism of Lt. Pat O'Brien is written in his book, "Outwitting the Hun" published 1918. This aviator flew over France before the United States had entered WWI. Pat was shot down, wounded, captured, escaped, returned to England, honored by King George V, and returned home to Momence in 1917. He was one of the first American pilots to be captured and escape before the United States entered WWI.

The Memorial Dedication will take place at the Momence Cemetery, Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 11:30 a.m..

Consul-General, the Honorable Andrew Seaton, from the British Consulate in Chicago, Illinois will present the British Flag to the surviving family members of Lt. O'Brien.

Mary Bock will play "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes.

A bi-plane, similar to the one flown by Pat, will be piloted by Dr. Brian Olofsson and will perform a flyover during the services.

Our Momence Honor Guard will accord military rites.

In my research on the life of Pat O'Brien, a photo of Pat and his Mother, Margaret Hathaway O'Brien was found on your website. Margaret was originally from Lowell before moving to Momence and marrying Daniel O'Brien, Momence. Their daughter, Lila was the wife of Ben Worley. Another daughter Clare was married to Matt Clegg. Their son Jack Clegg went to California in his youth and remained there.

Here is a bit more from the site - Early Aviators:

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES - 1
via email from Kevin McNulty, 11-14-10
Ralph:
I have extensive information on Lt. Pat O'Brien as I will be publishing his life story in January following 4 years of research and writing. His story is extensive beyond his flying career and I anticipate the the book - which is over 100,000 words will become a movie as well.
Perhaps a small summary of Pat would suffice for your site. He is from my home town and still has relatives there. He published his own book, was in the movies, spoke in every major venue in the United States, crashed a second time - was involved in some undercover operations with the Allied Expeditionary forces in Siberia and many, many other events in his short life. He crashed a second time and survived training U.S. flyers in Texas in 1919 - this time from 2,000 feet. As you likely know he crashed behind enemy lines in 1917, shot through the jaw, was captured and escaped the Germans by jumping out of a prison transfer train where he proceeded to walk 72 days through Belgium clearing a 9 foot electronic fence into Holland. He was decorated by the King in Buckingham Palace in a private visit (for one hour) before returning home. He is from my hometown of Momence, IL. He died at age 30. He didn't leave home until age 15. There is much more about Pat that will startle you and many true stories that will appear in my book.

Regards

Kevin McNulty
Editor's Note: I thank Kevin for sharing this information with us. When his book becomes available, I hope to announce it on this page.


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES - 2
via email from Judy Hoffman, 3-18-06
Pat O'Brien was my second cousin. We have heard of him through family stories and of course has a copy of book (Outwitting the Hun). It was exciting to see your story of him on the Internet.
His middle name was Alva. He came from a large family in Momence, Illinois. He was the second youngest of eight children. He had two sisters and 5 brothers. To my knowledge he has a nephew who is still living in Momence.
The family story was that he was murdered, but suicide is not an eager subject to discuss in families. His demons obviously got the better of him. He would have made a very handsome actor for his day.
Thanks for your research on him.
Judy Hoffman


VETERAN SHOT SELF
WHILE MENTALLY UNBALANCED, BELIEF
Los Angeles, California - 12-19-1920,
Collection of Mike Kline,
By International News Service
Los Angeles, Dec. 18, -- Declaration that she had feared to meet her husband because of a premonition that a tragedy was impending, was sobbed out today by his widow, as authorities espressed the opinion that Lieut. Pat O'Brien, noted war aviator, had shot and killed himself at a downtown hotel while mentally unbalanced.
Mrs. O'Brien, lying on a cot in her room at her hotel and suffering from the shock, emphatically denied the statement made by her husband, in a suicide note, that Mrs. Sarah Ottis was responsible for their troubles.
"I was in mortal fear of Pat and I was afraid to live with him for fear he would take my life. That is why I dreaded to go to his room when he telephoned that he wanted to talk with me," said Mrs. O/Brien.
"Mrs. Ottis was just a friend to us, more like a mother than anything else and I do not know what I would have done if she had not comforted me in my terrible distress. She was not to blame and I feel I must contradict this awful statement left by my husband."
"Mr. O'Brien and I were married at Chicago. We came to Los Angeles in June and he and I both worked in motion pictures. As time went on he became subject to terrible fits of temper. He often struck me."
"Mrs. Ottis, who had known both of us for several years, came from Chicago two months ago to visit us."

KNEW HIM THREE YEARS
Mrs. Ottis said, "I have known Lieut. O'Brien for three years. I met him in Chicago while working with Gen. Pershing's sister-in-law, Mrs. Jessie Pershing, at a war booth. I became very friendly with him and never had a quarrel with him. I accompanied Mrs. O'Brien to a hotel at her request. I always advised Mrs. O'Brien to return to her husband if she wanted to."
It was stated that Mrs. O'Brien fled hurriedly from her Hollywood home at 3 a. m. yesterday following a quarrel with her husband. Mrs. Ottis was with Mrs. O'Brien at the time, it was said. Mrs. Ottis, who is the mother of a girl aged about 20, with her daughter, accompanied Mrs. O'Brien to the downtown hotel, and they took adjoning suites.
While friends cared for the widow, the opinion was expressed that O'Brien was mentally unbalanced as a result of his battle experience and also because of threats and opposition that he encountered while starring recently in an anti-Japanese picture.
This opposition was so great that the great film fell short of the financial success that had been anticipated by O'Brien and his associates.
Failing to see his wife, O'Brien went to his room last night and shot himself with a .45 caliber army automatic pistol after he had written five notes to his wife.


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES - 2
via email from Ralph Jacobs, 10-18-07
Hello,
I came across your website while looking up some information on Lt Pat O'Brien. In my family he is generally referred to as "Uncle Pat" and my relation to him is through my grandmother who is Margaret (O'Brien) Jacobs. I have several pictures of Lt. O'Brien and a copy of his book. I'm fairly certain that my uncle either has or had his Military Cross. I had heard he loaned it to the Champlain Air Museum in Mesa, AZ, but I recently found out that the museum was sold to the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
I don't have any additional information for you, but if I'm able to track down what became of the Military Cross, I'll send you the information if you are interested.
Ralph Jacobs
Centennial, Colorado
Editor's Note: I thank Ralph for this additional information. Every little bit helps to tell the story. I hope he will share some of the pictures of Lt. O'Brien with us and with any luck, may even locate the Military Cross.

Yet the most compelling account appears in 66 Squadron:

The Events Surrounding Patrick’s Death
After his return to America it is known that Pat spent some time in Washington D.C. where it is though he met Virginia. “The Lowell Tribune” 13 May 1920 carried a report that Pat had announced his marriage to Mrs E E Allen and that after a three week romance they married in Havana, Cuba in January 1920, although he might not have needed them, there are no stamps in his British Passport which was valid until 1921 to confirm that he had visited the Island. Pat and his bride moved to California, setting up home in Pasadena, California.

Things turned sour between Pat and his wife and they separated, Virginia went to stay at the fashionable Alexandria Hotel Los Angeles, which in those days was a major meeting place for people like Charlie Chaplin and other movie moguls and stars. Pat went and booked into the Hotel and attempted to reconcile himself with Virginia, but the attempt failed and on the 17 December 1920 he ended his life with a shot to his head. In a note that he wrote in his hotel room, Pat wrote to Virginia ”…..and bring back trouble, sickness, disgrace and more bad luck than anyone else in the world has ever had and curse forever that awful woman that has broken our home and has taken you away from me”. Mrs Sarah Ottis of Springfield Illinois was Virginia’s travelling companion, who it later transpired had initially introduced Virginia to Pat. Ottis took on the role of spokeswoman on behalf of the widow, she went on to say that Mrs O’Brien expressed the opinion her husband had been mentally unbalanced and that he planned to kill her had she responded to a telephone request to meet him. It turned out that Pat was talking about Mrs Ottis as the woman concerned of having interfered in the family affairs, although Mrs O’Brien refuted the allegation. She went on to say that on the last Thursday Pat had broken her finger in a fit of temper, which prompted her to leave the home and move to the hotel.

The police were called and Detective Williams was assigned to the case, although what he made of the case has yet to be revealed. Pat’s sister Mrs Clara Clegg had gone to California to visit Pat for the winter. She was contacted by the Police and in turn Clara sent the sad news to Mrs O’Brien in Momence, Clara also notified her brother, Merwin (sometimes called John) and nephew Jack Clegg who were visiting San Francisco at the time.


Claim and Counter Claim
The family were reluctant to acknowledge that Pat might have committed suicide; a story went round that whilst Pat was in China he had obtained two Buddha images from a temple and that it was known that two Chinese agents were following him around America in an effort to retrieve them. It is reported that one of the agents visited Momence when the images were on display in the show window of Burdick’s drug store. Another newspaper rumour which was true said that Pat had invested a considerable amount of money in an “anti Japan film” (Shadows of the West) which had been shown around the Pacific coast.

Clara Clegg and other members of the family claimed the death was caused by murder. Brother Merwin emphatically denied that Pat had killed himself and that Pat had not been married to Virginia Allen. The widow issued a statement that he had killed himself because his mind was unbalanced and that they had married in Havana, Cuba on 1 January 1920 and the witness was Mrs A V Deckham of 5217 Romaing Street. Attempts by the press to interview the witness were unsuccessful.

On the 20 December Merwin O’Brien is also quoted as saying “I cannot understand what became of my brother’s fortune”, he goes on to say that his brother Patrick had more than $150.000 in stocks, Liberty bonds and cash less than a year ago. Merwin continued that there was $50.000 in cash held in banks in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, $50.000 in steel stocks and $25.000 in Liberty bonds. Royalties from his book netted him around $15.000, there was also money from his magazine articles and lectures. The same day in another report the widow’s companion Mrs Sarah Ottis said that Mrs O’Brien is so broken up she is unable to speak for herself but if the truth must be known it might as well come from me. Pat O’Brien was financially embarrassed; he had spent all his money and he owed money all over Los Angeles. Finally he pawned Mrs O’Brien’s rings which she had before the marriage, and then the end came. Despite Merwin and friend Virgil Moore’s efforts on 30 December 1920, Capt. Charles R Moffatt who was in charge of the Los Angeles Detective Bureau announced that a second investigation of the death confirmed the findings of the first investigation.

A Sad Day in Momence

The body of Pat accompanied by his sister and nephew departed Los Angeles on the 21 December and arrived in Momence the following Thursday the 23rd. A crowd assembled at the station to meet Mrs Clegg and the body at Momence station. There were no bands or a gay parade this time. The funeral was arranged by his fellow Masons, the service taking part at the Methodist church on a bitterly cold Monday 27th. Due to the train carrying the British government representative from Chicago Colonel Brandt being an hour late, the funeral started around 1100 a.m. The procession left the O’Brien home and was led by some fifty ex-servicemen, next followed a party of 75 masons, the hearse followed behind surrounded by pall bearers, the family and others following the cortege in cars numbered around 100. After the service he was laid to rest in Momence Cemetery near his father who had died in 1901. Patrick did not come from a wealthy family and it would appear that he had no money left and he was buried in an unmarked grave.

A Strange Twist
In February 1921 the parents of a Byron Munson, a movie actor, went to court to have the marriage of their son and Gwendolyn Ottis, daughter of Dr Daniel Mortimer Ottis and Sarah of Springfield Ill., annulled on the grounds that Byron contracted the marriage on the ground of marriage without consent of his parents before he was of age and that he is not self-supporting. The report goes on to say that Mrs Ottis was the woman mentioned in the Pat O’Brien suicide as “that awful woman”. Munson gave an interview in Los Angeles on the 15 February 1921 saying that he had spoken to Pat, who had informed him that he was going to commit suicide; Munson said “thinking he was joking I told him it would be a darned good thing”. The report states that Byron and Gwendolyn “quarrelled all the time. She left me a month ago and went back to her father at Springfield”. “I guess I’ll let mother pick out my next wife” he said.

Last updated 28 December 2010

It sure seems that a case might be made to re-open Lt. Pat O'Brien's mysterious death.


http://www.66squadron.co.uk/biogs/obrien.htm

Swashbuckler and Aviator Pat O'Brien's Adventures After Escaping the Hun

Momence Illinois's pioneer aviator and WWI hero whose exploits rival any script for an Errol Flynn movie was introduced to King George V in a private audience and gazetted to the Order of the Military Cross, but he was only getting warmed up.

Pat O'Brien learned to fly somewhere outside of Chicago and his license to fly was signed by the Wright Brothers in 1912. When Pancho Villa made war on the United States in 1917, O'Brien offered his services but was consigned to training duties and he had the itch to fight as well as fly. The Kankakee County native was released from the S.S. Army and traveled to Canada where he joined the Royal Canadian Flying Corps and shortly sailed to France. O'Brien was credited with one sure kill and one probable, before he too was wounded and shot down, captured and sent by train to Germany. O'Brien leaped from a window on the train and began a flight to freedom that covered 370 miles over 70 days from Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and finally neutral Holland. O'Brien's fighting and flying in combat were over.

Here is some valuable chronology on Pat O'Brien's post-war celebrity. I found several old Chicago Daily News prints of Pat O'Brien in Chicago selling War Bonds. He was a much sought after speaker and writer of the best selling war memoir Outwitting the Hun.

His wanderlust took the hero all over America, Cuba, France and also an auto-trek through Mongolia's Gobi Desert.

Homecoming
Pat was presented to King George V (1910-36) on the 7 December 1917 at Buckingham Palace and talked to the King for nearly an hour. Then Pat returned to the USA and his family in Momence. He departed Liverpool on 23 December 1917, on board was a comrade from that fateful flight when he was shot down, Lt Evelyn H Lascelles. They travelled via Dublin, St. John, New Brunswick, New York and Chicago where he caught the train to Momence arriving on 11 January 1918.

A large crowd of people turned out to greet their hero, including his “Mom” Margaret. The town of Momence closed down, stores and schools were shut, the streets decked with flags and bunting and a brass band met him as he stepped off the train. The town had a parade through the streets and a community dinner in the City Hall. Speeches were given by various dignitaries including one given by a nervous Pat.

On his return home he quickly undertook promotional series of talks about his experiences around the country and many newspapers serialized his book. He made the headlines again on the 14 June 1918 when he crashed from about 2000ft, breaking his nose flying a training machine at Kelly Field, San Antonio Texas.

Return to France
There are reports that he enlisted in the French Foreign Legion and that he flew over the lines on or just after the armistice which was signed on 11 November. This is all rather confusing although his British passport has a stamp from the French Consul in Chicago dated 16 October giving permission to leave for France. On 22 October he cleared the British Military Control Office in New York with the object of “joining the French Foreign Legion” and the same day he cleared U.S. Customs. Pat disembarked in Bordeaux on the 3 November, and was in Paris on 28 November staying at the Hôtel Édouard VII in early December when he visited the British Consul, where his passport was stamped for travel to New York possibly via the U.K., he actually departed for home from Bordeaux on 2 December 1918 aboard the SS La Lorraine. Further to the above, Pat also obtained an American passport in August 1919 for his trip to China and on the application form he states that he was in the French army and that he used his British passport and his pilots certificate as proof of his identity.

After the War
On the 29 December 1918 a short note in The Decatur Review confirmed that Pat had announced his intention to be the first man to attempt a non stop transatlantic flight in an aeroplane. Work on a suitable aeroplane was due to start in six weeks with the flight attempt to take place in April of 1919. He was aligned with two associates Capt. I. F. Fuller and Lt. C C Robinson, the same man who had been aboard the S.S. Magantic back in May 1917 and who had also served in 66 Squadron. In 1919 a British newspaper, the Daily Mail offered a £10,000. First prize to the first aviator to cross the Atlantic from any point in the United States, Canada or Newfoundland to any point in Great Britain or Ireland or the other way in 72 consecutive hours, entrants had to hold an Aviators certificate issued by the International Aeronautical Federation. Ultimately the prize was won by Alcock and Brown in a Vickers Vimy.

During 1919 Pat also undertook a 700 mile trip across the Gobi Desert in an Allen car, travelling from Seattle in the Empress of Russia via. Victoria B.C. Vancouver, Shanghai, Vladivostok, Minsk, Moscow, Caigan, China to Urga, Mongolia, he later said how was delighted with the way the car had performed during the arduous journey. Later in June 1920 an announcement in the Los Angeles Times brought to the attention of the California public the formation of a new company, the Hedding-O’Brien Motor Company, who were selling Allen cars. They were trading from a lot at 512 West Twelfth Street. Interestingly the article notes that Pat had served under eight flags and fought in six wars.

Shadows of the West
The film Shadows of the West was probably shot in the USA during 1918 or early 1919, and was released in 1920 not long after his death. His wife-to-be, Virginia Elizabeth Livingston Allen, using her stage name of Virginia Dale co-stared in the film. One commentator describes the film as “A bizarre mix of yellow peril sensationalism and the ordinary wild west shenanigans”. As you might deduce the film was quite controversial in its day and was withdrawn shortly after release in October 1920 and re-edited and released again in 1921. The background to the film was the “Asiatic Question”; it was released as the U.S. Federal government was in negotiations with the Imperial Japanese government about the number of Japanese émigrés to California where a ballot was due on the anti-alien land-owning measure bill on 2 November 1920

This energetic and larger than life man witnessed a powerful will to live and an unlimited capacity for danger. His book reveals a strong Catholic faith and devotion to prayer in this soldier of fortune.

O'Brien was introduced to a beautiful woman and they married in Cuba. After making a silent film together, they separated. O'Brien attempted a reconciliation, but the woman who introduced the married pair, the mysterious Mrs. Ottis is cited as the cause of the breakup. In December 1920, O'Brien was found dead of a gunshot in his hotel room with a suicide note. Seems strange.

Tomorrow the death of a hero.

http://international.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?cdn:1:./temp/~ammem_gWNP::

Leo High School's Medal of Honor Recipient Cpl. Fardy -One of Two South Side Heroes at Holy Sepulchre Cemetary

I wish to thank Detective Shaved for helping to find relatives of Cpl. John P. Fardy, USMC ( dec.) a Leo High School Graduate and WWII hero.

Cpl. Fardy saved the lives of his Marines during the horrific fighting to take Okinawa in 1945. A veteran of two bloody campaigns ( Cape Glouchester and Peliliu, Cpl. Fardy smothered a Japanese grenade; thus, sacrificing his own life for others.

The Leo Alumni was contacted by a Marine and professional psychologist Terrence Barrett of University of North Dakota at Fargo. Mr. Barrett is writing a book on Valor and John Fardy is a key focus among other CMH Marines.

The Leo High School Alums Vietnam Hero Jim Furlong and the brother of fallen Chicago Police Officer/Marine and Leo Man Eric Lee, Mr. Mark Lee, are heading up a search for any relatives of Cpl. John Fardy.

This morning I received an e-mail from Dr. Barrett informing me that Holy Sepulchre is the home to two south side Chicago Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients.
April 30, 2011

To: Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation


Hello CMOH Foundation Staff,

Writing to alert you. Two Medal of Honor recipients are interred at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Aslip, IL, both from WWII. U.S. Army Anton L Krotiak is buried in Section 23, and his flat stone marker bears the Medal of Honor inscription. Corporal John P. Fardy USMC, from South Chicago, is also buried in Section 23. A passerby would not know that he had earned a Medal of Honor; there is no insignia or inscription detailing his medals on his flat, military marker. I am attaching a recent photo of his marker.

Marine Corps League Detachment 73 and Marine Corps League Detachment 553 have been contacted about this. Alumni from Corporal Fardy’s high school are looking into the possibility of replacing that headstone with a new marker or having the insignia added to the existing marker. Would the Foundation be interested in assisting in this effort?

Kind regards and Semper Fi,

Terry Barrett

Terence W. Barrett, PhD
Licensed Psychologist

Any reader who might know the whereabouts of any relative of Cpl. John Fardy please contact:

Pat Hickey
Leo High School
7910 S. Sangamon Street
Chicago, IL

(773) 208-8067

http://shavedlongcock.blogspot.com/