Defending Joe Paterno

Paul Mirengoff at Powerline takes up the challenge of defending Joe Paterno.  Yike!

Having glanced through it, I would infer that an unspoken assumption of the Freeh report is that of course Joe Paterno knew what was happening in his football empire. Set against that, the 1998 abuse allegation seems to have been investigated and Sandusky exonerated. Here is Mr. Mirengoff quoting a contributor:

First, with respect to the 1998 incident, the Freeh Report says that several authorities promptly investigated and reviewed the matter, including the Department of Public Welfare, the University Police Department, the State College police, and the local district attorney’s office. Freeh Report at 42-47. A “counselor” named John Seasock issued a report that found “no indication of child abuse.” Freeh Report at 42-46. Mr. Seasock interviewed the alleged victim and determined that “there seems to be no incident which could be termed as sexual abuse, nor did there appear to be any sequential pattern of logic and behavior which is usually consistent with adults who have difficulty with sexual abuse of children.” Freeh Report at 44 (quoting Mr. Seasock’s 1998 evaluation of the alleged victim). The Freeh Report adds that Mr. Seasock “couldn’t find any indication of child abuse.” Freeh Report at 45.

Obviously, that exoneration does not look good in hindsight, but no evidence of a cover-up as of 1998 is presented. As to what Parterno knew and when he knew it:

The Report does not provide any evidence about what Joe Paterno knew about the 1998 allegations against Sandusky. The Report does not provide any evidence about what Mr. Paterno did or said, or what anyone said to Mr. Paterno. Indeed, the Freeh Report suggests that both law enforcement and the University police agreed that nothing improper happened and that the allegations lacked merit. Did anyone tell Joe Paterno about those findings?

Invoking the "Of course he knew" principle allows an easy answer to those questions, but one might have expected more in the way of documentation from the Freeh team.

As to the 2001 incident:

Furthermore, if Mr. Paterno had reported the McQueary information to me (were I, like Schultz, the official in charge of the University Police), I would have told him to keep his mouth shut going forward and let the authorities handle the matter. Otherwise, Mr. Paterno could have tainted the investigation. And, because he was a potential trial witness (to McQueary’s prior consistent statements, see Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(B) and Pennsylvania Rule of Evidence613(c)), any further statements or action by Mr. Paterno could have become cross-examination fodder for the defense. Any further action by Mr.Paterno could only have damaged the integrity of the investigation and any prosecution against Sandusky.

Indeed, Mr. Paterno explained his actions before died by saying that “I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the University procedure was. So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did.” Freeh Report at 77-78. This statement makes perfect sense, and the notion of a football coach supervising a criminal investigation is ridiculous. It is very possible that Curley or Schultz or both told Mr. Paterno to stay out of the matter; in fact, Schultz should have told him as much. But we don’t know because Schultz and Curley are under indictment and not talking, Paterno is dead, and the Freeh Report did not find any information about this issue.

This is a pretty legalistic case. A Joe Paterno with a more assertive attitude and a greater interest in the well-being of the children involved - i.e., the Joe Paterno we thought we knew - would not have let a mere University President tell him to back off and pipe down. The Joe Paterno we thought we knew would have made sure butts were kicked and names were taken, lawyers be damned.

Well - something to think about (or scream about).

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

I'm halfway through a book on the subject called "Game Over" by a couple of reporters. Seems pretty clear that Sandusky's proclivities were very widely known--and discussed (including by players)--throughout Happy Valley from 2001 on.

I doubt that Paterno, were he alive, could be prosecuted for any crime. That's a very different matter from whether he did what we would expect a good man to do.

[peter]

Sorry to go OT so soon, but a lot of people have noticed that in history, the year 1968 was particularly eventful. At the LUN from baseball crank is a new theory about what happened in baseball that year, when only one player batted over .300, Carl Yazstremski.

[Danube of Thought]

Minus 17 at Raz today.

Trails Romney by 5.

[Rick Ballard]

"Trails Romney by 5."

Geez, DoT. You buried the lead. Governor Romney leads by 5 with only 4% undecided. Rasmussen has another piece today explaining why, contrary to Dem hallucinations, 2012 is not at all like 2004.

"The private sector is doing just fine."

"You didn't build that"

"We tried our plan - and it worked."

The President sure has a way with words. I wonder if he misses his Beggin' Strips...

[narciso]

I noticed this review about 'the czar in all but crown' and his own version of Third Section

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444025204577545050152850954.html

[Captain Hate]

"We tried our plan - and it worked."

How much of a portable pharmacy does ValJar need to have injected into his candy ass to get him to say that with a straight face?

[maryrose]

I nay catch a lot of flak for saying this but I continue to believe that Paterno because of his high profile and the fact that he is dead is taking the hit for Sandusky's crimes.McQuerry;the minute he heard noises in the shower should have burst in and said "what the hell is going on here!" Covered the victim with a towel anfd flattened Sandusky

[narciso]

'Wait what, now this does sound like outtakes from 'L&O;

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/07/27/too-good-to-check-disgraced-ex-chief-of-penn-state-now-working-on-national-security/

[Ignatz]

Read this story at the American Spectator about how the new consumer credit agency is forcing subprime minority loans on the banks again and is going even further by threatening the ratings agncies to play along and it will be hard to disagree with Gus's assertion that leftism is a mental illness.

[NK]

I've been a pariah here (Again!) for not condemning Paterno enough, and for condemning the Trustees and NCAA for covering their own backsides and gratuitously dumping on Paterno. But even I think Mirengoff is wrong. TomM and DoT have it right. Freeh is probably right that Paterno suggested to Curley and Schultz that Sandusky should be referred to counseling for 'help' and not referred to the Trustees and the Cops. Paterno was not THAT old in 2001, he was the King of Happy Valley at that point, he knew his suggestion was law. That was a terrible misjudgment. And on top of that, Paterno allowed Sandusky to continue to bring young boys on to football facilities. That was reckless. Based on the KNOWN facts from Freeh, Paterno was no criminal, no coverup artist and certainly no 'enabler' to a pedophile. But he was arrogant and a hypocrite, and he lived to be heartbroken to see the damage that his bad judgment allowed to happen. It's all horrible.

[Ignatz]

--How much of a portable pharmacy does ValJar need to have injected into his candy ass to get him to say that with a straight face?--

Didn't you hear Captain? Barry explained that he meant he was talking about his tax plan which has the same top rates as Clinton's [except it doesn't] and was therefore tried in the nineties.

That justifying a proposal by assuring us he couldn't possibly have meant anything that he has tried so far has worked is a colossal admission against interest never seems to dawn on our scholar in chief.

[iqvoice]

I'm not aware of any players who have come forward with statements that they knew that Sandusky was boinking kids. Can you provide a citation for that?

I googled around and I found statements like these:

"I'm perplexed as to how someone who did so much good could end up being accused of something so bad," Mr. Arrington wrote. "I pray the kids involved in this case are OK. Again as a parent this has created such a dilemma for me. On one side I want Jerry to be innocent because he was a great man to me, but on the other side, as a responsible parent if he did molest or assault those children, then he needs to be responsible for his actions, as we all have to be."

"I love PSU, but I just read the 23-page indictment," former fullback Matt Hahn tweeted. "It was tough to read. If everything in there is true, it's really hard to be Penn State Proud."

That doesn't sound like players who knew he was guilty. Sounds to me like the accusation by McQueery had turned into a rumor that followed Sandusky.

[narciso]

You thought I was kidding about the reduced/chocolate rations, well my fishwrap wasn't

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/27/2915035/few-think-sluggish-us-economy.html

As for the kerfluffle, yesterday in 'Perfidious Albion, one is reminded that Johnson like Hannan, also vouched for Obama,
probably on the recommendations of Harnden and Spilius's dissings of 'She who shall be named'

[Danube of Thought]

You buried the lead

Yeah, I know. I remain wedded to my format.

[NK]

I wouldn't change a thing about the daily DoT-Raz comment format.

[Danube of Thought]

That doesn't sound like players who knew he was guilty

Certainly sounds like those two didn't. All I know is what I read in these guys' book, to the effect that it was common for guys to say "don't drop the soap if you shower with Sandusky."

[narciso]

Csn someone explain this Luigi Vercotti move in Volodya's cabbage patch;

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/bp-ordered-pay-tnk-bp-084459626.html?l=1

[narciso]

Ah yes, but that is totally different, then again, consider the last two fellows who angered him:

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view/20220727poultry_excuse_mayor_radical_imam_ok_but_not_chick-fil-a/

[centralcal]

FLOTUS has arrived in London - "Let's Moooove"

Pants don't seem to want to cooperate.

[centralcal]

Whoa. What in heck took him so long to figure this out?

Breaking News ‏@BreakingNews
CNN chief Jim Walton is quitting, says the news network needs a different leader with a new perspective and plans - @AP

[sailor]

Well, the people I feel terrible about in this whole thing are the football players there now and ones who have signed and are due to come to Penn State in the fall. What in the world do they have to look forward to during the football season, and, really, the next four years? They are in limbo. I know they can leave, but where does THAT leave them?

[jimmyk]

it was common for guys to say "don't drop the soap if you shower with Sandusky."

That doesn't imply pedophilia, just homosexuality, as in prison.

[centralcal]

Apologies - totally wrong thread for above photo!

[Danube of Thought]

Kim Strassel has a great piece on "Four Little Words." Guess what they are.

[Danube of Thought]

That doesn't imply pedophilia, just homosexuality

Well, yeah. But what do you suppose it was based on?

[NK]

CentralCal-- the gentleman in the backround of that photo is I believ,e one Peter Schmeichel. One of the best Goal Keepers-- well-- ever.

[GMax]

You buried the lead. Governor Romney leads by 5 with only 4% undecided.

Not to mention the MOE is what, 3% I think for RAS with a 1500 LV sample. Its well outside the MOE.

What I am curious about, is whether Scott Rasmussen has finally screwed up his courage and reweighted the sample to what he is finding. He got intimidated by the sawed off runt who now works for the NYT and backed off his methodology when criticized awhile back.

The significance, BTW, is if this is actual movement and not a reweighting, I think that we the reweighting occurs its another magnitude of CHANGE I CAN BELIEVE IN!

[centralcal]

Cool NK. (and, his pants fit much better.)

[Ignatz]

My last waiting room literary critique was of the abomination known as Vanity Fair, which with the death of Hitchens, had only one redeeming feature which was a readable story on Putin and his imprisoned nemesis Khodorovsky.

Conde Nast Traveler was next and it was worse.

This week I'll focus on a rag with zero redeeming features. I picked up a late model Gentleman's Quarterly and began flipping through the front to find the table of contents. I literally went about halfway through the front of the thing, every page of which was filled with some skinny, androgynous pretty boys who when they weren't pretending to be polo players were usually clinging to some skinny, androgynous pretty girl, flogging some gawdawful men's perfume or clothes Oscar Wilde wouldn't have worn on a bet, without finding the contents, so I started over.
Again I went through the first half of the thing and found not only zero contents but zero content.
It was not until well past halfway that I found the first non-ad page. Of course there was nothing of interest in the contents so I flipped through the rest of it and found a couple of snide lefty articles mixed in with more blindingly awful mad man flackery.
But the rest of the "articles" were picture essays of mostly ugly but well dressed guys associated with GQ with these ghastly, praying mantis women attached at their elbows, at some party thrown by GQ to celebrate itself; something they evidently do every week or so, and other than the ads, the only apparent reason the magazine even exists.
Who the hell buys it other than the GQ guys that go to the GQ parties?

[Jim,MtnViewCA,USA]

There is either no wrong...or no correct...thread for that photo :)

[Ignatz]

Two questions;
1. If Barry loses the election will Michelle lose her four year old pride in America?
2. If she does lose it, will she admit it?

[NK]

Mooseshelle's Giant Butt-- I speak sympathetically as someone who also has a big butt. It came in handy playing center D-3 football, but as a middle age man in sport gear?-- not so good. When I do posed pre-game photos with 17-18 yo soccer teams, I know I would like to hide the cabbose as much as possible for the photo, because we're standing next to 150-170lbs kids-- so a fat old guy in ref's gear is just not a good visual. Which brings me to Mooseshelle- in that photo she's with a 40something retired world class athlete, why would she allow photos like that to get out. Doesn't she have people who say 'don't go there' instead do only a waist-up shot with Schmeichel with both of you holding the ball? Moose kicking the ball photo?-- just not good.

[Some guy]

I've started through the Freeh report, and I am little surprised how much evidence *isn't* there regarding Paterno so far. Conjecture and innuendo yes, but actual evidence? Not so far. Maybe more will come later.

Separately, I think some people are being a little naive about how very large institutions, and particularly Universities, think (or fail to) and act (or fail to) in the real world. NOT that it justifies how they behave, it is just that it is too predictable. They seemed to be treating Sandusky like they would a tenured professor with alcohol or drug problems. Like it was a disease that needed treatment, and that he had to be handled 'humanely'.

So far the one person that kind of jumps out is the head of the campus police, he comes across as more of university flack than someone charged with protecting the university community. I wouldn't be in the least bit shocked if it came out that he had covered up sexual assaults by players at some point or another.

[AliceH]

Posted by: Ignatz | July 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM

That was quite a vivid picture you evoked. For the Drs' waiting rooms I'm frequenting of late, the selections are less fashion-oriented (Good Housekeeping, Southern Living) but equally ad-heavy. This is why I bought a kindle.

[Soylent Red]

Who the hell buys it other than the GQ guys that go to the GQ parties?

GQ and Esquire have become magazines for urban gay men, hipster ironic douchebag types and mopey art-school scene makers. IOW, 33% of Obama's base.

There seems to be a fashion trend toward all men looking like 13-year old boys. The living embodiment of "chestless men."

Walk down a downtown street in Pittsburgh or Raleigh or Tulsa and see how many real executives look and dress that way, much less think and mince around that way.

[GMax]

BTW, I just read the July newletter which had a blast to friends and family of Blackfoot Troop of the 3/89 Cav 10th Mountain Div. A portion the letter was from 2Lt TMax or Blue 1 ( his call sign). He has assumed command of his platoon and they seem to think a deployment to the war zone is coming up in the foreseeable future.

[Captain Hate]

Well, the people I feel terrible about in this whole thing are the football players there now and ones who have signed and are due to come to Penn State in the fall. What in the world do they have to look forward to during the football season, and, really, the next four years?

Playing football for the same head coach they signed up to play for, if they're incoming freshman. They won't get to play post-season ball but neither will a lot of other players for other programs. If they have aspirations to go to the NFL, they'll still get a chance to display their skills. If they want to play elsewhere, the NCAA has facilitated their ability to do so.

If this is the worst thing they'll ever endure they'll have lived a charmed life.

[Rick Ballard]

"is whether Scott Rasmussen has finally screwed up his courage and reweighted the sample to what he is finding."

GMax,

Very doubtful. I believe we're seeing the fruit of the President's month long campaign establishing Governor Romney as having been a very competent and successful businessman coupled with the President's adoption of the stunningly brilliant linguistic approach championed by Lakoff of Berkeley.

The President has managed to draw a very sharp line between success and failure while assuring the electorate "We tried our plan - and it worked." I had some reservations regarding the electorate's ability to distinguish between flavors of oligarchs but I'm now convinced of the President's ability to clearly distinguish differing aspects. He has provided the electorate with a very clear choice and it is responding very favorably to his efforts.

[matt]

I love the way the Leftist press is going after Romney today. I understand the UK press trying to protect their own, but calling Romney's statement a gaffe is well off base.

As the president of the Olympics immediately following 9/11 and the assassination of Ahmed Shah Massoud by a suicide bomber posing as a TV cameraman, I'm sure he was all over the security aspects of his Games. A lot of TV cameramen are animals anyway and there are hundreds if not thousands of them at a Games.

That the security company, G4S fell down badly on the job was all over the press 2 weeks ago.Britain has a high concentration of radicalized mosques than perhaps any country in the West. There are regular stories of plots foiled and suspects arrested in the British press.

And Romney,when asked by a reporter, gives an honest answer.Gee, what a concept.

Even better was nancy boy and rumored performance enhancing substance abuser Carl Lewis' response. If Carl Lewis has become a spokeshole for the Obama campaign they are in very deep doo doo.

[Danube of Thought]

WAA Ohio poll: Obama 48, Romney 40.

DOOM.

[Danube of Thought]

Forty years ago I was an Esquire subscriber. For the past 20+ years I wouldn't touch that thing with a ten-foot pole.

[Jane - Get off the couch your country needs you!]

More doom:

Amy just told me that all her good friends (all professional straight people) and her parents all love Obama and will vote for him. For her family it was the ability to get insured for a pre-existing condition which was uninsurable until 2009, and for her friends (some lawyers) it's because the real estate market is booming and thus they have lots of business.

So how do I defend against that?

[daddy]

Morning Jane,

"So how do I defend against that?" Here's a start.

I'm guessing your Mayor also has no problem with 9 year old girls getting married:

Radical imam OK (for Boston Mayor) but not Chick-fil-A

[centralcal]

...all love Obama...

Well, there you go. There is no amount of reason to overcome that.

[NK]

Matt-- everything you say is true, for instance despite London 2012 'security' last week a muslim punk teenager mugged the torchbearer running throught the streets and pulled the torch away-- his personal jihad I guess.... BUT, this was an embarassing minor gaffe by Romney. he's part of the Olympic 'movement' he's a guest, and he's trying to distinguish himself from AMATEUR 'Bam-- so being mildly critical was a mistake from HIS POV. He was right to walk it back quickly and make nice to the London organizers.

[Ignatz]

--so being mildly critical was a mistake from HIS POV. He was right to walk it back quickly and make nice to the London organizers--

Concur. The world is presently suffering a serious shortage of mealy mouthed pols who ask the elites to please beg their pardon if they accidentally offend them and give them the vapors by allowing reality to intrude, if only for a moment.
More Chamberlain, less Churchill.

[Captain Hate]

So how do I defend against that?

Tell them there's more to life than getting on a health insurance plan with a pre-existing condition when the underlying care is more expensive and of lesser quality and quantity. And that a regional real estate bubble masks the underlying poor health of the economy in almost every other sector except bankruptcy attorneys.

[Jane - Get off the couch your country needs you!]

There is no amount of reason to overcome that.

I was absolutely and completely shocked.

Daddy, I already have that in my notes for next week.

[Ignatz]

--So how do I defend against that?--

Well since they're obviously mentally incompetent and beyond redemption you can either slash their tires on election day or make sure enough sane people vote to cancel these repulsive leeches out.

[sailor]

Jane, I wasn't aware that the "real estate market is booming." Just where is that happening?

[Jim,MtnViewCA,USA]

"How do I defend..."
There are going to be plenty of people, millions, who vote for Obama. Nothing you can do about that. And some will vote out of self-interest and a monthl gov't check.
This doesn't have examples that grip people's imagination, but once you find some people who can flesh out the stats, the Raz report seems compelling. Most people think we are circling the drain. Yet the entire Dem plan is to line the pockets of supporters using OPM.
"In the summer of 2009, 58 percent thought the economy would be stronger within five years. By the summer of 2010, only 50 percent had such long-term optimism. By last summer, just 46 percent were that upbeat. And now only 40 percent think the economy will be stronger in five years.

That's a pretty depressing trend.

It's especially depressing when you realize that every single night during those four years, a majority of Americans believed the country was in a recession.

Think about that for a moment. Regardless of what the economists say, most Americans believe we are in a recession and have been for more than four years. Despite that dismal starting point, just 40 percent think things will get better in five years.

This suggests that underlying perceptions of the economy have taken a darker turn. Back in 2009, most Americans thought the country was experiencing a normal business-cycle recession. It was harsher than most but expected to be a short-term matter. Throughout 2009, a plurality of Americans thought the economy would be better within a year.

Now, a plurality believes it will get worse over the next year, and many Americans are wondering if our nation will ever make it back. Only 14 percent now believe today's children will be better off than their parents. That's an all-time low."

[NK]

Defend against that? you can't --their minds are made up.... BUT, you can educate them that because of Obamacare and Obamanomics the country is going bankrupt, and the country will be broke before they can collect on any of those bogus promises the Dems made. Refer them to Greek sovereign bondholders or Spanish pensioners who'll never get paid. These are Mary Poppins "pie crust" promises-- easily made, easily broken.

[NK]

Some Guy-- the Freeh Report? read it as closely as you like, you won't find any more 'facts'. Freeh is big on inferences (which he's probably right about BTW) and short on facts. IMO, Freeh was hired to set up a Sargeant Schultz defense for the Trustees-- WE KNEW NOTHINK!

[Dave (in MA)]

OT (as usual):

Sitcom actor Sherman Hemsley died this week. I wonder if he said "I'm coming, Weezy" on his deathbed.

[Jane - Get off the couch your country needs you!]

Well since they're obviously mentally incompetent and beyond redemption

The problem is they are not. And they are all persuadable, and have been persuaded by personal experience. For the retired parents, getting health insurance for a pre-existing condition meant they didn't have to take $140k out of their retirement for a medical bill. For the lawyers, having a bunch more closings than they had in the 2 years before means they can pay their bills.

I have no idea why houses are selling now here, but they certainly are. And these are not houses under water or foreclosures.

So what is the immediate issue a low information voter can be persuaded by?

[Jane - Get off the couch your country needs you!]

NK, the problem is they already collected. Amy kept telling them Obamacare hasn't kicked in, but that's not what the insurer told them. Same with my next door neighbor's grandson who has downs syndrome. His family will be voting for Obama because now he has insurance. Now being today, not 2014.

[Captain Hate]

IMO, Freeh was hired to set up a Sargeant Schultz defense for the Trustees-- WE KNEW NOTHINK!

Do you have any evidence the BoT had any knowledge of what Sandusky was doing? With the decisive way they acted last November it seems to me they'd been kept in the dark throughout all of this and were pissed off when they finally found out about it. This is why I heap so much blame on JoePa, because he was closest to the situation.

If any of the administrators communicated this upward to the trustees, it will come out in the civil cases; if not before as everybody plays CYA. If that turns out to be the case I'll heap as much abuse on them as anybody else; but I don't think that happened.

Time will tell.

[Janet]

...all love Obama...

Well, there you go. There is no amount of reason to overcome that.

From Serenity -
The Operative: Madness?
[Ambles over to the holographic projection of River and Simon escaping through an air vent]
The Operative: Have you looked at this scan carefully, Doctor? At his face? It's love, in point of fact. Something a good deal more dangerous.

[jimmyk]

Jane, I suspect it's hopeless, but it's worth pointing out that if they're getting $140K for nothing (relatively), then millions of others are as well, and they will have to pay for that one way or the other--higher taxes, higher insurance premiums, lower quality care, probably all three.

[Ignatz]

--So what is the immediate issue a low information voter can be persuaded by?--

I don't know that people who benefit from the welfare state can be persuaded. If Amy's family is pleased to shove their medical bill off on their neighbors rather than having kept themselves insured then it's probably going to be very hard to persuade that mindset to vote for personal responsibility.
As far as the lawyers, if these are closings of ordinary homes, rather than foreclosures, I'm not sure why lawyers would be benefiting from that. Out here in CA title companies and real estate firms handle the closings of ordinary residential home sales with essentially zero input from lawyers.

[Danube of Thought]

"Do you have any evidence the BoT had any knowledge of what Sandusky was doing?"

Or any evidence that the BoT attempted to influence Freeh's investigation or his findings in any way? Or that Freeh yielded to such influence?

[jimmyk]

I wonder if he said "I'm coming, Weezy" on his deathbed.

I hope hearing Barry say that George Jefferson didn't build that cleaning business wasn't a contributing factor to his demise.

[Janet]

Must our entire medical system be trashed to fix a specific problem?

Lib ideas & laws muck up every institution they touch...& then when the institution is all mucked up & ruined...they call for a government takeover.

Housing, medical, schools,...
They ruin it & then say they have to take it over because it is ruined. :(

[Ignatz]

--Amy kept telling them Obamacare hasn't kicked in, but that's not what the insurer told them.--

Amy is incorrect. Portions of Barrycare have already begun including some of the pre existing conditions deal and the unlimited liability on the part of insurers. Those two alone are what have provided the lion's share of the 50% increase in our premiums in the last two or three years.

[NK]

1. The BoT paid Freeh;
2. The BoT, in fact didn't know the day to day operations of the football program or even the 'academic' fundraising, because for 30 years JoePa was a cash cow, and like EVERY major university the PSU presidents were first, last and ALWAYS fundraisers. BoTs routinely fail as fiduciaries because they make it their business NOT to know what's going on so long as the money rolls in; and when the SHTF, the BoT hire a sharp guy like Freeh to prove they knew nothing. But IMO 'knowing nothing' is NOT exoneration, it's an indictment of the BoT.

[Bill in AZ sez it's time for Obama/Holder murder trial in Mexico]

Wonder Watt's Up With That?

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/07/27/wuwt-publishing-suspended-major-announcement-coming/

Something’s happened. From now until Sunday July 29th, around Noon PST, WUWT will be suspending publishing. At that time, there will be a major announcement that I’m sure will attract a broad global interest due to its controversial and unprecedented nature.

[Some guy]

DoT,

Re: the book by the two reporters -- Stated with zero knowledge of the book or the authors, but I'd take it with at least a grain of salt or two. Sometimes these books are rushed to print to capitalize on the moment, and often consist of items the reporter's editors would not let them publish in their normal venue because they fell short of standards.

Again, I know nothing regarding this book, but these 'quick to the shelf' books don't have a great track record.

[sailor]

Jane, you might want to tell those dumb friends of Amy's that they will have to pay double or even triple for their health insurance premiums. Of course, if they are on medicare, under ObamaCare, they will not be treated if they are over 65 or so. Death panels and such.

[Clarice]

Wow, can't wait to hear the big announcement. In another one, CHH's head has resigned.

[Danube of Thought]

"The BoT paid Freeh"

Therefore they and he were corrupt and dishonest?

I think it would be more accurate to say that the BoT authorized the expenditure of university funds to pay him and his firm to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.

[Jane - Get off the couch your country needs you!]

Jane, I suspect it's hopeless

But it's not. It's a matter of finding the right argument.

And no sailor these are not dumb people. And triple their payment is not much compared to $140k out of your own pocket.

WE are in big trouble if this sort of stuff makes us speechless. People vote their self-interest.

[Captain Hate]

Oh for God's sake, NK; the trustees get big picture info from which to make large decisions and only ask for details when they determine that more is needed in order to do their job. I've worked for places that have boards that are nothing more than rubber stamps for the execs; in no case would they have taken the decisive actions that the PSU trustees did last November.

[Jane - Get off the couch your country needs you!]

Clarice - got a sneak preview for us?

[peter]

Re: GQ, I read it at the barber shop, and its leftist snark iritates me. And most of the products it pushes do seem targeted to an extremely small segment of the general population, the metrosexual male between 25 and 30, I did used to like to read Esquire, but when Esquire's editorial board fell in love with Obama in 2008, I let my subscription lapse. I do like David Wondrich's column. (He is. or was, not sure, the cocktails editor for Esquire. LUN)

[Carol Herman]

Joe Peterno KNEW! And, he knew it for more than a dozen years! Too bad he thought he owned all the "free" publicity. Heck, Penn State U gave him a "humanitarian" award.

How come you don't know the names of any academic at that place? Did all the moolah ... and "success" go to football?

Happy Valley messed up. And, now "looking away" can be their motto.

Not a very successful one.

As scandals go, don't protect your pedophiles. Don't add lace and incense, either.

[Danube of Thought]

SG, I'm aware of what one can expect from books of this kind. I haven't encountered any sensationalism yet, and it is at least useful in discovering which investigators took the matter seriously and which did not. The details of what Sandusky did to those boys, and how he cultivated them, are simply revolting.

[NK]

"A thorough and impartial investigation." that wasn't done and could not be done. freeh had no subpoena power, the GJ proceedings are secret etc. Freeh 'corrupt and dishonest?' perish the thought!-- but also consider the Source of Funds for the report.

[Captain Hate]

More evidence that Jonathan Chait is one dumb POS http://minx.cc/?post=331366

[Some guy]

How come you don't know the names of any academic at that place?

Michael Mann.

You lose.

[daddy]

A little OT on Voter Fraud.

Our local cop who was discovered last year to be an Illegal Alien from Mexico was discovered to have voted 41 times in State Elections during his stay here, therefore 41 times he committed Voting Felonies.

The State has decided not to prosecute him on any of those, and his entire 24 month Jail sentence for illegally collecting $27,000 in Permanent Fund Dividend checks has been suspended.

His Vote Fraud case is a big topic this morning on Local Talk Radio in a discussion about the unseriousness with which the State deals with Voter Fraud. I cannot find any info on this ex-cop since May of last year, except for this new story up from failed Senate Candidate Joe Miller's Website: State of Alaska Ignores Voter Fraud…Again: Illegal Alien Cop Skates on 41 Felonies

Can't even find out if he is still living in the State or if he has been deported.

The discussion maintains that Vote Fraud happens frequently, but because the State frequently refuses to prosecute over such matters, it never gets officially listed as Voter Fraud, so the proponents of Voter Fraud get away with saying that there are very few cases of Voter Fraud occurring, and that the Right is loony to be Chicken-Littles about the topic because the statistics show it never or rarely occurs. Lesson being that if we don't officially contest it, it never happened, and this guy's 41 Felonious votes not being prosecuted are par for the course.

Anyhow, just thought I'd toss it out there.

And also last night I discovered there is Voter Fraud going on in Hawaii Name That Party.

Bye.

[NK]

CaptH-- we'll find out as the litigation unfolds how 'hands off' the PSU Trustees were. Please read the statutory duties of the PSU Trustees outlined in the Freeh Report, and then consider how likely it was they fulfilled those fiduciary duties when they were taking business pals and politicians and family members to game day luxury suites and hospitality tents.

[matt]

Jane;

RE is coming back because it was a catastrophic low and the economy has recovered somewhat. That we are an ailing economy is not in question.

The preexisting condition mandate and the 26 year old dependent mandate and a lot of other mandates are driving insurance costs through the roof and corporations to jettison coverage onto the backs of their employees.

It is the frog in a pot of hot water syndrome. As the temperature rises the frog doesn't notice until it is too late. By the time people realize the system is crashing they will want to kill the people in charge at that time, not the people who for the past 40 years have put us into this position.

SS is still going to go BK, as is Medicare sooner rather than later. Much of the Obamacare bill was a money grab to try and stave the day of reckoning for Medicare off.

The train wreck on taxes and spending is barely under discussion right now, but is going to build fast come September. The Dems want to push it onto the Republicans and have been proven to lie through their teeth.

This is where Obama is going on his "fairness" agenda.The mob is going to want Obama to "do something" which is where he can become an even more imperial president. If he screws up he will still blame the Republicans and his captive media will back him up.

You can't fix stupid, unfortunately. all we can hope for is that a majority finally find the dems incompetent in their lizard brains.

Elizabeth Warren, "You didn't build that", Holder and F&F, and and perhaps a few other key moments may help drive Romney over the top, but when the Dems are driving the bus, misleading the electorate, and pandering to gays, blacks, and Latinos it is going to be tough.

[(Another) Barbara]

I'd guess, Jane, that Amy's friends and family were Obama supporters last time too, and didn't change their worldview completely because of personal gain. A very high proportion of lawyers are lefty Dems anyway, so their support of Obama doesn't surprise me (although your news that the real estate market is booming there does).

If Amy's relatives changed party or candidate affiliation because they didn't have to pay for something they otherwise would have, then they are hopelessly shortsighted. They are going to be paying for the rest of their lives, in more ways than you could describe to them. I don't imagine it's worth your effort, if they don't already see that themselves.

[narciso]

Rush was pointing out a Amity Schlaes column referred to by Podhoretz, that puts circumstances in perspective, back in 1933-36, GDP was 9% if I heard it right.

[sailor]

Jane, Those friends of Amy's make me so angry--sponges wanting to have other people pay for them. Forget them! They are not worthy to try to convert. People who want to have the government take care of them will never, ever change.

[Captain Hate]

and then consider how likely it was they fulfilled those fiduciary duties when they were taking business pals and politicians and family members to game day luxury suites and hospitality tents.

There's no point in our discussing this further because you regard the above, which is standard activity for trustees of colleges and universities, particularly Division 1, as somehow an abrogation of their responsibilities; which I think is ludicrous.

That's all I'll say; you can have the last word on it if you want.

[Jane - Get off the couch your country needs you!]

September is soon enough Matt. These are persuadable voters but frankly I had no rebuttal when Amy told me except "down the road". Down the road is tough.

None of these people could care less about social issues. They would never vote on those.

The retirees made their own way in a very successful business that they created, and are so generous they offered to pay $30k a month for a distant relative's medication that he couldn't afford after getting permission from their kids for taking it out of their inheritance. They are not looking for something for nothing. But they are also not so stupid that when an insurer says "you are now covered under Obamacare" they will say - "no no, I'd rather take $140k out of my pocket."

The problem I see is the economy is not their problem. So that's not terribly persuasive when you are retired and wealthy. And as Amy said, no one ever changed their vote based on what might happen in decades e.g. "your grandkids will pay for this." The reason has to be compelling and immediate.

[Clarice]

*CNN's president*

[Bill in AZ sez it's time for Obama/Holder murder trial in Mexico]

Re: Watt's Up With That pending announcement: ClimateGate 3.0??

This appeared over at RealScience a couple days ago:
http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/breaking-news-climategate-never-happened/
where this quote was extracted:

agree that often sensationalism in the media is unchecked, unabashed and distasteful, but that’s nothing new and present in both sides. After all, how many articles did we read about “Climategate?” (Which was debunked.)

Down in the comments someone says: "I’d love to have seen Climategate 3.0 appear, just moments after that idiocy was spouted."

Maybe someone was listening.

[sailor]

Jane,They seem to be very, very selfish--not caring about their children and grandchildren having to pay for the mess O has gotten us into--they just want instant gratification. And, even though they are paying for a distant relative who is sick--they took it out of their children's inheritance!! Wow!

[narciso]

Ah Chaitred comes through again, which is hard because Frank Rich had taken over the crazy seat that Michael Wolf had vacated.

[Clarice]

Jane, its a memo from Roadrunner Consultants to Acme Products on some suggested new lines.

[windansea]

re latest Rasmussen poll

In the latest week-long survey results (July 16-22) from Rasmussen’s daily presidential tracking poll, which sampled 3500 likely voters, the gender gap has fallen to five points (48/43) — but it’s only down to two points in today’s three-day rolling average (46/44). Meanwhile, Romney has a 13-point lead among men, 54/41, in today’s result, and a nine-point edge from the previous weeklong results, 50/41. When leaners are included in the three-day rolling average, Romney has a twelve-point lead among men, 55/43 — and a tie among women with Obama at 47/47. Among those women “certain” of their vote, Obama only has a one-point edge, 38/37. Among men certain of their vote, Romney leads by 14, 47/33.

[AliceH]

--And triple their payment is not much compared to $140k out of your own pocket.--

Do they think it is reasonable that the $140K for their medical costs come out of my pocket? I wonder why they didn't have insurance before this condition was diagnosed and costs accrued. I further wonder why a federal mandate to spread their costs to those of us who might not have $140K tucked away for retirement seems like a system worth keeping.

Playing the guilt trip may not actually be effective, but it is fair. Their example inspires me to look into dropping my insurance, so I too can save the money now, and demand discounted pre-existing condition insurance later.

[Captain Hate]

Yes narc, Frank Rich sets the bar at Olympic record heights but I'm sure Marty Peretz will vouch for Chait's ability to confound the experts when it comes to stepping in it.

[Danube of Thought]

"but also consider the Source of Funds for the report."

Why? If the man is honorable, he's going to go where the evidence leads him. I have no reason to think he did not do precisely that, and neither do you. In any case, the source of the funds was Penn State University. Does it appear to you that he therefore hedged his report so as to favor it?

No law firm conducting a private investigation has subpoena power. Nevertheless, they are conducted all the time, and accomplish a great deal.

[Ignatz]

--The problem I see is the economy is not their problem. So that's not terribly persuasive when you are retired and wealthy.--

Jane,
If these people are as smart as you say I would be highly surprised if they are as persuadable as you think. It is understandable for someone like that to take the insurance rather than pay the cost but to then pledge their allegiance to the guy who made it possible for them to pick their neighbor's pockets for that gratuity means they are either clueless or without a moral guide and if they're smart that eliminates clueless.

[Ranger]

Jane,

I think you might start by reminding your friends that access to health insurance is not the same as access to healthcare. Their son may now have insurance, but there will be 350 beurocratic boards and councils that will determin if he is entitled to treatment. If one of those groups decides that the benifits of treating someone with his condition are insufficient to outweigh the costs, they will end up paying for the treatment themselves anyway.

[jimmyk]

WE are in big trouble if this sort of stuff makes us speechless. People vote their self-interest.

I'm not suggesting it does, and gave you a line of argument. But there is roughly 40% of the population that will not be swayed by reason. I presume these are not poor people, so they must know their taxes and insurance premiums will rise, as I said. But to go further, talk about Greece, and say that when countries make $trillions in financial commitments that cannot be sustained, that is the result. Except we will have no one to bail us out. Talk about the fact that historically, countries have gotten out of debt crises with inflation, and ask them how 20-30% inflation over a few years would affect the purchasing power of their retirement savings.

[Jim,MtnViewCA,USA]

"...even though they are paying for a distant relative who is sick--they took it out of their children's inheritance!!"

At a certain point, though, "everyone's doing it". If you get to the tipping point, being a saint is its own reward because you'll be buffeted about the head and shoulders by the society at large (with no hard feelings).
We are definitely part way down this road.
http://gonzalolira.blogspot.com/2010/10/coming-middle-class-anarchy.html