A modest movie pinned to a generational landmark, the latest curve ball from "Brokeback Mountain" director Ang Lee is a gentle coming-of-age, coming-out comedy set against the epochal music festival.
Forty years ago, when Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane et al took to the makeshift stage in a cow field in the Catskills, Lee was 14 years old and still living in his native Taiwan.
James Schamus, his long-time producer and screenwriter, was just nine.
Both were a long way from what the movie calls "the center of the universe."
Perhaps that's why "Taking Woodstock" shies away from the main stage and the big names.
Instead, it focuses on Elliot Teichberg (Demetri Martin), a young man who quits Greenwich Village to help his parents keep open their failing Bethel motel, El Monaco.
Elliot is resourceful enough to become Bethel's youngest director of the chamber of commerce, but between his mom's penny-pinching and his dad's depression, it looks like El Monaco will be lucky to last through the summer.
That is, until a neighboring community tells concert promoter Michael Lang (Jonathan Groff) he can't hold his hippie shindig in their backyard.
Sensing an opportunity, Elliot invites Lang to check out his facilities. After all, he already has a permit for his own annual summer festival, which involves an experimental theatre troupe in the barn and playing
It's a little perverse to make a Woodstock movie that's more about the money than the music. (If you're after classic rock, you better stick with Michael Wadleigh's concert movie, now longer than ever on Blu-ray and DVD.)
Still, the point is clear enough: While the Teichbergs and their neighbors make a killing on the back of half a million hungry, thirsty long-hairs, Elliot, who is a bit of a square and at least halfway in the closet, discovers a higher calling. Not religion, but drugs and sexual liberation (an acceptable substitute for many in '69).
Lee's last few films include "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Hulk," "Brokeback Mountain" and "Lust, Caution." They have little enough in common, except for his patient tempo and, perhaps, an abiding interest in that moment when people break rank and act out of character, usually when things get passionate.
"Passion" wouldn't be the first word that comes to mind here, but "Taking Woodstock" is another leisurely affair. The build is artful enough. We get a palpable sense of the encroaching crowds and the split-screen chaos, but it's too slow, really, given that no one here is more than an inch away from amiable caricature.
Imelda Staunton huffs and puffs to remind us of all those Jewish mommas from the old country; Emile Hirsch struggles to find coherence as a borderline crazy Vietnam vet; and Liev Schreiber shows up wearing a flower-print summer frock, packing heat in his garter belt. These are characters from farce, but Lee isn't one for bed-hopping and slamming doors, and the movie never generates much steam in the laughter department -- or tries to.
As Elliot, stand-up Demetri Martin never transcends his miserable haircut and walk-on-the-mild-side demeanor. But Henry Goodman has fun going from gruff to gusto as the boy's father, Jake, unexpectedly re-energized by the sudden influx of the hippie hordes.
A moving father-son heart-to-heart late in the film shows one generation sending the next out into the great unknown. Lee is good at these small, intimate scenes, but you do wonder if he's ever been to a rock concert in his life. "Taking Woodstock" is so inoffensive it feels like a footnote.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Police review death of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones
British police are reviewing the death of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones, 40 years after the hard-living rocker was found dead in a swimming pool.
Police in the Southern English county of Sussex have confirmed they are examining documents given to them by an investigative journalist who has been researching events surrounding Jones' death.
Scott Jones, who is not related to the musician, has spent four years reviewing the evidence and speaking to key witnesses in the case.
In an article published in the Daily Mail in November 2008, Jones wrote, "I'm convinced Brian Jones' death was not fully investigated. The only question that remains is why?"
Brian Jones' body was found in the swimming pool after a party at his home in Cotchford Farm, East Sussex in July 1969. He was 27.
An inquest returned a verdict of death by misadventure, despite post mortem results showing he had not taken illegal drugs and had only consumed the alcoholic equivalent of three and a half pints of beer.
One of the most popular conspiracy theories that followed was that Jones was murdered by his builder, Frank Thorogood.
The theory gained credence after Thorogood allegedly confessed to the killing before his death in 1993. The storyline formed the basis of the 2005 film "Stoned."
Sussex police told CNN they could not say how long it would take to review the new material, nor whether it could lead to a full investigation.
There have been repeated calls for closer examination of the case since Jones' death, which came just three weeks after he left the Rolling Stones.
His drinking and drug-taking had taken a toll on his health and the band, and in 1969 Jones announced he was leaving.
In a statement he said, "I no longer see eye-to-eye with the others over the discs we are cutting."
Last year, Scott Jones published an article containing contents of an interview he conducted with one of the people present at Jones' home on the night of his death.
In the article, published in the Daily Mail, Jones' said Janet Lawson, the girlfriend of Rolling Stones tour manager Tom Keylock, gave him a version of events that contradicted her official police statement.
She is reported to have called her original statement, "a pack of lies... total rubbish."
Lawson's revised version of events is among the documents Jones has supplied to Sussex police. It is also believed to include previously unseen files released by the Public Records Office.
Lawson died of cancer soon after telling Scott Jones her new sworn testimony.
Police in the Southern English county of Sussex have confirmed they are examining documents given to them by an investigative journalist who has been researching events surrounding Jones' death.
Scott Jones, who is not related to the musician, has spent four years reviewing the evidence and speaking to key witnesses in the case.
In an article published in the Daily Mail in November 2008, Jones wrote, "I'm convinced Brian Jones' death was not fully investigated. The only question that remains is why?"
Brian Jones' body was found in the swimming pool after a party at his home in Cotchford Farm, East Sussex in July 1969. He was 27.
An inquest returned a verdict of death by misadventure, despite post mortem results showing he had not taken illegal drugs and had only consumed the alcoholic equivalent of three and a half pints of beer.
One of the most popular conspiracy theories that followed was that Jones was murdered by his builder, Frank Thorogood.
The theory gained credence after Thorogood allegedly confessed to the killing before his death in 1993. The storyline formed the basis of the 2005 film "Stoned."
Sussex police told CNN they could not say how long it would take to review the new material, nor whether it could lead to a full investigation.
There have been repeated calls for closer examination of the case since Jones' death, which came just three weeks after he left the Rolling Stones.
His drinking and drug-taking had taken a toll on his health and the band, and in 1969 Jones announced he was leaving.
In a statement he said, "I no longer see eye-to-eye with the others over the discs we are cutting."
Last year, Scott Jones published an article containing contents of an interview he conducted with one of the people present at Jones' home on the night of his death.
In the article, published in the Daily Mail, Jones' said Janet Lawson, the girlfriend of Rolling Stones tour manager Tom Keylock, gave him a version of events that contradicted her official police statement.
She is reported to have called her original statement, "a pack of lies... total rubbish."
Lawson's revised version of events is among the documents Jones has supplied to Sussex police. It is also believed to include previously unseen files released by the Public Records Office.
Lawson died of cancer soon after telling Scott Jones her new sworn testimony.
Michael Jackson's death was a homicide, coroner rules
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled that Michael Jackson's death was a homicide involving a combination of drugs.
"The drugs propofol and lorazepam were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson's death," said a news release issued Friday by the coroner. "Other drugs detected were: midazolam, diazepam, lidocaine and ephedrine."
The release said Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," but said "other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine effect."
Lorazepam, midazolam and diazepam are benzodiazepines.
A lawyer for Jackson's personal physician criticized the coroner for releasing only a brief summary of his findings, saying it contained "nothing new" and had "all the earmarks of police gamesmanship."
Michael Jackson's family issued a statement in reaction: "The Jackson family again wishes to commend the actions of the Coroner, the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies, and looks forward to the day that justice can be served."
Federal and state agencies also have launched independent investigations into "matters uncovered" by Los Angeles police while looking into Jackson's death, authorities said. Watch a report on the coroner's findings »
The Los Angeles Police Department, which has been conducting a criminal investigation of Jackson's death, requested at an interagency meeting last week that federal and state agencies pursue their own investigations, according to statements issued Friday by California's attorney general and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The full and final autopsy report and the complete toxicology report "will remain on security hold at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County district attorney," the release
Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told investigators that he had given Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs -- lorazepam, midazolam and diazepam -- in an effort to help him sleep in the hours before he stopped breathing, according to a police affidavit made public earlier this week.
Murray also told detectives he administered a dosage of the anesthetic propofol, diluted with lidocaine, to Jackson a short time before he stopped breathing, the affidavit said.
The 32-page sworn statement was written by Los Angeles Police detective Orlando Martinez to outline probable cause for warrants to search Murray's offices, home and storage rooms in Texas and Nevada.
Murray told detectives he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks, giving him 50 milligrams of propofol, the generic name for Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip, the affidavit said.
Worried that Jackson might become addicted to the drug, Murray said he tried to wean Jackson from it, putting together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping him sleep during the two nights before his death.
But on the morning of June 25 other drugs failed to do the job. Murray recounted the events to detectives in an hour-by-hour account that was detailed by Martinez:
• About 1:30 a.m., Murray gave Jackson 10 mg of Valium (diazepam).
• About 2 a.m., he injected Jackson with 2 mg of the antianxiety drug Ativan (lorazepam).
• About 3 a.m., Murray then administered 2 mg of the sedative Versed (midazolam).
• About 5 a.m., he administered another 2 mg of Ativan.
• About 7:30 a.m., Murray gave Jackson yet another 2 mg of Versed while monitoring him with a device that measures the oxygen saturation of his blood.
• About 10:40 a.m., "after repeated demands/requests from Jackson," Murray administered 25 mg of propofol, the document said.
"Jackson finally went to sleep and Murray stated that he remained monitoring him. After approximately 10 minutes, Murray stated he left Jackson's side to go to the restroom and relieve himself. Murray stated he was out of the room for about two minutes maximum. Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing."
Efforts at CPR proved fruitless. Jackson was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center at 2:26 p.m.
Earlier this week, Murray's lawyer disputed the final section of the timeline.
"Dr. Murray simply never told investigators that he found Michael Jackson at 11 a.m. not breathing," Chernoff said. "He also never said that he waited a mere 10 minutes before leaving to make several phone calls. In fact, Dr. Murray never said that he left Michael Jackson's room to make phone calls at all."
In Friday, Chernoff criticized the coroner's office for making the "contains nothing new." "For two months we have been hearing the same information, usually from leaks out of the coroner's office," Chernoff said. "One has to wonder why the coroner felt compelled to release anything at all if the police investigation is not yet complete."
Agents from the California attorney general's office also will investigate physicians whose names have come up in the course of the Jackson death probe, Attorney General Jerry Brown said.
The federal drug administration also responded with its own independent investigations "into matters that the LAPD's investigation uncovered that may not be directly related to the cause of death," the agency said.
Last week Drug Enforcement agents executed a federal administrative search warrant at the Mickey Fine Pharmacy in Beverly Hills, California, looking for prescription records relating to Jackson, an agency spokesman said.
The pharmacy sits directly below the offices of Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein. Shortly before his death, Jackson visited the building several times to see Klein.
Klein, who treated Jackson for decades, denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs.
Attorney General Brown said that agents with his Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement "will review relevant records and documents."
The attorney general's office maintains a computerized prescription drug monitoring system that tracks controlled substances.
"The drugs propofol and lorazepam were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson's death," said a news release issued Friday by the coroner. "Other drugs detected were: midazolam, diazepam, lidocaine and ephedrine."
The release said Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," but said "other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine effect."
Lorazepam, midazolam and diazepam are benzodiazepines.
A lawyer for Jackson's personal physician criticized the coroner for releasing only a brief summary of his findings, saying it contained "nothing new" and had "all the earmarks of police gamesmanship."
Michael Jackson's family issued a statement in reaction: "The Jackson family again wishes to commend the actions of the Coroner, the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies, and looks forward to the day that justice can be served."
Federal and state agencies also have launched independent investigations into "matters uncovered" by Los Angeles police while looking into Jackson's death, authorities said. Watch a report on the coroner's findings »
The Los Angeles Police Department, which has been conducting a criminal investigation of Jackson's death, requested at an interagency meeting last week that federal and state agencies pursue their own investigations, according to statements issued Friday by California's attorney general and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The full and final autopsy report and the complete toxicology report "will remain on security hold at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County district attorney," the release
Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told investigators that he had given Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs -- lorazepam, midazolam and diazepam -- in an effort to help him sleep in the hours before he stopped breathing, according to a police affidavit made public earlier this week.
Murray also told detectives he administered a dosage of the anesthetic propofol, diluted with lidocaine, to Jackson a short time before he stopped breathing, the affidavit said.
The 32-page sworn statement was written by Los Angeles Police detective Orlando Martinez to outline probable cause for warrants to search Murray's offices, home and storage rooms in Texas and Nevada.
Murray told detectives he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks, giving him 50 milligrams of propofol, the generic name for Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip, the affidavit said.
Worried that Jackson might become addicted to the drug, Murray said he tried to wean Jackson from it, putting together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping him sleep during the two nights before his death.
But on the morning of June 25 other drugs failed to do the job. Murray recounted the events to detectives in an hour-by-hour account that was detailed by Martinez:
• About 1:30 a.m., Murray gave Jackson 10 mg of Valium (diazepam).
• About 2 a.m., he injected Jackson with 2 mg of the antianxiety drug Ativan (lorazepam).
• About 3 a.m., Murray then administered 2 mg of the sedative Versed (midazolam).
• About 5 a.m., he administered another 2 mg of Ativan.
• About 7:30 a.m., Murray gave Jackson yet another 2 mg of Versed while monitoring him with a device that measures the oxygen saturation of his blood.
• About 10:40 a.m., "after repeated demands/requests from Jackson," Murray administered 25 mg of propofol, the document said.
"Jackson finally went to sleep and Murray stated that he remained monitoring him. After approximately 10 minutes, Murray stated he left Jackson's side to go to the restroom and relieve himself. Murray stated he was out of the room for about two minutes maximum. Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing."
Efforts at CPR proved fruitless. Jackson was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center at 2:26 p.m.
Earlier this week, Murray's lawyer disputed the final section of the timeline.
"Dr. Murray simply never told investigators that he found Michael Jackson at 11 a.m. not breathing," Chernoff said. "He also never said that he waited a mere 10 minutes before leaving to make several phone calls. In fact, Dr. Murray never said that he left Michael Jackson's room to make phone calls at all."
In Friday, Chernoff criticized the coroner's office for making the "contains nothing new." "For two months we have been hearing the same information, usually from leaks out of the coroner's office," Chernoff said. "One has to wonder why the coroner felt compelled to release anything at all if the police investigation is not yet complete."
Agents from the California attorney general's office also will investigate physicians whose names have come up in the course of the Jackson death probe, Attorney General Jerry Brown said.
The federal drug administration also responded with its own independent investigations "into matters that the LAPD's investigation uncovered that may not be directly related to the cause of death," the agency said.
Last week Drug Enforcement agents executed a federal administrative search warrant at the Mickey Fine Pharmacy in Beverly Hills, California, looking for prescription records relating to Jackson, an agency spokesman said.
The pharmacy sits directly below the offices of Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein. Shortly before his death, Jackson visited the building several times to see Klein.
Klein, who treated Jackson for decades, denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs.
Attorney General Brown said that agents with his Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement "will review relevant records and documents."
The attorney general's office maintains a computerized prescription drug monitoring system that tracks controlled substances.
Woman's frantic 911 call helps convict her killer
A Florida plumber was found guilty Friday of kidnapping and murdering a police detective's daughter at a trial in which his victim's voice filled the courtroom as her desperate 911 call was played to the jury.
Jurors deliberated just two hours before finding Michael L. King, 38, guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery in the January 17, 2008 abduction and slaying of Denise Amber Lee, a 21-year-old mother of two.
Lee's family, including her father, Charlotte County Sheriff's Det. Rick Goff, cried as the verdict was announced; King showed no reaction.
The jury must next decide whether King, who was a stranger to Lee, should be executed for his crimes.
According to testimony during the weeklong trial, Lee was taken from her home sometime after 2 p.m., driven to King's home, sexually assaulted, then shot in the head and buried in a shallow grave in a marshy vacant lot. Watch King listen to the verdict »
King's attorney, Jerry Meisner, did not present any witnesses. But prosecutors told the jury that Lee's ring was found in King's car, and hair matching hers was found on duct tape found at King's house.
According to testimony and court records, Lee fought frantically for her life, banging on the windows of King's green Camaro, screaming for help and begging one witness, "Call the cops." Watch the defendant as he hears the 911 tape »
Several people reported seeing something suspicious and called 911. But authorities didn't find Lee in time, and allegations that dispatchers mishandled the calls have led to criticism of the local 911 system.
Lee's body was found on January 19 near where police stopped King's car some six hours after the abduction.
The jury heard two 911 calls -- Lee's and one from a concerned witness.
Lee used one of King's cell phones to call 911 as she was driven across three counties. As the six-minute tape was played for the jury, her voice sounded tremulous at times, and frantic at others.
The call came in at 6:14 p.m. on January 17. A 911 operator repeatedly said "Hello," and Lee was heard pleading with her captor: "I'm sorry. I just want to see my family. ... I just want to see my family again. Please. ... Oh please, I just want to see my family again. Let me go."
The man, whose voice was identified in court as King's, cursed at her for trying to attract attention. A radio played loudly in the background. The 911 operator asked her address. Eventually, Lee managed to say, "My name is Denise. I'm married to a beautiful husband and I just want to see my kids again. ... Please, God, please protect me."
The 911 operator asked where she was, and then whether she knew the man. The operator asked if she knew her location. "Please just take me to my house. Can you take me home?" Lee said. The connection was then lost.
Sixteen minutes later, driver Jane Kowalski called 911 to report what she thought was a child abduction. She said she was stopped at a light and could hear screaming from another car "and not a happy scream, a get-me-out-of-here scream."
She testified that she saw someone banging on the car window, slapping her hand hard to demonstrate. "It was very loud," she told the jury. "It was completely horrific, terrified, panicky. I can't think of enough words, it was terrible."
She followed the car for a while, but lost it.
Police quickly traced Lee's call to King's cell phone, and were looking for him. But Kowalski's call was never passed on to officers.
Other witnesses also helped establish the timeline for the terrifying final hours of Lee's life.
Lee's former neighbor, Jennifer Eckert, 24, testified that she saw the green Camaro circle the block three or four times between 1 and 2 p.m. and pull into the Lees' driveway. She said she was certain of the time, because she was watching her favorite TV soap.
King's cousin, Harold Muxlow, testified that King stopped by his house between 5:30 and 6 p.m., and asked to borrow a flashlight, a gas can, and a shovel.
He testified that a "girl's voice" from the car asked him to "call the cops" but Muxlow said King told him, "Don't worry. It's nothing."
The 911 communications breakdown in connection with Kowalski's call was blamed on a shift change and two dispatchers were suspended, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
Lee's husband, Nathan, has launched a foundation bearing her name that works toward 911 reform. He plans to file a lawsuit next month, a
Jurors deliberated just two hours before finding Michael L. King, 38, guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery in the January 17, 2008 abduction and slaying of Denise Amber Lee, a 21-year-old mother of two.
Lee's family, including her father, Charlotte County Sheriff's Det. Rick Goff, cried as the verdict was announced; King showed no reaction.
The jury must next decide whether King, who was a stranger to Lee, should be executed for his crimes.
According to testimony during the weeklong trial, Lee was taken from her home sometime after 2 p.m., driven to King's home, sexually assaulted, then shot in the head and buried in a shallow grave in a marshy vacant lot. Watch King listen to the verdict »
King's attorney, Jerry Meisner, did not present any witnesses. But prosecutors told the jury that Lee's ring was found in King's car, and hair matching hers was found on duct tape found at King's house.
According to testimony and court records, Lee fought frantically for her life, banging on the windows of King's green Camaro, screaming for help and begging one witness, "Call the cops." Watch the defendant as he hears the 911 tape »
Several people reported seeing something suspicious and called 911. But authorities didn't find Lee in time, and allegations that dispatchers mishandled the calls have led to criticism of the local 911 system.
Lee's body was found on January 19 near where police stopped King's car some six hours after the abduction.
The jury heard two 911 calls -- Lee's and one from a concerned witness.
Lee used one of King's cell phones to call 911 as she was driven across three counties. As the six-minute tape was played for the jury, her voice sounded tremulous at times, and frantic at others.
The call came in at 6:14 p.m. on January 17. A 911 operator repeatedly said "Hello," and Lee was heard pleading with her captor: "I'm sorry. I just want to see my family. ... I just want to see my family again. Please. ... Oh please, I just want to see my family again. Let me go."
The man, whose voice was identified in court as King's, cursed at her for trying to attract attention. A radio played loudly in the background. The 911 operator asked her address. Eventually, Lee managed to say, "My name is Denise. I'm married to a beautiful husband and I just want to see my kids again. ... Please, God, please protect me."
The 911 operator asked where she was, and then whether she knew the man. The operator asked if she knew her location. "Please just take me to my house. Can you take me home?" Lee said. The connection was then lost.
Sixteen minutes later, driver Jane Kowalski called 911 to report what she thought was a child abduction. She said she was stopped at a light and could hear screaming from another car "and not a happy scream, a get-me-out-of-here scream."
She testified that she saw someone banging on the car window, slapping her hand hard to demonstrate. "It was very loud," she told the jury. "It was completely horrific, terrified, panicky. I can't think of enough words, it was terrible."
She followed the car for a while, but lost it.
Police quickly traced Lee's call to King's cell phone, and were looking for him. But Kowalski's call was never passed on to officers.
Other witnesses also helped establish the timeline for the terrifying final hours of Lee's life.
Lee's former neighbor, Jennifer Eckert, 24, testified that she saw the green Camaro circle the block three or four times between 1 and 2 p.m. and pull into the Lees' driveway. She said she was certain of the time, because she was watching her favorite TV soap.
King's cousin, Harold Muxlow, testified that King stopped by his house between 5:30 and 6 p.m., and asked to borrow a flashlight, a gas can, and a shovel.
He testified that a "girl's voice" from the car asked him to "call the cops" but Muxlow said King told him, "Don't worry. It's nothing."
The 911 communications breakdown in connection with Kowalski's call was blamed on a shift change and two dispatchers were suspended, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
Lee's husband, Nathan, has launched a foundation bearing her name that works toward 911 reform. He plans to file a lawsuit next month, a
Police: 'No known suspects' in 8 Georgia deaths
Authorities believe at least one person not in custody may have information about the deaths of eight people in a Georgia mobile home, Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said Sunday.
"I'm confident to say that there's somebody, at least an individual, that we would like to know about that's not at the scene," whether or not they were directly involved in the case, Doering said.
Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence in the New Hope mobile home park in Brunswick, Georgia. Two others were hospitalized in critical condition, and one of them died Sunday, authorities said.
Police have "no known suspects," Doering told reporters Sunday afternoon. "We are not looking for any known suspects. That doesn't say that there are no suspects. They're just not known to us."
One person, 22-year-old Guy Heinze Jr., was arrested Saturday night, Doering said. Heinze is related to one of the victims, he said, and was the one who called 911. He told police he discovered the bodies when he arrived home.
Heinze was being held on suspicion of having a controlled substance and marijuana, as well as evidence tampering and making false statements to a police officer, Doering said. He told reporters Heinze has been cooperative.
"We're still looking for anybody and everybody that may be related to this," he said. "That naturally includes [Heinze]. Of course we're looking at him." He stopped short, however, of calling Heinze a suspect in the deaths.
Autopsies on the victims were taking place Sunday in Savannah, Georgia, Doering said. Police have tentative identifications for the victims, who ranged from children to adults in their mid-40s, he said.
Police have been called to the home before, Doering said, but would not say why.
Doering remained tight-lipped Sunday about many aspects of the case, refusing to say how the victims died or to give a breakdown of male and female victims. All nine victims lived in the mobile home, he said, and police do not believe any of them conducted the assault.
He said police are making progress, and have narrowed down the timeline for when the deaths occurred.
Brunswick is about 300 miles southeast of Atlanta, on the Georgia coast.
Volunteers conducted an extended search of the area around the mobile home, but nothing was found, Doering said.
Meanwhile, police removed additional evidence from the mobile home. Authorities are examining surveillance video from nearby areas, but are not aware of any surveillance system in the mobile home park, he said.
"There is cause for concern," Doering said. "We just simply don't have a whole lot to go on, and I'm not going to sit there and tell everybody not to be cautious, because people need to be."
"I'm confident to say that there's somebody, at least an individual, that we would like to know about that's not at the scene," whether or not they were directly involved in the case, Doering said.
Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence in the New Hope mobile home park in Brunswick, Georgia. Two others were hospitalized in critical condition, and one of them died Sunday, authorities said.
Police have "no known suspects," Doering told reporters Sunday afternoon. "We are not looking for any known suspects. That doesn't say that there are no suspects. They're just not known to us."
One person, 22-year-old Guy Heinze Jr., was arrested Saturday night, Doering said. Heinze is related to one of the victims, he said, and was the one who called 911. He told police he discovered the bodies when he arrived home.
Heinze was being held on suspicion of having a controlled substance and marijuana, as well as evidence tampering and making false statements to a police officer, Doering said. He told reporters Heinze has been cooperative.
"We're still looking for anybody and everybody that may be related to this," he said. "That naturally includes [Heinze]. Of course we're looking at him." He stopped short, however, of calling Heinze a suspect in the deaths.
Autopsies on the victims were taking place Sunday in Savannah, Georgia, Doering said. Police have tentative identifications for the victims, who ranged from children to adults in their mid-40s, he said.
Police have been called to the home before, Doering said, but would not say why.
Doering remained tight-lipped Sunday about many aspects of the case, refusing to say how the victims died or to give a breakdown of male and female victims. All nine victims lived in the mobile home, he said, and police do not believe any of them conducted the assault.
He said police are making progress, and have narrowed down the timeline for when the deaths occurred.
Brunswick is about 300 miles southeast of Atlanta, on the Georgia coast.
Volunteers conducted an extended search of the area around the mobile home, but nothing was found, Doering said.
Meanwhile, police removed additional evidence from the mobile home. Authorities are examining surveillance video from nearby areas, but are not aware of any surveillance system in the mobile home park, he said.
"There is cause for concern," Doering said. "We just simply don't have a whole lot to go on, and I'm not going to sit there and tell everybody not to be cautious, because people need to be."
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Obama to again target McCain on energy issues today
At a townhall meeting in Youngstown, Ohio, and in another TV ad, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama today will again criticize his Republican opponent for offering "four more years of the same" on energy policy.
Obama's campaign has sent reporters excerpts from remarks the senator plans to make in Youngstown, and among the things he will say are:
"Under Sen. McCain's plan, the oil companies get billions more, we don't pay any less at the pump, and we stay in the same cycle of dependence on oil that got us into this crisis. The oil companies have placed their bet on Sen. McCain, and if he wins, they will continue to cash in while our families and our economy suffer and our future is put in jeopardy.
"That's the choice we face in this election. We can choose four years more of the same failed policies that have gotten us where we are. Four years more of oil companies calling the shots while hard working families are struggling. That's what Sen. McCain is offering.
"Or we can choose a new, clean energy future that gets us where we need to be. We can make a different bet –- a bet on the ingenuity, industry and determination of the American people. That's what I'm offering.
"Because after one president in the pocket of the oil companies -– we can't afford another. For the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, we must end the age of oil in our time."
Obama's campaign has sent reporters excerpts from remarks the senator plans to make in Youngstown, and among the things he will say are:
"Under Sen. McCain's plan, the oil companies get billions more, we don't pay any less at the pump, and we stay in the same cycle of dependence on oil that got us into this crisis. The oil companies have placed their bet on Sen. McCain, and if he wins, they will continue to cash in while our families and our economy suffer and our future is put in jeopardy.
"That's the choice we face in this election. We can choose four years more of the same failed policies that have gotten us where we are. Four years more of oil companies calling the shots while hard working families are struggling. That's what Sen. McCain is offering.
"Or we can choose a new, clean energy future that gets us where we need to be. We can make a different bet –- a bet on the ingenuity, industry and determination of the American people. That's what I'm offering.
"Because after one president in the pocket of the oil companies -– we can't afford another. For the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, we must end the age of oil in our time."
Gas station TV network refuses Obama ads
It seemed like a brilliant idea from Democrat Barack Obama's campaign: Show an energy ad across Florida on Gas Station TV, those TV monitors on gas pumps. But the network refused the ad, which accuses Republican John McCain of failing to help the nation develop alternatives to oil.
The company issued a statement saying it does not run political ads. The Obama campaign distributed e-mails that suggest GSTV accepted the ad and then reneged, and charged that the company "will not run ads that are damaging to oil companies."
The ad, called "National Priority," is on regular TV in battleground states. And the other part of the Obama plan to highlight his energy proposals -- sending campaign workers to distribute them at gas stations in 24 states -- is going on this week as planned.
The company issued a statement saying it does not run political ads. The Obama campaign distributed e-mails that suggest GSTV accepted the ad and then reneged, and charged that the company "will not run ads that are damaging to oil companies."
The ad, called "National Priority," is on regular TV in battleground states. And the other part of the Obama plan to highlight his energy proposals -- sending campaign workers to distribute them at gas stations in 24 states -- is going on this week as planned.
T. Boone Pickens: McCain seemed interested in the 'Pickens Plan'
Billionaire oil man T. Boone Pickens, who is now trying to get the nation behind his plan to get off foreign oil and switch to natural gas and wind as energy sources, sat down with Republican presidential contender John McCain this morning in Aspen, Colo.
Here's the statement Pickens released afterward:
"It was a pleasure to sit down with Senator McCain and discuss firsthand an issue that is America’s top priority: Ending our dependence on foreign oil, which today is approaching 70%. We plan on having a similar meeting with Senator Obama in the very near future. I have repeatedly stressed the nonpartisan aspects of my initiative. This is a threat to our economic and national security and something that requires bipartisan support.
"During the meeting I reiterated the urgency of the situation. I told him that any credible domestic energy policy must reduce our foreign dependence on foreign oil by at least 30% in the next 10 years (on top of conservation that is beginning to happen), must utilize proven and available technologies and be 100% comprised of American resources.
"We discussed my plan in some detail. I also outlined our progress in building more than one million supporters who are actively pushing this issue with the goal of getting legislation passed in the first 100 days of the next administration that will get us on the path to radically reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
"While I can not speak for the senator, my sense is that he was interested and encouraged by the work we are doing and recognizes that citizen education and citizen involvement is key to changing course and actually developing a real energy policy with teeth that will help this country from our current disastrous path."
Here's the statement Pickens released afterward:
"It was a pleasure to sit down with Senator McCain and discuss firsthand an issue that is America’s top priority: Ending our dependence on foreign oil, which today is approaching 70%. We plan on having a similar meeting with Senator Obama in the very near future. I have repeatedly stressed the nonpartisan aspects of my initiative. This is a threat to our economic and national security and something that requires bipartisan support.
"During the meeting I reiterated the urgency of the situation. I told him that any credible domestic energy policy must reduce our foreign dependence on foreign oil by at least 30% in the next 10 years (on top of conservation that is beginning to happen), must utilize proven and available technologies and be 100% comprised of American resources.
"We discussed my plan in some detail. I also outlined our progress in building more than one million supporters who are actively pushing this issue with the goal of getting legislation passed in the first 100 days of the next administration that will get us on the path to radically reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
"While I can not speak for the senator, my sense is that he was interested and encouraged by the work we are doing and recognizes that citizen education and citizen involvement is key to changing course and actually developing a real energy policy with teeth that will help this country from our current disastrous path."
McCain: Obama is 'wrong' about drilling and Americans know it
According to excerpts sent to reporters by his presidential campaign, Republican John McCain will speak today on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico about why he believes Democrat Barack Obama is wrong to generally oppose more offshore drilling for oil. Here's some of what the McCain campaign says he plans to say:
"Americans across our country are hurting because of the cost of energy. Gas prices are through the roof. Energy costs have seeped into our grocery bills, making it more expensive to feed our families. And now, as people prepare for the winter, they are going to be hit with higher costs for home heating oil. It is time for America to get serious about energy independence, and that means we need to start drilling offshore at advanced oil rigs like this."
• "Two decades ago, this rig would not have been possible. But since then, technology has enabled us to drill further offshore with even greater efficiency and environmental safety."
• "Senator Obama opposes new drilling. He has said it will not 'solve our problem' and that 'it's not real.' He's wrong, and the American people know it. This platform we are at today sits above a field of 160 million barrels of oil, and is capable of producing on a daily basis 55,000 barrels of oil and 72 million cubic feet of natural gas."
• "Our nation is sending $700 billion overseas every year to countries that don't like us very much. When I'm president that's going to stop. We're going to achieve energy independence, and we're going to do it by using every resource at our disposal to get the job done, including new off shore drilling."
• "New drilling has to be part of our energy solution. It will not solve this problem alone. Alternative energy will not solve this problem alone. Conservation will not solve this problem alone. Solving our energy crisis requires an 'all of the above' approach. It will require aggressive development of alternative energies like wind, solar, tidal and bio-fuels. It also requires expanding traditional sources of energy like clean coal, nuclear power, and off shore drilling like that done on this rig."
Update at 11:15 a.m. ET. An Obama campaign response.
Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor just sent this statement to reporters:
"For three decades, as our energy crisis grew, decision-making in Washington has been rigged against our national interests and the interests of American consumers. And for almost that long, Senator McCain has been part of the problem. For decades, he has stood with the big oil companies and voted against the development of the alternative energy we need.
"When a critical proposal came before the Senate late last year that would have provided tax incentives for the development of alternative energy by revoking $13 billion in giveaways to the oil companies, he was the only senator who didn't vote -- and we came up one vote short. And now he's standing with the oil companies in opposing a bipartisan compromise in Congress that would expand offshore drilling and, at the same time, make serious investments in alternative energy to break our dependence on foreign oil.
"When it comes to solving our energy problems, John McCain is just more of the same and America can't afford it. Senator Obama has been a leader in fighting for increased investment in renewable energy and increasing fuel economy standards. As president, Senator Obama will help families cope with the energy crisis in the short term by providing a $1,000 emergency energy rebate, and he'll make the long-term investments we need to break our addiction to oil by investing $150 billion over 10 years to develop a clean energy future."
"Americans across our country are hurting because of the cost of energy. Gas prices are through the roof. Energy costs have seeped into our grocery bills, making it more expensive to feed our families. And now, as people prepare for the winter, they are going to be hit with higher costs for home heating oil. It is time for America to get serious about energy independence, and that means we need to start drilling offshore at advanced oil rigs like this."
• "Two decades ago, this rig would not have been possible. But since then, technology has enabled us to drill further offshore with even greater efficiency and environmental safety."
• "Senator Obama opposes new drilling. He has said it will not 'solve our problem' and that 'it's not real.' He's wrong, and the American people know it. This platform we are at today sits above a field of 160 million barrels of oil, and is capable of producing on a daily basis 55,000 barrels of oil and 72 million cubic feet of natural gas."
• "Our nation is sending $700 billion overseas every year to countries that don't like us very much. When I'm president that's going to stop. We're going to achieve energy independence, and we're going to do it by using every resource at our disposal to get the job done, including new off shore drilling."
• "New drilling has to be part of our energy solution. It will not solve this problem alone. Alternative energy will not solve this problem alone. Conservation will not solve this problem alone. Solving our energy crisis requires an 'all of the above' approach. It will require aggressive development of alternative energies like wind, solar, tidal and bio-fuels. It also requires expanding traditional sources of energy like clean coal, nuclear power, and off shore drilling like that done on this rig."
Update at 11:15 a.m. ET. An Obama campaign response.
Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor just sent this statement to reporters:
"For three decades, as our energy crisis grew, decision-making in Washington has been rigged against our national interests and the interests of American consumers. And for almost that long, Senator McCain has been part of the problem. For decades, he has stood with the big oil companies and voted against the development of the alternative energy we need.
"When a critical proposal came before the Senate late last year that would have provided tax incentives for the development of alternative energy by revoking $13 billion in giveaways to the oil companies, he was the only senator who didn't vote -- and we came up one vote short. And now he's standing with the oil companies in opposing a bipartisan compromise in Congress that would expand offshore drilling and, at the same time, make serious investments in alternative energy to break our dependence on foreign oil.
"When it comes to solving our energy problems, John McCain is just more of the same and America can't afford it. Senator Obama has been a leader in fighting for increased investment in renewable energy and increasing fuel economy standards. As president, Senator Obama will help families cope with the energy crisis in the short term by providing a $1,000 emergency energy rebate, and he'll make the long-term investments we need to break our addiction to oil by investing $150 billion over 10 years to develop a clean energy future."
Palin parts ways with McCain on some energy points
"Sarah Palin may toe John McCain's line on national security issues, but when it comes to global warming and drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the running mates will 'agree to disagree,' ABC News reports as it continues to roll out news from its interviews with the Republican vice presidential nominee and Alaska governor.
We laid out the news from part one of the Charles Gibson sit-downs with Palin in this post. Part two ran late Thursday on Nightline. ABC summarizes the news from part two this way:
In the day's second interview, when it came to the discussion of energy policy, turf the Alaska governor is far more comfortable discussing, many of the differences between she and McCain were exposed. McCain has said he believes humans are responsible for climate change and that the government should not allow drilling in ANWR, positions opposite to those of his running mate.
"Do you still believe that global warming is not man made?" Gibson asked Palin.
"I believe that man's activities certainly can be contributing to the issue of global warming, climate change. Here in Alaska, the only arctic state in our Union, of course, we see the effects of climate change more so than any other area with ice pack melting. Regardless though of the reason for climate change, whether it's entirely, wholly caused by man's activities or is part of the cyclical nature of our planet -- the warming and the cooling trends -- regardless of that, John McCain and I agree that we gotta do something about it and we have to make sure that we're doing all we can to cut down on pollution."
In the past, including in an interview with Newsmax.com in August just ahead of her nomination, Palin said: "I'm not one though who would attribute [global warming] to being man-made."
In her interview with Gibson she was much more measured in her response.
McCain and Palin agree on offshore drilling but differ on exploration in ANWR, a federally protected wildlife reserve.
"I'm going to keep working on that one with him. ANWR, of course, is a 2,000 acre swath of land in the middle of about a 20 million acre swath of land. 2,000 acres that we're asking the feds to unlock so that there can be exploration and development… We'll agree to disagree but I'm gonna keep pushing that and I think eventually we're all gonna come together on that one."
It might, however, not take so much work to convince McCain to change his mind. "I continue to examine it," the Arizona Senator told The Weekly Standard at the end of August about ANWR.
More from ABC's interviews with Palin is due on Good Morning America in the 7 a.m. ET hour, and on World News and 20/20 tonight. Check your local listings for their air times.
Update at 7:15 a.m. ET. The Good Morning America segment just aired. Much of it was material already broadcast last night. A couple things of note:
Palin, who has expressed doubt in the past about whether human activity might be contributing to global warming, said she now believes "some of man's activities" might be partly responsible.
She said that being governor of Alaska, because it borders Russia, gives her a unique qualification. "You can actually see Russia" from parts of her state, Palin noted.
She's going to "keep working" on McCain to see if she can get him to agree with her that drilling for oil should be allowed in Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge.
Also this morning, The Washington Post writes that in a talk to U.S. troops yesterday, Palin linked the 9/11 attacks to Iraq -- "a view once promoted by Bush administration officials, (that) has since been rejected even by the president himself."
We laid out the news from part one of the Charles Gibson sit-downs with Palin in this post. Part two ran late Thursday on Nightline. ABC summarizes the news from part two this way:
In the day's second interview, when it came to the discussion of energy policy, turf the Alaska governor is far more comfortable discussing, many of the differences between she and McCain were exposed. McCain has said he believes humans are responsible for climate change and that the government should not allow drilling in ANWR, positions opposite to those of his running mate.
"Do you still believe that global warming is not man made?" Gibson asked Palin.
"I believe that man's activities certainly can be contributing to the issue of global warming, climate change. Here in Alaska, the only arctic state in our Union, of course, we see the effects of climate change more so than any other area with ice pack melting. Regardless though of the reason for climate change, whether it's entirely, wholly caused by man's activities or is part of the cyclical nature of our planet -- the warming and the cooling trends -- regardless of that, John McCain and I agree that we gotta do something about it and we have to make sure that we're doing all we can to cut down on pollution."
In the past, including in an interview with Newsmax.com in August just ahead of her nomination, Palin said: "I'm not one though who would attribute [global warming] to being man-made."
In her interview with Gibson she was much more measured in her response.
McCain and Palin agree on offshore drilling but differ on exploration in ANWR, a federally protected wildlife reserve.
"I'm going to keep working on that one with him. ANWR, of course, is a 2,000 acre swath of land in the middle of about a 20 million acre swath of land. 2,000 acres that we're asking the feds to unlock so that there can be exploration and development… We'll agree to disagree but I'm gonna keep pushing that and I think eventually we're all gonna come together on that one."
It might, however, not take so much work to convince McCain to change his mind. "I continue to examine it," the Arizona Senator told The Weekly Standard at the end of August about ANWR.
More from ABC's interviews with Palin is due on Good Morning America in the 7 a.m. ET hour, and on World News and 20/20 tonight. Check your local listings for their air times.
Update at 7:15 a.m. ET. The Good Morning America segment just aired. Much of it was material already broadcast last night. A couple things of note:
Palin, who has expressed doubt in the past about whether human activity might be contributing to global warming, said she now believes "some of man's activities" might be partly responsible.
She said that being governor of Alaska, because it borders Russia, gives her a unique qualification. "You can actually see Russia" from parts of her state, Palin noted.
She's going to "keep working" on McCain to see if she can get him to agree with her that drilling for oil should be allowed in Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge.
Also this morning, The Washington Post writes that in a talk to U.S. troops yesterday, Palin linked the 9/11 attacks to Iraq -- "a view once promoted by Bush administration officials, (that) has since been rejected even by the president himself."
Factcheck: False ads from McCain on coal, Obama on stem cell research
The non-partisan watchdog group Factcheck.org says Republican John McCain is running a false radio ad in four swing states. The ad, on stations in Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, says Democrat Barack Obama opposes clean coal technology.
The ad rests on something vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said to a voter on a rope line. However, Obama has been pushing clean coal technology since May 2007 and BIden, when he was running for president, also supported it.
The group said that "regardless of Biden's remark on the rope line, it's Obama policy proposals that the ticket is running on and would promote if the Democrats win the White House."
CBS News has a story on its interview yesterday with McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, in which McCain argues that a misstatement she made about Pakistan was "gotcha journalism" because she was answering an informal question from a voter. The writer asks the McCain campaign why Biden's rope line gaffe on coal was "worthy of ridicule, while Palin's flub deserved a pass."
Update at 5:40 p.m. ET: Factcheck is now pointing out that an Obama radio ad that says McCain opposes federal funding for embryonic stem cell research is wrong.
The ad rests on something vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said to a voter on a rope line. However, Obama has been pushing clean coal technology since May 2007 and BIden, when he was running for president, also supported it.
The group said that "regardless of Biden's remark on the rope line, it's Obama policy proposals that the ticket is running on and would promote if the Democrats win the White House."
CBS News has a story on its interview yesterday with McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, in which McCain argues that a misstatement she made about Pakistan was "gotcha journalism" because she was answering an informal question from a voter. The writer asks the McCain campaign why Biden's rope line gaffe on coal was "worthy of ridicule, while Palin's flub deserved a pass."
Update at 5:40 p.m. ET: Factcheck is now pointing out that an Obama radio ad that says McCain opposes federal funding for embryonic stem cell research is wrong.
In the House, Waxman takes Energy Committee from Dingell
Michigan Democratic Rep. John Dingell has lost his powerful spot as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, USA TODAY's Ken Dilanian reports.
Dingell, chairman of the committee for the last 28 years, will be replaced by California Democrat Henry Waxman. Ken says the House Democratic caucus voted 137-122 for the switch. He adds that:
Waxman's allies, including California Rep. George Miller, had argued that a change was needed to advance President-elect Barack Obama's agenda -- which includes energy, global warming and health care top priorities, all issues that fall under the jurisdiction of the committee.
"The prevailing view in our caucus ... was that we needed a change in order to get important issues passed," Waxman said after the vote. "This is an opportunity that maybe comes only once in a generation."
In the current Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had bypassed the Energy committee on the issue of global warming. Dingell has long been a strong advocate of positions taken by the auto industry, a key employer in his home state.
Dingell, chairman of the committee for the last 28 years, will be replaced by California Democrat Henry Waxman. Ken says the House Democratic caucus voted 137-122 for the switch. He adds that:
Waxman's allies, including California Rep. George Miller, had argued that a change was needed to advance President-elect Barack Obama's agenda -- which includes energy, global warming and health care top priorities, all issues that fall under the jurisdiction of the committee.
"The prevailing view in our caucus ... was that we needed a change in order to get important issues passed," Waxman said after the vote. "This is an opportunity that maybe comes only once in a generation."
In the current Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had bypassed the Energy committee on the issue of global warming. Dingell has long been a strong advocate of positions taken by the auto industry, a key employer in his home state.
Gore skips on energy pep talk
On the eve of a possible U.S. House vote on a controversial energy bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is holstering one of the biggest guns on the issue. Pelosi's office announced it has canceled a meeting and news conference scheduled for today with former vice president Al Gore.
Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work on climate change, was expected to speak to the Democratic caucus and seek support for the cap-and-trade bill that could head to a vote as soon as Friday. Gore had scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. ET.
"As the list of undecided members narrowed, the speaker thought it was unnecessary to impose on the vice president’s schedule to travel to Washington," according to an e-mail from Pelosi's spokesman, Drew Hammill. Instead, the note said, Gore will continue to coordinate efforts from Tennessee.
President Obama is expected to address the legislation in remarks scheduled for 1:45 p.m. ET. Follow coverage of those remarks on The Oval.
The bill, a central component of Obama's energy platform during last year's campaign, would cap emissions from power producers and manufacturers and require them to purchase credits if they exceeded those limits. Besides health care, the issue is one of the most controversial Congress will face this year. House Republicans have vowed to not "let up on the issue," and Democrats have been working furiously to keep their own caucus together, Politico reports.
Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work on climate change, was expected to speak to the Democratic caucus and seek support for the cap-and-trade bill that could head to a vote as soon as Friday. Gore had scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. ET.
"As the list of undecided members narrowed, the speaker thought it was unnecessary to impose on the vice president’s schedule to travel to Washington," according to an e-mail from Pelosi's spokesman, Drew Hammill. Instead, the note said, Gore will continue to coordinate efforts from Tennessee.
President Obama is expected to address the legislation in remarks scheduled for 1:45 p.m. ET. Follow coverage of those remarks on The Oval.
The bill, a central component of Obama's energy platform during last year's campaign, would cap emissions from power producers and manufacturers and require them to purchase credits if they exceeded those limits. Besides health care, the issue is one of the most controversial Congress will face this year. House Republicans have vowed to not "let up on the issue," and Democrats have been working furiously to keep their own caucus together, Politico reports.
Crist picks ally to replace Martinez in Senate
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has picked his former chief of staff George LeMieux to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, the Associated Press says.
By doing so, Crist has put a loyal political ally in the seat that the Republican governor hopes to win next year. LeMieux served as Crist's campaign manager in 2006 before joining him as chief of staff in the governor's office. He now works for a Tallahassee law firm.
Martinez announced earlier this month he would resign when a replacement was found.
“I congratulate George LeMieux for being appointed by the governor to fill the remainder of my term," Martinez said in a statement. "George is bright, capable and an accomplished
administrator. My staff and I stand ready to ensure a smooth transition.”
Update at 11:51 a.m. ET: Eric Schultz, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, didn't take long to blast Crist's choice.
“Charlie Crist came as close as he could to appointing himself to this position," Schultz said in a statement sent to reporters moments ago. "At a time when so many Floridians are unemployed, and many others facing foreclosures, we have learned nothing is beyond the pale for Charlie Crist. Today marked another Charlie Crist choice that significantly impacts the state of Florida but is ultimately about promoting himself.”
Update at 12:05 p.m. ET:In an interview with On Politics, Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer called the Democratic reaction "simply partisan politics without any recognition of the facts and qualifications of George LeMieux."
He said LeMieux is a "dedicated public servant."
Update at 2:50 p.m. ET: Democrats and Republicans continue to trade barbs about the LeMieux appointment. Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan accused Crist of "using the governorship to advance his own political ambitions."
Rob Jesmer, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, shot back that the "Democrats' desperate criticisms ring hollow, especially considering they stayed mum when Joe Biden had Ted Kaufman appointed to keep 'his' seat warm earlier this year."
Kaufman, a long-time Biden adviser, is filling the Delaware Senate seat that Biden gave up to become vice president. A special election for that post is in 2010.
Update at 4:50 p.m. ET: The St. Petersburg Times offers this 2006 profile of LeMieux, whom the paper has dubbed Crist's "alter ego," along with his responses to a 1998 candidate survey on hot-botton issues, such as abortion and gay marriage.
On Friday, LeMieux, 40, said he would not stray far from Crist's principles of "limited government" and cited the national debt as a significant concern.
"This county is almost $12 trillion in debt and is set to go another trillion-six a year for an estimated next 10 years," he said. "I want to focus on what government spends its money on, how it can do it more efficiently and how it can do be more effective."
By doing so, Crist has put a loyal political ally in the seat that the Republican governor hopes to win next year. LeMieux served as Crist's campaign manager in 2006 before joining him as chief of staff in the governor's office. He now works for a Tallahassee law firm.
Martinez announced earlier this month he would resign when a replacement was found.
“I congratulate George LeMieux for being appointed by the governor to fill the remainder of my term," Martinez said in a statement. "George is bright, capable and an accomplished
administrator. My staff and I stand ready to ensure a smooth transition.”
Update at 11:51 a.m. ET: Eric Schultz, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, didn't take long to blast Crist's choice.
“Charlie Crist came as close as he could to appointing himself to this position," Schultz said in a statement sent to reporters moments ago. "At a time when so many Floridians are unemployed, and many others facing foreclosures, we have learned nothing is beyond the pale for Charlie Crist. Today marked another Charlie Crist choice that significantly impacts the state of Florida but is ultimately about promoting himself.”
Update at 12:05 p.m. ET:In an interview with On Politics, Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer called the Democratic reaction "simply partisan politics without any recognition of the facts and qualifications of George LeMieux."
He said LeMieux is a "dedicated public servant."
Update at 2:50 p.m. ET: Democrats and Republicans continue to trade barbs about the LeMieux appointment. Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan accused Crist of "using the governorship to advance his own political ambitions."
Rob Jesmer, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, shot back that the "Democrats' desperate criticisms ring hollow, especially considering they stayed mum when Joe Biden had Ted Kaufman appointed to keep 'his' seat warm earlier this year."
Kaufman, a long-time Biden adviser, is filling the Delaware Senate seat that Biden gave up to become vice president. A special election for that post is in 2010.
Update at 4:50 p.m. ET: The St. Petersburg Times offers this 2006 profile of LeMieux, whom the paper has dubbed Crist's "alter ego," along with his responses to a 1998 candidate survey on hot-botton issues, such as abortion and gay marriage.
On Friday, LeMieux, 40, said he would not stray far from Crist's principles of "limited government" and cited the national debt as a significant concern.
"This county is almost $12 trillion in debt and is set to go another trillion-six a year for an estimated next 10 years," he said. "I want to focus on what government spends its money on, how it can do it more efficiently and how it can do be more effective."
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