BREAKING: Producer will plead guilty in Letterman case

By GottaLaff

Just now on MSNBC:

WNBC producer expected to plead guilty to extortion in the David Letterman case.

Zazi pleads guilty to conspiring to attack New York City

By GottaLaff

FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2009 file photo, Najibullah Zazi leaves his apartment in Aurora, Colo., for a meeting with his attorney. On Monday Feb. 22, 2010, law enforcements official told The Associated Press that Zazi, a Colorado air shuttle driver accused of a homemade-bomb plot against New York City has agreed to enter a guilty plea. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Via an e-mail alert from WaPo:

Former Denver airport shuttle driver also pleads guilty to counts of conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and providing material support for a terrorist organization.

The back story is here.

That Obama administration. They just don't know how to deal with terrorism. They've only caught/killed more terrorists than BushCo did in their entire eight years. Epic fail. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Italian court convicts 23 Americans of kidnapping in CIA rendition case

By GottaLaff

Meaningless/meaningful, depending on how you look at it:

Twenty three Americans have been convicted in absentia, after an Italian court found them guilty of kidnapping in the CIA rendition of a Muslim cleric, the Associated Press reports. Three other Americans were acquitted. [...]

The Times notes that the case, which has been going on for three years, is the first to challenge the legality of the practice of "extraordinary rendition" and is "widely seen as a referendum on Bush administration foreign policy." The government of Premier Silvio Berlusconi, however, has refused to seek extradition of any of the Americans, making it questionable whether the guilty verdicts can be enforced.

A symbolic victory at best. However, it is somewhat satisfying to see actual public acknowledgment of the Bush war crimes in a court of law.

Then there is this update:

One of the 23 American citizens convicted in an Italian court of kidnapping a Muslic cleric in 2003 says the CIA "broke the law" when it ordered the operation.

Sabrina DeSousa, a former CIA operative, told ABC News that the agency and the US government "betrayed and abandoned" her and the other US government employees who orchestrated the kidnapping as part of the CIA's extraordinary rendition program, which saw terrorism suspects shipped to countries where they could be tortured within the confines of local law.

DeSousa a said she and the 22 other defendants in the case "are paying for the mistakes right now, whoever authorized and approved this."

And that, too, is a real crime.

Tancredo Staffer Pleads Guilty to Karate-Chopping Black Woman, called her "nigger"

By GottaLaff

(to see enlarged image, go here)

Here is my original post about this whack job and his little antics. Now this open-minded, loving, sweetheart of a--- oh, sorry. I meant to say, this repulsive, sicko, violent racist has entered plea of guilty:

Epstein has been targeted for years by civil rights groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the One People’s Project, who have obtained Epstein’s guilty plea to a hate crime he committed two years ago.

From the U.S. Attorney’s factual proffer:

On July 7, 2007, at approximately 7:15 p.m. at Jefferson and M Street, Northwest, in Washington, D.C., defendant was walking down the street making offensive remarks when he encountered the complainant, Ms. [REDACTED], who is African-American. The defendant uttered, “Nigger,” as he delivered a karate chop to Ms. [REDACTED]’s head.

Epstein has pled guilty and will be sentenced on July 8, although he changed his plea to water down an admission of guilt into the belief that “the government could prove me guilty.” [...]

Tancredo has taken a large public role in criticizing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, telling MSNBC that the judge “appears to be a racist.”

Arizona State University has a case of the guilts

By GottaLaff

ASU's guilt leads to more ASU gelt:

Arizona State University says a financial aid program that's being renamed after President Barack Obama will triple the number of recipients from 500 freshmen now to 1,600 during the upcoming fall semester. [...]

The expansion was first mentioned last month when the university was criticized for not giving an honorary degree to Obama. The president will speak at ASU's graduation ceremony May 13.

Safavian Found Guilty... Again

By GottaLaff

Via TPM:

The Associated Press reports:

David Safavian was found guilty of one count of obstruction and three counts of making false statements to investigators. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Safavian, the former top procurement official at the White House, was on trial for lying to investigators about his relationship with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. His 2006 conviction on similar charges had been overturned.

AP adds:

Safavian and his lawyers decided this week not to put on a defense, ending their case without calling a single witness or without Safavian testifying.

Buh-bye now, Davey.

Ted Stevens: "I've not been convicted yet"

By GottaLaff

As Ellen hinted in an IM to me just now, we'd all like to live in Alaska where they determine their own guilt or innocence, no matter what the legal decisions are (IWRC* Palin's denial that she, too, was in the clear, for example):

Sen. Ted Stevens says he is not a convicted felon, at least until the appeal process is over.

"I've not been convicted yet," the Alaska Republican insisted Thursday in a meeting with the editorial board of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. "There's not a black mark by my name yet, until the appeal is over and I am finally convicted, if that happens. If that happens, of course I'll do what's right for Alaska and for the Senate ... I don't anticipate it happening, and until it happens I do not have a black mark."

A federal court jury on Monday convicted Stevens on seven counts of lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and renovations to his home from VECO Corp. founder Bill Allen.

Not guilty by reason of losing all touch with reality.

H/t: Ellen

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"