Citizen Jeff

Ron Paul Supporters Take On The Media

As is their wont, devotees of presidential candidate Ron Paul made their presence known on January 15 at the Three Kings Day Parade in Miami, an annual event that draws thousand of spectators. When one of them held up a sign touting their favorite candidate in front of a local Univision TV camera, the crew [...]

When OWS Protesters Become Trespassers

Is fighting economic injustice such a righteous pursuit that it entitles Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protesters and their disciples to indefinitely control whatever space they invade? Even though the whole movement is centered around the word “occupy,” deciding which property to take over, or how long to monopolize it, doesn’t seem to be based on any guiding principle. Occupiers need to clarify what, in their eyes, makes terrain seizable.

Polanski: To Hate or Not to Hate Him

One reason I don't hate Roman Polanski is I don't know exactly what he did with or to Samantha Geimer in 1977. Moreover, compared to those who perniciously enable systemic corruption by obsessing over the punishment of one person, I think Polanski's reaction to evident judicial misconduct is laudable. Why should anyone take that crap?

Palin Defamation Charge Misreported by Huffington Post Blogger

After she slammed Sarah Palin and her attorney, Thomas Van Flein, on The Huffington Post for threatening fellow blogger Shannyn Moore with a defamation lawsuit, Jeanne Devon (aka AKMuckraker) has so far generated almost 4000 reader comments, many of which amplify Devon’s mockery of Palin/Van Flein. But Devon’s criticism is based on a false premise, that [...]

The Hypocrisy of Bill Maher

During the “New Rules” segment on his HBO show last Friday night, Bill Maher blasted the Democratic Party for kowtowing to its corporate paymasters, and bemoaned the lack of real liberals on ballots and television. “And if occasionally you do get to hear Ralph Nader, Noam Chomsky or Dennis Kucinich,” Maher complained, “they’re treated like [...]

Some Excellent Police Work

Newsom Targets Innocent Smokers

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom wants smokers in his city to pay an extra 33 cents for each pack of cigarettes purchased, to cover the cost of picking up discarded butts and help reduce a daunting budget deficit.  That would be on top of the $1.88 per pack in state and federal taxes consumers already [...]