J's Cafe Nette

Archive for September 8th, 2007

The NFL officially kicked off on Thursday night with another exciting win by the Colts and Peyton Manning. But Sunday to many will be the real start of the pro season when it is wall to wall football.

For fans everywhere and especially if you are involved in the Fantasy Football Leagues which are so popular these days, here’s a little rap for you.

Enjoy those college and pro games, the season always seems just a little to short!

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Senator Chuck Hagel to retire according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Chuck Hagel will announce Monday that he is retiring from the U.S. Senate and will not run for president next year, people close to the Nebraska Republican said Friday.

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel plans to leave the Senate after two terms as a Republican Party maverick, people close to him say.Hagel plans to announce that “he will not run for re-election and that he does not intend to be a candidate for any office in 2008,” said one person, who asked not to be named.

Hagel has scheduled a press conference for 10 a.m. Monday at the Omaha Press Club.

According to one person interviewed, Hagel told Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Friday morning that he had decided to retire. Hagel’s staff learned of his decision that afternoon.

The Republicans had better be looking for a candidate to run for this seat immediately.

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A look at the week through pictures courtesy of BBC News.

My personal favorite? Number five.

Have a great weekend. ~o)

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Will we know the name of the nominee for Attorney General at some point within the next week?

It is possible if this report from the Washington Post proves correct.

President Bush is expected to choose a replacement for Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales by the middle of next week, and former solicitor general Theodore B. Olson has emerged as one of the leading contenders for the job, according to sources inside and outside the government who are familiar with White House deliberations.

Other candidates still in the running include former deputy attorney general George J. Terwilliger III and D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Laurence H. Silberman, according to the sources, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the discussions.

Others whose names continue to be mentioned in congressional and political circles include Pepsico general counsel Larry D. Thompson, a former deputy attorney general; Solicitor General Paul D. Clement; and Verizon general counsel William P. Barr, who served as attorney general for Bush’s father. A person close to Barr said yesterday, however, that he does not appear to be on the short list of candidates now being considered.

None of these candidates will satisfy the Democrats for one reason or another, but it seems they are already gearing up for a fight if it is Ted Olson.

The persistent mention of Olson as a possible candidate has surprised and upset some Democrats, who view the well-known GOP attorney as a sharp-edged partisan who they contend would not be the best choice for a Justice Department accused of becoming overly politicized. Leahy voted against Olson’s appointment as solicitor general in 2001, citing his “non-responsiveness” to questions about alleged ties to a conservative magazine’s investigation of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

“A lot of Democrats up here would view that as a shocking and unwise choice,” one Senate aide said.

But Olson, who represented Bush in the legal battle over the 2000 presidential election, also is widely admired by members of both parties for his legal skills and sharp intellect. Lanny Davis, former special counsel to President Clinton, endorsed Olson for the attorney general’s job in a recent opinion article, calling him “a principled and independent thinker who will focus on the word ‘Justice’ in the Department’s name.”

Let the games begin.

HT: Lucianne

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Next week will bring the report of General Petraeus to Congress, the anniversary of 9-11 and probably more political posturing than we all should be subjected to. I hope to post one patriotic video a day between now and 9-11 so we all remember those who are sacrificing so the likes of Osama Bin Laden never has the chance to see his dreams fulfilled.

While watching the video, you might wish to take a look at the letter General Petraeus delivered to his troops. This man knows the real deal and he makes certain every member serving under his command does also.

HT: To Blackfive for providing the link to the letter to the troops.

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I must say I was surprised when reading this today, not because I had decided that these indivduals were innocent or guilty but simply, I thought with all the negative coverage Katrina did and now receives, there was no chance of an acquittal.

The owners of a nursing home where 35 patients died after Hurricane Katrina were acquitted Friday of negligent homicide and cruelty charges for not evacuating the facility as the storm approached. The jury took about four hours to acquit Sal and Mabel Mangano, the husband-and-wife owners of St. Rita’s Nursing Home in St. Bernard Parish, just outside of New Orleans.

“I can’t tell you how good this feels, how good those people are,” Mabel Mangano said outside the courthouse in St. Francisville, the town about 112 northwest of New Orleans where the trial was moved. “This has been a very rough road.”

They had faced 35 counts of negligent homicide and 24 counts of cruelty to the elderly or infirm after the patients drowned _ some in their beds _ when the monster hurricane swept through the area in 2005.

Was the Governor attempting to pass the buck when she testified at this trial?

The trial lasted three weeks. The prosecution put on 40 witnesses, including Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who testified that she left the decision on mandatory evacuations to local officials. St. Bernard Parish never called a mandatory evacuation.

Obviously the jurors believed the responsibility for these deaths did not lie solely in the hands of the owners of the nursing home:

“We talked about that,” said juror Kim Maxwell, 46. “There were a lot of mistakes made, and it should have been a lot of people answering for it. So why just these two people?”

Said juror Michael Cavalier, 39: “The state was responsible for the safety of nursing home residents. They didn’t do what they should have. They didn’t make the decisions they should have. So when the Manganos made their decision, why should they try to crucify them for it? That isn’t right

Sounds as though this was a very thoughtful and insightful jury. I’m certain Mr. and Mrs. Mangano are most grateful.

Story here

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