J's Cafe Nette

Archive for September, 2007

In what has to be a big disappointment for Mary Winkler, who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the killing of her husband and is now on probation, a judge issued a stay preventing her from having the supervised visit with her daughters as planned yesterday.

JACKSON, Tenn. — An appeals court Friday blocked a supervised visit between a woman convicted of killing her minister-husband and their children.

The court issued a stay against the Saturday visit after a last-minute application from the children’s paternal grandparents, who have had temporary custody of the three young girls since Mary Winkler went to jail after the March 2006 shotgun shooting.

Winkler, 33, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in April for shooting Church of Christ minister Matthew Winkler at their residence in Selmer.

“It’s very devastating to Mary and I’m sure to the children,” said Winkler’s attorney, Kay Farese Turner.

The stay is only temporary pending an investigation of Dan and Diane Winkler’s accusations that the judge who originally granted the visit ruled erroneously, Turner said.

It would seem she should be able to at least visit with her children if supervised. No child should grow up not knowing its parents. If the children don’t want to see her, that’s different, but for now she should be able to have supervised visits.

The grandparents are suing to take away her parental rights and have a two million wrongful death suit against her.

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I received an email from Guss today telling me he gave it his best shot, but blogging is not for him. He says he’s neglecting his dogs and work that needs to be done at the house and has cleared all his posts off his site.

I have asked kimsch to change the theme to Js Cafe Nette so we will have a different theme to put up every now and then.

I’m disappointed that he decided it wasn’t for him but I understand and support his decision.

I would also like to congratulate kimsch on her third blogiversary, which was Friday. Congratulations, Kim!

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I was just reading this story about a documentary made about former President Jimmy Carter.

As usual, he is uninhibited from condemning this country in another country, this one being Canada.

But I was struck by a couple of his comments:

Taking part in the film festival’s first geo-political talk, taped for television, Carter called for Washington to hold “direct talks” with Iran, laid out his vision for Mideast peace and lamented the “unwarranted and unprecedented” religious fundamentalism that has crept into US politics.

In a stinging attack on US President George W. Bush and his Christian supporters, he said: “I worship Christ who was the prince of peace, not pre-emptive war.” [Emphasis mine.]

“A superpower like the United States should use all of its resources … to promote peace,” he said.

Jimmy Carter was a Southern Baptist, a very conservative denomination, when he was president and until just a couple of years ago. He taught Sunday School while he was president.

He has decided to join a group of the “Feel good now” Christians who see everything through today’s prism and not as said by God who never changes.

But, as a professing Christian, he certainly should know Jesus is still alive and Is still the Prince of Peace. That’s one of His titles.

It’s no secret to anyone who has read me for any length of time that I consider Jimmy Carter the most impotent president we have ever had. I also know he has done good works since he left office and I applaud him for that.

I feel rather sorry for a man who is still bitter about his defeat and wants so much to be a significant part of our policy in the Mid-East and anywhere else he thinks he belongs.

Maybe I’m splitting hairs here, but we should never refer to Christ in the past tense unless we are talking about His walk on earth. I’m sure I’m guilty of doing this too, but will make an effort to stop.

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From Patterico’s Pontifications is the following quote from a returning Marine chaplain:

“As we came in for the final approach to Oakland a Lieutenant who served in Afghanistan with the same unit in 2006 mentioned how when they landed in Oakland they were not allowed in the terminal. He said, “they made us get out by the FED EX building and we had to sit out there for 3 hours”. He also indicated he was almost arrested by the TSA for getting belligerent about them not letting the Marines into the terminal.

Well the same thing happened again. This time we did not park by the FED EX building, instead we were offloaded near the grass that separates the active runway from the taxi ramp, about 400 yards from the terminal. When we inquired why they wouldn’t allow us in the airport they gave us some lame excuse that we hadn’t been screened by TSA. While true, the screening which we did have was much more thorough than any TSA search and was done by US Customs. Additionally, JFK didn’t seem to have a problem with our entering their terminal, nor did security in Germany.

It felt like being spit on. Every Marine and soldier felt the message loud and clear, “YOU ARE NOT WELCOME IN OAKLAND!”

Add to that the fact I read an article the other day that stated the US Marine silent drill team was not allowed to film on the streets of San Francisco because of traffic concerns when the traffic officer in charge of filming movies said it has never been a problem before. The Marines were allowed to film on the streets of New York City during rush hour.

These Marines have served their country and most didn’t ask to go to Iraq. We are treating today’s military the very same way some treated our military returning from Viet Nam and it is wrong!

These guys would lay down their lives to save yours or mine and we treat them like we’re ashamed of them. I’m proud of every single one of our military who has or is serving with honor.

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I often wonder why people insist that Hillary Clinton apologize for voting to authorize the Iraq War. It wouldn’t change the record, but it seems apologies are a big deal to someone, even if they say it for political expediency.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a true believer in apologies, but I feel they should come at the right time and not months or years later.

That’s why I was a bit disgusted to read today that the president of Duke University finally apologized to the lacrosse players he let hang out to dry for over a year.

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke University President Richard Brodhead apologized Saturday for not better supporting the men’s lacrosse players falsely accused in last year’s highly publicized rape scandal.

Brodhead, speaking at the university’s law school, said he regretted Duke’s “failure to reach out” in a “time of extraordinary peril” after a woman accused three players of raping at a March 2006 party thrown by the team.

“Given the complexities of this case, getting the communication right would never have been easy,” Brodhead said. “But the fact is that we did not get it right, causing the families to feel abandoned when they were most in need of support. This was a mistake. I take responsibility for it and I apologize for it.”…

…In the early days of the case, Brodhead was generally cautious in his comments, saying the players should be presumed innocent while also insisting the crimes alleged had no place at the elite private university.

Brodhead said Saturday he worried that making numerous public comments could be interpreted as an attempt by Duke to “influence the judicial process,” especially since Nifong was insisting a crime had occurred.

That may have created an impression that Duke did not care about the accused students, Brodhead said, which he said was untrue but still something he regrets.

“Duke needed to be clear that it demanded fair treatment for its students,” he said. “I took that completely for granted. If anyone doubted it, then I should have been more explicit, especially as the evidence mounted that the prosecutor was not acting in accordance with the standards of his profession.”

Brodhead also said the school could have done more to show that some members of Duke’s faculty who were openly critical of the lacrosse team did not speak for the university as a whole.

The article does say a settlement has been made with the former coach and the players. Maybe this apology was part of that settlement.

I certainly hope it was enough to cover the legal expenses of these young men who could be rotting in prison cells now if not for good attorneys.

Which begs the question: what happens to those who cannot afford high-priced lawyers with the sources these lawyers had at their fingertips?

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Yesterday my very good blogging friend The Anchoress read about the death of our precious Silky and wrote a post called All Dogs Go to Heaven, asking pet lovers to come over and commiserate.

You all have been wonderful in your comments and some of you are suffering the recent loss of a beloved pet.

I received private emails from the Anchoress and I value them as I value any she sends me. She is one of the most wonderful people I have ever had the pleasure of communicating with.

In honor of all who have lost their beloved pets I offer you this poem:

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….

Author unknown…

I’m like Truman who says dogs don’t have souls and I’m also like him and the Anchoress who believe our pets will be with us in Heaven.

After all, if God knows it will make us even happier He’ll have our loving pets by our side for all eternity.

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Today I said goodbye to my best four-legged friend Silky. She was a chocolate cocker spaniel who had gone through many medical problems like a champ, but just couldn’t fight off this latest illness.

Almost 14 years ago we lost our male cocker spaniel very suddenly. He was our second cocker and this time I wanted a chocolate female instead of a black male.

We got her when she was but five weeks old, although the breeder told us she was six weeks old.

She was the most kind dog we have ever owned. She actually owned our hearts. She stayed beside me all day and all night and slept beside my bed at night.

Three and a half years ago she was diagnosed with anal gland cancer, a very aggressive form of cancer.

We took her to the veterinary teaching hospital to have her treated and rented a corporate apartment so she could come home every day after her radiation and/or chemo treatments.

For two years we took her back for check-ups and she was declared in remission.

A month or so ago she became ill with a mystery illness. After a week of hospitalization she came home and was doing fine. She had her last check-up last Wednesday and had regained all the weight she had lost when she was sick.

Last night she seemed restless but was still eating well. I noticed it sounded like her foot was flapping when she walked, but I had heard that sound before. Unfortunately, it was when she got sick the last time.

Today I heard her in the next room, panting very hard. I heard her bump into something twice and still heard the panting.

I called my husband and went to the room where she was, only to find her just standing with her head down, shivering and panting.

I wasn’t ready to go anywhere so I called the vet’s office to see if our vet could see her and my husband carried Silky in to me to say goodbye just in case. Her eyes were spaced-out.

After the exam I spoke to the doctor and my husband had told me she couldn’t even stand by then. We found out her temperature was 107 and 101 is normal. A neurological problem such as a brain tumor was suspected.

Euthanasia was recommended. I asked for a clipping of fur from her leg as that was the longest hair on her body.

She was given a sedative and my husband said she was already asleep when she was brought back to the room. He held her as her leg was shaved and as soon as the blood went back into the needle she had quietly slipped away. He kissed her goodbye and we both knew we had done the right thing for this wonderful pet who had loved us unconditionally.

Now we deal with the hurt and grief of losing such a fine pet who got into our hearts the way only she could.

I’ll be away from the blog for a couple of days. Sue will do her usual fine job. I wish to thank Sue and Guss for their posts.

If dogs go to heaven Silky is there with the other pets we loved just as much and will be waiting for me when I cross the chilly Jordan.

Sue adds I am bumping this post back to the top as it was late yesterday when J entered it. J is doing okay today, just missing her wonderful companion. You and hubby are in my thoughts.

Welcome Anchoress Readers.

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The suit filed by Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich against Congressman John Murtha was advanced yesterday by US District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer.

WASHINGTON – A federal judge refused Friday to dismiss a defamation case against Rep. John P. Murtha and ordered the Pennsylvania Democrat to give a sworn deposition about his comments alleging “cold-blooded murder and war crimes” by unnamed soldiers in connection with Iraqi civilian deaths.

A Marine Corps sergeant is suing the 18-term congressman for making the charge, which the soldier claims is false. Murtha, who opposes the Iraq war, made the comment during a May, 2006 Capitol Hill news conference in which he predicted that a Pentagon war crimes investigation will show Marines killed dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.

The Congressman took it upon himself prior to any investigation in the Haditha case and before any charges were leveled against even one Marine to speak out as to their guilt.

Now the Justice Department argues he was acting in his official capacity when he made these accusations, therefore the suit should be dropped?

The Justice Department wanted the case dismissed because Murtha was acting in his official role as a lawmaker. Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Henault said the comments were made as part of the debate over the war in Iraq.

Who was he representing in this official capacity? Was he speaking on behalf of the citizens of the United States, or perhaps the whole of Congress?

I prefer the Judge’s logic:

“You’re writing a very wide road for members of Congress to go to their home districts and say anything they choose about private persons and be able to do so without any liability. Are you sure you want to do that?” Collyer said, adding later, “How far can a congressman go and still be protected?”

Collyer said she was troubled by the idea the lawmakers are immune from lawsuits regardless of what they say to advance their political careers.

Congressman Murtha took it upon himself to be judge and jury, however, now that the Haditha case has begun to unravel, his office has no comment and he declined to answer questions posed recently by Jason Mattera of the Young America’s Foundation. The Congressman seems to be under the impression that if one Marine is found guilty his early accusations will have be corroborated.

Congressman, instead of continuing to use this case for political gain, why don’t you take a moment to apologize to the Marines who have been exonerated? And while you are at it, say you’re sorry to the families whom you caused great pain with your accusations.

Or you can just hide in your office and hope that one Marine, any Marine is accused of any crime in the Haditha case so you can inform us you were right after all.

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There is a short quiz available at WQAD which aligns the taker with the Presidential candidate it finds to be the most suitable match.

I ran across this while reading Jules Crittenden and must say I agree with his thoughts no matter what the results of this quiz produce.

In fact, I’m a one-issue voter. Whoever is not the Democratic candidate. And I expect to vote in the primary for whoever I think has the best shot, regardless of their position on ancillary issues.

There was a time I did not feel that way. If a Democrat presented a platform which I felt would do well by America I would give that person an equal chance to secure my vote. No more. I do not want to see America governed by those beholden to Moveon.org and George Soros.

Anyhow, the quiz is kind of neat so if you get a chance, take a look..who knows maybe you’ll be surprised by the candidate it selects for you. It was dead on right with the candidate I lean towards at this moment.

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Miracles really do happen (medical or otherwise).

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Entitlement programs might come across well on the campaign stump but those who tout them should state far more specifics than were offered today by Senator Clinton.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that every child born in the United States should get a $5,000 “baby bond” from the government to help pay for future costs of college or buying a home.

Clinton, her party’s front-runner in the 2008 race, made the suggestion during a forum hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus.

“I like the idea of giving every baby born in America a $5,000 account that will grow over time, so that when that young person turns 18 if they have finished high school they will be able to access it to go to college or maybe they will be able to make that downpayment on their first home,” she said.

The New York senator did not offer any estimate of the total cost of such a program or how she would pay for it. Approximately 4 million babies are born each year in the United States.

Clinton said such an account program would help Americans get back to the tradition of savings that she remembers as a child, and has become harder to accomplish in the face of rising college and housing costs.

I don’t know about anyone else, but no one in the federal government has ever given us anything to take care of our family nor have we asked. Whatever we have or have given to our children, we earned and did not tack it on the back of other taxpayers.

While there are those who truly need government assistance, too often individuals who are perfectly capable of earning their own way use up precious dollars and resources.

If a program such as this should ever begin, it will never end. Give aways never do..if anything they grow.

How about personal responsibility instead. If you choose to have a family, you work hard and unless there are circumstances which prevent you from doing so, you provide for that family..now I can live with that.

HT: Drudge:

Update It seems as though the Breitbart link referenced above is experiencing technical difficulties. The identical story may be referenced here.

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It is not a habit of mine to listen to Rush Limbaugh but I must admit my interest was peaked upon hearing he had used the phrase”phony soldier.” In reading his transcript from the show, it makes perfect sense if you had at all followed the case of the individual he mentions. [Emphasis: mine]

Here is a Morning Update that we did recently, talking about fake soldiers. This is a story of who the left props up as heroes. They have their celebrities and one of them was Army Ranger Jesse Macbeth. Now, he was a “corporal.” I say in quotes. Twenty-three years old. What made Jesse Macbeth a hero to the anti-war crowd wasn’t his Purple Heart; it wasn’t his being affiliated with post-traumatic stress disorder from tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. No. What made Jesse Macbeth, Army Ranger, a hero to the left was his courage, in their view, off the battlefield, without regard to consequences. He told the world the abuses he had witnessed in Iraq, American soldiers killing unarmed civilians, hundreds of men, women, even children. In one gruesome account, translated into Arabic and spread widely across the Internet, Army Ranger Jesse Macbeth describes the horrors this way: “We would burn their bodies. We would hang their bodies from the rafters in the mosque.”

Now, recently, Jesse Macbeth, poster boy for the anti-war left, had his day in court. And you know what? He was sentenced to five months in jail and three years probation for falsifying a Department of Veterans Affairs claim and his Army discharge record. He was in the Army. Jesse Macbeth was in the Army, folks, briefly. Forty-four days before he washed out of boot camp. Jesse Macbeth isn’t an Army Ranger, never was. He isn’t a corporal, never was. He never won the Purple Heart, and he was never in combat to witness the horrors he claimed to have seen. You probably haven’t even heard about this. And, if you have, you haven’t heard much about it. This doesn’t fit the narrative and the template in the Drive-By Media and the Democrat Party as to who is a genuine war hero. Don’t look for any retractions, by the way. Not from the anti-war left, the anti-military Drive-By Media, or the Arabic websites that spread Jesse Macbeth’s lies about our troops, because the truth for the left is fiction that serves their purpose. They have to lie about such atrocities because they can’t find any that fit the template of the way they see the US military. In other words, for the American anti-war left, the greatest inconvenience they face is the truth.

And there have been others. Scott Beauchamp comes to mind immediately.

THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned from a military source close to the investigation that Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp–author of the much-disputed “Shock Troops” article in the New Republic’s July 23 issue as well as two previous “Baghdad Diarist” columns–signed a sworn statement admitting that all three articles he published in the New Republic were exaggerations and falsehoods–fabrications containing only “a smidgen of truth,” in the words of our source.

Separately, we received this statement from Major Steven F. Lamb, the deputy Public Affairs Officer for Multi National Division-Baghdad:

An investigation has been completed and the allegations made by PVT Beauchamp were found to be false. His platoon and company were interviewed and no one could substantiate the claims.

There are always those who have their own agenda no matter what the vocation and in this instance, I do agree with Rush. There are such things as “phony soldiers.” I’m just grateful they are not in the majority.

UPDATE: Here is Rush in his own words.

HT:
Macsmind

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When it comes to twisting an error on the part of the Democrats into wrongdoing on the part of Republicans, former President Clinton remains the master.

Dean Barnett does a masterful job of dissecting this bit of spin by the former President.

Actually, much of the blame for the debased state of our modern politics rightly lies at Clinton’s feet. When ordinary people dream of being president, they don’t harbor visions of enacting a micro-agenda that focuses on minutiae like school uniforms, midnight basketball and drive-through deliveries (which Clinton often incorrectly labeled “drive-by deliveries”, a term that made absolutely no sense). For a purely political creature like Bill Clinton, it was all about having power. Doing something or anything with that power was a side thought.

In the YouTube above, Clinton conflates the attacks on General David Petraeus with the former POTUS’ fanciful reminisces of political attacks on John Kerry and Max Cleland. Normally, I question Bill Clinton’s sincerity any time his lips are moving, but in this clip he shows that little flash of indignant anger that indicates you’re getting a glimpse at the man’s core.

Of course he would see no difference between a couple of office-seekers and a man who is leading 160,000 American soldiers in combat. Everything for this man has always been about politics. The notion of a figure who transcends politics probably makes as much sense to Bill Clinton as the idea of a man who transcends gravity.

Who would have thought that when it comes to the former President, it’s all about politics?

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On several occasions we have posted links to the work of civilian embeds who travel with our troops in Iraq. I have a great deal of admiration for these individuals, as they are risking their own lives and existing in the same difficult conditions as our military on a daily basis.

The good and the bad, the failures and successes and the bravery and fortitude of our forces always come through in the articles by each of these men.

This piece from Bill Roggio gives us an up close and personal look at the situation in Baghdad. The capital has been the topic of much discussion and difference of opinion in the American press so I thought perhaps you might like a bit of firsthand information.

Compared to other regions south of Baghdad, where the Iraqi Police Volunteers and the Concerned Citizens have organized to fight al Qaeda, the eastern neighborhoods of Doura have no such organized security movement. The locals are “organized in an intelligence capacity but not in a security capacity,” Coffey stated. “There are no sheikhs or influential tribal leaders for the men to turn to,” as the tribal influences are marginalized in the bigger cities.

Coffey and his soldiers are seeking influential community leaders to organize the Sunnis and Christians to stand against al Qaeda. But in the interim, the local intelligence network is paying off dividends with IED finds and weapons caches turned in. The Iraqi sources tipped off US troops to the location of multiple IEDs during a single day’s operations. “Each day we get better and better tips,” Coffey said.

“The tide of anti-al Qaeda cooperation has rolled from Anbar province to the south of Baghdad and now into Baghdad itself,” said Coffey. “But it will take time.”

The question is, will the American people have the patience and understanding to allow for the time needed to bring peace to the country of Iraq. Only time will tell.

HT: Transterrestrial Musings

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A bit of history for this Friday Morning.

I decided to have a look at Whytuesday.org and while it appears to be in its infant stages, I think the potential for drawing an audience is visible.

The fact that their blog and vlog rolls are bi-partisan will allow for many opinions and voices to be heard.

I’ll keep an eye out and if there is anything new and inspiring, I’ll pass it along.

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I love the use of the words “congressional independence.” When we elected these individuals from either party to represent us in Washington how does that equate to being “independent” of the law?

While many Republicans (myself included) have chided the Democrats for allowing William Jefferson to remain in Congress, I believe it is only fair to expect Congressman Doolittle to either produce documents which prove his innocence or step down from his seat in the House.

While separation of powers may come into play in these instances, when politicians involved in scandals are less than forthright, it leaves the impression of impropriety.

Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.), indicated yesterday that he plans to fight a Justice Department subpoena for 11 years of records that is part of the Jack Abramoff bribery investigation.

That could set up a lengthy court fight over congressional independence. Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) has been locked in a similar dispute over the FBI’s raid on his Capitol Hill office last year. A federal appeals court declared parts of that search unconstitutional, a ruling the Justice Department is challenging.

What’s good for the goose…..

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A very touching story. A wise person once told me each living thing is only allowed so many breaths and so many heartbeats. I hope this little boy is granted many.

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Our site owner and friend J may decide to share her feelings with readers later in the day but for now, any of us who own an animal which we love cannot imagine our family without them.

This is what J must be feeling at this time but I want both her and her better half to know that our thoughts are with them.

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J, I love you my dear sister and wish that there was something I could say to make you feel better. Maybe this will help.

God saw you getting tired, And a cure was not to be.
So he put his arms around you, And whispered, “Come to me.”

With tearful eyes we watched you drift. We watched you fall away.
We couldn’t bear to lose you. We couldn’t ask you to stay.

A golden heart stopped beating. Shining eyes at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us that he only takes the best.

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Towards the end of the Democratic debate Tim Russert quoted a person who had been a guest on Meet the Press.

The statement by the unknown speaker was this:

“Imagine the following scenario: We get lucky, we get the number 3 guy in Al Qaeda. We know there is a big bomb going off in America in 3 days and we know this guy knows where it is. Don’t we have the right and responsibility to beat it out of him?

We could set up a law where the president could make a finding or guarantee a pardon.”

Obama, Biden and Clinton were asked if they would do that and all said we should not use torture.

After Hillary Clinton gave her disapproval of the idea Russert said, “The guest who laid out that scenario for me with that proposed solution was William Jefferson Clinton, last year.”

Hillary looked a bit off-message until Russert told her Bill disagreed with her and she responded, “Well, he’s not standing here right now.”

A priceless moment. Most of the rest of the debate was centered around running against President Bush who is not on the ticket next year.

Update: It seems Hillary also said the same thing:

When Russert revealed ex-President Bill Clinton advocated such a policy on a recent NBC “Meet the Press” appearance, Hillary Clinton won huge applause from the Dartmouth College audience with a deadpan comeback:

“Well, I’ll talk to him later.”

She may have to give herself that talk, too.

Last October, Clinton told the Daily News: “If we’re going to be preparing for the kind of improbable but possible eventuality, then it has to be done within the rule of law.”

She said then the “ticking time bomb” scenario represents a narrow exception to her opposition to torture as morally wrong, ineffective and dangerous to American soldiers.

“In the event we were ever confronted with having to interrogate a detainee with knowledge of an imminent threat to millions of Americans, then the decision to depart from standard international practices must be made by the President, and the President must be held accountable,” she said.

Clinton’s campaign did not immediately respond to numerous requests for comment on the eye-popping contradiction.

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The Democrats seem to have a candidate for the Presidency who has a bit of a problem with being less than truthful.

For those who need a bit of a refresher course in some of Mrs. Clintons prevarications,(although I know some would call it political “spin” this should help.

As Hillary Clinton rises in the polls, her nose grows longer and longer.

To be sure, she has never had any shame about making stories up out of thin air. After 9/11, Clinton appeared on national TV and claimed that when the two airplanes hit the World Trade Center, her daughter Chelsea was going to jog at Battery Park near the towers, where she heard and saw the catastrophe unfold.

Clinton’s arrogance was so profound that she did not coordinate the story with Chelsea, who wrote an article for Talk in which she described what she had been doing that day. According to Chelsea, she was on the other side of town in a friend’s apartment on Park Avenue South. She watched the events unfold on TV.

Nor does Clinton’s hypocrisy have any limits. When asked about the recent MoveOn.org ad suggesting that Gen. David Petraeus has betrayed the country, Clinton on “Meet the Press” on Sept. 23 called for an end to such attacks. “I don’t condone anything like that, and I have voted against those who would impugn the patriotism and the service of the people who wear the uniform of our country,” she said.

Yet three days earlier, Clinton had voted against a Senate resolution to condemn the MoveOn.org ad. Her closest competitor, Sen. Barack Obama, voted earlier that day but conveniently missed the vote condemning the ad.

Now that she begins to see her candidacy in the general election as a certainty, Clinton’s prevarications — largely ignored by the media — are becoming more frequent.

Funny isn’t it that those who accuse our President of being a liar and not admitting to “mistakes”, largely choose to ignore the Senator’s tendency toward adjusting the truth to fit the circumstance?

“Hillary has a keen sense of entitlement,” Bay Buchanan, author of “The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton,” has told me. “She doesn’t admit mistakes or learn from them. She believes in her own mind that she doesn’t have to take responsibility for things she’s done in the past. She can say whatever it is she wants to say today, and it’s as if the slate is clean and nothing has occurred before this.”

At a hearing on Sept. 11, Clinton told Gen. Petraeus that “the reports that you provide to us really require the willing suspension of disbelief.”

In making that accusation, Clinton aptly described what our own reaction should be to her serial dissembling. If any other job candidate had such a record, only a fool would hire the applicant. If Hillary Clinton becomes the Democratic presidential candidate in 2008, it will say as much about us as about her.

I could not agree more with that final statement.

If we as Americans choose another four or eight years of spinning and word manipulation, we deserve what we get.

I say we because if the Republicans do not hold together and support whomever may be our candidate, we will be literally handing the White House back to not only the Democrats but another co-presidency.

HT:<):) The Hillary Project

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In anticipation of the 2008 races, the NRSC has not only launched their new site, but are also offering a blog with up to date information for those of us who are news junkies.

This one is worth a bookmark as we soon head into what promises to be one heck of a political season.

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According to The Telegraph in the UK, a leaked Democratic poll shows the concern some in the Democratic party have over a Hillary Clinton presidential nomination.

A leaked Democratic poll has suggested that Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner in the race for the party’s presidential nomination, could lose the 2008 election because of her “very polarised image”.

The survey by the Democratic pollsters Lake Research indicated that both Mrs Clinton and Barack Obama, second in the Democratic race, trailed Rudy Giuliani, the Republican front runner, in 31 swing congressional districts.

Former President Bill Clinton whispers to his wife Senator Hillary Clinton
The private memo, leaked to The Washington Post, painted what researchers described as a “sobering picture” for Democrats who believe that President George W Bush’s disastrous favourability numbers almost guarantee they will capture the White House next year.

All party preference polls show that Democrats are much more popular than Republicans. But when the names of individual candidates are used, the gap narrows considerably.

“The images of the two early [Democratic] favourites are part of the problem,” the memo said.

The leaked poll found that Mr Giuliani, a centrist Republican with liberal stances on issues such as abortion and gay rights, leads Mrs Clinton by 49 per cent to 39 per cent in the swing districts.

Senator Clinton’s negatives are high right now, and history shows as the campaign goes on the negatives of the candidates only go higher.

Almost half the American electorate right now say they would not vote for Hillary Clinton under any circumstances. That’s not a good starting position.

I have thought for some time that if she is the nominee it will not only help elect a Republican president but it will help restore some lost seats in both chambers of Congress.

I’m not a political pundit, but this is just my gut feeling.

The next candidate to her is Barack Obama and he just doesn’t seem to have what it takes yet to become president. I think his ambition got in the way too soon and he should have given himself time to learn the issues better. The fact that he has been absent from voting on important issues the past couple of days in spite of the fact he is at the Senate and able to vote also speaks volumes. He’s afraid to take a stand on some controversial issues.

John Edwards, I think, is not even a consideration and the rest of the field are just in it for the sake of pride. It’s between Clinton and Obama and neither seems to have a winning message.

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David Schuster in one of his finest moments. Not.

Tennessee Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn got a dose of tough journalism tonight on Tucker Carlson’s MSNBC show. Substitute host David Shuster did the honors:

Shuster: “Let’s talk about the public trust. You represent, of course, a district in western Tennessee. What was the name of the last solider from your district who was killed in Iraq?”

Blackburn:”The name of the last soldier killed in Iraq uh — from my district I — I do not know his name …”

Shuster: “Okay, his name was Jeremy Bohannon. He was killed August the 9th, 2007. How come you didn’t know the name?”

Blackburn: “I – I, you know, I – I do not know why I did not know the name…”

Shuster: “But you weren’t appreciative enough to know the name of this young man. He was 18 years old who was killed, and yet you can say chapter and verse about what’s going on with The New York Times and Move On.org.” [snip] “Don’t you understand, the problems that a lot of people would have, that you’re so focused on an ad. When was the last time a New York Times ad ever killed somebody? I mean, here we have a war that took the life of an 18-year-old kid, Jeremy Bohannon, from your district, and you didn’t even know his name.”

In my opinion, the arrogance of Mr. Schuster caught up with him in this interview. He had no choice but to apologize as the facts did not bear out his testimony in his original interview.

David Shuster just took to the air on MSNBC to apologize for an earlier segment, in which he asked Rep. Marsha Blackburn to name the last person from her district who died in Iraq.

Turns out Bohannon wasn’t from Blackburn’s district, but rather from a neighboring one.

“For that, I apologize for that mistake,” said Shuster.

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Verizon wireless has rejected a request from NARAL to allow text messages to its customers.

I’m a Verizon customer and have had the text messaging feature turned off when someone was sending pornographic text messages to me, but I’m still glad they are not doing this at least for now.

Saying it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory” text messages, Verizon Wireless has rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon’s mobile network available for a text-message program.

The other leading wireless carriers have accepted the program, which allows people to sign up for text messages from Naral by sending a message to a five-digit number known as a short code.

Text messaging is a growing political tool in the United States and a dominant one abroad, and such sign-up programs are used by many political candidates and advocacy groups to send updates to supporters.

But legal experts said private companies like Verizon probably have the legal right to decide which messages to carry. The laws that forbid common carriers from interfering with voice transmissions on ordinary phone lines do not apply to text messages.

The dispute over the Naral messages is a skirmish in the larger battle over the question of “net neutrality” — whether carriers or Internet service providers should have a voice in the content they provide to customers.

“This is right at the heart of the problem,” said Susan Crawford, a visiting professor at the University of Michigan law school, referring to the treatment of text messages. “The fact that wireless companies can choose to discriminate is very troubling.”

In turning down the program, Verizon, one of the nation’s two largest wireless carriers, told Naral that it does not accept programs from any group “that seeks to promote an agenda or distribute content that, in its discretion, may be seen as controversial or unsavory to any of our users.” Naral provided copies of its communications with Verizon to The New York Times.

In another paragraph the spokesman for Verizon says they may reconsider their position.

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It’s hard to believe the Bush twins are 26 years old already. On Friday night Diane Sawyer interviews Jenna Bush on a variety of topics on 20/20, but I just want to quote what this young woman has to say about her parents.

When asked whether she agrees with her father about the Iraq War, Bush said, “You know I’m not here to talk about that, but I’m also not a policymaker. It’s a really complicated, obviously a very complicated subject. Everybody can agree on that.”

“You know there’ve been people — [actor] Matt Damon among them — who have said, ‘Should the Bush daughters be fighting in Iraq?’” Sawyer said.

“Obviously I understand that question and see what, what the point of that question is, for sure,” Bush said. “I think there are many ways to serve your country. And I think … what’s most appropriate for me to do is to teach or to work in UNICEF and represent our country in Latin America. But you know I don’t think it’s a practical question. I think if people really thought about it, they know that we would put many people in danger. But I understand the point of it. I hope that I serve by being a teacher.”

Bush told Sawyer she doesn’t worry about her father’s poll numbers, “because nobody knows him as a person. I mean, he’s my father. I separate it, you know? He’s a different person to me than what they portray him as. He’s a totally different person. I think that’s normal, I mean, he’s my dad.”

Bush said she worries about her father, but says, “He’s doing a great job and he’s hanging in there. … I worry about him probably less than he worries about me, you know.”

As for her mother, Bush said, “She is calm and loving and supportive, and she would do anything for us. I think I’ve become more like my mom just because of what we’re both interested in, children and teaching and writing.”

Bush called her twin sister, Barbara, her “best friend.”

“We’ve gone through every single thing together, you know from the womb on. Imagine going through this alone. That would have been really difficult. We had each other to say, ‘gosh, so and so said this’ or ‘did you see this’ … we’re each other’s best support system and best friends.”

When asked by Sawyer whether there was a White House child that she always thought she’d like to emulate, Bush said, “I think Chelsea Clinton is very kind and smart and articulate. And she’s always been very friendly to us, but we just wanted to be ourselves. … She’s beautiful and poised all the time.”

It looks like they’ve raised a good girl and I’m sure her sister is just as good, regardless of the troubles they got into while in college.

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Much to my pleasant surprise the UAW and GM have reached a tentative agreement on their labor talks and are encouraging members to go back to work immediately.

It seems the union lost out on the health care benefits for the retirees, though:

A person briefed on the contract told The Associated Press earlier that the agreement would shift the burden of retiree health care from GM to the union and give workers bonuses and lump-sum payments. The person requested anonymity because the contract talks are private.

That puts a heavy burden on the union, but they can always raise the dues.

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I admit to eagerly awaiting this day so I could read Maureen Dowd and Thomas Friedman of the New York Times for free.

Now my curiosity is satisfied that their knives are still out for President Bush from everything pertaining to Ahmadinejad’s appearance at Columbia to Wal-Mart cutting green house gasses all caused by President Bush in a negative way.

Don’t ask me how they got from point A to point Z because it seemed just a mixture of opinion with GWB thrown in as the bad guy.

One of these days they’ll be longing for the good old days of GWB.

No more need for me to read them again. Ever.

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When I returned from my trip a couple of weeks ago, my husband told me late in the week we had received a card inviting us to have breakfast with John McCain and attend a rally.

I’m not a supporter of any candidate right now and 8 o’clock in the morning seemed early when we had our grandchildren here that weekend.

The other day I received an email inviting me to a Mitt Romney Townhall meeting in a community not ten minutes from me. It was to have been held this Saturday afternoon at 5 PM, but I got an email yesterday telling me he was on a fund-raising trip out west and it’s delayed until sometime in October. The new schedule calls for it to be held on a Thursday night at 6 o’clock, which is more reasonable for me.

When I RSVP’d to the invitation I made it clear I was supporting no candidate at this time and wanted the opportunity to ask questions and see what the candidates have to say.

If I get to go I intend to take my tape recorder if they will allow me to use it and I will transcribe it and let you know what was said, which will be the same old stump speech, but I have a question up my sleeve I intend to press to get an answer.

Sue and I will be watching, reading and paying attention to the Republican debates and will most likely not come out with our favored candidate before mid-December or January.

We think a lot alike and are leaning toward one candidate now, but we also want to be better informed before declaring our allegiance.

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If you have read or listened to Hillary Clinton’s speeches and answers to questions about the war in Iraq lately, you have probably noticed she is backing away from saying she will make a quick withdrawal from Iraq if she is elected president.

The reason may be some advice and information she and other Democratic candidates are getting from President Bush himself.

President Bush is quietly providing back-channel advice to Hillary Rodham Clinton, urging her to modulate her rhetoric so she can effectively prosecute the war in Iraq if elected president.

In an interview for the new book “The Evangelical President,” White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten said Bush has “been urging candidates: ‘Don’t get yourself too locked in where you stand right now. If you end up sitting where I sit, things could change dramatically.’ ”

Bolten said Bush wants enough continuity in his Iraq policy that “even a Democratic president would be in a position to sustain a legitimate presence there.”

“Especially if it’s a Democrat,” the chief of staff told The Examiner in his West Wing office. “He wants to create the conditions where a Democrat not only will have the leeway, but the obligation to see it out.”

To that end, the president has been sending advice, mostly through aides, aimed at preventing an abrupt withdrawal from Iraq in the event of a Democratic victory in November 2008.

“It’s different being a candidate and being the president,” Bush said in an Oval Office interview. “No matter who the president is, no matter what party, when they sit here in the Oval Office and seriously consider the effect of a vacuum being created in the Middle East, particularly one trying to be created by al Qaeda, they will then begin to understand the need to continue to support the young democracy.”

To that end, Bush is institutionalizing controversial anti-terror programs so they can be used by the next president.

“Look, I’d like to make as many hard decisions as I can make, and do a lot of the heavy lifting prior to whoever my successor is,” Bush said. “And then that person is going to have to come and look at the same data I’ve been looking at, and come to their own conclusion.”

A man who is concerned for his country above party is one who would advise potential presidents to give themselves wiggle room on the Iraqi question so they don’t make fools of themselves in front of their electorate the way Pelosi and Reid have done.

I remember President Bush saying in one of his State of the Union addresses that he didn’t want to leave a mess for the next person to have to clean up.

I believe that’s why he says he’s doing the heavy lifting now, and is willing to take any blame heaped on him by too many who are willing to see him as an evil man.

It is my belief President George W. Bush will go down in history as one of our greats, along with Roosevelt and Truman, but that will happen long after he leaves office.

It is also contingent on the fact that the Islamist radicals do not establish their world caliphate by having a new president or congress somewhere down the line caving in to their demands and therefore having our history re-written to suit their means.

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