Laura Ling & Euna Lee Sentenced to 12 Yrs in N. Korean Labor Camp
Two journalists who were arrested for crossing the border of North Korea unlawfully, and accused of illegally filming for the purpose of showing the trafficking of females, were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in a North Korean camp late last night.
Al Gore, rather than immediately trying to free the women, only got the brilliant idea to help them after their sentencing. He had an opportunity to save them from “man-bear-pig” a couple of months ago, but the weather was not warm enough for him to leave a massive carbon footprint via his personal jet.
The Korean Central News Agency says the Central Court tried American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee from June 4 to 8.
It said Monday the trial confirmed an unspecified “grave crime” against the nation, and of illegally crossing into North Korea.
The report says the court “sentenced each of them to 12 years of reform through labor.”
The journalists – working for former Vice President Al Gore’s California-based Current TV – were arrested March 17 as they were reporting about the trafficking of women. It’s unclear if they strayed into the North or were grabbed by aggressive border guards who crossed into China.
Although the Americans were accused of illegally entering North Korea and unspecified “hostile acts,” Pyongyong has yet to publicly announce the exact charges against them. South Korean legal experts have said a conviction for “hostility” or espionage could mean five to 10 years in a labor camp.
U.S. officials and others working for the reporters’ release have said they’ve received no information about the defendants and even lacked independent confirmation about whether the trial has started. The North has said the proceedings wouldn’t be open to foreign observers, including Swedish officials who act as Washington’s proxy in Pyongyang because the two countries do not have diplomatic ties.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday she was “incredibly concerned” about the plight of the two women. In working for their release, Clinton said she has spoken with foreign officials with influence in North Korea and explored the possibility of sending an envoy to the North, but suggested that no one would be sent during the trial.
Now, the big question is, will North Korea finally close its labor camps to repair its image abroad?
Obama Drops Key Clause in Jerusalem Embassy Memo
Important Docu-Drop Friday evening… To avoid the news cycles (If this wasn’t a big deal then why release this so late on a Friday when nobody watches news on the weekends?):
Late on Friday The Washington Times’ Christian Bourge obtained a copy of Presidential Determination 2009-19, latest in a series of pro forma memos to the Secretary of State entitled “Suspension of Limitations Under the Jerusalem Embassy Act.” This determination is a legally required waiver under said act to continue to delay the May 31, 1999 deadline for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Nearly identical memos like this have been issued every six months for the last decade. Standard procedure, no big deal, right? Well in the Bush years the memo contained the sentence,
“My Administration remains committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem.”
The Obama team has edited that passage out. This explains the Friday evening release. Congress should revisit the Jerusalem Embassy Act and remove the loophole that has allowed this charade to continue for ten years. Meanwhile the president should explain exactly what his policy is on this issue, and why he is not committed to beginning the process of moving the embassy.
This particular memo is common place among administrations, however, the above reference paragraph, has never been omitted by any other president in history.
Mocking Keith Olbermann, Always Good for Some Laughs
Steven Crowder, a conservative comedian/actor, recently put a skit together on PJTV media mocking Keith Olbermann’s Countdown and the way in which he shouts down his guests, never letting them actually voice their opinions… My favorite part; Rachel Maddow 
Center Right/Conservative Media Personalities May be Reaching Boiling Point?
Here are several of the latest outbursts from right leaning media personalities, commentators, pundits, etc.
Rick Santelli says Geithner is lying.
Joe Scarborogh flips out on the MSM bias (funny that he’s on MSNBC, the worst of them)
Glenn Beck writes a letter to GE
O’Reilly pissed that media accuses him and Fox News of Tiller’s murder
