The NY Times Quietly Takes Its Thumb Off The Scale Of Justice

Either the NY Times needs to tear out the front page or they have just delivered an epic fail.  In either case, they have delivered a tilt to the scales of justice.

In a long attempt to detail the night of the Trayvon Martin killing they include this description of the fatal scuffle:

However it started, witnesses described to the 911 dispatcher what resulted: the neighborhood watch coordinator, 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, and the visitor, 6-foot-1 and 150, wrestling on the ground.

To my knowledge nobody anywhere has ever suggested that Zimmerman weighed 170 pounds [His friend did on March 27!].  I would say that the low bid I have seen is 220, although some people did remark that he looked smaller than they expected in the infamous ABC video taken the night he was brought in.

Trayvon Martin is consistently described as 140 lbs, although the police report had him at 160.  The Sanford PD initial police report listed a weight for Martin but not Zimmerman; in retrospect, that will rank as one of the biggest blunders of their investigation.

I am serious - if the Times is correctly telling us that Zimmerman was roughly Martin's size, that changes the whole theme of the scary large man stalking the overmatched boy.  Do I need links to document how widespread that meme is?  If the Times doesn't correct this I'll link up [See below].

And needless to say, there has been a certain puzzlement about why a 140 pounder would initiate an assault on a 240 pounder.  Somehow, a surprise attack by a 150 pounder on a 170 pounder seems a lot more plausible.  Similarly, there has been skepticism abut how such a large man could really have feared for his life in a scuffle with the much smaller Martin.  Again, one has a newfound sympathy for the notion that Zimmerman may really have been in trouble.

Let's hand the mike to Charles Blow of the Times, from Mar 25:

To believe Zimmerman’s [self-defense] scenario, you have to believe that Trayvon, an unarmed boy, a boy so thin that people called him Slimm, a boy whose mother said that he had not had a fight since he was a preschooler, chose that night and that man to attack. You have to believe that Trayvon chose to attack a man who outweighed him by 100 pounds and who, according to the Sanford police, was wearing his gun in a holster. You have to believe that Trayvon chose to attack even though he was less than a hundred yards from the safety of the home where he was staying.

This is possible, but hardly sounds plausible.

The match-up seems more plausible now.  (The Scary Gun was concealed, so let's skip that.)

The paper of record.  How could they have a typo like this in a story like this?  Or, how could they not realize the news value of that information?

I may subscribe again just so I can cancel twice.

MORE NARRATIVE FAIL: A neighbor saw George the next day, bandaged and bruised.

POKING AROUND: I am not the only one late to this party, but maybe the Times has this right - commenters here at Newsbusters were talking about Zimmerman at 170 four days ago.  As did 'Steve', commenting at CNN two days ago.  If the Times stands by this number, words will fail me.

THE FRIEND MAY HAVE BEEN RIGHT:  March 27, WKMG Local 6, Orlando:

Oliver: "That's a perfect example of all the misinformation that is out there. Based upon his 2005 arrest, a mug shot says he weights 250 pounds and that doesn't say he is 5 feet, 8 inches and 170 pounds.

Oliver: "G is not a large man, he was back then, but not now."

Local 6: "You seem like you are defensive of his appearance."

Oliver:  "It's not his appearance it is the information and the accuracy of everything that we have heard from the very beginning characterizing him as white, his size his weight."

DOWN THE MEMORY HOLE:

The Times, March 16 2012:

“Everybody is outraged,” said Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father. “There is no justice in this. The public is outraged because my son only had snacks in his pocket, no weapon whatsoever, not even a fingernail file. For him to be murdered by someone who weighs more than 100 pounds than him, more than 10 years older than him, this is an outrage.”

I actually think the media just rode the horse that the father saddled up. That's my guess, anyway.

The Atlantic has been a key source throughout this story; here is Andrew Cohen, Mar 21:

My colleagues James Fallows and Ta-Nehisi Coates have written extensively about the senseless killing of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black 17-year-old, who was shot to death last month in a Florida neighborhood by its "watch captain." Martin, who weighed 100 pounds less than the older man who killed him, was walking home alone in the rain from a convenience store with a bag of Skittles and an iced tea. Please keep reading Jim and Ta-Nehisi for their insights into this story.

And here is Ta Nehesi Coates, who I have found to be admirably sensible and restrained, wondering on March 30 what, if anything, the prying into Trayvon Martin's life would reveal:

How does any of this help us understand his killing at the hands of by George Zimmerman?

It does not--unless you believe that the fact that Martin once gave a middle finger to a camera somehow proves that he is the sort of person who would saunter up to a man who outweighs by nearly 100 pounds, summon the powers of Thor, deck the man with one-shot, and stove him against concrete. We do not draw such conclusions from most teenagers, or even most people.

The Village Voice, Mar 26:

There has been some dispute about what preceded the killing: An unnamed witness claims the 140-lb. Martin physically attacked the 240-lb. Zimmerman; no one knows for sure whether this happened before or after Martin saw the stranger coming at him with a gun.

The Philly Post, Mar 20:

A Racist Criminal Killed Trayvon Martin

On the evening of February 26th, in Sanford, Florida, 20 miles north of Orlando, three witnesses said they heard the 140-pound, 17-year-old Trayvon cry for help and then heard a sequence of sounds that contradict what 240-pound, 28-year-old George Zimmerman says happened.

ABC News, Mar 18:

Witnesses told ABC News a fistfight broke out and, at one point, Zimmerman, who outweighed Martin by more than 100 pounds, was on the ground and that Martin was on top.

Here is CBS News on March 30, from a story titled "Trayvon Martin shooting: What do we know?", with a lower bid:

How do Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman compare in terms of body size?

There is some inconsistency in reports of Martin and Zimmerman's height and weight. In the original police report, Martin is described as being 6' tall and weighing 160 pounds. But his family told CBS News that he was 6' 2" and between 140-150 pounds. Zimmerman is described in the police report as standing 5' 9" tall, with no weight listed. In a 2005 police report, Zimmerman's ex-fiance describes him as 5' 7" and according to the Miami Herald he weighs about 200 pounds.

A quick glance through the Times archives leaves me thinking that, aside from that fateful quote from Mar 16, they ducked the weight question.  Well, they need to take a stand now.

I DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION!  Also in the Times:

Here is what Robert Zimmerman said is his son’s explanation: Trayvon was on top, punching and slamming his head into the paved sidewalk. When nobody answered his calls for help, he tried to slide onto the grass. But in doing so, the holstered gun in his waistband became visible.

“It is a little bit cloudy,” the father said. “But George believes Trayvon saw the pistol, was going to get it, and said: ‘You are going to die tonight.’ Shortly after that, George drew the pistol and shot him.”

The police have said that this account, at least in its broadest outlines, is backed up by witnesses, most of whom have not spoken publicly.

The idea that witnesses can support the unpopular Zimmerman and shield their identity from the Tweeting mob is un-American, right?

That said, blindly trusting authority is not American either.  Hence, our representative democracy, complete with multiple ongoing investigations.

THE DIORAMA IS NOT THE TERRITORY:  The NY Times presents a very cool interactive multi-page 3D rendition of the Retreat at Twin Lakes.

It tells essentially the same story as this now-lame GoogleMaps aerial view I posted last week.  We agree on the spot of the fatal shooting and Trayvon Martin's final destination (props to Team JOM and and a 'danke' to holger danske).  The Times marks the mailboxes (mentioned in the 911 call) as next to the clubhouse, as we had inferred.  Thay also have found the 7-Eleven on 1125 Rinehart Rd.

The Times adds Zimmerman's house, which raises a new question about his driving route to the Target for groceries.  His most direct route to the main entrance seems to have him overtaking Martin from behind.  Which suggests what?  That he followed along slowly behind him?

A more circuitous route has Zimmerman up Twin Trees Lane, so Martin would have crossed his path from in front.  One wonders which direction his car was parked when it was finally recovered.  This is one more thing to puzzle over about Zimmerman's story.

Per Google Maps the Target is about 1.2 miles away, in the same direction as the 7-Eleven, so leaving by the main gate makes sense.

One is left wondering about street lights and the more variable back porch lights.  Sunset was at 6:23 PM and we were a few days from a half moon on a rainy night; witnesses agree it was dark by 7 PM, but a reporter walking the area might find areas of darkness and illumination.  And we are always looking for illumination.

WHO FANNED THE FLAMES?  Cut back to the Times quote from March 16 and view it from the perspective of Mr. Martin:

“Everybody is outraged,” said Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father. “There is no justice in this. The public is outraged because my son only had snacks in his pocket, no weapon whatsoever, not even a fingernail file. For him to be murdered by someone who weighs more than 100 pounds than him, more than 10 years older than him, this is an outrage.”

His son is dead, his family is distraught, to him the police story of self-defense reeks of BS, and why not - that 100 pound differential suggests a level of aggressiveness that he might have correctly believed Trayvon did not possess.

But my question is, where did he get the idea of that weight differential?  I don't think he was pounding ourt searches on Google.  I doubt the police interviewers passed that on.

But - PURE SPECULATION ALERT - Ben Crump and his team surely have all sorts of resources, possibly including access to Florida's DMV driver's licenses.  Maybe in the course of researching George Zimmerman they learned from an old license that he weighed 220, or 240, or thereabouts (IIRC Zimmerman has slimmed down from a few years back).  [Zimmerman friend Joe Oliver says the weight came from a 2005 arrest report, which takes that speculation south.]

They pass the bad intel to dad, which winds him up; he passes it to the country, which winds us up; and now here we are.  A little bit more PR effort earlier by the Sanford cops, or bit of reporting at any time by our Big Media, would have been welcome. Instead, a bunch of reporters imagining themselves as Freedom Riders battling Bull Connor have brought us to the point that even the Times seems to be worried that they have gone too far.

 

Comments

[matt]

the investigative police reports, statements, and forensics will have answered almost all of these questions.

[Strawman Cometh]

GMAX,
Does BEA calculate their own inflation and deflater numbers, or do they get those from another agency?

[narciso]

THat's a good question, oh the last link on the Wiki, is truly cringeworthy;

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/20/AR2007052001407_2.html?hpid=topnews

[matt]

Keith Olbermann is questioning the ethics of Al Gore.

I'm shocked! Shocked, I say!

[Sue]

I heard on ABC News radio that it is been determined Trayvon is the person heard yelling for help on the tape. Anyone hear that somewhere other than the 'news' service that gave us 3 days in the morgue?

[Rob Crawford]

My guess is he had to be fairly close to Trayvon to hit him in the chest.

Chest is the default target for self-defense shooters. It's near the center of mass, has lots of vitals, and is a fairly large target. I have no idea how much training or practice Zimmerman had, or what Florida's requirements are, but my CCW class ended with us all "qualifying" with chest shots at 10 yards.

This is a confused situation, and poster podesta has a point when he indicates that some folks here ar all focused on the exculpatory evidence to the exclusion of everything else.

There is no evidence that contradicts Zimmerman's statement, so it's all exculpatory. The "evidence" that isn't are flights of fancy and bigotry, unsupported by the facts as we know them.

[Rob Crawford]

I heard on ABC News radio that it is been determined Trayvon is the person heard yelling for help on the tape. Anyone hear that somewhere other than the 'news' service that gave us 3 days in the morgue?

It was "determined" apparently by hired gun "experts" who learned all they needed about the case from Mother Jones. Oh, and they didn't have a sample of St. Trayvon's voice, so their conclusion is based entirely on their software only having a 48% confidence that the heavily compressed and distorted recording was Zimmerman.

[narciso]

If they were struggling, it was likely extremely close range, there are just gaps all around in this story,

[Sue]

Rob,

If anyone gets their news from ABC, then it is definitely Trayvon heard crying for help.

[Rob Crawford]

matt:
the investigative police reports, statements, and forensics will have answered almost all of these questions.

Yeah, but they don't give the right answer, so they can't be right.

[fdcol63]

This whole brouhaha is based on the assumption by the race-baiters that the SPD and the county prosecutor erred - either through negligence or willful complicity - in the initial investigation and determination of self-defense on the part of Zimmerman.

[Cecil Turner]

If so, he might be able to get away (meaning he might not hav the legal right to shoot).

Even if he were able to get away (from the obviously much faster Martin), it wouldn't affect his legal right to shoot in Florida:

(3) A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

[interested]

fdcol63-

Treyvon's father was notified the morning following the shooting.

Back at the Retreat at Twin Lakes, Tracy Martin and Brandy Green returned to her town house around 10:30 p.m. to find her son, but not his. Trayvon had gone to the store, Chad explained.

The adults did not panic. Trayvon was 17, after all. Maybe he had gone to visit a cousin in nearby Oviedo, or maybe he had met a girl along the way, and was chatting her up. Mr. Martin called Trayvon’s cellphone, but it went straight to voice mail. Then he called the cousin, who did not answer, but he expected the young man to call back. They went to sleep.

Early next morning, no sign of Trayvon, still. Mr. Martin called his son’s cellphone, which again went to voice mail. He then repeatedly called the cousin until he answered, only to share the distressing news that he had not seen Trayvon.

Now it was Mr. Martin calling 911. He reported that his son was missing, and then described what his son was wearing. Soon he was outside, meeting a couple of responding police officers. One of them took out a photograph of a dead body from a folder.

[GMAX]

Salena Zito in the Pittsburgh paper gives us this nugget that I had not caught (PHEW Polling being one of my least favorite pollsters ) but this seems extraordinary:

Voter turnout also may not favor Democrats: Recent Pew Research polling shows young voters now self-identify as Republican "+11," compared to "+32" for Democrats in 2008 -- so a high 2012 turnout on college campuses might not benefit the president as it did then.

[Clarice]

Victor Davis Hanson at PJMedia:

:1. If Trayvon Martin had been white, or George Zimmerman had been black, or had both been black or both white, there would have been no outrage: 94% of murdered blacks are killed by other blacks, to almost no national outcry. Just this past Friday in Florida, fourteen were gunned down (two killed) to silence (at a funeral parlor, no less), as the protestors of the single Martin fatality went ahead with further demonstrations.

Whites are far more likely to be murdered by blacks than vice versa, despite the latter comprising only 11-12% of the population — again to no national outcry. The distinction in this case was that Martin was black. Zimmerman was not. The rule in America is apparently that only rare white on black crime — not far more common black on black, or black on white, or white on white — is symbolic of larger pathologies, both past and present. In earlier decades of American history, the reverse was more likely true: black on white crime aroused public furor in a way white on white or black on black or white on black crime did not. That fact in time was accepted as clearly symptomatic of racial bias, but the inverse of that today is said not to be.

[Captain Hate]

Still banging this trollbait story to the exclusion of all more newsworthy topics? Tabloid blogging? Ok to stay on topic, FNS continued the MFM meme of showing the outdated photo of the youthful Saint Trayvon. Keep thinking Ailes is any different from the rest of the MFM and clowns like Shemp, Jerry Rivers and the Skeletor are just outlying points.

HB Mrs Iggy.

[narciso]

Grimm doesn't seem to understand this basic point;

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/31/2724962/how-a-small-town-mismanaged-a.html

My Adrian Monk hat still makes me wonder how
why the sister didn't contact her father, when
this happened, how about when he got home, neighbors must have told him what happened?

[Jack is Back!]

Since we're all CSI now, what do you all think of this take on the O.J. Simpson killings?

[narciso]

Well I linked Lynch's silliness earlier, Oh interesting from Richardson wiki, he's on the board of the nonpartisan center on civility at the U of Arizona, which 'unexpectedly' has
not produced press releases on Bill Maher and co,

[FRONT TOWARD LEFT]

The most useful result of this mess is that it has given idiots the golden opportunity to out themselves to the world by donning hoodies in solidarity with Saint Trayvon.

In the immortal words of the king of the idiots, "Don't think we're not keeping score, brother."

[Ignatz]

On Mrs. Ignatz's behalf I thank everyone for the birthday wishes.

On my own behalf I think I'll go do anything other than read another comment beginning with a detailed analysis of the cops' utter incompetence in this incident, said incompetence being measured by how inconsiderate it has been of the cops to not release to the writer all of their evidence and reports and a list of witnesses complete with address and phone numbers, followed by a line of sequential bullet points which are the product of some idle air-headed speculation about what "must have" or "most likely" happened.

It's idiots like this and their insatiable junior G man curiosity that explain why I can't watch television anymore because it's chock full of Sam Waterstons nasally droning endlessly on in their latest sermon, pencil neck David Carusos ominously whipping their sunglasses on and off and Mariska Hargitays solemnly poking some supposedly ashen faced, dead 10 year old actor who is quite obviously blinking and grinning because it tickles.

[Sue]

Jack,

Is Jason the son that was collapsing in grief when OJ was on his slow chase through LA? If so, I wondered at the time if the son did it and the father was covering. I don't now, but did for a short period of time when I wanted OJ to be innocent.

[Extraneus]

Florida woman, 93, reaches end of the road after 576,000 miles in her 1964 Mercury

She purchased the car in ... Sanford, Florida.

Coincidence?

[GMAX]

Straw

Its BEA's own "analysis" you can google around and see what non govt economists think of it.

[narciso]

So what will the SCAF do, in response to Shater's recent moves, will they go 'Algerian'
or agree with this latest strategem

[Clarice]

By coincidence I'm sure the WaPo also starts moving its thumb from the scale:

"WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When he was shot, Trayvon Martin was not the baby-faced boy in the photo that has been on front pages across the country. And George Zimmerman wasn’t the beefy-looking figure in the widely published mugshot.

Both photos are a few years old and no longer entirely accurate. Yet they may have helped shape initial public perceptions of the deadly shooting.

1715
Comments
Weigh InCorrections?


Personal Post
Video

In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post's Sari Horwitz, Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, details what the detectives told him about George Zimmerman's account of his son's fatal shooting.
Video

Trayvon Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, speak with The Washington Post's Sari Horwitz about how they first heard of their son's death, news of Trayvon's troubles at school and their reaction to Rep. Bobby Rush's (D-Ill.) speech on the House floor today.

“When you have such a lopsided visual comparison, it just stands to reason that people would rush to judgment,” said Kenny Irby, who teaches visual journalism at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank in St. Petersburg, Fla."

[myiq2xu]

I love the theory that Trayvon was screaming for help because Zimmerman was pointing a gun at him, then when nobody came to his rescue he lunged after the weapon in self defense.

Assuming those facts were true, Z is still pointing the gun in self defense and fires when T lunges for the weapon.

[narciso]

About those sanctions, 'those words you are using'

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/04/02/china-dont-worry-well-take-that-iranian-oil/

[narciso]

Treacher is quite pithy isn't he;

http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/02/one-month-later-rush-limbaugh-still-has-a-job-and-keith-olbermann-doesnt/

[Melinda Romanoff]

Ig-

How dare you denigrate the Sunglasses of Justice!

[fdcol63]

The MSM knows full well the impact that "lopsided visuals" make. And they know full well the impact that "subtle" and subliminal messages make, as well.

They do this on purpose ..... to advance THEIR agenda, not the truth.

[Jane (Where is Jon Corzine?)]

JIB,

That OJ article is interesting. It makes me want to get Jason in jail not OJ out.

[Clarice]

Well, it doesn't seem to be working as well now that there's alternative meeting which might explain why they are slowly walking back the cat. BTW how many NBPP readers vs. middle class white readers do you suppose are subscribers of the NYT and WaPo?

[narciso]

It's interesting that CSI Miami, was the only show that kind of tackled the F&F plot
line,'Sons of Anarchy' went all all moonbat, accusing the cartel to be a CIA front, meanwhile CSI classic, fracked up, on an earlier segment,

[Melinda Romanoff]

narciso-

CSI:Miami, and the Sunglasses of Justice, frequently cover the topical. And Sofia Milos.

And I think I'll leave it at that.

[Strawman Cometh]

Thanks, GMAX.
I queried about BEA here earlier, contrasting the reporting of numbers in Bush's term that were repeatedly revised upward (where up is good) where as from the earliest days in the Zer0 regime, the released numbers ISTM are always later revised downward.
At the time, I was informed (by whom, I don't recall) that the BEA numbers and methods were solid. I have a buddy, a college room-mate, in the BEA. He has made the reverse transformation, he introduced me to Ayn Rand. But after 30 some years as a Fed. Gov employee, he's a yellow dog D.
Any pointed comments I could send his way would be appreciated.

[narciso]

Why leave it at that;

http://www.sofiamilos.com/home.html

[Rob Crawford]

CSI:Miami, and the Sunglasses of Justice, frequently cover the topical.

I suspect the franchise will come to an end when investigations in NY and LV both point to Horatio Caine. Seriously -- CSI: Miami went over-the-board creepy when one of the shows ended on the implication that Caine was about to beat a suspect in the interrogation room.

[Captain Hate]

Treacher is quite pithy isn't he

Thanks for linking that; I haven't had that good of a laugh in quite a while. Who could've foreseen that combining three egomaniacal gasbags would produce such results in a short amount of time?

[narciso]

No, they always point to Ryan Wolfe, they've done enough crossover episodes,

[Clarice]

*alternate MEDIA* (good grief, my hands and eyes are lazy this a.m.)

[Rob Crawford]

Maybe someday they'll investigate "Dr. Grant Seeker" -- best modern scientist name I've ever heard.

[Porchlight]

I remember a couple of years ago reading someone making a plausible case that Jason Simpson was the murderer - I think it was at Patterico. But Occam's Razor says it was OJ - long history of violence against Nicole, bizarre/unbalanced behavior before and after, OJ's vow to find the real killer, etc.

[fdcol63]

Dr. Grant Seeker .... ROFLMAO!

[JeanD]

Sue,

I heard Gretchen Carlson (I think) this a.m. on Fox & Friends reporting that experts had "confirmed" that the screaming was TM, not GZ. So, ABC isn't the only source for this spin.

Hey Fox: Once you give up integrity, the rest is easy.

[fdcol63]

How do you confirm Trayvon's voice without a control sample of Trayvon's voice?

You can't.

[narciso]

DeJa Vu, all over again;

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/04/dubious-donations-2012-edition.php

[Melinda Romanoff]

RC-

That's a really good one.

[Captain Hate]

No, they always point to Ryan Wolfe

Poor Wolfe; he never gets the girl, exposed with a gambling problem and who knows what he'll be blamed for in the next episode....

If anybody commits an unforgivable crime, it's Caruso's over-acting.

[Jane (Where is Jon Corzine?)]

Is Trayvon a screamer?

If he was on top why not just run away instead of stay there and scream. Apparently the voice went on for a while.

Am I alone in thinking the whole thing has gotten a bit boring?

[Rick Ballard]

fdcol63,

The rap against the SPD has as much validity as the narrative concerning the size of the "boy" (wonder how St. Trayvon[pat pend] would have reacted to the designation). The response time was good, the responding officers followed procedure, GZ was removed from the scene (in cuffs) expeditiously, multiple witness statements were taken and the SPD investigator wanted a charge laid. The DA responsible is not part of the SPD and he rejected the investigator's recommendation and refused to charge. The SPD then released GZ, having no reason to hold him. They also suspended active investigation (assigning additional investigators or dedicating other resources to a further investigation), based upon the DA's decision. Were they supposed to expend resources as a defiant gesture of futility?

[Jack is Back!]

Not just F&F and ABC News but every radio and TV station between Jax and Orlando are making the same assumptions regarding the forensic voice indentification. Even WOKV the conservative radio in JAX - hosts Boortz, Rush, Hannity et. al. But have no interest in questioning the technique being used and the results. Its a given in the lazy, hazy ways of the mass media.

[Captain Hate]

Am I alone in thinking the whole thing has gotten a bit boring?

No, I've been trying to shame TM into posting some different topics for days; although since he ran BF I should probably be more supportive other than the other vermin this subject has attracted.

[Stephanie]

Why do they call it a Tebow instead of a Caruso?

[Captain Hate]

More people like Tebow, Stephanie.

[Danube of Thought]

ABC News:

ABC News has re-digitized video of George Zimmerman taken shortly after Trayvon Martin's shooting. The video was unveiled as an exclusive this morning on "Good Morning America." ABC was the first news organization to show the original tape. Reporter Matt Gutman said the clearer video shows "what appear to be a pair of gashes or welts on George Zimmerman's head."

[pagar]

The true reason behind all the indignation over one killing out of many:

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/04/01/Obamas-Alinsky-Strategy-Whos-Next

[Porchlight]

Am I alone in thinking the whole thing has gotten a bit boring?

Perhaps, but the thing is, if we give up and let the established MSM narrative take over, they win. The only reason anyone in the MSM is walking anything back (to the extent that they are) is because so many people like our host are talking about this and examining evidence.

[Stephanie]

ISTM that the narrative of the TM/GZ incident falling apart doesn't distract the MSM from its work for 'social justice.'

Wouldn't a narrative for social justice be more 'authentic' when it is reported that the authorities have denied your claims... again? OMG the whole chain of justice is against us!!!!

They really don't want GZ arrested and tried. They just want TM as an image to rally for 'social justice.'

Seems like a win/win as far as stirring up the racial and underclass/poor sentiments.

[Stephanie]

Possible incoming attack by the moron herd. Ace has linked this thread.

[henry]

Stephanie, they stir up the other side as well. That may doom them. This article suggests the constant social justice beat is pushing things the other way -- at least in WI. Here it is the unions, plus minorities screwed by voter ID, plus our own castle doctrine shooting.

[Jack is Back!]

Pagar,

5. Demonize oil companies while gas prices are at near record highs.

6. Corporate jets.

7. The 1% need to pay more taxes - class warfare.

8. Koch Brothers - the war against private citizens.

I could go on but my head hurts thinking about it.

[Darren]

The other issue that supports a struggle for the handgun is that there was one round fired and a full magazine. I have not read for myself a report that the fired casing was still in the chamber, but if it was it means the slide did not properly cycle to eject the empty and strip a new round from the magazine into the chamber. A failure to feed (FTF) can happen for a variety of reasons, but a FTE (failure to eject) suggests that there were hands on the slide when it was fired. If the casing was still in the chamber, it supports Zimmerman's wrestling for the gun story.

[Guy Manningham]

This has turned into a circus, with Obama, Sharpton, Jackson and others promoting it as such. It's disturbing that the majority of Americans have jumped on the race card bandwagon and believe everything the liberal media tells them without doing their own research or letting the courts do their job.

[Jim Ryan]

Are we at the point that by objective measurement of post volume, TM finds the Zimmerman case more interesting than the Wilson-Plame Affair? I wasn't around here in those days, but I do know it was big, big, big here. Anybody?

[Stephanie]

True, Henry as evidenced here. But when you are force to make noises to keep your base stirred up....

Houston Sanford, we have a problem.

Besides, Stirring up the 'social justice' crowd results in the swings toward their side; because, they agitate and demand action. We just slow boil and take it out at the ballot box or are too busy to 'squeak.' We are learning but slowly.

[Jane (Where is Jon Corzine?)]

It's all a diversion.

WE should be talking about what the WH wants to divert us from.

Porch,

The MSM sucks but there still is absolutely no evidence.

[jwest]

I don’t think anything could compare to the heady days of Plame. JOM was in all its glory being the go-to place for accurate information and analysis.

[matt]

So the whole Nicky Haley tax fraud story was a fabrication? LUN

Has this country sunk so low that the mainstream press says nothing at all when Leftists resort to such lies time and again?

Pelosi creates a brouhaha that plays right to the Left's feminist base and the muddle with the phony Fluke scandal.

The Trayvon Martin case is a hopelessly out of control media circus.

What next for the Dems? When will the scales fall from the eyes of those who have been deceived?

[Threadkiller]

This is a Hell of a claim:

" In the course of the phone conversation with Hillary delegates, she recalled, Bill Clinton spoke of Obama as “the non-citizen.”

“In the world we were in, with [Hillary's] super-delegates and delegates, it just was, ‘He’s not legit –that’s the end of it, period, end of story.’ It wasn’t up for discussion,” Viviano said.

Michele Thomas, a Hillary campaigner from Los Angeles, confirmed to WND that she learned from “many people who were close to Hillary” that Obama “was not eligible to be president.”

Thomas led a nationwide petition drive among delegates to force a vote on Hillary’s nomination at the convention after then-DNC Chairman Howard Dean announced her name would not be put into nomination and Obama would be declared the winner by unanimous acclamation.

Viviano said that it was understood that Bill Clinton would eventually go public with his contention that Obama was ineligible for the presidency.

“He, I believe, was frothing at the mouth to tell the truth about Obama,” she said.

In the meantime, she recalled, the former president would make ironic references in public in which he “teetered” on revealing he position.

“He would go on camera,” Viviano said, “and jokingly make comments about, you know, ‘Is Obama qualified to be president?Well, if he’s 35 and a wink, wink, United States citizen, I guess he’s qualified.’”

She claimed, however, that Bill Clinton’s intention to unequivocally state to the public that Obama was ineligible was stopped in its tracks by the murder of a close friend of the Clintons, Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney, just two weeks before the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Gwatney was killed Aug. 13, 2008, when a 50-year-old man entered Democratic Party headquarters in Little Rock and shot him three times. Police killed the murderer after a chase, and investigators found no motive.

The Clintons said in a statement that they were “stunned and shaken” by the killing of their “cherished friend and confidante.”

Viviano said a campaign staffer who was close to Hillary, whose name she requested be withheld for security reasons, told her Gwatney’s murder was a message to Bill Clinton.

“I was told by this person that that was ‘Shut up, Bill, or you’re next,’” she said.

The campaign adviser, according to Viviano, said that despite the intimidation and threats, Bill Clinton was prepared to speak out about Obama’s eligibility

“And then,” Viviano said, paraphrasing the staffer, “they went in and said, ‘OK, it’s your daughter, now, we’ll go after.’

“And then Bill never said anything.”

Others in the campaign who believe Gwatney’s murder was a message to the Clintons think it had to do with the fact that Gwatney was resisting an effort by the Obama campaign and the party to intimidate Hillary delegates into voting for Obama.

But Viviano argues that California delegates also were rebelling, and she says her source told her the same story two years later."

http://www.wnd.com/2012/04/hollywood-producer-heard-bill-clinton-say-obama-ineligible/

[Sue]

Obama caused this to go national. Most people would have paid no attention if Obama hadn't commented.

[Extraneus]

Well, if my 14-yr-old son is any indication, some of the kids aren't falling for it either. Without any prompting, jr observed that the news reports were showing a pic of a 10-yr-old kid when everyone knows Trayvon was 17.

When I showed him the tatted-up middle-finger pic, he responded: "Figures."

[Ignatz]

In honor of Mrs. Iggy's birthday thought
I'd share this photo from a few years back I scanned a while ago. Not sure what was going on with mama's hair as she looks a bit like a parrot pulled through a hedge backwards but her and baby Ignatz are awfully cute together. This was right before a dance recital hence the Yankee Doodle get up;

[Melinda Romanoff]

TK-

Now that's Chicago.

[Tom Maguire]

Good intel. I put the ABC walkback of the "no injuries", the NBC investigation of "he looks black" and the NY Times 170 elephant in the room in one post. If there's anything I should add, tell me there, thanks.

[Danube of Thought]

she learned from “many people who were close to Hillary” that Obama “was not eligible to be president.”

What they purportedly "learned" is expressed as a conclusion. What facts did they learn that we don't know?

[Extraneus]

Awww. :-)

[xbradtc]

Tom M, a recap of the "qualifications" of Mr. Owens, Audio Expert! would be nice.

[Captain Hate]

Saint Trayvon and birther stuff in one thread. I'm officially in interwebz Hell.

[pagar]

Narcisco@11.25
I would rate the chances of finding a person in the Obama regime donation system that cared whether a donation was legal or not at ZERO.
http://news.yahoo.com/top-obama-campaign-donor-accused-fraud-204442621.html
-------------------------------------------
Meanwhile we have "just a guy in the neighbor of Obama" saying:

Today I’m gonna end capitalism.

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/04/02/obama-pal-bill-ayers-gets-up-every-morning-hoping-to-end-capitalism/

A guy who shows up on the 2011 AERA Div B Curriculum Committee. In short, a guy who determines what any child in public school in America is supposed to learn says he "gets up every morning hoping to end capitalism." and very very few Americans seem to care.

http://tinyurl.com/7hpjert

[Melinda Romanoff]

CH-

Need any recipes?

[jwest]

I don’t know how easy it is to prove, but I was outraged by the MSNBC editing of the ABC footage of Zimmerman arriving at the police station.

For hours, they played the loop of that video with the portion where the cop looks at the back of Zimmerman’s head cut out. Totally intentionally deceptive.

[Threadkiller]

CH, it is a disease. I can't help myself.

Sorry.

[Captain Hate]

Mel, nope nor diet ruminations. I could use a good music discussion though....

[Clarice]

So, it turns out that IG is living with TWO good looking gals..Hmm.

[Captain Hate]

TK, at least your obsessions don't attract trolls; only the wrath of DoT, about which I'm not a stranger.

[Extraneus]

I would rate the chances of finding a person in the Obama regime donation system that cared whether a donation was legal or not at ZERO.

They'd care if Romney was beating them over the heads with it.

[Porchlight]

Look at those smiles, Iggy! Thanks for posting that.

[Porchlight]

They'd care if Romney was beating them over the heads with it.

But that might involve him lighting his hair on fire, so, no dice.

[Melinda Romanoff]

CH-

I got curious where that Mazda ad grabbed that particular version of Bo Diddley's Road Runner and found this little concert gem from 1961.

I bet THAT show was interesting.

[Jack is Back!]

OT: Clinton attacks SCOTUS as being political

Is this another one of those distracting "shoes" to drop. Keep the eye off the economy, the gas prices, the Volt, et. al.??

[Extraneus]

But that might involve him lighting his hair on fire, so, no dice.

Good point.

[Threadkiller]

I love that photo Ig! My youngest could be her twin.

[Captain Hate]

Is this another one of those distracting "shoes" to drop.

No, just more evidence that Clenis can't be trusted

[Danube of Thought]

Viagra has been running one with Howlin' Wolf's Smokestack Lightning as background (without vocal). That's from 1956.

[Jim Ryan]

Any legal eagles think NBC's editing of the tape could get Zimmerman a tidy little settlement $$$? Like Rush just said, Richard Jewel's lawyer could simply dust off his old case file.

[Danube of Thought]

Clinton trashing the Court as "political" just serves as a reminder of what trash he is.

[Captain Hate]

Question of DoT and other lawyers: When a commercial or radio show runs a song sans vocals, does that minimize or eliminate the royalties which are required to be paid?

[Porchlight]

Who was Jewell's lawyer?

Aha, I just looked it up. Lin Wood. Should have known that.

[DebinNC]

Wood specializes in defamation and won mega-bucks for Jewell, Gary Condit, John and Patsy Ramsey, but Herman Cain...nada. Nothing helps a campaign like the lawyer for a candidate running on his Christian bona fides assuring the public that the sexual relationship with a single woman that Cain claimed never happened was "consensual".