Rhymes With Right

February 17, 2007

A Real Hero Speaks On Iraq

Rep. Sam Johnson, a real American hero whose made a tremendous sacrifice for his country, speaks out against the tactics of Neo-Copperheads.

You know, I flew 62 combat missions in the Korean War and 25 missions in the Vietnam War before being shot down.
I had the privilege of serving in the United States Air Force for 29 years, attending the prestigious National War College, and commanding two air bases, among other things.
I mention these stories because I view the debate on the floor not just as a U.S. Congressman elected to serve the good people of the Third District in Texas, but also through the lens of a life-long fighter pilot, student of war, a combat warrior, a leader of men, and a Prisoner of War.
Ironically, this week marks the anniversary that I started a new life - and my freedom from prison in Hanoi.
I spent nearly seven years as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam, more than half of that time in solitary confinement. I flew out of Hanoi on February 12, 1973 with other long-held Prisoners of War - weighing just 140 pounds. And tomorrow - 34 years ago, I had my homecoming to Texas - a truly unspeakable blessing of freedom.
While in solitary confinement, my captors kept me in leg stocks, like the pilgrims... for 72 days....
As you can imagine, they had to carry me out of the stocks because I couldn't walk. The following day, they put me in leg irons... for 2 Â½ years. That's when you have a tight metal cuff around each ankle - with a foot-long bar connecting the legs.
I still have little feeling in my right arm and my right hand... and my body has never been the same since my nearly 2,500 days of captivity.
But I will never let my physical wounds hold me back.
Instead, I try to see the silver lining. I say that because in some way ... I'm living a dream...a hope I had for the future. "From April 16, 1966 to February 12, 1973 - I prayed that I would return home to the loving embrace of my wife, Shirley, and my three kids, Bob, Gini, and Beverly...
And my fellow POWs and I clung to the hope of when - not if - we returned home.
We would spend hours tapping on the adjoining cement walls about what we would do when we got home to America.
We pledged to quit griping about the way the government was running the war in Vietnam and do something about it... We decided that we would run for office and try to make America a better place for all.
So - little did I know back in my rat-infested 3 x 8 dark and filthy cell that 34 years after my departure from Hell on Earth... I would spend the anniversary of my release pleading for a House panel to back my measure to support and fully fund the troops in harm's way....and that just days later I would be on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives surrounded by distinguished veterans urging Congress to support our troops to the hilt.
We POWs were still in Vietnam when Washington cut the funding for Vietnam. I know what it does to morale and mission success. Words can not fully describe the horrendous damage of the anti-American efforts against the war back home to the guys on the ground.
Our captors would blare nasty recordings over the loud speaker of Americans protesting back home...tales of Americans spitting on Vietnam veterans when they came home... and worse.
We must never, ever let that happen again.
The pain inflicted by your country's indifference is tenfold that inflicted by your ruthless captors.
Our troops - and their families - want, need and deserve the full support of the country - and the Congress. Moms and dads watching the news need to know that the Congress will not leave their sons and daughters in harm's way without support.
Since the President announced his new plan for Iraq last month, there has been steady progress. He changed the rules of engagement and removed political protections.
There are reports we wounded the number two of Al Qaeda and killed his deputy. Yes, Al Qaeda operates in Iraq. It's alleged that top radical jihadist Al-Sadr has fled Iraq - maybe to Iran. And Iraq's closed its borders with Iran and Syria. The President changed course and offered a new plan ...we are making progress. We must seize the opportunity to move forward, not stifle future success.
Debating non-binding resolutions aimed at earning political points only destroys morale, stymies success, and emboldens the enemy.
The grim reality is that this House measure is the first step to cutting funding of the troops...Just ask John Murtha about his 'slow-bleed' plan that hamstrings our troops in harm's way.
Now it's time to stand up for my friends who did not make it home - and those who fought and died in Iraq - so I can keep my promise that when we got home we would quit griping about the war and do something positive about it...and we must not allow this Congress to leave these troops like the Congress left us.
Today, let my body serve as a brutal reminder that we must not repeat the mistakes of the past... instead learn from them.
We must not cut funding for our troops. We must stick by them. We must support them all the way...To our troops we must remain...always faithful.
God bless you and I salute you all. Thank you.

Here's hoping Sam Johnson is the Secretary of Defense in after the 2008 elections put a Republican in office -- and not a "starve the troops until the Administration capitulates" member of the Aid And Comfort Caucus like John Murtha, who clearly wants to be Secretary of Surrender under a Democrat president.

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Britney Seeks To Regain PR Advantage Over Anna Nicole

The lengths that a talentless white-trash skank like Britney Spears will go to steal press coverage from a dead talentless white-trash skank like Anna Nicole is pretty frightening.

Britney Spears appeared in a tattoo parlor in the San Fernando Valley with her head shaved completely bald.
Video on KABC-TV showed the newly shorn Spears with tiny tattoos on the back of her neck as she sits Friday night for a new tattoo Â— a pair of red and pink lips.
Â“She just wanted something real small on her wrist, something dainty,Â” Max Gott, the tattoo artist at Body and Soul in Sherman Oaks, told the TV station. Â“She got some cute little lips on her wrist.Â”

This seems to be a sign of Spears flunking out of rehab.

Hey, Britney -- your 15 minutes are up. Have Howard K. Stern send you some of whatever Anna Nicole was taking and have your publicist call us in the morning.

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A Note On The Gardasil Controversy

I just love it when the NY Times publishes an editorial disguised as an article and hides the contradictory information at the end. In this case, it is the really relevant information about why Rick Perry's Gardasil power-grab is opposed by so many people -- and it has nothing to do with promiscuous nine-year-olds

Groups on both sides of the debate appear to have been energized by the executive order of Gov. Rick Perry on Feb. 2 mandating vaccination. Opponents have pounced on Gov. PerryÂ’s ties to Merck and Women in Government. His former chief of staff is a lobbyist for Merck in the state and his wife, a nurse who has worked to promote health, once spoke at a Women in Government conference on cervical cancer.
Â“I looked at all of this and said, someone is playing politics,Â” said Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum, a branch of Phyllis SchlaflyÂ’s national Eagle Forum, a conservative group that calls itself Â“pro-family.Â”
Citing various reasons, the Texas Medical Association is not currently supporting mandatory vaccination.
Dr. Carol Baker, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said that two other vaccines for adolescents that were approved in recent years Â— against meningitis and whooping cough Â— have not yet been mandated in Texas. Â“To mandate just one, in my view, is a little odd,Â” she said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is not advocating mandatory Gardasil vaccination, either. One source of opposition from pediatricians is cost. Buying enough H.P.V. vaccine for 100 girls would require a practice to lay out nearly $40,000 in advance. Many doctors say that the insurance reimbursement for giving the vaccine is not adequate to compensate them for administering it.
Dr. Bocchini of the American Academy of Pediatrics also said too much of the Gardasil focus was being placed on 11- and 12-year-olds, when legislatures should be focusing on trying to obtain funding to vaccinate girls and women in the 13-to-26 age group, many of whom are not covered by the federal vaccine programs aimed at children.
Â“A number of people are just not going to be able to get this vaccine,Â” he said.

Vaccines for serious illnesses that are more likely to be passed in classrooms are not required -- but Rick Perry is pushing the one that benefits his colleagues and contributors, and which his wife thinks is important. If he really gave a damn about public health, he would be trying to get the meningitis vaccine mandated through the legislative process. Instead, Perry is playing doctor with the little girls of Texas because of who it helps -- and I don't mean the little girls.

I will concede that I don't like the tactics and arguments of some of those on my side of this issue. Nor do I oppose the Gardasil vaccine, which I have repeatedly stated I would want any daughter of mine to have. But there is serious political corruption at work in Rick Perry's power grab, and there needs to be a greater discussion of the advisability of mandating this vaccine.

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Chavez Tries To Repeal Laws Of Economics

I really don't think that the American government will need to overthrow Hugo Chavez if this sort of crap continues -- the Venezuelan people will string him up by the heels, just like the Italians did with Mussolini.

Faced with an accelerating inflation rate and shortages of basic foods like beef, chicken and milk, President Hugo ChÃ¡vez has threatened to jail grocery store owners and nationalize their businesses if they violate the countryÂ’s expanding price controls.
Food producers and economists say the measures announced late Thursday night, which include removing three zeroes from the denomination of VenezuelaÂ’s currency, are likely to backfire and generate even more acute shortages and higher prices for consumers. Inflation climbed to an annual rate of 18.4 percent a year in January, the highest in Latin America and far above the official target of 10 to 12 percent.
Mr. ChÃ¡vez, whose leftist populism remains highly popular among VenezuelaÂ’s poor and working classes, seemed unfazed by criticism of his policies. Appearing live on national television, he called for the creation of Â“committees of social control,Â” essentially groups of his political supporters whose purpose would be to report on farmers, ranchers, supermarket owners and street vendors who circumvent the stateÂ’s effort to control food prices.

In other words, Chavez wants to ensure that the productive segments of society are not rewarded for their productivity, but are instead punished for trying to get a fair return on their efforts. Indeed, Chavez has already taken initiatives to prevent "hoarding" (refusing to sell product at absurdly low prices set by the government), so this is simply one more step towards economic chaos.

One thing that I find telling in here is that the Venezuelan government has set a planned rate of inflation at 10-12% -- a rate that would be unacceptably high in this country and count the administration in place as a failure. Frighteninly, the Chavez government cannot even meet that unreasonably high target, and instead finds itself with a 18.5% rate of inflation.

The place is going to implode -- hopefully ending this experiment in socialism before it does too much damage tot he once-thriving nation.

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Society Today Is A Lonely Place

Which explains how this fellow's absence could be missed by his neighbors for a year or more.

The partially mummified body of a man dead for more than a year has been found in a chair in front of his television, which was still on, authorities said.
Vincenzo Ricardo, 70, apparently died of natural causes, said Dr. Stuart Dawson, Suffolk County's deputy chief medical examiner.
Police found Ricardo's body this week when they investigated a report of burst pipes.
The home's dry air had preserved his features, morgue assistant Jeff Bacchus said.
"You could see his face. He still had hair on his head," Bacchus said.
Ricardo's wife died years ago, and he lived alone, Dawson said.
"He hasn't been heard from in over a year. That's the part that baffles me," he said. "Nobody sounded the alarm."
Neighbors said they had thought Ricardo was in a hospital or nursing home.
"We never thought to check on him," said neighbor Diane Devon.

Do you know your neighbors? Would you miss them -- or would they miss you -- if you suddenly went missing like this?

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February 16, 2007

Realtor Tracks School Ratings In Florida

Now here is an interesting idea that I had never thought of before -- Realtors using state education scores to actually map out the desirable neighborhoods to live in. This is the tack being taken by one Florida Realtor, who recently put out this press release.

Jacksonville, FL (PRWEB) February 13, 2007 -- Starting today homebuyers all across the state of Florida can display a Google Map of all of the public schools in their county and the FCAT scores for the past five years. School grades are color coded so that buyers can at a glance identify potential neighborhoods to look at for homes. This map of "A" through "F" graded schools gives buyers more information about the neighborhoods where they are looking at homes. I constantly get asked by many buyers where the best schools are located when they shop for homes. If the buyers are new to the area it's often hard for them to visualize which neighborhoods have the best schools "I constantly get asked by many buyers where the best schools are located when they shop for homes. If the buyers are new to the area it's often hard for them to visualize which neighborhoods have the best schools," says Krista Fracke, Realtor. She continues, "By using this web page buyers can see the past five years of FCAT scores and narrow down where they want to search for homes." The web page, http://www.kristafracke.com/idxschools.php, is a mash-up of the popular Google Maps service that many people are familiar with using to see aerial pictures of cities. Once the user clicks on the Florida County they want to see, the map centers on that county. The map then displays colored markers that show the location of the schools in that county. The color of the marker indicates the school's grade from the last year. Clicking on the marker reveals the school's name and grades from the past five years. The web page may also be found from the home page, http://www.kristafracke.com, by clicking on the "Schools" link on the right hand navigation menu. Krista Fracke is a real estate agent in Northeast Florida serving Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, and St Johns County. In 2006, Krista closed over $30,000,000 in sales. Krista is member of RE/MAX's Chairman's Club and has one the highest ranked RE/MAX teams in the state of Florida.

Frankly, I like the idea of this service. When my darling wife and I were hunting for our current home, one of the issues was the local schools, because we were planning o adopt. As a teacher, I knew what I was looking for and was aware of the areas to look at and neighborhoods to avoid because of the schools. One house was actually rejected precisely because of that issue. I wonder, though, how many home buyers don't know what they are getting into.

I think that home buyers in Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, and St Johns County are going to be well-served by this service, and I certainly hope that Krista Fracke's idea is taken up by other Realtors around the country, including those here in Texas as she continues to track Ponte Vedra Beach and A rated schools in her area.

Paid Endorsement.

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GM To Buy Chrysler?

Now this development could be quite interesting, both from an economic standpoint and a legal point of view. If Chrysler becomes a part of GM, what does this do to the US automotive market a a whole?

Shares of DaimlerChrysler climbed yesterday after media reports that General Motors was in talks to buy the German firm's Chrysler division.
Chrysler officials in Germany played down the reports, saying the primary focus now for Chrysler was a restructuring aimed at returning it to profitability. And U.S. industry executives struggled yesterday to assess how GM would benefit from an alliance with Chrysler. GM is in the process of shrinking its operations in an attempt to increase its profit.

Buying all of Chrysler would position GM to remain the world's largest manufacturer of automobiles, a title that Toyota is poised to snatch away in the next few years. But what does this mean in terms of anti-trust issues? I recall that as Chrysler was failing in the late 1970s, there were concerns that GM's market share would force the company's break-up as a monopoly under American law. Would this purchase risk the same sort of legal issue? Or has the automotive industry changed over the last quarter century to such a degree that there is no longer such a legal threat?

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Watcher's Council Results

The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are San Francisco Has Bigger Scandals Than a Debauched Mayor by Bookworm Room, and Flagrant Evil by Gates of Vienna. Here is where you can find the full results of the vote.

Here are the full tallies of all votes cast:

Votes	Council link
2 1/3	San Francisco Has Bigger Scandals Than a Debauched Mayor Bookworm Room
2	What a Tangled Web Done With Mirrors
1 2/3	Squeeze Play: How the Palestinian Summit in Mecca Overturned Bush's Middle East Policy Joshuapundit
1 1/3	On the Abuse of Religion in Politics Eternity Road
1	At Least He Speaks the Truth The Sundries Shack
2/3	The Blogosphere and American Politics American Future
1/3	A Loaf of Bread, a Toga and No Go Soccer Dad
1/3	Televise Supreme Court Rhymes With Right
1/3	Was This Teacher "Framed" By a Computer Run Amok? The Education Wonks
1/3	More Thoughts on "Articulate" The Colossus of Rhodey

Votes	Non-council link
2 1/3	Flagrant Evil Gates of Vienna
1 2/3	Iran's Obsession with the Jews The Weekly Standard
1 1/3	Retrospective The Possum Bistro
1 1/3	First Things First Villainous Company
1	Does Barnard Need Junk Academics? The Muqata
2/3	Okay, So Maybe a Few More Words On This Whole Marcotte Dustup. Because Oprah Tells Me I Need Closure, and Because, Well, It Dovetails Nicely With Some of My Site Themes (UPDATED) Protein Wisdom
2/3	Changing the Wire Services, One Story at a Time Yourish.com
2/3	Those Who Wage War Should Call It War Spiegel Online
2/3	Don't Trust -- Verify II Unqualified Offerings
1/3	The Left's Identification With Murderous Aggressors American Thinker
1/3	Restoring Humility To Our National Psyche in the Face of Nihilism (Repeat) All Things Beautiful

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PetHumor.com

You folks know that I adore our "child", Carmie, the world's most lovable mutt. My darling wife and I never know what our canine companion of over a decade is going to do next to make us laugh.

Well, I've found a spot on the 'Net for folks like us, who love laughing at funny animals -- PetHumor.com!

And yes, the site even includes cute and cuddly kittens -- and the aloof creatures they grow into.

And I swear that the retriever-style behavior above has nothing to do with what happened to this poor fellow.

So like I said -- if you like funny animals, you need to go to funny animalsPetHumor.com!

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SHAME AND INFAMY!

The betrayal of AmericaÂ’s troops in Iraq continues.

Capping four days of passionate, often angry debate, the House delivered President Bush its first rebuke since the Iraq war was launched nearly four years ago, voting 246 to 182 to oppose the administration's planned deployment of 21,500 additional combat troops to Iraq.
Seventeen Republicans joined 229 Democrats to approve a resolution that expresses support for U.S. combat forces but opposes the additional deployments. Two Democrats opposed the measure.

I am more disgusted with every story I read.

This is clearly designed to implement the Murtha strategy for "supporting the troops."

"They won't be able to continue. They won't be able to do the deployment. They won't have the equipment, they don't have the training and they won't be able to do the work. There's no question in my mind."

Clearly, this is a strategy of aid and comfort and cut and run and surrender on the part of the Copperhead Caucus and the associated White Flag Republicans.

These 17 White Flag Republicans must face strong opponents in the 2008 primaries, and must be defeated. Personally, I will be crossing the Kemah Bridge to work for any Republican who challenges Ron Paul, since my precinct borders his district.

Representative James T. Walsh

Phone: 202-225-3701
Fax: 202-225-4042
[Email: Rep.james.walsh AT mail.house.gov]

Representative Walter Jones

Phone: 202-225-3415
Fax: 202-225-3286
Web Email

Representative Wayne Gilchrest
Phone: 202-225-5311
Fax: 202-225-0254
Web Email

Representative Michael Castle
Phone: 202-225-4165
Fax: 202-225-2291
Web Email

Representative Richard (Ric) Keller

Phone: 202-225-2176
Fax: 202-225-0999
Web Email

Representative Philip Sheridan English

Phone: 202-225-5406
Fax: 202-225-3103
Web Email

Representative Ronald Ernest Paul

Phone: 202-225-2831
Web Email

Representative Frederick Stephen Upton

Phone: 202-225-3761
Fax: 202-225-4986
Web Email

Representative Thomas M. Davis

Phone: 202-225-1492
Fax: 202-225-3071
Web Email

Representative Mark Kirk

Phone: 202-225-4835
Fax: 202-225-0837
Web Email

Representative Howard Coble

Phone: 202-225-3065
Fax: 202-225-8611
Email: howard.coble AT mail.house.gov
Web Email

Representative John J. Duncan Jr.

Phone: 202-225-5435
Fax: 202-225-6440
Web Email

Representative James Ramstad

Phone: 202-225-2871
Fax: 202-225-6351
Email: mn03 AT mail.house.gov
Web Email

Representative Steven C. LaTOURETTE

Phone: 202-225-5731
Fax: 202-225-3307
Web Email

Representative Robert Inglis

Phone: 202-225-6030
Fax: 202-226-1177
Web Email

Representative Timothy V. Johnson

Phone: 202-225-2371
Fax: 202-226-0791
Web Email

Representative Thomas Petri

Phone: 202-225-2476
Fax: 202-225-2356
Web Email

In addition, I want to give my deepest thanks and heartiest praise to the last two loyal Democrats in House of Representatives.

Representative Jim Marshall

Phone: 202-225-6531
Fax: 202-225-3013
Web Email

Representative Gene Taylor

Phone: 202-225-5772
Fax: 202-225-7074
Web Email

I know I will also be working hard to get rid of Copperhead Democrat Congressman Nick "I'm Afraid To Face A Republican On The Ballot" Lampson, who disgraced CD22 and the state of Texas today.

I urge every American who loves this country and supports the Crusade Against Jihadi Terrorism to join the Victory Caucus.

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Right Pundits, Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, The Virtuous Republic, 123beta, Right Truth, Maggie's Notebook, basil's blog, Shadowscope, Stuck On Stupid, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao's Blog, The Amboy Times, Phastidio.net, Diva Dish - Weekly Celebrity Gossip Round UP, Conservative Thoughts, Pursuing Holiness, Rightlinx, Faultline USA, third world county, The HILL Chronicles, Woman Honor Thyself, stikNstein... has no mercy, The Uncooperative Blogger Â®, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, The Right Nation, Pirate's Cove, and The Pink Flamingo, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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I Donâ€™t Know Whether To Rage Or Weep

Mike Gallagher reports on this incident at Arlington National Cemetery, where the body of one of our Iraq heroes has been treated like refuse at the city dump.

With the family gone and the area cleared out, my friends watched as four civilian workers began to handle the casket. The honor guard was gone, the military escort had left. Just four workers and a beloved soldier, husband, father, and friend in a casket.
The men struggled to lift the casket and put it into the vault, which was up on some kind of a forklift. Evidently, the walls of the grave that had been dug were collapsing and they werenâ€™t able to lower the casket into the ground. They watched as the men basically dumped the casket, like a load of garbage, into the vault. It crashed into the container, and the forklift spun it around like a top. My friend said there could be no doubt that Nicholasâ€™ body would have been thrown around in the casket. In fact, he believes that the casket would have been damaged considering the way the men tossed it around in the container.
These witnesses cried out in anger and anguish. They went to Arlingtonâ€™s administration office and encountered a sympathetic officer. â€œWhat would you like us to do?â€ he asked my friends. â€œWe want the body exhumed so that Nicholas can be straightened out in the casket, the men who did this to him should be reprimanded, and there should be some kind of protocol change so that someone can oversee these soldierâ€™s burials so that this canâ€™t happen again to anyone elseâ€, they said.
The officer was patient and kind and sympathetic, my buddy told me. But he indicated that none of that is likely to happen. He told him that there are, on average, 22 funerals a day at Arlington. This was probably an isolated case, he said. It would be too expensive to exhume the body. And there would be no plans to change their protocols.

Iâ€™ve been harshly critical of those members of Congress who today pissed on our troops with their cut-and-run resolution, but if anything, this callous disregard for the dignity of one of our supposedly-honored dead may be even worse in my eyes.

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I DonÂ’t Know Whether To Rage Or Weep

Mike Gallagher reports on this incident at Arlington National Cemetery, where the body of one of our Iraq heroes has been treated like refuse at the city dump.

With the family gone and the area cleared out, my friends watched as four civilian workers began to handle the casket. The honor guard was gone, the military escort had left. Just four workers and a beloved soldier, husband, father, and friend in a casket.
The men struggled to lift the casket and put it into the vault, which was up on some kind of a forklift. Evidently, the walls of the grave that had been dug were collapsing and they werenÂ’t able to lower the casket into the ground. They watched as the men basically dumped the casket, like a load of garbage, into the vault. It crashed into the container, and the forklift spun it around like a top. My friend said there could be no doubt that NicholasÂ’ body would have been thrown around in the casket. In fact, he believes that the casket would have been damaged considering the way the men tossed it around in the container.
These witnesses cried out in anger and anguish. They went to ArlingtonÂ’s administration office and encountered a sympathetic officer. Â“What would you like us to do?Â” he asked my friends. Â“We want the body exhumed so that Nicholas can be straightened out in the casket, the men who did this to him should be reprimanded, and there should be some kind of protocol change so that someone can oversee these soldierÂ’s burials so that this canÂ’t happen again to anyone elseÂ”, they said.
The officer was patient and kind and sympathetic, my buddy told me. But he indicated that none of that is likely to happen. He told him that there are, on average, 22 funerals a day at Arlington. This was probably an isolated case, he said. It would be too expensive to exhume the body. And there would be no plans to change their protocols.

IÂ’ve been harshly critical of those members of Congress who today pissed on our troops with their cut-and-run resolution, but if anything, this callous disregard for the dignity of one of our supposedly-honored dead may be even worse in my eyes.

Posted by: Greg at 01:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Our Next First Lady â€“ Ann Romney

I would like to call everyoneâ€™s attention to this interview with Mrs. Romney. Given my own wifeâ€™s health issues, I was particularly moved by this portion of the interview.

Snow: Stem cell research is another area that he's asked about a lot. He, he's essentially for limited amounts of embryonic (stem cell research)?
Romney: He is in favor, he's in favor of stem cell research. He is hopeful, as we all are, that there will be cures with stem cell research. He is not in favor of cloningâ€¦he sees it as sort of, of babies being developed for research, and I don't know, he, for him, that was the, that was the ethical line that he felt that life had been cheapened.
Snow: But this is a tough question, but if he is against most embryonic stem cell research, that's the very research that might help someone just like you.
Romney: That's why this discussion was very heartfelt, and went on for months. Um, and I, was, I'm also pro life, and am opposed to research for, the developing, cloning of embryos, for research.
Snow: Even if it could potentially help you some day, people like you?
Romney: You know, you know, I have to say yes, and, and I, you know, I pray for a cure for MS, and I'm, I'm very supportive of research for MS, and there's many other ways, you know, for, hopefully for us to get there. But it is, it is one of those life questions. Is my life more important than a child's, another child's life, and I, I see it as a life that they would be experimenting on. To maybe make me better, and I, how do you, that's why it's hard. These decisions are very, very hard. They, they tear you apart. But how do you balance that life?

This is an issue I struggle with (my darling wife, as on so many other issues, disagrees with me). But it does come down to the question of whose life one chooses, whose life is more valuable, and whether we as human beings have the right to even make that choice when it comes to a clash of innocents. And Iâ€™ll be honest, it is an issue over which I still weep, as I watch the woman I love deal with her medical conditions on a daily basis â€“ and as I acknowledge that a cure for my own diabetes could be found though such research as well.

But what comes through most of all in this interview is the great love that exists between Ann and Mitt Romney â€“ a love affair that is so reminiscent of the deep bond that existed between the Reagans. Mitt Romney isnâ€™t afraid to refer to Ann as â€œmy sweetheartâ€ on the campaign trail â€“ after over four decades as a couple, dating back to their teens. And for all the comments about Mormonism and polygamy that one hears, be they based in ignorance, bias, or humor, it is clear that Ann is a one-man woman and Mitt is a one-woman man.

And who would you rather see in the White House two years from now â€“ Hill and Bill, Rudy or Newt and the spouse du jour, or a this sterling example of marital fidelity?

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Our Next First Lady Â– Ann Romney

I would like to call everyoneÂ’s attention to this interview with Mrs. Romney. Given my own wifeÂ’s health issues, I was particularly moved by this portion of the interview.

Snow: Stem cell research is another area that he's asked about a lot. He, he's essentially for limited amounts of embryonic (stem cell research)?
Romney: He is in favor, he's in favor of stem cell research. He is hopeful, as we all are, that there will be cures with stem cell research. He is not in favor of cloningÂ…he sees it as sort of, of babies being developed for research, and I don't know, he, for him, that was the, that was the ethical line that he felt that life had been cheapened.
Snow: But this is a tough question, but if he is against most embryonic stem cell research, that's the very research that might help someone just like you.
Romney: That's why this discussion was very heartfelt, and went on for months. Um, and I, was, I'm also pro life, and am opposed to research for, the developing, cloning of embryos, for research.
Snow: Even if it could potentially help you some day, people like you?
Romney: You know, you know, I have to say yes, and, and I, you know, I pray for a cure for MS, and I'm, I'm very supportive of research for MS, and there's many other ways, you know, for, hopefully for us to get there. But it is, it is one of those life questions. Is my life more important than a child's, another child's life, and I, I see it as a life that they would be experimenting on. To maybe make me better, and I, how do you, that's why it's hard. These decisions are very, very hard. They, they tear you apart. But how do you balance that life?

This is an issue I struggle with (my darling wife, as on so many other issues, disagrees with me). But it does come down to the question of whose life one chooses, whose life is more valuable, and whether we as human beings have the right to even make that choice when it comes to a clash of innocents. And IÂ’ll be honest, it is an issue over which I still weep, as I watch the woman I love deal with her medical conditions on a daily basis Â– and as I acknowledge that a cure for my own diabetes could be found though such research as well.

But what comes through most of all in this interview is the great love that exists between Ann and Mitt Romney Â– a love affair that is so reminiscent of the deep bond that existed between the Reagans. Mitt Romney isnÂ’t afraid to refer to Ann as Â“my sweetheartÂ” on the campaign trail Â– after over four decades as a couple, dating back to their teens. And for all the comments about Mormonism and polygamy that one hears, be they based in ignorance, bias, or humor, it is clear that Ann is a one-man woman and Mitt is a one-woman man.

And who would you rather see in the White House two years from now Â– Hill and Bill, Rudy or Newt and the spouse du jour, or a this sterling example of marital fidelity?

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I Support Sami al-Arian

Let the terrorist bastard starve himself to death.

Sami Al-Arian, the former University of South Florida professor sentenced to prison for providing assistance to a terrorist group, collapsed Wednesday in a Virginia prison on the 23rd day of a hunger strike.
He was taken to a North Carolina medical facility.
He began his hunger strike after learning his sentence may be extended by up to 18 months for refusing to testify before a Virginia grand jury. His attorneys say an earlier plea agreement freed him from further cooperation with the government.
Ahmed Bedier, executive director of the Tampa Chapter of the Council of Islamic Relations, said Al-Arian's family is concerned about his health but knows he wants to make a statement about his "unjust treatment."
"His freedom is more important to him than his health," Bedier said.

One more month of this, and the world will be a cleaner place. And even better, this purification will be accomplished without the scumbag taking any innocent human lives.

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Professors Challenge Carter Lies

Given that Carter refuses to debate or discuss a book that he claims is all about promoting dialogue, I think that the letter of nine distinguished faculty members from Emory University can only be seen as a measured and reasonable response to his anti-Semitic attack on Israel and promotion of Palestinian terrorism.

"Despite having written a book whose purpose he claims was to promote dialogue and discussion, he has consistently dodged appearing with anyone who could challenge him on the numerous factual errors which fill the pages of his slim book," the letter states.
"We are happy that Jimmy Carter wants to come to Emory," said Deborah E. Lipstadt, the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies, and a signer of the letter. "But we think it should be an exchange of ideas, not a one-sided presentation. We felt that this is not up to the standards of Emory in terms of creative inquiry."

I applaud the professors for raising this important issue Â– and for daring to try to challenge the worst president Â– and ex-president Â– of my lifetime.

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Malkin Profile In WaPo

A fair and accurate profile of the hottest conservative commentator in the blogosphere. And I love her powerfully-worded response to the racist, sexist liberals who regularly attack her.

"They'll ridicule my looks, ridicule my ethnicity, go after my family," the 36-year-old blogger says of her critics. "They've attacked my husband relentlessly. There's a strong sexist strain among my liberal critics, who think it isn't possible I could have gotten anywhere without my Svengali husband, or some white man, embedding ideas in my head."
Make no mistake, though: This daughter of Filipino immigrants plays pretty rough herself. Whether on her blog, her Internet talk show or her Fox News appearances, Malkin delights in sticking her finger in the eye of the liberal establishment. And she is convinced that her detractors don't play fair.
"Particularly when you're a minority conservative," she says, "you get a lot of ugly, hysterical, unhinged attacks, because you're challenging so many liberal myths about what people of color should think."

Malkin is one of my first half-dozen stops on the Â‘Net each day Â–and never a waste of time. Bravo to Howard Kurtz for a fair portrait of a wonderful lady.

Posted by: Greg at 01:31 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Dems Show That Corruption Isnâ€™t Serious Issue â€“ Give Jefferson Plum Committee Assignment

On the Homeland Security Committee, no less. Now he can seek to take graft from companies involved in protecting our nation from terrorists â€“ and get a cut of the relief funds for Katrina, since the committee controls FEMA.

Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who's facing an ongoing federal corruption probe, is being granted a spot on the Homeland Security Committee, according to Democratic aides.
The appointment will be announced Friday, according to one aide who requested anonymity because the decision isn't yet official.
Jefferson was removed from his seat on the Ways and Means Committee, one of the most important panels in Congress, by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) last summer in an attempt to show how seriously Democrats viewed the allegations of corruption.
But the move by Pelosi, who was still minority leader at the time, infuriated members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who said Jefferson shouldn't be punished unless he is indicted; federal prosecutors have yet to bring an indictment, despite an FBI raid 18 months ago on his home that yielded $90,000 in cash in his freezer.
Other lawmakers were angling for the seat on Homeland Security, which was the last slot available on the panel, according to another Democratic aide.
The committee oversees the Homeland Security Department and its web of agencies designed to protect against terrorism on U.S. soil.
The committee has oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which was widely panned for its response to Hurricane Katrina in Jefferson's hometown of New Orleans.

Remember â€“ this is the same Jefferson who commandeered a relief boat and crew to remove evidence from his home in the days immediately following hurricane Katrina.

Nice choice, Nancy!

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Dems Show That Corruption IsnÂ’t Serious Issue Â– Give Jefferson Plum Committee Assignment

On the Homeland Security Committee, no less. Now he can seek to take graft from companies involved in protecting our nation from terrorists Â– and get a cut of the relief funds for Katrina, since the committee controls FEMA.

Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who's facing an ongoing federal corruption probe, is being granted a spot on the Homeland Security Committee, according to Democratic aides.
The appointment will be announced Friday, according to one aide who requested anonymity because the decision isn't yet official.
Jefferson was removed from his seat on the Ways and Means Committee, one of the most important panels in Congress, by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) last summer in an attempt to show how seriously Democrats viewed the allegations of corruption.
But the move by Pelosi, who was still minority leader at the time, infuriated members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who said Jefferson shouldn't be punished unless he is indicted; federal prosecutors have yet to bring an indictment, despite an FBI raid 18 months ago on his home that yielded $90,000 in cash in his freezer.
Other lawmakers were angling for the seat on Homeland Security, which was the last slot available on the panel, according to another Democratic aide.
The committee oversees the Homeland Security Department and its web of agencies designed to protect against terrorism on U.S. soil.
The committee has oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which was widely panned for its response to Hurricane Katrina in Jefferson's hometown of New Orleans.

Remember Â– this is the same Jefferson who commandeered a relief boat and crew to remove evidence from his home in the days immediately following hurricane Katrina.

Nice choice, Nancy!

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February 15, 2007

Coach "Does" Player -- Wrist-Slap Pending

After all, this is a female teacher/coach.

A former Fort Bend Independent School District high school teacher has been arrested after being indicted on a charge of an improper relationship between an educator and a student, school district police said.
Kimberly Dawn Hollis, 30, a teacher at Hightower High School, resigned Jan. 12 and surrendered at the county jail Thursday. Her bond was set at $20,000.
The charge is a second-degree felony, and if convicted, Hollis could face up to 20 years in prison.

I know it says 20 years, but we've seen the trends. Female abusers in the classroom get probation or short sentences, while male perps get long terms in prison doing hard time as everybody's bi-yotch. Here's hoping that Texas courts apply the law equitably in this case, and give Hollis the full 20 years.

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Ohio Gov: No Iraqis Allowed

Politics apparently trumps humanitarianism in Ohio.

When Gov. Ted Strickland was campaigning for election, among the superlatives voters were fed about him was his background as a minister. Good man, big heart, trustworthy fellow was what the public was supposed to think.
Having met him, that description seemed to fit the bill.
Which is why it was distressing to read a news story in which Strickland basically said Ohio is off limits to Iraqi refugees coming to the United States to flee the violence in their homeland.
Under pressure from the United Nations to help relocate Iraqi refugees, the Bush Administration agreed yesterday to allow 7,000 to relocate in the United States this year. The administration especially wants to help Iraqis whose lives are in danger because of their cooperation with U.S. forces in Iraq.
Strickland opposed the U.S. war in Iraq as a congressman, and when asked about the refugee plan yesterday, he reportedly said, ''I think Ohio and Ohioans have contributed a lot to Iraq in terms of blood, sweat and too many tears. I am sympathetic to the plight of the innocent Iraqi people who have fled that country. However, I would not want to ask Ohioans to accept a greater burden than they already have borne for the Bush administration's failed policies.''

I suppose that DemocratICK Gov. Ted Strickland would have tried to keep out blacks in 1863, Jews in 1938, and Southeast Asians in 1973 as well, combining racism with naked political partisanship. In that he constitutes a worthy successor to another former congressman from Ohio, Clement Vallandigham.

Posted by: Greg at 11:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Arizona Won't Attempt First Amendment Repeal

After all, that is what this law would have amounted to -- because it is usually the speech that offends that really needs Constitutional protection.

It's still going to be legal in Arizona for trucks to have splash guards with racist terms and silhouettes of naked women.
The House on Thursday rejected a Democratic amendment that would have banned splash guards with "images that are obscene or hateful."
The amendment's sponsor, Rep. Ed Ableser of Tempe, said he'd seen a splash guard that used the word "pickaninny" Â— a derogatory term for black children Â— and said his proposal was intended "to make sure those individuals that have hateful motives don't express or push those images upon others in our communities."

On the other hand, coat religious image in urine or feces, and Democrats like Ableser will not only defend them, but also support NEA grants for them.

For what it is worth, I share Ableser's disgust with the messages appearing on mud-flaps -- but I am more disgusted by his attempt to engage in censorship of speech.

And I'd like to comment on one other DemocratICK legislator as well.

Rep. Theresa Ulmer, D-Yuma, supported the amendment and said it fit with lawmakers' other efforts to crack down on pornography and sexual predators.
"I personally am tired of explaining to my 11-year-old son why they (women) are depicted on mud flaps, but not all women are 36Ds. He's very confused by that," Ulmer said. "But seriously, this is about family values Â— what are we going to send out as a message to our children."

I'll agree with you, Re. Ulmer, that racism and sexism are not family values -- but neither is government censorship of speech in violation of the US Constitution.

Posted by: Greg at 11:16 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Closing In On Terror Leaders In Iraq

Not only has Muqtada al-Sadr fled to Iran, but now come reports of an attack by Iraqi forces (supported by American troops) upon terrorist leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri.

The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was wounded and an aide was killed in a clash Thursday with Iraqi forces north of Baghdad, the Interior Ministry spokesman said.
The clash occurred near Balad, a major U.S. base about 50 miles north of the capital, Brig. Gen Abdul-Karim Khalaf said.
Khalaf said al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri was wounded and his aide, identified as Abu Abdullah al-Majemaai, was killed.

Most rational people would see this sort of report as a reason to stay the course. Copperhead Democrats see this as a reason to cut-and-run.

Posted by: Greg at 11:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Copperhead Dems Seek State Cut-And-Run Resolutions

Proving that some things never change, DemocratICK opponents of the war are pushing for state cut-and-run resolutions to go with the cowardly proposals pending in Congress.

Frustrated by the inability of Democrats in Congress to pass a resolution opposing President BushÂ’s policies in Iraq, state legislators across the country, led by Democrats and under pressure from liberal advocacy groups, are pushing forward with their own resolutions.
Resolutions have passed in chambers of three legislatures, in California, Iowa and Vermont. The Maryland General Assembly sent a letter to its Congressional delegation, signed by a majority of the State Senate and close to a majority of the House, urging opposition to the increase in troops in Iraq.
Letters or resolutions are being drafted in at least 19 other states. The goal is to embarrass Congress into passing its own resolution and to provide cover for Democrats and Republicans looking for concrete evidence back home that anti-Iraq resolutions enjoy popular support.

And this movement is in the finest tradition of the DemocratICK Party.

At the 1864 Democratic convention, Vallandigham persuaded the party to adopt a platform that declared the war a failure and called for negotiations with the Confederacy.

After all -- what's a little aid and comfort ~~to the enemy~~ among like-minded friends?

UPDATE: Biden seeks to up the ante on Iraq, actually proposing a move that would do something. But then again, we know he is in the best tradition of the Copperheads, who were also racist and supportive of slave states.

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Right Pundits, Perri Nelson's Website, Faultline USA, third world county, Big Dog's Weblog, Shadowscope, The Right Nation, The Pink Flamingo, and Diva Dish - Weekly Celebrity Gossip Round UP, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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Eckels To Quit

Well, the worst kept secret in Harris County has been confirmed.

County Judge Robert Eckels announced his resignation this afternoon at the annual State of the County speech.
"Today, the time is right,'' Eckels said. "I had a friend who told me, 'You never become what you want to be while remaining where you are.' Harris County is moving forward, and it's time for me to do the same.''
Eckels said he has no timetable for his departure, but he will remain until the Commissioners Court considers the upcoming annual budget next month.
The Greater Houston Partnership, which sponsors the event, had sold about 1,140 tickets through Wednesday, within 60 of a sellout.
Speculation about Eckels' departure has increased in recent days with a close Republican ally, Commissioner Jerry Eversole, saying Eckels' departure was a sure thing. Eversole had advised Eckels to make his intentions known during the luncheon speech today, even though Eckels had indicated he wanted to wait for a previously scheduled fundraiser next week

IÂ’m curious, Judge Eckels Â– why didnÂ’t you adopt this philosophy a year ago, so that the voters of Harris County (and the GOP in particular) could have had a candidate on the ballot who really wanted your job and intended to serve us for a full term?

Posted by: Greg at 12:51 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Why No Romney?

Mitt Romney does pretty well among conservatives when you look at opinion polls. I was shocked, therefore to see that he was mentioned nowhere in this story from FoxNews.

Perhaps because of the early start to the race, many voters say they hope someone new will join the 2008 presidential contest. And by new they mean new, making it clear they do not want third-party candidate Ralph Nader, former Vice President Al Gore or former Florida Governor Jeb Bush to step into the contest, according to the latest FOX News Poll.
Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from February 13 to February 14. The poll has a 3-point error margin.
Half of voters (49 percent) say they are hoping there is someone new out there who they have yet to hear about who will enter the presidential contest. Republicans (53 percent) are a bit more interested than Democrats (46 percent) for someone new to come along.
Overall, one of four voters (26 percent) would like Gore to enter the 2008 presidential race, which is moderately more than want Jeb Bush (16 percent) and Nader to do so (14 percent). Even so, the big picture is clear Â— majorities are against all three of these potential contenders throwing their hat into the ring.

But then I looked at the polling results Â– and discovered that Opinion Dynamics didnÂ’t even include Romney anywhere in the polling! Not one question about the guy who clearly is just such a fresh face in the race Â– but questions almost designed to bring the Â“old gangÂ” (a fomer VP, a former Speaker, another Bush, and a has-been gadfly) into the race.

So tell me, FoxNews and Opinion Dynamics Â– whereÂ’s Mitt?

Posted by: Greg at 12:50 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Ellisonâ€™s Non-Apology Confirms He Is An Assh*le

Keith Ellison offered Tom Tancredo a non-apology for the recent call to Capitol Hill Police over Tancredoâ€™s perfectly permissible smoking in his own office.

A freshman Democratic lawmaker sent a hand-written note Wednesday night to a neighboring Republican congressman to apologize for the situation that erupted after his staff complained to U.S. Capitol Police about cigar smoke.
No word yet that Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison is sorry that his staff called the cops in the first place to complain that Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo's cigar was stinking up the hallway they share in the Longworth House Office Building.
Ellison "apologizes for the situation" because "it was so blown out of proportion," Carlos Espinosa, Tancredoâ€™s press secretary, told FOX News.

Notice that this is not an apology for the call to the police in the first place without so much as a courtesy call to Tancredo, who Ellison has never even met despite being in the neighboring office. The apology is for the press coverage of the situation â€“ coverage that makes Tancredo look reasonable and Ellison look incompetent, foolish, and arrogant.

Maybe Ellison will choose to be an adult one of these days and actually apologize for the impertinent call to the police.

Posted by: Greg at 12:49 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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EllisonÂ’s Non-Apology Confirms He Is An Assh*le

Keith Ellison offered Tom Tancredo a non-apology for the recent call to Capitol Hill Police over TancredoÂ’s perfectly permissible smoking in his own office.

A freshman Democratic lawmaker sent a hand-written note Wednesday night to a neighboring Republican congressman to apologize for the situation that erupted after his staff complained to U.S. Capitol Police about cigar smoke.
No word yet that Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison is sorry that his staff called the cops in the first place to complain that Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo's cigar was stinking up the hallway they share in the Longworth House Office Building.
Ellison "apologizes for the situation" because "it was so blown out of proportion," Carlos Espinosa, TancredoÂ’s press secretary, told FOX News.

Notice that this is not an apology for the call to the police in the first place without so much as a courtesy call to Tancredo, who Ellison has never even met despite being in the neighboring office. The apology is for the press coverage of the situation Â– coverage that makes Tancredo look reasonable and Ellison look incompetent, foolish, and arrogant.

Maybe Ellison will choose to be an adult one of these days and actually apologize for the impertinent call to the police.

Posted by: Greg at 12:49 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Hillary Endorsement Quid Pro Quo?

I guess it is more of that Â“appearance of improprietyÂ” thing at work in the DemocratICK Party.

Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign reached a deal to pay a key South Carolina black leader's consulting firm more than $200,000 just days before he agreed to endorse her run for president, it was revealed yesterday.
The arrangement involves South Carolina state Sen. Darrell Jackson, a well-connected African-American leader and pastor whose support is coveted by national campaigns.
Jackson confirmed to The Post yesterday that his public-relations firm struck a deal with the Clinton campaign just days ago for a contract worth up to $10,000 a month through the 2008 elections.
Jackson had also been in talks with Sen. Barack Obama's campaign about endorsing him and entering into a consulting contract for more than $5,000, sources said - raising questions about whether Jackson's endorsement was bought by a higher bidder.

Remember, this is one of the guys who more or less claimed that Â“a black man canÂ’t winÂ” and that an Obama nomination would destroy the chances of the DemocratICK Party in 2008. Now we find out that he was prepared to endorse Obama for a fee, until the Illinois senator was outbid by the former First Lady.
Am I the only one who thinks something stinks here Â– and that it is Â“politics as usualÂ” in the DemocratICK Party?

Posted by: Greg at 12:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Press Hackery, Dem Flackery At NY Times

This story seems pretty damning at first glance.

Controversy over a possible missed U.S. opportunity for rapprochement with Iran grew on Wednesday as former aide accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of misleading Congress on the issue.
Flynt Leverett, who worked on the National Security Council when it was headed by Rice, said a proposal vetted by Tehran's most senior leaders was sent to the United States in May 2003 and was akin to the 1972 U.S. opening to China.
Speaking at a conference on Capitol Hill, Leverett said he was confident it was seen by Rice and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell but ``the administration rejected the overture.''
Rice's spokesman denied she misled Congress and reiterated that she did not see the proposal.

And the evidence backing Leverett isÂ…? Well, non-existent, from what we can see in this article. Indeed, this is an accusation from someone who was NOT working for the NSC during the period he claims to know what Rice was or was not reading or being briefed on. Even the NY Times is forced to admit as much.

He said he had left the National Security Council, which advises the president on security issues, in March 2003 before the Iranian proposal was received. He returned to the CIA where he previously worked and soon after left government. Hence, he was not in a position to make this case directly to Rice, he said.

So what has he been doing since leaving government? IÂ’m not 100% sure, but Ed Lasky at American Thinker points out this little detail that the Times certainly knew but left out of its article.

Might the New York Times have been able to fill in the time line and report that he is a partisan Democrat who went to work for the John Kerry campaign and that Kerry's defeat left to his future job prospects in a Kerry Administration in tatters. Instead the Times just reports that he "left government".

Gee, that detail puts LeverettÂ’s claim in a rather different light, doesnÂ’t it? He is a partisan Democrat who is looking for a high position in a DemocratICK campaign and a possible DemocratICK administration. Not only that, but he has been pushing for more US contact with the Islamist regime in Teheran, essentially the Iranian position on US-Iranian relations, since KerryÂ’s defeat. But the Times hides that information, because it would make Leverett significantly less credible.

Like I said the other day, the new motto for the NY Times is Â“We only print the news that fits.Â”

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My Favorite Quote From The Cut-And-Run Resolution Debate

From Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL)

"...the majority would have us consider a resolution that puts us one day closer to handing militant Islamists a safe haven the size of California. And when ideological militants achieve their objectives, history tells us that they don't settle; that they only attempt to expand their reach even further. And that means following us home."

We can fight the jihadi terrorists in Iraq, or we can fight them in California. You decide.

Posted by: Greg at 12:39 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Military Doctors Try Finger Regrowth Technique

This sounds like something out of science fiction, but may be on its way to becoming science fact.

Five soldiers at a military base in Texas are about to participate in a remarkable test to see whether they can regrow portions of fingers they lost in the war in Iraq.
Doctors plan to treat them with a fine powder called extracellular matrix, which is harvested from pig bladders. The material, found in all animals, is the scaffolding that cells latch onto as they divide and grow into tissue and body parts.
In the human body, it was long thought to be inert. But scientists have discovered that it appears to activate latent biological processes that spur healing and regenerate tissue.
Medical researchers have been making intriguing progress in the field of regenerative medicine. The pilot test, at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, shows how doctors are trying to apply their recent discoveries to a pressing challenge: helping thousands of Americans returning from Iraq to recover from wounds that would have killed soldiers a generation ago.

Now this is unlikely to result in the complete regrowth of entire digits, or even the bone in a segment Â– but it may enable some patients to have more complete use of hands after serious injury. That is great advance that will help people in both the military and civilian worlds.

Posted by: Greg at 12:39 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Judge Dismisses MySpace Suit

IÂ’ll say it right now Â– I donÂ’t like MySpace because of some of the extremes to which my students (and other young people) go online. At the same time, I donÂ’t see how MySpace can be held responsible for the misdeeds of some users Â– unless we are going to also hold the phone companies responsible for perverts using the phone to get together with teens as well.

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the social networking Web site MySpace filed by the family of a 13-year-old girl who says she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old man she met online.
The $30 million lawsuit accused the site of having no measures to protect children who use it. The lawsuit also named MySpace's parent company, News Corp., and the 19-year-old, whose criminal case has not yet gone to trial.
In a ruling issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks said MySpace is protected under the Communications Decency Act and cannot be expected to verify the age of every user because that "would of course stop MySpace's business in its tracks."
The decency act cited by Sparks generally grants immunity to interactive computer services such as MySpace so that they are not liable for content posted by users. Without immunity, companies such as MySpace "would be crippled by lawsuits arising out of third-party communications," Sparks wrote.

How far would they like to take this logic? Should the local mall have liability if a kid meets a creep there? How about the local motel, in the event said creep takes his prey there? Why shouldnÂ’t such places also be held to this standard of liability if they lack means to verify they are not being used by sex predators out to feed their unnatural appetites?

And IÂ’m curious Â– what degree of liability should be laid at the door of parents who lax supervision and negligent raising of their children allows such abuse to occur?

Posted by: Greg at 12:38 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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February 14, 2007

No Jail For Balco Case Reporters

But only because the leaker of court documents decided to accept a plea agreement. The testimony of the reporters therefore became unnecessary.

Two reporters from The San Francisco Chronicle who wrote a best-selling book about steroid use in baseball will avoid jail time after a defense lawyer agreed Wednesday to plead guilty to leaking them secret federal court documents, prosecutors said.
The lawyer, Troy L. Ellerman, will plead guilty to two counts of contempt, as well as one count each of obstruction of justice and filing false statements in a federal court, according to a statement from the United States AttorneyÂ’s Office in Los Angeles.
As part of the plea, the Justice Department will withdraw subpoenas issued to the reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada, who had been held in contempt by a federal judge since September for refusing to say who their sources were for a series of Chronicle articles and their 2006 book, Â“Game of Shadows.Â”
Â“The government believes that EllermanÂ’s guilty pleas alleviate the need for the reporters to testify,Â” the statement read.

I'm glad this case was resolved without some court expanding the absurd notion of a "reporter's privilege". Like every American, reporters are subject to the laws of this country and must produce evidnce in court. They are not an aristocracy above the laws of the United States, nor should they be. And especially in a case in which the actual crime was the disclosure of information to the reporters, they should be required to appear and testify just like the rest of us.

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Murdered Soldier's Medical Mission Completed

Remember those four soldiers kidnapped and executed by terrorists in Iraq last month? The Washington post has an article about one of them, Capt. Brian S. Freeman, and the effort he spent his last hours working on -- getting an 11-year-old Irqi boy to the United States for lifesaving heart surgery.

Hours before getting killed the way he feared most, Capt. Brian S. Freeman looked up and smiled when Abu Ali dropped by his office.
After nearly six months of overcoming financial and bureaucratic hurdles in a war zone, Freeman told the Iraqi man, there were promising signs that a pair of U.S. visas -- the last big step in getting Abu Ali's 11-year-old son to the United States for lifesaving heart surgery -- would be issued soon.
The Iraqi was speechless. He asked an interpreter to express his gratitude to the tall American soldier who had made saving the child's life an unofficial mission. Then he pulled out his camera, swung his arm around Freeman's broad shoulders and posed for three photographs.
Hours later, shortly before sunset Jan. 20, armed men in GMC trucks stormed into the government building in Karbala, in southern Iraq. They killed an American soldier, handcuffed Freeman and three other U.S. soldiers, hauled them into the vehicles and drove off. Freeman and the other abducted soldiers were later slain by the attackers.

There are those in this country who believe our soldiers are the moral equivalent of SS stormtroopers, terrorizing the people of Iraq. They claim that our soldiers are intellectually deficient and lacking in opportunities in life, so they are stuck in Iraq because the military was their only option. And there are those who believe that Iraqis don't want or support US troops present in their country. I hope they read this article, and recognize how wrong they are about those things -- and about the terrorists they argue are the moral equivalent of our founding fathers.

American soldiers struggle to bring life and peace to Iraq -- the terrorists bring only death, chaos, and a return to the bad old days of Baathist rule, or worse.

Posted by: Greg at 11:07 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 364 words, total size 2 kb.

House Acts To Overturn Perry Decree

In a move to restore democracy to the state of Texas, the Texas House is considering a bill to overturn Rick PerryÂ’s power-grab on the Gardasil vaccine.

The Texas House will take its first step Monday to overturn Gov. Rick Perry's mandate that schoolgirls be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer.
The House Public Health Committee posted notice Tuesday that it will hold a public hearing on a bill that would pre-empt Perry's order and prevent the human papillomavirus vaccine from being required for admission to any elementary or secondary school.
"The governor has accomplished his goal of bringing attention to this issue," said Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, author of the bill. "All citizens of Texas will have an opportunity to come to Austin to give an opinion."
Bonnen has signed up more than 60 members as co-authors of House Bill 1098.
If the committee votes out the bill, it could be the first major piece of legislation heard on the House floor this session.

IÂ’m all for girls getting the vaccine, but not for a government mandate or a gubernatorial decree dictating it. IÂ’m therefore pleased to see over 40% of the Texas House sponsoring this legislation, for that bodes well for making the bill veto-proof.

Posted by: Greg at 12:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 223 words, total size 1 kb.

Franken Running For Senate

HereÂ’s hoping we can get Bill OÂ’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Michael Medved and Rush Limbaugh into congressional or senatorial races somewhere in the country to counter-balance this likely win eventual win in Minnesota.

Comedian Al Franken announced Wednesday that he will run for the Senate in 2008, seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican incumbent Norm Coleman.
Franken's announcement came on the final day of his show on the liberal radio network Air America. The decision by the former "Saturday Night Live" performer instantly makes him a serious contender and brings national attention to the race.

Well, for the sake of his ego letÂ’s hope that he is a more serious contender in the senatorial race than he was as a talk radio host.

And let me make this observation Â– if hosting a talk radio show constitutes credential that qualifies someone for public office, perhaps the GOP ought to run former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett for the presidency in 2008.

Posted by: Greg at 12:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Valentine Absurdity In India

Seems there are groups in India who object to Valentines Day. Just goes to show the absurdity of some folks.

But it also shows a difference between the extremists in the countryÂ’s two main religious groups.

First, the Hindus.

One Hindu group, the Shiv Sena, said its volunteers would photograph couples caught in "compromising positions".
Overt signs of affection, such as kissing and holding hands, are frowned upon in much of traditional Indian society.
Shiv Sena has warned that its activists will stake out public parks, cinemas and shopping malls in a number of cities, and photographs of couples courting will be handed over to their parents.
Mahaveer Parikh, a spokesman for another hardline group, Bajrang Dal, told the BBC from Jaipur: "We will protest with all our might. We will do anything it takes to stop young couples in a behaviour that is against Indian culture.

Silly, but benign Â– and odd, coming from the folks who gave us the Kama Sutra.

And then there are the Muslims.

A Muslim women's group in revolt-hit Indian Kashmir burned greeting cards and beat young couples to stop people celebrating Valentine's Day, witnesses said on Wednesday.
The separatist Dukhtaran-e-Millat (Daughters of the Nation) raided restaurants and showered blows on some couples and then burned cards during a rally in the summer capital's centre, said an AFP reporter.
The group, along with an Islamic association called the Forum Against Social Evils, regularly wage morality campaigns against movies and other emblems of popular Western culture they deem un-Islamic.
"We will not allow Western culture to take root in Muslim-majority Kashmir," chanted several dozen marchers led by Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Aasiya Andrabi.

Sad, isnÂ’t it, that followers of the Â“Religion of PeaceÂ” become so violent when confronted with signs of love.

Posted by: Greg at 12:29 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 303 words, total size 2 kb.

Man Files Suit Over Being Called An â€œAssâ€ â€“ Proves He Is One

This may be one of the more outrageous attempts to go after the deep pockets of government â€“ and one of the more absurd claims of a violation of the First Amendment.

Bob DeMotte was called an â€œassâ€ last year by a member of Spokaneâ€™s Citizenâ€™s Review Commission after he complained about how police handled a neighborhood fracas involving an off-duty Spokane police lieutenant and two of her children.
Now heâ€™s fighting back.
DeMotte, a retired author and Spokane resident, last week filed a $1 million claim for damages with the city. His rebuff before the review commission last October and the insult by commission member Marie Yates constitutes a â€œchilling effect on First Amendment free speech, defamation of character, and tort of outrage,â€ according to his claim.
â€œRobert DeMotte was a citizen of the city of Spokane exercising his First Amendment right of free speech at the invitation of Chief (Anne) Kirkpatrick,â€ said his lawyer, former Spokane County Prosecutor James R. Sweetser, in a statement accompanying the claim.
The commissionâ€™s decision to meet behind closed doors in executive session â€“ over the objection of The Spokesman-Review â€“ and Yatesâ€™ insult after members announced their decision to take no action â€œhas a chilling effect on all Spokane citizensâ€™ First Amendment Rights, constitutes defamation of character, and is outrageous,â€ Sweetserâ€™s statement says.

Frankly, I think Marie Yates got it exactly right â€“ Bob DeMotte is an ass. A million-dollar suit against the city for a comment made by an 83-year-old after a meeting, in a hallway, is evidence enough of that. Even public officials have the right to express personal opinions after a meeting is over.

And Bob â€“ I dare you to sue me, for it will AGAIN prove you to be the First Amendment hypocrite that you have shown yourself to be by filing this one.

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Posted by: Greg at 12:27 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
Post contains 382 words, total size 4 kb.

1 Hi Greg, I completely agree with you--I think it is outrageous--wonder if you have more info than what's in the papers about this?
Thanks, molly

Posted by: Molly at Wed Feb 28 12:27:10 2007 (e1+UE)

2 Since my post of 2-28 I have investigated this matter and found that it is not a matter of someone calling someone else a bad name. It's a matter of the citizens of spokane having a voice in how their government is run. This is not a matter of money but apparently that's the only way to make these corrupt city officials sit up and take notice. What can you say about a Citizens' Commission Committee that has been totally inactive for 10 years and half of the people are polce representatatives in some form? Obviously the citizens of this city have no voice. Letters to the editor of the newspaper prove otherwise. If it hadn't been for Mr. DeMottoes action Spokane STILL wouldn't know how to fight back. It all started with huge amounts of property crime that police refused to help with. Read the papers further further to educate yourself--start with polce dept and Otto Zehm for starters.

Posted by: Molly at Fri Mar 2 07:40:10 2007 (e1+UE)

3 Even if one concedes every point you make -- and I don't take a position on them one way or another -- this suit is still frivolous and without merit, and proves him to be an ass.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Fri Mar 2 13:30:10 2007 (cDj45)

4 OK, now I understand where you're coming from--you are either a family member/friend of one of the commission members or a really far, far left wing nut who is not capable of using both sides of the brain. If you had done your homework, you would understand what I'm saying. How foolish to stand a stand without knowing all the facts.

Posted by: Molly at Fri Mar 2 14:46:12 2007 (e1+UE)

5 Gee, Molly, you clearly have your head inserted so far up your ass that you have cut off all oxygen to your brain.

I am not a family member or friend on anyone on the commission -- and my total time in Spokane has been limited to a three hour plane layover in December, 1994 while traveling from my parents' home to the home of my then-fiance's (now my wife) home.

Being called an "ass" after a meeting by a member of the commission in no way creates a "chilling effect on First Amendment free speech, defamation of character, and tort of outrage". Indeed, if Mr. DeMotte prevails in this case he will have created a chilling effect on the First Amendment rights of any public employee or member of any government body.

I don't take any position on how well the complaint procedure works or the state of citizen participation in Spokane. I limit myself to the frivolous claim that a violation of civil rights and liberties exists when one is called an "ass' by someone who believes one to be an "ass".

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Fri Mar 2 15:48:06 2007 (r6ff7)

6 Well, I guess you still don't get it. This case had nothing to do with being called an ass--it's too bad the newspaper used that headline. Let me explain the problem here. This all started with property theft--the spokane police do not come out to investigate, ever, for anyone. Some people have reached the point where they have to protect their own property. One man did. Let's call him Joe. The kids who were doing the vandalizing were a cop's kids. The kids lied, the cop lied. This innocent man, Joe, went to jail, had to pay lots of lawyering bills to protect himself. Bob DeMotte tried to help him. DeMotte went to the new police chief. She refused to read his documented reports. She then sent him to the Citizen's Commission. This meeting was called solely to hear his report. While at the meeting, Marie Yates called him many other names and made many other nasty comments about him. She did not know him, and he did nothing to warrant her behaviour. The commission would not allow him to ask questions or speak, although he was the only complainant regarding the police officer's misbehaviour on the night of the incident. There is a definite problem with the police dept in spokane. Mr. DeMotte is trying to help.
That's why I said you should check out everything before you make a judgement call, Greg, and please note that I do not say that YOU, instead, have your own head up your own ass! If you do not know all the facts, then please don't jump to conclusions over something you do not know about. The true mark of intelligence is one who will investigate ALL the facts, from ALL sides before making a judgement call.

Posted by: Molly at Fri Mar 2 16:30:01 2007 (e1+UE)

7 Excuse me -- you came here and insulted me for daring to disagree with you, and then have the gall to take offense at my responding in kind? You must be joking.

But let's assume that your claims are 1005 correct. The proper solution is to deal with the issue at the ballot box by electing new leadership for the city, not filing suit because someone called someone else a name.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Fri Mar 2 16:53:48 2007 (r6ff7)

8 Hi Greg, sorry for calling you a left wing nut. I was rude--I usually do not talk like that. I had hoped that since you are a history teacher, and likely a thinking man, you would like to know the rest of the story. But the name calling did begin with you, Greg, and I sure did not make it a personal attack as you did, telling YOU that YOU had your head so far up your ass you couldn't get oxygen. As far as the facts, I rest my case, as it appears you do not want to know the rest of the story. and since you are a teacher, that is sad.

Posted by: Molly at Sun Mar 4 04:26:20 2007 (e1+UE)

9 Gee, Molly, not only is your head so far up your ass you can't breathe, you also lie like a Clinton.

You came to my site.

You insulted me.

And now you play the victim when I gave you both barrels for it.

Maybe you are the left-winger, given your playing of the victim card and your facile reinvention of history to bolster your case.

And I repeat what I've said -- even if each and every point you make is true (and I doubt that now, given your dishonesty on this thread), it STILL does not change the fact that DeMotte is an ass for including a claim for damages over words said in a private conversation after the meeting.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Mar 4 08:20:29 2007 (XbxGl)

10 Greg, seems you do not want to listen to facts or to accept my apology--this incident was NOT done in a private conversation, but in the midst of everyone there, out loud and open to maybe 30 people standing there--how bout I take you up on your first post where you dared Bob to sue you? Give me your address and I'll pass it on, OK. Put your money where your mouth is. You say I'm playing the victim? That I lied? Not true at all! Prove to me where I lied. And please note that once again, it is YOU not me that is doing the ass calling thing.

Posted by: Molly at Sun Mar 4 08:59:56 2007 (e1+UE)

11 Actually, Molly, I've looked at your so-called facts and disagree with your interpretation.

And as for Mr. DeMotte, he is welcome to email me.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Mar 4 09:16:13 2007 (XbxGl)

12 So, disagreeing with my interpetation means that I lied? I don't care that you disagree, but I do care that you accuse me of lying when you have nothing to prove your case. I'll pass your email along to him.

Posted by: Molly at Sun Mar 4 10:12:01 2007 (e1+UE)

13 No, Molly, the lie is your claim that you didn't attack first. When I didn't fall all over you and announce my unswerving fealty to your interpretation of events, you trotted out insulting comments at me, and began to play the injured party when I struck back, claiming I'd attacked you first.

And as for Mr. DeMotte, he is welcome to file suit in federal court here in Houston. Unfortunately for him, that suit will be quickly dismissed because being called an ass by a private citizen does not constitute a grounds for civil action -- as was my point in the original post. And any suit against me over this issue would have a chilling effect on my First Amendment Rights.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Mar 4 10:34:48 2007 (XbxGl)

14 I give up, Greg! My apology was true. I tried to give you the facts. If you don't want to look at them, that's up to you, but it does not give you the right to repeatedly make comments to me about up the ass thing. That's a far cry from wing nut. This is my first time blogging, and your misunderstanding, refusal to possibly look at the other side, and your anger really turns me off, and makes me not want to bother trying this again. Hope you have better understanding of your students. signing off, Molly

Posted by: Molly at Sun Mar 4 15:45:41 2007 (e1+UE)

15 And sadly, I still don't see a lick of sincerity on your part.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Mar 4 21:57:30 2007 (51ZCm)

16 Well, you are wrong!

Posted by: Molly at Mon Mar 5 07:32:17 2007 (e1+UE)

17 Greg....you're an idiot!!

Posted by: Sandy at Tue Aug 21 10:43:16 2007 (M7DBG)

18 What an insightful analysis -- would you care to elaborate?

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Tue Aug 21 13:16:48 2007 (/Y7d5)

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Man Files Suit Over Being Called An Â“AssÂ” Â– Proves He Is One

This may be one of the more outrageous attempts to go after the deep pockets of government Â– and one of the more absurd claims of a violation of the First Amendment.

Bob DeMotte was called an Â“assÂ” last year by a member of SpokaneÂ’s CitizenÂ’s Review Commission after he complained about how police handled a neighborhood fracas involving an off-duty Spokane police lieutenant and two of her children.
Now heÂ’s fighting back.
DeMotte, a retired author and Spokane resident, last week filed a $1 million claim for damages with the city. His rebuff before the review commission last October and the insult by commission member Marie Yates constitutes a Â“chilling effect on First Amendment free speech, defamation of character, and tort of outrage,Â” according to his claim.
Â“Robert DeMotte was a citizen of the city of Spokane exercising his First Amendment right of free speech at the invitation of Chief (Anne) Kirkpatrick,Â” said his lawyer, former Spokane County Prosecutor James R. Sweetser, in a statement accompanying the claim.
The commissionÂ’s decision to meet behind closed doors in executive session Â– over the objection of The Spokesman-Review Â– and YatesÂ’ insult after members announced their decision to take no action Â“has a chilling effect on all Spokane citizensÂ’ First Amendment Rights, constitutes defamation of character, and is outrageous,Â” SweetserÂ’s statement says.

Frankly, I think Marie Yates got it exactly right Â– Bob DeMotte is an ass. A million-dollar suit against the city for a comment made by an 83-year-old after a meeting, in a hallway, is evidence enough of that. Even public officials have the right to express personal opinions after a meeting is over.

And Bob Â– I dare you to sue me, for it will AGAIN prove you to be the First Amendment hypocrite that you have shown yourself to be by filing this one.

Posted by: Greg at 12:27 PM | Comments (19) | Add Comment
Post contains 395 words, total size 4 kb.

1 Hi Greg, I completely agree with you--I think it is outrageous--wonder if you have more info than what's in the papers about this? Thanks, molly

Posted by: Molly at Wed Feb 28 12:27:10 2007 (e1+UE)

Posted by: Molly at Fri Mar 2 07:40:10 2007 (e1+UE)

3 Even if one concedes every point you make -- and I don't take a position on them one way or another -- this suit is still frivolous and without merit, and proves him to be an ass.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Fri Mar 2 13:30:10 2007 (cDj45)

Posted by: Molly at Fri Mar 2 14:46:12 2007 (e1+UE)

5 Gee, Molly, you clearly have your head inserted so far up your ass that you have cut off all oxygen to your brain. I am not a family member or friend on anyone on the commission -- and my total time in Spokane has been limited to a three hour plane layover in December, 1994 while traveling from my parents' home to the home of my then-fiance's (now my wife) home. Being called an "ass" after a meeting by a member of the commission in no way creates a "chilling effect on First Amendment free speech, defamation of character, and tort of outrage". Indeed, if Mr. DeMotte prevails in this case he will have created a chilling effect on the First Amendment rights of any public employee or member of any government body. I don't take any position on how well the complaint procedure works or the state of citizen participation in Spokane. I limit myself to the frivolous claim that a violation of civil rights and liberties exists when one is called an "ass' by someone who believes one to be an "ass".

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Fri Mar 2 15:48:06 2007 (r6ff7)

6 Well, I guess you still don't get it. This case had nothing to do with being called an ass--it's too bad the newspaper used that headline. Let me explain the problem here. This all started with property theft--the spokane police do not come out to investigate, ever, for anyone. Some people have reached the point where they have to protect their own property. One man did. Let's call him Joe. The kids who were doing the vandalizing were a cop's kids. The kids lied, the cop lied. This innocent man, Joe, went to jail, had to pay lots of lawyering bills to protect himself. Bob DeMotte tried to help him. DeMotte went to the new police chief. She refused to read his documented reports. She then sent him to the Citizen's Commission. This meeting was called solely to hear his report. While at the meeting, Marie Yates called him many other names and made many other nasty comments about him. She did not know him, and he did nothing to warrant her behaviour. The commission would not allow him to ask questions or speak, although he was the only complainant regarding the police officer's misbehaviour on the night of the incident. There is a definite problem with the police dept in spokane. Mr. DeMotte is trying to help. That's why I said you should check out everything before you make a judgement call, Greg, and please note that I do not say that YOU, instead, have your own head up your own ass! If you do not know all the facts, then please don't jump to conclusions over something you do not know about. The true mark of intelligence is one who will investigate ALL the facts, from ALL sides before making a judgement call.

Posted by: Molly at Fri Mar 2 16:30:01 2007 (e1+UE)

7 Excuse me -- you came here and insulted me for daring to disagree with you, and then have the gall to take offense at my responding in kind? You must be joking. But let's assume that your claims are 1005 correct. The proper solution is to deal with the issue at the ballot box by electing new leadership for the city, not filing suit because someone called someone else a name.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Fri Mar 2 16:53:48 2007 (r6ff7)

Posted by: Molly at Sun Mar 4 04:26:20 2007 (e1+UE)

9 Gee, Molly, not only is your head so far up your ass you can't breathe, you also lie like a Clinton. You came to my site. You insulted me. And now you play the victim when I gave you both barrels for it. Maybe you are the left-winger, given your playing of the victim card and your facile reinvention of history to bolster your case. And I repeat what I've said -- even if each and every point you make is true (and I doubt that now, given your dishonesty on this thread), it STILL does not change the fact that DeMotte is an ass for including a claim for damages over words said in a private conversation after the meeting.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Mar 4 08:20:29 2007 (XbxGl)

Posted by: Molly at Sun Mar 4 08:59:56 2007 (e1+UE)

11 Actually, Molly, I've looked at your so-called facts and disagree with your interpretation. And as for Mr. DeMotte, he is welcome to email me.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Mar 4 09:16:13 2007 (XbxGl)

Posted by: Molly at Sun Mar 4 10:12:01 2007 (e1+UE)

13 No, Molly, the lie is your claim that you didn't attack first. When I didn't fall all over you and announce my unswerving fealty to your interpretation of events, you trotted out insulting comments at me, and began to play the injured party when I struck back, claiming I'd attacked you first. And as for Mr. DeMotte, he is welcome to file suit in federal court here in Houston. Unfortunately for him, that suit will be quickly dismissed because being called an ass by a private citizen does not constitute a grounds for civil action -- as was my point in the original post. And any suit against me over this issue would have a chilling effect on my First Amendment Rights.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Mar 4 10:34:48 2007 (XbxGl)

Posted by: Molly at Sun Mar 4 15:45:41 2007 (e1+UE)

15 And sadly, I still don't see a lick of sincerity on your part.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Mar 4 21:57:30 2007 (51ZCm)

16 Well, you are wrong!

Posted by: Molly at Mon Mar 5 07:32:17 2007 (e1+UE)

17 Greg....you're an idiot!!

Posted by: Sandy at Tue Aug 21 10:43:16 2007 (M7DBG)

18 What an insightful analysis -- would you care to elaborate?

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Tue Aug 21 13:16:48 2007 (/Y7d5)

19 Her is some observation from Spokane on this matter. Includes some facts that might help round the picture out. http://spokanepoliceabuses.wordpress.com/2007/10/17/marie-yates-qualified-for-what/

Posted by: David Brookbank at Thu Nov 15 19:29:25 2007 (gyG59)

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