Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

U.S. Government Unveils New Design for the $100 Note


April 21, 2010

2010-4-21-11-26-45-15644

U.S. Government Unveils New Design for the $100 Note 

Government to Currency Users:  Know Its Features So You Can Know It's Real
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 21, 2010) – Officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the United States Secret Service today unveiled the new design for the $100 note. Complete with advanced technology to combat counterfeiting, the new design for the $100 note retains the traditional look of U.S. currency.
 

"As with previous U.S. currency redesigns, this note incorporates the best technology available to ensure we're staying ahead of counterfeiters," said Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner.


"When the new design $100 note is issued on February 10, 2011, the approximately 6.5 billion older design $100s already in circulation will remain legal tender," said Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board Ben S. Bernanke. "U.S. currency users should know they will not have to trade in their older design $100 notes when the new ones begin circulating."
 

There are a number of security features in the redesigned $100 note, including two new features, the 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell. These security features are easy for consumers and merchants to use to authenticate their currency.


The blue 3-D Security Ribbon on the front of the new $100 note contains images of bells and 100s that move and change from one to the other as you tilt the note. The Bell in the Inkwell on the front of the note is another new security feature. The bell changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, an effect that makes it seem to appear and disappear within the copper inkwell.


"The new security features announced today come after more than a decade of research and development to protect our currency from counterfeiting. To ensure a seamless introduction of the new $100 note into the financial system, we will conduct a global public education program to ensure that users of U.S. currency are aware of the new security features," said Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios.


"For 145 years, the men and women of the United States Secret Service have worked diligently to protect the integrity of U.S. currency from counterfeiters," said Director Mark Sullivan. "During that time, our agency has evolved to keep pace with the advanced methodologies employed by the criminals we pursue. What has remained constant in combating counterfeiting, however, is the effectiveness of consumer education initiatives that urge merchants and customers to examine the security features on the notes they receive."
 

Although less than 1/100th of one percent of the value of all U.S. currency in circulation is reported counterfeit, the $100 note is the most widely circulated and most often counterfeited denomination outside the U.S.


"The $100 is the highest value denomination that we issue, and it circulates broadly around the world," said Michael Lambert, Assistant Director for Cash at the Federal Reserve Board. "Therefore, we took the necessary time to develop advanced security features that are easy for the public to use in everyday transactions, but difficult for counterfeiters to replicate."
 

"The advanced security features we've included in the new $100 note will hinder potential counterfeiters from producing high-quality fakes that can deceive consumers and merchants," said Larry R. Felix, Director of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing. "Protect yourself - it only takes a few seconds to check the new $100 note and know it's real."
 

The new design for the $100 note retains three effective security features from the previous design: the portrait watermark of Benjamin Franklin, the security thread, and the color-shifting numeral 100.


The new $100 note also displays American symbols of freedom, including phrases from the Declaration of Independence and the quill the Founding Fathers used to sign this historic document.  Both are located to the right of the portrait on the front of the note.


The back of the note has a new vignette of Independence Hall featuring the rear, rather than the front, of the building. Both the vignette on the back of the note and the portrait on the front have been enlarged, and the oval that previously appeared around both images has been removed.


For a more detailed description of the redesigned $100 note and its features, visit http://www.newmoney.gov/ where you can watch an animated video, click through an interactive note or browse through the multimedia resources for images and B-roll.


Also, visit http://www.newmoney.gov/ for information on how to order free training materials for cash handlers, or you may download the materials directly from the Web site. The training materials for the $100 note are available in 25 languages.

-###-

*****

The Daily Caller: Geico voice-over actor fired after calling Tea Party group ‘mentally retarded’

Geico voice-over actor fired after calling Tea Party group ‘mentally retarded’
By Alex Pappas — The Daily Caller | Published: 04/21/10

A voice-over actor — best known for telling viewers they can save 15 percent or more on car insurance — says he lost his gig doing Geico commercials after leaving a voicemail with a group that organizes Tea Party events to ask how many of its employees are “mentally retarded.”

Los Angeles actor D.C. Douglas in a press release said he was dropped from the upcoming Geico “Shocking News” campaign after leaving a message with the press shop at FreedomWorks, a Washington-based organization led by former Republican leader Dick Armey that has been at the forefront of the Tea Party movement.

“I called as a private citizen to make a complaint,” Douglas said of the message he left with FreedomWorks. “Racism and homophobia are my Achilles heal, but unfortunately my message included inappropriate words and I am sorry for that. However, telling their members to harass my employer to get me fired is an egregiously disproportionate response to my actions.”

FreedomWorks Chief Executive Matt Kibbe posted audio of the phone call online. In the message...


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2010/04/21/geico-voice-over-actor-fired-after-calling-tea-party-group-mentally-retarded/#ixzz0lmP68RVB

*****

City of Westminster MD explains the need for a 19-cent tax increase

City of Westminster MD explains the need for a 19-cent tax increase  http://tinyurl.com/27w6zvw


Recently when I asked for additional information on the 19-cent tax increase that is being proposed for the FY 2011 municipal budget, I was provided the following information:

CITY OF WESTMINSTER

56 West Main Street Westminster, MD 21157Phone 410-848-9000 Fax 410-857-7476

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Marge Wolf

April 13, 2010 Phone:410-848-9000

UPDATE ON FY 2011 BUDGET

Westminster Mayor and Common Council discuss FY2011 Budget

Westminster, MD - Mayor Kevin R. Utz presented a $12.6M balanced budget to the City of Westminster Common Council along with a proposal to add a levy to the property tax to enable the City to complete the numerous capital improvement projects that cannot be completed within the current revenue structure.

"Using the new automated financial system to analyze data over a ten year period, it was possible to identify a number of important trends in the City's finances that were previously not clear. These trends did not present an optimistic picture, in fact they show that the City's has struggled to keep current expenses paid by current revenues since 2001 and has relied on one-time only and special purpose funds to sustain the balanced budget. The current dismal national economic situation has only exacerbated this disparity between revenues and expenditures," stated Gary Ehlers, Acting Director of Finance.

Mayor Utz outlined the measures the City of Westminster has taken over the past three years to scale down the size of government including staff reductions, hiring freezes, elimination of merit increases for staff, modified employee benefit packages, delayed the purchase of cars, trucks and other equipment.

"In fact, staff prepared a balanced budget keeping all of these measures in place and only three Capital Projects already underway were included. The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) identified $3.5M in projects for 2011 alone that were not included in the balanced budget theypresented," commented Mayor Utz.

The FY2011 CIP projects not included were $210,500 of technology projects, $194,000 in replacement Police cars, $340,000 in public works vehicles, $156,000 in public works equipment, $1,568,244 in street work, $855,000 in storm drain repair and replacement and $175,000 in repairs to City owned buildings.

The proposed FY2011 budget is over $1M smaller than the FY2010 budget; the State of Maryland cut funding for police protection and highway user revenue in September, 2009.

FY2010 FY2011

General Government 2,048,239 2,040,686

Public Safety 5,871,685 5,855,686

Public Works 4,371,170 3,586,415

Community Support 152,124 100,743

Recreation and Parks 1,392,905 1,050,352

Total Operating Expense Budget 13,836,123 12,644,883

"The longer we delay in repairing our infrastructure, the more it costs. Delayed maintenance on storm drains can lead to major disasters like the Green Street sinkhole. This costs far more to repair that repairing the storm drain before it collapses. Some of our streets are in bad shape—if you have driven on Uniontown Road or Bond Street, you don't need me to point this out to you. Our parks, ball fields and trails are utilized from dawn to dusk and need constant maintenance to keep them in playing condition," continued Mayor Utz. "I realize that these are tough times for all of our residents—they are also tough times for governments having to maintain services as tax revenues are flat or decreasing and aid from other levels of government becomes more and more scarce. This levy is a small price to pay to insure that our streets are safe to drive on, our parks are preserved in playing condition, our storm drains prevent flooding, and our employees have the equipment they need to enforce the law, remove snow and cut grass."

To fund these capital improvement projects would require an additional tax levy of 19 cents dedicated to these capital projects. For the owner of a property with a taxable assessment of $250,000, this means an increase of$475/year or $39/mo.

# # #

The City of Westminster Administration Department is located at 56 West Main Street. The department is responsible for overseeing the Planning, Zoning and Development, Finance, and Housing Departments. For more information, call 410-848-9000 or visit www.westminstermd.gov.


*****

Testimony Could Undercut SEC Charge Against Goldman


Testimony Could Undercut SEC Charge Against Goldman  —  The government has testimony from a Paulson & Co. official that could contradict its own claims against Goldman Sachs, CNBC has learned.  —  Paolo Pellegrini told the government that he informed ACA Management that Paulson intended to bet against …
 
RELATED:
Rich Blake / ABCNEWS:
Largest Hedge Fund Political Donations Go to Democrats

*****

Paulson reassures on Goldman role

The timing of the Securities and Exchange Commission civil law suit against Goldman Sachs is curious at best and smells of dirty politics.  Never mind the SEC will most likely not prevail ...  As you start peeling away the layers of the onion on this, perhaps starting here is as good as any place:
 

(Reuters) - Paulson & Co, the hedge fund linked to civil fraud charges against Goldman Sachs Group Inc, moved to head off investor concerns about its role in a deal that has scarred the reputation of the Wall Street bank and overshadowed blow-out quarterly earnings.

Goldman is accused of defrauding investors by failing to say that prominent hedge fund manager John Paulson bet against a Goldman subprime debt product that he helped design.

Goldman is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Britain's market watchdog, which launched its own probe on Tuesday. Its shares are down 13 percent since the SEC laid its charges, and closed 2 percent lower on Tuesday despite thumping quarterly earnings expectations.

Goldman's troubles also caused political reverberations.

A top Republican congressman questioned whether politics affected the timing of the government's case, while in Britain, the Liberal Democrat party's leader said Goldman should be banned from UK government contracts until the case is settled.

Paulson, in a conference call on Monday and followed up with a letter to investors late on Tuesday, says neither he nor anyone else at the firm had received a so-called Wells notice indicating that charges might be filed against the fund, several investors who listened to the call said.

No one had yet notified the $32 billion fund of their intentions to pull money out, they said.

Read the entire article here: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63K0C620100421?feedType=nl&feedName=usbeforethebell

*****

A local radio personality accused of Internet crime has waived a preliminary hearing.



The Pennsylvania Attorney General Corbett has announced arrest of six Internet predators throughout Pennsylvania, including a Westminster local radio personality.


April 20, 2010 by Kevin Dayhoff

A part-time radio sports announcer in Westminster, Bryan Neal McLean, waived his right to a preliminary hearing last Friday, according to a spokesperson for the Magisterial District Judge in Hanover where the hearing was to have taken place.

The court spokesperson said that he waived the hearing last Wednesday and that the case will now proceed to the “York County court system for a trial date.” No word yet as to when that trial date has been set.

McLean, 44, is a graduate of Westminster High School and received his degree in mass communications from then-Towson State College in 1989, according to his biography on the radio website. He has done sports play-by-play for WTTR since 1987, covering high school and college basketball and football games and has also done remote broadcasts.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office charged McLean on March 18, according to court records, for incidents which occurred throughout the second half of 2009 when it is alleged that he exposed himself to special agents Jessica Eger and Lisa Ceh, both with the Child Predator Unit.

He is facing charges of unlawful contact with a minor stemming from an allegation that he exposed himself to an undercover agent who was working for the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General and posing as a minor online.

McLean is charged with five counts of unlawful contact with a minor and one count for criminal use of a communication facility, for using his computer for the contact, according to court documents.

According to the charges, McLean, under the screen name “mdfunguy38,” sent special agent Ceh access to his Web cam on July 28 and thereupon exposed himself and masturbated, according to the criminal complaint. Court documents state that Ceh was working undercover as a 13-year-old girl at the time.

Then on Aug. 3, using another instant message program and the screen name listed as “bryan mclean,” he exposed himself and masturbated for Eger, who also posed as a 13-year-old girl, according to court documents.

Similar exposures are also alleged to have taken place on Aug. 25 and 27, Sept. 10 and Oct. 13.

“Wanna see it?” he asked on Aug. 25. On Aug. 27, he exposed himself again on the Web cam, court documents state.

Court documents also allege that during a video chat Sept. 10, “mdfunguy38” removed his shirt and the agent asked “so u want me to just watch?” “Yeah if its ok,” he typed before exposing himself.

Then Nov. 23, court records show, “mdfunguy38” asked for the age of the girl, and the agent responded “13.” He asked for photos and said “want me to turn on cam?”

He then said he had to make a phone call and the chat ended, according to court documents.

Meanwhile, a Monday press release from the Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, announced the recent arrest of six suspected Internet predators across Pennsylvania and urged “parents to make online safety part of their spring and summer family discussions.”

“Now, more than ever, it is important for families to discuss Internet safety, as warmer weather brings changes in school schedules and family activities,” Corbett said.

“As spring quickly gives way to summer vacation season, online predators are hoping that more teens will be home alone for longer periods of time and may be spending more time on-line chatting with their friends, playing games or just exploring the Internet…

“We know that spring and summer trigger a jump in the number of incidents involving Internet predators,” Corbett said.

“Last year, our Child Predator Unit arrested 32 people during the spring and summer months, including men from every corner of Pennsylvania and from as far away as Texas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio, all trying to use the Internet to sexually victimize children.”

Corbett said that circumstances involved in recent arrests across the state highlight the threat posed by online predators and the many different ways they operate.

In each of these recent cases, suspects communicated with undercover agents from the Child Predator Unit who were using the online profiles of 13 and 14-year old girls.

McLean will be prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Christopher Jones of the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit, according to the press release.

Corbett said in the release that all of the suspects are charged with various counts of unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of a computer, felony charges which are punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.

#####

*****

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Latest articles by Charles Schelle in Explore Carroll

 Latest articles by Charles Schelle in Explore Carroll
WTTR part-time announcer waives hearing on Internet charges
Published April 20, 2010 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
A part-time radio sports announcer for WTTR Radio, in Westminster, last week waived his right to a preliminary hearing against charges of unlawful contact with a minor over the Internet.As a result of the April 16 filing, Bryan McLean, 44, of Hanover, Pa ... ...
Howard County man arrested for Eldersburg Safeway bomb scare, robbery
Published April 20, 2010 by Eldersburg Eagle, Carroll Eagle
A Monday night robbery of the Eldersburg Safeway turned into a bomb scare ... then an arrest.Maryland State Police arrested 45-year-old James Keith Wilcox, of West Friendship, and charged him with the robbery of the Safeway at Londontown Square Shopping ... ...
Greenmount Church Road bridge closed for replacement
Published April 20, 2010 by Carroll Eagle
GREENMOUNT — Drivers using Greenmount Church Road will have to navigate a detour now that Carroll County Government closed a bridge Tuesday over Murphy Run for replacement.The bridge that's on the road now was a temporary metal truss bridge that's wide ... ...
Council authorizes referendum question, debates adding survey
Published April 18, 2010 by Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle
When Sykesville voters file into the Town House for the May 4 speed camera referendum, they might have more than one question to answer. On April 12, the mayor and Town Council approved, with a 7-0 vote, the language for the ballot question asking voters ... ...
Commissioners get taste of South Carroll water theft issue
Published April 18, 2010 by Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
WESTMINSTER — The Board of County Commissioners this week had its first taste of water theft in the county, and one commissioner used the opportunity to reiterate his desire for a county police force. Ellen Dix, president of the Freedom Area Citizens' ... ...
Radio Nowhere?
Published April 18, 2010 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
On a recent night in Westminster, singer-songwriter Nathan Wuertenberg wrapped up playing one of his songs live over the air on WMCR Radio 1620 AM. Then he apologized to his girlfriend. "I love you, Jamie, and I'm sorry to have just embarrassed you ... ...
Web is a bit sticky for WMCR
Published April 18, 2010 by Carroll Eagle
WMCR-AM 1620 could be coming to the Web, but only if the McDaniel College students who run it can figure out how to pay for it. "We've been trying to do this for so many years," said station adviser Deborah Vance, associate professor of ... ...
Tales from beyond the grave at Sykesville History Walk
Published April 18, 2010 by Eldersburg Eagle, Carroll Eagle
(This story has been updated.)Sykesville's cemeteries have stories filled with local, state, national and world history, and some of those stories will be told as part of the Gate House Museum of History's Spring History Walk on Sunday, April 25. "A ... ...
County gaming bill likely to die in Annapolis
Published April 11, 2010 by Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
The majority of Carroll County Delegation-sponsored bills have received approval from the Maryland General Assembly, but a bill to expand gaming in the county may be among the exceptions. The Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association -- the ... ...
Manchester resident nets fire marshal honor
Published April 11, 2010 by Carroll Eagle
This story has been updated.Brian Quick, 36 of Manchester, didn't waste much time rising to the top ranks of deputies in the Metro Regional Office of the State Fire Marshal. Last week Quick, just a six-year veteran, was named the Regional Deputy State ... ...
     Krimgold Park ready for spring start of first construction
    Published March 7, 2010 by Eldersburg Eagle, Carroll Eagle
    WOODBINE — Krimgold Park in Woodbine can now have its groundbreaking with the Board of County Commissioners' awarding this week of a bid to build the first phase of the park. On March 4, the commissioners voted 2-0 to award the bid of $3 million to Cromer ... ...
     
    Booster clubs hope to put proposed cuts off track
    Published January 24, 2010 by Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
    Even before this week's hearing on the Carroll County Public Schools' upcoming budget, parents are already gathering forces to combat some of the proposed cuts. That's because in the $331 million fiscal 2011 budget's preliminary round, CPS Superintendent ... ...
     
    Shipwrecked in a concrete jungle
    Published January 17, 2010 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
    Traditionally, roller derby is played in roller rinks with wood or sport court surfaces. However, the Danielle Shipley Memorial Arena in Westminster has an all-concrete grooved floor, providing a challenge for skaters. "It's not really the strategy ... ...
     
    Mutiny at the Ag Center
    Published January 17, 2010 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
    Accountant Beth "Beef Hellington" Pryor, 30, crunches numbers by day and bodies by night when she takes to the roller derby track in Westminster's Danielle Shipley Memorial Arena. "It's a perfect situation for me," Pryor said before a ... ...
     
    Courting Carroll on Ice
    Published December 13, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
    Kayla Koski, 10, of Eldersburg, glides in a wide circle on the ice at Reisterstown Sportsplex, while she delicately moves her arms and fingers like a painter dabbles on a canvass. Then the twirling and toe picks begin as Sean Kingston's "Fire Burning ... ...
    Published May 18, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
    This story has been updated.Walk into the Big Bear's Bus Café and you're not only standing inside an earth-friendly, mobile restaurant, but you're also standing inside what feels like home to Jeremiah Luce, 32. That's because at one time, a school bus was ... ...
     
    Lawmakers to get briefing on Rosewood transfers to Sykesville
    Published October 14, 2008 by Eldersburg Eagle
    Maryland Health Sec. John Colmers will brief the Maryland General Assembly this week on the Secure Evaluation & Therapeutic Treatment program coming to Sykesville. Colmers will brief the House Health and Government Operations Committee at 1 p.m. ... ...
     
    Mount Airy to host education candidates Oct. 15
    Published October 12, 2008 by Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
    ... . Attendees will have a chance to speak to the candidates before and after the forum. For details, call Debbie Parker at 301-829-1424. Voters will decide in the Tuesday, Nov. 4 General Election who will represent them on the board. -- Charles Schelle...
     
    Sykesville fire department parade to celebrate anniversary
    Published September 10, 2008 by Eldersburg Eagle
    The Sykesville/Freedom District Fire Department will return to its roots in September through a parade in Sykesville honoring its 75th anniversary. The fire department will host an anniversary parade at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, in Sykesville, where the ... ...
     
    Service is central at SCBA Expo
    Published September 3, 2008 by Eldersburg Eagle
    This year's South Carroll Business Association Expo might just pride itself on the freebies. The SCBA Expo, slated for Saturday, Sept. 13, will include free massages, free haircuts, free belly dancing, pottery wheel, voter registration, Silly Willy The ... ...

*****

Democrat-controlled House denies D.C. a vote in Congress

Democrat-controlled House denies D.C. a vote in Congress
The overwhelmingly Democrat-controlled "The House has abandoned plans to take up legislation giving residents of the District of Columbia a vote in Congress that has been denied them for over two centuries.

"House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he was "profoundly disappointed" that the House, which had planned to consider the voting rights bill this week, will probably not take it up this year..."

Read more here: http://newsmax.com/Politics/US-District-Vote/2010/04/20/id/356284

In other news:
*****

Priceless… Glenn Beck Answers Joe Klein: You Lefties Used the Regime Word 6,500 Times Against Bush by Baltimore Reporter

Priceless… Glenn Beck Answers Joe Klein: You Lefties Used the Regime Word 6,500 Times Against Bush

Baltimore Reporter

http://www.baltimorereporter.com/?p=7864

From Gateway Pundit Glenn Beck Answers Joe Klein: You Lefties Used the Regime Word 6,500 Times During the Bush Years Although it wasn’t the first time he’s accused conservatives of sedition, Joe Klein felt the need to write it on a napkin before he went on with Chris Matthews yesterday… for effect. » read more

Once again, the Baltimore Reporter is the truth-o-meter for people who actually know how to think.
*****

The Sykesville Historic District Commission is offering a hands-on Pots of Posies presentation

The Sykesville Historic District Commission
 is offering a hands-on Pots of Posies presentation by Howard County Master Gardener Pat Greenwald.  After a review of the basics of container gardening, participants will create a pot of blooms to adorn their own front stoops or back patio.
The event will take place at the Historic Colored Schoolhouse at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 24, 2010.
For additional information go to www.sykesville.net 
Please register at the Town House 410-795-8959



*****

Blow Says No to Conservative Talk After Tussling With Laura Ingraham Over 'Minstrel Show' Smear

TimesWatch 
Tracker

Documenting and Exposing the Liberal Political Agenda of the New York Times
Tuesday April 20, 2010 @ 03:40 PM EDT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Times Celebrates Gay Comic Book Fetish Party on Front of Sunday Styles
The front of Sunday Styles celebrates gay comic book heroes and their "Skin Tight" dress-up fans: "A recent addition to this super-powered pride parade is Shatterstar, who in an issue of X-Factor last year sealed his reunion with another hero, Rictor, with a kiss." It's not the first time writer George Gene Gustines has tackled this vital cultural subject.

Blow Says No to Conservative Talk After Tussling With Laura Ingraham Over 'Minstrel Show' Smear
Charles Blow conducts a testy interview with host Laura Ingraham in which he admits he saw no "overt racism" at the Tea Party he attended, and refused to explain why he still accused minority Tea Party activists as conducting a "minstrel show."

Hmm....Blame Descendants of 'Radical Free Market' Norsemen for Crash of 2008?
Blame those lousy descendants of Vikings for the crash of 2008, says reporter Kirk Semple reporting from the Iceland volcano.

Frank Rich Repelled By Criticism of His Sliming of Tea Partiers as Racist
Frank Rich: "Most Americans who don't like Obama or the health care bill are not racists. It may be a closer call among Tea Partiers, of whom only 1 percent are black, according to last week's much dissected Times/CBS News poll." Next came comparisons to OKC bomber Tim McVeigh.

~~~~~~~~~

Blow Says No to Conservative Talk After Tussling With Laura Ingraham Over 'Minstrel Show' Smear

Times columnist Charles Blow accused black Tea Party activists of engaging in “a political minstrel show” for the mostly white movement in his Saturday column, “A Mighty Pale Tea.” In response, radio host Laura Ingraham invited him on her show to explain himself. Blow admitted he saw no "overt racism" at the Tea Party he attended, yet refused to explain why he still accused minority Tea Party activists as conducting a "minstrel show."

You can listen to the audio at Eyeblast. The partial transcript below starts roughly around the 3:30 mark.)

Noel Sheppard at NewsBusters provided the audio link and also a transcript of the first part of the testy ten-minute interview:

LAURA INGRAHAM, HOST: So, what was the worst display of overt racism that you witnessed?


CHARLES BLOW, NEW YORK TIMES: I didn't say I had witnessed any overt...

INGRAHAM: You called it a minstrel show, Charles. Those are kind of loaded terms, don't you think?

BLOW: Did I say that I had witnessed any overt racism at...

INGRAHAM: What's a minstrel, what's a minstrel show?

BLOW: What is racism to you, Laura?

INGRAHAM: No, the other way around where racism is someone...

BLOW: What is racism to you, Laura?

INGRAHAM: You know what I think is racism? I think racism is someone who judges another person based on the color of his or her skin without knowing anything about the individual, without talking to the individual, without interviewing the individual, without having a conversation with the individual.

Blow then moved on to Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele's interview with GQ magazine.

INGRAHAM: Why are we on GQ magazine? Why aren't we on the Tea Party. I'm interested in how you came to the conclusion that this was a minstrel show and you're avoiding the topic by going to a Michael Steele interview. Why?

BLOW: Because you're trying to pretend that racism does not exist, and...

INGRAHAM: Did I say that? When did I say that?

BLOW: Did I say that I saw any racism, overt racism at the conference? That's not what I, did I write that? Did you read that somewhere? Or are you making that up?

INGRAHAM: "Thursday night I saw a political minstrel show devised for the entertainment of those on the rim of obliviousness..." Now, I like the sentence because it's well-written, but what I don't understand is what is an acceptable minstrel show then, a non-racist minstrel show?

BLOW: That is, that is a ridiculous question. What does that even mean?

INGRAHAM: Actually it's a, actually it's a good question, and it points out the absurdity of your column, because you would have written this column regardless of what you saw.

BLOW: You're really a -- are you serious? Is that a real question?

INGRAHAM: So, in other words you can't answer the question.

BLOW: Is that a real question?

INGRAHAM: You said you're not describing this as overtly racist. I quoted your column back to you, and your response is to say, "Is that really a question?" I don't, we had you on because I actually was interested to hear why you came away from this column, this event, as calling it a minstrel show. And you can't answer that question which I find disturbing for a New York Times columnist.
Not surprisingly, Monday's appearance was apparently Blow's first and last on conservative talk radio. He wrote on his Twitter account:
Alright, I'm finished with the Laura Ingraham show. Now I need a shower. Gross.
Blow followed up later:
Now I'm getting more requests from conservative radio shows. Too bad. Did my tour in crazy town today. Ur too late.
*****

Recent articles in Investigative Voice by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent articles in Investigative Voice by Kevin Dayhoff




By Kevin Dayhoff Route 140 in Westminster was the scene of an accident Friday evening from which three individuals were flown by two Maryland State Police medevac helicopters to the University of Maryland's ...
OPPONENT NAMES EX-CARROLL COUNTY DELEGATE AS  RUNNING  MATE  FOR  GOP  PRIMARY  IN  SEPT. Murphy taps Amedori as No. 2 on long shot ticket By Kevin Dayhoff As Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s ...
By Kevin Dayhoff SYKESVILLE — Two juveniles were arrested Tuesday for stealing a wheelchair from a Sykesville resident who is paralyzed from the chest down.  Sykesville Police Chief John Williams said ...
We have no suspects at this point —Sykesville Police Chief By Kevin Dayhoff Folks in the small town of Sykesville are shaking their heads in disbelief today (Monday) upon learning that over the weekend ...
BELL BECAME FIRST BLACK TO BE NAMED STATE'S CHIEF APPEALS JUDGE IN 1996 By Kevin Dayhoff Robert M. Bell, long-serving chief judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, will be the keynote speaker at ...
That is an outrage… I will pay Mr. Snyder’s obligation. —Bill O'Reilly, host of TV's 'The O'Reilly Factor' By Kevin Dayhoff Fox News' cable-TV host Bill O'Reilly has said he will pay the $16,500 ...
By Kevin Dayhoff Friends, family, loved ones, students, and fellow teachers crowded into Our Lady of Victory Church in Catonsville on Saturday to pay their last respects to Patricia Anne “Patti” Battaglia, ...
By Kevin Dayhoff   Police have identified a body found last week in a burning car in the 4600 block of Black Rock Rd., in Upperco, in northern Baltimore County, near Hampstead in Carroll County. A ...
MAN ALLEGEDLY SHOOTS HIS WAY INTO EX-WIFE'S HOME, KILLS HER FIANCE THEN TURNS GUN ON SELF By Kevin Dayhoff (Hampstead, MD)  – Maryland State Police were called to the scene of an apparent murder-suicide ...
NO INJURIES REPORTED; SUSPECT FLEES WITH UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF LOOT By Kevin Dayhoff A BB&T Bank in Westminster (Carroll County) was the scene of a holdup Monday afternoon, Westminster Police reported ...
DEFENDANT EXPRESSES CONCERN FOR OWN SAFETY By Kevin Dayhoff Westminster — In a hearing held Thursday morning in Carroll County District Court, visiting Judge Paula J. Brown ordered Anthony Troy Soligny ...
... by troopers on a State Police plane. There were no problems reported during transport.” Soligny remains behind bars in Westminster. —Kevin Dayhoff    ...
By Kevin Dayhoff A Carroll County man, who was arrested on March 3 while on the run on Rte. I-85 outside Lavonia, Ga., will soon be returning to Maryland to face charges for allegedly assaulting his ...
14. NABBED! — Carroll Co. man arrested in Georgia after alleged hammer attack
(Gangs, Drugs and Crime/Gangs, Drugs and Crime)
ACCUSED OF BEATING WIFE WITH TOOL By Kevin Dayhoff A Carroll County man who allegedly beat his wife with a hammer is behind bars after being quickly apprehended in Georgia. Anthony T. Soligny, 33, ...

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