Greg Palast facing charges from Homeland Security.

[CarbonDate]

"Journalism in the first degree", as he puts it.

http://www.gregpalast.com/palast-charged-with-journalism-in-the-first-degree

In between praising Keith Olbermann for his strong commentary and panning Bush's latest speech, stop and throw some support (financial preferred) behind the man more responsible than anybody for uncovering the various frauds of this administration. He's being charged with filming an Exxon Oil refinery while covering the gross inadequacies of Homeland Security's response to Hurricane Katrina. This is a huge attack on the freedom of the press, and it's largely occuring under the radar. Please give this some attention.

[Twist_U_Up]

1. Slowly dismantling our First Amendment.

Incompetent my ass.

Right out of Hitlers handbook for Dictatorship.

Nazis

[annabanana]

2. It is astonishing to me

that we cannot take pictures of these buildings. They are about to start arresting tourists, I think...

[CarbonDate]

3. No, they're not.

It's called a pretext. These rules are explicitly designed so they can target journalists. I don't see them going after Google, whose mapping software offers a pretty decent shot of the facility in question.

[leftchick]

4. what the FBI and DHS are really doing

is trying to Greg keep legally tied up in this bullshit so he can not report on election theft 2006!

[slaveplanet]

5. is this a nice way of saying

gross inadequacies of Homeland Security's response to Hurricane Katrina

that he was filming the Katrina survivor (virtual) prison camps (where's the charges?), and he happened to catch the Exxon refinery in the background as the HS prison camp is located directly adjacent.

[CarbonDate]

6. Nail. Hammer. Head.

That's exactly how it went down. And Exxon has its fair share of reason to hate on Greg, as well.

[Spurt]

7. Someone living in sight of....

...that refinery should set up a webcam to share the view from their window with the world.
There are hundreds of such cam window views on the web.

[fasttense]

8. Took Fatherland Security two weeks to find him.

Seems our Homeland Security Department now works for Exxon. Exxon is very upset because Greg and company filmed their country, I mean their refinery. The exact same refinery you can look up in exacting detail on the internet. Exxon now orders around our security forces. No wonder it took two weeks to find a man I've heard on Air America regularly for the last two weeks. I bought his book. I think I'll buy his documentary.

[izzybeans]

9. Journalists covering Katrina=terrorists

Come on it just make sense. :sarcasm:

The admininstration is really taking this terrorist appeaser thing dead seriously aren't they. If this is allowed to move forward it could get much worse than this.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Chimichurri]

10. Outrageous. I hope the press doesn't sit back and allow

bush to continue to dismantle our Fourth Estate.

[Canuckistanian]

11. I hope this get thrown out in court

And what were the specific charges? "Unauthorized filming of a critical national security structure” ?

First, it wasn't unauthorized. He flashed his press credentials. If it was forbidden to film there, he would have been informed beforehand.

And it would be a HUGE stretch to try and convince any sane judge that that citizens living on a small portion of Exxon land could ever be considered part of "national security".

Fatherland Security is just going to get a black eye out of this, because Palast is going to write about every incredible step of this travesty.

[The Animator]

12. I wonder if they would screw with an artist who decided

to draw the oil refinery. I've heard they make digital photographers delete their photos. I'll be damned if they take my sketch pad.

[tuvor]

13. Mr. Palast deserves at least as many rec's as Olbermann.

So I'm doing my small part.

[mom cat]

14. He wins my Courage in Journalism Award along with Keith O.

[lonestarnot]

15. Has he actually been criminally charged? Guess so or you wouldn't

have posted this. He's not in custody because I saw where he got on an airplane last week. If he's suspected of terrorism, how was it that he wasn't on a no-fly list? This is such a load. LEAVE GREG ALONE YOU BASTARDS!

[sybylla]

18. That's my post you're referring to on the airplane flight

I'd post the link but the search feature appears to be momentarily hosed.

I was at an event in Wisconsin this weekend where Greg Palast made an appearance. He said he worried that the TSA would prevent him from boarding the plane. Instead he had absolutely no problems. Said it pointed out the incompetence of Homeland Security if they can't prevent someone charged with breaking anti-terrorism laws from getting on a plane.

[CarbonDate]

23. I don't think Palast would make such a claim....

...if it wasn't true. He's nothing if he blows his credibility on some publicity stunt.

Go ahead and read the link. It's all there.

[CarbonDate]

25. Oh, I see you've already read it.

And started your own thread. Copycat thread starter :P.

Kidding. Palast needs as much love as he can get. The one downside of Olbermann's great commentary is that it's eating up the bulk of the liberal blogs' attention while there's something else going on under our noses.

I have a clip of the offending report on my blog. The clip doesn't feature the shot of the Exxon Oil Refinery, but the material he covers is just as important.

No, I'm not trying to be a blog whore. It's just easier to direct people to one location rather than post the same stuff over and over again.

[Bitwit1234]

16. Constitution

And this morning on MSNBC Andrew Card was praising weasel bush for defending the constitution. He said that bush had swore to uphold the consitution. Doesn't anybody want to tell us when, this from a man who said the constitution was a G**Damn piece of paper.

[L0oniX]

17. Exxon Oil refinery seen on Google Sat pics ...OMG call the feds

damned stupid jack booted thug ass carrots

[file83]

20. You mean THIS Google Earth satellite photo of the Exxon refinery?

Somebody better call the Department of Homeland Security and notify them that Google Earth has the ENTIRE FUCKING COMPLEX for FREE on the INTERNET!!!!! :sarcasm:

[TheWatcher]

24. This Post Has Been Flagged And You Have Been Reported To

Homeland Security. Please have your Papers ready to produce to our Agents, and step away from your computer.

Please be disrobed when we knock down your door because there will be a Cavity Search.

:evilgrin:

[bliss_eternal]

19. Kick...

:kick:

[Mr_Spock]

21. This better be a joke

Nobody in government is that retarded.

[CarbonDate]

22. Sure they are.

I'm in the military. I know. Trust me.

[lectrobyte]

27. Retarded? Hardly. Even if it gets laughed out of court, you're

still having to take time and money to fight it. The Greg Palast's will not be deterred, but local reporters, independents without a big following, etc. may be by this kind of stunt -- kind of like SLAPP suits. The death of a thousand paper cuts.

[The Animator]

26. "No body in government is this retarded" ... Ummm...

Have you been to the DMV lately? I often wonder what percentage of DMV caliber people get jobs at other, more critical government agencies.

Even then, I wouldn't trust * to take my drivers license photo.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

28. Looks Like They Need A Crash Course! 'Internet For Dummies' K&R

ALSO, With the elections coming up in Nov. We will be seeing more video like this from Iraq! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP7tgFBYoMg I hope the DHS is joking, like this Hilarious Video!