The Last Word made history on Monday. It was the first time a guest walked off our set moments before air. And It will forever be remembered as the time Lawrence O'Donnell gave "the chair interview."
Lawrence slammed Craig Sonner, the "cowardly" lawyer representing George Zimmerman, for fleeing from the studio. The guest bailed on the show and escaped into his waiting car provided by MSNBC, literally running away from Lawrence's tough questions on the murder investigation.
Proving the show must go on, Lawrence furiously ran through his line of questioning to the empty chair that was supposed to be occupied by Sonner. His client is the man who shot and killed Florida teen, Trayvon Martin.
"Who is paying you, Mr. Lawyer? Who hired you?" he demanded of the vacant seat.
New York Times columnist Charles Blow also weighed in on the investigation. He also took partial credit for scaring away George Zimmerman's lawyer.
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Lawrence, Yaaay!! Thank you, thank you, thank you...especially for your show tonight. You sincerely stood up for what's only right. This is so appreciated. I watch you daily and really like your take and stern approach on so many real matters, but the Trayvon Martin's attorney questions and that police reporter questions you put out there tonight... I could only shake my head and feel thankful for someone like you putting it out there as it should be - tough! I am just sooo pleased, so happy that we have an awesome news reporter and program like you and "The Last Word". No one could do that job better than you - thank you again!!
AGREED! Lawrence rules!
SANFORD POLICE & the ORLANDO SENTINEL apparently summoned BREITBART's GHOST to help them DOCTOR their website & stories.
A la BREITBART City of Sanford OFFICIAL website posted Sanfrod Police VERSION of Zimmerman’s DOCTORED statement AND the Police' DOCTORED “Investigation Results” (i.e., COVER-UP) and 911 audio transcripts,
Why? In order to help them "SELF-EXONERATE" for NOT ARRESTING ZIMMERMAN. So they put up Zimmerman’s self-serving FALSE and MALICIOUS portrayal of TRAYVON as "Dangerous threat” and Zimmerman as "VICTIM" and "justified" in killing TRAYVON.
As we all know, BREITBART was an expert in using his website to spread racist and deceitful lies and false portrayals ESPECIALLY of Black people..
blog/ronrobinson/2012/03/01/andrew_breitbart_the_anders_breivik_of_rightwing_media_dies
Like Breitbart, SANFORD's deceitful use of their own OFFICIAL website has allowed Conservative- WHITE-SUPREMCIST trolls to quote verbatim from it AS IF it was "objective," "accurate" AND then SPREAD the DOCTORED “investigation results.”
Why? To help cover-up the Police cover-up AND the White-s/rmcst nature of the murder, the "investigation," the “slave patrol no retreat laws” that enabled the murder, as well as of the behavior of these trolls!
And Anyone spreading these DOCTORED "results" - whether from the City of Sanford, ORLANDO SENTINEL or ANY OTHER "source" should be FLAGGED for spreading SLANDER, DEFAMATION, FALSE & NEGATIVE PORTRAYALS and for INTENTIONALLY INFLICTING EMOTIONAL & MENTAL DISTRESS.
That's NOT free speech. It's just PLAIN EVIL.
First of all, the 911 tapes wisely (if they aren't legally required to) redacted (not 'doctored') the names & addresses of the callers as they could be in danger now that the New Black Panthers are putting bounties out and saying they aren't going to obey the white man's law (see interview with Anderson Cooper). I haven't heard much from the Black Panthers since the Duke LaCrosse "rape" case with a similiar media circus. Remember how the facts changed that rush to judgement?
You just outted yourself as one of the deceitful trolls I mentioned above. Good work! We need to see the kind of apologetics and diversionary tactics the more "sophisticated" of the lot are resorting to.
So take note all of "glaw64" and the direction the next installment of strawman arguments.
Apparently you are heavily invested in this case falling in with your political beliefs as are Revs Sharpton & Jackson. You all may wind up with buyer's remorse where Sharpton has much experience.
First of all, the names/addresses being redacted has absolutely nothing to do with the black panthers. Names/addresses are always redacted in situations like this. Secondly, what is your point? That the new black panthers are an extremist fringe group on the same level of white supremacist/neo-nazi groups?? That they are so extreme that even the last remaining original black panther members don't support them??! That they don't represent the black community in the same way that white supremacists don't represent white America???! COOL STORY, BRO!!!! Well thanks for stating the obvious! God knows where we would be if you didn't give us that very obvious and widely known piece of information. You might have even just saved a few lives tonight!! Now that you've done your one good deed to society, how about you actually take a few seconds to look at the actual issue- a child is dead and the shooter hasn't been arrested. THAT is what matters here, not the black panthers. If the life of that child and the justice for his family means so little to you that all you can do is distract from the issue and point fingers at some unrelated extremist fringe group that no one takes seriously, well that says a lot more about you than it could possibly say about anyone else.
Excellent points bluejai07!
btw the last time anybody checked, the "New Black Panther Party" has a few hands full of members who have accomplished NOTHING except get on the News. They are the quintessential Breitbart, Beck, Fox News created bogey man that is completely toothless and serve ONE purpose - get on the news AND get paid for doing so.
You can always tell who the racists are by how they burn down the strawmen factories they build to create so much smoke and fire with their bogus "New Black Panther Party" talk etc. to INTENTIONALLY obscure the REAL issue - THE MURDER OF TRAYVON MARTIN AND THE RACIST INTENT OF ZIMMERMAN AND POLICE COVER-UP!
"He also takes the Sanford Police Department to task for their leaking of "evidence" to justify their "foolish, unjustifiable" decision not to arrest Zimmerman."
I watch Lawrence O'Donnell every-night.... smile :-)
Watching "The Last Word" right now and I absolutely love the way Lawrence played Zimmerman's "close friend" Joe Oliver or whatever you want to call him. They straight ambushed dude and by the end of the interview, the look on his face was PRICELESS!!!!!!!!! WOW! Lawrence should be doing "Meet the Press" on Sunday mornings.
Oliver said something very odd that they didn't question him on, unfortunately. He said (paraphrasing) "We know that if we weren't sitting here talking about Goerge shooting Trayvon, we'd be talking about Trayvon shooting George".
Say what??
Here is what is disturbing to me about this "friend". He is the ONLY person to come forward on behalf of Mr. Zimmerman. ; ] None of "The Socialist Mr. Zimmerman" close friends and family have come forward at all. NONE. Not one.
Maybe "George" if that IS your name wishs to be a law man as well. Or sees THIS his "friends / co workers life ending moment as HIS BIG moment his 15 minutes of fame as it were. Two mentally disturbed pals palling around all disturbed and what not.
So here it is, not one confidant or family member or WIFE here to defend Mr. Zimmerman. Telling indeed.
Cheers
This was thoroughly entertaining, thanks!
Lawerence O is great!!
Agreed! I truly appreciate your intelligence and passion for getting at the truth. The attorney not showing up spoke volumes. Perhaps his cowardice was a silver lining in disguise. Thank you for, well, being you.
Maybe he decided not to come on and face Larry's vein-popping, loud, red-faced, indignant, baited, hateful questions. Geez, maybe Al S. could join Larry and you could both beat up on him to promote your own show ratings. How about letting independent law enforcement get to the bottom of all this first, and rein in your feigned indignation until all the facts are known.
Larry would kick your ass too.
Ha, succinct and to the point. Martin, feigned indignation? Not surprised at all that the racists are out in full force. Following the GOTP talking points, no doubt.
Answer his questions honestly and don't side step aound them and Lawrence treats people with respect. Side step or BS the question and he keeps after you. Some times, with rightie especialy, that's the only way to get an answer.
I have no idea on who or how someone can say the Mr. Z has a defense. He could have stayed in the car. He wanted confrontation and he got it and maybe he thinks he can get away with murder. But Mr. Martin died while "standing his ground" as the law gave him the right to do.
The only thing is that in Florida, justice is laughed at by the unscrupulous, and the racists. I am boycotting products that come from FL. And believe me it is really hard. And apparently I am not the only one. The price of their Orange juice went down as I saw when I went to the super market this morning. I think that is awesome but sad.
Unfortunately, Florida has gone to the GOP, having been stolen by them in 2004. Florida has been tarnished by one Bush after another, and I don't mean Mulberry. Now Florida has the misfortune of Rick Scott and the novice Marco Rubio bought by the Koch Brothers who are up to no good in Florida. I don't think boycotting orange juice will do much but have at it. As a Floridian, I have seen the good-ole-boy politics and it is alive and well. The key to change is paying attention to the Left or Right leaning of local politicians and State judges. With a little research you can discover a lot about where the judges stand that can't but influence their decisions.
say martin25 sounds to me like you just described that knuckleheaded blowhard BILL O'RIELY .
That attorney is in the phone book with his address (just google him in). I'm sure someone threatened him. I wouldn't help that scum Zimmerman even if I was hired by him. I am so angry that cowboy cop security guard wannabe isn't behind bars!
I think it is a shame the way they are trying to defame a child who is dead because a vigilante killed him for walking through his neighborhood with CANDY and TEA! This type of profiling MUST STOP! All you pro-lifers, WHERE are YOU now? Wasn't Trayvon's life VALUABLE?
So I'm watching Lawrence O'Donnell segment on the Trayvon issue and he calls the attorney for Trayvon a cowardly liar regarding his statements about a broken nose and blows to the back of the head. How does Lawrence know this is a lie? Does he have a crystal ball? These statements appear to be made with conviction with no basis in fact that the lawyer was lying. This is exactly why I don't watch MSNBC. Lawrence is so passionate about his position and yet I'm sitting here watching him in bewilderment. This is such blatant biased opinion that it only appeals to people that share his opinion. It is isn't news or even objective reporting. You can't go to MSNBC to obtain even a modicum of unbiased reporting of events. I will admit that I'm conservative but I browse all news channels. I will honestly say that I turned the channel once Lawrence called the lawyer a cowardly liar. My god. Wait until all the facts are reported instead of crucifying this guy based upon your agenda and opinion in reporting. It's so obvious and you lose any credibility you may have had. The nation isn't stupid. I sincerely believe the reason MSNBC doesn't have even decent ratings is because people with common sense are offended when they watch MSNBC attempting to force their agenda down common sense peoples' throats.
I might be wrong,but I dont think he said the broken nose thing was a lie. I believe he said that if his nose was broken and he was injured(to the point he feared for his life),why isnt there a Hospital report. Name ONE network that DOESN'T try to jam their agenda down our throats?
TC Texan, I agree with you, and they wonder why there ratings SUCK.
Right, Tex doesn't watch MSNBC but suddenly shows up to dis the channel and demonstrate they haven't heard the old cliché "actions speak louder than words."
Thanks, you folks in the Lone Star State, the ones who gave us George W. Bush and Rick Parry...
And tried to put the polish on a turd blossom, a local here the elder Bush plucked and shielded from the draft so he could be one of 41's political mafiosi...
Shoot, if this happened in Texas and Martin was white and Zimmerman was black, the latter would be on Death Row by now...
It always amazes me that people who a) don't watch MSNBC or thier shows and b) complain about them every chance they get, somehow manage to get profiles on thier websites for the sole intent to say how horrible they are and how low thier ratings are. Keeping up with the Kardashians has great ratings also. I doubt anyone becomes more intelligent from watching that show. Much like people are not anymore intelligent after watching Fox.
They also love to come "MSNBC" blogs and bad mouth the hosts.
I don't watch Fox, have it blocked, but I also don't go to right wing blogs.
This is what happens when you come to the dinner table late, having played too much ball and sit there with dirty hands, you mommy told you a 100 times. The moment you come to the Lawrence O'Donnell program, you need to come on time, you need to come prepared, and you need to come knowledgeable. His program is not entertainment and it not for the casual once in a while viewer. The program manager, program staff, and all the people who went to the trouble to set this segment up, as well as O'Donnell have every right to be indignant. It wasn’t like the Lawyer was not already there. So what happened? There are the immediate possibilities that he was having some fortitude issues. But it also very possible that he was tasked with doing a last minute walks out deliberately to provoke a sensation. It has happened with other MSNBC hosts, guest with uncivilized behavior. We will see if he shows his face again, or is never seen again. For all we know from research he’s fraud, or is accepting money from Rush Limbaugh. The deeper we get into the Alger Hess business the more sabotage we see in the media. Someone who appears out of nowhere, and then vanishes will not be credible enough to invite back.
Many interviews come with limits on what questions are pre-agreed to be fair, this why we see softball interviews with high officials with staying power, if you are a tough interviewer, you won’t have access. In effect the reporter is trades in access on one hand, but sometimes leave the door open to someone different.
Some skill at playing fairly to an empty chair, may have looked better, but at least we know he is real, the fake lawyer now has reputation, that cannot be erased.
@TC Texan: What common sense is that? A law that brings back the old west? Both gun fighters standing their ground and the live one is on the right. How is that common sense or intelligent for that matter. That is an archaic practice. The Stand Your Ground Law is moronic at best. It brings all crazy loons racist out at night just to confront others who will necessarily will have the right too, to stand their ground. And without witnesses or with paid witnesses or what ever, the live one will not be charged with murder or with enticing to fight? The south has always been a little looney but now that law took the cake.
Brilliant Legal Analysis of the Florida "Stand Your Ground" Law by Michael J.Z. Mannheimer, Law Professor at Northern Kentucky University:
Professor Mannheimer argues that the Trayvon Martin case does highlight a problem with Florida's self-defense law, but it has nothing to do with the duty to retreat. Instead Mannheimer focuses on the section that says a person who legally uses force in self-defense "IS IMMUNE FROM CRIMINAL PROSECUTION," as opposed to letting him present that defense at trial.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: The way the law is WRITTEN (NOT necessarily what the law's authors intended) it is very, very difficult for police to make an arrest in an instance where someone is LEGALLY using force in self-defense BECAUSE the law states s/he "is immune from criminal prosecution." If someone is IMMUNE from criminal prosecution s/he will not be arrested because arrests are predicated upon probable cause of a crime which can be legally prosecuted. But if a law expressly states that someone who engaged in legal self-defense behavior can not be put on trial and prosecuted then s/he can NOT FIRST BE ARRESTED!
And while "a law enforcement agency may use standard procedures for investigating the use of force," the law says, "THE AGENCY MANY NOT ARREST THE PERSON FOR USING FORCE unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force that was used was unlawful."
KEY POINT: This is the section the Sanford Police Department cited in explaining its decision not to arrest Mr. Zimmerman. The police determined that the evidence was conclusive that Mr. Zimmerman used LAWFUL lethal force in self-defense, given that the EVIDENCE and eyewitness testimony of "John" led them to conclude that Trayvon physically assaulted Mr. Zimmerman by punching him, breaking his nose, and knocking him to the ground, injuring the back of his head, where Trayvon continued to apply force. These restrictions, Mannheimer argues, make it difficult to get at the truth in a case like this one:
"This odd provision means that a person who uses deadly force in self-defense cannot be tried, even though the highly fact-intensive question of whether the person acted in self-defense is usually hashed out at trial. The law thus creates a paradox: the State must make a highly complex factual determination before being permitted to avail itself of the forum necessary to make such a determination.
"Not only that, Section 776.032 provides immunity from arrest unless the police have "probable cause that the force that was used was unlawful." Again, the law creates a Catch-22: police cannot arrest the suspect unless they have probable cause, not just to believe there was a killing, but also that the killing was not in self-defense; and where, as is often the case, the defendant is the only living witness to the alleged crime, the police likely will not be able to form probable cause without interrogating the suspect."
The calls for Mr. Zimmerman's arrest from hysterical people like the New Black Panthers, Al Sharpton, Trayvon's understandably distraught parents, and millions of sympathizers who have no idea what the facts are in the case are diametrically opposed to the law itself!
Thank God we're a Rule of Law Republic and NOT a Lynch Mob Majority Democracy. Imagine what would have happened to the Duke lacrosse players, the men FALSELY accused in the Tawana Brawley incident, and Dominique Strauss-Kahn if we simply let the highly biased and Far Left White Guilt Ridden Mainstream Media drive the prosecution.
http://tinyurl.com/LawPreventsZimmermanArrest
&& ()( _)( %^^&&&&
What your post doesn't state is that Zimmerman's father is a retired judge.
If a Sanford cop's son can get off with no charges in beating a homeless man, no doubt the influence of a retired judge can influence the police's handling of Zimmerman's shooting case. Perhaps, daddy writing a letter to the Sentinel has something to do with their sympathetic reporting of his so called version of the story.
George Zimmerman's father is a retired Judge
"The portrayal of George Zimmerman in the media, as well as the series of events that led to the tragic shooting, are false and extremely misleading," his father, a retired magistrate judge, wrote in a letter published in the Orlando Sentinel. "Unfortunately, some individuals and organizations have used this tragedy to further their own causes and agendas."
"George is a Spanish-speaking minority with many black family members and friends," Robert Zimmerman wrote. "He would be the last to discriminate for any reason whatsoever."
From the reports that I have read -- he lived with his parents in Sanford. He has also withdrawn from attending Seminole state college.
Editing to add: His father being a judge in the same town might indicate that he knew police enforcement officials in the city.
Wow. That is interesting info on Zimmerman.
What worries me is that the 911 tapes basically prove that Zimmerman was stalking Martin. Enough so that the 911 operator told him to stop following him and to let the police get him. On the tape, Zimmerman continues to follow him for a bit before the call is ended. I really (personally, after hearing the tapes) do not have any reason to believe that he just suddenly stopped following Martin.
Now I realize that police may not have been privy to that information at the time. I would think that the normal procedure of drug/alcohol testing would still be appropriate. But they did not do that. They didn't really even try to corroborate his story, with the exception of a lone witness "john" who could have been his father for all we know. They just took his word for it. I understand (maybe) not arresting him on the spot, but I would think they would still need to show something if only because there is an unexplained death. If Zimmerman had shot Trayvon in the arm or leg, at least he would be able to tell his side of the story, and maybe even get arrested (or not).
But you don't get to just kill someone because you picked a fight with them and they were winning it.
Since the police did not look at all the facts (for example the conversation with the police when they told him to break it off) nor did they obtain evidence that would verify Mr. Zimmerman's story. This is the same police department who let an assailant free with no charge for beating up a homeless man (of color). This case stinks to high heaven of police collusion to cover up a murder. OOPS replied to the wrong comment!
William:
Are you forgetting that in our system of justice an individual does not have the burden to prove themselves innocent, but rather the state must have the necessary basis to one: arrest, indict, show cause, and try an individual for accused crimes, and the state has the burden of proof through every stage of that process?
"With a single punch, Trayvon Martin decked the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who eventually shot and killed the unarmed 17-year-old, then Trayvon climbed on top of George Zimmerman and slammed his head into the sidewalk, leaving him bloody and battered, law-enforcement authorities told the Orlando Sentinel.
"That is the account Zimmerman gave police, and much of it has been corroborated by witnesses, authorities say. There have been no reports that a witness saw the initial punch Zimmerman told police about.
"Zimmerman has not spoken publicly about what happened Feb. 26. But that night, and in later meetings, he described and re-enacted for police what he says took place.
"In his version of events, Zimmerman had turned around and was walking back to his SUV when Trayvon approached him from behind, the two exchanged words and then Trayvon punched him in the nose, sending him to the ground, and began beating him."
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-03-26/news/os-trayvon-martin-zimmerman-account-20120326_1_miami-schools-punch-unarmed-black-teenager
You are being silly. Stop giving the Orlando Sentinel as a reliable reference. That news paper is helping Georges Zimmerman and the incompetent Sanford police promote the campaign of smear against the victim of that horrendous murder.
Whatever you do to smear this child's reputation, it will not save Georges Zimmerman. He will brought to justice or justice will be brought to him.
If I had a broken nose, I sure wouldn't wait to get treatment. I find it hard to believe a 240 lb. man can't get a 140 lb teenager off him. Why no mention of the injuries or bloody shirt in the initial police report? Why conlicting reports from the 2 officers? Why NO crime scene invetigation? Many questions.
30 days to make a cover story? How about 30 cover stores for the same price. If it was worth killing someone, wasn't worth doing the investigation, to make the case. This story could have ended in days, but somebody is either lying or is complicit in a cover up. There is a 100% chance that it will be the cover up that becomes a crime, and murder does not.
Mr. O'Donnell.
On your show tonight, you slammed an Orlando Sentinel reporter for making statements as if they were fact, that she did not state that this information was obtained from a source, instead it was stated as fact.
YOU ARE WRONG...
from the article....
Zimmerman's account
This is what the Sentinel has learned about Zimmerman's account to investigators:
He said he was on his way to the grocery store when he spotted Trayvon walking through his gated community.
- As you can clearly see, the 2 statements above the sentence you pointed out, states that this information came from the investigators and it was Zimmerman's account.
I watch MSNBC all the time - do not start reporting like FOX News, where half truth's and skewing of the facts is the norm. Doing things like this simply breeds mistrust in you and the station you represent. This sort of thing will also result in more people not wanting to be interviewed by you.
Faulty reporting at best. Zimmerman's account - Trayvon is not able to give "his" account. How convenient. The 911 calls are real as are the cell phone records. If Zimmerman was truly so horribly hurt, why didn't he ask to be taken to a hospital? No matter how this ends, it will not be pretty.
Murdoch must be proud. Of course, he's not talking about his little scandal. Hmmm...not like him to ever give his gums a rest.
Whatever the case, this totally unnecessary death does indeed have a silver lining. It's time we addressed that which has been simmering for far too many years and decades. And I firmly believe that the election of President Obama has finally shone the light on the racism (not just of blacks of course) sadly still existent in this country. The truly civilized countries of the world have been stunned by our hypocrisy for years from this to gays in the military (and so much more), this must really cement their astonishment.
And if Trayvon Martin were white does anyone honestly believe Zimmerman would've called 911 to report a teenager walking through a gated community?
MPGP...you mean Lawrence lied...just say it he LIED
And you notice Lawrence kept reading her direct quote and she kept saying he was mis-representing what she wrote. He was reading her direct quote. How could that be "mis-representing" what she said?
The reporter missed important words, and just had to say oops, it should have read, opps is easy tie breaker.
As a liberal who despises the right's constant use of misinformation, I am reminded tonight why I watch Rachel Maddow and not Last Word. We must not abandon facts in this case, even the inconvenient ones. We shouldn't need to in spite of Florida's archaic law. The facts are that Zimmerman is the admitted shooter and pursuer. Even if Treyvon attacked Zimmerman, he was provoked by a pursuer who was told by the dispatcher not to follow. This alone makes it difficult to prove self-defense. Regardless of my personal feelings, the facts are what separate us from those clowns at Faux News. But tonight, Lawrence reminded me of Bill O'Reilly with his ranting and bullying, interruptions and accusations. We should be better than that, tonight Lawrence was not. He succumbed to the same populist, vociferous fervor that plagues the right. The facts should suffice. We shouldn't hide from them.
Agreed, this was tacky behavior on O'Donnell's part.
Sorry, that you misunderstood O'Donnell.
Luigi, my statement has two points. 1) That I think a legitimate case can be brought against Zimmerman based on the facts, and 2) O'Donnell was ranting and interrupting in a way similar to O'Reilly, which I thought was unbecoming. How can there be a misunderstanding towards O'Donnell when none of the content in his vicious diatribe is assessed in my post? Don't assume that a person's opinion - if not in sync with yours - is based on bigotry. Your concise and irrelevant rebuttal is more telling of your own bigotry than you realize.
So what happened? There are the immediate possibilities that he was having some fortitude issues. But it also very possible that he was tasked with doing a last minute walks out deliberately to provoke a sensation. It has happened with other MSNBC hosts, guest with uncivilized behavior. We will see if he shows his face again, or is never seen again. For all we know from research he’s fraud, or is accepting money from Rush Limbaugh. The deeper we get into the Alger Hess business the more sabotage we see in the media. Someone who appears out of nowhere, and then vanishes will not be credible enough to invite back.
well done comrade. screaming at lawyer for zimmermam was great. no wonder he left. keep up the racebaiting. i dont care what americans think.you are not the dumbest person on tv. even though your ratings are laughable we in russia support you. we love msnbc in russia even though fox news is #1 in capitalist america. just proves no matter how long an american is unemployed they can always get a show on msnbc. we call you lawerence of russia now. now obama is whispering that he will give up missle defense. thank you again comrade.
socialist's and commie's stick together.
Have a seat. You're not from Russia. No one takes you seriously nor does anyone care about anything having to do with you.
I watch O'Donnell fairly regularly but tonight's show was an embarrassment that will have me seriously considering switching channels after Maddow wraps up from here on out. The petulant indignation aside, the interview with Rene Stutzman was the closest thing I've seen to Bill O'Reilly on MSNBC.
If I wanted to hear this kind of over-the-top hyperbole built on a foundation of conjecture, vagaries and the paucity of facts currently available to the public, I'd watch Nancy Grace.
now you know why larry is the dumbest person on tv
Rene Stutzman admitted that she usually receive leaks from the Police, when they want to promote their agenda. That's exactly what she did in her reputation-smearing article. The Sanford PD showed their total disregard of the a Black person's life and their unbelievable incompetence in regard to the murder of Trayvon Martin. So, they used the pen of Rene Stutzman to cover their incompetence and bias by leaking out the killer's version of the "facts" and smearing the reputation of the victim. She is an embarrassment to her profession.
And you perpetuate the problem, Mobdaro, with your own "facts" that are not facts:
Pretty disappointed in how the lefties are adopting all the traits of the righties that I so despise.
Larry, a very poorly conducted interview of the woman from the Orlando Sentinel; one reason law enforcement MIGHT have been trying to get more facts out surrounding this case is that with the media circus courtesy of Revs Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton and a bounty put out on Mr. Zimmerman, the police may have wanted to tamp down the the racially charged atmosphere as part of their duty to keep the community safe. Your demeanor seems to indicate that your mind is already made up. Also, the constant showing of the victim as several years younger than he was at the time of the incident only further misrepresents the case.
I completely agree with you on the interview. Lawrence reminded me of O'reilly on that one. The problem w/ the police was that they weren't getting any facts cause they didn't do an investigation. As for the "misrepresentation" Trayvon was 17,i dont think showing pics of him when he was 15 or 16 make a difference,Trayvon was still a kid.
I agree the interview with the Orlando reporter was Fox like. Laurence you did not let the reporter answer. You just repeated the same statement over and over- we got it-let the reporter answer. The MSNBC audience is sophisticated not like the other channel- we want to hear some facts not just opinions.
I'm tired of the Media portraying this 17 year old MAN as a 12yr old kid. He was 12 in his photo wearing a Red Hollister T-Shirt. It's unfortunate that he lost his life at such a young age. It really is. For the President to comment on this is absolutely unnecessary. I give kudos to Anderson Cooper for calling out New Black Panthers as racists and thugs. When will AMERICA stand against the RACE BAITERS in the MEDIA including JESSE and AL? Laurence you should be ashamed of yourself for putting that crap on the AIR last night.
Facts in the case corroborated by several witness's:
Zimmerman was heading back to his SUV after losing sight of Trayvon.
Trayvon confronted Zimmerman asking him if he had a problem.
Trayvon punched Zimmerman in the face and began bashing his head on the ground.
The weapon Zimmerman fired never recoiled... meaning only 1 round in the chamber discharged. No round from the magazine re-engaged in the chamber. Trayvon was on top of zimmerman when he was shot in the chest.
Trayvon's character is just as important as Zimmermans. Dragging Zimmerman through the mud by the media is irresponsible reporting. Why shouldnt Trayvon's Character be investigated?
This is my opinion:
Trayvon thought he was hard and bucked up to the wrong dude. It happens everyday. This should not be a national issue. President Obama should not have made a formal comment until the investigation was concluded. Saying his son would have looked like a 12 year old innocent Trayvon is different than saying he would have looked like a Tatted, Gold Grill wearing, pot smoking, Racist Twitter Handle Carrying 17 year old.
This is my opinion:
Zimmerman is a sad, sad excuse of a man who thought a gun made him tough. He stalked and frightened a young man for absolutely no reason whatsoever. He then murdered that young man when he tried to defend himself against an armed stalker. I don't see any way you can make "Stand Your Ground" fit, "I followed and did my best to indimidate my victim". Zimmerman needs to be arrested and brought to justice. He is a murderer. This was NOT self defense on Zimmerman's part.
@glaw64 - You are an idiot. The Sanford PD DID NOT DO ANY INVESTIGATION IN THIS CASE. So, they don't have ANY facts, except the few things they heard from the murderer at the scene of his crime. So, what they are putting out today is simply a biased version of the real facts.
@Texas1978 - You are also a dumb-nut idiot.
Whether you like it or not, George Zimmerman will be brought to justice or justice will be brought to him.
My my my:
Got the lynching rope in your hot hands, fool!
The death of a young person is a travesty, for sure, no matter what race. But, the man in the White House should not be throwing fuel on the black/white bonfire, no matter what race he is-- unless his goal is to divide and conquer. The facts are unclear. Zimmerman's black friend says he was not racist, and that Zimmerman even was a tutor--for free -- to minorities on weekends. It does not add up. I don't hear this Pro-Obama network saying that the President should have kept quiet on this potentially volatile topic, like he called the white cop "stupid"in that incident in Mass. couple years ago and wound having his infamous beer summit
When you call a black person a "coon" you're going to look racist, no matter how many underprivileged students you supposedly tutor.
@NY Wayne - You are likely too dumb and Obama-hater to understand that what the POTUS said was just right.
I'll give him that! But I wouldn't want my son to look like the photo that Martin chose to represent himself on Tweeter and Facebook accounts.
Or if he was talking character instead of appearance, have a son with three suspensions from high school, bragging about "swinging" on a school bus driver and having had problems with marijuna possession, investigation of involvement in jewlrey theft, and defacing public property with grafetti paint spraying. Nor a son that trespassed on private property, and after being confronted by an adult who asked "What are you doing here", subsequently assaulted that adult with a punch and by banging his head repeatedly into a sidewalk.
But, the President is welcome to speak for himself here!
I don't know if anyone has thought of this, but here is a what if.
What if the kid DID wail on Zimmerman, and that same law would back HIM up, because MAYBE he thought he was being attacked by a predator/stalker? And the sissy Zimmerman had to shoot, because he was afraid of a lite-wate 17 year old, and incapable of beating him up.
Shoulda parked his vehicle and stayed in it.
Better yet, he should have just gone home when the dispatcher told him they didn't need him to follow Treyvon.
well done larry. with spike lee giving out zimmermans address and black panthers putting out a bounty on him your racebaiting will make sure zimmerman will be found guilty by msnbc. you are a comrade and great russian. i dont care what capitalist americans think. even though you are considered the dumbest person on tv in america we love you here. we dont care that fox news is #1in america and your ratings are laughable. keep up the good work for mother russia.great job screaming at lawyer making him leave
Killing this kid wasn't enough? Fox Nation had decided to post false photos of him like Malkin did. You all are sickos. The majority of Americans have had enough of Fox Nation.
and u dont care that an innocent kid was chased & shot for walking on the sidewalk with candy & a can of tea.
Uh Mike, the Cold War is over (since way back in the last century). The commies in the old Soviet Union lost.
Go pass the news on to Glenn Beck, okay? And tell him those Nazi aspersions he keeps casting are equally lame.
Otherwise we're going to send some Black Panthers to check out your closets for some old KKK robes....
@Mika - You are idiot. Zimmerman's lying lawyer had already fled the set of the interview like a cowardly hyena before Lawrence yelled a the empty chair. That was terrific.
The journalist of the Orlando Sentinel showed her incompetence; she is an embarrassment to her profession.
Watch for the Saturday Night Live crew to do a job on O'Donnel just as they have done with other NSNBC over the top "commentors", (read Democrat Patry hit men).
Giving ole O'Donnell the last word is exactly what it means! Larry's final word always seems to hinge on whether his guest is an opponent or a proponent of his political agendas. Like I've said before, the most boring man on TV is treading water to keep himself air-worthy. I mean to tell ya that watching a waving flag while listening to the national anthem as TV stations sign off are more interesting than this totally befuddled dud. The guy has a forehead larger than Frankenstein's Monster. Perhaps he should partner with and share a stage with Keith Olbermann and call the show the "Final Countdown". But of course no stage is large enough for Olbermann and sharing is not in his vocabulary. O'Donnell is an enigma, he takes a lickin but keeps on tickin. He must have good health benefits.
Best television interview ever
I loved it.
A few years ago, the mainstream media whipped up a frenzy of hatred against Richard Jewell - an innocent man - for a bombing he had actually tried to prevent.
Today, the media (mainstream and social) is unleashing a firestorm of hatred against George Zimmerman - and once again, it is based on a partial set of facts and the assumption that he is "guilty until proven innocent."
We Americans don't need another rush-to-judgment. If we seek justice rather than revenge, we must trust our nation's justice system to find out the facts and act according to law. (Of course, we will want to keep our eye on the justice system to make sure the investigative process that is underway now is continued.)
One question: Did Zimmerman or did he not pursue Treyvon after being told it wasn't needed?
That's all the facts I need.
Just another note of caution to those who already think they know all they need to know about this case. Daily Caller has posted Trayvon Martin's Twiiter account (he goes by 'No Limit Nigga') and the tweets (if authentic) show him to drone on about 'hoes', bitches, "crack is whack", weed, and alerts his followers to a link showing a vicious beatdown at a high school. George Zimmerman did say the young man approaching him did look like he was on drugs so this Twiiter account suggests that Zimmerman's suspicions may have been justified.
What does that have to do w/ anything? Trayvon could have been a Crackhead or a drug dealer.Doesn't change the fact he was walking to his dads girlfriends house w/ a bag of skittles & tea minding his own business when he was stalked & murdered.
Here is a fact.... Zimmerman was the ONLY ONE of the two that has a "thuggish" past.
- Zimmerman was arrested for battery to a police officer in 2005
- Zimmerman's ex girlfriend got a restraining order againt him because of his violent behavior towards her .........
all u have is a teens tweets and a bag of weed ....... yet u want to pretend the man who shot an unarmed kid was squeaky cleaned .....
Sorry... u cant defend this one.
The autopsy suggests that Zimmerman's suspicions were not justified as Treyvon was clean. He wouldn't be the first teen to talk tough on the internet but be a softie in real life.
His suspicions about what, exactly?
I don;t know anything about the tweets, but the photos you refer to have been debunked as NOT being photos of the Trayvon Martin who was shot by Zimmerman. But you know, even if they were, and even if the tweets are true, it didn't justify Martin being shot and killed.
Obviously, this troubled, authority rebelling teenager came from a broken family that didn't have a more recent photo of their son other than one taken when he was 12 years of age to give to the media. Sad, but true!
Using and or dealing marijuana, dressing like a gangsta rapper, suspended from high school three times, the last getting him kicked out of his home by his own mother, he was a youth headed for trouble.
And he was criminally trespassing in a gated community at night, where he had no business. He wasn't walking on a pubic street, he purposely entered through an entrance to the gated community at night for a reason only known to him. It is simply supposition that he was "simply walking to his father's girlfriend's home" NEAR the gated community, as she had provided him with shelter, but alas, not proper supervision to make up for the lack of parental care.
Thats the tragedy here, its the breakdown of the family and community structure for kids gone bad, coupled with the examples of "heros" in the black commmunity like Spike Lee and the "gangsta" rappers.
6'3", a body and attitude hardened by lifting weights and living on the edge as a late stage adolescescent, and disrespecting of the law, property rights, and authorities got Martin suspended from school on several occasions recently, and tragically got him killed before anyone had the opportunity to try to turn him around, and that would have included the "racist" George Zimmerman, perhaps, as he and his wife tutored kids of all races and backgrounds on weekends of their own volition.
When a Spike Lee or Al Sharpton become the role models for the black community instead of Norm Cosby or Martin Luther King, we are all in trouble, big time!
Spoken as a former high school teacher and a Social Worker and mental health adjunct therapist.
Good Gosh, what is this guy going to do in court if he gets a question he doesn't like? Hide in the bathroom stall?
Here's something the media has stopped considering in Zimmerman's account that he was being viciously attacked by a boy. Zimmerman outweighed Trayvon by 100lbs. I'm 22 5'10'' and weigh 210 lbs,a 17yr old 110 lb UNARMED kid cannot hurt me,even if he sucker punched me. Any grown man would laugh at Zimmerman's claim that Trayvon was giving him the beating of his life.
so a 17 year old 150 pound boxer couldn't hurt you? I beg to differ. Trayvon was a running back on his Football team. He could have easily fled and made it to his apartment if he thought he was being followed.
@Texas1978 - You are still an idiot.
@Texas1978 A Pro. Lightweight boxer could kill me. Trayvon was NOT a Pro. anything, he was an average 17 yr old. He tried running away according to Zimmerman. But it's kinda tough to outrun a guy in a truck and it's also hard to outrun bullets.
Why would anyone believe a police report that could have been written 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,... 30 days after. One line added in different pen, and the police report is worthless.
By all accounts Martin was 6'3", 150 lb athlete in his late teens with an apparent history of at least one physical assault on a school bus driver, and Zimmerman was a 5'9" pudgy 220 lb out of shape authorized representative of the Gated Community in which Martin was trespassing. Get the facts right, please, before you begin with your speculations!
Keith, you are missing the fact. Treyvon was not tresspassing, he was returning to his father's fiancee's house.`Which happens to be where he and his father was visiting at the time. So tresspassing is one issue that you cannot use. The fiancee gave Treyvon permission to be on the premisis. Zimmerman saw a black male in a hoodie and just assumed that he was up to no good. Do you know if Zimmerman ever identified himself as the neighborhood watch person? If not Treyvon did not know who this person was and had no idea why he was being followed and when Zimmerman got out of his truck to confront him to Treyvon and to anyone else with sense, it was a stranger that was first following him and then got out of his truck to confront him. Treyvon stood his ground. What happend to stand your ground in Treyvon's view.
Finally, someone wanted to ask tough questions! Killing this kid wasn't enough. Now they want to smear his reputation. Really, "goons", is a word of endearment? Zimmerman stalked this young person. Where was his holster located?
Depending on whether he was left or right handed, I would assume to the rear, on his left or right hip. BTW, without knowing the mofel of 9mm weapon Zimmerman was carring (I would suspect a compact Glock), the pistol may only have been of a size that was 16 to 18 ozs in weight, and was probably very difficult for Martin to discern at night as in a holster on the belt of an indivdual following or chasing him.
An individual like Martin would not have approached an adult who he knew was armed with the intentions of starting a fight with him, imo. But by Zimmerman's statement, that is what he did. Hence, Martin could not have known that Zimmerman was armed, and that he would have used the weapon to defend himself.
There is an elementary school across the street. I wonder how many scary hoodies are there.
Bentley Elementary School
2190 South Oregon Avenue
Sanford, FL 32771
April 22, 2011 – 7:09 p.m.
Type: TEL
Subject: Suspicious activity
Report: Juvenile black male “apprx 7–9” years old, four feet tall “skinny build short blk hair” last seen wearing a blue t-shirt and blue shorts.
Lawrence you failed to respond to the Orlando Sentinel reporter after she said it was fair piece, "Who are your sources for your assertions of fact" Granted you did ask twice, but you kept cutting in, not letting her finish her train of thought. You kept jumping in as if you were wanting to show how tough of an interviewer you were? It appeared to me you jumped the gun. Better to keep your powder dry, like Mr. Blow. I hope you feel better after venting about the lost interview with Zimmerman's lawyer (did he leave the Orlando studio in your show's car or his own? You changed your description within that story) and the question going to fact from the reporter. It is more important to me if you dissect the facts and their implications, your emotions are little use to me. In a media that swims more often than not in the tidal basin of innuendo, reality shows, false choices, faulty logic and verbage, it is refreshing to to see the stark contrast of just the facts as exemplified by Mr. Blow's segment. If you want to be the white knight, then stick to the facts and show some compassion to everyone.
It must have been tough to interview the empty chair but really, you need to let people answer the questions, Lawrence. Speaking about the Sentinal reporter here. If you don't like the answer or think they dodged the question, feel free to call them out, but at least give a reasonable chance to answer and don't interrupt. It's crass and makes me switch over to Anderson.
So what happened? There are the immediate possibilities that he was having some fortitude issues. But it also very possible that he was tasked with doing a last minute walks out deliberately to provoke a sensation. It has happened with other MSNBC hosts, guest with uncivilized behavior. We will see if he shows his face again, or is never seen again.
Now the guest on MSNBC hitman commentators are evidencing "uncivilized behavior" by walking out of the circus? Get Lost, fool!
Zimerman's story doesnt make sense,.....
1. Why would the scared kid RUN AWAY from a stranger.... finally lose the stranger chasing him and then turn around and go after someone he was just running away from??? .....
A kid that wasn't afraid would have never run in the first place... Martin was afraid and ran from the man that was MUCH bigger than he was.
2. The girlfriend actually reports Zimmerman approached to kid and asked " What are you doing here" and Martin asked " why are you following me? an then the phone went out.............. sounds like Zimmerman confronted the kid that was running from him
3. Why did the police not contact the girlfriend after they obtained phone records?
4. One witness said she saw Zimmerman laying face down on top of Martin and the screams for help stopped after the shot................................... Martin's mom claims it is her son's voice on the tape screaming for help but the police say it's Zimmerman's.
5. If Zimmerman was bleeding , why didnt the police call ambulance???
6. Why did the police say Zimmerman was squeaky clean when he had a domestic violence & police battery case in the past?
Zimmerman's story condradicts the girlfriend who was on the phone at the time ..... the police say they cannot account for that one minute after he began chasing Trayvon , however. he was on the phone with the girlfriend that heard the initial conversation.... his story doesnt seem true.
Zimmerman received treatment at the scene. it was zimmerman on the tape screaming for help. Witness states multiple times he saw trayvon attack zimmerman
I'd love to see a voice analysis of the tape. I wonder if it could be done.
@Texas1978 - How do you know that? You are still a dumb-nut idiot.
I would think an analysis could be done. Hopefully the investigators will require one.
Zimmerman could have done that to himself, but then I don't watch TV,
To Janelle Monaee
#1, The eyewitness didn't say Martin ran away from Zimmerman. He said they exchanged words, and Martin started beating Zimmerman.
#2 Asking the question "what are you doing here?" is not a license to start pummeling someone to the ground. Why didn't Martin just call 911, himself?
#3 The girlfriend did not witness the incident with her own eyes. She would only be able to offer "hearsay" evidence, which is inadmissible in a criminal proceeding since time immemorial.
#4 There was only one eyewitness to the event, in its entirety, and his accounts refutes your posting. The witness said that it was Zimmerman who was lying on the ground, with Martin on top of him, beating his head into the sidewalk. He also said that it was Zimmerman who was screaming for help. The one and only woman who "thinks" it was Martin, heard, but did not see the screams. She said she "thought" it sounded like a younger mans voice. But once again, she was inside of her house and did not see the incident, nor did she see who was screaming.
#5 The police probably didn't call an ambulance for Zimmerman, because they had a young man who was bleeding to death on the sidewalk who needed more immediate attention. However, the responding officers did note the location, and nature of the cuts and bruises on Zimmerman's face at the scene of the incident.
#6 Zimmerman was involved in an incident whereby he "pushed" an officer who was confronting a friend of his about underage drinking. By definition, that is interfering with a police officer, and I guess they called the push "battery" or some exagerated thing like that. It's odd how people say they don't trust the police in this case. But, they trust them when they are saying something negative about George Zimmerman's past. What's more, the alleged "domestic abuse" case not only resulted in the court granting his ex fiance' a protective order from him; but, Mr Zimmerman was also granted a protective order from her. Therefore it would appear that the court saw the situation as nothing more than a man and a woman, romantically linked to one another, who simply couldn't get along. (Gee, where have we ever seen something like that before, eh?)
As to your last paragraph concerning Martin's girlfriend's account of what she heard over the phone; once again, I submit to you that she was not an eyewitness to what took place. There was an eyewitness who saw everything that happened. So far as I know, he is the ONLY eyewitness who saw what happened from start to finish, and his story completely jives with Zimmerman's.
Moreover, people say the police didn't do enough becauase they didn't arrest Zimmerman on the spot.
But, the police did investigate the incident thoroughly, and sought manslaughter charges against Zimmerman
It was a Florida State's Attorney (NOT THE SANFORD POLICE DEPT!)who decided that the case could not be prosecuted because Zimmerman was defending himself under Florida state law.
In conclusion, I find it rather ironic that people say they don't trust the police, and don't trust their handling of this case. BUT, those same people trust the police enough to believe whatever negative things they have to say about George Zimmerman's past. That is total hypocrisy. I also find hypocritical the fact that so much is being made about Zimmerman's background. But, little if anything, was/is being made public about the fact that Martin was on a two week suspension from his high school for possession of drug paraphernalia on school grounds. Two weeks is pretty "stiff" suspension. At the end of the day, all you really have here is a bunch of people throwing as much $#!+ against the wall as possible, in the hopes that some of it would/will stick.
Trayvon's girlfriend was not an eyewitness, but the record of their call and everything said (and heard) is. As to the eyewitness you mention, it is now being speculated that he was one of Zimmerman's equally zealous friends who was in on the whole deal. I'm sure when more of that information comes out, tides will turn. There is just too much factual information painting Zimmerman as a bully and cop wannabe not to consider him as a suspect in this. He was told not to follow Martin and he went against those orders.
Trespassers routinely run! Zimmerman didn't have any knowledge that Martin was scared, or was running to leave the Gated Community. But he had reported the presenc of the trespasser to the police, and a clerk emergency dispatcher ascertained that Zimmerman was attempting to keep the trespasser under watch, and told Mr. Zimmerman that "We don't need you to do that", to which Zimmerman answered "Okay". The local, state, and federal investigations will track the timeline of the Martin call with his girlfriend, and Zimmerman's phone call to the emergency dispatcher. Then we will have the chicken and egg question answered either to dispute or support Zimmerman's statement that he disisted in the watch of Martin, was returning to his parked vehicle, and was jumped, struck, and repeatedly had his head banged into the cement walkway by Martin, the trespasser, as was witnessed by a resident of the community who immediately called 911 after yelling at Martin to stop beating the neighborhood watchman!