Ex-lawmaker charged with rape
“Former Republican Rep. Ted Klaudt could spend the rest of his life in prison after turning himself in to authorities Friday on felony charges that include eight counts of rape involving foster children and former legislative pages.
Five girls told authorities they were assaulted by Klaudt, court documents state, although charges filed Friday involve only two of the girls.
Four of the girls said they were accosted in Klaudt’s hotel room in Pierre, where he stayed while serving in the South Dakota Legislature. Two of the girls were legislative pages when they were attacked, they told investigators.”
So he allegedly molested these girls while serving in the South Dakota Legislature? What sort of political tasks was he doing during this time? Thanks to Hullabaloo I learned Klaudt sponspored bills that would
“establish certain legislative findings pertaining to the health and rights of women, to revise the physician disclosure requirements to be made to a woman contemplating submitting to an abortion, and to provide for certain causes of action for professional negligence if an abortion is performed without informed consent.”
and
“”prohibit the performance of abortions, except to save the life of the mother, and to provide a penalty therefor and to provide for a delayed effective date.”
but wait there’s more
“Proposing and submitting to the electors at the next general election an amendment to Article XXI of the Constitution of the State of South Dakota, relating to the definition of marriage. [The proposed amendment:: “Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in South Dakota. The uniting of two or more persons in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other quasi-marital relationship shall not be valid or recognized in South Dakota.”]”
plus he also sponsored a bill about mid-wives.
Apparently other SD politicians are worried this could taint them.
“District 24’s two House members are worried that allegations against a former colleague will cast a negative light on all legislators.”
Gee, you think?
Sadly, after the story broke more alleged victims in foster care spoke up:
Foster Rape Victims Coming Forward
“After our story Monday night concerning the Department of Social Services and Ted Klaudt’s rape charges, rape counselors are hearing from more victims.
Krista Heeren-Graber, who works with rape victims, says she received a call from someone who says she was victimized by Klaudt. Several other victims of sexual assault by foster parents also called Heeren-Graber’s office this morning. ”
Another person accusing Klaudt? How many will come out?
A man who supposedly fondled his foster children under the guise of ovary inspections and who wanted to sell their eggs was also the same man who “was a prime sponsor of HB 1215, the near total abortion ban.”
Why is it that the very men who want to take away a woman’s right to control her womb are often the men who are abusing those wombs?
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:04 PM CDT
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Looks like the DC Madam story has even more juicy details coming out.
From Wayne Madsen Report via What Really Happened:
“Part of the focus on the johns in the DC Madam case, an overwhelming majority of whom are Republican political appointees and office holders, is on particular office and residential areas of McLean and Alexandria, Virginia, in addition to K, H, and Eye Street lobbying and law offices in downtown Washington, DC. The net may also ensnare two 2008 GOP presidential candidates, one declared and the other, as yet, undeclared. WMR has also learned that some of the clients arranged their own direct communications with Pamela Martin & Associates employees. Some requests by clients fell into the category of aberrant sex, including bizarre requests for urination, defecation, sado-masochism, and acts of sodomy by certain clients, some of whom have significant political profiles in Washington. These requests did not technically run afoul of prostitution laws which are based on vaginal, oral, or anal penetration by the client.”
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:22 PM CDT
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Sounds like the Mile High Club is pretty much dead now, at least for US flights.
From ABC News:
California Man May Go to Prison for Inappropriate Touching on Plane
“A California man may pay with prison time for a public display of affection on a plane.
Carl Persing was convicted Thursday of interfering with flight attendants and crew members after he and his girlfriend, Dawn Sewell, were seen “embracing, kissing and acting in a manner that made other passengers uncomfortable,” according to a criminal complaint.
According to assistant U.S. Attorney John Bowler, Persing will likely serve jail time for the federal felony conviction, the Associated Press reports. He was convicted after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Va.
According to an FBI indictment, Persing’s face was pressed to Sewell’s vaginal area during the September Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Raleigh, N.C. When a flight attendant gave them a second warning, Persing reacted angrily and the couple, both in their early 40s, were arrested when the plane reached its destination.”
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:13 PM CDT
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From CNN:
Kent State tape: ‘Get set! Point! Fire!’
“CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — A static-filled recording of the 1970 Kent State University shooting that killed four students raises questions not only about whether someone called on National Guardsmen to fire, but also who might have given the order.
The tape was released Tuesday by Alan Canfora, 58, one of nine students wounded in the 1970 shootings.
He played two versions of the tape — the original and an amplified version — in which he says a Guard officer issues the command, “Right here! Get Set! Point! Fire!” (Watch scenes from the shooting and hear the tape )”
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:55 PM CDT
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From Prison Planet:
JFK Murder Plot “Deathbed Confession” Aired On National Radio
“The “deathbed confession” audio tape in which former CIA agent and Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt admits he was approached to be part of a CIA assassination team to kill JFK was aired this weekend - an astounding development that has gone completely ignored by the establishment media.
Saint John Hunt, son of E. Howard Hunt, appeared on the nationally syndicated Coast to Coast Live radio show on Saturday night to discuss the revelations contained in the tape.
Hunt said that his father had mailed cassette the tape to him alone in January 2004 and asked that it be released after his death. The tape was originally 20 minutes long but was edited down to four and a half minutes for the Coast to Coast broadcast. Hunt promises that the whole tape will be uploaded soon at his website.”
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:44 PM CDT
2 Comments »
I know this isn’t the most political issue out there. But still, don’t let them mess with chocolate people. That’s just wrong.
From the Washington Post:
Chocolate Purists Alarmed by Proposal To Fudge Standards
“Rarely do documents making their way through federal agencies cause chocolate lovers to totally melt down. Then came Appendix C.
Accompanying a 35-page petition signed by a diverse set of culinary groups — juice producers, meat canners and the chocolate lobby — the appendix charts proposed changes to food standard definitions set by the Food and Drug Administration, including this one: “use a vegetable fat in place of another vegetable fat named in the standard (e.g., cacao fat).”
Chocolate lovers read that as a direct assault on their palates. That’s because the current FDA standard for chocolate says it must contain cacao fat — a.k.a. cocoa butter — and this proposal would make it possible to call something chocolate even if it had vegetable oil instead of that defining ingredient. Whoppers malted milk balls, for instance, do not have cocoa butter.”
Want to tell the FDA to keep their grubby fingers off the chocolate goodness? Want to learn more? Then check out the website Don’t Mess With Our Chocolate.
Posted by Vixen as News, Activism at 11:46 PM CDT
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This story is one of the funniest I’ve read in awhile. I would think the forced goat marriag would make a better deterrent to other would be goat fuckers than just throwing the guy in jail.
From BBC News:
Sudan man forced to ‘marry’ goat
“A Sudanese man has been forced to take a goat as his “wife”, after he was caught having sex with the animal.
The goat’s owner, Mr Alifi, said he surprised the man with his goat and took him to a council of elders.
They ordered the man, Mr Tombe, to pay a dowry of 15,000 Sudanese dinars ($50) to Mr Alifi.”
Posted by Vixen as News at 10:59 PM CDT
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Teddy bear found via Feministing.
Imus’s comment was offensive but he’s by far not the only one. This video with a sampling of offensive radio and tv hosts was found via What Really Happened.
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:48 AM CDT
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Last year I blogged about the Indonesian Playboy editor and top model being named as suspects in an indecency case against the magazine. Recently there was a ruling on the case.
From SF Gate:
Playboy editor in Indonesia beats charges
“The editor of Playboy Indonesia was cleared Thursday of charges that he published indecent material, but opponents said they will continue their campaign against the magazine in court.
The publication, which does not contain nude pictures, “could not be categorized as pornography,” ruled presiding District Judge Efran Basyuning. Its editor, Erwin Arnada, also is protected by press freedom laws enacted after the 1998 resignation of former dictator Suharto, the court decided.”
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:30 AM CDT
2 Comments »
Interrogated for wearing black? Really, anarchists should start wearing pink and lace just to fuck with the authorities. Seriously though, this is a perfect example on why it’s good to donate money to civil liberties groups.
From The Washington Post:
Police Log Confirms FBI Role In Arrests
“A secret FBI intelligence unit helped detain a group of war protesters in a downtown Washington parking garage in April 2002 and interrogated some of them on videotape about their political and religious beliefs, newly uncovered documents and interviews show.
(snip)
The probable cause to arrest the protesters as they retrieved food from their parked van? They were wearing black — a color choice the FBI and police associated with anarchists, according to the police records.”
Posted by Vixen as News at 10:27 PM CDT
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