St. Louis has long been on the radar thanks to an ownership group led by Jeffrey Cooper.  http://www.stlouissoccerunited.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/ Cooper is a local attorney who made his forturne on the plaintiff's side of Asbestos litigation ( It is interesting that most of the other proposed ownership groups are from prominent spors owners: Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Falcons is spearheading the Atlanta effort, the Gillete family, owners of the Montreal Canadians is running the Montreal entry, etc...).  He has worked hard to secure approvals to build an 18,500 person stadium 15 miles east of the city.  Failure to select the St. Louis group could put MLS in some legal hot water. Cooper has repeatedly suggested that promises were made to St. Louis that they were "next" in line for a team if he met certain conditions.  He believes that the promise included an opportunity to purchase the franchise for far less than 40 million.

A decision on expansion is expected in the coming months.  We will keep you posted.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Not too long ago, we posted a feature on the defection of Cuban soccer players to the U.S. and the interesting immigration issues it presented.  http://ctsportslaw.com/2008/05/06/us-immigration-policy-encouraging-a-soccer-pipeline-from-cuba/.  Well last week, the pipeline continued as two more Cuban soccer players escaped to US while in DC for a World Cup Qualfier.   Check out Steve Goff's outstanding piece on one player's mad dash to freedom.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201859.html

As we discussed in our earlier post, the “Wet feet, dry feet” policy, established by the Clinton Administration, is unique to Cuba and permits any Cuban who makes it to U.S. shores to remain in the U.S. (See Cuban Adjustment Act). Thus, these two Cuban athletes will get a chance to make a go of it here in the States.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

World Cup qualifying continues around the globe (the U.S. has already made it to the last round), and Rio Tinto stadium http://ctsportslaw.com/2008/10/04/rio-tinto-stadium-set-to-open/ opened to rave reviews.

More to come...

This part of the piece really struck me:

"The move comes after the police and the security services warned that criminals were becoming increasingly sophisticated in their use of technology to avoid detection."

Why do they continue to treat us all like idiots? Politicians and law enforcement bodies have been telling us this bullshit since the Peelers set up shop in London in the early 19th century.

If we went by the logic of the government, then by now we ought to be living in the most repressive state the world has ever seen, making the Third Reich and Stalin's Soviet Union look like a lazy afternoon at Disney World.

Criminals have always tried to get ahead of the game. This has happened in all countries throughout all ages. It's not an excuse for the state to seek to assert itself over the people, using means that are harsh, draconian and utterly against civil liberties. Most people don't want these measures put in place. People think the state has gone far far enough - bar a gaggle of disgruntled, ignorant Sun & Mail reading malcontents who take the McKenzie line towards powers taken by the state to "combat terror".

The fact is, measures like these only serve to add fuel to the fire. They suppress the law abiding, decent majority of people, and fail to actually harness the bad guys. It's always the way with these repressive measures, they disproportionately hurt the regular folks, while the criminal elements take advantage of whatever it is at their disposal - fear, intimidation, communities that don't speak out, left wing 'human rights' legislation and a completely emasculated criminal justice and sentencing system.

Labour keep ratcheting up the measures, and increasing the vice like grip over the people using authoritarian means and new laws that seem to come in droves each year.

We now live in a police state, with ever increasing numbers of streets covered with CCTV cameras and with police, either PCSOs or regulars, swarming all over the shop. (Police numbers have gone through the roof since the 1930s).

Yet whatever they decide to introduce to keep one step ahead of these crafty criminals and terrorists, it never seems to work.

Well, that's because the law is soft on those found guilty. And because immigration has been allowed to get out of hand. Really rather simple, to be honest. Yet people like me are slammed as the nasty extreme right wingers, while authoritarian left wing fuck bags like Smith and her Labour colleagues are seemingly untouchable in their approach to law and order. Even though they are more hardcore and extreme than anyone in government since the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) 1914 was introduced.

Of course, Labour won't contemplate upsetting their liberal leftist and Marxist friends by getting tough on the criminals. No, far better to make it an all round measure that keeps us all down equally. How very egalitarian.

Of course, Labour won't contemplate coming down hard on immigration, as this would be utterly counter-intuitive from a left wing, Labour political perspective. They are simply building the grim, flat lined, bankrupt society that will help keep them in power for an age.

These people need booting out, and booting out fast.

If you work in technology, you probably realize that many employers use the H1-B program not as a way to supplement American workers, but as a way to obtain low-wage labor. You can read all about the fraud and abuse recently discovered in the H1-B visa program at the following links:

• H-1B visa fraud found, reforms proposed
• Feds considering changes to H-1B application process in wake of report
• High Rate of H-1B Visa Fraud
• H-1B visas rife with fraud, worker mistreatment

En préalable de toute réflexion, faut-il rappeller que la Tunisie est un pays d'Afrique du nord anciennement colonie française qui est devenu depuis lors un pays gouverné par une élite locale qui ne semble pas vraiment savoir ce que signifie le terme de démocratie. Une situation politique directement héritée du régime colonial donc... Après la décolonisation la France a ainsi pû accueillir sur son sol une partie de la population de ce pays qu'elle a contribué à ruiner parce qu'elle avait besoin de main d'oeuvre peu rémunérée et abondante. Une main d'oeuvre pour laquelle la France inventa des cités de facture précaire qui devinrent au fils du temps les guettos de banlieues que l'on connaît.

Enfin, je rappellerai à celles et ceux qui l'on oublié que la colonisation de ces pays d'Afrique du nord, c'était la République française qui l'a faite et maintenue et que c'est encore la République aujourd'hui dit-on "insultée" par ces sifflements qui s'est offert une guerre majeure de "décolonisation" sur le sol algérien.

Et bien sûr, la France qui a accueilli d'une façon lamentable ces populations immigrées sur son sol c'est aussi la France de la République toujours française...

Alors! alors l'homme honnête ne peut ne pas convenir que cette République aujourd'hui sifflée soit exempt de tous reproches historique et bien au contraire! car non seulement les populations de ces anciennes colonies ont encore à souffrir de l'occupation coloniale républicaine mais en plus les populations immigrées ont à souffrir au présent de leur condition sociale que l'on a pas chercher à améliorer dès leur arrivée sur le territoire français.

Cette République colonisatrice d'avant 1960 tout républicain entier ne peut que la siffler et cette République post-coloniale n'est pas exempt de tous reproches et même tout le contraire. Alors, dans ces conditions, peut-on reprocher à une poignée d'individus de protester sous la forme de sifflets? qu'est-ce qui est plus grave cette violence sociale quotidienne dont souffrent ces populations ou bien leur prostation médiatisée à l'occasion d'un match de football... Match de quoi? "Football!" : tiens ce sport est-il vraiment un spectacle où se vitalisent les valeurs de la République justement. Je pense qu'il s'agit de tout le contraire. Racisme, violence, beuveries sont le quotidien de bien de supporters de clubs important comme celui de la capitale parisienne (le PSG bien sûr). Tractations financières en tout genre au bénéfice d'une minorité et de grands capitalistes du sport font douter définitivement de l'esprit sportif que ce sport peut véhiculer et à fortiori de son esprit républicain. Car oui, l'esprit républicain est baffoué dans le monde du football non pas par les spectateurs ou les joueurs complices mais par les dirigeants des clubs, les gros joueurs et leurs fédérations dont le moteur est uniquement celui de l'argent. Alors pourquoi tant d'hypocrisie? pourquoi voir les anomalies là où elles ne sont pas et ne pas les voir là où elles sont?

Si la Marseillaise est aujourd'hui sifflée ce n'est pas la République qui est condamnée par ceux qui la sifflent mais plutôt l'usage que l'on en fait et ceux qui la dirigent. La pompe royale exigeait autrefois que l'on s'incline devant le Roi mais aujourd'hui la République donne un droit qui l'emporte sur tous les autres à ses citoyens : celui de dire non à ce qui n'est pas... républicain.

Alors cette Marseillaise si elle a été sifflée c'est tout simplement parce qu'elle n'était pas tout à fait républicaine, parce que ce n'était pas vraiment la véritable et noble Marseillaise universelle et intemporelle autour de laquelle tous les hommes de progrès peuvent se rassembler à la gloire de l'idéal républicain.

Aujourd'hui, on le voit plus que jamais avec la crise, nos gouvernements ne cessent de perdre leur crédit auprès d'une population qui ne se sent pas justement gouvernée. Déclarations solennelles ne peuvent plus faire taire une partie du peuple car ceux ne sont pas d'immigrés dont il s'agit mais tout simplement d'une partie du peuple français. Cette population ne peut pas accepter une République dont le crédit ne cesse de s'effondrer au fils de l'actualité. N'est-ce pas il y a seulement quelques jours encore que le procès de l'Angolagate s'est ouvert avec des prévenus membres actifs des plus hautes juridictions de l'Etat présents et intouchables, selon toute évidence corrompus mais impunis... Quoi l'ombre de cette République corrompue qui ne juge que les même, qui veut faire croire qu'elle est ce qu'elle n'est pas, il faudrait ne pas la siffler? ce n'est pas la Marseillaise qui est sifflée au stade de France, c'est ceux qui veulent faire croire que la France est autre chose que ce qu'elle devient. Ces sifflets ne sont pas des sifflets anti-républicains, ils sont des sifflets, des cris d'alerte! ne nous trompons pas de bourreaux ni de victimes, notre République, la République du peuple est en danger il s'agit de la libérer : aux armes citoyens!

So how can we make a difference?  For one thing, each and every American can vote on November 4th.  We're talking a mere three weeks away, people!  In many states, early voting has already begun.  So if you are registered (of course you are, right?) get out and vote early to save time on Election Day.  There will be long lines on this historic Tuesday, so we want to make everything as efficient as possible.  One way to do that is to vote early!

And when you vote, think about the candidates you are voting for.  Think about what they stand for, what they support.  Don't just toe the party line and pull the "Democrat" or "Republican" lever.  Does she support choice for women?  Does he support gay rights?  Does she support diplomatic relations with other countries?  Does he believe in health care for everyone?

If you live in one of the states with iniatives on the ballot regarding gay marriage, please consider your sisters, brothers, children, friends, and acquantances who want equal rights.  We just want the same rights as everybody else to have legal protection via marraige.  Marriage affords many automatic rights to couples, such as inheritance and financial rights, immigration rights, visitation rights, and many others.  Why deny people these rights when they love someone?  The "family" as Americans see it has changed and evolved over the centuries, and now we are in the 21st century.  We embrace interracial couples, we support women working outside the home as well as stay-at-home-dads, let's continue to support families by making sure that all families enjoy the protections and freedoms that straight families currently do.  Vote NO on Proposition 8, Californians (even the Govenator is opposed to this measure)!
We can also strive to be nicer to each other.  Let us all help our friends in need.  The economy is not the greatest right now, and we may all be facing tough times this holiday season, but if we stick together and support one another, we can do great things!  Be nice to your spouse, boyfriend, children, pets, and neighbors.  Send a sympathy card or just a "thinking of you" e-mail.  Remember our men and women- civilians and military- who are overseas working on behalf of our country.  Keep in mind our educators who are here at home teaching our children.   Be thankful for the beautiful fall weather and that we live in a country where everyone can vote and has a say in the governmental process.  Recycle that Coke can instead of tossing it.  Use less energy.  Drink more water.  Get a mammogram, HIV test, cholesterol test, or other health screening.  Donate to your favorite cause.  Think positively and reach out to others with a handshake and a smile.  When you give a smile, you are guaranteed to get one back.  That is a 100% return on your investment.  Who can beat that?

When we become better individuals, we make the world a better place simply by being better, because "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main,"  John Donne.  So let's look in the mirror and make a couple of small changes today.  I'm going to take my advice from Michael.

Insane Presidential Poll Numbers For Obama and McCain - October

Opinion Polls: Getting the results you want

Arianna Huffington - The Problem with Polling

Yes Prime Minister Clip - Who Reads the Papers

Congratulations President McCain!

The pump and dump drive-by mainstream media who are in the tank for Obama have been very busy polling.

If you believe their polls, Obama is winning the popular vote by 10% to 15% and will be the next President.

There are many, many ways to cheat and get the result you want: 

1. the sample size of the poll.
2. who is polled--adults, registered voters, or likely voters.
3. when the poll is taken--overnight, during the week, or on the weekend.
4. the weighting of responders--Democrats, Republicans and independents.
5. the wording of the question.
6. the order of the questions.
7. the response rate.

The only poll that counts is the actual election.

Unfortunatley, even here Obama and his allies in ACORN, its affiliates, and clones are also trying to steal the election with voter registration fraud and voter fraud.

The deep secret about big media, people and politicians is that they are all ignorant about the issues and policies.

Big media is polling ignorant people about issues and policies that both are deeply ignorant of for politicians that are ignorant of the American people's concerns.

The blind leading the blind.

The American people are deeply concerned about illegal immigration and want it stopped and the illegal aliens sent home.

The pump and dump drive-by mainstream media, along with the Presidential candidates of both parties totally ignore the issue.

No questions about this issue has been asked during the Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates.

Polls hide truth says Gallup veteran

AAPOR: Frank Newport

AAPOR 2008: Robert Groves

National Political Polls -- Who gives a S*#%

Yes, Prime Minister - You lied - The Tangled Web

LOL or COL 

Drinking With Bob

The Voice of The American People

Barack Obama is a DISASTER!!!!

Barack Obama is a freaking Socialist...

We've been lied to AGAIN...

Background Articles and Videos

USA Today / Gallup Poll Rigged For McCain

Political Polls: Barak Obama John McCain

Constructing Public Opinion

AAPOR: Frank Newport

October 09, 2008

Polls: Obama or McCain Is Winning

By Steven M. Warshawsky

"...Before concluding, let's look at a typical poll of the races in two important "battleground" states.  This poll was done by CNN/Time on October 7 (also taken from RCP).  According to this poll, Obama is leading McCain in Ohio, 50% to 47%, and in Wisconsin, 51% to 46%.  The headline for the poll:  "New Obama gains in battleground states."  Yet the margin of error for the poll was +/- 3.5 points.  This means that, based on the results of the CNN/Time poll itself, McCain could be leading in Ohio by a margin of 50.5% to 46.5% and in Wisconsin by a margin of 49.5% to 47.5%.

Of course, in the past several weeks there have been polls showing McCain leading the race nationally and in the battleground states.  Are the results of such polls simply to be disregarded?  On what grounds?  Why should the polls that show Obama in the lead be given more weight than the polls that show McCain in the lead?  Such reporting reflects the bias of the mainstream media, not the “truth” about how the American people are going to vote this November.  Moreover, the idea – implicit in the daily fluctuations of the polls – that large numbers of American voters are regularly switching back and forth between McCain and Obama makes no sense.  Who knows any real people who are going through such mental and political gymnastics?

In short, the polls do not show that Obama is "winning" the race, anymore than they show that McCain is "winning" the race.  What they show is that the contest is very close, and will not be decided until election day -- when the American people actually go to the polls and cast their votes. 

For the reasons I've stated before, I predict that more votes will be cast for McCain than for Obama.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/10/polls_obama_or_mccain_is_winni_1.html

Book Review: "Mobocracy", by Matthew Robinson

"...All of this would be meaningless if it were not for the fact that the media and even the public puts much stock in polls. The media uses it to make elections into horse-races and to support its positions on social issues. Because of this, polling can have the tendency to change the color, tone, length and intensity of a debate. Polls create an environment during elections that cause candidates to drop out of races even before they can educate the public on their views. This is because a candidate who does not poll well in the early running will be ignored by the media and will find donations shrink and finally disappear. A kind of "Catch-22" for an unknown player. He cannot get his message out without money, and he cannot get money unless he can get his message out.

Mark Twain has often been quoted, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics." After reading Mr. Robinson's book you will come to realize that polling often falls into one of these three categories. Yet, he does make clear that polling is a tool, even a weapon, and like tools and weapons it can be used or it can be abused.

Polling can be used by industry to help shape products. It can be used by sociologists and scientists to advance medicine and psychology. It can be used for entertainment and trivia. It can also be used in politics to help gauge the effectiveness of public campaigns.

Ultimately, an educated public is the best way to fix the problems with polling. Not only will it make our understanding of polling data and its significance more profound, but perhaps the data itself will be made more accurate.

Matthew Robinson's book clearly explains the complexity of polling and its effects on politics. His analysis succinctly illustrates that polling is not so much a democratizing influence as it is a disturbing one. "Mobocracy" provides a great opportunity to learn about the art, science and necromancy of polling."

http://www.conservativemonitor.com/books03/1.shtml

Mobocracy: How the Media's Obsession with Polling Twists the News, Alters Elections and Undermines Democracy

"...Mobocracy: How the Media's Obsession with Polling Twists the News, Alters Elections and Undermines Democracy, by Matthew Robinson. Prima Publishing, 366 pages, $24.95

MASS-MEDIA POLLING IS JUSTIFIABLY SKEWered in this spirited work by Matthew Robinson, managing editor of the conservative weekly Human Events and an adjunct fellow of the Claremont Institute. He begins with the abuses of polling and ends with a stout defense of the American Constitution and the statesmanship and political journalism that helped launch and legitimize it. ..." 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_200201/ai_n9020996

The return of McAmnesty the Democrat Suck-Up

By Michelle Malkin

"...Maybe McCain needs to lay low until Election Day and let Sarah do the talking.

If you are dreading the upcoming presidential debate, you are not the only one."

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/09/22/the-return-of-mcamnesty-the-democrat-suck-up/

Related Posts On Pronk Palisades

New Poll: McCain/Palin Will Win 50 States!–Obama/Biden Will Win 57 States?

Conservative Turnout Will Determine the Outcome of The Presidential 2008 Race Between McCain vs. Obama

One important way to understand the critical human stakes of the immigration crisis in this country is to take the time to hear the stories of families that are literally being ripped apart by mass deportations. Here is one such story, featured in yesterday's Chicago Tribune, with an interesting Jewish twist. (Tribune photo by Oscar Avila, September 24, 2008)

Anyone who has paid attention to history and who has done there homework and who actually cares to know, this country was founded on thievery and genocide. We stole the land from the true Americans and claimed it for ourselves then deprived them of it and forced them to our ways. Fortunately however we learned from the errors of our ways over time. Not all new arrivals in the early days were bad. Most if not all had good intentions and were honest hard working God fearing people that tried there best to coexist with Native Americans while building a new life.

But as most of us remember from high school history class war between Indians and the French lead to a war between pre-America and Britian. History records that it is the French that tought the Indians how to scalp. Not Americans.

Immigration debate has left Latinos hurt,angry 

The vitriolic illegal immigration debate of the last few years has left Latinos feeling hurt and angry, according to a recent poll of both citizen and non-citizen Hispanics.

The finding isn't too surprising. It's what happens when one class of people becomes a scapegoat for a nation.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, which polled 2,015 Hispanic adults this past summer and released the results in September:
• Half of those surveyed said the situation for Hispanics is worse than it was a year earlier. Only 13 percent said it was better (the remainder said it was the same).
• Eight percent of native-born U.S. citizens of Hispanic descent said they had been stopped by authorities and questioned about their immigration status.
• One in 7 Hispanics said they had trouble finding or keeping a job because of their ethnicity. One in 10 reported that their ethnicity made it difficult to find or keep housing.
• More than two-thirds of those polled said they worry that they or someone close to them may be deported.

Angela Kelley, director of the Immigration Policy Center in Washington, D.C., said the results reflect "the sad story of our times, where the understandable frustration about the breakdown in immigration policy has really spilled out and over into our communities."

You can't tell by looking at someone whether they are an immigrant or native-born. Unfortunately, that reality has put the entire Hispanic population, numbering about 46 million nationwide, "in the cross hairs of ugly vitriol," Kelley said.

You can read about what happened in Iowa here.

Of all the airlines in this very first class battle, Singapore Airlines reigns supreme with the all new, double-decker Airbus A380 featuring a double bed that sleeps you and a companion in your own private suite. The 12 suites, created by yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste, include fully closable doors for your absolute privacy, though no “mile-high” activities are theoretically permitted. How they will deal with any uncontrollable human passions in this flying Shangri-la is anybody’s guess.

And Singapore Airlines competitors are not taking this supremacy lightly, offering first-class amenities onboard such as vintage wines, personal mini fridges, gourmet cuisine, exotic perfumes and a host of services that would put even the very best hotels to shame. The only thing missing it seems, in this long list of unashamed luxury, are the Cohibas, which will probably appear one day but rather like the “private” double cabins you won’t be able to anything constructive with them.

For me though, no airline service makes you feel more regal than THAI’s aptly named Royal First Class. THAI prides itself on a ‘Restaurant in the Sky’ approach and an exemplary customer service, that begins when First Class passengers are greeted by a butler who discretely whisks them through check-in, immigration and security formalities. While you are waiting to board your flight at THAI’s hub in Bangkok, you can relax in their magnificent new first class lounge complete with sauna, professional masseuses and a yoga studio - far removed from the mingling masses outside.

The cost of all this upper-class hedonism doesn’t come cheap to us mere mortals, but then again “if you’ve got it, flaunt it”!

McCain is first column Obama is second column.....Stark differences between the two on the issues.  And don't forget Obama's Tax Plan, which will take a big step in moving America into being a Socialist nation!

Since in the Financial Times (full article):

Mafia strike under nose of paratroopers

By Guy Dinmore, reporting from Naples and Reggio Calabria

Published: October 14 2008 18:01

That's Sheriff Joe Arpaio... who stands accused of dividing the city of Phoenix and others using dubious immigration enforcement tactics. I talked to Arpaio and many others recently - you can hear part one in a series on FSRN.

Hardly anything was as I'd expected. Spending the first three months on friends' sofas, then moving into a house-share in Deptford, south-east London, opened my eyes. And what I was learning, I didn't like. Everyday life wasn't the whirl of bands and stylishness I'd envisaged; it was perpetually grey skies, aloof people who resisted my overtures of friendship and a freezing house with the toilet in the backyard (this detail shocked me more than almost anything else; even more incredibly, my three housemates - all Brits - didn't seem to mind)...

Why was everything so drab? How did people stand the dreariness?...