mutan list: Januari 2013

The new probe finds that Amy Winehouse died of accidental alcohol poisoning Earlier probe that found the same was thrown out when coroner credentials questioned The 27-year-old singer was found dead at her home in north London in July 2011 She had battled with alcohol and drug abuse for several years London (CNN) -- A new investigation into the death of singer Amy Winehouse found that she died of accidental alcohol poisoning, authorities in London said Tuesday. The conclusion was the same as that of an earlier investigation, which had to be thrown out because the coroner did not have the right qualifications. The Grammy Award-winning artist, who had battled with alcohol and drug abuse for several years, was found dead at her north London home on July 23, 2011, at age 27. The new inquest was ordered in December by the London borough of Camden. var currExpandable="expand15"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/06/27/exp-jvm-winehouse.hln'; mObj.videoSource='hln'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120627115338-exp-jvm-winehouse-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand15Store=mObj; Amy Winehouse's father opens up var currExpandable="expand25"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/06/27/exp-point-winehouse-one.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120627023459-exp-point-winehouse-one-00005112-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand25Store=mObj; Winehouse: Amy was strong, not fragile var currExpandable="expand35"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/06/26/pmt-mitch-winehouse.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120626114404-pmt-mitch-winehouse-00004607-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand35Store=mObj; Winehouse's dad blames ex for drugs Dr Shirley Radcliffe, interim coroner for Inner North London, gave a verdict of "death by misadventure" Tuesday, meaning the death is judged to be accidental, with no law broken and no criminal negligence involved. Winehouse "had a history of excessive alcohol ingestion for some years and was under the care of a number of physicians," Radcliffe told the court, according to a summary provided by Camden Council. "She had had a period of abstinence from alcohol for 12-13 days in July but a few days before her death she began to drink alcohol again. "Following her death the police attended and deemed the death to be non-suspicious. Toxicological analysis revealed a level of alcohol commonly associated with fatality." The original coroner, Suzanne Greenaway, lost her position as assistant deputy coroner, to which she was appointed by her husband, London Coroner Andrew Reid, after it was discovered that she had not been a registered lawyer in the United Kingdom for the requisite five years. A life cut short: Remembering the tragedy of Amy Winehouse Greenaway's report also concluded that Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning, in a "death by misadventure." A pathologist told Greenaway's court that Winehouse's blood-alcohol level was 416 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood. The level considered lethal is 350 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, and the legal limit to drive in Britain is 80 milligrams of alcohol. The pathologist found no traces of tablets in Winehouse's stomach and said her organs appeared to be normal. The singer's soulful, throaty vocals brought her stardom in 2007, but her troubled off-stage life -- chronicled in her top 10 hit "Rehab" -- won her notoriety. Her death came less than two months after her latest release from a rehabilitation program and weeks after she was booed offstage by disappointed fans in Serbia. The tattooed London-born singer-songwriter's first album, "Frank," debuted in 2003, when she was 19. International success came with her 2007 album "Back to Black." She dominated the 2008 Grammys, winning five awards that night and delivering, via satellite from London, a strong performance of "Rehab." Winehouse's wedding dress stolen if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}

Tearful officer describes Aurora scene

NEW: Youngest victim was shot four times, according to coroner Prosecutors say video shows Holmes in theater complex, using a ticket kiosk Suspect James Holmes kept theater door unlocked with piece of plastic, officer says Holmes's attorneys are expected to present a "diminished capacity" defense Centennial, Colorado (CNN) -- So much blood the theater floor had become slippery. Bodies with horrific injuries. The eerie sound of cell phones ringing, over and over again. This is the scene Aurora police Officer Justin Grizzle said he encountered moments after entering the theater where, according to authorities, 25-year-old James Holmes killed 12 people in a July 20 shooting rampage. Grizzle testified Monday on the opening day of the preliminary hearing for Holmes, who is charged with 166 counts of murder, attempted murder and weapons charges. The 13-year veteran wiped away tears while describing his efforts to rush badly wounded victims to the hospital in his police cruiser, including shooting victim Ashley Moser and her husband, who wanted Grizzle to turn around and head back to the theater. var currExpandable="expand15"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/08/early-jackson-holmes-hearing.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130108114406-early-jackson-holmes-hearing-00004925-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand15Store=mObj; New details on Aurora shooting var currExpandable="expand25"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/04/early-watts-aurora.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130104123229-early-watts-aurora-00030206-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand25Store=mObj; Families send letter slamming Cinemark var currExpandable="expand35"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/07/exp-point-holmes-insanity-wayne.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130107011841-exp-point-holmes-insanity-wayne-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand35Store=mObj; Breaking down the insanity defense var currExpandable="expand45"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2013/01/06/holmes-in-court.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://us.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130106035730-holmes-in-court-00010804-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand45Store=mObj; Theater shooting as it happened "He was shot in the head somewhere. He kept asking where his ... daughter was," Grizzle said. "He opened the door and tried to jump out." Grizzle said he had to drive and hold the man by his shoulder to keep him in the car. The girl the man was seeking, 6-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan, was shot four times and was among those killed in the shooting at a midnight showing of "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises." Veronica's mother, Ashley, faces a long recovery after being paralyzed in her lower half and miscarrying after the shooting. The scene was still gruesome when Detective Matthew Ingui arrived 12 hours later with other investigators. "We saw the first victim laying on the ground," he said "There's shoes, blood, body tissue and popcorn on the floor." Blood was everywhere, he said. Ingui described how he outlined each of the victims and marked where the bodies were found. Holmes had no visible reaction during the testimony. The detective said investigators found 209 live rounds of .223 ammunition and 15 cartridges of .40-caliber rounds inside the auditorium. The preliminary hearing that began Monday is designed to show a judge that the state has enough evidence to proceed to trial. Prosecutors are calling scores of witnesses and outlining their evidence in the case. The hearing could go on for days. A gag order imposed by the judge in the case has limited the flow of information about the attack. However, a source said Holmes allegedly went out a rear exit door, propped it open and gathered his weapons. He then returned to the theater and tossed a canister inside before opening fire, the source said. .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") { var cnnArticleGallery = {}; } if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){ cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery151=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery151.setImageCount(52); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims", 1); Cynthia Davis, center, visits the roadside memorial set up for victims of the Colorado shooting massacre across the street from the Century 16 movie theater on Monday, July 30, in Aurora, Colorado. Twelve people were killed in the theater early July 20 during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises." Suspect James Holmes was taken into custody shortly after the attack. More photos: Colorado movie theater shooting cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":1,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} People visit the roadside memorial set up for victims of the massacre on Monday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":2,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Visitors pray around a cross at the memorial across the street from the theater on Saturday, July 28. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":3,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Jeremy Blocker displays a new tattoo honoring the victims. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":4,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Members of Alex Sullivan's family embrace at a memorial across the street from the Century 16 movie theater on Thursday, July 26. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":5,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Hello Kitty-themed flowers are sent to shooting victim Micayla Medek's funeral Thursday in Denver. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":6,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Pallbearers carry Micayla Medek's coffin during her funeral at the New Hope Baptist Church on Thursday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":7,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} People visit a memorial across the street from the Century 16 movie theater on Thursday, July 26, in Aurora, Colorado. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":8,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Angella Aquilis, left, and Maria Olivas mourn together at a makeshift memorial across the street from the Century 16 movie theater Wedesday, July 25. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":9,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Yvonne Amaro, 9, prays for those injured and killed as she visits the memorial on Wednesday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":10,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Carrie Hensley, left, and Hailee Hensley mourn together on Wednesday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":11,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Kevin Flynn, left, Aurora Police top brass division chief, and Cmdr. Jack Daluz visit the makeshift memorial. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":12,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A couple embraces as "Dark Knight Rises" star Christian Bale and his wife, Sandra Blazic, wait to place flowers at the memorial on Tuesday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":13,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Bale places flowers at the memorial while other mourners look on. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":14,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Visitors pay tribute Tuesday, July 24, at the makeshift memorial. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":15,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A cross stands at the makeshift memorial for victims across the street from the Century 16 theater on Tuesday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":16,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Greg Zanis of Aurora, Illinois, carries two of the 12 crosses he made for a makeshift memorial to the victims of last weekend's mass shooting at the Century 16 movie theater on Sunday, July 22. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":17,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Greg Zanis writes the names of the victims of last weekend's mass shooting on the crosses before erecting them at the memorial across from the Century 16 movie theater on Sunday. Zanis, a carpenter, drove all night from Illinois to deliver the crosses. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":18,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Parishioners pray during morning Mass, remembering victims of the theater shooting, at the Queen of Peace Catholic Church on Sunday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":19,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Angie Terry of Alabama prays next to a white wooden cross erected for victims. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":20,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A man pauses before the crosses at the memorial near the Century 16 movie theater on Sunday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":21,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} President Barack Obama embraces Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper as Sen. Mark Udall, left, and Sen. Michael Bennet look on during a visit to the University of Colorado Hospital on Sunday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":22,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Mourners bow their heads in prayer during the vigil for the victims of the Aurora shooting. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":23,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A woman is overcome with emotion during the vigil. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":24,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Tiffany Garcia, right, and her 6-year-old daughter, Angelina Garcia, cry on Saturday, July 21, as they look at a memorial for the victims of Friday's shooting. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":25,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} People pray at a cross erected at the makeshift memorial across the street from the Century 16 theater on Saturday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":26,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Family, friends and former classmates of movie theater shooting victim A.J. Boik gather for a memorial service at Gateway High School on Saturday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":27,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Boik and his girlfriend were at the midnight showing of 'The Dark Knight Rises' when a gunman killed Boik and 11 other people. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":28,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Movie theater shooting victim A.J. Boik's girlfriend, Lasamoa Croft, center, embraces his mother during the memorial service. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":29,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Eman Alexander, 17, pins a ribbon on his shirt while joining family, friends and former classmates to honor shooting victim A.J. Boik. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":30,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Denise Toepel of Denver sheds tears while visiting a makeshift memorial across the street from the Century 16 movie theater on Saturday, July 21. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":31,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Handwritten signs decorate the makeshift memorial across from the Century 16 movie theater on Saturday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":32,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Gerald Wright, 24, relights candles that have blown out at the victims' memorial across from the movie theater. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":33,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Aviation Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Jajuan Mangual lowers the American flag on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush to half-mast on Saturday. One U.S. Navy sailor was killed in the shooting and another injured. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":34,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Two women mourn near the theater on Saturday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":35,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Alicia Prevette, left, and Paul Stepherson attend a vigil for the victims Friday at the Century 16 movie theater. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":36,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A woman lights a candle at a makeshift memorial where the victims of the massacre are mourned. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":37,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Mourners hold hands at a vigil near the theater. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":38,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Mourners hug as they grieve the loss of the victims. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":39,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A group of teenagers stand behind a sign that reads "Strength." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":40,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Dara Anderson, left, and Monique Anderson cry during a candlelight vigil across the street from the crime scene. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":41,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A woman holds a lit candle at a makeshift memorial. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":42,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Marietta Perkins of Denver prays for victims and their families. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":43,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Lonnie Delgado, right, hugs Heaven Leek during a prayer. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":44,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A mourner grieves on the curb during a memorial service. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":45,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} People hug during a vigil for the victims. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":46,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Handwritten consolation letters lie beneath flowers at a makeshift memorial. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":47,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Nathan Mendoza, left, and Melissa Clark sit on the grass during a vigil. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":48,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Flags, flowers and candles make up a memorial site. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":49,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Two mourners sit on the ground at a vigil. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":50,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A sign prevents moviegoers from wearing masks or bringing in props to the AMC Arapahoe Crossing 16 movie theater in Aurora. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":51,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} A woman looks at a makeshift memorial after attending a candlelight vigil. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":1,"pos":52,"title":"Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims"} Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims Colorado massacre: Mourning the victims Colorado massacre: Mourning 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cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery152=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery152.setImageCount(51); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Colorado movie theater shooting", 1); The public gets its first glimpse of James Holmes, 24, the suspect in the Colorado theater shooting during his initial court appearance Monday, July 23. With his hair dyed reddish-orange, Holmes, here with public defender Tamara Brady, showed little emotion. He is accused of opening fire in a movie theater Friday, July 20, in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and wounding 58 others. More photos: Mourning the victims of the Colorado theater massacre cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":1,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Police release the official photo from Holmes' booking after the shooting. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":2,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Holmes often had a blank stare during his court appearance Monday, appearing to be in a daze. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":3,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Victims and their relatives and journalists watch the proceedings Monday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":4,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Flags fly at half-staff Monday at the Arapahoe County Courthouse in Centennial, Colorado, where the movie theater shooting suspect had his first court appearance. The prosecutor held a press conference outside the courthouse. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":5,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers talks to reporters Monday before heading into the courthouse. Chambers said the decision on whether to pursue the death penalty is a long process that involves input from victims and their families. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":6,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Family members of the victims arrive at the courthouse Monday for the suspect's first court appearance. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":7,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} The Century Aurora 16 multiplex in Aurora becomes a place of horror after a gunman opened fire Friday in a crowded theater. At least 17 people remained hospitalized late Sunday, July 22, in the shooting rampage that shocked the nation. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":8,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Holmes is accused of opening fire during a midnight screening of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises." Holmes purchased four weapons and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition in recent months, police say. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":9,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Police investigate outside the Century 16 multiplex Saturday, July 21, a day after the mass shooting. Authorities have been tight-lipped about a possible motive in the case. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":10,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Agents search the suspect's car outside the theater. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":11,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Aurora police escort a sand-filled dump truck containing improvised explosive devices removed from Holmes' booby-trapped apartment Saturday. Authorities have said they believe the suspect rigged his place before leaving for the movie theater. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":12,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Police break a window at the suspect's apartment Friday in Aurora. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":13,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Law enforcement officers speak with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, center, outside the suspect's apartment Saturday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":14,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Law enforcement officers prepare to disarm the booby-trapped apartment Saturday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":15,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Officials tow cars outside Holmes' apartment Saturday. Police disassembled devices and trip wires set up in the apartment. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":16,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Officers prepare to place an explosive device inside the apartment. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":17,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Debris flies out a window, right, after law enforcement officers detonate an explosive device inside the apartment Saturday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":18,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} People mourn the victims during a vigil behind the theater where a gunman opened fire on moviegoers in Aurora. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":19,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} A woman grieves during a vigil for victims behind the theater. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":20,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} A distraught woman receives counseling from Pastor Quincy Shannon, left, in front of Gateway High School in Aurora, where the families of the missing met following the shooting. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":21,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Lin Gan of Aurora holds back tears as she speaks to reporters about her experience in the Century 16 theater Friday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":22,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} People embrace before a vigil for victims behind the theater where a gunman opened fire on moviegoers. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":23,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Investigators work on evidence near the apartment of James Holmes on Friday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":24,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Members of the Aurora Police Department SWAT unit walk near the apartment of James Holmes. Police have Holmes, 24, of North Aurora, in custody. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":25,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Television news crews gather in front of the home of Robert and Arlene Holmes, parents of 24-year-old mass shooting suspect James Holmes, in San Diego, California, on Friday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":26,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} A popcorn box lies on the ground outside the Century 16 movie theatre. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":27,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} An NYPD officer keeps watch inside an AMC move theater where the film "The Dark Knight Rises" is playing in Times Square on Friday. NYPD is maintaining security around city movie theaters following the deadly rampage in Aurora, Colorado. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":28,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Adariah Legarreta, 4, is comforted by her grandmother Rita Abeyta near the Century 16 Theater in Aurora. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":29,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} A cyclist and pedestrians pass a theater showing the latest Batman movie in Hollywood, California, on Friday. Warner Brothers said it was "deeply saddened" by Friday's massacre at a Colorado screening of "The Dark Knight Rises." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":30,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Obama supporters observe a moment of silence for the victims at a campaign event at Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":31,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Jessica Ghawi, an aspiring sportscaster, was one of the victims. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":32,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} A woman waits for news outside Gateway High School, a few blocks from the scene of the shooting at the Century Aurora 16. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":33,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Aurora police chief Daniel J. Oates speaks at a press conference near the Century 16 Theater on Friday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":34,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Agents search the trash container outside the suspect's apartment in Aurora. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":35,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} A Federal ATF officer carries protective gear onsite at the home of alleged shooting suspect James Holmes. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":36,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Obama speaks on the shootings at the event in Fort Myers. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":37,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Moviegoers are interviewed at the Century Aurora 16. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":38,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Officers gathered at the theater Friday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":39,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Investigators were a common sight at the theater Friday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":40,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Authorities gather at the shooting suspect's apartment building in Aurora. Police broke a second-floor window to look for explosives that the suspect claimed were in the apartment. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":41,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Screaming, panicked moviegoers scrambled to escape from the black-clad gunman, who wore a gas mask and randomly shot as he walked up the theater's steps, witnesses said. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":42,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} University of Colorado Hospital spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery said that all of the wounded had injuries from gunshot wounds, ranging from minor to critical. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":43,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Onlookers gather outside the Century Aurora 16 theater. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":44,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} A woman sits on top of her car near the crime scene. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":45,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Police block access to the Town Center mall after the shooting. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":46,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Cell phone video taken by someone at the theater showed scores of people screaming and fleeing the building. Some, like this man, had blood on their clothes. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":47,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Witnesses told KUSA that the gunman kicked in an emergency exit door and threw a smoke bomb into the darkened theater before opening fire. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":48,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} What is believed to be the suspect's car is examined after the shooting. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":49,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Police Chief Dan Oates said there was no evidence of a second gunman, and FBI spokesman Jason Pack said it did not appear the incident was related to terrorism. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":50,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney delivers remarks regarding the shooting in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater on Friday at a campaign event in Bow, New Hampshire. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":15,"y":2,"pos":51,"title":"Colorado movie theater shooting"} Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting Colorado movie theater shooting HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 > >> Colorado movie theater massacre Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, ""); } }); Screaming moviegoers scrambled to escape from the gunman, who shot at random as he walked up the theater's steps, according to witnesses. It was a scene "straight out of a horror film," said Chris Ramos, who was inside the theater. While none of the four law enforcement witnesses who testified Monday offered insight into a possible motive for the shooting, some new details emerged. Prosecutors showed surveillance camera video taken inside the theater complex that they said shows Holmes -- dressed in dark trousers, a light-colored shirt with a T-shirt underneath and a ski cap covering his hair -- using a cell phone at a ticket kiosk. Holmes printed out a ticket that had been purchased July 8, they said. The cameras also captured the aftermath of the shooting as waves of people ran out of doors with theater staff behind counters. One employee even leaped over a counter. There was no video from inside the auditorium where the shootings occurred. Police Sgt. Gerald Jonsgaard said Holmes stopped the theater door from locking by using a small piece of plastic commonly used to hold tablecloths onto a picnic table. Jonsgaard also said he spotted a shotgun and a large drum magazine that appeared to be jammed on the floor of the theater. Holmes' attorneys are expected to argue that their client has "diminished capacity," a term that, according to the Colorado Bar Association, relates to a person's ability or inability "to make adequately considered decisions" regarding his or her legal representation because of "mental impairment or for some other reason." Several times, on cross-examination, they have asked witnesses about Holmes' demeanor and what he looked like when police found him. The day's testimony concluded with a detective who interviewed people wounded in the attack and the two coroners who conducted the 12 autopsies. After the hearing, Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester will determine whether there is enough evidence for Holmes to stand trial. Security was tight at the hearing. Spectators had to pass through a metal detector and then were searched again before entering the courtroom. At least nine armed officers stood guard inside, some of them scanning the audience packed with reporters and victims' family members. Holmes did not speak during the hearing. His bushy hair and long beard contrasted with the bright red hair and close-cropped looks he sported during previous appearances. During portions of the hearing, family members of victims held one another, sobbing. Earlier in Monday's hearing, police Officer Jason Oviatt -- the first officer to encounter Holmes after the rampage ended -- testified that Holmes seemed "very, very relaxed." Holmes, his pupils dilated, sweating and smelly, didn't struggle or even tense his muscles as he was dragged away to be searched. "He seemed very detached from it all," Oviatt testified, describing Holmes as unnaturally calm amid the chaos and carnage. Oviatt testified Monday that within minutes of the first calls, he responded to the theater and found Holmes standing outside in a helmet and gas mask, his hands atop a white coupe that turned out to belong to him. At first, Oviatt said, he thought Holmes was a police officer, but as he drew within 20 feet, he realized something was terribly wrong. "He was just standing there. All the other officers were running around, trying to get into the theater," Oviatt said. A trail of blood led from the theater. The rifle that authorities believe Holmes used in the attack lay on the ground near the building. Holmes calmly complied with all Oviatt's orders, the officer testified. Another officer, Aaron Blue, testified later that Holmes matter-of-factly told him, without prompting, about the complex web of explosives that authorities would later find in his Aurora apartment. He told Blue that the devices "wouldn't go off unless we set them off." Holmes was a doctoral student in the neuroscience program at the Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado, Denver, in Aurora, until he withdrew a month before being arrested outside the bullet-riddled movie theater. He had been a patient of a University of Colorado psychiatrist, according to a court document filed by his lawyers. His only brush with the law in Colorado appears to have been a 2011 summons for speeding from Aurora police. If Holmes is ruled incompetent to stand trial, the hearing could provide the best opportunity for victims and the public to understand what happened and why. To at least one victim, it doesn't matter if Holmes stands trial. "I obviously don't want him to walk, but as long as he doesn't see the light of day again, it doesn't really much concern me beyond that," said Stephen Barton, who suffered wounds on his face, neck and upper torso in the shooting that night. "To me, I see the trial as being an opportunity to learn more about what happened that night beyond just my own personal recollection." University releases e-mails related to Holmes if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Casey Wian and Jim Spellman reported from Colorado; Michael Pearson wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Michael Cary and Greg Botelho also contributed to this report.

Film: Lincoln gets too much credit

"Lincoln" film distorts history, some historians say Historian: "Lincoln was a racist" New PBS film tells tale of abolitionists They forced indifferent nation to confront slavery (CNN) -- He used the N-word and told racist jokes. He once said African-Americans were inferior to whites. He proposed ending slavery by shipping willing slaves back to Africa. Meet Abraham Lincoln, "The Great Emancipator" who "freed" the slaves. That's not the version of Lincoln we get from Steven Spielberg's movie "Lincoln." But there's another film that fills in the historical gaps left by Spielberg and challenges conventional wisdom about Lincoln and the Civil War. "The Abolitionists" is a PBS American Experience film premièring Tuesday that focuses on the intertwined lives of five abolitionist leaders. These men and women arguably did as much -- maybe even more -- than Lincoln to end slavery, yet few contemporary Americans recognize their names. The three-part documentary's airing comes as the nation commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 1863 decree signed by Lincoln that set in motion the freeing of slaves. Lincoln is a Mount Rushmore figure today, but the abolitionists also did something remarkable. They took on the colossal wealth and political power of the slave trade, and won. (Imagine activists today persuading the country to shut down Apple and Google because they deem their business practices immoral.) The abolitionists "forced the issue of slavery on to the national agenda," says Sharon Grimberg, executive producer for the PBS documentary. "They made it unavoidable." "The Abolitionists" offers four surprising revelations about how the abolitionists triumphed, and how they pioneered many of the same tactics protest movements use today. No. 1: The Great Persuader was not Lincoln The belief that slaves waited for Lincoln to free them ignores the actions they took to free themselves, new PBS film says. Near the end of "Lincoln," Spielberg shows the president delivering his second inaugural address, a majestic speech marked by harsh biblical language. Lincoln is often considered to be the nation's greatest president in part because of such speeches. He was an extraordinary writer. But the most well-known condemnation of slavery during that era didn't come from the pen of Lincoln. It came from the pen of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister who joined the abolitionist movement, the PBS film says. Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" awakened the nation to the horrors of slavery more than any other speech or book of that era, some historians say. It hit the American public like a meteor when it was published in 1852. Some historians say it started the Civil War. The novel revolved around a slave called Tom, who attempted to preserve his faith and family amid the brutality of slavery. The book became a massive best-seller and was turned into a popular play. Even people who cared nothing about slavery became furious when they read or saw "Uncle Tom's Cabin"' performed on stage, the documentary reveals. The lesson: Appeal to people's emotion, not their rationale, when trying to rally public opinion. Abolitionists had tried to rouse the conscience of Americans for years by appealing to their Christian and Democratic sensibilities. They largely failed. But Stowe's novel did something all those speeches didn't do. It told a story. She transformed slaves into sympathetic human beings who were pious, courageous and loved their children and spouses. They forced the issue of slavery on to the national agenda. They made it unavoidable.Sharon Grimberg, executive producer for the PBS American Experience documentary, "The Abolitionists" "When abolitionists were talking about the Constitution and big ideas about freedom and liberty, that's abstract," says R. Blakeslee Gilpin, a University of South Carolina history professor featured in "The Abolitionists." "But Stowe begins with the human dimension. She shows the human victims from the institution of slavery." No. 2: It's the economy, stupid Want to know why slavery lasted so long? The simplistic answer: racism. Another huge factor: greed, according to "The Abolitionists." Many abolitionists didn't realize this when they launched the anti-slavery movement, the documentary shows. They were motivated by Christian idealism, but it was no match for the power of money. Christianity and slavery were two of the big growth industries in early America. The country underwent two "Great Awakenings" in the early 19th century -- while slavery continued to spread. But the spread of Christianity did little to stop the spread of slavery because too many Americans made money off slavery, the documentary shows. The wealth produced by slavery transformed the United States from an economic backwater into an economic and military dynamo, says Gilpin, also author of "John Brown Still Lives!: America's Long Reckoning With Violence, Equality, and Change." "All the combined economic value of industry, land and banking did not equal the value of humans held as property in the South," Gilpin says. Many Americans hated abolitionists because they saw them as a threat to prosperity, says David Blight, a Yale University historian featured in "The Abolitionists." "They wondered if you really did destroy slavery, where would all of these black people go, and whose jobs would they take," says Blight. The South wasn't the only region that profited off the slave trade. Abolitionists faced some of their most vicious opposition in the North. New York City, for example, was a pro-slavery town because it was filled with bankers and cotton merchants who benefited from slavery, Blight says. "Jim Crow laws did not originate in the South; they originated in the North," Blight says. The lesson: Don't reduce the issue of slavery to racism. Follow the money. No. 3: Flawed reformers The historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. once said that black abolitionists used to say that the only thing white abolitionists hated more than slavery was the slave. "The Abolitionists" reveals that some of the most courageous anti-slavery activists were infected with the same white supremacist attitudes they crusaded against. White supremacy was so ingrained in early America that very few escaped its taint, even the most noble. The documentary shows how racial tensions destroyed the friendship between two of the most famous abolitionists: Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison was the editor of an abolitionist newspaper who convinced Douglass that he could be a leading spokesman against the institution that once held him captive. There's this perception that good old Lincoln and a few others gave freedom to black people. The real story is that black people wrestled their freedom away.Erica Armstrong Dunbar, historian, featured in "The Abolitionists" Erica Armstrong Dunbar, a history professor featured in the film, says some abolitionists were uncomfortable with interracial relationships. They wouldn't walk with black acquaintances in public during the day, and refused to sit with them in church. Lesson: Racism was so embedded in 19th century America that even those who fought against racism were unaware that it still had a hold on them. "The majority of aboloitionists did not believe in civic equality for blacks," Dunbar says. "They believed the institution of slavery was immoral, but questions about whether blacks were equal, let alone deserved the right to vote, were an entirely different subject." No. 4: Lincoln the "recovering racist" Tell some historians that "Lincoln freed the slaves" and one can virtually see the smoke come out of their ears. "Please don't get me started," Dunbar says after hearing that phrase. "There's this perception that good old Lincoln and a few others gave freedom to black people. The real story is that black people and people like Douglass wrestled their freedom away," Dunbar says. Historians still argue over Lincoln's racial attitudes. The historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. once called him a "recovering racist" who used the N-word and liked black minstrel shows. Others point to the public comments Lincoln made during one of his famed senatorial debates with Stephen Douglas in 1858 when he said, "There is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. "There must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race," Lincoln said in the speech. Spielberg's film depicts Lincoln as a resolute opponent of slavery, willing to deploy all the powers of his office to destroy it. Yet "The Abolitionists" paints another portrait of Lincoln. It recounts how he supported colonization plans to ship willing slaves back to Africa. It says that Lincoln once floated a peace treaty offer to the Confederates that would allow them to keep slaves until 1900 if they surrendered. At one White House meeting with black ministers, Lincoln virtually blamed slaves for starting the war, the film's narrator says. Frederick Douglass escaped slavery to become one of its most formidable opponents. Blight, the Yale University historian, says Lincoln always personally hated slavery. He publicly spoke out against it as early as the 1840s, and spoke often about stopping the expansion of slavery. Lincoln hoped to slowly end slavery without tearing the nation apart, Blight says. "He was a gradualist," Blight says. "He was trying to prevent a bloody revolution over it. He couldn't." He couldn't because of the pressure exerted by the abolitionists and the slaves themselves, other historians say. Blacks did not wait for white people to free them, they say. At least 180,000 blacks fought in the Civil War. And Douglass was one of Lincoln's harshest critics. He constantly pushed Lincoln to move aggressively against slavery. The historian William Jelani Cobb wrote in a recent New Yorker essay on slavery: "On the hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, it's worth recalling that slavery was made unsustainable largely through the efforts of those who were enslaved. The record is replete with enslaved blacks—even so-called house slaves—who poisoned slaveholders, destroyed crops, 'accidentally' burned down buildings." As for Lincoln's true feelings about blacks, that matter may always be subject to debate. "No historian would doubt that Lincoln was a man of his times," says Dunbar, author of "A Fragile Freedom: African American Women and Emancipation in the Antebellum City." "He was a racist, and never truly believed that blacks could live in America after emancipation." Other historians say Lincoln was evolving into the leader that Spielberg depicts. The historian Gates once wrote that Lincoln initially opposed slavery because it was an economic institution that discriminated against white men who couldn't afford slaves. Two things changed him: The courage black troops displayed in the Civil War and his friendship with Douglass the abolitionist. "Lincoln met with Douglass at the White House three times. He was the first black person Lincoln treated as an intellectual equal, and he grew to admire him and value his opinion," Gates wrote. Gilpin says Lincoln was great not only for what he got right, but because he could admit what he got wrong. "You dream of a president like that," Gilpin says. "Not only was he a brilliant manipulator and reader of public opinion, but he had the capacity for growth. He came into office because he was a moderate but he turns out to be the Great Emancipator." Lesson: Lincoln led an epic battle against slavery, but the abolitionists lit the fuse. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}

2010: Killer's game show past

Method to Chris Christie's madness

Chris Christie has been taking steps that could offend conservatives in GOP Reihan Salam: The governor's actions strengthen his popularity in blue-state Jersey On the surface, he says, Christie's moves would seem to harm his presidential chances Salam: Christie's moves may be shrewd since GOP brand is tarnished Editor's note: Reihan Salam, a CNN contributor, is a columnist for Reuters; a writer for the National Review's "The Agenda" blog; a policy adviser for e21, a nonpartisan economic research group; and co-author of "Grand New Party: How Conservatives Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream." (CNN) -- New Jersey, one of the bluest states and where President Barack Obama won 58.3% of the vote in November's presidential election, is poised to re-elect Chris Christie, the state's incumbent Republican governor, this fall. Having been deeply engaged in New Jersey politics since his youth, Christie seems to relish his role as one of the nation's most powerful and prominent governors. Yet many are wondering whether Christie's popularity in the Garden State has come at the expense of his presidential prospects. Reihan Salam Mitt Romney, for example, decided not to run for re-election as governor of Massachusetts in the 2006 race, sensing that the steps he'd need to take to achieve political success in his left-leaning state might doom his prospects with the more conservative national Republican primary electorate in 2008. Christie, in contrast, has spent a great deal of time and energy winning over New Jersey voters who had once dismissed him as a loudmouth ideologue. Has Christie made a serious miscalculation that could doom his prospects for national office? Or is he savvier than his critics understand? A year ago, conservative activists were enthralled with Christie, who had gained a national following for his quick wit and his combativeness in taking on his state's powerful public employee unions. Even after the Republican primaries were underway, a number of GOP stalwarts hoped that Christie would jump into the presidential race, despite that he was still in his first term as governor. Part of Christie's appeal was that as the hard-charging Republican chief executive of an overwhelmingly Democratic Northeastern state, he had the potential to scramble the electoral map. Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. While the GOP fares well in rural areas and in the suburbs of the South and the Mountain West, the party has taken a beating in the big cities and suburbs of the coasts ever since the rise of Bill Clinton. Christie's common-sense conservatism, however, had managed to win over skeptical voters in one of the country's densest and most diverse states. But in recent months, Christie has lost some of his luster on the right. His keynote address at the Republican National Convention was widely viewed as a disappointment, with many suggesting that it had focused too much on Christie's biography and accomplishments rather than the virtues of the Romney-Ryan ticket. And in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which devastated large stretches of New Jersey's coastline, the governor was fulsome in his praise of Obama's response, giving the embattled incumbent a crucial boost in the days before the election. Most recently, Christie excoriated House Speaker John Boehner and congressional Republicans for having failed to vote on a Sandy relief bill that promised tens of billions of dollars in aid to his beleaguered constituents. Christie's crossing of party lines has struck at least some of his erstwhile conservative admirers as disloyal in the extreme. Avlon: Chris Christie drops bomb on GOP leaders var currExpandable="expand112"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2013/01/02/sot-christie-disgraceful.state-of-new-jersey'; mObj.videoSource='State of New Jersey'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.news12.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130102073628-sot-christie-disgraceful-00000930-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand112Store=mObj; Christie: Boehner wouldn't take my calls var currExpandable="expand212"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/12/13/point-christie-too-fat-to-be-president.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121105041926-sot-gov-chris-christie-mitt-romney-00005914-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand212Store=mObj; Christie too heavy to be president? var currExpandable="expand312"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/12/07/early-chrsitie-stewart-obama-love.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121207115609-early-chrsitie-stewart-obama-love-00002930-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand312Store=mObj; Gov. Christie explains his Obama praise At the same time, Christie's decisions to distance himself from the House GOP and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Obama have greatly strengthened his reputation in New Jersey, where his approval rating hit 77% late last year according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind survey. After having been one of the state's most polarizing political figures, Christie has been embraced by a growing number of Democrats, many of whom have come to see him as a bipartisan problem-solver. Indeed, Christie's political standing reportedly helped convince Cory Booker, the popular mayor of Newark, New Jersey's most populous city, to abandon his plans of running for governor in 2013. Louis: GOP civil war over Sandy disaster relief Assuming Christie wins re-election this year, which is far from a foregone conclusion, he has one powerful asset going forward in national politics: The Republican brand has suffered a great deal in recent years. In a survey conducted by the firm Edelman Berland, voters were asked to compare Democrats and Republicans across a number of brand attributes. An overwhelming majority of respondents chose the Democrats as the party that "cares about people like me," "offers a hopeful vision" and "focuses on issues that matter to me." If a Republican presidential candidate is going to win in 2016, she or he will have to overcome this deficit. Leading Republicans such as Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana have made an effort to talk about issues of interest to middle-income voters, an area in which Republicans have been sorely lacking. Yet Christie's willingness to distance himself from congressional Republicans gives him added credibility in selling himself as "a different kind of Republican," and it is reminiscent of the strategy pursued by then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who was sharply critical of congressional Republicans for their willingness to cut anti-poverty programs. It is not obvious that a "kinder, gentler" Republicanism will fare well in the primary process come 2016, but it is a shrewd way to differentiate oneself from a primary field in which most challengers will be competing to demonstrate their conservative bona fides. And more to the point, a Republican nominee who manages to convey a softer, most centrist image will have a much easier time winning the next general election. That could be Christie's long game. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Reihan Salam.

Method to Chris Christie's madness

Senin, 07 Januari 2013

Opinion: Skins should've stopped RGIII

Jeff Pearlman: We do things when we're young and foolish; wiser heads try to stop us On Sunday, Redskins quarterback stayed in the game, worsening a leg injury He says coach let him go back in; Seahawks saw weakness, pummeled him Pearlman: Shanahan shouldn't have let him play; too many players ruined like this Editor's note: Jeff Pearlman is the author of "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton." He blogs at jeffpearlman.com. Follow him on Twitter. (CNN) -- One night, back when I was Robert Griffin III's age, I drank six glasses of grain alcohol mixed with grape-flavored Juicy Juice. My roommate Anthony said it was a bad idea. My other roommate, Chris, also said it was a bad idea. My closest friend, Daniel, insisted it wasn't merely a bad idea but the worst idea ever. "You barely touch booze," he said. "This won't end well." "Quiet," I replied. "I can handle it." That night, in room 102 of Russell Hall A at the University of Delaware, I vomited into a toilet for 45 straight minutes. Anthony, who was kindly holding up my head as the cool water reflected onto my face, repeatedly muttered, "I told you so. ... I told you so." Jeff Pearlman Alas, I was but a child. I lacked the maturity and wisdom to know what was for my own good. Sunday evening, during his team's 24-14 playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Griffin, the Washington Redskins' star rookie quarterback, insisted on remaining in the game despite being tossed around like a Raggedy Andy doll with the stuffing yanked out of its legs. During the first half, Griffin reinjured his previously sprained right knee after falling awkwardly while rolling out of the pocket. He rose gingerly and moments later could be seen behind the Redskins' bench, having tape applied. This was nothing new for the kid. Earlier this season, in a December 9 game against the Ravens, Griffin sprained his lateral collateral ligament, missed the following week and returned with an awkwardly fitted black brace wrapped around the knee. SI: First slowed and then silenced, RGIII injury spells end for Redskins This time, with the season on the line, Griffin and Mike Shanahan, Washington's coach, engaged in a halftime conversation. According to Shanahan, the quarterback told him, "Coach, there's a difference between being injured and hurt. I can guarantee you I'm hurt right now. Give me a chance to win this football game, because I guarantee I'm not injured." So Griffin -- in his "six glasses of grain alcohol mixed with grape-flavored Juicy Juice" moment -- returned. And was pummeled. His once Willie Gault-esque speed was gone. His tight spirals had been replaced by Ryan Lindley-esque ducks. It reminded one not of a football game so much as the 1982 heavyweight title fight between Larry Holmes and Randall (Tex) Cobb, the one where Cobb left the ring so bloodied and beaten that Howard Cosell never again worked the sport. Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. Much like prize fighters, defensive football players are trained to locate an opponent's weakness and exploit it. If a guy's arm is black and blue, nail it with the crown of your helmet. If a linemen is having trouble seeing with his left eye, gouge the right. There Sunday, in the pummeled form of RGIII, stood a walking, talking weakness. A battered quarterback, defenseless without his tools. The Seahawks, rightly, exploited it. When Shanahan heard Griffin's plea, he should have looked across the locker room at his son, Kyle Shanahan, who serves as the team's offensive coordindator. Were RGIII his son (and not merely his quarterback), would he have sent him back on the field, sans a leg? Would he have forced Kyle to face one of the NFL's most vicious defenses without a full arsenal? Shanahan should have thought of all the retired NFL players who can no longer walk, can no longer drive, can no longer feed themselves, who -- in the name of toughness and staying on the field -- are pathetic shells of their former selves. It has been reported that, earlier in the season, James Andrews, the renowned orthopedist, never cleared Griffin to play against the Ravens, that Shanahan had ignored proper protocols in the name of winning a stupid football game. (Shanahan disputes this, however.) But if Andrews had not cleared Griffin to play, the Redskins organization should be ashamed. If that's the case, Robert Griffin III shouldn't be asking himself whether he can play. He should be asking himself whether anyone in power cares for his well-being. Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jeff Pearlman.

Method to Chris Christie's madness

How fight over Hagel may play out

Zelizer: Don't fight Hagel

President Barack Obama is nominating Chuck Hagel for defense secretary Julian Zelizer: Republicans should avoid challenging Hagel's confirmation By opposing Hagel, GOP would strengthen Obama's edge on national security Zelizer: GOP would look foolish challenging one of its own and opposing bipartisanship Editor's note: Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of "Jimmy Carter" and of "Governing America." (CNN) -- Some Republicans are itching for a fight on President Barack Obama's nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary. Sen. Lindsey Graham warned that Hagel would be the most "antagonistic secretary of defense toward the state of Israel." Neoconservative guru William Kristol is already cranking up the attack machine, focusing on Hagel's statements about Israel and Iran. Although some Democrats are confused about the Hagel appointment, with some upset about remarks he made several years ago about homosexuality, if there is to be a fight it will probably come from the right. Julian Zelizer Republicans would do well to avoid this path. In all likelihood, such a nomination fight would only hurt the Republicans, who are already reeling politically from the election and the battle over the fiscal cliff. Why is a fight over Hagel a bad idea for Republicans? The most obvious is that they would be attacking a member of their own party. Even though Hagel has been a maverick and someone who was critical of his party, pushing in recent years for a centrist approach to foreign policy, he is a genuine Republican, as his voting record reveals. A mobilized GOP opposition fighting against the inclusion of one of its own in a Democratic administration would only fuel frustration with the rightward drift of the party. After a move that demonstrates Obama's true interest in bipartisanship, this would bolster the critics who say the GOP is to blame for gridlock in Washington. Hagel is also a staunch advocate for veterans and the military. Republicans have always tried to make the claim that Democrats are weak on defense and that they are the party of national security. var currExpandable="expand17"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/07/exp-point-macks-hagel-one.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130107021936-exp-point-macks-hagel-one-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand17Store=mObj; Mack: Hagel 'will get nomination in end' var currExpandable="expand27"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/06/exp-sotu-sen-graham-chuck-hagel-in-your-face-nomination-for-defense-secy.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://sotu.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130106025444-exp-sotu-sen-graham-chuck-hagel-in-your-face-nomination-for-defense-secy-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand27Store=mObj; Graham: Hagel a controversial choice var currExpandable="expand37"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/06/sotu-sen-durbin-chuck-hagel-nomination-likely-defense-secretary.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://sotu.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130106021955-exp-sotu-sen-durbin-chuck-hagel-nomination-likely-defense-secretary-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand37Store=mObj; Hagel likely defense secretary pick Although Hagel has been a skeptical hawk, he is a Republican hawk nonetheless. One does not have to work too hard to imagine what the optics would be like if Republicans go after Hagel, who would be the first Vietnam veteran to hold the position. It would give Obama the opportunity to position himself as the person really standing behind a robust national security state. Since taking office, Obama has repeatedly tripped up Republicans on this issue, outflanking them to the right on the war on terrorism. This would simply continue that trend. The final reason that taking on Hagel is extraordinarily risky for the GOP is that Hagel's most famous maverick move was coming out as a critic of President George W. Bush's war in Iraq despite the fact that he had supported the original resolution to use force if necessary. Given how unpopular that war remains, a symbol for many Americans of the mistakes that Republicans made on foreign policy when in power, the last thing that Republicans probably want is a renewed debate on Iraq. By bringing that war to an end, Obama has provided one of the greatest services to the GOP that it could have hoped for, allowing it to move on to other national security issues. Even some of Hagel's potential liabilities might turn out to be much less significant than expected. After all, despite his comments about Israel, the truth is that Hagel voted to provide Israel with aid and he has voted for sanctions with Iran. The record is much murkier than some of the statements on the Sunday morning talk shows would suggest. Republicans have often shot from the hip in their attacks on the Obama administration. It is easy to imagine the president and his advisers anticipating attacks on Hagel that will only work to their favor. Senate Republicans might want to think twice about this vote on a former colleague and focus their attention on more constructive debates. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer.