July 25/Web: Spotlight on Conflicts of Interest #MCLE

To contact us Click HERE
This webinar is back by popular demand and will provide tips on how to avoid conflicts of interests and discuss what actions to consider should a conflict of interest arise. The webinar will also include a review of applicable ethics rules.
Title:
Spotlight on Conflicts of Interest
When/Where:
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT
Webinar
Speakers:

• J. Calhoun Watson, Member of Sowell Gray located in Columbia, South Carolina
• Sally Field, Attorney and Legal Professional Liability Leader of Attorney Protective.

Credit:
Approval of CLE credit for this course will be sought in multiple states
Host:
Attorney Protective
More:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/477579993

Mediation Panel Discussion : On-Demand #MCLE

To contact us Click HERE
This two hour panel discussion gives viewers a look at the mediation process from the perspective of three experienced mediators. Topics covered will include pre-mediation matters, such as the amount of discovery, disclosure issues, and the use of briefs; technical matters, such as how much time should be allotted to the mediation and which individuals are indispensable to the mediation; the opening session, including the role of the mediator and that of each party’s individual counsel; what to do if both parties reach an impasse; and mediation evidentiary procedures. The panelists conclude the program with effective negotiation tips, including asking price, alternative settlement options, and what should be done if an agreement is not reached by the conclusion of the mediation. 
Title: 
Mediation Panel Discussion
When/Where:
On-Demand Recording
Credit:
Varies by state
Speakers:

• Gary Laturno is an AV rated attorney, a real estate broker, and a highly sought-after mediator and arbitrator. He has been practicing law for over 25 years and has published numerous articles. He is a frequent lecturer of CLE seminars and has successfully mediated hundreds of cases.
  Harold Coleman, Jr. is an ADR panelist for a number of esteemed ADR organizations in California. He has been practicing law since 1987 and, since that time, has resolved numerous complex litigated and non-litigated disputes through innovative ADR applications of interest-based negotiation, facilitation, mediation, independent fact-finding, early neutral evaluation, and binding arbitration.
  Anthony Deutsch, a mediator since 1998, has had more than 30 years of experience in private practice offering general civil transaction and litigation services.

Sponsor:
Lexvid
More:
http://www.lexvid.com/clevideos/view/12

Legal Services/Social Worker Collaboration in Elder Abuse Cases: On-Demand #MCLE

To contact us Click HERE
This webinar will describe how Bet Tzedek Legal Services' social worker and lawyers work together in elder abuse and other cases involving elders to achieve the best results for their clients. The presentation will address the social worker's holistic assessments of the clients needs, assessments of legal capacity, mandatory reporting issues, and referrals and resources.This webinar is intended to provide legal information, not legal advice for the purposes of training only practicing attorneys. The legal information in this webinar is not intended to be a substitute for seeking personalized legal advice from an attorney licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. Further, we do not intend to create an attorney-client relationship with any listener.
Title:
Legal Services/Social Worker Collaboration in Elder Abuse Cases
When/Where:
Anytime/Recording
Speakers:

• Attorney Dominique Sanz-David
• Social Worker Yadira Garcia.

Sponsor:
Legal Aid Association of California,
Credit:

• California: Approved for 1 Self-Study Credit
• Other Jurisdictions: Check with your Credit-Granting Authority

A Message From LAAC's website:
"If you would like to support LAAC's videos and keep this service free for the community, please donate here: tiny.cc/Qwgg2b"
4freeCLE has no connection to that donation link; however, it seems only fair to support LAAC with however small a donation you can afford, both for its generous provision of training materials and to encourage it to do more of the same!
More Information, Including Hand-Outs:
http://vimeo.com/17532945

July 9/San Francisco: SCOTUSCare?: The Affordable Care Act #MCLE (#Obamacare)

To contact us Click HERE

Constitutional scholars and advocates will discuss the Supreme Court's highly anticipated ruling on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.  How does the ruling fit into the Court's broader federalism jurisprudence, and does it alter the balance of power between the judiciary and Congress?  What does the ruling mean for other legislation?  How will the ruling impact public perception of the Court?
Title:
SCOTUSCare?: The Affordable Care Act 
When/Where:
Monday, July 9, 2012
12:00 p.m.
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
405 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA
Monday, July 9, 2012 - 12:00pm
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
405 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA
Speaker:

• Vikram Amar, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor of Law, University of California Davis School of Law
• Jesse H. Choper, Earl Warren Professor of Public Law, UC Berkeley School of Law
• Pamela S. Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law, Co-Director, Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford Law School; Member, ACS Board of Directors
• Moderator: Fred Smith, Jr., Assistant Professor of Law, UC Berkeley School of Law

Sponsor: 
The Bay Area Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society.
Credit:
ACS is a State Bar of California MCLE Provider and is offering 1.0 MCLE hours for this event.
Cost:
This event is free and open to the public.  A special thanks to Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP for providing lunch for this event.
More:
http://www.acslaw.org/SCOTUSCare

July 11/NYC: Annual Capital Defense Training Program #MCLE

To contact us Click HERE
This free program offers 5.0 CLE credits and is intended for law students and attorneys who are currently representing or are interested in representing death-row inmates in post-conviction proceedings. The program features nationally recognized death penalty experts. It includes an introductory presentation on post-conviction capital work, a discussion of ethics issues faced by death penalty lawyers, a review of recent Supreme Court decisions, and a presentation on developing mitigation evidence in capital cases.
The session will be followed by presentation of the Norman Redlich Capital Defense Distinguished Service and Pro Bono Awards by the Hon. Robert M. Morgenthau and Stephen B. Bright to those who have shown excellence in the representation of death-row inmates or in advocating for the abolition of the death penalty. These awards seek to honor Dean Redlich's legacy by recognizing those members of the New York bar who have emulated his life-long dedication to challenging the death penalty. Mr. Bright will also deliver the keynote lecture, which will be followed by a cocktail reception.
Also, during the 6:00pm session attendees will have the opportunity to earn 1 CLE credit. This session could be of interest to those considering taking on representation of a death row inmate.
Title:
Annual Capital Defense Training Program
When/Where:
Wednesday July 11 , 2012
1:30 PM - 7:30 PM Eastern
House of Association
42 West 44th Street
New York, NY
Sponsor:
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York
www.nycbar.org
Contact:
 Jason Gould
Captial Punishment Committee, New York City Bar Association
jgould@pbwt.com
(212)-336-2843
Registration:
Provide the following information to Jason Gould via e-mail (jgould@pbwt.com) or fax (212-336-1286): (i) name; (ii) affiliation; (iii) mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address; and (iv) whether you currently represent and/or are interested in representing a death row inmate. 
CLE Credit: 
4.0 professional practice and 1.0 ethics. All credits qualify as transitional and non-transitional.
More:
http://www.probono.net/calendar/attachment.217818

July 23/Web: Ethical Pitfalls Plaguing the Best Prosecutors and Public Defenders #MCLE

To contact us Click HERE
A panel of experts will discuss witness preparation and how to handle a witness with a “problematic” memory. They will also discuss ethics as related to reasonable doubt, the principle of candor towards the tribunal and what it means today as opposed to the past, closing arguments and the discipline process and the obligations of a self-regulating profession. The experts will also answer your questions on this important topic.
Title:
Ethical Pitfalls Plaguing the Best Prosecutors and Public Defenders
When/Where:
July 23, 2012
2:00 to 3:30 PM ET
Webinar
Speakers:

• James Stoddard of the Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office
• William Deely of the Delaware Public Defender’s Office
• The Hon. Sheila Woods-Skipper, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas - Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division

Sponsor:
LexisNexis
Cost:
Free
Credit:
CLE is approved or in the process of approval for the mandatory CLE states listed below for 1.5 hours of CLE Credit in ethics/professionalism.　
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York †, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
More Information And Registration

July 24/Boston: VLP Training - Intro to Guardianship of Minors

To contact us Click HERE
The training will provide a nuts and bolts approach to handling an uncontested guardianship of a minor case. The training will include instruction on how to complete the petition and accompanying pleadings, waive fees and costs, obtain assents from the ward's parents, and how to handle issues of service and the bond. This class will give participants the tools they need to handle simple guardianship of minor cases from filing through the establishment of a permanent guardianship. In addition, attorneys and law students who attend this class will be qualified to participate in the VLP/Senior Partners for Justice guardianship petition assistance projects in the Norfolk (Wednesday), Middlesex (Thursday) and Suffolk (Tuesday and Wednesday) Probate & Family Courts on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. These are limited assistance representation projects in which volunteers help pro se petitioners complete and file the guardian of minor petition and other pleadings
Title:
VLP Training - Intro to Guardianship of Minors 
When/Where:
Tuesday, July 24,  20124:00pm - 6:00pm99 Chauncy St. Suite 400Boston, MA 02111
Cost:
VLP trainings are offered free of charge to active volunteers. Please see the VLP Training Policy.Questions?
Contact Isabel BurneyMore Information
http://vlp.volunteerhub.com/Events/Event/Summary.aspx?EventID=1076308

July 13/Tacoma, WA: Removal Proceedings in Immigration Court - Model Hearing Program

To contact us Click HERE
Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice (VAIJ), with the Tacoma Immigration Court and the Office of Chief Counsel of Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be presenting a Model Hearing Program (MHP) at the Immigration Court at the NW Detention Center in Tacoma.  The Model Hearing Program was developed by EOIR as a training tool for pro bono attorneys and new practitioners appearing before the Immigration Court. An Immigration Judge from the Tacoma Immigration Court and an attorney from the Office of Chief Counsel will participate in the training.   This training will present a case involving a client who has both mental health issues and an asylum claim which would be based on both the past persecution he had endured and the future persecution he would face if returned to his country with mental illness.  Note: Attendance at the training is capped at 35 people, as the courtroom space is limited. Register immediately to ensure seating by contacting Juliann Bildhauer at juliann@vaij.org 
Title:
Removal Proceedings in Immigration Court - Model Hearing Program 
When/Where:
July 13, 2012
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
1623 E. J Street, Ste. 3
Tacoma, WA  98424.
Speakers:

• The Honorable Tammy Fitting, and the Honorable Theresa Scala, Immigration Judges for EOIR/Tacoma Immigration Court 
• Juliann Bildhauer, Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice 
  
• Erica Schommer, immigration attorney with Rios & Cruz  who practices regularly before the Immigration Court in Tacoma
• Neil Floyd, Assistant Chief Counsel, USDHS/Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Sponsors:

• Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice (VAIJ)
• Tacoma Immigration Court
• Office of Chief Counsel of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 
  

More:
http://atji.blogspot.com/2012/06/removal-proceedings-in-immigration.html

Why is William J Kelly's campaign for Comptroller so important?

To contact us Click HERE
In view of the fact that the Comptroller shows no record of Illinois tax dollars being given to ACORN, I would say that is one of the big reasons William J. Kelly's campaign is so important.

Despite what the left-wing media has claimed, the state of Illinois does have official relationships with scandal-plagued ACORN.  A 2008 report from the Illinois Housing Development Authority showed that ACORN's housing subsidiary received a $100,000 grant from the agency to build its Predatory Lending Database Program.  Somehow, this grant just happens to not appear in the Illinois Comptroller's database.

"Somehow"?  And why isn't someone investigating this?

Friends of William J. Kelly

BREAKING NEWS: KELLY CONFRONTS GIANNOULIAS ON ACORN-TAINTED SEIU ENDORSEMENT



Kelly Responds to Miller’s Attack on Capitol Fax

Statement by William J. Kelly, Candidate for Illinois Comptroller

In response to the attacks by Rich Miller’s Capitol Fax blog, Illinois Comptroller candidate William J. Kelly writes:

“Since Tuesday, Rich Miller’s Capitol Fax blog has been attacking me and my campaign for Illinois Comptroller without the opportunity for counterpoint. We produced a video piece questioning U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias on the appropriateness of his SEIU endorsement and its ties to ACORN. It is interesting that a well-known political writer like Miller would resort to ridicule to devalue and undermine free speech – mine or my supporters i.e. outsiders capable of real reform. Regardless, I see no reason to play by the rules, especially when the truth is not being told. That is supposed to be the media’s job. I will make no apologies for being aggressive on behalf of the truth.”

“Miller wonders why I focus my attention on Alexi Giannoulias when I am running for Illinois Comptroller? It’s simple. Substantively, all of Illinois’ problems can be traced to the deeply rooted culture of nepotism and political entitlement by the sons and daughters of senators, bank presidents, assorted elites and hacks. As treasurer, Giannoulias has messed up Illinois’ finances and now he wants a promotion to the U.S. Senate. But anybody that has had to live and work in the real world knows that when you lose $85 million, especially for Illinois families, you are in no position to ask for a promotion. Alexi’s deputy treasurer, Raja Krishnamoorthi is already an announced candidate for Illinois Comptroller. The circle of insiders has to end in order for Illinois to have real reform and that story is not being told.”

“The media will attack me as just a TV host trying to be a politician. However, I have been an anti-tax advocate and activist for years. I could be very happy to sit back and continue to grow my TV projects that I have worked very hard to create. Unlike many in the Chicago inner circle, nothing has been handed to me on a silver platter. But, as a lifelong resident of Chicago and truly love it and the state of Illinois, I cannot sit back and watch as the elites further destroy our state.”

“With every new political scandal in the state of Illinois, we have to redefine the definition of rock bottom. ACORN-SEIU connections, both Illinois and nationally, have the potential to go beyond anything we have seen thus far. As Comptroller, I promise to investigate why our state is bankrupt, where has the money gone, and what has been the role of these shady associations with ACORN, SEIU, and other special interests.”

“We have an excellent opportunity to turn this state around. None of this should be a partisan issue. If that sounds “strange” by Rich Miller’s standards, then, I’ll take it.”

William J. Kelly is exactly the kind of guy we need in office right now...and as soon as he can get in, we need him IN...I believe he will do exactly as he has promised - which, understandably, has the "status quo" in a state of outrage.

The Capitol Fax blog can be referenced at ….http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2009/09/30/from-the-strange-campaign-files/

Go get 'em Bill!

Hey William J. Kelly - WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP?

To contact us Click HERE
Now Kelly is calling for "Chairman Brady" to "disavow" the "Dodge/Topinka smear campaign"....why Brady should disavow something that doesn't exist is beyond me...the "smear campaign" is something -like his popularity and fabricated polling numbers-that Kelly has manufactured...much like Axelrod's PK and Media manufactures news.  Martin Janis is the Topinka equivalent of AKP&D Message and Media.  How can you "smear someone with the truth? How can someone be smeared with information they themselves put out on the internet?

Here's a question for you - where do you suppose "Low Blow Joe" came from?

It came from Nancy Kimme...and there is your Topinka connection...it goes right back to Kelly.  BINGO.

Bill can call and cry to whoever he wants at this point...the more he blabbers, the more he is revealing.

If Kelly does something stupid, I'm going to call attention to it.  He wants people that criticize him to shut up...which is all the more reason to raise objections to the schtick.

Nice job, Bill, say hi to Nancy from the REAL conservatives that Judy hates!!!

Congressmen Complain Air Force Is Trying To Remove References To God

To contact us Click HERE
Congressman Diane Black announced Thursday that a letter (full text) signed by 66 members of Congress was sent earlier this week to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta complaining that the Air Force "repeatedly has succumbed to demands from organizations that seek to remove all references to God and faith in our military."  The letter cites five specific instances, and says that they "go beyond the requirements of the Constitution, and appear to have been influenced by the more stringent guidance issued by Gen. Schwartz in September 2011." (See prior posting.) According to Fox News, an Air Force statement in response to the letter says that members of the Air Force are "free to exercise their constitutional right to practice their religion -- in a manner that is respectful of other individuals' rights to follow their own belief systems." The Fox News article also explores each cited incident, saying they "were not all as clear-cut as the lawmakers made them sound."

Court Rejects Moorish Science View of U.S. Law

To contact us Click HERE
In El v. O'Brien, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85699 (ED NY, June 20, 2012), a New York federal district court rejected somewhat incoherent claims by a member of the Moorish Science Temple that Moorish Science documents, as well as an 1836 treaty between the United States and Morocco, be applied by the court in an action involving the validity of a mortgage.  According to the court: "Apparently, Plaintiff ascribes to the ethnic/religious Moorish movement, which teaches certain views of United States history and its legal system, which are, to put it mildly, outside the mainstream, as they give special import to treaties between the United States and Morocco."

Why is William J Kelly's campaign for Comptroller so important?

To contact us Click HERE
In view of the fact that the Comptroller shows no record of Illinois tax dollars being given to ACORN, I would say that is one of the big reasons William J. Kelly's campaign is so important.

Despite what the left-wing media has claimed, the state of Illinois does have official relationships with scandal-plagued ACORN.  A 2008 report from the Illinois Housing Development Authority showed that ACORN's housing subsidiary received a $100,000 grant from the agency to build its Predatory Lending Database Program.  Somehow, this grant just happens to not appear in the Illinois Comptroller's database.

"Somehow"?  And why isn't someone investigating this?

Friends of William J. Kelly

BREAKING NEWS: KELLY CONFRONTS GIANNOULIAS ON ACORN-TAINTED SEIU ENDORSEMENT



Kelly Responds to Miller’s Attack on Capitol Fax

Statement by William J. Kelly, Candidate for Illinois Comptroller

In response to the attacks by Rich Miller’s Capitol Fax blog, Illinois Comptroller candidate William J. Kelly writes:

“Since Tuesday, Rich Miller’s Capitol Fax blog has been attacking me and my campaign for Illinois Comptroller without the opportunity for counterpoint. We produced a video piece questioning U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias on the appropriateness of his SEIU endorsement and its ties to ACORN. It is interesting that a well-known political writer like Miller would resort to ridicule to devalue and undermine free speech – mine or my supporters i.e. outsiders capable of real reform. Regardless, I see no reason to play by the rules, especially when the truth is not being told. That is supposed to be the media’s job. I will make no apologies for being aggressive on behalf of the truth.”

“Miller wonders why I focus my attention on Alexi Giannoulias when I am running for Illinois Comptroller? It’s simple. Substantively, all of Illinois’ problems can be traced to the deeply rooted culture of nepotism and political entitlement by the sons and daughters of senators, bank presidents, assorted elites and hacks. As treasurer, Giannoulias has messed up Illinois’ finances and now he wants a promotion to the U.S. Senate. But anybody that has had to live and work in the real world knows that when you lose $85 million, especially for Illinois families, you are in no position to ask for a promotion. Alexi’s deputy treasurer, Raja Krishnamoorthi is already an announced candidate for Illinois Comptroller. The circle of insiders has to end in order for Illinois to have real reform and that story is not being told.”

“The media will attack me as just a TV host trying to be a politician. However, I have been an anti-tax advocate and activist for years. I could be very happy to sit back and continue to grow my TV projects that I have worked very hard to create. Unlike many in the Chicago inner circle, nothing has been handed to me on a silver platter. But, as a lifelong resident of Chicago and truly love it and the state of Illinois, I cannot sit back and watch as the elites further destroy our state.”

“With every new political scandal in the state of Illinois, we have to redefine the definition of rock bottom. ACORN-SEIU connections, both Illinois and nationally, have the potential to go beyond anything we have seen thus far. As Comptroller, I promise to investigate why our state is bankrupt, where has the money gone, and what has been the role of these shady associations with ACORN, SEIU, and other special interests.”

“We have an excellent opportunity to turn this state around. None of this should be a partisan issue. If that sounds “strange” by Rich Miller’s standards, then, I’ll take it.”

William J. Kelly is exactly the kind of guy we need in office right now...and as soon as he can get in, we need him IN...I believe he will do exactly as he has promised - which, understandably, has the "status quo" in a state of outrage.

The Capitol Fax blog can be referenced at ….http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2009/09/30/from-the-strange-campaign-files/

Go get 'em Bill!

Illinois Driver's License Fee To Go Up: Quinn's Idea of "Stimulus"

To contact us Click HERE
Well...they need to get the money they've already blown from somewhere.

Driver's license renewal fees to rise -WGN Chicago Breaking News

SPRINGFIELD -- For more than 25 years, it has cost Illinoisans 10 dollars to renew their driver's licenses. That is about to change.

On Oct. 11, the cost of renewing a standard Illinois driver's license jumps from the $10 in effect since 1983 to $30.

The hike in the renewal fee came as lawmakers and Gov. Pat Quinn raised a number of taxes and fees in order to pay for a $30 billion program to build roads, schools and bridges.

Quinn and lawmakers touted the construction plan for its potential to generate jobs during the recession. However, Secretary of State Jesse White says he doesn't want to be blamed for the fee increases as drivers pour into his offices.

White is seeking re-election to his post.

-- Associated Press

So this is Quinn's version of "stimulus" for the State of Illinois, I take it.  Build the infrastructure with tax dollars ripped off from working people.  Nobody wants to be "blamed" for these increases...yet the only people that bear the responsibility are the ones who are in office making these foolish decisions.  Unless, of course, you want to blame Bush.

From the Cook County Blog

Hey William J. Kelly - WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP?

To contact us Click HERE
Now Kelly is calling for "Chairman Brady" to "disavow" the "Dodge/Topinka smear campaign"....why Brady should disavow something that doesn't exist is beyond me...the "smear campaign" is something -like his popularity and fabricated polling numbers-that Kelly has manufactured...much like Axelrod's PK and Media manufactures news.  Martin Janis is the Topinka equivalent of AKP&D Message and Media.  How can you "smear someone with the truth? How can someone be smeared with information they themselves put out on the internet?

Here's a question for you - where do you suppose "Low Blow Joe" came from?

It came from Nancy Kimme...and there is your Topinka connection...it goes right back to Kelly.  BINGO.

Bill can call and cry to whoever he wants at this point...the more he blabbers, the more he is revealing.

If Kelly does something stupid, I'm going to call attention to it.  He wants people that criticize him to shut up...which is all the more reason to raise objections to the schtick.

Nice job, Bill, say hi to Nancy from the REAL conservatives that Judy hates!!!

Kenya's Influence with Obama - Parliament's own words

To contact us Click HERE

Our Framers inserted “Natural Born Citizen” for a specific reason as a requirement for the office of the President of the United States – concern of foreign influence on the Executive.

The Framers were concerned that “divided interests” could influence how the US President makes decisions, either while protecting the US in time of crisis or as a normal course of affairs and policy.

Being ONE person ...
there are fewer checks and balances for the Executive.
























By contrast, a member of Congress was left without the Constitutional requirement of being a Natural Born Citizen – because there are more internal checks and balances with hundreds of members in the Legislative Branch.



















Remember this from Fight The Smears: “As a Kenyan native, Barack Obama Sr. was a British subject whose citizenship status was governed by The British Nationality Act of 1948. That same act governed the status of Obama Sr.‘s children. Since Sen. Obama has neither renounced his U.S. citizenship nor sworn an oath of allegiance to Kenya, his Kenyan citizenship automatically expired on Aug. 4, 1982.”

Obama was born a UK citizen via his father, Barack Obama Sr. Barack Obama Jr’s British citizenship was changed to Kenyan citizenship on Dec. 11, 1963, when the African nation become independent from the UK (See Section 90 of the Kenyan Constitution )

Now, that's all in context …

Here are some comments of the Kenyan Parliament from Nov. 5, 2008, on the morning after Barack Obama win of the US Presidential election on Nov. 4
(comments are from the 41 page document, with emphasis added):

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

OFFICIAL REPORT

Wednesday, 5th November, 2008

The House met at 9.00 a.m.
Primary: http://www.bunge.go.ke/downloads/Tenth%20Parl%201st%20Session/Hansard/5.11.08A.pdf
Back-up copy: http://www.scribd.com/doc/9606845/Kenyan-National-Assembly-Wednesday-5th-November-2008-51108A

Dr. Khalwale: On a point of order, Mr.

Deputy Speaker, Sir. You have heard none other

than the Leader of Government Business

acknowledge that because of Obama's win in the

United States of America (USA), the House is

crippled. Could we allow him to move a Motion

for Adjournment so that we could also continue

the celebrations of having a Kenyan ruling the

USA? I humbly request!

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order, Mr.

Vice-President! We are citizens of the Republic of

Kenya! This is a supreme institution of this

country. Our responsibility is to our country, first

and foremost. We are not citizens of the USA!

Much as we appreciate and we are all happy;

nonetheless we are a country ourselves.

(Applause)

So, it is not an excuse for a Minister to be

away from his own Parliament, because he is

celebrating the victory of another presidential

candidate in another country.

The Assistant Minister for Water and

Irrigation (Mr. Kiunjuri): Mr. Deputy Speaker,

Sir, as you can see, people are really celebrating.

However, I am wondering whether the Americans

have not reported to work and yet it is their

victory. I am also hoping that there will be no

homecoming for Obama. If there is one, the Leader

of Government Business should alert us in good

time so that we can set up a committee to organize

for his homecoming.

Ms. Odhiambo: … Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the

President-elect, Mr. Obama, is a son of the soil

of this country.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: President-elect has

not been sworn-in yet. The election of

President-elect Obama is of utmost national

importance to the United States of America. Ms.

Odhiambo, you are a lawyer. You had better be

very careful where you transgress between

watching your own sovereignty and what can be

interpreted in some quarters as some form of treason
(Ed. note: the threat of "treason" is not directed to Ms Odhiamdo personally, but rather concern over how Obama's "former" Kenyan Citizenship may be viewed by outsiders)

Mr. Affey: … For the first time, we have a leader of

a great country in this world whose blood is

Kenyan.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO

PRESIDENT-ELECT BARRACK OBAMA

Hon. Members, as you may be aware,

the people of the United States of America

have just had a historic election where the son

of this soil, Barrack Hussein Obama, has been

elected the 44th President of the United States

of America…

The Vice-President and Minister for

Home Affairs (Mr. Musyoka): …
As we do, as you said from the Chair, this is a

sovereign country. We know we can learn a lot.

To be able to support that blood relation, I

think we owe it to ourselves to make sure that

we have a peaceful country as Kenyans; a

country that will uphold the true principles of

the rule of law, democracy and tolerance

between ourselves

At the beginning of this year, Senator
Barrack Obama called me at midnight and told me:

"Mr. Vice President, could you make sure you sort

out this problem?" I want to assure him that the

problem has since been sorted out.

The Assistant Minister for Higher

Education, Science and Technology (Dr.

Mwiria):…

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I

would like to take this opportunity to also

congratulate Barrack Obama on his victory and

also say that even as we look at that victory say it

is possible, it is only possible because there are

structures in place in the US that make it possible

for any potential candidate to win, irrespective of

whether they have a lot of money which they have

gotten legally or illegally, they are from a different
ethnic group and how old they are.

Mr. Chanzu: … I highly congratulate Obama and

salute Americans, Black, White and other races,

for what they have done in showing the world that

a leader can come from any community. I also

want to congratulate Kenyans for the support they

have shown. It showed the Americans that we

were supporting our own.

Mr. Ethuro: …
Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we

have done it! That is why I like this Motion coming

at this time of Obama - yes we can! We did it with

the Parliamentary Service Commission. We did it

with the Leader of the Official Opposition. We are
doing it with the Official Opposition Bill. We

are doing it with the establishment of the

Budget Office and we are doing it with the

Cabinet size! Yes we can!


Curb your Enthusiasm
It should be noted that after the Kenyan National Assembly returned for their afternoon session on Nov. 5, there is NO further mention of Barack Obama. Obama’s name was not uttered for the rest of that day and very rarely is he mentioned since Nov. 5 in sessions of the Kenyan Parliament.

Possible related story here: Kenya gags Obama’s extended family

It should be noted that these comments made by Kenyan officials do not necessarily prove that Barack Obama Jr was born in Kenya.

However, the comments DO show that Kenyan officials believe that Obama is one of their own – and subject to their influence in US foreign affairs.

With Obama being a citizen of Kenya from 1963 to 1982, nearly half of his life, one can only guess if it’s true.