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Laying Down My Pen
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Laying Down My Pen
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Despite the WaPost, Benghazi Is a Major Scandal
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Putting Heritage in DeMint Condition
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Military Might, Out of the Wilderness
May 8, 2013 | 115 comments
Streetcar Line
The Labor Nominee’s Other Lies
The astonishing mendaciousness of Thomas Perez.
Thomas Perez is a multiple prevaricator.
When the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (henceforth DoJ) last week issued a report blistering DoJ’s Civil Rights Division, much attention focused on the IG’s recognition that division chief Perez, under oath, had “not reflect[ed] the entire story regarding the involvement of political appointees” in the now-infamous 2009 decision to dismiss voter-intimidation cases against several New Black Panthers in Philadelphia.
While this aspect of Perez’s dishonesty deserves all the attention it can garner (also deserving attention is the extreme dubiousness of the IG’s assertion that Perez’s lies about political-appointee interference were not “intentional”), it is far from the only example, from that very same testimony, of Perez pushing stories that were flagrantly false.
Perez came awfully close to perjury, and some might argue that he committed it, when discussing the far more important, broader issue that was the main focus of the IG report. (It boggles belief, by the way, that the IG never even discussed this untruth, considering that it so directly involved the larger substance of his report.) That broader issue was the question, fairly definitively answered in the affirmative by the IG, of whether the Civil Rights Division is a hotbed of hostility against the very idea of race-neutral enforcement of civil rights and voting rights laws.
When testifying under oath on May 14, 2010, before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Perez in effect denied that any such hostility existed. “We don’t have people of that ilk” in the Division, he said. The question, he said, is “moot.” Again and again, under questioning by Commissioner Todd Gaziano, Perez said that if such an attitude existed, he would put a stop to it, and he indicated that such a practice was completely alien to his experience with and knowledge of his division’s practices.
This was no small matter. It encompassed almost the entirety of Gaziano’s initial questioning of Perez, taking up a significant portion of the hearing.
Yet on the very day before acting dumbfounded by the accusation of race-based enforcement of the laws, Perez had hosted a lengthy meeting during which this very subject was broached in great detail. As whistleblower J. Christian Adams recounted in his meticulously reported book Injustice: Exposing the Racial Agenda of the Obama Justice Department, “At the meeting, [fellow whistleblower Christopher] Coates explained via speakerphone from South Carolina the long and detailed history of hostility toward race-neutral law enforcement inside the Civil Rights Division.” Included in this history were the accounts, later confirmed to the IG by more than a dozen people inside DoJ, about how Obama political appointee Julie Fernandes had twice made statements in open meetings to the effect that certain parts of laws were not to be enforced at all, and others were not to be enforced against black perpetrators.
“Essentially,” wrote Adams, “Perez was arguing that he had never heard anyone at the Civil Rights Division ever mention hostility toward race-neutral law enforcement, something Coates had warned him about just before his testimony.” And, as we now know from the IG report (and from similar reporting even by the Washington Post), that attitude was so pervasive within the division that no sentient being could possibly escape it.
Moreover, that very subject had already been the focus of reporting stemming from the New Black Panther case since the previous summer, and had been repeatedly and extensively discussed in media accounts leading up to Perez’s testimony. It was at the very heart of the Commission’s entire investigation into the New Black Panther case and surrounding controversies. Perez knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that these accusations of race-based enforcement and certainly of attitudinal hostility against race-neutral enforcement were rampant. He indicated in his testimony that he would not put up with any such nonsense. Yet, as is clear from the IG report, these exact attitudes were widespread within his division, which he had now led for some five solid months.
In short, he deliberately misled Commissioner Gaziano when he played dumb about the existence of this problem within his department — if, that is, he was even being honest when he said such an attitude would be a problem in the first place. After all, with regard at least to Section 5 of the Civil Rights Act — which specifically involves voting rights — Perez himself told the IG that he thought Section 5 was not intended to protect white people. This is from the report:
Perez also told the OIG that he believed interpreting the retrogressive-effect prong of the analysis to cover White citizens would be inconsistent with the history of and intent behind Section 5, which he stated was enacted to remedy the specific problem of discrimination against racial minorities. In his February 2011 letter, Perez noted that the Division has always understood the term “minority” to mean not numerical minority, but rather “an identifiable and specially disadvantaged group.”
Compare that statement with Perez’s statement under oath to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Gaziano asked this direct question: “Do you agree that the voting rights laws should always be enforced in a race-neutral manner?” Perez’s clear, unambiguous answer: “Yes, sir.”
So, which is it? That “yes, sir” directly contradicts what he told the IG. Was that definitive statement under oath a lie — or was he instead lying to the IG? Logic says it must be one or the other.
Likewise, when asked this — “Wouldn’t you want to clarify to all of the people who may have heard it that that is not the policy of the Department and that you would not tolerate that kind of a policy?” — Perez again answered: “Yes, sir.” Yet there is no indication in the IG report that Perez, either before or after this hearing, made any concerted effort (other than a random statement or two) to ensure that these sorts of race-based enforcement choices were no longer made.
Meanwhile, a very similar scenario applied to the more-discussed issue of whether Perez “intentionally” misled the commission and Congress (in several different hearings) about involvement of political appointees in the decision to dismiss the New Black Panther case. The IG report dryly notes that Perez “should have sought more details… about the nature and extent of the participation of political employees in the [Panther] decision in advance of his testimony before the Commission.” That’s as strong an understatement as could be imagined. From the very first print reports about the dismissal, which came in both a news story and an editorial on May 29, 2009 in the Washington Times (Michelle Malkin apparently beat us at the WashTimes in an online posting the day before), the issue of political interference in the decision was front and center.
About the Author
Quin Hillyer is a senior editor of The American Spectator and a senior fellow at the Center for Individual Freedom. Follow him on Twitter @QuinHillyer.
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Joellen| 3.19.13 @ 7:04AM
Obama just building HIS army.
Von Mises Jr| 3.19.13 @ 10:31AM
HIS Army is a Civilian Military Force under Homeland Security.
The regime just bought 2,717 light armor vehicles to add to 7,000 fully automatic weapons and about 2 billion rounds.
You don't need that to hunt deer. But then it is reported that DiFi thinks that it is okey-dokey to hunt humans.
Anthony| 3.19.13 @ 12:08PM
The no expense barred Civilian Military Force of our Muslim Marxist president will be the army he will have wished for to go to war with with America, as opposed to the army that you have.
Americans are in for the shock of their lives when our streets will look like Lebanon in the '80s.
TLP| 3.19.13 @ 12:51PM
I think that everybody should just step back, and take a deep breath on all of these Weapons and Ammunition purchases.
For all we know, all of this is just more Stuff for the Mexican Drug Cartels.
alice921| 3.19.13 @ 2:44PM
Its definitely the most-financially rewarding Ive ever done. Make money with Google. last monday I got a new Alfa Romeo from bringing in $7778. I started this 9-months ago and practically straight away started making more than $83... per hour. I work through this link, http://tw.gs/YbVcey
TNcracker | 3.19.13 @ 4:18PM
Hey Alice -- take your ad somewhere else.
Intelligent Design| 3.19.13 @ 7:30AM
To state the obvious, Perez is a perfect match for Obama, who surrounds himself with like-minded, despicable liars.
Moe Blotz| 3.19.13 @ 2:10PM
Aye, and he belongs in the Democrat Party where such prevarications are resume' enhancements. If the nominee in question gets himself a sex scandal, he could eventually become Perezident. (If Barry ever leaves).
chuck| 3.19.13 @ 8:02AM
I'm just shocked that such racism exists in the Obama administration. He promised a "post-racial" presidency, whatever the Hell that is.
Pecos Pete| 3.19.13 @ 8:03AM
Dateline August 22, 2016: NEWS FLASH ... Today Thomas Perez was nominated by the Democrat Party for President of the United States. Elizabeth Warren was nominated for Vice President.
Early polls show strong support for Perez by unions, LGBT, undocumented workers and unemployed workers. Perez was immediately endorsed by the Communist Party of America and the governments of Russia, China, Cuba and Valenzuela.
Based on these early results, it is anticipated that the Perez/Warren ticket will win election in November by a 57% to 41% margin over the Conservative Party candidate while the Republican Party candidate is expected to win only 1% of the vote.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 3.19.13 @ 8:40AM
(cont'd)
The merging of the forces of attorneys Perez and Warren was not predicted; in fact, in the years leading up to 2016, there was an expectation that there would eventually be a clash between the collectivist forces represented by Warren, and the racial/ minority entitlement politics embraced by Warren. Still, observers were impressed when the Massachusetts Senator reached out early in the primary campaign to Perez supporters.
“Me, Perez powwow, smoke many peace pipe” Warren was later quoted saying about their summit.”Bring together our camps to drive back white man”.
With common backgrounds as Ivy League lawyers and longstanding casual relationships with the truth, other pundits saw the pairing as a natural. Warren’s claim that she was the first nursing mother to sit for the New Jersey bar exam in the absence of anything other than the claim to support it was compared to the often spurious way in which the Civil Rights Division under Perez would make charges of minority voter suppression against states which asked for ID for all voters. Likewise, her claim to Cherokee heritage and Perez’ history of questionably perjurious testimony before the Civil Rights Commission showed the willingness of both candidates to “Dig in” and defend their viewpoints, even in the face of massive amounts of evidence to refute their positions.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 3.19.13 @ 8:56AM
(cont'd)
Ibn Osama al Abbottabad, Al Qaeda’s first ambassador to the US credentialed by Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014 and considered by many in the Islamic world to have keen insight into the point at which US politics and culture merge, offered his thoughts on the Scheme Team represented by the Perez/ Warren ticket:
“My father wanted to attack and destroy America, and in the end, it killed him. We have learned from our mistakes, and have come to embrace a new philosophy, which is to let America take care of itself. The Perez/Warren team will hasten the process begun by Sultan Obama (peace be upon him) in a way that will clearly satisfy the goals of my movement”.
The newest UN ambassador representing the fiery precincts of Hell, Hugo Chavez, echoed al Abbottabad’s sentiments:
“Si, si puede”.
Al Adab| 3.19.13 @ 9:35AM
Pete? Albert?
Perez is simply another in the long parade of extreme radical leftists this president is placing in every department of this government. The next republican elected will have to perform a major purge- that's more than housecleaning- of these anti-american office holders.
Still, we should not be surprised with this litany of radicals. After all, he promised to fundamentally transform America did he not?
Albert Constantine Jr.| 3.19.13 @ 10:02AM
He promised to unite, not divide. He promised to cut the deficit in half. He promised success in Afghanistan. He promised to close Guantanamo Bay prison.
For all of his broken promises, you are correct about the One he has chosen to keep, which is what most of us predicted about him- that he would fundamentally transform the relationship of the people to their government and the Constitution.
Unfortunately, too many are willing to except his yoke for a free Obamaphone, an extension of unemployment benefits or student loan forgiveness.
Al Adab| 3.19.13 @ 11:48AM
Selling our birthright of liberty for a bowl of government pottage. What a sad condition for a free people.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 3.19.13 @ 1:17PM
exceptacceptArnie| 3.19.13 @ 10:31PM
"He promised to close Guantanamo Bay prison."
True. He came up against bipartisan opposition in Congress when he tried to. Although, the media, especially FAUX news hyped up the threat of terrorists around the corner.
Glad to see you concerned about this Albert. It should be closed.
Pecos Pete| 3.19.13 @ 1:23PM
Al, didn't you read the News Flash? The next prez will be Perez/Warren. After that, there won't be any more elections. They will name King O the real king by acclamation. The Constitution is just a scrap of paper written by a bunch of dead people, d0n't ya know?
Al Adab| 3.19.13 @ 2:25PM
I thought maybe O would just go become King of Hawaii after they take the islands out of the union. Did you see the sole republican member of the HI state senate? Talk about a lonesome job.
TLP| 3.19.13 @ 9:56AM
What day is it? I seem to be experiencing the Alien Abduction Phenomena known as: Lost Time.
The Winners will recieve The New Book by Quinn Hillyar: 1001 ways to say LIAR, LIES, and LYING without ever using any of those words. Thus, never having to say you're Sorry, or be Uninvited to one of those of those Toyota Priebus Parties.
For crying out loud, Hillyar. Stand up on your hind legs and act like a Man.
He's a LYING SACK, who has every intention of Destroying this Country via The Cloward and Piven Method of Overwhelmimg the Social Safety Net.
Do you SEE what they're doing in England, with their Media Censorship Laws?
Quit shuffling your feet around, hummin and hawin like a schoolboy asking Suzie to the Dance.
Stand up straight, and SPEAK YOUR MIND.
While you still can.
Pathetic.
Gary B| 3.19.13 @ 8:03AM
So, how many Republicans will end up voting for him? A Kabuki performance every single week in DC.
TLP| 3.19.13 @ 8:03AM
So, what's the problem? This is what you get when you put Black Radicals in positions of Power. Ask the Jews in Crown Heights, when Black Leftist Mayor - Davis Dinkins ALLOWED an Al Sharpton led 3 Day and Night POGROM against the Orthodox Jewish Community after a kid was ACCIDENTLY killed by a Car being driven by a Jew.
"KILLTHE JEW!" "KILL THE JEW!" "KILL THE JEW!"
For 72 Hours, the Black Mayor of the largest City in the Country, ORDERED THE POLICE to Stand Down. And, to their Eternal Shame, they did just that. Dinkins said that those ANIMALS had to "Get it outta their systems".
Ray Nagen just went to Prison. Kwame Kilpatrick's in Jail. Hymietown Jr's headin for the Slammer. John Conyer's Pig of a WIFE is doing a stretch in the Big House. Ya got Bribe Taking Alcee Hastings. Ya got that CROOK Maxine Waters. Death to America Ellison. And the Queen Beotch herself - Shiela Jackson Lee. All of'em FILTHY RICH, while their Constituents' situations remains unchanged.
We talk about Detroit as if it's some kind of Anomoly, when in fact it's just One in a long list of Failed Black States, and the list grows longer every day.
Baltimore, Philly, Camden, Newark, Cleveland, Gary, Milwaukee, Flint, Oakland, Hartford, Bridgeport. All of them, 3rd World No Go Zones because of White Guilt, Cowardice, and the Refusal to hold THESE PEOPLE to the same standards of Everybody Else.
The HALFRICAN MARXIST is the end result of pretending that everything I just wrote is just Racist Bullspit.
Nancy in NC| 3.19.13 @ 8:20AM
Can't disagree with your assessment, Tim. We need more brave people to speak the truth without fear of reprisals from the nut jobs on the left.
When we continue to give people of color passes for awful behavior, we will continue to get plenty of bad behavior. Perez, Holder and about 90% of those in DC believe they are above the law. And results prove they are often right.
Joellen| 3.19.13 @ 8:36AM
Nancy so true on how Tim speaks truth with passion. That is why he has been able to assemble such a fine group of people everyday, to the leftist dismay, to stand with him.
When we get people like Tim in office from local on up, then America can be restored.
Until then, keep listening and standing with Tim.
Pecos Pete| 3.19.13 @ 8:52AM
Yep!
TLP| 3.19.13 @ 11:23AM
I'm confused.
Was that in response to Rule #1? Or Rule #3?
Pecos Pete| 3.19.13 @ 1:24PM
Depends.
Moe Blotz| 3.19.13 @ 2:06PM
How long has he been wearing them?
TLP| 3.19.13 @ 3:46PM
(_O_) no he di'int.
Seek| 3.21.13 @ 3:46PM
You must be a comedian.
Oldefarte| 3.19.13 @ 3:36PM
Pure prose. You get my vote for the Nobel Prize for Truth!!!!!!!!!!!!
TLP| 3.19.13 @ 3:47PM
We missed you this weekend, Oldefarte.
Just sayin.
Oldefarte| 3.20.13 @ 1:33PM
Thanks. I'm going though a personal situation which is mentally dominating my thoughts/life presently, but I'll get back to my ranting/raving personnae in due time. Keep up your intelligent prose and hopefully you can effectuate some light bulbs into being turned on before 2014/2016!!!!!
TNcracker | 3.19.13 @ 4:24PM
Add Atlanta & Bumminham -- a little behind the others but destined to fail in the same way.
Mike G| 3.19.13 @ 8:19AM
" then his answers are the moral equivalent of a lie even if his weasel words or weaselly actions technically evade the outright existence of a direct lie."
Therein lies the problem with your argument, Mr H. Perez obviously suffers from MDD (Moral Deficiency Disease) and cannot possibly know when he is lying; and it's only a lie if you know you're not telling the truth.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 3.19.13 @ 8:36AM
The government is full of weasels.
He's just part of the herd.
R Martin| 3.19.13 @ 8:53AM
"He has no place in government service."
He has been in government all his life. Democrat government service. And that says all you need about the man and about the party.
Arnie| 3.19.13 @ 9:05AM
I think Republicans have no place in government service. Nothing is truer than this statement:
"Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work, and then they get elected and prove it."
Brubaker| 3.19.13 @ 9:09AM
Cute. Stupid, but cute.
rjh| 3.19.13 @ 9:17AM
"This man is not only a radical, but disgustingly dishonest. He has no place in government service."
I was briefly confused as to whether you meant obama or Perez?
ResistWeMuch | 3.19.13 @ 9:32AM
'Toon of the Day: Obama Gives The Country The Finger
http://tinyurl.com/d8yd26s
crankitup| 3.19.13 @ 10:04AM
It looks like perez will be a perfect fit with all the liers and corrupt turds in this obamao regime. Does anyone see a light at the end of this sewerpipe and I ain't talkin about those squiglley chinese mercury infused lightbulbs ????
TLP| 3.19.13 @ 11:26AM
You spelled "Fliers" wrong, Mr. New Guy.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 3.19.13 @ 1:20PM
Maybe he suffers from the same language limitation as my dear wife, and meant Friars.
TLP| 3.19.13 @ 3:50PM
That wasn't very nice.
I'm sure that she roves you rong time.
crankitup| 3.19.13 @ 10:09AM
you spelled charlie rangel wrong. Anyone remember the very reverend adam clayton powell. charlie's got his seat in the house.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 3.19.13 @ 1:22PM
Adam Clayton Powell? Isn't he in Bimini (waiting for Gary Hart to show up on the yacht Monkey Business to pick him up)?
Kwan| 3.19.13 @ 11:39AM
Obama's new Commissar of Labor no doubt will do everything he can to persecute every business in America for racial discrimination. In fact having any white employees may get you in trouble with this Che Guevara wannabe. Viva El Socialismo.
Anthony| 3.19.13 @ 12:00PM
Look for McLame and the other R senate stooges to talk a good game against Perez, yet in the end this over the top uber leftist will be confirmed.
"Deference must be given to the President when it comes to his choices for cabinet positions". Each day the corruption in Washington gets worse and America dies a bit faster.
Doctor Right| 3.19.13 @ 12:25PM
That's why Conservatives need to abandon the GOP; they will NEVER do what's right, or what's needed to defeat the left.
They are worse than the Left; they are gutless appeasers.
Doctor Right| 3.19.13 @ 12:22PM
"This man is not only a radical, but disgustingly dishonest. He has no place in government service."
He'll fit right in with the rest of Obama's appointees...
Belianis | 3.19.13 @ 10:55PM
Is there even ONE O Ba-stardo* appointee who is anything like honest and competent?
*O BASTARDO=THE BASTARD in Portuguese.
RAM| 3.19.13 @ 12:43PM
Who's better equipped than this guy to be the errand boy for corrupt government and corrupt labor unions? Is that not his #1 task for our Maximum Leader?
Kurt NY| 3.19.13 @ 2:03PM
So get him in front of a confirmation committee and grill him on the inconsistencies. And if he lies again, get him for perjuring himself to Congress.
e pearse| 3.19.13 @ 2:34PM
The funny thing is that they are trying to appeal to Hispanics and the man cannot speak Spanish properly. The two sentences he gave in his acceptance speech were not in Spanish but in Spanglish. That will turn-off Hispanics. Of all the media only America's Chronicle has made a comment pointing that out.
Oldefarte| 3.19.13 @ 3:44PM
Okay, I think we [or most] now GET IT! The question now becomes what do we do about it? When 60-80% of American Jews vote for this continuance; when brainwashed Americans vote to maintain a political correct/diverse community organizer with a history which any mentally challanged child of five should be able to uncover; when members of religious churches are agreeing to avoid marriage of heterosexuals until homosexuals are able to marry, etc; what is the use of articles like this? When will an exploding light bulb go off inside Americans' heads in recognition of this excrement? Again, the problem ain't the Republican candidates, but rather THE STUPIDITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cicero| 3.19.13 @ 4:26PM
Maybe the Repubs can muster the energy to launch another filibuster, and deny debate on this thug's appointment until they get all of the internal memoes on the Black Panther non-indictment.
Now we know how all of those justice attorneys spend their time - performing skits. During the debate over the sequester, everybody was wringing their hands over the fact that the $85 billion was non-descriminatory, and that it should have been more focussed. This article talking about six figure salaried justice department lawyers spending their working hours singing jingles tells me that they could have sequestered about a trillion dollars, spread evenly across the board, and the taxpaying public wouldn't have noticed the difference.
When they get to the next fiscal fence, and talk about a continuing resolution, I for one say, "Shut it down!".
Marc Jeric| 3.20.13 @ 3:04AM
There is one very bad thing - communism.
Another very bad thing is - racism.
And then there is a really BAD thing - a racist communist. Examples: Obama; Holder; Perez; not to mention 22 former ACLU lawyers who defended Gitmo terrorists and who were hired by Holder for his Department of "Justice".