Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis giving the keynote speech at the Illinois Labor History Society’s 2012 Union Hall of Honor, where she talks about the 19th Century Union leaders being “ready to kill” those who opposed the unions in that day. When someone claps, she seems to get a bit nervous, saying that she doesn’t think we are at that point today, “but the key is that they think nothing about killing us.”

From the beginning of this Chicago-style drama Blago has said the truth has come out. Indeed it has!

Before entering the courtroom to hear the verdict in his retrial, Mr. Blagojevich said:

“My hands are shaking, my knees are weak, I can barely stand on my own two feet,” Blagojevich said as he left his house. “It’s in God’s hands, now.”

The former governor was found guilty on 17 of 20 charges in his corruption retrial.

It’s interesting that now Blago seems to trust that God will save him from the consequences of his actions. With the mountains of recorded evidence against him, you would think he would realize that it has all caught up to him. However, that does not seem to be the case. It appears that Mr. Blagojevic was legitimately amazed that he would be found guilty.

Upon hearing that he was found guilty, he turned in bewilderment to his attorney and asked, “What happened?’

Well, Blago, that’s what we here in America call Justice! It suits you well!

Now if that same justice could be served to all politicians who have done the same thing! The reality is it is most all of them in one way or another. Blago’s downfall is those recording! He got caught! He just didn’t expect that the jurors would look past his exceptionally coiffed locks and see to the heart of the matter. He broke the law. Now he must pay the price.

It’s a good day in America!

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Source:
NBC Chicago

Personal Information

Anthony Robert Martin-Trigona was born in 1945 in Middletown, Connecticut to Helen and Ralph Beneducci Martin-Trigona. He currently lives in New York, New York.

Mr. Martin is single.

Religious Affiliation
Episcopal

Education
Graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Middletown, Connecticut
1966- Graduated with a B.A. degree from the University of Illinois
1969- Graduated with a J.D. degree from the University of Illinois
Wesleyan University- French studies only
The University of Edinburgh- Summer Program- economic history

Professional Career
1969 to present- Public Interest Lawyer
1985 to 1992- Adjunct Professor of Law- City University of New York
1978 to 1980- Radio Licensee- Broadcasting
1968 to 1969- Television Licensee- Broadcasting
1966- Assistant to United States Senator Paul H. Douglas

Organizations
2000 to present- Executive Director- Computer Consumers of America
1985 to present- Executive Director- Campaign for Court Reform
1995 to 2000- Executive Director- Committee to Fight Microsoft
Executive Director- Revolutionary War Research Center

Political Affiliation
Started out as a Democrat
Changed to Republican
Changed back to Democrat
Changed back to Republican
Changed to Independent
Changed back to Republican
* Attempted to run for office on the “Reform Party of Illinois” ticket but he did not qualify to be on the general election ballot

Political Career
1966- Interned for Democrat Senator Paul Douglas
Perennial Candidate for various political offices in various states, including Connecticut, Florida, and Illinois. He has run for office as a Democrat, Republican and Independent.

Political Candidacies
1977- Ran for mayor of Chicago and lost
1978- Ran for U.S. Senator in Illinois (Democratic primary)
1980- Ran for U.S. Senator in Illinois (Democratic primary)
1986- Ran for Congressman in Connecticut (Republican primary)
1988- Ran for President of the United States (Democratic primary)
1990- Ran for Governor of Florida (Republican primary)
1992- Ran for Congress in Florida (Republican primary)
1996- Ran for Florida State Senate (Republican nominee)
1998- Ran for U.S. Senator in Florida (Republican primary)
2000- Ran for President of the United States (Independent)
2004- Ran for U.S. Senator in Illinois (Republican primary, but was removed from the ballot)
2004- Ran for Senator in Florida (Republican primary)
2006- Ran for Governor of Illinois (Republican primary)
2008- Ran for Senator in Illinois (Republican primary)
2010- Ran for Senator in Illinois (Republican primary)
2012- Is currently running for President of the United States (Republican primary)

Confusing His Candidacies
Quoting from Mr. Martin’s website on his “Andy, a brief bio” page, under point #1:

Andy has entered the race for the 2010 Republican nomination for U. S. Senator. Send him your thoughts. Offer him your support. Once again, Illinois calls Andy Martin to be a field general in the endless war against political corruption in our state and in Washington.

On that same page, under point #3:

The one man Barack Obama fears in the U. S. Senate: Andy Martin. Send Andy to Washington, and you will send Barack Obama a devastating message: Obama, it’s time for you to go.

I understand how this can happen. It appears as though Mr. Martin has ran for so many offices that he simply perpetuates the same, exact information on completely different websites, depending on what office he is currently running for. However, it does not cause me to have great confidence in someone whose attention to detail is obviously lacking.

On The Issues
Abortion- Strongly opposed to mandated coverage
Gun Control- Strongly supports the Second Amendment
Cap and trade- Strongly Opposed
Free Speech- Strongly Supports the First Amendment
Opposes the Iraq War and has since 2002

Corruption Fighter
From Mr. Martin’s website:

Andy exposed corruption in the local courts while still a student at the University of Illinois College of Law. In 1968 Andy engaged in a legendary confrontation with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, demanding that Democrats dump Secretary of State Paul Powell because Powell was a crook. Shortly thereafter, Powell died leaving millions of dollars stuffed in shoe boxes.

In 1969 Andy Martin joined efforts to investigate and expose two corrupt judges on the Illinois Supreme Court. The judges were forced to resign after taking bank stock bribes.

Throughout the 1970′s Martin waged war against judicial corruption in Illinois’ federal and state courts. His efforts set the foundations for Operation Greylord, which led to the conviction of over 80 court personnel. The United States Court of Appeals in Chicago once said “The stories about Martin’s clashes with the appellate and district court judges in this circuit are legion…he might not win a popularity contest in this circuit.” Any surprise there?

Anti-Semitism Issues
His 1996 campaign for Florida State Senate came to an abrupt halt when it came out that he had named his 1986 congressional committee, “The Anthony R. Martin-Trigona Congressional Campaign to Exterminate Jew Power in America”. When this came to light the Florida state Republican Party renounced him, stating “Martin’s views do not represent those of the state GOP”.

The investigation into the committee and its creation, the Florida State GOP representative went on to say, ”’There is no room in our party for someone who holds these kinds of views. Anthony Martin will receive neither support, nor encouragement, from our party.”

Mr. Martin has denied that he had any connections or participation with the committee or its creation.

His 1990 campaign also suffered from his previous anti-Semitic comments which stemmed from a 1981 bankruptcy case. Mr. Martin stated that there was a “conspiracy of Jewish bankruptcy judges and lawyers were plotting to steal his property.”

In one of his legal motions, Mr. Martin wrote,

”I am able to understand how the Holocaust took place, and with every passing day feel less and less sorry that it did, when Jew survivors are operating as a wolf pack to steal my property.”

In yet another legal case in 1983, Mr. Martin filed a legal motion calling the judge presiding in the case,

“a crooked, slimy Jew who has a history of lying and thieving common members of his race.”

Mr. Martin was interviews by the Orlando Sentinel in 1990, and he stated that “he regretted those comments.”

In 1996 Mr. Martin gave a written statement saying, he “is not anti-Semitic”. He also stated that he has “signed a pledge drafted by the The American Jewish Committee in Boca Raton to refrain from using race, religion or ethnic background as an issue in this year’s campaign. ”I have faithfully followed that pledge and will continue to do so.”

I have great concern with Mr. Martin’s seemingly lack of understanding of the gravity to his anti-Semitic comments. These are not just empty words that he spoke that he can just take away. Yes, I do most certainly believe people make mistakes- we all do!  However, when you put something in writing and actually have it filed in a court of law it’s not something you can just explain a way with an apology. Racism is wrong no matter who you are or who your racists feelings are against.

His Reputation
In the 2008 election he was named by 3 separate media outlets as “the primary source of false rumors” against President Barack Obama by making the accusation that Mr. Obama is secretly a Muslim.

He has since moved away from this accusation, now vocalizing his opinion that President Obama’s real father is Frank Marshall Davis, a journalist from the 1950′s.

While I personally have a LOT of questions about Mr. Obama’s past, Mr. Martin’s credibility is quite shoddy in my opinion. Our reputation encompasses the entire being of who we are. Any credibility that Mr. Martin might have in bringing a case against President Obama are called into question because of his past. For me to take someone seriously in a matter such as the President of the United States and questions regarding who he truly is, I want someone who has credibility in all other areas of their life.

He is known as a “vexatious litigant” among numerous federal and state courts. This reputation goes back to at least 1982 when a federal judge for the Southern District of New York stated that Mr. Martin “had a tendency to file a substantial number of lawsuits of vexatious, frivolous and scandalous nature.”

Many of Mr. Martin’s lawsuits were anti-Semitic in nature, as was stated in the above section.

Going Too Far
1983- A federal judge in Connecticut issued an injunction barring Mr. Martin or anyone acting “at his behest at his direction or instigation, or in concert with him” from filing any new legal actions or proceeding in any federal or state court without first obtaining permission from the court that he would be filing with. In his ruling the judged stated that Mr. Martin had a tendency to file legal actions with “persistence, viciousness, and general disregard for decency and logic.” The judge went on to state that it was common practice for Mr. Martin to file “an incessant stream of frivolous or meritless motions, demands, letters to the court and other documents,” as well as “vexatious lawsuits” against anyone who dared cross him, including court personnel and their families.

Proving the judges point, Mr. Martin sued the judge who issued the ruling, as well as the judges wife. He then tried to have the judge recused from the case but was unsuccessful.

Mr. Martin appealed the ruling and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals limited the scope of the injunction to the federal courts only.

This has done nothing to slow Mr. Martin down from filing his legal actions. He has received repeated citations for contempt of court by violating the federal injunction.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida has estimated that Mr. Martin has filed thousands of proceedings over the years. It was also discovered that his mother was in cahoots with him by filing a federal civil rights action against several Florida state officials. The lawsuit was thrown out, and the court stated that Mr. Martin is ”a notoriously vexatious and vindictive litigator who has long abused the American legal system.”

Both the states of Florida and New York have prohibited him from filing lawsuits in their state courts without first receiving approval from the perspective courts because of his long history of abusing the legal system.

Mental Health
The Illinois state psychiatrist has described Mr. Martin as having a “moderately severe character defect …with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character.”

1973- The Illinois Supreme Court would not grant him a license to practice law in the state, stating that there were several instances of troubling behavior on his part. One such instance stated was when Mr. Martin went to court to have a parking violation thrown out because it has been “entered by an insane judge.”

He also described an attorney as  ”shaking and tottering and drooling like an idiot.”

Consumer Advocacy
He became what he called “the people’s attorney general”, taking credit for being the first to file suit under the civil component of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICCO)

He also takes credit for being the first to file antitrust actions against the BigThree TV networks for anti-competitive practices in network affiliation agreements.

Personal Legal Issues
1996- Not long before this  election Mr. Martin assaulted two TV cameramen. For the assaults he was convicted of criminal mischief and sentenced to one year in jail. He was freed pending an appeal but he landed himself back in jail when he made personal attacks on the judged while leaving the courtroom. He was held on criminal contempt of court and was sentenced to 7 months in jail.

Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on Mr. Martin because he was mistakenly let out of jail after only one month. Mr. Martin never returned to jail and a warrant was issued for his arrest. In the event that he is ever arrested he will serve 16 months in jail. According to  Mr. Martin the issue was “being resolved” during the 2008 Senate run.

The Accusations He’s Made
2000- Mr. Martin accused George W. Bush of using cocaine
2003- He claimed that he had found the hideout of Saddam Hussein several months before Saddam was captured
2004- Mr. Martin issued a press release stating the he had evidence that Obama “lied to the American People” and “Misrepresent[ed] his own heritage”, making the official claim that Mr. Obama is secretly a Muslim while claiming to be a Christian. Mr. Martin claimed that it was possible Mr. Obama was hiding this fact “to endanger Israel”, stating that “[Obama's] Muslim religion would obviously raise serious questions in many Jewish circles.”

It is at this point that my head is truly about to explode! With the whirlwind of legal information that I found in my research of Mr. Martin, it is truly enough to make you wonder how in the world we could have allowed ourselves to get to this point as a nation. Mr. Martin has obviously wasted unmeasurable amounts of taxpayers money with his numerous frivilous lawsuits. While some of his actions and lawsuits may be credible, once again, for me personally, his credibility is not something I would hang my hat on.

The fact that Mr. Martin has filed more than one lawsuit of anti-Semitic nature, this last comment from him literally sent me over the edge! Can we say, “Pot, meet Kettle?!”

In reality, for the sake of this article, Mr. Obama’s religious beliefs are irrelevant. While I have very serious issues with President Obama and I STRONGLY disagree with most every decision and comment he has made while in office, for Mr. Martin to “call out” the president in regards to the Jewish people takes the cake!

Mr. Martin’s press release has been used by more than one conservative blogs and articles as substantiating proof that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.

While President Obama has given many reasons to call into question his religious beliefs, using Mr. Martin’s press release as “proof” that Mr. Obama is a Muslim is ridiculous! Where is the actual evidence? Yes, I, like many Americans question whether or not Barack Obama is a Christian. In reality there is only One person that can answer that question- not only for President Obama, but for each of us personally! We will ALL answer to God Almighty. He alone is the judge of our hearts. Yes, as the Bible says, “by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:16) Mr. Obama’s fruits definitely do not show a man who is sold out to Christ. However, neither do Mr. Martin’s fruits. And I could continue listing MOST politicians who “claim” to be Christian.

We MUST look at the facts- whether conservative or liberal! If the facts do not stand up to scrutiny they are not facts! I was disheartened to learn that an author I respect actually uses Mr. Martin’s press release as a source of information for his findings. I was also disheartened to learn that Sean Hannity has had Mr. Martin on his show. While I do agree with what Sean Hannity has said, when questioned how he could have Mr. Martin in his show, I still question the decision. Yes, Mr. Hannity has guests on all the time that he does not agree with, in this case he did not seem to discount Mr. Martin’s credibility. If we are going to be taken seriously we have to make sure we are presenting a factual argument and case. Yes, there will always be the naysayers who will deny the facts no matter how much proof you present them with. You cannot worry about that. You have to stay true to yourself, true to the FACTS! Period! It is not “fun” for me to write that Mr. Martin has been used as a credible source for people I admire and respect. But the facts are the facts no matter who they involve.

With the many, many, many ACTUAL FACTS that We The People have witnessed before our very eyes, using a source like Mr. Martin with the reputation he has, it does most certainly call into question the validity of the remainder of the arguments.

In Mr. Martin’s case I would say the facts speak for themselves. Is this a man that honestly believes the American people will trust him with leading our country?  If he honestly believes the answer to that question is yes then I would have to wholeheartedly agree with the Illinois state psychiatrist who says that Mr. Martin has a “moderately severe character defect…with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character.”

Ya think? My, my, my! I cannot even find the words to remain professional, so on that note…….. I’ll let you decide for yourself.

He Believes
From Mr. Martin’s official campaign website:

I BELIEVE……..ANDY MARTIN

I BELIEVE……..in the beliefs and values that motivated our Founding Fathers

I BELIEVE……..in a free and decent society; a free and decent society of responsible citizens that respect notions that are especially indispensable in a modern and democratic society; notions of freedom, the rule of law, the importance of tradition, small government and the worth of strong families and education.

I BELIEVE……..in a small and effective government; a limited government whose policies are based on the principles of the free enterprise system.  A government who concentrates on its core functions and shows no favor.

I BELIEVE……..in a government with a strong national defense.

I BELIEVE……..in a government where taxes are fair and understandable

I BELIEVE……..in American Exceptionalism and like Ronald Reagan, I understand American Exceptionalism.  I understand America’s greatness and I understand America’s role in the world for the good.  I too believe, as President Ronald Regan believed, that “America is a Shining City on a Hill, that we are blessed as a Special Light for all Nations”.

I BELIEVE IN AMERICA……..in a safe America where choices count; choices in health care, retirement and where everybody is afforded the opportunity to go as far as their talents, aspirations and dreams will take them.

IF YOU BELIEVE AS I BELIEVE……..I respectfully ask you for your support; for your vote.  God Bless you and God Bless America…………………..Andy

 

On The Web
Andy Martin for President Official Campaign Website
Andy Martin on Twitter
Andy Martin on Facebook
Andy Martin on Blogspot
Andy Martin on WordPress
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Sources:
Wikipedia
VoteSmart.org
OnTheIssues.org
Orlando Sentinel
Andy Martin Official Campaign Website