Saturday, August 02, 2008

July Events in the Case

I realize that as the case has moved into the civil suit process, many DIW readers drop by only periodically to check in on developments. For these readers, here’s a review of case-related events in July:

  • The major parties filed their motions to dismiss the Ekstrand lawsuit. Duke attorneys—having earlier labeled Crystal Mangum the “victim” and challenged the Attorney General’s report regarding the validity of former SANE nurse-in-training Tara Levicy’s testimony—now offered a new defense, suggesting that Levicy effectively had a license to lie. In his response, ex-Sgt. Mark Gottlieb blamed Duke and Levicy for the case getting off the ground in the first place.

  • North Carolina NAACP head William Barber—having been elected to the national board of the NAACP—suddenly discovered the value of lie detector tests and negative DNA results in determining innocence from criminal charges.

  • Beleaguered Wachovia Bank hired Board of Trustees chairman Bob Steel as its new CEO, with the remarkable assertion that “he is an ideal choice for this time of turmoil.” Wachovia shares promptly plunged.

  • The disgraced Mike Nifong resurfaced—to urge North Carolina voters to support Barack Obama. And if Nifong’s endorsement led most voters to recoil from Obama, the only presidential candidate to urge a DOJ criminal investigation of Nifong . . .

And, a while back, a commenter criticized me for suggesting that the Lubiano Trio’s apologia for the Group of 88 could be considered “scholarship,” since Wahneema Lubiano listed the article not on her CV but only in her “recent publications” section. Well, now the article is on her CV, too.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice summary.

"the only presidential candidate to urge a DOJ criminal investigation of Nifong . . ."

Again, I applaud O for making that statement, but as a powerful (self-identified post-racial) senator, he was actually in a position to do something (ie kick-start Senate investigation).

Anyway, he made the following disturbing race hustler comments yesterday in St . Petersburg:

"...Attacks like the killing of Sean Bell by the New York police department...and Javon Dawson right here in St. Petersburg by the St Pete police, and the Jena 6 ..."

Jena 6 was equally disgraceful event (there actually was a victim, who almost got killed but he was a whitey so it didn't matter) in which race relations and the usual NYT/AlSharpton/NAACP gang played a prominent role. The congressional investigation/lynching on this was one of the most shameful episodes in the history of Congress, yet O is publicly supporting Jena 6 hoax?

travistunes said...

That is the smallest CV I have ever seen. Especially for a professor who has taught as long as she has.

Anonymous said...

Got John to list some of my comments about your 4th bullet point. So, I'll keep working on as many fronts as I can until I can see some REAL proof of your assertion about Senator Obama & the DOJ investigation.
Sir, by my count you don't list even 25% of my previous challenges (saved screen prints) on this issue. Even the Diva, your most faithful Quisling can't help you.

kcjohnson9 said...

To the 4.30:

If you have any evidence to corroborate your claim that ABC's story was factually inaccurate, please present it. To date, you haven't done so. It's not generally my practice to clear comments that contain unsubstantiated allegations about a media organization whose reporting on the case was first-rate. Frankly, I'm surprised I cleared 25 percent of your comments: I won't be clearing any more unless you produce some evidence.

Anonymous said...

On Wahneema's website, she cites a collaborator's name as "Angie Chambram-Dernersesian," but Google gives an error message on that name, suggesting what is apparently the woman's properly spelled name: Google and her school, UCDavis, list her this way:
"Name: Angie Chabram-Dernersesian
School: University of California Davis
Location: Davis, CA
Department: Chicano Studies"
A small detail, perhaps, but scholarship, as well as collegiality, include such small details.

Anonymous said...

To the 4.30:
If you have any evidence to corroborate your claim that ABC's story was factually inaccurate, please present it. To date, you haven't done so.
Ha!

anon said...

Perhaps the reason Obama called for an investigation of Nifong was Bob Steel's position as an assistant in the Treasury Department of George W. Bush. Politics, after all has been the motivation for Obama's every move. It is also quite telling that Obama's biggest supporters are the very same people who perpetrated the Duke hoax and continue to defend the actions of the many low life players in this debacle.

Anonymous said...

No doubt, Duke gave Lubiano a raise for having such august "scholarship." By the way, I showed the paper in question to another Duke faculty member, someone who actually engages in real scholarship, and all I can say is that he was not overly impressed.

Anonymous said...

Is Lubiano a Communist?

Anonymous said...

Great phrase KC "License to Lie." This is exactly what Mangum was given and what the false accusers receive in our culture. We give them a license to lie which insulates them from any responsibility or accountablitily. We need to hold false accusers accountable or we are doomed. When we set them free we are sending a message to women that this sort of thing is simply not that important. I don't care what mental health issues might be involved. Inaction speaks volumes.

Orwell was correct, "Some animals are more equal than others."

Thanks for the summary.

Anonymous said...

For someone who got a Ph.D. in 1987, one significant lecture, one article, and two books--thoughts must be sort of slow in developing. Of course, it seems that she has a one-track mind. That may be the problem, too many other thoughts interfere with the track.
Wonder how she would answer Jeff's question? (Are you smarter than a 5th grader?????)

Anonymous said...

One thing that really bothers me is that Jamie Gorelick is going to be playing a major role in the upcoming Obama administration. (I believe he will win the election, as the economy will get worse in the upcoming weeks.)

So, we are likely to have a high-placed official who openly defends false accusations of rape and who has written in a legal document that it is just fine for a nurse to fabricate things just as long as the nurse is pursuing a PC agenda. I can only imagine how Gorelick will pursue things if she becomes Attorney General.

Debrah said...

TO 4:30PM--

First of all, you get points for knowing some history with the use of "Quisling".

Yes, I can afford to be "faithful" when I make a decision to be "for" or "against" someone or an issue.

That's because there are so few people that I actually like and that I feel are worthy of what you refer to as my "faith".

My ire is raised every time I see this kind of "gotcha game" played on Obama. It is the very same game the Leftists and MoveOn have used on GWB for almost 8 long years.

I'm tired of it. And make no mistake, Obama and GWB share many qualities. No matter how some wish to sweep that fact under the rug.

Before I finish schooling you on how to be rational on the issue of Barack Obama, I suggest in your leisure that you go over to my little blog and scroll down to the article on GWB which I picked up on Zane's blog. You might learn something about shutting your mouth in "real time" and allowing some history to accumulate before behaving like a rabid partisan loon.

As I said, I've seen enough of that.

The significant fact remains that Obama did speak up about having the Feds investigate Nifong's conduct.

Did he go to a stream of microphones every time a paparazzo showed up for a comment and scream, "Those Duke lacrosse players are innocent! It's clear that they are being railroaded in the heavily black populated Durham, NC because they are white! We've got to go down there and get some justice done!"

No, he did not. And no politician would have. Not one politician in NC did anything close to that.

But a politician way over in Illinois spoke up. And the only one of those running for president to do so.

No one can change that.

You can allege that he did it for points with white voters. Maybe.

Take a look at a few Duke professors who pretended to be for justice in the beginning, but then turned back around and sided with Brodhead and the Gang of 88 in the end.

Too many people want to have it both ways for their own self-serving motives.

I have nothing but disgust for such people who try to put everything on Mike Nifong when they were the ones who emboldened him.

You can also say that Hillary and Bill Clinton as well as John McCain play it to the hilt on the "hard working Americans" routine to play to white voters.

That's called politics.

However, I fail to see how Obama's call for an investigation helped him very much way back then.

Except that people like you keep reminding us.

Thanks. you have provided a service for his candidacy!


Lastly, I have no fear that an Obama administration would be a "scary" one for the country.

All presidents learn very quickly that they are there to serve all interests or they suffer.

It was telling that on his recent trip to the Middle East, even Benjamin Netanyahu was pleased with their discussion.

Anonymous said...

debrah:
"No, he did not. And no politician would have. Not one politician in NC did anything close to that."

This is not true. (from Jun 21, 2007):
"A U.S. congressman from North Carolina has renewed his call for a federal investigation into disbarred District Attorney Mike Nifong and the way he handled the Duke lacrosse case...Jones, a Republican, initially requested the U.S. Department of Justice to review the case in December. "

Jones was probably the most active politician involved. Shame that NC senators did not get involved.

I'm fine with O's statement, but his support for Jena hoax and the congressional lynching in that case (and race privileges) is troubling. I'm also tired of the blatantly biased media coverage, but that's the media we have (as was evident in the reporting of Duke hoax and "Jena").

Debrah said...

TO Jamil Hussein--

Of course, you are exactly correct.

I have even mentioned Congressman Jones in previous posts. I should have just said "no other presidential candidates" and left it at that.....but I was in a hurry and left that inaccuracy to fly in the wind!

We all remember Jones as well as Kevin Finnerty, Collin's father, talking about this on the cable news shows. Kevin thanked Congressman Jones many times for his efforts.

In fact, I think that it was Jones' efforts that got Obama's attention.

But as you say, its abominable that it was Obama who responded instead of David Price, Richard Burr, Elizabeth Dole, and all the other key NC representatives.

About Jena, there was so much hysteria and so many falsehoods put forth in the press....a la the Duke case......that Obama reacted to what he knew and what had been reported.

The press played down the role of the black students and their criminal records and their almost deadly attack on the white student.

The media essentially pulled the same act as they did with the Duke case. They wanted to use old stereotypes and leave out the facts of the case.

Obama responded to those reports, no doubt.

He walks a tightrope every day on this race issue. My hope is that when and if he is elected, he will use his podium to show the black community that they cannot seriously be taken as "victims" any longer.

This is one reason why I want him to win.

We will have to wait a long time before another viable black candidate comes along to match his talents.

As I emphasized in a post on an N&O blog, journalists try to avoid the "transcendence factor".

Obama transcends race and he doesn't use the insular language nor does he exude those insular sensibilities of most "minority" candidates.

This is his main strength.

Journalists know this better than anyone, but they play the game as if Sharpton or Jackson ever had the same appeal and chance at the White House.

Things are changing......slowing but surely.

The N&O blogs are even entertaining controversial subject matter and all sides are given equal time.......as their print edition is a mere shell of the paper that it was just months ago.

The media, just like the world, are changing.

Anonymous said...

debrah: "all the other key NC representatives."

One telling example was former NC senator and pres candidate John Edwards. Unfortunately, he was white and in primaries needed to get votes from african-american and ultra far-left/Gang88 communities so it was impossible for him to denounce Nifong. Pandering to these communities was unfortunately absolute must (and even it wasn't enough).

For a black candidate, this was much easier (nothing - even condemning Jena - would deter blacks from voting O).

Now John Edwards is busy giving $50,000 lectures about poverty, escaping reporters and having interesting scandal (including a hilarious bathroom incident) which would be front-page news on NYT had he been from the other party..Like the McCain rumor NYT started without a shred of evidence.

Anonymous said...

Off topic(s):

On July 15 I sent to fireFilmz:

"I saw that you recently posted that you were going to publish/ open a website about Crystal Mangum's story in June.

"I am eager to hear what happened (and wondered why she never got to tell her story before now).

"When do you hope to release the facts that the public has never had a chance to hear?

"Thanks"

The reply (promply):

vince@firefilmz.com
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:04:25

Everything is complete but I have been involved in another major project. We plan on issuing an official statement next week.
-----------------

The suspense is killing me.....

Debrah said...

KC might want to add this item to an August list of jokes.


H-S:

Class on race relations to start in Wilmington, NC

Aug 3, 2008

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- New Hanover County's district attorney will follow through on his promise to address race relations when a class on Wilmington's history gets under way this fall.

"The History of Wilmington in Black and White" will be taught Thursday evenings from Sept. 18 to Oct. 23 at Williston Middle School, the Star-News of Wilmington reported. The class will cost $75.

District Attorney Ben David promised to address race relations after 23-year-old Phillipe McIver was killed in April 2007 after he shot at police. Tensions mounted in the black community after the shooting, which the State Bureau of Investigation ruled was justified.

But instead of addressing race relations when tensions were high, David said he wanted to tackle the issue when time had passed.

People only have to look at the past to understand the community's anger now, he said.

"This is not a black issue or a white issue or a Hispanic issue, for that matter," he said. "It's a human issue."

In 2007, the state Senate expressed "profound regret" for the violence that occurred on Nov. 10, 1898, in Wilmington, which was then North Carolina's largest city.

A state commission that spent six years researching the attack concluded that, by murdering and terrorizing blacks, white supremacists were able to overthrow government officials in New Hanover County at gunpoint in the only recorded violent government overthrow in U.S. history. They later passed laws that disfranchised blacks until the civil rights movement in the mid-20th century.

Tim Tyson, author of the book "Blood Done Sign My Name," will teach the class, along with gospel singer Mary D. Williams, who will discuss black religious and cultural traditions. Tyson's book is about the killing of a black man in 1970 in Oxford and the trial and acquittals of two white men charged in his death. Tyson, who was 10 years old and living in Oxford at the time, also lived in Wilmington.

"We need to come together to talk before we have a major catastrophe," said the Rev. Robert Campbell, pastor of New Beginning Christian Church. "Let's not wait for the next riot. Let's not wait for the next big issue."

Anonymous said...

"In 2007, the state Senate expressed "profound regret" for the violence that occurred on Nov. 10, 1898, in Wilmington, which was then North Carolina's largest city."

Of course we must forget what happened in . . . 1898.

But we are admonished to forget about Durham in 2006; just move on, start the healing, and forget about it. Because society must heal.

And don't bring up the legal reforms that are necessary to avoid a repetition of 2006; just forget about them, too. Because that will make for a better world. . .

Anonymous said...

Interesting mention of UPI in Harry Stein's article on "The Future of Conservative Books" (City Journal, paragraph 18 of the article)– as an example of a highly-anticipated, non-ideological, but decidedly un-PC publication in the hands of a mainstream publisher.

dave in l.a.

Anonymous said...

"Interesting mention of UPI in Harry Stein's article on "The Future of Conservative Books"

Excerpt :

"Bellow reports that even Jonah Goldberg’s recent mammoth bestseller, Liberal Fascism, which he edited at Doubleday, was at first given short shrift by the house. “We printed 14,000 copies, and shipped 12,000,” he says. “But Jonah was an Internet star, and in the first week, the demand from his troops was so intense that it jumped onto the Times’s list. With 12,000 copies in print! Even then, Doubleday just eked the book out into the marketplace, reprinting in quantities of 5,000 or 10,000. If this had been a book by a major liberal journalist, they would have gone out with 30,000 copies and reprinted in increments of 20,000, and we would have been up to 150,000 in no time, with huge stacks in Barnes and Noble. Even when Jonah’s book hit Number One, it still wasn’t easily obtainable. You’d walk into a Barnes and Noble and, if they had it at all, it would be tucked away on the second floor in the back in the sociology section. Eventually, they pushed the book up to 198,000 copies. I would like to have seen 300,000 in print.”

(The article details the similar treatment given to UPI, too. )

Anonymous said...

dave: Thanks for the link. It was really interesting article and I'm also sure UPI would have sold more copies had it been published by a more balanced (and fair) publisher.

NYT book reviews and Barner&Noble placement policy is another example of the liberal bias. That's why I'm not shopping there any.

I'm aware KC is a self-identified liberal, but since he wrote the truth in Duke case, he is labeled as conservative, as far as NYT and liberal publishing houses (and the liberal establishment) are concerned.

I agree with the conclusions in the article. It is shame for the country that liberals never read or listen conservative ideas or books. They live in their own bubble.

Anonymous said...

The Wilmington riots of 1898. Here is a site that discusses the other side of the issue, before revisionist historians had their say.

http://1898wilmington.com/

Wilmington Riots

Joey said...

Some VERY interesting new posts under the You Tube Potbangers and Potbangers II videos in the last week.

Debrah said...

LOL!!!


KC's Wonderland

Anonymous said...

Thanks, haskell, for posting a link to that sight about the 1898 Wilmington elections and violence.

Btw, from Debrah's post (quoting a recent newspaper report):

"A state commission that spent six years researching the attack concluded that, by murdering and terrorizing blacks, white supremacists were able to overthrow government officials in New Hanover County at gunpoint in the only recorded violent government overthrow in U.S. history."

That's laughable, considering the Southern states' governments were overthrown by nothing but violence by the Northerners in the Civil War. (The states left the union without violence, by either voter referenda -- in the case of Tennessee and Texas -- or by popular state conventions.) But apparently that's no longer part of "recorded history".

I'm telling you, KC, I can foresee a time 150 years from now when the "accepted wisdom" of that age will assert that CGM really was raped and the outcome of the case only demonstrated "the power of white racism to deny justice to an innocent maiden of colour". People like you, KC, will be called "defenders of white racism" and will be vilified the same way that many whites of the late-19th and early 20th century are vilified today.

RRH

Joey said...

Hi RRH : I'm not so defeatist as to expect that (your last paragraph). I'm hoping the Duke case will be the centerpiece of historians seeing political-correctness losing its grip in American society and the recognition that racism and hatred go both ways, and Until Proven Innocent will be the definitive record.

Anonymous said...

Debrah, thanks for the video.
I have watched it many times.
It's nice to get a view of the man behind the great work.

lpj

Anonymous said...

Joey7777 said...

Hi RRH : I'm not so defeatist as to expect that (your last paragraph). I'm hoping the Duke case will be the centerpiece of historians seeing political-correctness losing its grip in American society and the recognition that racism and hatred go both ways, and Until Proven Innocent will be the definitive record.

8/5/08 10:08 PM


Go to the History News Network and you'll lose that optimism.

RRH

Anonymous said...

9:02 am-

That video is freaking great!

Good to see our man KC!