$10,000 could be yours!!

Now THIS is funny!

Fear Factor (or Weapons of Math Instruction)


Let the games being. Bushco has begun the 'Fear Factor' campaign. It began with the Education Secretary, Rod Paige, calling the NEA a 'terrorist organization'.

Now, I don't put anything past this desperate administration, but TEACHERS. This went way too far!

Paige went on to spin off his comments with a written apology, which included the following:

"I also said, as I have repeatedly, that our nation's teachers, who have dedicated their lives to service in the classroom, are the real soldiers of democracy, whereas the NEA's high-priced Washington lobbyists have made no secret that they will fight against bringing real, rock-solid improvements in the way we educate all our children regardless of skin color, accent or where they live.

I couldn't help but think of the AARP and the medicare overhaul. If there ever was a high priced lobby out of touch with their constituents, AARP fits the bill. But that was OK, I guess, if you as the administration.

Later, GW himself climbed onto the stump as well. No plan, no program, just more fear, more scare, more intimidation.

He threatens of more taxes and increased bureaucracy, if Dems gain control. But it is GW who has created the bureaucracy on borrowed time, and borrowed money. He is the 'big spender' this year, and the Dems better not lose sight of that.

I am looking forward to the debates already. GW will struggle if he tries to throw out these many charges to his opponent directly. I really think that Bushco is so ignorant, that they have know clue how out of touch they really are.

I could just 'Ralph'

I am watching the arrogance and ignorance of Nader on 'Meet the Press'.

This is an ego run, and nothing else. This will be much different then 2000. He has an uphill battle to get on ballots. If lucky, he may find his way into 40 states, but it is the priniciple of it.

Hs just blew what little support he had, from an awful lot of people.

An open letter to the St. Paul School Board

I sent this E-mail to all members of the SPPS BoD last evening. I have already received a response from Tom Conlon (the only Republican on the board) sharing his sincere willingness to address these concerns, and include me in the process.

= = = =

Directors:

Thank you for taking the time out of your very busy schedules to visit with the Wilson community. I wanted to take an opportunity to clarify and expand on my comments from the meeting on Wednesday, February 18, at the Wilson Junior High School building.

The Saint Paul Public School district is facing difficult challenges. Minneapolis is facing even tougher decisions, and that is what may lie ahead for ISD #625. My comments last night, and in this correspondence may not change the inevitability of what will happen at Wilson. I have watched the systemic disassembling of this program over the last several years. I can not identify exactly when the mortal wound was inflicted, but the Wilson program has been hemorrhaging for some time. This has NOT been because of the internal staff and administration. I believe district administration is responsible for this due to the restrictions placed on the program over the years.

My understanding is that sometime during Kay Arndt's tenure at the building, the first attempts at designating an attendance area for Wilson began. This key opportunity would have provided a much-needed nucleus from which to build a successful program. A program that could have had ownership in the community. Now, those of us in the neighborhood, no longer have a neighborhood school. Our 'choice' has been restricted.

The district takes great pride in providing choice for all learners within it's boundaries. Saint Paul, I believe, was one of the first to provide an internal, open enrollment model. Now, for the Hamline/Midway community, a choice to attend a neighborhood Middle/Junior High School is no longer an option. I support choice, and broadbased opportunity within the district, but maybe we don't have that luxury anymore. If we are beginning to close our schools, maybe it is time for the district to re-evaluate how they deliver educational services.

One area of bulging waste in the district is transportation. To stand on a corner and count several busses driving down the street with only a few students in them is disheartening. Every school has their own busses, and if a neighborhood has students attending each of the schools of choice, that many busses will be driving down the street of that neighborhood.

How can we save money here;

1) Preserving Neighborhood schools: If more students were attending schools closer to their home, less busses. The Hamline/Midway community may now have another couple buses driving through our residential streets to transport our neighborhood kids to another community.

2) Hub System: A hub system could be developed that would significantly reduce the number of busses on the road. We could consider having Arlington and Central, for example, be designated transportation hubs. Each neighborhood would have only one bus driving through it, picking up students to bring them to the hub locations. At the hub, these same busses would now have a school designation, and student would transfer to the necessary bus to get them to their final destination. Sure, there are a multitude of logistical things to consider, but I can imagine the opposition to Magnet schools when the Transportation piece was being discussed and evaluated.

3) Regional Choice: Currently, there are 5 area Superintendents. Areas A, B, and C include the traditional schools that encompass the school district. Choice can still be provided, but the choices could be limited to the schools within your Area, be at A, B, or C. This would build community, limit transportation miles, and undoubtedly save money.

I certainly don't have all the answers. I also understand, and respect, that the decision to close Wilson is a virtual done deal. My concerns, however, go far beyond preserving the Wilson program. They are for providing for the students of St. Paul. They are for providing CHOICE for those students of St. Paul. Right now, there is a segment of the district's population that will be denied choice next year, the choice of attending a neighborhood school. This school district MUST re-evaluate the long-term educational delivery system of the entire district and make the tough decisions, with as much information as possible.

A buzz this campaign season regards being able to make the tough decisions, even though it may not seem popular at the time. The decision to close Wilson has been presented as the 'least disruptive' of the options available. Is that REALLY what should motivate our decisions? Shouldn't we be taking a much broader look at how this district operates if we are now facing school closures? Are we, as a district, going to continue to make decisions that close schools and dismantle programs based on knee jerk reactions and squeaky wheel opposition? I sure hope not. I recognize that this decision was one that had been considered for months, but to not involve the community, the staff, and the parents effected, was a grave error.

I appreciate the desire by the Board, and District administration to listen and reflect on the concerns by the neighborhood and the Wilson/LEAP community, but this should have happened last Spring, or even last Fall. However, during those times, when we would ask about the future viability of the Wilson program, we were told "Don't worry, that won't happen" or "We wouldn't be building you a new Gym and Library if that was even being considered." How times have changed, and how quickly.

There are other options, there are other choices. Wilson did NOT have to die! Which program(s) will be next?!?

Respectfully,

*snipped personal information including address, phone, and my three childrens' names with their Educational history within the district

It's more then just Parking

There was an open 'community' meeting at Wilson Junior High, last night. The closing of this program has taken not only a back seat, but a 'wait for the next bus' feel as it is being overshadowed by the 10 schools on the block in Minneapolis.

The Pioneer Press reported on the meeting and mostly talked about the parking nightmare created by an adult based prgram that will now take over the whole building.

But there was a mention at the end of the article, on how this could impact the community on a more important level.

Part of the problem, some staff said, is that Wilson is the only St. Paul middle school unable to draw students automatically from nearby neighborhoods.

Kurt Schiebel, who lives near the school and is also Wilson's technology coordinator, said Wilson could have been given an attendance zone and a chance to thrive as a neighborhood school.

"As a parent who has a son saying 'Why can't I go to Wilson,' I have a hard time explaining it to him," Schiebel said.

Yes, that was my first volley, and I didn't expect to get quoted in the paper, but I am not done. I am on page 3 of my letter to the Board, and will probably post the letter here.

But the reality is, my kids will now be bussed several miles to another school, instead of being able to walk, 4 blocks. I wonder how much the transportation cost is?!?

Barreiro Bails

WOW!, I wonder if we will get the real scoop on this one

Bottom line is:

" . . . Part of this has to do with philosophical differences with newspaper management. Much of it has to do with the desire to build on outstanding opportunities KFAN has given me."

I missed Bumper-to-Bumper tonight, but I'll be sure to tune in on Thursday.

Flashguy

Bush scared off by 'Centrisity' post

GW himself has Bushco spinning back off it 'Jobs, Glorious jobs' prognostication. Of course, it is not his fault:

The White House backed away Wednesday from its own prediction that the economy will add 2.6 million new jobs before the end of this year, saying the forecast was the work of number-crunchers and that President Bush was not a statistician.

GW's lip server, Scott McClellan, went on to say "The economy is moving in the right direction ... but there is more to do,"

I think what he meant to say was 'Right' direction, but I'll have to check the original transcript for that, assuming it hasn't been 'cleansed' already.

We can all add this to the Flip Flop list when they try to charge the Dems with the same.

Yellow cake anyone . . . .

You can read the rest here!

Who invented the Internet

Some are so blinded by the Right light, that they begin to forget what the truth is.

Mitch was touting the wonders of WiFi and the ability of his little lappy top to connect to the Net while sitting in a local establishment.

Now, I am not sure if he was actually on his own laptop, or if he was on one of the three terminals that are set-up within 'The Rock'. Those terminals have been there for several years, and were definately pre-Bush, but he goes on to make a further claim:

Just think; had Algore won the 2000 election, I'd probably be walking behind a mule pushing an iron plow right now.

Now Mitch is a pretty smart guy, when he chooses to be, but this is a preposterous statement, regardless of the tongue-and-cheek nature of it. More accurately, it is BECAUSE of Al Gore, that Mitch was able to rip the man.

Now don't get excited, I am not claiming Al Gore invented the Internet. In fact, Gore never claimed to have invented the Internet. "WHAT!", you say, "He never said that" Hmmmmmmmmm

So lets revisit this little tussle from years gone by, so that everyone is clear on the facts.

First, what did Al Gore ACTUALLY say, and when did he say it:

In an Interview with Wolf Blitzer, Vice President Al Gore stated, and I include the complete context:

BLITZER: I want to get to some of the substance of domestic and international issues in a minute, but let's just wrap up a little bit of the politics right now.

Why should Democrats, looking at the Democratic nomination process, support you instead of Bill Bradley, a friend of yours, a former colleague in the Senate? What do you have to bring to this that he doesn't necessarily bring to this process?

GORE: Well, I will be offering -- I'll be offering my vision when my campaign begins. And it will be comprehensive and sweeping. And I hope that it will be compelling enough to draw people toward it. I feel that it will be.

But it will emerge from my dialogue with the American people. I've traveled to every part of this country during the last six years. During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.

During a quarter century of public service, including most of it long before I came into my current job, I have worked to try to improve the quality of life in our country and in our world. And what I've seen during that experience is an emerging future that's very exciting, about which I'm very optimistic, and toward which I want to lead.

Vint Cerf, one of the the accepted 'Fathers of the Internet' had this to say, the meat of which:

VP Gore was the first or surely among the first of the members of Congress to become a strong supporter of advanced networking while he served as Senator. As far back as 1986, he was holding hearings on this subject (supercomputing, fiber networks...) and asking about their promise and what could be done to realize them.

Now that seems like 'initiative to create' to me, but then that is using the actual definition within the context of the statement, something the Right struggles with.

Even as recently as March 2003 and Apple press release touts:

As a member of the U.S. Congress 25 years ago, he popularized the term “Information Superhighway,” and was instrumental in fighting for federal funds to assist in building what later became the Internet. He has remained an active leader in technology—launching a public/private effort to wire every classroom and library in America to the Internet.

Mr. Gore serves as a Senior Advisor to Google, Inc. He is also a visiting professor at the University of California Los Angeles, Fisk University and Middle Tennessee State University.

So, ironically, it is more BECAUSE of Al Gore, that Mr. 'Shoot in the Dark' was able to pan on the guy, not instead of!

OH, not to leave you hanging, how did the actual statement get changed and twisted into something it wasn't . . well . . . ask Richard Armey, R-Texas.

So spin away my friends, but the only way to not give credit where credit is due, is to parse the words or twist the truth and lie about what the simple reality is. Al Gore played an integral role in allowing Mitch the vehicle to spread lies about him . . . again!

Thanks to the RNC

I am not sure how to read this. I certainly don't think the RNC would want the Primary season to be prolonged anymore then it has to be. As long as the Dems are engaged and hogging the news cycle, GW will continue to struggle in the polls.

So why then, are Moderates and Republicans, when given a chance, voting for Edwards. The obvious answer is that of the "anyone but Bush" class, Edwards is the more moderate of the two. But that would mean that these self proclaimed GOPers are seriously considering voting for someone other then GW.

Now, in an open primary like Wisconsin, were these voters just out to mess with the system? One may think, no. When you look at the other initiatives on the ballot, the polling indicates sincerity on their part.

In an AP story this morning, some of this is spelled out:

Edwards finished far better than pre-primary polls suggested he would, his surge fueled by the highest Republican turnout of the primary season and voters who made up their minds in the last week. His deepest support was in the GOP suburbs of Milwaukee.

"That's been happening in other primaries too," Edwards said in an interview. "Republicans who would consider voting Democratic and independents are the people we have to win over to win the general election. That's why I'm the best candidate to take on George Bush."

The strong GOP turnout was boosted by city government elections in Milwaukee and a controversial referendum on casino gambling by an Indian tribe.

Now, GW and the rest of Bushco, have already set their eyes on Kerry, and have begun their first shots in their negative attack dog style. With that in mind, you would think they would have their rank and file push for the Kerry nomination, that they would want him crowned as soon as possible. This would dilute the media over the next several months while creating a vacuum in the National campaign. One that the GOP could clearly take advantage of.

It was in their best interest for Kerry to kick ass in Wisconsin, relegating Edwards, Dean, et. al. to internal bickering and the official coronation of the presumptive nominee.

Instead, we had crossover voters supporting the #2 man, creating a tighter race, invigorating both base camps, and continuing the debate in the weeks to come.

Again, I thank you, GOP, for helping out!

Jobs, Glorious Jobs

With my pending trip to the beach, I have been following the job market and the glorious statement by GW to create 2.6 million jobs by the end of the year. Now, to think he can replace. in a few short months, the entire job loss throughout his entire term seems almost foolish to even suggest. Again, the exaggeration of this claim will only hurt the incumbent as the election draws near.

One of the articles that caught my eye, was this piece I stumbled across. See, GW and Greenspan are counting on a drop in productivity (the amount of work you get from an employee) integral in supporting a job creation boom.

Now, there are times I throw out the Job loss rate of the current administration, but Jobs is a lagging indicators, and for the most part, is a poor gauge for how the economy is currently performing.

Once again, however, the current administration chooses to throw gas on the fire. They are promoting a job growth expectation that can only come true if the productivity of the current work force drops. Now granted, the pace of productivity can't continue at it's present rate for long, but it, in itself, is a lagging component as well.

In order for the White House job forecast to come true at 2.7 productivity growth, the economy would need to grow 5.7 percent this year or faster, which would be the highest annual growth since 1984, and is far higher than any economists are forecasting.

"It's difficult to foresee a growth rate where we will find 320,000 jobs" each month, Chan said.

For me, it means that I may be underemployed, tucked away in a computer lab in the bowels of some inner city elementary school. For GW it means he has to count on the American Worker getting lazy.

He with so little faith . . .

Do you want fries with that

I woke up to This little fisking over at Shot in the Dark this morning. My point was how quick the left jumped on this, and still feel there is some credence to the comments.

This whole ANG things is, if nothing else, distracting the admin and putting them on the defensive. The late Friday Doc Dump had many chomping at the bit, presuming there would be some dirt there.

When I hear the defense of the Right on this issue, I can't help but think how hypocritical they can be. They need to use the Empathy Test more often. I am positive, if the shoe was on the other foot, they would be doing a much better job on offense, then they are on defense.

I am still hung up on GW when he made a statement that went something like this " I have been to war, and raised Twin daughters . . I'll tell you, I'ld rather go to war" Now, first, which war is he talking about going to, and also, I can already hear the chastisement from the Right if a lefty made that statement and would commment 'How DARE they trivialize war like that'.

The ANG issue will evolve into a debate on quality of service. Kerry will dilute the attempt of the Right to trump up GWs service. Oh, and when Clark is named VP, the military service issue will be one GW has to defend this time.

This election is for the Right to lose, and at the rate their going, they will probably do just that.

A little wager

Every Presidential election year, the Doctor and I agree to visit the respective DFL and GOP victory party with the understanding we will end up at the 'Winners' location by night's end. Last year, of course, dragged on infinitum, with both of us claiming victory at different points of the evening.

This year will be no different, but we have agreed to a little side bet. When the Dem candidate wins the presidency, Doc has agreed to preceed any mention of GW with the phrade 'One termer'. If the GOP pulls off another win, I have agreed to addess GW as a 'Two Termer'.

The Doctor has made it clear that 'Two Timer' is not acceptable.

The Wall comes down

This letter does more in resolving the GW service record fiasco then anything the White House has released.

Of course, Scrappleface couldn't let it go without showing proof of it's own.

[UPDATE] The Left took no time at all to fisk this letter of all it's credibility.

More on me . . .

Education: The greatest investment a country can make is in the continuing education of its citizens. The current administration has created a policy, behind a name that does the opposite of it's intent. The Leave the Children Behind Act is full of unfunded mandates that will turn our students into a bunch of test takers. There was know thought out process to look at the standardized tests currently being used, just an expectation that one more test wouldn’t matter. January has turned into Test Month at my school. First it is the Stanford 10 test for the state, then the basic skills test to graduate, then the federal test to show compliance. Three tests within a 4 week period all basically doing the same thing. Not a very good system to create a learning environment for our young people.

Vouchers are nothing more then inverse bussing. They provide a family a small subsidy, generally equal to the amount of the aid formula a school would receive upon that particular students enrollment. Those who can afford a private school anyway, will take this 'tax cut for the rich', and have the extra money to build on to their mansion on the lake. No middle to lower income family would still be able to afford the difference between the cost of a private school even with the inclusion of this subsidy. What they get is an underfunded school and a lower quality education. Minneapolis schools are feeling the pinch of this reality with the influx of Charter schools, a taste of what is to come should vouchers pass. No more neighborhood school or feeling of community.

Homeland Security: I am concerned about certain aspects of the Patriot Act, specifically those that butt heads with the civil liberties of our citizens. Many on the Right share these same concerns. It just looked to me that this administration preyed on the fear of the populous to railroad a sweeping change while we were vulnerable. I think change was needed, and the Zacharias Mousoui case is one cited by most proponents as one which may have prevented the 9/11 hijackings if the Act was in place beforehand. So I answered 'moderately opposed' due to the civil liberty concerns, but agree change was needed, just that it may have gone to far.

I venture Right in my support of tighter immigration controls.

Iraq I strongly support the war and am totally opposed to an immediate withdrawal. SoDamn Who'sInsane is an evil man who brutalized his own people. His total disregard for the human rights of everyone on this planet marked the need to remove him from power. GW made a poor gamble by placing all of his eggs in the WMD basket. He was so damned confident that stockpiles of chemicals and the missiles to deliver them would be found, he proclaimed it as the only reason he needed to go to war. Grave mistake which may cost him a second term.

The UN is a necessary evil in this Global Political environment. In order to retain credibility within this community we need to respect its process. I don't think giving them more political authority is the answer, but some restraint on our part may be called for.

It would be irresponsible to even consider an immediate withdraw from Iraq at this time. There is know way Iraq could make it to democratic sovereignty on their own. The power vacuum created would suck in the evilest of terrorist organizations and create a middle east quagmire of the greatest proportions.

We must stay the course, assist in the creation of a democratic self government. If the June 04 goal is reached by the administration, and attacks on troops and local sympathizers dwindles, GW will be in good shape going into the elections.

Foreign Trade We can not deny the fact we are in a global economy. The trade boundaries extend far beyond the geopolitical borders we have recognized in the past. the Embargo in Cuba must be lifted and full support of NAFTA must be recognized. We can not be intimidated by this global positioning, we must embrace it as the future reality.

Some for of protections, however, needs to be in place. A carefully crafted proposal needs to be constructed to protect people and the environment. Standards must be developed to create a fair playing field.

A-Wall to climb Part Deaux

GW released his payroll records for his service in the Guard. They actually create more questions then answers. You can read the AP version here

Two quotes from the article stand out to me:

1) At the same time, White House officials were careful to stop short of claiming that the records proved definitively that Bush had shown up for all the Guard duties he was expected to.

and

2) . . . . the White House has not been able to produce fellow guardsmen who could testify that Bush attended meetings and drills. "Obviously we would have made people available" if they had been found, McClellan said.

Wouldn't you think, if he was there, there would be hordes of fellow servicemen who would jump at the chance for a photo op and trip to the White House to defend GW's service. Appearently not.

Reaching for the towel

This morning's local rags (Strib and PPress) lay out the reality of my school closing in St. Paul. They imply 'pending' and 'pondering', but being on the inside I can tell you it's official. There is no chance Wilson will survive till next year.

The open house to recruit students has been cancelled. The brand new technology upgrade and gym expansion project will sit for another program. There is an ALC program sharing the building with us. It is called LEAP and serves older kids and young adults making the transition to life in the US.

I hope if things are so fiscally bad that they are closing a school that they will at least consider a new transportation proposal. Seems Minneapolis Schools are looking at all the options, why not St. Paul.

See, St. Paul has an internal Magnet/Open enrollment policy. What that means, is as many as 4 or 5 busses drive through my neighborhood twice a day. Once for the elementary, and again for the secondary. These busses have just a handful of students in them. It only seems to make sense that one bus per neighborhood could drive by and pick up all the kids in each neighborhood. This bus would travel to a central Hub locations, where students would transfer to busses to take them to their respective schools.

Seems pretty basic to me.

Flash

As part of my intro to the Blogosphere, it is only appropriate that I spell out where I am coming from. Some of you, PJZ for instance, feel I have some sort of an obligation here to save the word. Well, I can't just shoot from the hip until you all know where I am at on the issues. As for bereft of ideas, I have plenty, and they will come out in time.

So now it is time to open myself up. I think I'll use the outline of the AOL Presidential Match to parse my views.

Abortion: I am personally pro-life, but politically pro-choice.

OK, cop-out you may say, but the reality is, the Right is so damned insistent about not meddling in people's personal decisions, yet they want control over the basic decisions every human being has, a choice between life and death. Now, I would make great efforts to convince anyone in my counsel to preserve life, both lives, at all costs, but will respect that the final decision needs to be up to the woman, and the final judge of her decision is God, not me, not the United States.

I was mixed on the survey questions, opposing the outlawing of abortions as a whole, but favoring the outlaw of partial birth abortions and supporting of the under 18 notifications. It is any parents right to be informed of their child's medical condition.

Gay Rights: Maybe the Righties can help me with this one. The GOP banter is all about leaving the government out of our personal lives. Small government dedicated to the security of the nation, and supporting an infrastructure that assists in economic growth. Why oh why oh why do they want to legislate morality. This is all about education and social acceptance. If anything, it is a state issue. If two people are happy together and can be productive members of our society, so be it.

I am a lefty on this issue, more so because I don't think it is the governments business who one chooses to sleep with.


Religion in Government: I lean Right here. It is noble to separate church and state, but the literal interpretation of the Constitution is causing more harm then good. I see no reason why prayer in school should be an issue, for the same reason I supported the 10 Commandment display. I mean, come on, 'In God we trust' , 'So Help Me, God', we could go on and on about the religious symbolism in the government, it is one of the strengths of our nation.

The context of the separation clause over 200 years ago was due to the religious persecution felt by the founders of this country, and why many of them came here to begin with. Religious persecution, or ANY persecution for that matter, should NOT be tolerated. THAT is where the efforts need to be invested.


Gun Control: I'll tread softly here, as Mitch may be listening. I support the right of all qualified individuals to 'keep and bear arms'. Do I think someone should be able to walk down the street packing heat, well, technically I guess I do, but I don't think it is necessary. I favor safety devices on guns, I mean who wouldn’t. What 'logical' reason would one NOT want to require them.

How about background checks. If we agree that violent felons shouldn't be packing heat, shouldn't we have a process to prevent it? Wouldn't point-of-sale be the best place to begin? Just seems simple to me. Oh, and safety courses, that's a no brainner.

There was a questions regarding suing the gun manufacturers. I believe our litigious society spends more time padding the pockets of overzealous attorney, then protecting the rights of it's citizens. If someone has a legitimate loss, they should have the right to pursue compensation. If that same person wants to sue Ford, because that is the make of the car the drunk driver was driving, well, that would be as foolish as suing Remmington. I am with GW on this one.


Death Penalty: My only reservation is the outside chance of an innocent being executed. What a horrific experience it must be for the 'dead man walking' knowing that they were wrongfully convicted. With that, do I favor the abolishment of the Death Penalty, No! However, it is only responsible to consider having a National Review of Death Penalty fairness . . . . GW disagrees

Tomorrow (maybe); Education, Homeland Security, Iraq, Foreign Trade, and Health Care

Cartman for President

I found this article a while ago. I think of it as more proof of the move to the right of the media, others may not.

South Park is one of those cartoons you would never let your kids watch, but watch yourself waiting to see what will happen next. It simply exagerates the political correctness of our society to the point you wonder 'are we going to far'

I've never been a big PC guy, which is why I find myself dancing in the middle quite often.

Flash

The beach beckons . . .

We had an all staff meeting this AM. The school i have been working at for about a dozen years is officially closing. Budget cuts, enrollment declines, and other factors have made it no longer possible to run the program here.

The way I look at it, over 200 kids will now be 'left behind', but that is another post.

As for me, I should be OK . . .

Flash

A-Wall for GW to Climb

All you need to know on this issue can be found on my educational link to the right, but Kerry asked an intriguing questions following the release of the interview.

Kerry disputed Bush's response. Appearing in Richmond, Va., he said receiving an honorable discharge did not resolve questions about Bush's service. "The issue here, as I have heard it raised, is was he present and active on duty in Alabama at the times he was supposed to be? I don't have the answer to that question," he said.

to that I offer this:


General William Turnipseed and Lt. Col. Kenneth Lott, who commanded the Montgomery, Alabama, base at the time said that Bush never appeared. "To my knowledge, he never showed up," Turnipseed said.

More later

Flash

Do they need a Drivers' License

Seems that carrier pigeons don't triangulate the sun and the moon and the stars to get where their going, they just follow the road!

I know, slow news day.

Flash

And the panel is in . . .

Here is the Make-up of the WMD/Inteligence panel co-chaired by former Sen. Charles Robb and retired federal judge Laurence.

Other members are:

-- Sen. John McCain, (R-Arizona) and Runner-up? to GW for the 2000 GOP nod
-- Lloyd Cutler, served as White House counsel to Carter and Clinton
-- Patricia Wald, a Democrat and Former appellate court judge
-- Rick Levin, president of Yale University, GW's alma mater
-- Ret. Adm. Bill Studeman, a former deputy director of CIA

The executive order stipulates that all departments of the administration assist the commission in its work and said that the committee would have access to the complete report of the Iraq Survey Group, the U.S. group leading the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

GW stated the panel would have up to nine, so look for a sitting Democratic and Republican congressional member to be added.

Flash

Awful, simply awful . . .

The first words out of my wife's mouth this AM were "They found Carlie's body this morning"

We have three young boys in the house (10, 11, and 14) and I took time this AM to talk to them about this case, and what to do if they found themselves in a compromising postion.

When you get home today, hug your kids, then tell them what to do to be safe. Here are some pointers!

My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends of Carlie Brucia . . . and lest not forget about Dru !!

Flash

It's the Economy, stupid . . .

"Two and a half years into this recovery, and the economy can only muster up 112,000 new jobs?" said Richard Yamarone, chief economist at Argus Research. "That's a bad number, not a good number."

*shaking head* Don't worry, the ineptitude of this current administration will find a way to spin this towards the positive. Bottom line, Millions are still out of work, and all GW is worried about is locking in his cash rewards to the wealthy . . .

The complete article is here.

Feckesking the WMDs

Jeff Fecke over at Blog of the Moderate Left does a nice job of bringing us back to reality on the whole WMD exageration/deception issue by this administration. It's a good read.

On a side note, i am encourged by the administrations appointment of John McCain to the new presidential commission investigating U.S. intelligence gathering, including the pre-war assessments of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. I look forward to the hearings and reading the report.

Shot from the hip . . .

Mitch Berg, over at Shot in the Dark, a Righty Tighty blog "made up" what he calls Berg's Law; "No liberal commentator can simultaneously attack more than one of the four justifications for the Liberation of Iraq; to do so, they'd invalidate their own case."

Seems Berg is confusing rationale for disarmament with justification to unilaterally invade a sovereign country.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have always called these reasons my justification for ending the terroristic regime of SoDamn Who'sInsane, but GW was so hung up on WMDs he couldn't see the forest for the trees.

See, in his 2003 State of the Union (SOTU) address, he banters about WMDs as his sole reason for war and the only justification he needed. He talks of the other three items, UN Resolutions, Human Rights violations, and the uses of chemicals on his own people, as reasons to disarm him, not as a pretext to war.

So much for Berg's law . . . . although he does try to defend himself HERE

Flash --> For the war for the right reasons, NOT the Right reason