20130527

Memorial Day: We honor those who sacrificed themselves in the defense of liberty

The 42nd Highlanders Pipe and Drum Corps open a tribute to America's fallen defenders from Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, California. Army Capt. Justin Babcock gives an inspiring tribute to the defenders of freedom.

In this video playlist (advance with lower-center buttons) watch the US Armed Service branch songs performed by the Notre Dame High School marching band, the Blue Eagles Honor Guard, a genuine survivor of the attacks on Pearl Harbor (in which Japan drew the U.S. into World War II) and a real, 12-gun memorial salute.



Interviews with surviving veterans, international military historians, the west-coast head of the African-American Montford Point Marines Association; a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge in 1944; and curator of the American Society of Military History Museum.  Event held on Veterans' Day, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.  Subscribe to new YouTube channel, DemoCast News to receive future news videos via email.

20130521

Conservative L.A. mayoral candidate, Kevin James, looks beyond mayoral run-off between Eric Garcetti & Wendy Greuel

In January, I asked the only Republican candidate in L.A.'s mayoral primary, Kevin James, how would a Republican, anti-big-government candidate fare in a largely Democrat city.



In the March 5th primary, Mr. James came in 3rd place- 50% behind Eric Garcetti and 45% behind Wendy Greuel.  As only the top 2 finishers progressed into today's run-off election, I asked Mr. James (who has endorsed Mr. Garcetti in the race) about what he expects for his future in view of a new L.A. city administration.

20130520

Los Angeles mayoral candidates debate-excerpts help voters cut through negative advertising

Los Angelenos will go to the polls on May 21 to elect a new mayor, city controller, city attorney, and to vote on propositions for medical marijuana regulation and campaign finance reform. See the League of Women Voters Smart L.A. Voter Guide.


The L.A. Times characterizes the race: A long, expensive (and distinctive) race nears the finish line

Tuesday's election will put either the first woman or the first, elected Jewish leader in the mayor's office. But a more dubious distinction is possible: the lowest turnout for an open mayoral seat. 

DemoCast Media excerpted from Ben Welsh & Michael Finnegan's L.A. Times article:
In a city with more than 2 million eligible voters, roughly 400,000 may cast ballots in this Tuesday's election.  More than 2 million people can vote for mayor of Los Angeles. But if history is a reliable guide, as many as 1.6 million of them will skip Tuesday's election.
Both mayoral candidates Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel have been engaged in negative advertising campaigns.  Watch and judge the candidates, excerpted from this group public debate filmed before the March primary by DemoCast at Congregation Beth Jacob in Beverly Hills.


The polls will be open from 7am to 8pm.  To find your local polling place, click here.

20130517

Politicos join journalists to pay tribute to retiring cable-communicator and L.A. Councilman Bill Rosendahl at L.A. Press Club

Several of the candidates in this Tuesday's election were among the politicos who turned out at the L.A. Press Club on Thursday, 16 May to "Roast and Toast" the retiring Councilman Bill Rosendahl.  Mr. Rosendahl, a former cable executive and host, is credited with revitalizing the Club several years ago.  Organizer, Diana Ljungaeus, president of the Press Club, said, "We are forever grateful to Bill Rosendahl for kick-starting us (the Press Club) again." 


Councilman Dennis Zine extolled Bill Rosendahl for his public service and commented on how his struggle with spinal cancer has galvanized his fellow councilmembers.




Outgoing City Controller and Mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel roasted and toasted Councilman Rosendahl in this poignant speech.



Former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan called Mr. Rosendahl, "the conscience of the City Council." 




KNBC-TV journalist and anchorman called Mr. Rosendahl, "Oone of the most committed and one of the most passionate people - he really represents the people of the Westside- and the people of the Westside connect with him."




Councilman Tom LaBonge referenced one of his appearances on Bill Rosendahl's long-running, public-affairs program on public-access cable TV.



Former Assistant U.S. Attorney and Republican mayoral candidate in this election, Kevin James, spoke of their commonalities as homosexuals, civil-servants, and media hosts. Mr. James hosted a civic-activist, talk-radio show on 870KRLA.



Watch the full evening's Roast and Toast, including closing remarks from the honoree himself on his philosophies at this stage in his life. Mr. Rosendahl comments on what he feels are antiquated drug-laws affecting health and society.



Mr. Rosendahl told the gathered audience, "I know I'm only passing through this earth. I have said this since the beginning of my sensibilities about life and death. But you can't take anything with you, anyhow. . . . We're all in a hotel room, folks, and we check in, and we do check out."


Although mayoral candidate, Councilman Garcetti was not present, you can see him here in one of the mayoral debates which candidate Wendy Greuel had been kidding about.


Filmed in January by DemoCast in Beverly Hills.

20130512

Demonstrated Palestinian irredentism undercuts illusion of peaceful Palestinian state- says Gov. Mike Huckabee

Gov. Mike Huckabee receives Gush Katif Museum award with American Zionist leaders in March 2013


Gov. Mike Huckabee speaks at press conference and banquet, along with Zionists who experienced Israel's Gush Katif communities, including Mrs. Rivka Goldschmidt, who Israel resettled out of Gaza expecting peace from the Palestinians.
(Advance through video playlist through lower center buttons).



Co-organizer of the Gush Katif Museum event , Dr. Joseph Frager, discusses the legacy of Palestinian aggression which followed Israel's withdrawing all Jewish communities and police from Gaza in 2005.



Dr. Frager and colleagues Dr. Paul and Mrs. Drora Brody will be making the case to keep Jerusalem united at their 20th annual, Concert with a Message, the Israel Day Concert in Central Park on Sunday June 2nd, 2013.  Rabbi David Algaze explained from there how Palestine's incited Islamism will pose threats against, not peace for, Israel



Israeli Knesset Member Danny Danon comments on Pres. Obama's rush to force Israel to split Jerusalem among the territories to create a state of Palestine: "Mr. Obama, keep your hands off of (united) Jerusalem!"

20130506

Slain US diplomat's deputy contradicts Obama's campaign claims on Benghazi scapegoating 'Islamophobia'; CBS' Attkisson cracks mainstream-media's willful blindness

US Special Forces were told "you can't go" to Benghazi during attacks

Sharyl Attkisson reports for CBS News:
The deputy of slain U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens has told congressional investigators that a team of Special Forces prepared to fly from Tripoli to Benghazi during the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks was forbidden from doing so by U.S. Special Operations Command South Africa. 
Gregory Hicks told congressional investigators that if the U.S. had quickly sent a military aircraft over Benghazi, it might have saved American lives. The U.S. Souda Bay Naval Base is an hour's flight from Libya.
Obama conflated Libyans killing Amb Stevens +
3 Americans with Islam-critical movie protests
"I believe if we had been able to scramble a fighter or aircraft or two over Benghazi as quickly as possible after the attack commenced, I believe there would not have been a mortar attack on the annex in the morning because I believe the Libyans would have split. They would have been scared to death that we would have gotten a laser on them and killed them," Hicks testified. Two Americans died in the morning mortar attack. I think everybody in the mission thought it was a terrorist attack from the beginning.”

Gregory Hicks is one of the witnesses called to testify this week before the House Oversight Committee about the Sept. 11, 2012, attack that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

US Depty Amb Greg Hicks: "Never as embarrassed"
Shortly after the attack, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice characterized the assault as a spontaneous attack. The Obama administration later said it was an act of terror.

“Clearly, there was a political decision to say something different than what was reasonable to say,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said on “Face The Nation.”

Obama waved-off rescue forces
It has been alleged that the Benghazi attack sprung out of complications with the White House and State Dept shipping arms from Khadaffi's arsenal to Islamist revolutionaries to conquer Syria.  Pres. Barack Obama, campaigning for re-election at this time, attributed the attacks and concomitant Muslim protests in Egypt (which spread) to Muslim offense to the July 2012 published, "The Real Life of Muhammed" (aka "Innocence of Muslims") video, produced by Coptic Christian, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula.

The film criticized Egyptian authorities' unwillingness to protect Christians against Muslim intolerance,antagonism, and violence- and various Muslim shibboleths.

The Obama administration blamed the death of 4 Americans, including Chris Stevens, on the film's blaspheming Islam- and attempted to taboo criticizing Islamism, political Islam.
Christian filmaker, Sam Bacile, scapegoated by Obama

A national witch-hunt began to scapegoat the "Innocence" filmmaker, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula for the thought-crime of Islamphobia, which triggered the international Arab violent "protests." Federal prosecutors found grounds to charge Nakoula with lying regarding his role in the film and his use of the alias "Sam Bacile" and sentenced him to one year in prison and 4-years of supervised release.

Update May 8, 2013: Deputy Chief of US Mission to Libya Gregory Hicks testified to the congressional hearing on the Benghazi attack that the Administration's scapegoated  "YouTube video" was, in actuality, "a non-event in Libya."

Following the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attack, Democracy Broadcasting reported about the media's subjectivity in failing to investigate Benghazi as political terrorism - which would challenge the campaigning Obama's tout that he had successfully eliminated Islamism as a threat to US interests by Obama's overseeing the military's killing of Usama bin-Laden.
On September 21st, former Democratic pollster and analyst Pat Caddell said, “I think we’re at the most dangerous time in our political history in terms of the balance of power in the role that the media plays in whether or not we maintain a free democracy.”
Caddell noted that while First Amendment protections were originally provided to the press so they would protect the liberty and freedom of the public from “organized governmental power,” they had clearly relinquished the role of impartial news providers.
Nowhere was this more evident than during the tragic death of a U.S. ambassador in Libya that was covered up for nine days because the press and the administration did not want to admit it was a terrorist attack.
“We’ve had nine days of lies over what happened because they can’t dare say it’s a terrorist attack, and the press won’t push this,” said Caddell. “Yesterday there was not a single piece in The New York Times over the question of Libya. Twenty American embassies, yesterday, are under attack. None of that is on the national news. None of it is being pressed in the papers.” Read more.
The press' avoiding to challenge any of the several dubious aspects of this story- the gun-running, the terrorism, or the attempt to make taboo Islamophobia, criticism of Islam or Islamism, and advocate for new, national and international blasphemy laws- self-suppressed responsible challenges to Obama's re-election and contributed to our social climate of intolerance towards criticizing anything Islamic or Islamically motivated, such as the Boston Marathon bombings by Muslim-Americans.