MEET BARACK OBAMA—CELEBRITY NIGHT CLUBBER

"He's the biggest celebrity in the world," says the ad announcer about Barack Obama. "But is he ready to lead?"

View John McCain’s’ latest campaign salvo in the war for the White House.

MCCAIN TARGETS MEDIA “LOVE” FOR OBAMA (VIDEO)

JESSIE JACKSON USED N-WORD TO INSULT BARACK OBAMA

Initially, the controversy was over comments Jesse Jackson made on camera but off-air before a July 6 interview on "Fox & Friends."

Jackson said that Obama was "talking down to black people" and that Jackson wanted to "cut his nuts off."

At the time that the tape of Jackson’s remarks was aired by Bill O’Reilly, O’Reilly chose to hold back a portion of the video reflecting a further controversial remark by Jackson. But over the last week, rumors started leaking out that Jackson may have used the N-word on the tape.

On July 16, 2008, the blog TV Newser broke the story of Jackson’s full remarks: He did indeed use the N-word:

“Barack...he's talking down to black people...telling n*****s how to behave.”

In a Wednesday afternoon interview with fellow Fox host Shepard Smith, O’Reilly said he had withheld the “n-word” remark because:

“I’m not in the business of creating some kind of controversy that’s not relevant to the general subject -- one civil rights leader disparaging another over policy.”

How did the transcript of the unedited remarks get out? According to O’Reilly:

“Some weasel leaked it to the Internet.”

Related: What else Jackson said (LAT)

JON STEWART SETS US STRAIGHT ON OBAMA-NEW YORKER COVER

Presented without comment.

NEW YORKER OBAMA COVER FUNNY BUT OFFENSIVE POLITICAL SATIRE

The Obama campaign calls it “offensive”. The New Yorker calls its July 21, 2008 cover art (above) “political satire”. We call it “funny”.

Wait—we are all right!

As Jerry Falwell learned from the infamous Hustler Magazine ad satirizing him—and the United States Supreme Court decision affirming that the cover was constitutionally protected satire—the Obamas are public figures and the New Yorker has an absolute right to publish cover art satirizing them—no matter how “offensive”. So get over it.

Besides, this is the funniest cover satire since the short-lived Ted Kennedy- Chappaquiddick satirizing mock VW ad published by the National Lampoon.

The Obamas are not immune from being poked fun at because Barack happens to be the presumptive Democratic Nominee. Far from it. It is precisely their new found, voluntarily sought, status as public figures that makes them fodder for humor and political satire—no matter how tasteless or offensive.

THE CHICAGO HISTORY BEHIND JESSE JACKSON’S “NUTS OFF” MELTDOWN

Many observers are agog over Jesse Jackson’s angry “open mic” revelation, in what he thought was a “private moment” during a Fox News appearance, that the civil rights leader would like to cut off Barack Obama’s nuts.

John Cass’s column in today’s Chicago Tribune offers some historical insight, going back to Jackson’s early years as a Chicago pol.

Cass first points out that a reference to a politician’s cajones has long been a part of Chicago political tradition:

“Our Machine Democrats who back Obama are constantly preoccupied with nuts of all kinds. When our first king, Richard I, was elected, the hacks went around saying that "Daley is the dog with the big nuts," though they wouldn't dare say so in the presence of mob boss Paul Ricca.

“And when Daley's son, Richard Shortshanks, began the restoration, his anatomy was also favorably described by trembling politicians who still act like puppies in his presence. Our own Machine-backed governor, Rod "The Unreformer" Blagojevich, once made news by bragging he had "testicular virility" to make tough decisions, although now everyone's patiently waiting for him to get indicted without making a mess.”

Ok, that explains the civil right’s leader’s fixation on the presumptive Democratic nominee’s testicles, but why the anger expressed by Jackson—who said he would like to separate the Chicago Senator from said vital organs, accompanied by what Cass described as “Jackson twisting his right wrist, as if he held a curved blade, giving a little pull, grunting for emphasis, like a butcher of the old school, if you will”?

[Editor’s note: If you watch the video, which we linked here, you can see the wrist twist and hear the grunt.]

Cass sought answers from a Chicago black pol:

“Rather than listen to Washington talking heads explain our town's politics, I called a friend, a prominent African-American activist of the far left persuasion. He considers me his token conservative buddy.”

What Cass learned about the source of Jackson’s frustration is fascinating. According to Cass’s source:

“"Jesse's got an ego. He can't stand it. He couldn't stand it when Harold ran things. He can't stand it now, watching Barack climb up the Daleys
into the White House," said my friend.

“He was talking about Chicago's first black mayor, the late Harold Washington. I covered Washington's opening announcement of his historic campaign. The platform at the Hyde Park Hilton was ringed with large, tough, black police officers in plain clothes, their arms locked, letting no one up there with Washington.

“The reason?

“[Mayor] Washington didn't want Jackson up there. He knew the Rev. would try to grab the limelight. Once Washington was elected, Jackson
was politically invited to leave Chicago for Washington, where he ultimately ran for the presidency.

“That's what Chicago does with politicians who could threaten the mayor. We get them to run for the White House.

“Of course he's got to be green-eyed, when Jackson sees white liberals in the news media all but hug Barack's trouser leg, seeking affirmation and expiation of guilt."

So there you have it. This is not a “black thing”, but rather a very public boiling over of years of frustration suffered by Jesse Jackson, who has seen others ascend to political power, and then push him out of the limelight.

JESSE JACKSON SAYS HE WANTS TO CUT OBAMA’S NUTS OFF—WATCH VIDEO

Here is the much ballyhooed video of the Reverend Jesse Jackson’s “off the air” sotto voce remarks he made not knowing his microphone was “live”—that Barack Obama talks down to blacks, and Jesse “wants to cut his nuts off.”

Now Jesse, temper temper.

OBAMA TELLS PRESS TV INTERVIEW WITH KIDS “A MISTAKE”

In yet another misstep in a series of recent campaign blunders, presidential hopeful and Democratic nominee Barack Obama has said that it was a mistake to allow his daughters to be interviewed extensively by “Access Hollywood,” and he will not allow it to happen again, MSNBC reports.

“I think that we got carried away in the moment,” the Illinois senator and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee told TODAY’s Matt Lauer Wednesday.

The interview, conducted by Maria Menounos, prompted criticism of the candidate, who had said that he wanted to keep his family life private, but now seemed to be using his family to advance his candidacy, MSNBC said.

You can watch the interview—in which Obama reacts to Iran’s long-range missile tests and talks about his family’s interview with “Access Hollywood,” through the above link.

PROSECUTOR FIELD WITHHELD EVIDENCE, FACES DISBARMENT—STATE BAR ALLEGES

Following years of abuse by some overzealous prosecutors, the State Bar of California is finally taking action—seeking lengthy suspensions or disbarment—against two prosecutors who it alleges withheld evidence and a third who committed other misconduct.

The most high profile case is against Santa Clara County deputy district attorney Benjamin T. Field, who faces 22 counts of professional misconduct arising from four criminal matters. In each of the four underlying matters, Field is also accused of violating court orders.

Field’s attorney Allen Ruby says his client is “not guilty. He’s innocent,” the California Bar Journal reports.

Field’s trial began in May but was continued last month after the Court of Appeal reversed a sexual misconduct case against Dariel Shazier because Field made “deceptive and reprehensible” comments to a jury that violated a court order that Field not tell the jury where Shazier would be committed if he lost the case.

Some of the misconduct charges against Field arise from the prosecution of Damon Auguste in 1998 for sexual assault on a 15-year-old girl. Auguste was sentenced to prison for eight years, eight months but later filed a habeas petition based on a claim that Field did not disclose exculpatory evidence.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Emerson overturned the conviction in 2004 based on prosecutorial misconduct; he said Field did not disclose DNA lab notes and new evidence indicated false testimony affected the outcome of the case. Auguste was freed. In opposing Auguste’s petition, Flied violated a direct order by a judge commanding him not to seek search warrants in the case without his permission.

The third set of misconduct charges against Field involved his prosecution of a minor on rape charges. In that matter a judge denied Field’s oral request to obtain a dental examination of the minor and directed Fields to file a written request. The Bar charges that Fields made an end-run around the court’s directive, and obtained the dental exam through the minor’s probation officer.

The bar also alleges that during the prosecution of a murder case in 2003, Field withheld evidence from the defense that cast doubt on the credibility of several key witnesses.

The trial court concluded that Field’s discovery violation was “blatant” and that he failed to properly disclose exculpatory evidence to the defense.

In Field’s case the stakes are higher for Fields, as well as the general public, because Fields has expressed an interest in either an appointment to the bench or a run for the office of District Attorney.

600 POUND VEGAS JUDGE MUST STAND FOR REELECTION

For those of you not familiar with the long running saga of the gargantuan Vegas Judge everyone loves to hate, you can get up to speed with these ABA Journal posts here, here, here, and here, and (on a more humorous vein) the Above the Law posts archived here.

To sum up, a 500 pound rookie Vegas judge—who married an ex-prison felon she calls Evil Ed—soon found herself in trouble with disciplinary authorities for misconduct ranging from insulting staff with anti-Semitic epithets, to dining with sitting jurors, to sleeping on the bench, to forcing her bailiff to give her foot rubs and to microwave her food in her smelly private bathroom. (The former bailiff, Jonnie Jordan, even claims that Halverson asked him to shoot “Evil Ed".)

Last year the Chief Judge locked Halverson out of the courthouse citing security concerns relating to Halverson’s coterie of private “body guards” that Halverson claimed were necessary to protect her from other judges/court administrators, but the Nevada Supreme Court ordered Hardcastle to let the larger-than-life jurist back in.

Halverson—who is literally too fat to walk and zooms about in a motorized scooter—has been inexhaustible fodder for humorous posts on legal blogs ever since.

Her foibles have included a $40,000 judgment resulting in the garnishment of her judicial pay, a citation by the County for keeping such a dirty house it was deemed a health hazard, and an libel action against her by a former courtroom clerk after Halverson gave a televised press conference accusing the clerk of ticket fixing.

Much hilarity ensued.

Then, in 2008, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline temporarily suspended Halverson (pending a trial on disciplinary charges) as a “danger to the public”. This time the Nevada Supreme Court refused to intervene, and the disciplinary hearing set for June, 2008, was continued to August 4 when Halverson’s high powered legal team quit after Halverson indicated she could not pay her estimated six figure legal bill stemming from her legal troubles.

Halverson—who has since grown to 600 pounds—then sued the Elections Commissioner in the Nevada Supreme Court asserting that she should not have to stand for reelection as currently scheduled in August, 2008—because the 2 year term of office for which she was elected is contrary to the Nevada Constitution (which provides for 6 year judicial terms).

In a double blow the leviathan jurist, in today’s developments, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline has ordered Halverson to submit to a psychiatric evaluation or abandon her defense that her “issues” are “disability” related, and the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that she must stand for reelection as scheduled after all.

Although Halverson’s judicial days appear to be numbered, this being Las Vegas anything can happen, and we are hoping it will.
:
UPDATE: Judge Halverson filed discrimination complaint against Nevada Supreme Court. In Foot Note 38 of the above linked opinion holding that Halverson must stand for reelection this August, the Court revealed that the day before oral argument in the case on June 13, 2008, Halverson filed a discrimination complaint against the Court with the EEOC. “We note that on June 6, 2008, Halverson signed a complaint that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received on June 12, 2008. Halverson failed to inform this court of the existence of this complaint during the June 13, 2008, oral argument, at which time this court took this writ petition under submission." Nice touch.

OBAMA IS AMONG US SENATORS WHO GOT MORTGAGE DISCOUNT

Amid a national housing crisis, discounts offered to Senator Christopher Dodd and Senator Kent Conrad by Countrywide Mortgage, has resulted in a Senate ethics committee inquiry into the loans.

Now, add Senator Barack Obama to the list of United States Senators who received more favorable loan treatment than other similarly situated Borrowers on his $1.32 million mortgage from Northern Trust in Illinois, the Washington Post reported today.

According to the Post story, the average interest rate for such loans at the time was 6%, but the Obama’s were extended a 5.625 % rate on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage on his so called “super-super jumbo loan” What is more, Obama paid no loan origination fee or discount points.

Is this a problem for Obama’s campaign?

The linked Post article points out that former Fannie Mae chief executive James A. Johnson resigned as a senior Obama campaign advisor after his favorable Countrywide mortgage became public.

“"The real question is: Were congressmen getting unique treatment that others weren't getting?" associate law professor Adam J. Levitin, a credit specialist at Georgetown University Law Center, said about the Countrywide loans. "Do they do business like that for people who are not congressmen? If they don't, that's a problem."”

So did Obama get “unique treatment that other’s weren’t getting”?

"It's certainly safe to say that this borrower did better than average," said Keith Gumbinger with HSH Associates (which surveys lenders),who was quoted by the Post.

Read: “Obama Got Discount on Home Loan”, Washington Post, July 2, 2008, p. A03

Read: “Obama will Protect Homeownership and Crack Down on Mortgage Fraud” http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/#home-ownership