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Published December 21, 2014

President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have condemned the shooting deaths of two New York City police officers who were ambushed as they sat in their patrol car in Brooklyn Saturday.

"Two brave men won't be going home to their loved ones tonight, and for that, there is no justification," Obama said in a statement while vacationing with his family in Hawaii. "The officers who serve and protect our communities risk their own safety for ours every single day - and they deserve our respect and gratitude every single day."

Authorities say that before shooting the officers in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, the gunman announced online that he planned to shoot two "pigs" in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner. The gunman later killed himself.

In a statement Saturday night, Holder called the attack "cowardly" and said it underscores the dangers that are routinely faced by those who protect and serve their fellow citizens.

"Our nation must always honor the valor -- and the sacrifices -- of all law enforcement officers with a steadfast commitment to keeping them safe," Holder said. "This means forging closer bonds between officers and the communities they serve, so that public safety is not a cause that is served by a courageous few, but a promise that's fulfilled by police officials and citizens working side by side."

U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, Obama's choice to succeed Holder as Attorney General, said the attack "struck at the heart of our city -- the dedicated officers who pledge their lives to safeguard us all."

"Let us take this time to grieve with their families," Lynch's statement concluded, "and join the NYPD and all New Yorkers in honoring them for their sacrifice."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Link:
Obama, Holder condemn murders of NYPD officers

United States Attorney General Eric Holder has released a statement regarding the Saturday afternoon shooting deaths of two New York City Police Department officers.

Icondemn this afternoon's senseless shooting of two New York City police officers in the strongest possible terms, the statement said.

"This was an unspeakable act of barbarism, and I was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of these two brave officers in the line of duty.

On behalf of all those who serve in the United States Department of Justice, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the officers' loved ones and colleagues. I will make available all of the resources of the Department to aid the NYPD in investigating this tragedy."

The 28-year-old suspected gunman made multiple references in social media posts to killing officers as revenge for the police-related deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. He explicitly mentioned their names at least once, and he alluded to the circumstances surrounding their passing at least one other time.

In the aftermath of the deaths of Garner and Brown, Holder emerged a spokesman of sorts for the Obama Administration on issues pertaining to how police officers treat people of color. He has repeatedly suggested that cops mistreat -- in particular -- African-Americans, and urged reforming police departments across the country to correct this. He has also extensively investigated both the Garner and Browns deaths, even after grand juries in both cases determined there wasnt enough evidence to indict the officers involved.

You can read Holders full statement on todays deaths below.

Source: Buzzfeed News / Photo Credit: Flickr

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Eric Holder Releases Statement Regarding Shooting Deaths Of 2 NYPD Officers

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Rpt: Ecuadorian Family Wins Favors After Donating To Democrat Campaigns - Visa Fraud - Lou Dobbs - Video

One thing is for sure: Matheson has left behind a legacy that gives a glimmer of hope to Democrats in one of the reddest states in the nation. Through his painstaking (some on the left would say painful) efforts to steer to the middle, and his appeals to even ardent Republicans, hes carved out a path for the minority party in Utah to win. He did it seven times, even in the face of blatently partisan redistricting and all-out, big money efforts to cut short his time in office.

"I think he is a great role model for Democrats in Utah, and somebody I have tried to model my service after, a really sensible, even-handed voice that stands for what he believes in regardless of what party an idea may come from," says Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, a fellow Democrat who corralled bipartisan support in his 2012 election.

"Jim Matheson says of himself that he puts Utah first, and I think in his 14 years in office thats been very clear. First above any political party, any turf or ideology. Thats a great model not just for Democrats but anybody in public service."

Utahs majority party has kept Matheson hopping during his time in office, with each new campaign starting almost as soon as he wraps up his election-night victory speech. Hes crossed party leaders, sided with Republicans and avoided the spotlight in partisan fights all the while ensuring constituent requests were a priority, local issues a main focus and bipartisanship a goal.

It hasnt been an easy gig for Matheson given Washingtons continued slide into polarization.

A promise to voters On a cold, wind-swept day in March 2000, Matheson stood in front of his boyhood home to announce his candidacy for office. He was taking on GOP Rep. Merrill Cook, whose prospects were dicey because of public temper tantrums and odd antics like firing his top staff immediately after winning re-election. Matheson promised to follow in the footsteps of his late father, two-term Gov. Scott Matheson.

"Im a Matheson, and Matheson is more than a last name," the congressional hopeful declared to some 200 supporters. "It stands for integrity. It represents a reverence for public service and a commitment to a common-sense approach to issues. It means I will say what I believe, and not just what people want to hear."

Fourteen years later, Matheson remained as one of the few holdout moderates in Congress. National Journal rated him as the 199th most liberal House member, and the 232nd most conservative. That put him at nearly 53 percent liberal, and 47 percent conservative in a Congress so gridlocked it could barely pass a last-minute budget compromise, let alone long-term spending bills.

Hes a member of the Blue Dog Democrats, a caucus that has been gutted by gerrymandering and retirements of folks who either knew they couldnt win or didnt have the stomach for the partisan gantlet.

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Matheson's legacy: A Democrat who can win over Republicans

Democrat Pete Aguilar won a tough Congressional race against a Republican veteran in a conservative region that has elected Republicans to the Assembly, state Senate and Congress for decades.

Now he faces an even tougher battle: moving his agenda in a Republican-dominated Congress as a freshman Democrat, the lowest rung on the power-and-influence ladder in Washington D.C.

Aguilar says he plans to reach across the aisle to Republicans. But what if nobody reaches back?

I asked a couple of Aguilars soon-to-be peers, Inland members of Congress Ken Calvert and Mark Takano, what advice they have for him.

Democrats can increase their clout by joining with Republicans on issues of importance to the region, both men said.

Takano, D- Riverside, was in Aguilars shoes two years ago: an incoming freshman Democrat in a GOP-controlled House.

Now elected to his second term, Takano said getting party-neutral committee assignments is important.

Takano landed on the Veterans Affairs Committee and the Committee on Education and the Workforce his first term, very bipartisan committees, he said. Democrats and Reppublicans find common ground on helping vets; ditto for education.

For example, Takano worked with Calvert and Rep. Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, to make sure new drones will operate out of March Air Reserve Base in Takanos district, and be stationed in the High Desert in Cooks, Takano said.

Other issues where the region needs to pull together are water and court funding, in which the Inland area falls short and may face cuts, Takano said.

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