When Roger West first launched the progressive political blog "News From The Other Side" in May 2010, he could hardly have predicted the impact that his venture would have on the media and political debate. As the New Media emerged as a counterbalance to established media sources, Roger wrote his copious blogs about national politics, the tea party movement, mid-term elections, and the failings of the radical right to the vanguard of the New Media movement. Roger West's efforts as a leading blogger have tremendous reach. NFTOS has led the effort to bring accountability to mainstream media sources such as FOX NEWS, Breitbart's "Big Journalism.
Roger's breadth of experience, engaging style, and cultivation of loyal readership - over 92 million visitors - give him unique insight into the past, present, and future of the New Media and political rhetoric that exists in our society today.
What we are against:
Radical Right Wing Agendas
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Donald J. Trump
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THE RESISTANCE
The federal agency that will play a pivotal role in guiding the sentence of former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell has recommended that the onetime Republican rising star spend at least 10 years and a month in prison, according to several people familiar with the matter.
The guidelines recommended by the U.S. probation office are preliminary, and even if finalized, U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer is not required to follow them. But experts said that Spencer typically heeds the probation office’s advice, and judges in his district have imposed sentences within the recommendations more than 70 percent of the time in recent years.
“It’s of critical importance,” said Scott Fredericksen, a white-collar criminal defense lawyer. “The fact is, the vast majority of times, courts follow those recommendations closely.”
The hubris of this numbnutz is overwhelming. He was offered a plea deal for one charge for him and none for his wife, now they'll both pay dearly.
These words spoken [See first video below] from a neighbor who is helping the McDonnell's through the guilty verdict. Bob and Maureen did do something wrong, they are criminals and they are nothing like Christ!
This neighbors comments are mind numbing, and it would appear that "Terry" [Neighbor] suffers from the same Hubris that the transvaginal governor does.
What world do these people live in?
GUIDELINES SAY ABOUT 9 YEARS FOR TRANSVAGINAL BOB Video Courtesy of MSNBC
In the end -- and this is the end for Transvaginal Bob, although he is yet to be sentenced -- We are eft with a feeling of amazement at the vast gap between how McDonnell was regarded and who he turned out to be. His judgment, which was heralded as one of his best attributes, wound up being by far one of his worst.
McDonnell's political career has long been over; the jury's decision simply put the nail in the coffin. His professional and personal decline, sealed his fate - by a jury of his peers last Thursday - remains stunning in its depth, and points to how truly oblivious to reality this pinhead is.
Bob and Maureen McDonnell, neighbor "Terry" - if indeed they are "Christians" - they are what's wrong with Christianity! Christianity does not mean free reign to; abuse power, be corrupt, and lie. "Conservative Christian Values", don't you want some?
What's dumber than a guy who risks 30 yrs in prison for $165k? A guy who turns down a plea deal excusing 13 out of 14 charges, and alleviates his wife of any charges? Your answer, there is nothing dumber!
Not too long ago, former Virginia Gov. (Transvaginal) Bob McDonnell was a rising star, labeled a likely candidate for national office.
As of yesterday afternoon, this conservative (tea bagger) "Family Valued" Christian Republican has a different label: convicted felon.
The Hubris of this [numbnutz] "Family Valued Christian Conservative" is overwhelming.
The governor prior to today, was better known for forcing women to undergo unwarranted vaginal probes - but due to his sever case of hubris, Transvaginal Bob will now go down in infamy as the sleazy lying corrupt GOP Govna of Virginia who not only tossed his wife Maureen under the bus, but he backed over her several times for good measure.
Not in modern time, not since Mary Todd Lincoln was betrayed by her eldest son, has this country seen a court trial, betrayal, like Bob McDonnell's - with his treatment of his wife - with such disgust and unfettered distaste - playing out for the world to see, as if it was a reality show gone horribly wrong.
Wife-Dumping Defense Fails ‘Family Man’ McDonnell Video Courtesy of MSNBC
Bob has the potential to spend many years of his life in federal prison [30 years], and rightly so. Bob and Maureen are what's wrong with politics today - and more specifically, what's wrong with "Republican Christian Family/Political Values".
McDonnell Trial A Spectacle To The End Video Courtesy of MSNBC
Republicans, often of late, seem to suffer from a myriad of diseases, "Bushnesia", "Romnesia", foot-in-mouth disease and hubris. In the end it was the Hubris and stupidity that sunk the vagina probers life.
It's really hard to celebrate Bob McDonnell's going to jail when so many other crooks and liars [aka republican politicians] are running free.The next query for conservatives is, "is orange the new black" for them?
On Thursday, Governor Bob McDonnell took the stand in his own defense. It was Day 19 of his corruption trial, and the time had finally come for him to tell his side of the story.
As one Politico reporter said, "He didn't simply throw his wife, Maureen, under a bus to keep himself out of prison. He laid her down gently on the road, with a pillow and blanket."
All indicators point to - that Transvaginal Bob did a wonderful job of playing the sad song for the jury about his marriage - yet this "probe" specialist wasn't so successful when it came to explaining his acceptance of gifts, trips and airplane rides.
Transvaginal Bob is contending that Maureen was the one who instigated the plethora of gifts befalling him, and since they were not speaking at the time, he couldn't couldn't possibly have conspired with her because they weren't husband and wife any longer.
If Transvaginal Bob was indeed as astounded by the loans and inappropriate gifts that he is portraying on the stand, then why did he not give them back immediately, instead of waiting to see if he was caught?
"Conservative Christian values"...maybe not so much.
Former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen have been charged with illegally accepting lavish gifts, luxury vacations and large loans from a wealthy businessman who wanted special treatment from state government. Authorities say McDonnell and his wife received gifts from dietary supplement executive Jonnie R. Williams Sr. on many occasions.
In exchange, the McDonnell's allegedly worked to lend the prestige of the governorship to Williams’ struggling company, Star Scientific.
McDonnell acknowledged he received the gifts from Williams but claims he did nothing wrong.
Investigators say McDonnell lied. The indictment charges the McDonnell’s with 14 counts and claims that they accepted more than $135,000 in loans and gifts from Williams and also lied on loan applications and other documents.
Also in the indictment are emails from Maureen McDonnell that show she believed she could have Williams buy her a designer dress for the inauguration.
According to the indictment, a McDonnell staffer referred to only as “J.E.” said that would not be proper. McDonnell then became angry with “J.E.” and sent the following email:
Both Bob McDonnell and Maureen McDonnell have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest-services wire fraud, three counts of honest-services wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right, six counts of obtaining property under color of official right, and one count of making false statements to a federal credit union.
Bob McDonnell is also charged with an additional count of making a false statement to a financial institution, and Maureen McDonnell is charged with one count of obstruction of an official proceeding.
Their initial appearance and arraignment will be held this Friday in Richmond.
McDonnell released the following statement on Tuesday afternoon regarding the indictment:
“My fellow Virginians, earlier today federal prosecutors notified my attorneys that they have filed criminal charges against me and my wife Maureen, alleging that we violated federal law by accepting gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams, the former CEO of Star Scientific. I deeply regret accepting legal gifts and loans from Mr. Williams, all of which have been repaid with interest, and I have apologized for my poor judgment for which I take full responsibility. However, I repeat emphatically that I did nothing illegal for Mr. Williams in exchange for what I believed was his personal generosity and friendship. I never promised – and Mr. Williams and his company never received – any government benefit of any kind from me or my Administration. We did not violate the law, and I will use every available resource and advocate I have for as long as it takes to fight these false allegations, and to prevail against this unjust overreach of the federal government.”
Stay tuned as we have covered this story every step of the way since MSNBC Rachel Maddow broke the story.
MADAME TEN PERCENT MCDONNELL AND SPONGE BOB MCDONNELL
Virginia is a tin horn dictatorship. Instead of a single “strong man” or “strong woman” we have an inbred cadre of state GOP legislators and crony politicians operating in a symbiotic effort to loot the commonwealth.
Many of our state GOP legislators are feeble minded - but cunning people who squirm to elected office through a blind obedience to their party. Many want elected office not because of a sense of duty, but because holding that office will elevate their social status and standard of living.
Take a look at the benighted governor of my state, Governor Ultrasound; "Sponge" Bob "transvaginal" McDonnell - who recently said in a live radio interview that his wife's office organized the 2011 event at the executive mansion for a company run by a donor whose relationship with Sponge Bob is now under investigation.
Maureen "Madame Ten Percent" McDonnell, wife of the embattled governor, is said to have traded thousands of dollars worth of Star Scientific stock supposedly without her husband’s knowledge. [Indonesia when iron-fisted Suharto was leader. His wife was known locally as “Madame Ten Percent” because in order for a foreign firm to get gas or oil or mineral rights, she needed a 10 percent payoff.]
BACKFILL:
In May, 2011, Jonnie Williams Sr., head of the troubled Star Scientific dietary supplement maker, gave Madam Ten Percent $50,000. Used $30,000 of it to buy 6,500 shares of Star stock without husband Bob’s knowledge.
When the stock tanked, Madam Ten Percent sold it, only to repurchase more shares later, again without husband Bob’s knowledge. Why? Buying Star Scientific stock isn't exactly like purchasing Apple stock.
None of this was clearly reported. Under Virginia law, stock holdings of a public official and a spouse of more than $10,000 must be filed in an annual statement of economic income. Gifts to immediate family members do not have to be reported. The stock holdings were apparently reported in such a vague way no one could easily make the link between the McDonnells and Star Scientific stock.
So, if I understand this correctly, husband Sponge Bob, cash strapped because his vacation properties weren't renting, did not know that wife, Madame Ten Percent was trading thousands of dollars worth of stock while also promoting the firm’s products? He also didn't know that a $6,500 Rolex was a “gift” from Maureen when it was really purchased by Williams?
The above clip shows that Sponge Bob is willing to toss the love of his life under the proverbial bus to save his own political ass. This blogger gets a macabre feeling that the professional handlers and trouble shooters protecting Sponge Bob, have elected and decided that throwing Madame Ten Percent under the bus has less collateral damage than Sponge Bob himself taking the fall .
I am both agog and perplexed at the “coincidence” that Madame Ten Percent took the gifts intended for her husband and daughters and got money from the same company - bought and sold stocks from the same company, and Bob did not know.
At the end of the day this boils down to one of two things:
1. Did Sponge Bob use Madame Ten Percent for the illegal shenanigans, or
2. Did Madame Ten Percent use Sponge Bob for the illegal activities?
While all if this may be intoxicating - making for great fodder, whether who knew what, when and where, no matter which McDonnell had a hand in the illegal grafting, its time [ a third call from NFTOS] for Sponge Bob and Madame Ten Percent McDonnell to go!
GOP/NRA GOD CHUCK HESTON CHEERING TRANSVAGINAL PROBING OF WOMEN AGAINST THERE WILL
Father of the Bride meets Drugstore Cowboy:
Yes Virginia, the morals and ethics of Virginia Governor Bob "transvaginal" McDonnell are being questioned - and it would appear that he is in some hot water. Vaginal Sponge Bob Square Pants, his wife, Star Scientific top cat Jonnie R. Williams Sr, all have some serious explaining to do.
One would think that Transvagianl Bob McDonnell would be in cruise mode wrapping his final months in office, and would no doubt like to leave on a high note, en route to pursuing higher office.
But at this point, instead of spending time with volunteers in Iowa and New Hampshire, it looks like Governor Ultrasound will have to spend his time with his attorneys.
FBI agents are conducting interviews about the relationship between Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, his wife, Maureen, and a major campaign donor who paid for the food at the wedding of the governor's daughter, according to four people familiar with the questioning.
The agents have been asking associates of the McDonnells about gifts provided to the family by Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie R. Williams Sr. and actions the Republican governor and his wife have taken that may have boosted the company, the people said.
Among the topics being explored, they said, is the $15,000 catering bill that Williams paid for the 2011 wedding of McDonnell's daughter at Virginia's historic Executive Mansion. But questions have extended to other, previously undisclosed gifts from Williams to Maureen McDonnell as well, they said.
A few months ago, the Washington Post reported that McDonnell's daughter was married in 2011, and the governor said the bride and groom paid for the event. In reality, $15,000 came by way of Williams. McDonnell not only lied about the financing, but he somehow forgot to disclose Williams' generous gift, as he's legally required to do.
Complicating matters, shortly before the wedding, McDonnell's wife attended an event in Florida to endorse Williams' product, and shortly after the wedding, McDonnell hosted Williams at the governor's home for a launch party for Williams' product.
It is so rare that a politician actually gets caught taking bribes. In the case of Transvaginal Bob McDonnell, it is unusually gratifying to me, and if this could spillover to Ken Coochinelli's [spelled incorrectly] lap - this would be even more delicious than the first helping.
Yes readers, this story has a very mephitis smell to it, but you have to realize that these American Taliban[ers] are serial entrepreneurs. I'm sure McDonnell has already asked all of his staff to buy his Amway products and his air filters - its part of the GOP ilk, culture if you will, and the sad thing is, "Transvaginal Bob in his own mind thinks he has done nothing wrong in this instance.
I can hear Transvagianl Bob now speaking to Virginians: " My fellow Virginians', American Taliban [ers] and Guns Over People, as a good conservative Christian man, as a great gun hugger, and finally, as a exceptional manipulator of the female body ......... I categorically deny these allegations. Please send your donations now".
It's too bad that the FBI will not be forcing a probe into McDonnell's private parts against his will, how apropos this would be, a full circle moment if you will.
