Posted on 10/14/2009 6:22:38 PM PDT by kristinn
Al Sharpton issued a statement this evening claiming a "moral victory for all Americans" on the dropping of Rush Limbaugh as part of a group of investors seeking to buy the NFL St. Louis Rams franchise.
The AP reported Sharpton's statement and a follow up comment he made in an interview:
"It is a moral victory for all Americans — especially the players that have been unfairly castigated by Rush Limbaugh," Sharpton said in a statement. "This decision will also uphold the unifying standards of major sports."
Sharpton added in a telephone interview that major sports leagues shouldn't welcome owners who are "divisive and incendiary."
Every major pro sports franchise has dealings with its community, he said. "It's unfair for taxpayers to be underwriting people who denigrate them," he said.
A few months ago, Sharpton was fined $285,000 by the FEC for gross violations of federal law during his failed 2004 presidential bid:
During his 2004 presidential campaign, Sharpton traveled extensively and routinely mixed travel for his campaign committee and National Action Network. An FEC audit and investigation revealed that National Action Network and other entities paid $387,192 in campaign expenses. The FEC determined that National Action Network made payments totaling $107,615 for committee expenses and $73,500 in payments to consultants and vendors for campaign-related work, violating the prohibition against corporate contributions. Sharpton’s sole proprietorships, Rev-Als Production and Sharpton Media LLC, also paid $214,577 in campaign travel expenses and an additional $65,000 came from unknown sources. None of these in-kind contributions were disclosed in the committee’s disclosure reports.
Sharpton, his presidential campaign committee, Sharpton 2004, and Andrew Rivera, in his official capacity as treasurer, agreed to pay a civil penalty of $208,000 for failing to report accurately all receipts and expenditures, receiving excessive and prohibited in-kind contributions and accepting impermissible corporate contributions. They also agreed to refund $10,500 in unresolved excessive contributions, disgorge $9,000 in excessive contributions and refund $181,115 to National Action Network or disgorge the funds to the U.S. Treasury. National Action Network, Inc. and Sharpton, as president, agreed to a civil penalty of $77,000 for making prohibited contributions to Sharpton 2004.
Respondents also agreed that they misstated receipts and disbursements and cash on hand, understated by $231,753; receipts of $15,000 in loans from unknown sources; and $10,500 in excessive contributions from individuals.
In 2004, U.S. taxpayers subsidized Sharpton's campaign with federal matching funds. Eventually he was ordered to repay $200,000 of those funds. The Village Voice examined Sharpton's scam.
Fred Siegel, writing in the Wall Street Journal in 2000, gave a refresher course on Sharpton and his racist hate-mongering:
Mr. Sharpton is best-known for the Tawana Brawley hoax, in which he insisted that a 15-year-old black girl had been abducted and raped by a band of white men practicing Irish Republican Army rituals. In fact she had made up the story to protect herself from her violent stepfather.
But at Freddy's, Mr. Sharpton was even more malevolent. He turned a landlord-tenant dispute between the Jewish owner of Freddy's and a black subtenant into a theater of hatred. Picketers from Mr. Sharpton's National Action Network, sometimes joined by "the Rev." himself, marched daily outside the store, screaming about "bloodsucking Jews" and "Jew bastards" and threatening to burn the building down.
After weeks of increasingly violent rhetoric, one of the protesters, Roland Smith, took Mr. Sharpton's words about ousting the "white interloper" to heart. He ran into the store shouting, "It's on!" He shot and wounded three whites and a Pakistani, whom he apparently mistook for a Jew. Then he set the fire, which killed five Hispanics, one Guyanese and one African-American--a security guard whom protesters had taunted as a "cracker lover." Smith then fatally shot himself.
Eight people died, and so evidently did the conscience of liberal Democrats. It was Al Sharpton who had the honor of asking the first question at last week's debate, held within hailing distance of the Freddy's massacre.
In his statements to the AP tonight, Sharpton describes himself, not Limbaugh. Yet Sharpton is treated as a paragon of virtue while Limbaugh is viciously lied about.
No justice, indeed.
What was her name?
Sadly for this member of Rush's audience, I am forever boycotting American football if Rush is denied ownership. The same as I went on strike against MLB when the players went on strike and canceled the end of the season and the "world" series (I only follow NPB now - get 'em next year Swallows!).
I will and sadly. I love football. Guess I’ll have to stick with college games.
“Hell I’ve been a Lions fan forever...”
LOL! I feel your pain. Being a Lion’s fan, you’re probably numb to pain. In fact, being a Lion’s fan “forever” probably qualifies you as a masochist. Sorry, don’t mean to rub it in. Anyway, the Lions have won more games this year than last. So that should put a spring in your step. Be careful of the potholes.
(Sorry, I’m harassing you.)
Just remember that historically the lions beat the Christians in the arena. Oops, these Lions play in the Silverdumb near Dumbtroit. Actually I like the Silverdome. Last game I attended there had 35,000 empty seats so we could sit where we wanted. We sat on the 50 yard line so we could watch the Lion’s quarterback close-up, but the Lions never got past their 5 yard line...Should’ve sat on the 1 yard line to watch the safety.
Okay, I’m leaving before I get in trouble...
Tawana Brawly
IMHO, there is going to be a huge backlash from RAMS fans and the City is going to be stuck with an empty stadium. The will have to use it as a demolition derby venue like they had to do before the RAMS came to St. Louis.
BTW, why isn't BIG AL and JESSEE hoping all over WAL-MART-their family owns 50% of the RAMS?
As far as the politicians in the City of St. Louis, IMHO, they put the pressure on Rush's partner to drop Rush or else they would screw him on his current deal for the home of the Blues which occupy a state financed stadium built several years ago.
St. Louis also built a new stadium with State money for the St. Louis Cardinals. The group that bought the Cards from the Bush family were all white Republicans. But they had to hire minority contractors to build the new stadium and I'd be curious how many back room payoffs there were with the current St. Louis City officials and their cronies!
I'm staying home from the Dome and will pay the extra to watch any NFL games on Direct TV.
Rush’s audience may be small realtive to a country of 300 Million, but the NFL fan base is huge and most of them, at least in St. Louis that go to the Dome are from the burbs.
This has gotten National attention from Coast to Coast. If a fan doesn’t listen to Rush they are hearing about this assination of Rush by Sharpton and Jessee Jackson in some form or other.
Where is the NFL? Are they too afraid to take on the likes of Jackson and Sharpton?
As far as I am concerned, if the RAMS are sold I hope they move out of St. Louis. Maybe to Memphis where they can play in the Martin Luther King Dome.
I can't imagine if the Olympics came to Chicago! Now that would have been worse than the political crap that is happening in the City of St. Louis to keep Rush out of the game.
I've posted more on this than the norm. BUT I AM SO FED UP WITH THE RACE CARD ON EVERY ISSUE COMING OUT OF DC THAT I'M READY TO MOVE TO EUROPE.
Consider Paraguay. You can buy land there inexpensively and you don’t need to be a citizen. Warm climate, no 0bama...Heaven, LOL! :)
Good point.
Hannity: Lightweight-Boring
You know what, I don't or won't do that. All I will do is watch the coolness of football dissipate. Football is now a contaminated sport -- contamined with democrat undue influence. Where were all the owners vouching for Rush as a person who should get equal treatment? Nowhere. Football is doomed. I don't have to do anything except let time work its magic.
Oh yeah they are. They are pussified little balls of mush. They have proved it over and over. I mean, their commissioner is...uh....Roger Goodell.
Does that man scream "Man of Backbone" to you, or does he scream "Politically-Correct Tool"?
He's just another tool, like Bud Selig. They don't care about anything but the bottom line, and the bottom line is telling them "Rush is Controversial." Damn the truth to hell. They don't care.
Sniveling bunch of little tools that they are.
In fact they'd be glorifying Little Nut Job for doing so.
Ditto!
If I hear one more “You're A Great American” I'm going to barf.
I only hear him because he's on right after Rush in our area.
Guess, different strokes for different folks. I know conservatives that love Hannity and can't stand Rush.
At least the message is getting out that is important, not the messenger.
a moral victory for all RACIST Americans
PAGING MICHAEL VICK!
PAGING MICHAEL VICK!
PAGING MICHAEL VICK!
PLEASE CALL NFL HEADQUARTERS ...
——————————————————>
PAGING LEONARD LITTLE
PAGING RAY LEWIS
PAGING CHRIS HENRY
PLEASE CALL NFL HEADQUARTERS IMMEDIATELY.............
The blacks are acting like spoiled children who won't keep their mouths shut. A big slap down may be coming and it is their own faults. The NFL is a disgrace for allowing this. They don't seem to care who butters their bread.
I'm looking for a Hail Mary Pass from NFL FANS to support Rush and pull back the curtain on political agenda behind Rush being denied the right every American should have in this Country.....life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!
If Obama sees this as payback to Rush then its time for the American people to not only have tea parties but tailback parties outside empty stadiums! Let's get to the Dome, get out the grill, turn on the radio to listen to the game. Let the NFL hear pins drop in the stadiums! Third down and 1 yard to go to show the NFL we aren't astro-turf fans.
It has set race relations back 50 years.
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