Harry Reid the douche?

[Saniflush]

Ok in regards to all of the Bundy ranch stuff that happened over the weekend.  I have avoided posting on this since the misinformation has been flying left and right.  I obviously knew this was not about the habitat of some fucking turtles but the water has been really muddy just the same.

This seems to lay out most of it pretty well.  Let me know if you see anything that doesn't jee-ha.

http://scgnews.com/bundy-ranch-what-youre-not-being-told

In this we're going to present you with evidence of blatant corruption and criminal activities that anyone, including law enforcement, can easily verify.

But before we go into the details, it's important to acknowledge here, that the political left and the political right are watching this crisis through very different eyes. You on the left saw this old rancher defying the Federal government over cattle grazing fees, with right wing pundits pleading his case, and armed militia moving in to intervene... it probably gave you the impression of Tea Party temper tantrum... with guns. Given some of the personalities who were involved in the media circus surrounding this, that impression is perfectly understandable, but underneath the appearances there is something here that all Americans need to see, whether they consider themselves conservative, liberal or none of the above.

All I ask is that you suspend your preconceived notions of what this crisis was about, for five minutes.

First let's eliminate some of the disinformation, speculation and conspiracy theories.

Here's a story that a lot of people were spreading around without fact checking. It got 47,000 shares on Facebook alone. The author claims that the siege of the Bundy ranch was about was really about fracking leases. That's a provocative narrative, one that I actually found very interesting. But just because something is plausible doesn't mean it's true. For evidence, the article links out to this page on the shalereporter.com, which does indeed talk about Bureau of Land Management (aka BLM) leasing out land in Nevada for Fracking. Trouble is, the author and 47,000 other people overlooked the blatantly obvious fact that the land in question is in north eastern Nevada. Clark county isn't in North Eastern Nevada. That's not a minor detail. Please, pretty please with a cherry on top, fact check before you spread information people. Always fact check.

Then there was this other line that kept getting spread around (and this is a direct quote):
"There are developers working for military contractors that want that land and water for mining weapons grade minerals for industry... they want to sell the land by the highway for real estate development because it's close to I-15". This claim wasn't backed up by even so much as a link. It was pure hearsay. Furthermore it doesn't even make sense. Military contractors (like Blackwater) want land for mining? And weapons grade minerals? To be perfectly honest I get the impression that this story was fabricated by some stoned college kid who thought it would be hilarious to send it to an alternative media outlet as a prank. You got to admit as prank that's pretty epic, especially since it worked. A media figure with a fairly decent sized audience, and I'm not going to name names, blasted it out to the public as is without asking for evidence or even critically examining the claim. A lot of people took that report and started spreading it around, and pretty soon there were people just repeating the narrative not even knowing where it came from. That's bad. Providing an echo chamber unfounded rumors and wild speculation is not journalism. The alternative media really needs to tighten their standards of evidence.

Alright, moving along, here we have this story that the showdown in Nevada was really about an underhanded business deal involving Senator Harry Reid, his son, the BLM and a 5 billion dollar solar energy plant. You probably saw a few people sharing links making these claims. Let's fact check.

Claim number one: Senator Harry Reid's son, Rory Reid (try saying that name ten times as fast as you can), is the primary representative for ENN energy group, a Chinese energy company involved in a $5 billion solar project planned for Clark County Nevada, on the on land where the Bundy ranch is located. First source: Reuters: Aug 31, 2012. Well this is interesting. It turns out that the conflicts of interest in this project were well documented, but Harry pushed it through anyway. He pushed it through in spite of the controversy that was stirred up when the land was sold to ENN for $4.5 million dollars even though separate appraisals valued the land at between $29.6 million and $38.6 million.

Claim number two: Reid put one of his former employees in charge of the Bureau of land management and thereby used his leverage in the agency to clear the Bundy's off the land. What do they claim as their source: CBS Las Vegas. Hmmm... That's interesting. Neil Kornze, the current BLM Chief is a former adviser for Harry Reid, and Harry Reid is the Senate Majority leader, and therefore was directly involved in his confirmation. That's another serious conflict of interest there considering that the BLM is claiming jurisdiction over the land where Rory Reid's company wants to build.

But do we have any evidence that Reid actually exercised that influence in the agency to get what he wanted? Well that brings us to claim number three: Supposedly the BLM had posted on their website that they needed to get the Bundy family off of the land to make room for the energy project, but the BLM has since removed the page. The website that made this claim posted a screen shot split into two files and a link to a text version of the page that someone had copied. This is pretty weak. Though it does seem to match the overall narrative here, this would never be admissible in court. But let's dig a little deeper shall we. What if there is a version of the site cached somewhere on the web? Let's try the way back machine on archive.org. Nope, no dice, the page was never cached on way back machine. Let's try google's cache... BINGO! Here it is folks. This is google's record of what used to be on the site.

To download the full screenshot, right click on the image below and select "Save Image As".
Bundy Ranch - Page That they took down from the BLM website - Solar Project

"Non-Governmental Organizations have expressed concern that the regional mitigation strategy for the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone utilizes Gold Butte as the location for offsite mitigation for impacts from solar development, and that those restoration activities are not durable with the presence of trespass cattle"

They specifically referred to the solar project as a justification to seize Cliven Bundy's cattle.

Funny thing, we found the mitigation strategy for the Dry Lake Solar Energy zone, and guess who wrote it? That would be the BLM. Pretty convenient, for Harry Reid isn't it?

Now I took a screen shot of the Google cache right away. As I'm compiling this information I go back and I look at it again an hour later and what do you know, somebody came and took the cached version down. Somebody is trying to cover this thing up and fast. But you know what, they missed one. I found this cached version of the page on archive.is. If you follow the link in the description to our website SCG News.com you'll find a direct link to this page. I highly recommend that each and every one of you go and verify its contents for yourself before someone has it taken down.

Click here to view the cached version of the page that the BLM was desperately trying to hide.

Or click here to get to that link from another path.

But even if they take this last link down they left trail. Google's server logs will still have a record of the exact date their cached snap shot was taken, chances are they still have that snap shot, and you know what? Even if someone tried to erase it completely, with modern technology It is very easy for forensic technicians to recover data like this even if it seems to be deleted from the system. The digital trace is still there. The BLM's servers and every computer involved also have a trail, and trying to remove that trail would leave an even bigger trail.

All we need is somebody in law enforcement with a spine, but that's another story isn't it.

This isn't about turtles folks. It's not even about cattle. This is about money and power.

Turns out our little friend Harry Reid has a nice little empire rigged for himself in Nevada. Let's take a look at this article from the LA Times. This is from 2003. Apparently it's no secret that Harry's way of profiting off his position is by using his influence to push through deals that help his family members. He's got family representing virtually every major industry and they are doing quite well thank you very much. Thing is, this is technically not illegal. In fact it has become the standard way to bribe politicians in the United States. You can't line their pockets directly, but you can line their son's pockets, and their cousin's pockets and their uncle's pockets all you want.

However using a federal agency to seize cattle, and physically intimidate and brutalize a family to facilitate that dirty deal. That's all kinds of illegal. Then they to attempt to cover up the evidence... and that's also a crime.

Again, all we need is a law enforcement officer with a spine.

I'll be perfectly honest. When I saw some of the media personalities that were capitalizing on this this drama, I was very skeptical, but once I saw what was really going on I understood right away why people's blood is boiling.

Take another look at what happened on that ranch, the military style crack down, the violence. Imagine Clive Bundy was your father or grandfather. Imagine if his wife was your mother or grandmother. Imagine it was your family who's livelihood was being destroyed by some filthy rich politician who just can't get enough.

What happened in Clark County Nevada struck a nerve with the American people, but the response we saw had very little to do with this particular crisis. There is something much deeper brewing under the surface in the United States. This showdown was just a catalyst.

It wasn't the greatest atrocity of the decade or even of the year. I wish people had felt this moved by the NSA's domestic spying program, or the secret kill list, or the drone program, or the Libyan war, or the Iraq war or the Afghan war. I wish people had been activated by something bigger than the plight of a cattle rancher. But you know what? We don't get to pick the breaking point.

Rosa Parks sparked a civil rights movement with her refusal to sit in the back of the bus. Clive Bundy almost started the 2nd American revolution by refusing to let the feds run him over.

What we saw in Nevada clearly demonstrated just how easily that breaking point can be reached.

Now even knowing the real story, hearing about militia mobilizing all over the country to come physically defend the Bundy family is probably still very disconcerting for many progressives, this was a very dangerous situation. A lot of people could have ended up dead. But consider this: remember back in 2011 when riot police swooped in to brutally crush the occupy movement? Remember how you felt? No one stood up for them. No one fought back. And what was the result? The thugs won.The media quickly switched to a new distraction, and the public forgot.

Imagine if it had been different. Imagine if people swarmed in from all over the country; not to wave signs in the air, but to stand up for your rights; even if they disagreed with you politically. That didn't happen, but it should have.

It's been said that the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Trouble is, the people of the United States have been a bit confused about who the enemy really is. You've been allowing a thuggish, out of control, corporate owned government to persecute your ideological rivals, not realizing that the same boot will someday be grinding your face into the dirt. And all the while your common enemy, your real enemy gets stronger, and more aggressive, more lawless, and more blatantly corrupt as we dance the left right left right two step to tyranny. They've been playing you like a fiddle.

But the sleeping giant is starting to wake up.

And they are scared to death of you.

Now as for Harry Reid. He may just be one rotten apple in a barrel full of rotten apples, but he needs to be brought to justice.

To all of you out there who call yourself law enforcement, the American people are putting down a line the sand. If you don't stand up for justice, if you do not hold these scum bags accountable for their crimes, if you do not at least raise your voice and take a public stand then you are an accomplice. You are discrediting the entire framework of law and order, and you are giving the people a clear mandate to remove you from your office.

If you agree, then send this video to every person that you know especially to police, military, and veterans. Send it to your congressman, send it to your local news station, to your local news paper, to your local radio station. You have permission to download this video and distribute and present it in any venue commercial or non-commercial under the condition that the content is not altered in any way.

[AUJarhead]

Harry Reid pisses me the fuck off.

http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Sen-Reid-on-Cattle-Battle-Its-not-over/nT5weKnqFkezV14I5GhESg.cspx

"Well, it's not over. We can't have an American people that violate the law and then just walk away from it. So it's not over," Reid said

He seems quite happy to have illegal immigrants break the law, and their only punishment is..  citizenship?

[Tiger Wench]

Bundy has lost multiple times in court and is now defying a lawful court order. He claims that he will only recognize the sovereignty of the State of Nevada, not the United States.

So...

Is he breaking the law by defying multiple court orders?  Yes. And you can't defy a court order and not be punished for it.  Bundy had his day in court - several days - and lost. That's too bad, but he lost.

OTOH...

Who might have influence over sitting judges?  A US Senator, maybe?

Things that make you go hmmmm.

[Saniflush]

http://www.oafnation.com/guests-pieces/2014/4/15/9mvbn50fndma3151vdk6aav08na6r6

[AUChizad]

True American hero.



And followed that up with this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/25/cliven-bundy-says-if-people-find-his-remarks-offensive-martin-luther-king-didnt-do-his-job/

Cliven Bundy says if people find his remarks offensive, ‘Martin Luther King didn’t do his job’

    By Jaime Fuller   
    April 25 at 10:02 am

When asked about his remarks on slavery Friday morning on CNN, Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy said, "If I say 'negro' or 'black boy' or 'slave' ... if those people cannot take those kind of words and not be offensive then Martin Luther King didn't do his job."

Earlier in the interview, conducted by "New Day" anchor Chris Cuomo, Bundy took his boot off and waved it in front of the screen, saying he didn't want it on if he were about to put his foot in his mouth.

Bundy's remarks about Martin Luther King stemmed from his belief that people were being prejudiced against him and his First Amendment rights. "Maybe I sinned and maybe I need to ask forgiveness … but you know when you talk about prejudice, we're talking about not being able to exercise what we think and are feeling."

Cuomo began the interview by saying, "I understand that the government was very aggressive with you and many people think it was wrong," but added that he questioned Bundy's reaction to this state of affairs — referring to the comments Bundy made at a news conference that were published in the New York Times on Thursday.

The New York Times reported,

    “I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro,” he said. Mr. Bundy recalled driving past a public-housing project in North Las Vegas, “and in front of that government house the door was usually open and the older people and the kids — and there is always at least a half a dozen people sitting on the porch — they didn’t have nothing to do. They didn’t have nothing for their kids to do. They didn’t have nothing for their young girls to do.

    “And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do?” he asked. “They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.”

Cuomo asked Bundy, "Are you a racist?" Bundy responded, "No, I am not a racist," but that he "did wonder" if blacks had been better off as slaves. He went on to discuss Rosa Parks, saying, "I want her to be able to sit anywhere in the bus and I want to be able to sit by her anywhere in that bus."

Bundy has made several other media appearances in the past 24 hours. He went on Alex Jones's radio show, saying, "I'm not racist" and calling for the New York Times to retract its story. "I would appreciate that. They're making it a racist-type thing."

On Peter Schiff's talk radio show, his remarks repeated many of the same themes that drew attention in trouble in the first place. "Are they happier now under this government subsidy system than they were when they were slaves, and they was able to have their family structure together, and the chickens and garden, and the people had something to do? And so, in my mind I’m wondering, are they better off being slaves, in that sense, or better off being slaves to the United States government, in the sense of the subsidies. I’m wondering. That’s what. And the statement was right. I am wondering.”

[Saniflush]

Nah, he's dipshit as well. It just so happens that he is on the side that I agree with the most.

[Snaggletiger]

Nah, he's dipshit as well. It just so happens that he is on the side that I agree with the most.

Why do you hate the negro?

[Saniflush]

Why do you hate the negro?

 Racist? But I watch Oprah Winfrey every day.

[CCTAU]

Why do you hate the negro?

Your racism is now being investigated. Throw the word slavery in there and it will be automatic.

[Snaggletiger]

Your racism is now being investigated. Throw the word slavery in there and it will be automatic.

Let them investigate.  They will find that I have many black acquaintances.

[WiregrassTiger]

I don't find the old fellow offensive. He's just saying what he feels in archaic language. You couple the language that he uses with his idea that the welfare state is more damaging than slavery and the liberals think that anyone with these thoughts should be imprisoned.

I heard "coloreds" or "negro" a lot while growing up. It was common many years ago. Times have changed. It's offensive now. I get it. The old man doesn't. He's a cattle rancher. He likely spends most of his time riding a horse out in the middle of nowhere. Political correctness isn't on his mind.

I can't take what he said to mean that he's a blatant racist. And even if he is, what does it matter? What does that have to do with anything other than it's a means for the left to diminish his cause?

I'm not supporting what he did. I don't know enough about the grazing issue to take a side. But the NYT story seems rather slanted and I quit trusting them back when they had the colored boy making up the stories.

[Snaggletiger]

I don't find the old fellow offensive. He's just saying what he feels in archaic language. You couple the language that he uses with his idea that the welfare state is more damaging than slavery and the liberals think that anyone with these thoughts should be imprisoned.

I heard "coloreds" or "negro" a lot while growing up. It was common many years ago. Times have changed. It's offensive now. I get it. The old man doesn't. He's a cattle rancher. He likely spends most of his time riding a horse out in the middle of nowhere. Political correctness isn't on his mind.

I can't take what he said to mean that he's a blatant racist. And even if he is, what does it matter? What does that have to do with anything other than it's a means for the left to diminish his cause?

I'm not supporting what he did. I don't know enough about the grazing issue to take a side. But the NYT story seems rather slanted and I quit trusting them back when they had the colored boy making up the stories.

What color was he?

I can't believe I'm saying this but.....well....you did make some good points.



Don't get used to it.

[AUChizad]

I don't find the old fellow offensive. He's just saying what he feels in archaic language. You couple the language that he uses with his idea that the welfare state is more damaging than slavery and the liberals think that anyone with these thoughts should be imprisoned.

I heard "coloreds" or "negro" a lot while growing up. It was common many years ago. Times have changed. It's offensive now. I get it. The old man doesn't. He's a cattle rancher. He likely spends most of his time riding a horse out in the middle of nowhere. Political correctness isn't on his mind.

I can't take what he said to mean that he's a blatant racist. And even if he is, what does it matter? What does that have to do with anything other than it's a means for the left to diminish his cause?

I'm not supporting what he did. I don't know enough about the grazing issue to take a side. But the NYT story seems rather slanted and I quit trusting them back when they had the colored boy making up the stories.

I don't necessarily disagree. What he said was dumb, though. I don't think he's an all-out bigot because of it.

Sterling on the other hand? It's weird that he has a half-black/half-Mexican mistress because that guy clearly hates black people. He's, in my opinion, the white whale (no pun intended) of racists, which is that rare case where it's not at all subtle and there's no justification.

Back to this guy though, as Wench said, he'd had his day in court multiple times and lost. His justification was that he doesn't, in his own words "recognize the United States government as even existing." Well, sorry, but they do. I get it. I'm a state's rights guy. But I'm not a crazy person that completely doesn't acknowledge that the Federal government exists, and think that I can just disobey Federal law and do what I want with Federal property.

[WiregrassTiger]

I don't necessarily disagree. What he said was dumb, though. I don't think he's an all-out bigot because of it.

Sterling on the other hand? It's weird that he has a half-black/half-Mexican wife because that guy clearly hates black people. He's, in my opinion, the white whale (no pun intended) of racists, which is that rare case where it's not at all subtle and there's no justification.

Back to this guy though, as Wench said, he'd had his day in court multiple times and lost. His justification was that he doesn't, in his own words "recognize the United States government as even existing." Well, sorry, but they do. I get it. I'm a state's rights guy. But I'm not a crazy person that completely doesn't acknowledge that the Federal government exists, and think that I can just disobey Federal law and do what I want with Federal property.

I hope you'll understand that I've yet to Like anything you've ever posted or publicly agree with you on anything, so I don't plan to start that now, after one good post. You get what I'm saying? I can agree with something you say but still hate everything that you stand for and your existence on earth.

[CCTAU]

I don't necessarily disagree. What he said was dumb, though. I don't think he's an all-out bigot because of it.

Bravo for using the correct term.