Wednesday, October 17, 2007
obama and cheney cousins
click here
Cheney, Obama 'distant cousins'
Mr Obama and Mr Cheney share a French ancestor
They may be polar opposites politically but US Vice-President Dick Cheney and Democratic candidate Barack Obama are related, Mr Cheney's wife says.
Lynne Cheney said she had discovered while doing family research for a new book that her husband and the Illinois senator were eighth cousins.
She said she traced a common ancestor of the two men to be a 17th century immigrant from France.
She described the connection as "amazing".
"This is such an amazing American story that one ancestor... could be responsible down the family line for lives that have taken such different and varied paths."
According to Mrs Cheney's spokeswoman, Mr Obama is distantly related to Mareen Duvall, whose son Samuel married the granddaughter of Mr Cheney's ancestor, also called Richard Cheney.
Mr Obama's spokesman, Bill Burton, responded to the news by saying: "Every family has a black sheep."
Mr Cheney, the brooding neo-conservative closely associated with the decision to invade Iraq, has little else in common with Mr Obama.
Mr Obama, the son of a Kenyan man and a white woman from Kansas, has earned epithets like "rock star" because of his popularity among young Democrats, and a reputation as a liberal because of his voting record in the Senate.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
vaccines kill
here
Officials say drug caused Nigeria polio
By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer Fri Oct 5, 3:55 PM ET
LONDON - A polio outbreak in Nigeria was caused by the vaccine designed to stop it, international health officials say, leaving at least 69 children paralyzed.
It is a frightening paradox in a part of the world that already distrusts western vaccines, making it even tougher to stamp out age-old diseases.
The outbreak was caused by the live polio virus that is used in vaccines given orally — the preferred method in developing countries because it is cheaper and doesn't require medical training to dispense.
"This vaccine is the most effective tool we have against the virus, but it's like fighting fire with fire," said Olen Kew, a virologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC and the World Health Organization announced the cause of the polio outbreak last week, even though they knew about it last year.
Outbreaks caused by the oral vaccine's live virus have happened before. But the continuing Nigerian outbreak is the biggest ever caused by the vaccine. It also follows a nearly yearlong boycott of the vaccine in Africa's most populous country because of unfounded fears the vaccine was a Western plot to sterilize Muslims.
Officials now worry that the latest vaccine-caused Nigerian outbreak could trigger another vaccine scare.
Experts say such outbreaks only happen when too few children are vaccinated. In northern Nigeria, only about 39 percent of children are fully protected against polio.
The oral polio vaccine contains a weakened version of polio virus. Children who have been vaccinated excrete the virus, and in unsanitary conditions it can end up in the water supply, spreading to unvaccinated children.
In rare instances, as the virus passes through unimmunized children, it can mutate into a form that is dangerous enough to spark new outbreaks.
In 2001, officials reported that 22 children were paralyzed from polio in the Dominican Republic and Haiti in this way. Subsequent vaccine-caused polio outbreaks have occurred in the Philippines, Madagascar, China and Indonesia.
In the West, the polio vaccine is given as a shot and uses an inactivated virus, but that method is more expensive and requires training.
In Nigeria, the outbreak comes "in the wake of all the other problems they've had in," said Dr. Donald A. Henderson, who led WHO's smallpox eradication campaign in the 1970s.
In 2003, politicians in northern Nigeria canceled vaccination campaigns for nearly a year, claiming the vaccine was a Western plot to sterilize Muslims. That led to an explosion of polio, and the virus jumped to about two dozen countries.
Now, health officials' decision to keep quiet about the cause of the outbreak for so long may look suspicious.
Dr. David Heymann, WHO's top polio official, said that because the organization considered the outbreak to be a problem for scientists and not something that would change global vaccination practices, they thought it was was unnecessary to immediately share publicly.
CDC's Kew added: "The people who are against immunization may seize on anything that could strengthen their position, even if it's scientifically untenable."
Rumors are still rife among Nigerians that the vaccine is unsafe, and several religious leaders continue to lecture on its dangers. Another mass vaccine boycott could lead to further polio spread, derailing long-standing eradication efforts for good.
Nigerian health officials contacted by The Associated Press declined to comment on the situation.
"Convincing the Nigerians to take even more of this vaccine will be a tough sell," said Dr. Samuel Katz, an infectious diseases specialist at Duke University and co-inventor of the measles vaccine.
More than 10 billion polio doses have been given to children worldwide, and the vaccine has been credited with cutting polio incidence by more than 99 percent since 1988. Far more children are paralyzed by the wild polio virus than the virus spread by the oral vaccine. But no vaccine is risk-free.
WHO said that changing the vaccination strategy is unnecessary. "It would be nice if we had a more stable oral polio vaccine, but that's not the way it is today," Heymann said. "We will continue working the way we have been working because we don't want children to be paralyzed anywhere."
Officials say drug caused Nigeria polio
By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer Fri Oct 5, 3:55 PM ET
LONDON - A polio outbreak in Nigeria was caused by the vaccine designed to stop it, international health officials say, leaving at least 69 children paralyzed.
It is a frightening paradox in a part of the world that already distrusts western vaccines, making it even tougher to stamp out age-old diseases.
The outbreak was caused by the live polio virus that is used in vaccines given orally — the preferred method in developing countries because it is cheaper and doesn't require medical training to dispense.
"This vaccine is the most effective tool we have against the virus, but it's like fighting fire with fire," said Olen Kew, a virologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC and the World Health Organization announced the cause of the polio outbreak last week, even though they knew about it last year.
Outbreaks caused by the oral vaccine's live virus have happened before. But the continuing Nigerian outbreak is the biggest ever caused by the vaccine. It also follows a nearly yearlong boycott of the vaccine in Africa's most populous country because of unfounded fears the vaccine was a Western plot to sterilize Muslims.
Officials now worry that the latest vaccine-caused Nigerian outbreak could trigger another vaccine scare.
Experts say such outbreaks only happen when too few children are vaccinated. In northern Nigeria, only about 39 percent of children are fully protected against polio.
The oral polio vaccine contains a weakened version of polio virus. Children who have been vaccinated excrete the virus, and in unsanitary conditions it can end up in the water supply, spreading to unvaccinated children.
In rare instances, as the virus passes through unimmunized children, it can mutate into a form that is dangerous enough to spark new outbreaks.
In 2001, officials reported that 22 children were paralyzed from polio in the Dominican Republic and Haiti in this way. Subsequent vaccine-caused polio outbreaks have occurred in the Philippines, Madagascar, China and Indonesia.
In the West, the polio vaccine is given as a shot and uses an inactivated virus, but that method is more expensive and requires training.
In Nigeria, the outbreak comes "in the wake of all the other problems they've had in," said Dr. Donald A. Henderson, who led WHO's smallpox eradication campaign in the 1970s.
In 2003, politicians in northern Nigeria canceled vaccination campaigns for nearly a year, claiming the vaccine was a Western plot to sterilize Muslims. That led to an explosion of polio, and the virus jumped to about two dozen countries.
Now, health officials' decision to keep quiet about the cause of the outbreak for so long may look suspicious.
Dr. David Heymann, WHO's top polio official, said that because the organization considered the outbreak to be a problem for scientists and not something that would change global vaccination practices, they thought it was was unnecessary to immediately share publicly.
CDC's Kew added: "The people who are against immunization may seize on anything that could strengthen their position, even if it's scientifically untenable."
Rumors are still rife among Nigerians that the vaccine is unsafe, and several religious leaders continue to lecture on its dangers. Another mass vaccine boycott could lead to further polio spread, derailing long-standing eradication efforts for good.
Nigerian health officials contacted by The Associated Press declined to comment on the situation.
"Convincing the Nigerians to take even more of this vaccine will be a tough sell," said Dr. Samuel Katz, an infectious diseases specialist at Duke University and co-inventor of the measles vaccine.
More than 10 billion polio doses have been given to children worldwide, and the vaccine has been credited with cutting polio incidence by more than 99 percent since 1988. Far more children are paralyzed by the wild polio virus than the virus spread by the oral vaccine. But no vaccine is risk-free.
WHO said that changing the vaccination strategy is unnecessary. "It would be nice if we had a more stable oral polio vaccine, but that's not the way it is today," Heymann said. "We will continue working the way we have been working because we don't want children to be paralyzed anywhere."
aint no stopping ron paul
Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now!
by James Ostrowski
by James Ostrowski
Save a link to this article and return to it at www.savethis.comSave a link to this article and return to it at www.savethis.com Email a link to this articleEmail a link to this article Printer-friendly version of this articlePrinter-friendly version of this article View a list of the most popular articles on our siteView a list of the most popular articles on our site
DIGG THIS
Ron’s Paul’s announcement of his third-quarter fundraising was a major turning point in the campaign. It was the first time he received coverage from the mainstream media befitting a contender.
I just have a few small quibbles and not out of orneriness or ingratitude at the fine coverage.
The MSM actually understated the significance of this accomplishment.
First, the money was raised by a candidate the MSM had given no chance to win and little coverage. Much of the coverage was derisive or dismissive. His poll numbers were in the single digits. Ron Paul supporters evidently don’t care much about today’s poll numbers or MSM conventional wisdom. The Ron Paul Revolution is, among other things, a revolution against the MSM! The Revolution has used the MSM’s rival, the internet, to force its way into contention. This is the first presidential campaign where the internet has been a decisive factor, not just a sideshow.
Second, while money is the heart of the campaigns of the other contenders, official money is the lesser part of the Ron Paul campaign. The heart of Ron Paul’s campaign is a spontaneous, grassroots eruption of real world and virtual activism. This is simply nonexistent with Rudy’s campaign, for example. There is no grassroots Rudy campaign. I would know. I live in the second largest city in his home state and am a close observer of local politics. It just isn’t there.
As has been noted in various places on the web in recent days, the total economic value of the efforts on behalf of Ron Paul is far greater than reflected in his campaign spending. He has 50 paid staffers but tens of thousands of hardcore volunteers spending their own money. I spoke to a volunteer in Albany the other day. He said there were "only" 150 Ron Paul volunteers in Albany. Only 150 in one small city? Other campaigns would kill for that.
Third, it's a mistake to compare contributions to Ron Paul with contributions to Rudy. Rudy collects large donations from the usual suspects, the corporate state elite, rich people who wish to buy political influence. They want something specific and tangible for their money: a judgeship, a subsidy, a pardon, an ambassadorship. In Buffalo, his fundraiser was hosted by a man who did the same for George Bush and coincidentally got an ambassadorship to Malta. A tough job but somebody has to do it.
Those who give to Ron Paul do so mainly out of pure principle. While his supporters expect to benefit from his election, it’s not a specific tangible benefit at the expense of others. On the contrary, they expect an improvement in the general welfare of which they will partake. Concern for the general welfare has rarely provided the basis for substantial political fundraising. Political scientists tell us that people generally do not get heavily involved in politics unless they expect to materially benefit above and beyond the general public. Ron Paul is defying a law of politics known as rational apathy.
Fourth, the average donation to Rudy is many times higher than Ron Paul’s. This means that far more people stand behind those Ron Paul dollars. As the campaign goes on, they can continue to donate while many of Rudy’s influence buyers have maxed out. Also, there’s just more of us plain folk than fat cats, once again pointing to more room for growth for Ron Paul.
The MSM deserves credit for finally noticing the Ron Paul Revolution but they have barely begun to grasp its true strength. Nevertheless, this burst of publicity will generate even more contributions, boost poll numbers, and encourage more volunteers, which in turn will stimulate more publicity. I think the best metaphor for the campaign now is a nuclear chain reaction. That’s why this may be an appropriate campaign theme song:
by James Ostrowski
by James Ostrowski
Save a link to this article and return to it at www.savethis.comSave a link to this article and return to it at www.savethis.com Email a link to this articleEmail a link to this article Printer-friendly version of this articlePrinter-friendly version of this article View a list of the most popular articles on our siteView a list of the most popular articles on our site
DIGG THIS
Ron’s Paul’s announcement of his third-quarter fundraising was a major turning point in the campaign. It was the first time he received coverage from the mainstream media befitting a contender.
I just have a few small quibbles and not out of orneriness or ingratitude at the fine coverage.
The MSM actually understated the significance of this accomplishment.
First, the money was raised by a candidate the MSM had given no chance to win and little coverage. Much of the coverage was derisive or dismissive. His poll numbers were in the single digits. Ron Paul supporters evidently don’t care much about today’s poll numbers or MSM conventional wisdom. The Ron Paul Revolution is, among other things, a revolution against the MSM! The Revolution has used the MSM’s rival, the internet, to force its way into contention. This is the first presidential campaign where the internet has been a decisive factor, not just a sideshow.
Second, while money is the heart of the campaigns of the other contenders, official money is the lesser part of the Ron Paul campaign. The heart of Ron Paul’s campaign is a spontaneous, grassroots eruption of real world and virtual activism. This is simply nonexistent with Rudy’s campaign, for example. There is no grassroots Rudy campaign. I would know. I live in the second largest city in his home state and am a close observer of local politics. It just isn’t there.
As has been noted in various places on the web in recent days, the total economic value of the efforts on behalf of Ron Paul is far greater than reflected in his campaign spending. He has 50 paid staffers but tens of thousands of hardcore volunteers spending their own money. I spoke to a volunteer in Albany the other day. He said there were "only" 150 Ron Paul volunteers in Albany. Only 150 in one small city? Other campaigns would kill for that.
Third, it's a mistake to compare contributions to Ron Paul with contributions to Rudy. Rudy collects large donations from the usual suspects, the corporate state elite, rich people who wish to buy political influence. They want something specific and tangible for their money: a judgeship, a subsidy, a pardon, an ambassadorship. In Buffalo, his fundraiser was hosted by a man who did the same for George Bush and coincidentally got an ambassadorship to Malta. A tough job but somebody has to do it.
Those who give to Ron Paul do so mainly out of pure principle. While his supporters expect to benefit from his election, it’s not a specific tangible benefit at the expense of others. On the contrary, they expect an improvement in the general welfare of which they will partake. Concern for the general welfare has rarely provided the basis for substantial political fundraising. Political scientists tell us that people generally do not get heavily involved in politics unless they expect to materially benefit above and beyond the general public. Ron Paul is defying a law of politics known as rational apathy.
Fourth, the average donation to Rudy is many times higher than Ron Paul’s. This means that far more people stand behind those Ron Paul dollars. As the campaign goes on, they can continue to donate while many of Rudy’s influence buyers have maxed out. Also, there’s just more of us plain folk than fat cats, once again pointing to more room for growth for Ron Paul.
The MSM deserves credit for finally noticing the Ron Paul Revolution but they have barely begun to grasp its true strength. Nevertheless, this burst of publicity will generate even more contributions, boost poll numbers, and encourage more volunteers, which in turn will stimulate more publicity. I think the best metaphor for the campaign now is a nuclear chain reaction. That’s why this may be an appropriate campaign theme song:
Friday, October 5, 2007
this is their gun propaganda
this is their argument to take away your power. remember: when you give up responsibility you give up your power and you are at the mercy of your overlords! remember that you, the american citizens, are the militia, and therefore must be armed as such.
here
now this site shows you a bit of sarcasm... i think this is right on!
here
as far as gun bans on private property and within privately owned businesses, you cant make rules on private property that violate the citizens rights- period! that is why it is against the law to restrict weapons on a plane (and also to search for weapons). laws are laws whether or not it be a privately owned business or privately owned property. private businesses do not have legislative power in this country. the reason it happens is because we let it happen.
here
here
now this site shows you a bit of sarcasm... i think this is right on!
here
as far as gun bans on private property and within privately owned businesses, you cant make rules on private property that violate the citizens rights- period! that is why it is against the law to restrict weapons on a plane (and also to search for weapons). laws are laws whether or not it be a privately owned business or privately owned property. private businesses do not have legislative power in this country. the reason it happens is because we let it happen.
here
the gotbaum conspiracy
click here
Gotbaum Had Front-Row View Of City Hall Shooting
Public Advocate Reviews Tape Of Incident With CBS 2
by Andrew Kirtzman
NEW YORK (CBS) ― It's a routine start to a City Council hearing. The Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, is getting ready to preside. Councilman Simcha Felder has a chat with a deputy clerk, Vincent Bonavita.
Then, gunshots.
The date was July 23, 2003, the day Councilman James Davis was gunned down inside City Hall by political rival Othniel Askew.
On Friday, Gotbaum re-lived those moments with CBS 2.
"We heard the popping and the parliamentarian on my left said it must be some sort of an act," Gotbaum said. "And the popping kept going and I just remember thinking, 'oh my gosh, duck down.'"
As the video shows, the Council photographer, Dan Luhmann, springs into action as officer Richard Burt, off-camera, fires shots at the assailant. Most duck for cover. Councilman Felder crouches behind the clerk's table.
On the video, a voice is heard screaming out, "It's in the balcony!"
Bonavita tries desperately to warn people where the assassin's shots have come from. Few in this room know whether the shooter is dead, or still alive and dangerous. Even fewer realize that his victim is Councilman Davis.
"It was complete confusion," Gotbaum said. "They knew something happened in balancy, but nobody knew what happened."
Gotbaum was worried about a half-dozen interns from her office who were in the balcony near Davis.
"When I heard them yelling 'it's in the balcony, it's in the balcony,' I was concerned about the kids up there," she said. "You know, they're young kids."
Fortunately, none were hurt, but for Gotbaum the memories are still vivid three years later.
"Every time I go through the chambers of the City Council I remember it," she said. "You just remember it. You remember that feeling."
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
here
Gotbaum: Daughter-In-Law 'Manhandled' By Police
Public Advocate Questions Treatment Of Carol Gotbaum
Featured Slideshows:
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Reporting
Andrew Kirtzman
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Still grieving her daughter-in-law's untimely death, the public advocate has launched a blistering attack upon a police department thousands of miles away.
Betsy Gotbaum says she wants to know why Carol Anne Gotbaum died in a police holding cell at a Phoenix airport.
"Carol, who was only 5-foot-7 and 105 pounds, appears to have been manhandled by the Phoenix Police Department," Betsy Gotbaum said.
"She cried out for help at the airport, but her pleas appear to have been met by mistreatment."
At the same time the family revealed Gotbaum was headed to an alcohol rehabilitation center when the incident began Friday night.
On Monday, the Phoenix P.D. seemed to back-pedal from their initial report that Gotbaum strangled herself to death while struggling alone with her handcuffs.
"The Medical Examiner will have to be the one who rules on the cause of death," Phoenix Police Lt. Andy Hill said.
The incident began Friday night, when Gotbaum missed her flight from Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport to Tucson. Police say she started yelling and screaming, and had to be wrestled to the ground and handcuffed.
She died soon afterwards when police noticed that things had become strangely quiet in her cell.
"This has been a horrible tragedy for my family, for my stepson and my three grandchildren," Betsy Gotbaum said.
Security consultant Patrick Brosnan is a former NYPD detective. He's mystified by assertions that a handcuffed woman could strangle herself.
"I've actually never heard of a documented case where this set of facts caused someone to die," Brosnan said.
As Brosnan demonstrated, it would be impossible for someone to pull her arms over her head from behind. More likely, she could have run her handcuffs under her feet.
"I dont have great range of motion, but it's extremely difficult," Brosnan said.
Gotbaum lived on a quiet, Upper West Side street, which is lined with trees and expensive brownstones. She lived on the street with her three children.
One neighbor says Gotbaum's case frightens her.
"I think we can all look and say this can happen to me," Jonna Espey said. "This is amazing. This is really frightening."
Gotbaum's family has now hired an attorney to monitor both the autopsy and the inquiry into her untimely death.
The Phoenix Medical Examiner is expected to rule on a cause of death as early as Tuesday.
here
Passenger Describes Gotbaum Incident In Phoenix
Woman: 'She Was Screaming, 'You're Hurting Me!''
Featured Slideshows:
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Reporting
Andrew Kirtzman
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
CBS 2 HD has learned more about the wild confrontation between a Manhattan woman and police inside an Arizona airport. Other passengers are now describing what they saw minutes before Carol Anne Gotbaum was found dead inside a holding cell.
CBS 2 HD spoke to one woman who was there, but did not want to be identified.
"She got her cell phone, broke it on a couple of customers and she threw it on the floor, hit them," the woman said.
Gotbaum, the daughter-in-law of New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, was on her way to an alcohol rehabilitation clinic Friday when she missed her plane and started to scream. Police handcuffed her and put her in a holding room.
"She was screaming, 'You're hurting me! The handcuffs are too tight on me!'" the woman said.
The Phoenix medical examiner is attempting to learn whether she strangled herself with her handcuffs, as police say. Autopsy results have yet to be released, but critics of the police are already crying foul.
"One has to wonder whether there was not some over-reaction, some excessive force and entirely inappropriate response to the problem here," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks security was intensified at airports around the country. The question in this case is whether all that new security did more harm than good.
"They come there with weapons. They come there with an orientation towards force -- that's what police officers do," John Jay College Professor Eugene O'Donnell said. "And they should be reserved, absolutely reserved, for situations where they are needed and where there really is a genuine breach of the peace, not the kinds of scenes that are repeated all over the country every day in airports."
Phoenix police have insisted they were following procedure in the case. And reports of Gotbaum's alcoholism and even two suicide attempts suggest she's had an unstable past.
Until a cause of death is determined, the case will continue to remain a mystery.
Two autopsies were performed Tuesday, one by the local medical examiner and a second by an independent pathologist hired by a Gotbaum family attorney.
here
Gotbaum Autopsy: Bruises Indicate Struggle
Results Inconclusive However, Toxicology Results Needed
PHOENIX (AP) ― A private investigator observing an autopsy of a woman who died after being detained at the Phoenix airport said bruises were scattered across her body, indicating there was a struggle, an attorney for the woman's family said.
The autopsy conducted Tuesday on Carol Anne Gotbaum was inconclusive, and toxicology results needed to determine a cause of death will not be available for a few weeks, a county medical examiner said.
Gotbaum's family accuses police of manhandling the New York woman when they arrested her Friday. They have hired the private investigator, an attorney to monitor the police investigation and a pathologist who performed a second autopsy Tuesday night.
Authorities have said Gotbaum, who was handcuffed and shackled to a bench, may have accidentally strangled herself Friday. David Boyer, the acting director of the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office, would not say whether the official autopsy supports or refutes that theory.
"The doctor in this case is waiting for all testing to be done before she would rule on the cause and manner" of death, Boyer said. He said it will be a few weeks before toxicology tests are completed on Gotbaum, who was arrested for disorderly conduct after she was kept off a flight at Sky Harbor International Airport.
Michael Manning, who was hired by the family to monitor the police investigation, said the private investigator who watched the official autopsy said numerous bruises were scattered across Gotbaum's body.
"The body shows signs of a struggle," Manning said. "There are ligature marks, and some of those ligature marks match the chain that they used to chain her to the bench."
Manning said renowned forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht, whom the family hired to conduct the second autopsy, was "going to prepare his report and get back with us in a week or so."
Gotbaum, 45, was on her way to an alcohol treatment program in Tucson when police stopped her. Authorities said she was late for a flight and became angry when a gate crew wouldn't let her on the plane.
Officers handcuffed Gotbaum behind her back, shackled her to a bench and left her alone in a detention room. Police said she was later found unconscious and not breathing with the chain from the shackle pulled against the front of her neck. It appeared that Gotbaum got tangled as she tried to manipulate the handcuffs from behind her to the front, police said.
Police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill said officers followed established policy while detaining Gotbaum. Police also said their procedures for arresting someone at the airport haven't changed since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The Phoenix Police Department's Professional Standards Bureau is conducting an internal investigation, a standard procedure following an in-custody death.
Manning said Gotbaum started drinking heavily about three years ago, and her family noticed a serious problem with alcoholism about a year ago, Manning said. He said she left her three children with her husband, Noah, and headed to Tucson to get better.
"When she landed in Phoenix, she talked with her husband," Manning said. "She said, `I want to do this for us. I want to do this for our kids. I'm committed to this. I'm so happy....' Everything was going swimmingly well when she landed."
Manning said he's still interviewing witnesses and the family hasn't decided whether to sue Phoenix police.
Gotbaum Had Front-Row View Of City Hall Shooting
Public Advocate Reviews Tape Of Incident With CBS 2
by Andrew Kirtzman
NEW YORK (CBS) ― It's a routine start to a City Council hearing. The Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, is getting ready to preside. Councilman Simcha Felder has a chat with a deputy clerk, Vincent Bonavita.
Then, gunshots.
The date was July 23, 2003, the day Councilman James Davis was gunned down inside City Hall by political rival Othniel Askew.
On Friday, Gotbaum re-lived those moments with CBS 2.
"We heard the popping and the parliamentarian on my left said it must be some sort of an act," Gotbaum said. "And the popping kept going and I just remember thinking, 'oh my gosh, duck down.'"
As the video shows, the Council photographer, Dan Luhmann, springs into action as officer Richard Burt, off-camera, fires shots at the assailant. Most duck for cover. Councilman Felder crouches behind the clerk's table.
On the video, a voice is heard screaming out, "It's in the balcony!"
Bonavita tries desperately to warn people where the assassin's shots have come from. Few in this room know whether the shooter is dead, or still alive and dangerous. Even fewer realize that his victim is Councilman Davis.
"It was complete confusion," Gotbaum said. "They knew something happened in balancy, but nobody knew what happened."
Gotbaum was worried about a half-dozen interns from her office who were in the balcony near Davis.
"When I heard them yelling 'it's in the balcony, it's in the balcony,' I was concerned about the kids up there," she said. "You know, they're young kids."
Fortunately, none were hurt, but for Gotbaum the memories are still vivid three years later.
"Every time I go through the chambers of the City Council I remember it," she said. "You just remember it. You remember that feeling."
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
here
Gotbaum: Daughter-In-Law 'Manhandled' By Police
Public Advocate Questions Treatment Of Carol Gotbaum
Featured Slideshows:
Incredible Fighter Jets
Jessica Simpson Then To Now
Openly Gay Celebrities
Best Movie Bloopers
Reporting
Andrew Kirtzman
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Still grieving her daughter-in-law's untimely death, the public advocate has launched a blistering attack upon a police department thousands of miles away.
Betsy Gotbaum says she wants to know why Carol Anne Gotbaum died in a police holding cell at a Phoenix airport.
"Carol, who was only 5-foot-7 and 105 pounds, appears to have been manhandled by the Phoenix Police Department," Betsy Gotbaum said.
"She cried out for help at the airport, but her pleas appear to have been met by mistreatment."
At the same time the family revealed Gotbaum was headed to an alcohol rehabilitation center when the incident began Friday night.
On Monday, the Phoenix P.D. seemed to back-pedal from their initial report that Gotbaum strangled herself to death while struggling alone with her handcuffs.
"The Medical Examiner will have to be the one who rules on the cause of death," Phoenix Police Lt. Andy Hill said.
The incident began Friday night, when Gotbaum missed her flight from Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport to Tucson. Police say she started yelling and screaming, and had to be wrestled to the ground and handcuffed.
She died soon afterwards when police noticed that things had become strangely quiet in her cell.
"This has been a horrible tragedy for my family, for my stepson and my three grandchildren," Betsy Gotbaum said.
Security consultant Patrick Brosnan is a former NYPD detective. He's mystified by assertions that a handcuffed woman could strangle herself.
"I've actually never heard of a documented case where this set of facts caused someone to die," Brosnan said.
As Brosnan demonstrated, it would be impossible for someone to pull her arms over her head from behind. More likely, she could have run her handcuffs under her feet.
"I dont have great range of motion, but it's extremely difficult," Brosnan said.
Gotbaum lived on a quiet, Upper West Side street, which is lined with trees and expensive brownstones. She lived on the street with her three children.
One neighbor says Gotbaum's case frightens her.
"I think we can all look and say this can happen to me," Jonna Espey said. "This is amazing. This is really frightening."
Gotbaum's family has now hired an attorney to monitor both the autopsy and the inquiry into her untimely death.
The Phoenix Medical Examiner is expected to rule on a cause of death as early as Tuesday.
here
Passenger Describes Gotbaum Incident In Phoenix
Woman: 'She Was Screaming, 'You're Hurting Me!''
Featured Slideshows:
Incredible Fighter Jets
Jessica Simpson Then To Now
Openly Gay Celebrities
Best Movie Bloopers
Reporting
Andrew Kirtzman
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
CBS 2 HD has learned more about the wild confrontation between a Manhattan woman and police inside an Arizona airport. Other passengers are now describing what they saw minutes before Carol Anne Gotbaum was found dead inside a holding cell.
CBS 2 HD spoke to one woman who was there, but did not want to be identified.
"She got her cell phone, broke it on a couple of customers and she threw it on the floor, hit them," the woman said.
Gotbaum, the daughter-in-law of New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, was on her way to an alcohol rehabilitation clinic Friday when she missed her plane and started to scream. Police handcuffed her and put her in a holding room.
"She was screaming, 'You're hurting me! The handcuffs are too tight on me!'" the woman said.
The Phoenix medical examiner is attempting to learn whether she strangled herself with her handcuffs, as police say. Autopsy results have yet to be released, but critics of the police are already crying foul.
"One has to wonder whether there was not some over-reaction, some excessive force and entirely inappropriate response to the problem here," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks security was intensified at airports around the country. The question in this case is whether all that new security did more harm than good.
"They come there with weapons. They come there with an orientation towards force -- that's what police officers do," John Jay College Professor Eugene O'Donnell said. "And they should be reserved, absolutely reserved, for situations where they are needed and where there really is a genuine breach of the peace, not the kinds of scenes that are repeated all over the country every day in airports."
Phoenix police have insisted they were following procedure in the case. And reports of Gotbaum's alcoholism and even two suicide attempts suggest she's had an unstable past.
Until a cause of death is determined, the case will continue to remain a mystery.
Two autopsies were performed Tuesday, one by the local medical examiner and a second by an independent pathologist hired by a Gotbaum family attorney.
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Gotbaum Autopsy: Bruises Indicate Struggle
Results Inconclusive However, Toxicology Results Needed
PHOENIX (AP) ― A private investigator observing an autopsy of a woman who died after being detained at the Phoenix airport said bruises were scattered across her body, indicating there was a struggle, an attorney for the woman's family said.
The autopsy conducted Tuesday on Carol Anne Gotbaum was inconclusive, and toxicology results needed to determine a cause of death will not be available for a few weeks, a county medical examiner said.
Gotbaum's family accuses police of manhandling the New York woman when they arrested her Friday. They have hired the private investigator, an attorney to monitor the police investigation and a pathologist who performed a second autopsy Tuesday night.
Authorities have said Gotbaum, who was handcuffed and shackled to a bench, may have accidentally strangled herself Friday. David Boyer, the acting director of the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office, would not say whether the official autopsy supports or refutes that theory.
"The doctor in this case is waiting for all testing to be done before she would rule on the cause and manner" of death, Boyer said. He said it will be a few weeks before toxicology tests are completed on Gotbaum, who was arrested for disorderly conduct after she was kept off a flight at Sky Harbor International Airport.
Michael Manning, who was hired by the family to monitor the police investigation, said the private investigator who watched the official autopsy said numerous bruises were scattered across Gotbaum's body.
"The body shows signs of a struggle," Manning said. "There are ligature marks, and some of those ligature marks match the chain that they used to chain her to the bench."
Manning said renowned forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht, whom the family hired to conduct the second autopsy, was "going to prepare his report and get back with us in a week or so."
Gotbaum, 45, was on her way to an alcohol treatment program in Tucson when police stopped her. Authorities said she was late for a flight and became angry when a gate crew wouldn't let her on the plane.
Officers handcuffed Gotbaum behind her back, shackled her to a bench and left her alone in a detention room. Police said she was later found unconscious and not breathing with the chain from the shackle pulled against the front of her neck. It appeared that Gotbaum got tangled as she tried to manipulate the handcuffs from behind her to the front, police said.
Police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill said officers followed established policy while detaining Gotbaum. Police also said their procedures for arresting someone at the airport haven't changed since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The Phoenix Police Department's Professional Standards Bureau is conducting an internal investigation, a standard procedure following an in-custody death.
Manning said Gotbaum started drinking heavily about three years ago, and her family noticed a serious problem with alcoholism about a year ago, Manning said. He said she left her three children with her husband, Noah, and headed to Tucson to get better.
"When she landed in Phoenix, she talked with her husband," Manning said. "She said, `I want to do this for us. I want to do this for our kids. I'm committed to this. I'm so happy....' Everything was going swimmingly well when she landed."
Manning said he's still interviewing witnesses and the family hasn't decided whether to sue Phoenix police.
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