The Political Fish

The Black Panthers in the video were at polling stations in Philadelphia on election day 2008. For some reason they were allowed to be there, brandishing weapons and clothed in some military style uniforms. These men were clearly involved in voter intimidation, and a lawsuit was brought against the group in federal court. There racially motivated attempt to drive voters away from that polling place became well known thanks to youtube. This past week, the Justice Department decided to let it slide. The judgement had been put into default status, since the New Black Panthers had not answered the lawsuit. Curiously, the DOJ lawyers dropped the suit anyways. They won by default, but never let it get to a judgement. That baffles my mind. Is the Obama administration and its new “politicized” DOJ now protecting the racist New Black Panthers? On the surface, it would appear that way, and I would not expect any answers as to their reasoning anytime soon.

The Black Panther website actually disavows this behavior, claiming that the Philly chapter of the organization acted on their own. They do however acknowledge that they were active in polling places around the country. Can someone explain to me why The Black Panthers were allowed to be involved in the election process at all? never mind the fact that they were attempting to install a black president. Militant groups like the NBP and criminal groups like ACORN have no business in the polling places.

UPDATE: 7/30/09

It has come to light that the Department of Justice did in fact ok the reversal of the prosecution of the New Black Panthers for their role in the voter intimidation scandal in Philadelphia. From the Washington Times…

Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli, the No. 3 official in the Obama Justice Department, was consulted and ultimately approved a decision in May to reverse course and drop a civil complaint accusing three members of the New Black Panther Party of intimidating voters in Philadelphia during November’s election, according to interviews.

The department’s career lawyers in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division who pursued the complaint for five months had recommended that Justice seek sanctions against the party and three of its members after the government had already won a default judgment in federal court against the men.

Front-line lawyers were in the final stages of completing that work when they were unexpectedly told by their superiors in late April to seek a delay after a meeting between political appointees and career supervisors, according to federal records and interviews

The civil case was then ordered to be dropped by the acting Assistant Atty. General Loretta King, instead only pursuing a restraining order against one of the thugs involved. The open and transparent Obama administration has refused to answer any sort of inquiry as to why the case was dropped after all these months.

Go check out the Times article for more information…